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Sandia Lab develops cybersecurity tool Hades to trick hackers

Researchers at the US's Sandia National Laboratories have developed a cybersecurity system that moves hackers into a separate, simulated environment. High-fidelity Adaptive Deception & Emulation System, or Hades, is a cloud-based system that allows the team to unobtrusively move identified hackers into an alternative reality, where they can then monitor their every action and feed them misleading and incorrect data. The US Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity division is working with Hades on rolling out the system, which can be deployed on a small or large scale.

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-simulated-network-reality-hackers.html

2017-11-29 14:30:36.583000

Sandia National Laboratories cyber researcher Vince Urias helped develop the Sandia-originated HADES program that employs alternative realities to confuse hackers. HADES stands for High-fidelity Adaptive Deception & Emulation System. Credit: Randy Montoya The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once postulated that the devil no longer uses fire and brimstone but instead simply tells you what you want to hear. Sandia National Laboratories cyber researchers go with that second option when it comes to foiling a hacker. Rather than simply blocking a discovered intruder, Vince Urias, Will Stout and Caleb Loverro deploy a recently patented alternative reality, dubbed HADES for High-fidelity Adaptive Deception & Emulation System, which feeds a hacker not what he needs to know but what he wants to believe. "Deception is the future of cyber defense," said Urias. "Simply kicking a hacker out is next to useless. The hacker has asymmetry on his side; we have to guard a hundred possible entry points and a hacker only needs to penetrate one to get in." Rather than being summarily removed from a data source, a discovered hacker is led unobtrusively into HADES, where cloned virtual hard drives, memory and data sets create a simulation very much like the reality. However, certain artifacts have been deliberately, but not obviously, altered. "So, a hacker may report to his handler that he or she has cracked our system and will be sending back reports on what we're doing," Urias said. "Let's say they spent 12 months gathering info. When they realize we've altered their reality, they have to wonder at what point did their target start using deception, at what point should they not trust the data? They may have received a year or so of false information before realizing something is wrong. A hacker informing his boss that he's discovered a problem doesn't do his reputation much good, he's discredited. And then the adversary must check all data obtained from us because they don't know when we started falsifying." Furthermore, when a hacker finally puzzles out something is wrong, he must display his toolkit as he tries to discern truth from fiction. "Then he's like a goldfish fluttering in a bowl," said Urias. "He exposes his techniques and we see everything he does." Credit: Sandia National Laboratories HADES just won a 2017 R&D100 award, presented by R&D Magazine to recognize exceptional innovations in science and technology over the past year. The Sandia work, patented in October, began five years ago with a three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development grant. "It used to be that technologically we couldn't move a visitor to a different reality without them knowing," said Urias, "but there's been a radical change in networking in the last 10 to 15 years, from hardware to software. With the ephemerality of the network fabric, I can change realities without a hacker knowing." Adversaries want data that helps their situational awareness. "But when we change data in our fake world, we devalue information and set up eventual inconsistencies." To do this, Urias said, "we move to another location in the cloud and build a slightly different world around them. Our intent is to introduce doubt. If they get something, is it real or is it fake? The worst horror for an adversary is the identical world, but changed. Can we introduce more work for them?" HADES can operate in multiple modes from a small organization without resources to a large company, he said. The Department of Homeland Security's Cyber Security Division has worked with Sandia on deployment. Like any technique, HADES has its limitations. While the simplest deceptive environment can be done on a small private computer, environments of greater fidelity require more CPU and memory resources and may thereby reduce the number of virtual environments deployable on a single server. What the information technology and cybersecurity communities want, Urias said, is what he wants: "To stop the [information] bleeding, and get actionable intelligence: What is an adversary looking for, what did they actually get, and how did they get it?" The technique has allowed the researchers to locate malware an adversary has placed in a system, and is capable of active attack.

Public Health England calls for ban on Coca-Cola Christmas tour

The CEO of Public Health England (PHE) is calling for local councils and shopping centres to ban visits from Christmas trucks promoting Coca-Cola because of the role of sugar in childhood dental decay and obesity. Duncan Selbie criticised the 14-tonne lorries, decorated with 372 bulbs and 8,772 fairy lights, as research from PHE indicated that 61% of the 42 stops on the tour have above-average rates of such health issues.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/29/coca-cola-christmas-truck-tour-criticised-obesity-tooth-decay

2017-11-29 14:25:25.433000

The NHS’s public health boss is urging local councils and shopping centres to ban visits from Coca-Cola’s promotional Christmas trucks because of sugar’s key role in rotting children’s teeth and making them fat. Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England, has criticised the soft drink giant’s annual PR stunt, in which 14-tonne lorries decorated with fairy lights and fake snow visit towns, cities and landmarks around the UK to advertise its products. Selbie’s comments come as PHE research found that most of the places the trucks plan to visit before Christmas have above-average rates of children with tooth decay or obesity. “Big-name brands touring the country at Christmas to advertise their most sugary products to children and boost sales does nothing to help families make healthy choices and wider efforts to combat childhood obesity and rotten teeth,” Selbie said. “Local authorities celebrating sugary drinks in this way need to reflect on whether it’s in the best interests of the health of local children and families.” Coca-Cola is sending two articulated lorries to 42 locations in England and Scotland in the run-up to Christmas, including Wembley in north London, the O2 complex in the capital’s Docklands and the Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock, Essex. The firm’s promotional material says the trucks will be “delivering Christmas cheer up and down the country. At every stop you’ll have the chance to project your festive selfies across the side of the truck as it lights up. “You’ll also be able to experience a snowy winter wonderland setting while enjoying a choice of Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke or Coca Cola Zero Sugar.” Staff will offer consumers, many of them children, free 150ml samples of the three drinks at a truck lit by 372 bulbs and 8,772 fairy lights. But PHE believes that Coke’s marketing risks worsening already high rates of tooth decay and obesity. On Thursday, one of the trucks is due to visit Bolton, where 40.5% of five-year-olds have tooth decay – the highest number of all the areas on the list. Overall, 61% of the stops are in places where both five- and 12-year-olds have higher rates of rotten teeth than the English average, NHS dental statistics reveal. The same proportion of places have an unusually high number of 10- and 11-year-olds who are overweight or obese, while 56% have above-average numbers of children aged three and four in reception class who are dangerously overweight. Councils and health officials in areas already visitedby the trucks have protested against the marketing stunt, and some have called for an outright ban on the trucks. The tour began on 11 November in Glasgow, where Linda de Caestecker, the director of public health at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was among 44 people urging Coke to give away only water and sugar-free versions of its products. In a letter, they called on the company to be more responsible in how it markets its products and highlighted the large numbers of young children in the city who were overweight, obese or have tooth decay. “The bright lights of the Coca-Cola truck and giving out free fizzy drinks will of course appeal to children. But when we’re in the midst of an obesity epidemic – and have increasing numbers of children with tooth decay – it’s not really doing children any favours,” said Prof Mary Fewtrell, nutrition lead at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. “We’re seeing increasing numbers of local protests against the truck, both from the public and council leaders, public health professionals and dentists. The motivation behind these is not to take the joy out of Christmas; but to recognise that linking fizzy drinks with the fun of the festive season is a marketing tactic and not good for child health,” she added. Coca-Cola defended its use of the promotional Christmas trucks, which it says have made 397 stops and covered 730,000 miles in the UK. “The Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour is a one-off, annual event where we offer people a choice of 150ml samples of Coca-Cola Classic, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke, so two of the three options are no sugar drinks. This is also reflected in the take-up of samples on the truck tour, with on average over 70% of what we sample being a zero-sugar option,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We also have a policy of not providing drinks to children under the age of 12, unless their parent or guardian is present and says they can have one. The truck tour route changes every year as we try to cover a fair geographical spread of the UK.”

Britvic bolsters defences as CEO cracks down on ad fraud

UK drinks maker Britvic will use whitelists and blacklists as well as use verification company Adloox to patrol the use of its ads online as CEO Matt Barwell cracks down on fraudulent placements. The moves come as the industry wrestles with an increase in fraud, which the World Federation of Advertisers estimates will cost UK companies £37bn ($50bn) by 2025.

https://digiday.com/marketing/britvic-cracking-ad-fraud/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digidaydis&utm_source=uk&utm_content=171129

2017-11-29 14:00:41.723000

Soft-drinks advertiser Britvic is prioritizing rooting out fraudulent traffic from its media buys. Ad fraud has emerged as the key issue for Britvic amid the fallout from the industrywide transparency debate, according to CMO Matt Barwell, who said its brands are distancing themselves from metrics easily inflated by bots and fraudulent clicks. Removing fraudulent placements is now a core pillar of all the advertiser’s media plans, pushing its spend away from the so-called long tail of cheaper sites toward more premium inventory. For now, Barwell said a carefully considered mix of whitelists, blacklists and keyword exclusions alongside pre- and post-bid verification is the best approach. All media buys for Britvic’s brands, which include Robinsons and Drench, are verified for fraud by ad verification company Adloox, a move that has helped push fraud rates down to the low, single digits, said Barwell. Whitelists have also helped purge fraud from Britvic’s buys, with the advertiser’s own combined with those from M/Six, Adloox and GroupM, to create larger whitelists and blacklists for media plans to adhere to. “When I look at the pre- and post-bid validation that we’re buying on display, it makes me confident that we are managing to avoid fraud at the level that others may be exposed to,” Barwell said. “The idea is to be really clear about what metrics are needed for what campaigns or channels and then work with our data providers to understand what we should pay for things like a 10-second view or click-through rate.” Barwell said the brand’s efforts to combat fraud have been aided by a commitment to avoid buying cheap inventory. Britvic, along with its media and creative agencies, now plan campaigns upfront prior to the creative being developed, meaning there’s a greater focus on assessing the effectiveness of each channel prior to ad buying. Barwell explained: “We’ve been trying to force our media agency and creative agencies to work together more on the communications planning from the outset and to have those insights drive the creative process so that we’re developing ideas specifically for the channels our audiences use.” Given Britvic’s agency is M/Six, it’s likely using the media buyer’s criteria for the quality of placements, which are based on four metrics: the size of the ad, 50 percent of the ad is on screen, the average percentage length of time the ad is in view and how much of the ad has the sound turned on. Barwell acknowledged that he must pay a premium for those types of placements, given they are unlikely to be found in the cheaper, bottom-of-the-funnel environments. For Barwell, weeding out ad fraud from Britvic’s media buying is more of a focus than ad misplacement. “I’m more relaxed about brand safety,” he said. He made the claim prior to the latest reports of misplaced ads on YouTube, which spurred brands such as Adidas and Diageo to pull spend from the video platform last week. Barwell acknowledged the negative PR that comes with any brand-safety story but stressed that fake inventory was the more inherent threat to his bottom line and brands. Fake clicks are projected to cost advertisers £12.3 billion ($16.4 billion) globally this year, according to Adloox. That’s not to say Barwell isn’t taking the scandal engulfing YouTube seriously. Rather, he and his team are not as reliant on the site as some of their peers and, therefore, have been able to limit their risk by focusing on other channels they have more confidence in, such as private marketplaces. “Of course, no brand owner wants their brand showing up in environments that they don’t want,” he said. “The bigger issue is fraud. The media owners, the platforms and the agencies need to take more responsibility for helping us navigate that minefield.” At times, the advertiser has “leapt too quickly” to put money behind new technology and new platforms without genuinely challenging itself to prove what the return of investment is, according to Barwell. It’s why on Facebook, rather than purchase ads, Britvic’s activity comes from its official brand channels in order to avoid the risk of it appearing in unsavory places. The threat of ad fraud has become so big that the London City Police is working with Adloox to tackle the threat. The partnership will help the national police deepen its investigation into sources of invalid traffic and nonhuman traffic that proliferate across programmatic advertising. Ad fraud is set to cost the industry £37 billion ($49 billion) by 2025, according to the World Federation of Advertisers. Image courtesy of Britvic.

Skyx wins funding to develop crop-management software 

Israeli start-up Skyx has raised an undisclosed sum in a seed funding round to develop its crop-spraying drone software. The Rimonim Fund, an agriculture technology venture capital firm, was the sole participant. Skyx has developed software for drones used in agriculture but does not make drones itself. Founder Eylon Sorek said the software provides mission planning and autopiloting for drone fleets, and said the company would initially focus on US and European agricultural markets.

https://agfundernews.com/skyx-crop-spraying-drone-raises-seed.html

2017-11-29 13:59:45.577000

Israeli drone software startup Skyx has raised an undisclosed seed funding round to commercialize software that allows one operator to control a fleet of up to six crop spraying drones. The round marks the first investment for a new Israeli agtech VC, the Rimonim Fund, which was the sole investor in the round. The fund was cofounded by Sharon Devir, also cofounder of Roots Sustainable Agriculture Technologies, which recently listed on the ASX, and Michal Devir, a medical doctor with medtech investing experience. Michal Devir will join Skyx as chairperson. Skyx’s software allows the user to control multiple drones — what it calls a “swarm” — and direct them to complete a single mission. The software allows the user to build a fleet of drones gradually over time and choose the drones themselves, as Skyx intends to be compatible with any commercially available hardware. “We’re not a drone company. The vision that we have is that our software will become an operating system that includes mission planning and mission control in real time and autopiloting for the entire fleet,” said founder Eylon Sorek. The traditional methods of pesticide application such as planes, tractors, and handheld sprayers, are inefficient in terms of both labor and cost and offer environmental risks such as pesticide drift and water contamination, as well as risk to human health for growers and workers in close, frequent contact with the chemicals, according to Sorek. Skyx seeks to add not only safety but more efficiency and precision to this process. “Not only for uniform spraying but also for variable spraying rates at unlimited sizes and shapes of spots in the farmland,” said Itzik Turkel, the company’s cofounder and CTO. Skyx is not looking to compete with drone companies themselves, but it is competing with the software that drone manufacturers offer as an add-on. “The way we see it, the vast majority of drone companies don’t really know agriculture because they are building drones for many verticals,” said Sorek, who sees his initial customer base in companies that sell spraying-as-a-service. “The reason that we don’t see one person and one drone in the field today is because this person doesn’t offer enough return on investment. With a swarm, you can achieve a competitive price point with the exact same operation.” The benefit to the customer is greatly dependent on the size of the fleet, and here is where regulation becomes important, which Sorek says is a major hindrance to the growth of spraying drones. Some regulatory authorities require drones to be within the line of sight of the operators, disallowing autonomous drones. Others restrict drone size and payload. Regulations have generally been more relaxed for agricultural drones for field mapping and remote sensing functions, but drones for crop spraying have not received the same regulatory allowances. “The ability for a fleet to cover larger and larger areas is in the hand of regulators,” said Sorek. A limiting factor is also the frequency with which spraying drones need to be serviced, refilling pesticide payloads and replacing batteries. Sorek says that a reasonably-sized fleet for one operator to service is four to six drones, which can reasonably cover 40-60 hectare (100-150 acres) in one day — appropriate for small and medium-sized operations according to Sorek, but not large row crops operations. For this reason, and in light of the types of crops commonly grown in Israel where Skyx has conducted pilot research, the company will initially focus on horticultural operations in the US and the EU — targeting spraying contractors servicing vegetable growers. Other recent fundings in crop spraying drone technology include Nileworks, a Japanese company claiming its multi-copter drones are able to see the shape of a field and spray just 30cm above, thereby reducing drift raised a ¥800 million ($7.12 million) financing round from Japanese investors last month.

Outstream and social in-feed ads over half of UK video ad spend

UK digital ad spend on outstream and social in-feed video almost doubled for H1 2017 year on year, overtaking pre and post-roll ads for the first time, with 52% of spend, according to a marketing report by GroupM. The report also revealed video ads were the fastest-growing digital format, with UK advertisers spending £699m ($930m) on them, a year-on-year rise of 46%. The report also highlighted that 53% of adults felt online ads were more relevant than static campaigns, and estimated 75% of brands that suspended their ads on YouTube have returned to the video-sharing site.

https://digiday.com/media/uks-changing-video-ad-landscape-4-charts/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digidaydis&utm_source=uk&utm_content=171129

2017-11-29 13:59:37.367000

Despite brand-safety concerns, user experience issues and measurement gripes, digital video advertising is in decent shape. According to data from GroupM’s “This Year Next Year,” U.K. marketing forecast, this is at the expense of legacy media: TV has zero percent growth forecast for 2018 in the U.K. Here are four charts on the state of online video advertising in the U.K. Outstream overtakes pre-roll The overall ad market has grown, thanks to digital video. In the first half of 2017, advertisers spent £699 million ($930 million) on video ads — a 46 percent year-over-year increase — making video the fastest-growing digital format, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau’s latest report on U.K. digital ad spend. Investment in outstream and social in-feed video ads has nearly doubled, making it the most popular format, accounting for 52 percent of video spend, overtaking pre- and post-roll ads. Noticing the demand in outstream, publishers The Guardian, News UK and The Telegraph have joined forces to pool outstream ad inventory. “[The alliance] brings this kind of format and inventory back under direct publisher control, with guaranteed quality and brand-safe environments, while still having enough scale to satisfy advertisers and agencies,” said Mark Holden, global strategy director at media agency Starcom. Source: IAB Ads are becoming more relevant Striving for more ad revenue has meant some publishers overlook user experience, particularly when it comes to autoplay video formats. According to data from the IAB’s “Consumer Insights: Video” report, ads are becoming more relevant: 53 percent of adults who find online video ads more relevant than static ads also feel advertising relevancy has improved over the past year. One in 10 video ads appears beside risky content In its “This Year Next Year” report, GroupM estimates three-quarters of brands that paused advertising on YouTube in May after their ads appeared next to extremist content have returned to the platform. (The estimates were made prior to this week’s reports of brands like Diageo and Mars pulling ads from YouTube after finding them running against unsuitable content, although buyers don’t expect this to harm YouTube much.) Integral Ad Science’s “Media Quality Report” in the U.K., which examines ad inventory, from this year found that just over 13 percent of video inventory on desktop in the U.K. appeared next to content that was considered “risky.” Most of this fell into the “moderate risk” category, with programmatic accounting for 12.2 percent and direct deals making up 9.2 percent of that category. (In the chart below, dark blue indicates no risk, gray is moderate risk, purple is high risk and red is very high risk.) Although “risk” is a subjective term and brands have varying levels of tolerance for risk, IAS found that inventory with a level of risk was mostly next to violent and adult content, with 26.4 percent and 23.7 percent of that inventory appearing next to those categories, respectively, while hate speech was the lowest at 2.2 percent. Sports rights holders command high ad rates Live sports events have long attracted viewers and ad dollars. Now, platforms like Amazon and Facebook are joining the fray and bidding for rights. According to GroupM’s “The State of Video” report, 2021 will be a milestone year for live TV sports media rights. A total of 10 rights deals will be up for renewal, including the UEFA Champions League and Bundesliga soccer matches in Europe, as well as the NFL’s “Monday Night Football” and MLB rights in the U.S. The value of these deals will total $5.7 billion (£4.3 billion). “It may be broadcasters remain the best at TV production and the big-screen experience, with rights sliced accordingly,” the report states. “Such broadcasters might themselves seek to sub-license new technology and digital partners to reach the markets and fans they are unable to service.”

LIDAR is improving, but it's not getting any cheaper

Velodyne has built a new autonomous vehicle sensor a fifth the size of its previous design, which it says can see further and make out more details than any other commercially available LIDAR. Using LIDAR, Velodyne's VLS-128 has 128 laser beams separated by angles as small as 0.1 degrees, each with a range of 300 metres, said Velodyne's CTO Anand Gopalan. However, at present, only major technological players will be able to afford the technology, each of which will cost "thousands of dollars" when it eventually enters mass production, a date which remains uncertain.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/609526/lidar-just-got-way-better-but-its-still-too-expensive-for-your-car/

2017-11-29 13:58:28.847000

But those specifications aren’t enough to help vehicles at high speed in unpredictable situations. A car is traveling at 70 miles per hour would have just four seconds to respond to an obstacle. The angular resolution is also too low to make out an object that’s far away, because the laser beams will be too spread out to return a viable image. As a result, many autonomous cars use data from other sensors to help recognize obstacles, even if they have lidar sensors on board. “The consensus is pretty clear,” Austin Russell, CEO of rival lidar manufacturer Luminar and one of our 35 Innovators under 35 of 2017, told MIT Technology Review earlier this year. “You need a lidar that can see out past 200 meters. You also need to be able to see ... not just that there’s an object out there, but what it is.” Velodyne Such concerns have pushed the world’s most advanced driverless-car projects to build their own lidar systems. Two of them, Waymo and Uber, are currently embroiled in a heated lawsuit centered on stolen trade secrets related to their in-house devices. Now, Velodyne has launched a sensor called VLS-128 that it hopes will satisfy the demand for increased performance. The new device uses 128 laser beams, twice as many as its predecessor. The firm’s chief technical officer, Anand Gopalan, told MIT Technology Review that those beams are separated by angles as small as 0.1°, with a range of 300 meters, and create as many as four million data points per second as they spin through 360 degrees. The increase in resolution, says Gopalan, will provide such detail that cars won’t need other sensors for obstacle detection—though they probably will still carry other sensors in the interests of redundancy and safety. Ingmar Posner, an associate professor of information engineering at the University of Oxford and founder of the university’s autonomous-driving spinoff Oxbotica, says the increase in performance is “awesome.” He agrees that it should allow vehicles to detect objects more reliably using lidar data, and believes it would enable driverless cars to cope better in faster-moving environments. For once, though, Velodyne is starting to see competition. Russell’s startup, Luminar, has developed its own mechanical lidar system, which uses a single mirror to steer a powerful laser in order to see 250 meters, with beams separated by as little as 0.05° (see “College Dropout Says He’s Cracked Self-Driving Cars’ Most Crucial Component”). And other firms, such as Aeva, are experimenting with systems that blend lidar and radar approaches, to push range and resolution even further. Still, Velodyne has more experience with actually building and selling such devices, and it says it will ship units of the VLS-128 before 2017 is out. Gopalan wouldn’t say whether its customers included firms that were building their own alternatives, such as Waymo and Uber, explaining only that he would “expect this sensor to meet the needs of any autonomous-vehicle program in the industry, either current or in the future.” For now, big companies may be the only ones able to afford the sensor. Gopalan wouldn’t say how much it will cost at first, explaining only that it could cost “thousands of dollars” when it enters mass production, though it’s not clear when that will happen. But the device’s predecessor, the HDL-64E, is not mass-produced and costs $80,000 per unit. Gopalan would say, however, that the new sensor will probably be installed in robotic taxis and autonomous trucks at first. Russell shares that sentiment. “Some of the companies in the ride-sharing space have said that if you had an autonomous car that just worked, they’d be willing to purchase these cars for $300,000 to $400,000 apiece and buy as many as you could possibly make,” he says. That’s because the total vehicle cost—and, therefore, the price of sensors—is less important than it is in a consumer car, because a steep investment could be recouped quickly by keeping a vehicle on the road nearly 24 hours a day. Meanwhile, many firms, including Velodyne, are busy building low-cost, solid-state lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles. But in truth, they lack the range and resolution required for high-speed driving (see “Low-Quality Lidar Will Keep Self-Driving Cars in the Slow Lane”). Gopalan agrees. He imagines seeing such devices used as driver aids in consumer vehicles, or to augment expensive sensors in fully autonomous vehicles.

Robots given 'undo' button to encourage quicker learning

Researchers have developed a function that would enable robots to more effectively benefit from deep learning, by deploying a reset that would effectively undo a previous action. The research, which was published in a recent arXiv paper, outlines how the robot is given a “forward” and “reset” policy that work together; whereby the forward policy learns a skill, whilst hitting the reset forces the robot to learn how it can “leave no trace” of its action. This process would therefore teach robots never to perform an action that is irreversible, for example, driving an automated vehicle over a cliff's edge.

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/609562/robots-get-an-undo-button-that-could-help-them-learn-faster/

2017-11-29 13:03:02.790000

Deep reinforcement learning works a lot like a child learning a skill: practice makes perfect. For an autonomous agent like a robot, though, its environment has to be reset to its original state between attempts—a chore that can take hours as humans scurry around replacing objects, for example. A new arXiv paper by researchers with Google Brain, the University of Cambridge, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, and UC Berkeley details a method that can teach an agent to reset the environment for the next attempt, as well as stop it from performing actions that would be irreversible. Their advance was to give agents a “forward” and “reset” policy that work together. While the forward policy is tasked with learning a skill, hitting reset forces an agent to learn how to “leave no trace,” effectively rewinding an action. Actions that the robot thinks would be irreversible are aborted as soon as possible. The researchers write that they sought to give their agents “intuition” to classify anything that is reversible as safe, since it’s possible to go back to the original state. Through trial and error, the agent discovers that more and more actions are reversible, allowing it to explore safely. Deep reinforcement learning is often done in simulation, and especially when real-world environments will be less forgiving of errors, like an autonomous car driving over a cliff. Even for safer situations, waiting for manual resets can become a bottleneck for data collection. For this reason, the team’s work was confined to virtual environments. Eventually, however, real-world testing has to be done, and this research could make it faster and safer. As Jack Clark points out in his Import AI newsletter, this paper echoes the work outlined in another paper (PDF) from Facebook AI Research last month, in which a single agent has two separate modes, nicknamed Alice and Bob, one of which tries to reverse the task the other has attempted to complete. This type of work to make AI able to plan ahead could save it (and us) from disastrous mistakes in the future.

NHS to employ ethical hackers as it bolsters cybersecurity

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is to hire so-called white-hat hackers -- coding experts who use the techniques of criminals to crack cyberattacks -- as part of a drive to boost its digital defences. They'll test new security systems to be drawn up by a £20m ($27m) Security Operations Centre, which was created in the wake of the devastating WannaCry ransomware attack this year, according to digital chief Dan Taylor. The centre will provide alerts against attempted cyberattacks such as the WannaCry ransomware, Taylor said. NHS Digital is seeking a partner to help advise on, and run, the project over the next three-to-five years.

http://www.itpro.co.uk/security/28648/nhs-ransomware-nhs-to-hire-ethical-hackers-in-20m-cyber-security-boost

2017-11-29 12:56:24.170000

The UK's Foreign Office has said it too blames North Korea for the WannaCry ransomware campaign that brought the majority of the NHS and other public sector organisations to their knees back in May. "The UK's National Cyber Security Centre assesses it is highly likely that North Korean actors known as the Lazarus Group were behind the WannaCry ransomware campaign one of the most significant to hit the UK in terms of scale and disruption," Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said in a statement. The official announcement follows comments by Security Minister Ben Wallace in October that suggested the government believed a nation-state was responsible for WannaCry campaign, and that it was "as sure as possible" that state was North Korea. He said, like the US authorities, the UK government would "identify, pursue and respond" to malicious activity and wants to make it clear it will not tolerate malicious cyber activity of any kind, wherever it may originate and however severe the impact. It will impose costs on the responsible parties, preventing them from launching further attacks and using them as an example to deter other potential criminals. "We condemn these actions and commit ourselves to working with all responsible states to combat destructive criminal use of cyber space," he added. "The indiscriminate use of the WannaCry ransomware demonstrates North Korean actors using their cyber programme to circumvent sanctions." Lord Ahmad added that the UK authorities will work closely with other organisations around the world to "uphold a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace." The WannaCry attacks affected 300,000 computers in 150 countries, including 48 NHS trusts, the government said. Users were told they needed to pay a ransom to get their machines unlocked and data restored. 19/12/2017: NHS ransomware: US blames North Korea for "cowardly" WannaCry attack The US government has officially blamed North Korea for the devastating WannaCry ransomware campaign that crippled public services and infrastructure in more than 35 countries in May. The announcement, made by Homeland Security Advisor Thomas Bossert in the New York Times, is the first time the US has formally blamed a nation-state for the attack which hit the NHS, Spain's Telefonica, FedEx and German rail company Deutsche Bahn. "After careful investigation, the US today publicly attributes the massive 'WannaCry' cyber attack to North Korea," said Bossert. "It encrypted and rendered useless hundreds of thousands of computers in hospitals, schools, businesses and homes. While victims received ransom demands, paying did not unlock their computers." "It was cowardly, costly and careless," added Bossert. "The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible." North Korea became a suspect almost immediately following an initial investigation into the attack, particularly as the malware shared a number of similarities with the attack on Sony Pictures, widely thought to have been carried out by the North Korean-based "Lazarus Group". The WannaCry campaign is thought to have affected around 300,000 computer systems across the world, propagated through a vulnerability in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The attack was eventually halted when security researcher Marcus Hutchins discovered a 'kill switch' in the malware that shut down the malware before it delivered its payload. The US stance comes almost three months after the UK government and Microsoft officially blamed North Korea for the attack. "North Korea was the state that we believe was involved in this worldwide attack on our systems," said security minister Ben Wallace, speaking to BBC Radio 4. "It is widely believed across the community and in a number of countries that North Korea had taken this role." As well as officially blaming Pyongyang for the attack, Bossert took the opportunity to highlight recent bolstering of IT defences by the Trump administration. "(Trump's) continued sanctions on Russian hackers and directed the most transparent and effective government effort in the world to find and share vulnerabilities in important software," said Bossert, almost certainly referring to the recent ban on Kaspersky products from all government departments. Bossert added that the US was now calling on the private sector to "increase its accountability in the cyber realm by taking actions that deny North Korea and other bad actors the ability to launch reckless and destructive cyber attacks." North Korea has always denied its involvement in the WannaCry attack, and labelled the UK's accusation as a "wicked attempt" to enact tougher sanctions against the country. Speaking to the Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson for the Korea-Europe Association said at the time: "It does not make any sense that the DPRK, which gives the highest priority to the life and health of its people, would carry out a cyber attack on the UK health service." 28/11/2017: NHS to hire ethical hackers in 20m cyber security boost The NHS has set aside 20 million to establish a new security centre designed to constantly probe the organisation's cyber defences using ethical hackers. The Security Operations Centre (SOC) will operate throughout all NHS sites across the UK, providing monitoring services and guidance on how to handle cyber security incidents to local departments. Part of its remit will be to employ 'white-hat' hackers to test the NHS' ability to prevent a data breach or a repeat of the style of attacks seen during the WannaCry ransomware campaign, which hit over one-third of health trusts earlier this year. Dan Taylor, head of the Digital Security Centre at NHS Digital, said that the new centre will provide a "near-real-time monitoring and alerting service that covers the whole health and care system" "The Security Operations Centre will enhance NHS Digital's current data security services that support the health and care system in protecting sensitive patient information," he added. "The partnership will provide access to extra specialist resources during peak periods and enable the team to proactively monitor the web for security threats and emerging vulnerabilities. "It will also allow us to improve our current capabilities in ethical hacking, vulnerability testing and the forensic analysis of malicious software, and will improve our ability to anticipate future vulnerabilities while supporting health and care in remediating current known threats." Taylor said the centre would "drive economies of scale, giving health and care organisations additional intelligence and support services that they might not otherwise be able to access". NHS Digital also said it's seeking a partner to provide advice and help run the project, a contract for which is tendered to run for three to five years. It's not the first time a public body has turned to ethical hacking to probe its defences. In July, it was revealed that the Met Office had previously asked cloud security firm Cloudreach to purposefully break its systems in an effort to test how well its teams were able to deal with major outages. The move is the latest attempt to try and overhaul the NHS' outdated IT systems, which were considered to have been a soft target for the WannaCry malware. A recent report by the National Audit Office found that "basic IT security" could have prevented the spread of the ransomware, and that the NHS had been warned previously about its reliance on the outdated Windows XP operating system. "Given the impact of the WannaCry attack, one must ask why it has taken them so long to create an SOC," said Matt Lock, director of sales engineers at Varonis, in a statement to IT Pro. "The new centre must be a part of an ongoing effort to keep up with the latest attacks from extremely well-funded and experienced criminals intent on compromising the NHS system. "An SOC is an important piece of the overall security posture for large organizations, but continuous improvement and advancements are critical parts of the equation." 31/10/2017: North Korea denies it created the WannaCry ransomware North Korea yesterday denied being behind the devastating WannaCry attack, after the UK government identified the nation as the creator of the ransomware. Home Office Minister Ben Wallace told the BBC last week that the government was "as sure as possible" that North Korea was behind the cyber attack in May, which caused chaos among NHS hospitals, dozens of which had to suspend and postpone appointments and operations. But a spokesperson for the North's Korea-Europe Association denounced this as a "wicked attempt" to toughen sanctions against the country, which is currently embroiled in a war of words with the US over its nuclear tests. In the statement, published on the Korean Central News Agency, the spokesperson said: "It does not make any sense that the DPRK, which gives the highest priority to the life and health of its people, would carry out a cyber attack on the UK health service. "The moves of the UK government to doggedly associate the DPRK with the cyber attack cannot be interpreted in any other way than a wicked attempt to lure the international community into harbouring greater mistrust of the DPRK and further tighten sanctions and pressure against the latter." The spokesperson added: "This is an act beyond the limit of our tolerance and it makes us question the real purpose behind the UK's move." Along with the UK government, Microsoft also said it believed North Korea was behind the WannaCry attack. Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said that the attack was carried out by the country using cyber tools stolen from the NSA in the US. An investigation into the ransomware attack found that the NHS failed to follow basic IT security principles that could have prevented the malware from taking effect, such as upgrading from the unsupported Windows XP operating system. 27/10/2017: NHS ransomware: "Basic IT security" could've prevented WannaCry A report conducted by the National Audit Office found that the NHS was informed by the Department of Health and the Cabinet as early as 2014 about the dangers of cyber attacks and were encouraged to make plans to move away from old software like Windows XP by April 2015. Despite the NHS's critical alerts telling organisations to patch their system to prevent the spread of WannaCry ransomware, the department had "no formal mechanism for assessing whether local NHS organisations had complied with their advice and guidance and whether they were prepared for a cyber attack". "The WannaCry cyber attack had potentially serious implications for the NHS and its ability to provide care to patients. It was a relatively unsophisticated attack and could have been prevented by the NHS following basic IT security best practice. There are more sophisticated cyber threats out there than WannaCry so the department and the NHS need to get their act together to ensure the NHS is better protected against future attacks," said Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office. The attack, which occurred on 12 May 2017, affected 81 out of 236 NHS organisations in England. It also lead to the cancellation of 19,500 medical appointments, the locking of 600 GP surgeries, and the diversion of ambulances from five hospitals, according to the report. Although the department, NHS England, and the National Crime Agency said that no NHS organisation paid the ransom, the report found that the department does not know how much the attacks cost the NHS when considering costs such as the cancelled appointments, IT support and consultants, along with the restoration of data. "What the NHS needed was the ability to detect and put a stop to malicious behaviour as early as possible in the kill chain," Nick Pollard, security intelligence and analytics director at Nuix said. He suggested the use of next-generation endpoint security, which "can analyse unknown processes and terminates those that exhibit bad behaviours, keeping end users from clicking on unusual and potentially harmful attachments and applications even before they knew you were in danger". The report said that the NHS has learned from WannaCry and is taking action to secure local firewalls by asking hospital trust boards to make sure they have implemented measures outlined in all alerts issued between March and May 2017. 16/10/17: Microsoft says North Korea was behind WannaCry attack Microsoft's president and chief legal officer has said that North Korea was behind the WannaCry attack that affected companies worldwide. Brad Smith told ITV News: "I think at this point that all observers in the know have concluded that WannaCry was caused by North Korea using cyber tools or weapons that were stolen from the National Security Agency in the United States." Smith also said cyber-attacks conducted by nation-states have become more frequent and more severe. He added that governments around the world should do more to protect people from harm. "We need governments to come together as they did in Geneva in 1949 and adopt a new digital Geneva Convention that makes clear that these cyber-attacks against civilians, especially in times of peace, are off-limits and a violation of international law," said Smith. He addressed criticism over the fact that Microsoft left Windows XP vulnerable to attackers since it had withdrawn support for the operating system. "When there's a broad attack, we provide patches for [all versions of Windows]," he said. "We did so with WannaCry, we did it again in June when Ukraine was attacked." He added: "At the same time we repeatedly asked people, we explained to people, we virtually pleaded with people 'please don't rely on software that now belongs in a museum'." Smith underlined that hospitals need to give more priority to upgrading their IT systems. "When hospitals think about the equipment that is critical to protecting their patients they've got to think not only about the beds...Computers play a fundamental role in the delivery of healthcare and patients shouldn't have to rely on healthcare based on an old computer." WannaCry affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries and demanded money for users to access their files. Marcus Hutchins, the British security researcher who stopped the attack, was charged by US authorities with creating and distributing the Kronos banking Trojan in August. At IP Expo 2017, Microsoft's Brad Anderson told IT Pro that the company had seen a 300% increase in cyber attacks in the last year. The sophistication of the attacks have increased and the most sophisticated ones he has seen are from nation-states. 18/08/2017: 'WannaCry' ransomware hits LG self-service kiosks Electronics giant LG has likely become the latest victim of the WannaCry ransomware, which infected self-service kiosks found at its service centres. LG has yet to confirm the infection was definitely the WannaCry ransomware, but a spokesperson told The Korea Herald that the malware bears a strong resemblance to WannaCry, which caused widespread chaos when it targeted NHS hospitals and businesses in May. "The problem was found to be caused by ransomware. There was no damage such as data encryption or asking for money, as we immediately shut down the service centre network," the spokesperson said. The infection was reported to the state-run Korean Internet & Security Agency, which noted that it had found samples of code in the LG kiosks that were identical to code used in the original WannaCry ransomware campaign. LG moved to quickly shut down the kiosks and pushed out a security update for them, and said that all the of the kiosks are now back up and running. Dean Ferrando, EMEA manager at cyber security firm Tripwire, suggested that the infection of LG's kiosks is down to the company failing to apply a security update to the vulnerable machines. "Reports suggest that the company had not applied all the security updates available from Microsoft. This highlights something that we already knew - many organisations are not good at applying software security updates," he said. "Applying available patches is one of the easiest ways to keep an organisation safe from new attacks however, the unfortunate truth is that, despite the warnings and advisories to patch and secure the systems, there will always be a system that is missed." 17/08/2017: WannaCry paralyses 200 computers in Delhi WannaCry has infected over 200 computers belonging to book publishing company Rachna Sagar in the Indian capital New Delhi. The attack was reported on 9 August as staff found they could no longer access their user accounts, according to The Indian Express. Users were faced with a message demanding $800-$1000 US dollars in Bitcoin in order to unlock their computers. A complaint filed by the company at the Darya Ganj police station read: "This morning, when we started our work and opened Busy software, we received a text message which said our files are encrypted. The message said we have to pay money to enable decryption of our files." The company uses "Busy" accounting software where employees have two accounts: live and busy. In order to conduct business, they need to access their live account which has been blocked by hackers. A source told The Indian Express: "The hackers have locked out their data since April. Employees have not been able to conduct any business since the day of the cyber attack. Their billing process has been delayed and they are even scared to use net banking as they fear online payment systems may be compromised." IT Pro has contacted Rachna Sagar for comment. This isn't the first WannaCry attack to hit India. There were isolated incidents reported in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and West Bengal, but it is the capital's first attack. Marcus Hutchins, the British national who stopped the initial spread of WannaCry, was arrested in Las Vegas charged on six counts relating to the creation and distribution of a banking Trojan known as Kronos. The judge has set a trial date for October and released Hutchins on bail. He's not allowed to access the server he used to prevent WannaCry from spreading and must remain under house arrest.

Manufacturer cost cutting could lead to increased recalls

Manufacturers are being forced to cut costs of food products, meaning a compromise on ingredients. Such a compromise could lead to increasing product recalls, impacting insurers providing coverage to food and beverage firms. Unless manufacturers are willing to compromise on the size of their products then cheaper ingredients are likely to be used. Manufacturers have been historically reluctant to alter the size of their products due to consumers having a familiarity with the brand.  

https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2017/11/07/Food-manufacturers-forced-to-cut-costs-by-retailers

2017-11-29 12:45:36.567000

As many as 99% of food and drink manufacturers admitted to shrinking their products or considering doing so in the future, claimed Lockton. It described shrinkflation as an “endemic”​, as 76% manufacturers admitted to coming under pressure from retailers to cut costs. Only 1% of respondents ruled out shrinkflation, while 43% of manufacturers admitted they had already reduced the size of products and kept the price the same. A further 56% said they were thinking of doing the same in the future. Lockton’s head of product recall Ian Harrison said: “The real impact of shrinkflation goes way beyond consumers getting less for their money – manufacturers are seemingly willing to significantly alter products to cut costs. ​ “If price pressures continue, consumers could be left with a bad taste in their mouths as manufacturers are forced to use inferior ingredients as well as reducing the size of their offerings.”​ Manufacturers have already started to use cheaper raw materials in response to demand for reduced costs, according to Lockton. Demand for reduced costs​ One in 10 said they had already started to use cheaper raw materials, while as many a 72% said they were considering doing this in the future. Just under a third (32%) of manufacturers said they had started to look for international sources for cheaper raw materials, while 53% said they planned to. “We’re fast approaching a tipping point where the quality of what's on our shelves is at stake,”​ added Harrison. What is shrinkflation? Shrinkflation is a term used to describe the business practice of changing the physical weight of a product, while keeping its price constant. Source: The Office for National Statistics “The move towards cheaper raw ingredients is setting a dangerous precedent that puts manufacturers at risk of product recall or food scandal. Inexpensive ingredients are often associated with poorer quality, food fraud and lower safety standards.”​ On-site safety standards have also taken a hit as manufacturers combat rising costs. Of the manufacturers surveyed, 38% said standards had been eroded, while a further 32% said production facilities were less safe than in the past due to pressure to cut costs. Reduced focus on improving safety standards​ Over half (55%) of manufacturers surveyed said they had reduced or would reduce their focus on improving safety standards in order to meet contractual demands from retailers. Lockton’s research also found that 44% of manufacturers were forced to take out increased liability insurance purely to meet contractual demands from retailers. On average, manufacturers had to purchase 13% additional liability. Harrison said retailers were trying to distance themselves from any potential scandals, such as the horsemeat scandal. “By pushing responsibility further down the supply chain, retailers are hoping to shelter themselves from any potential fallout should a recall or legal action occur,”​ he said. “More liability cover is no bad thing, but comes with higher premiums and manufacturers must determine what costs are realistic for them.”​ FoodManufacture.co.uk has approached the British Retail Consortium for a comment on Lockton’s report. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Coco Pops, Peperami and Doritos were reportedly the latest food products to decrease in weight, while maintaining their original prices.​

Google joins palm oil impact mapping project on Borneo 

The Center for International Forestry Research in Indonesia has partnered with Google Maps to monitor the environmental impact of the palm oil industry on Borneo. They've created a map that draws a 10 km-radius around each of the 467 palm-oil mills on the island. So far, 90% of plantations have been recorded with the use of various documentary sources, while satellite imagery will be used to update the map and monitor the impact of mills on the immediate environment. 

http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2017/11/27/indonesian-researchers-develop-borneo-atlas-to-map-palm-oil-production/

2017-11-29 12:33:17.400000

In Indonesia, researchers from the Center for International Forestry Research have developed the Borneo Atlas, mapping the location and ownership of 467 palm-oil mills on Borneo, in an effort to help buyers ensure palm oil purchased doesn’t negatively impact forests. So far, 90% of the island’s palm oil production has been mapped. The map is integrated with Google Maps so users can look in detail at plantations and will be updated automatically to show any plantation expansion.

Deliveroo puts pressure on UberEats with Lunchbox service

In an effort to shore itself up against a growing field of competition, Deliveroo is offering a £6 ($8) restaurant "lunchbox" service for customers in The City and Canary Wharf. The food itself is prepared in "Editions", which are small delivery-only kitchens built by Deliveroo. The service already has support from popular food chains such as Franca Manca, Motu and Yoobi Sushi, helping Deliveroo distinguish itself from its main rival UberEats, which already delivers McDonald's across London.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/29/deliveroo-editions-lunchbox-london-restaurants/

2017-11-29 12:31:02.077000

It's midday, your stomach is growling and you haven't brought a packed lunch. You could go outside and queue for some Pret a Manger, or — if you live in east London — you could try Deliveroo's new Lunchbox service. It's a £6 meal deal from various restaurant partners including Motu, Yoobi Sushi, Franco Manca, BabaBoom and Mother Clucker. The service is available between 12 and 3pm, Monday to Friday, and the menu changes at the start of every week. Food is prepared in "Editions" — delivery-only kitchens built by Deliveroo — and can be dropped off almost anywhere in "The City" or Canary Wharf. (More places will be added over time.) The food delivery business is hugely competitive in the UK. Deliveroo is up against UberEats — which already offers breakfast, McDonalds and scheduled deliveries in the capital — Amazon, and the combined might of Just Eat and Hungryhouse, which was recently allowed to merge by the Competition and Markets Authority. Deliveroo is growing rapidly because of its prices and, more importantly, brand recognition — it was one of the first companies to offer lyrca-clad bicycle couriers in the UK. That's no guarantee of future success, however. To keep its rivals at bay, Deliveroo will need more ideas like Editions and its subscription-based Plus service.

YouTube removes 150,000 videos and disables comments amid scandal

YouTube said it has taken down more than 150,000 videos, and disabled comments on more than 625,000, in the wake of the latest scandal to plague the video sharing site. Advertisers including Mars and Adidas withdrew their ads amid concerns that their ads were playing alongside inappropriate content. A spokesperson for YouTube told AdNews that the sheer volume of content uploaded made the platform "very challenging to police". Media publishers have called for some form of regulation to bring accountability for such sites.

http://www.adnews.com.au/news/youtube-removes-150k-videos-as-brand-safety-pressure-mounts/type/yafNews

2017-11-29 12:03:14.910000

YouTube has removed 150,000 videos and disabled comments on many more in response to the latest brand safety scandal to rock the online video platform. Over the past week, huge brands including Amazon, eBay, Mars, Diageo, Adidas and Deutsche Bank stopped advertising on YouTube over concerns their ads are running against videos of children being targeted and exploited by paedophiles. Media buyers have warned that YouTube is difficult to police and that there will always be an element of risk running ads on user generated content platforms due to the liberal nature of what is deemed acceptable content and the ease and speed it allows users to upload posts. Since the scandal broke, calls to toughen the rules around publishing on user-generated platforms has intensified and YouTube has told AdNews it is strengthening its policies and enforcement processes around content that involves minors. "In the past week, we’ve tightened up and strengthened the enforcement of our policies to terminate the accounts of users making predatory comments on videos featuring minors,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “As a result, we terminated hundreds of accounts and removed over 150,000 videos from our platform. We also turned off comments on over 625,000 videos targeted by child predators. Finally, we removed ads from nearly two million videos and over 50,000 channels masquerading as family-friendly content.” AdNews scoured YouTube to get a sense for how deep the problem runs. It is clear that YouTube has disabled comments and removed ads from videos containing children that most people would deem inappropriate, but there are still many videos on the platform that wouldn’t pass the parent test. A 30-second search on YouTube pulls up far too much disturbing content. More work needed A simple search for ‘young girl on bed’ pulls up far too many videos containing content that would never be published on a professionally curated media website. YouTube has told AdNews it unequivocally does not condone or accept content that endangers or sexualizes minors but the sheer volume of videos that are uploaded every second and the fact that many of these videos may not be illegal makes such policies very challenging to police. “In recent months, we've noticed a growing trend around content on YouTube that attempts to pass as family-friendly, but is clearly not. While some of these videos may be suitable for adults, others are completely unacceptable, so we are working to remove them from YouTube," vice president of product management Johanna Wright said in a recent blog. YouTube is taking five measures to address the problem including tougher enforcement of its community standards, age-restricting content, disabling comments and advertising on inappropriate content. “In the last couple of weeks we expanded our enforcement guidelines around removing content featuring minors that may be endangering a child, even if that was not the uploader’s intent,” Wright added. “In the last week we terminated over 50 channels and have removed thousands of videos under these guidelines, and we will continue to work quickly to remove more every day.” Since June, YouTube says it has removed ads from three million videos and expects to remove a further 500,000 more videos in the wake of the fresh scandal. Industry pressure mounts Commentators across the media landscape are calling for tougher action on user-generated platforms to bring their publishing standards further in line with those that restrict professional media organisations. In a comment piece in The Times, Sky Group chief executive Jeremy Darroch joined a growing chorus of media executives, calling for tech giants that make money from media to be placed on a level playing field with the rest of the media, a sentiment that AdNews has previously expressed. “With every new exposé, these platforms promise to do more. They promise they will do better. Yet they continue to profit from what they publish and the cycle starts again…the tech companies grow in value. It is surely time we asked: why is there no regulation where there is the risk of such serious harm?,” Darroch wrote. "I am not suggesting regulation of the internet, but establishing a set of principles of accountability that meet societal norms and can be put in place with oversight, in much the same way that Ofcom requires broadcasters to comply with principles governing the way that content is made available on TV. This would bring the same rigour to the internet that enables TV to be a safe and trusted space.” What is this costing YouTube? AdNews approached widely-respected US market analyst Brian Weiser of Pivotal Research Group to get his view on whether the brand safety issue would have a material effect on Google. “While it does seem like there may be some impact on YouTube from large brands reducing their spending, we won’t likely see the impact in Google’s reported results,” Wieser said. “YouTube is a relatively small share of Google’s total revenue base, and large brands are a sub-set of that figure.” YouTube has had two major brand safety issues in the past year that have threatened its business model. Some advertisers are clearly not impressed and are taking matters into their own hands, but AdNews understands this does not necessarily mean budgets are shifting into other digital advertising options. Publicly, many are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to whether YouTube can resolve its brand safety issues. Privately, AdNews understands some advertisers' patience is wearing pretty thin. Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at [email protected] Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.

ECB warns of volatility risks despite robust eurozone growth

Despite improved economic growth in the European Union, the bloc's central bank has warned that overoptimism in markets may be misplaced. The "risk of a rapid repricing in global markets ... remains", the European Central Bank warned, adding it had the potential to shake up the financial system.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/29/ecb-warns-of-global-market-correction-after-excessive-risk-taking.html

2017-11-29 10:37:28.437000

The European Central Bank (ECB) warned Wednesday that despite the improved economic growth in the euro area there are concerns related to a sudden increase in volatility. "Systemic stress indicators for the euro area have remained low over the past six months," the ECB said in a statement on Wednesday, but added that "the risk of a rapid repricing in global markets nevertheless remains." Markets have been on the bullish side throughout the year and many continue to push further into record territory. The is up by 16 percent since January and the pan-European Stoxx 600 is up by 7 percent. Some solid earnings and hopes of tax cuts in the U.S. and deregulation for the banking system have boosted equities. The ECB believes there is the risk that this overall sense of optimism is miscalculated, which could end up shaking financial markets once money managers realize they took on more risk than they could handle. "Continued compression of risk premia, subdued volatility and signs of increased risk-taking behavior in global financial markets are all sources of concern, as they may sow the seeds for large asset price corrections in the future," the ECB outlined in its Financial Stability Review report.

ETF fees set to drop as passive investment outstrips active

The cost of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is expected to fall over the next three years, according to a study by EY. The study predicts passive management, responsible for the majority of ETF assets, will have a greater share of the market than active funds within the next 10 years. Almost three-quarters of respondents surveyed for the study said they anticipated fees would continue to fall, with being a low-cost provider seen as a necessity for success in the ETF space. Average ETF fees fall by approximately 27 basis points each year.  

http://www.financialstandard.com.au/news/etf-fees-to-plunge-report-110642598

2017-11-29 10:18:45.567000

As the cost of exchange-traded funds continues to plummet and becomes more affordable, there is still room for competition in the booming sector, latest EY research reveals. Over the next three years, EY's ETF report shows the global market will reach US$7.6 trillion, and a substantial number (66%) of asset managers will offer ETF products in the near future. The report, which surveyed 70 ETF providers, found price points and the ability to innovate are crucial for the sector to maintain its growth trajectory. Despite ETF fees continuing to fall to an average of 27 basis points last year, 71% of respondents predict fees will decline even further as becoming a low-cost provider is a prerequisite to survival. Zero-fee ETFs will not become the norm, the report noted, but in 10 years' time, passive funds' assets will exceed those in actively managed funds globally. ETFs consequently will benefit disproportionately from this shift as a result of low fees and intraday liquidity in volatile markets. Forty-three per cent of respondents said there is insufficient competition among index providers and expect more players to enter the space, including more self-indexing. Participating in stock lending programs, digital distribution and best execution are some ways to continue to reduce costs for investors, the report suggested. In terms of demand, institutional investors will continue to dominate ETF investing over the next three years, and up to 25% of inflows will come from new investors. Wealth managers, private banks and investment funds are showing promising interest in ETFs. Pension funds are likely to use ETFs to manage liquidity, while wealth managers are expected to look for core exposure through model portfolios. EY warned that ETF providers will need to anticipate investor needs, incorporate macro trends in regulation and technology, and focus on educating investors - product development will involve launching new thematic ETFs, greater access to debt and investing in alternatives. ETFs will help new entrants defend against declining mutual fund inflows and will form as part of a product range that include fixed income or smart beta products, the report said. EY Oceania wealth and asset management leader Antoinette Elias said in the last 12 months, Australia's ETF market capitalisation increased by 39% to $33.3 billion. "The local ETF market is taking a growing share of the traditional managed funds space and continues to be retail investor driven, rather than institutional. Access to broader asset classes and international exposure is making ETFs increasingly attractive to retail investors," Elias said.

French rocket maker Arianespace at risk as SpaceX keeps costs low

The future of France-based Arianespace looks uncertain after it emerged that Germany’s DLR Aerospace Centre is considering switching its future launch commitments to Elon Musk's SpaceX. CEO Stephane Israel has acknowledged the company could fold if it loses the contract, yet Arianespace's ambition for five satellite launches in 2018 doesn't come close to SpaceX's stated goal of 18-20 annually. The German Aerospace Centre says it wishes to continue supporting Arianespace, but costs must decrease and launch frequencies increase “or else it will become like Nokia”.

http://advanced-television.com/2017/11/28/inside-satellite-europe-anxious-over-threat-to-arianespace/

2017-11-29 10:15:46.570000

Rocket company Arianespace is the pride and joy of Europe’s space agencies, and in particular, the French government, which sees the Ariane rocket as a pinnacle of its engineering prowess. But Arianespace is under severe threat from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and news that Germany’s DLR Aerospace Centre – a heavyweight contributor to the European Space Agency/ESA – is looking at switching launch commitments from Arianespace to SpaceX has caused consternation. The worry is that without regular business from the scientific community, and in particular the ESA, could spell the end of life for Arianespace. Its CEO Stephane Israel, speaking on November 24th, admitted that if Europe switches its support for Arianespace then the rocket company is unlikely to make it through the next decade. Israel is looking for a guaranteed five large satellite launches a year for 2018 and the following years. Set against these demands is SpaceX, with its lower costs and much more frequent access to space – SpaceX is talking about 18-20 launches per year. The German Aerospace Centre says it wants to support Arianespace, “or else it will become like Nokia”, but argues that costs must come down and launch frequency improved. Arianespace is developing its own reusable rocket (Ariane 6) which should be ready for business with a maiden flight in 2020-2021.

Apple customers discover major security flaw in latest Macs

Apple customers have found a major bug in the latest version of the company's operating system, macOS High Sierra, for their laptops and desktops. A Turkish developer discovered that anyone could gain administrator privileges on Macs running the operating system without a password, making private user data extremely vulnerable. Apple said in a statement to Quartz that it is currently working to fix the issue.

https://qz.com/1140320/apples-macos-high-sierra-has-a-ridiculously-simple-security-flaw-that-lets-anyone-log-into-any-mac-aapl/?mc_cid=a934ed78fb&mc_eid=a37072368a

2017-11-29 09:38:19.773000

If you have an Apple computer running the latest version of the company’s software, macOS High Sierra, be warned: It might be possible for someone to quite easily get into your computer without your login credentials. Without explaining what the actual bug is (we don’t want to make it any easier for potential hackers than this already is, and you can find it on Twitter pretty easily), someone can login to a Mac by typing a word in the login field, leaving the password field blank, and attempting to log in several times. Eventually the system will let you in with full access, according to security researchers. Advertisement You can also use this same flaw to access System Preferences on a computer whose settings you don’t have access to. Quartz wasn’t able to recreate the login bug, but was able to edit who has access to a computer in System Preferences on a Mac running macOS High Sierra 10.13.1. Apple is aware of the bug, and sent Quartz the following statement on how to patch the login flaw for now:

Uber woes continue as 'bombshell' letter is revealed in trial

A letter revealing the existence of a division at Uber intended to steal trade secrets from rivals has derailed the Uber-Waymo trial. The letter also claimed the firm “had a sophisticated strategy to conceal, cover up or destroy documents with intent to impede government investigations”. Uber was accused of withholding evidence and the billion-dollar lawsuit, filed by Waymo over the alleged theft of auto-vehicle technology, was delayed. Uber is already facing at least five federal probes in the US, most of them over dubious operational schemes, and has disclosed losses of 40% in Q3 2017.

https://qz.com/1140001/jacobs-letter-reveals-how-uber-could-have-concealed-14000-stolen-waymo-documents/?mc_cid=a934ed78fb&mc_eid=a37072368a

2017-11-29 09:27:04.180000

The Uber-Waymo trial scheduled to begin Dec. 4 has been postponed, after a bombshell allegation that Uber operated a covert unit tasked with stealing code and trade secrets from its competitors. Three Uber employees testified today (Nov. 28) in a tense, hours-long hearing that was supposed to be the final one before the case went to trial. US district judge William Alsup ordered them to appear after the US Justice Department informed the court that the company had withheld key evidence. The letter, from an attorney representing Richard Jacobs, a former Uber security analyst, alleged that Uber’s Market Analytics unit existed to acquire “trade secrets, code-based & competitive intelligence.” Advertisement “I can no longer trust the words of the lawyers for Uber in this case,” the visibly angry judge said in court. “If even half of what is in that letter is true, it would be an injustice for Waymo to go to trial.” Alsup had referred the lawsuit for a criminal probe in May. In a court filing on Nov. 27, Waymo alleged that Uber “intentionally withheld the Jacobs Letter and related materials to prevent Waymo from discovering material evidence in this case.” Waymo also asked to take a new deposition of Uber founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, and of Angela Padilla, Uber’s deputy general counsel and recipient of the Jacobs letter. According to tweets from James McPherson, a lawyer and autonomous driving analyst attending the pretrial hearing, Jacobs was terminated by Uber in the spring of 2017. His attorney then sent a letter to Uber making the allegations about the Market Analytics unit. Jacobs eventually settled out of court with Uber for $4.5 million, and is now cooperating with the company. That put him in the awkward position of disputing his own letter. A Waymo attorney asked Jacobs under oath: “Your lawyer sent letter that you approved alleging that Market Analytics exists solely to acquire code and trade secrets from competitors, yes?” according to McPherson. Jacobs reportedly responded: “I disagree with this now. I have no firsthand knowledge. No knowledge at all.” Advertisement Jacobs also described Uber’s deliberate efforts to “prevent sensitive info from legal discovery.” “There was legal training around the use of attorney client privilege markings on written materials, and the implementation of encrypted and ephemeral communications, intended to both protect and destroy communications that might be considered sensitive,” he said, according to the Financial Times. Employees were told to use phone or video calls for sensitive conversations, and use the messaging app Wickr, which has encrypted, self-destructing messages. Alsup has asked Uber to provide a “complete list” of employees who had a Wickr account or used other self-deleting messaging apps. “Any company that would set up such a surreptitious system is as suspicious as can be, when the whole point to avoid leaving a paper trail,” he said, drawing air quotes with his fingers around the word “paper.” The letter also reportedly claimed the company “had a sophisticated strategy to conceal, cover up or destroy documents with intent to impede government investigations.” In its Nov. 27 filing, Waymo said the Jacobs letter “indicates there may be a very good reason why the ‘14,000 files’ in question”—the ones former Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski is accused of stealing—”were supposedly not found on Uber servers.” “It turns out the server was for dummies and the real stuff goes on on the shadow system,” Alsup said. Advertisement Uber is facing at least five federal probes in the US, several of them into dubious operational schemes. The company has drawn additional scrutiny from Congress and state attorney generals after last week disclosing that it had paid hackers $100,00o to stay silent about a massive data breach that occurred in October 2016, affecting 57 million riders and drivers. This post was updated to include additional details of the Nov. 28 hearing.

NASA seeks to kickstart satellite-repair space-robot market

NASA's satellite servicing projects division and private firms are among organisations seeking to develop robots that can refuel or repair satellites in space. There were more than 1,400 operational satellites in orbit around Earth last year, offering the potential for a fast-growing and lucrative market. A recent meeting between 30 firms took place at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and another is scheduled for next year to explore potential technologies, while the first robot technicians are due to be sent into orbit next year.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-satellite-servicing-20171116-story.html

2017-11-29 09:26:40.247000

Hundreds of millions of dollars can go into the school bus-sized satellites that blast into orbit above Earth and provide services including broadband internet, broadcasting or military surveillance. But if a part breaks or a satellite runs out of fuel, there’s no way to send help. Commercial industry and government agencies believe they’re getting close to having an answer: robot repairs. Advertisement The idea is to extend the lives of satellites through on-orbit satellite servicing, in which robotic spacecraft essentially act as the AAA roadside service trucks of space, traveling from satellite to satellite to refuel them and fix problems. On a spring day earlier this year in Greenbelt, Md., 30 companies gathered at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to learn about the technology and view hardware for on-orbit satellite servicing. They ranged from spacecraft makers to purveyors of robot arms and even insurance brokers. A second event is planned for January. Industry watchers see the heightened activity as commercial validation for a 30-year-old idea that, until recently, attracted only government dollars. “I think it could be a sustainable market,” said Carissa Christensen, chief executive of space analytic consulting firm Bryce Space and Technology. One of the first such commercial robot technicians is set to launch next year, but analysts say a mature market is still at least 10 years away. Not only do the spacecraft and capabilities still need to be fine-tuned, but the space industry, which is relatively conservative, will want to see several demonstrations before signing on. “It’s an environment where you can’t make mistakes,” said Steve Oldham, senior vice president of strategic business development at SSL, a division of San Francisco-based Maxar Technologies that has such a project in the works. Technology still needs to advance to the point where robots become capable service workers. Already, though, the number of satellites that will need servicing is rising rapidly. In 2016, there were more than 1,400 operational satellites in orbit, compared to 994 in 2012, according to a June report commissioned by the Satellite Industry Assn. trade group and written by Bryce Space and Technology. Many are programmable, meaning their software can be updated throughout their lifespan, which can stretch to 10 or 15 years. NASA has already started to develop some of the necessary technology. In February, the space agency launched a sensor called Raven during a cargo resupply launch for the International Space Station. Raven can track vehicles approaching the space station, much like a baseball catcher keeps tabs on an incoming ball long before stretching out an arm to grab it. “Satellites in low-Earth orbit are traveling anywhere between 15,000 and 18,000 mph,” said Ben Reed, deputy division director of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s satellite servicing projects division, which developed Raven. “We need to put our servicer underneath it with a robotic catcher’s mitt in the right place.” NASA’s satellite servicing projects division was born out of previous missions to maintain and service another expensive asset — the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle serviced the telescope five times, with the last mission in 2009 focused on replacing circuit boards and adding new sensors. When the shuttle program ended, NASA’s ability to access and service space assets disappeared, Reed said. The division is also developing refueling technologies and is working to eventually launch a fully robotic spacecraft that will go to an existing satellite in orbit, autonomously capture and then refuel it. The autonomous-capture aspect is important, Reed said, because waiting for a video signal to reach human operators on Earth would just be too slow. The round-trip delay between moving that spacecraft’s robotic arm and seeing the result on video can take about three seconds. “We need rapid, rapid, rapid,” he said, snapping his fingers. “You don’t think when you reach out your hand to catch a set of car keys.” Less time-sensitive tasks, such as cutting wires, will be done telerobotically via human operators. NASA’s satellite servicing project division is not intended to compete with industry, but rather transfer the technology it develops to interested parties, Reed said. Rocket and satellite maker Orbital ATK Inc., which was recently acquired by defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp., has begun assembling a service spacecraft known as the Mission Extension Vehicle-1. The craft is set for launch next year with service starting as soon as 2019. Orbital ATK has already snagged satellite operator Intelsat as its first customer. The spacecraft’s structures, solar arrays and propellent tanks are being manufactured in San Diego and Goleta. In June, satellite and spacecraft manufacturer SSL announced a new business venture focused specifically on on-orbit satellite servicing. SSL was selected in February by DARPA to be the agency’s commercial partner in a program to service satellites in geosynchronous orbit. SSL will build the spacecraft and the refueling capability while DARPA provides robotic tools and software. The spacecraft will be test-launched in 2021. SSL is developing it at a satellite manufacturing facility in Palo Alto; two robotic arms are being built at a subdivision in Pasadena. SSL has already signed its first commercial customer, Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES. Some analysts question whether this robot geek squad will be needed at all. A coming boom in small, cheap satellites could replace some more expensive, large satellites. Along with reduced launch costs, led by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its reusable rockets, it could be cheaper to just launch several new small satellites than fix or refuel old ones. But Christensen of Bryce Space and Technology is confident there will be a need for a high-and-low mix of satellites. And she points out that cheaper launch costs could drive more repairs. “If you’ve got a quarter of a billion dollars of hardware on orbit, it seems like it would be useful to figure out an application for that,” Christensen said. And industry officials believe orbiting robot service workers will be essential if and when humans begin assembling giant craft to explore the planets. “Those far-reaching, species-changing discoveries is what gives us the passion to move forward every day with something that sounds mundane,” said NASA’s Reed. [email protected] Twitter: @smasunaga

Halliburton develops electromagnetic pipe corrosion inspection

Halliburton has launched the Electromagnetic Pipe Xaminer V service, which it says can detect casing defects and metal corrosion in up to five wellbore tubulars throughout a well. Traditional ways of monitoring the integrity of wellbore tubulars have been able to inspect the first few concentric strings of pipe, but not the outer strings. Thorough and frequent inspection can help determine if corrosion is taking place at an acceptable rate for the design life of the well or if intervention is called for, Halliburton said.

http://www.upstreamonline.com/upstreamtechnology/1388289/looking-outward-to-beat-the-leaks

2017-11-29 09:21:08.883000

Traditional methods of monitoring the integrity of wellbore tubulars have been able to inspect the first few concentric strings of pipe, but not the outer strings. “All the strings should be important because we are concerned as much for the outside integrity as we are concerned about the inside integrity,” says Freeman Hill, product manager for well and reservoir surveillance at Halliburton. “Corrosion feeds on itself. Corrosion issues can decimate a well.” But locating the outer corrosion before leaks occur used to be “fairly impossible,” Hill says. “No one was able to take a look at the outmost pipes because the technology wasn’t there.” While government regulations dictate minimum inspection intervals in some areas, routinely monitoring the tubulars for integrity can help operators reduce non-productive time and save money by making it easier to plan repairs before a small issue spirals into a major leak. In October, Halliburton launched the Electromagnetic Pipe Xaminer V (EPX V) service, which the company says can pinpoint casing defects and metal corrosion in up to five tubular strings throughout the well. Thorough and frequent inspection can help determine if corrosion is taking place at an acceptable rate for the design life of the well or if intervention is called for, Hill says. Article continues below the advert “Is it meeting the corrosion rate the customer needs for the well so it can last the required life? Or is it corroding too fast? If it’s too fast, what measures can we put in place to correct it? We can monitor it more often, intervene,” he says. “We can help the customer beat the leak before it gets there.” INSPECTION: The EPX V with high resolution array and full array sections. Photo: Halliburton Hill says one of the first questions he hears from prospective clients is whether EPX V service can measure the collars in all the tubulars. “We see the collars in all the strings. When we show them the fourth and fifth string collars, they know we can measure the metal on them. That tells them this really works,” he says. Rated to 15,000 psi and 350 degrees Fahrenheit, with an outside diameter of 1-11/16 inches, the tool diagnoses each tubing string using high-definition frequency technology. The technology can run on mono-conductor wireline, Halliburton’s RELAY digital slickline, or on memory using standard slickline or coiled tubing. Development on what became the EPX V started in 2015. The first deployment was onshore in the US in 2016. “We had to find new technologies that would work together,” Hill says. “We truly had to innovate.” The breakthrough came with high-definition frequency technology, Hill says. “The EPX V uses an array and transmitters that continuously send out the electromagnetic wave in multiple frequencies at the same time. Because it is continuous and we can put power down there on it, we are able to put out the electromagnetic field further out than we were able to do before, so we get signals back from each pipe. It’s a very sophisticated process,” Hill says. The omnidirectional tool provides more than 100 channels of information about the condition of the tubulars. The EPX V has two sections: a high-resolution shallow section that uses two receivers and one transmitter, and a full-resolution array section with six receivers and one transmitter. The frequency phase shifts and magnitude of the signal indicate the integrity of the pipe. “We have so much information on metals. We understand how the frequencies behave in different metal environments, so being able to control the frequencies and have this array is powerful,” Hill says. The tool can also function in wellbores where the pipes aren’t perfectly aligned. The 17.5-foot tool can provide details in real-time or run in memory mode. It can be used to monitor the condition of the well or diagnose existing problems. Halliburton can pair its Acoustic Conformation Xaminer (ACX) service, which identifies wellbore leaks, with the EPX V tool. “If I have a leak on a well and it’s something I think is caused from corrosion, I’d want to run the EPX V so I could see the amount of corrosion,” Hill says. The ACX tool triangulates noise logs to identify the location of leaks. The tool generates an analysis that summarises the well’s integrity, joint by joint for each tubular, and includes recommendations for remediation. In one recent deployment, Halliburton ran the EPX V tool for a client and located a five-foot corrosion problem, along with a pair of similar corrosion problems further down the wellbore that might not have been identified using traditional inspection methods. The operator had the option to repair all three problems at once, saving a second intervention. “Some operators want to know what’s coming and how long they have before it becomes a problem,” Hill says. In at least one run, EPX V has allowed the operator to correct an existing schematic of the wellbore, Hill says. “They can see everything now. They’ve been handicapped for a while. Things have changed,” Hill says.

Siemens' Topsides 4.0 aims to cut offshore operating costs by $100m

Siemens has developed Topsides 4.0, which it says can reduce a project’s lead time by as much as nine months, cut capital expenditures by $10m and operating costs over 10 years by as much as $100 million. The "digital lifecycle solution" is centred around the “key modules” of compression, power generation, power distribution and automation. It enables digital project management and manufacturing, virtual testing and commissioning, and delivers what Siemens calls an “intelligent digital twin” of the topsides — a digital replica of the plant, process and automation systems that shows how they interact.

http://www.upstreamonline.com/upstreamtechnology/1390285/project-planning-in-the-virtual-world

2017-11-29 09:06:03.327000

Siemens’ new Topside 4.0 initiative, which it describes as “a digital lifecycle solution,” targets the offshore production industry. The offering is centred around the “key modules” of compression, power generation, power distribution and automation, the company says. Topsides 4.0 starts during an offshore project’s concept selection and design phase, when it’s possible to identify and avoid redundancies in processing systems and minimise interfacing risk. It enables digital project management and manufacturing, virtual testing and commissioning, and delivers what Siemens calls an “intelligent digital twin” of the topsides — a digital replica of the plant, process and automation systems that shows how they interact. The technology reduces costs over a facility’s lifecycle through performance analytics and optimisation in the virtual environment. “We say it’s an intelligent virtual twin because it knows how the equipment is going to behave,” says Thomas Sparks, vice president of Oil & Gas Strategy and Technology at Siemens. “You can do improvements on the virtual twin, you can do training with the virtual twin, and that can have an impact on start-up.” DIGITAL DOUBLE: An illustration of a Topside 4.0 virtual twin. Photo: Siemens Sparks says the Topsides 4.0 service can reduce a project’s lead time by as much as nine months, cut capital expenditures by $10 million and operating costs over 10 years by as much as $100 million. Article continues below the advert The numbers are significant in a lower-margin offshore climate. “How can we bring the overall value proposition to the oil and gas industry? That is our role in the technology department — to understand the customer’s needs, look in the Siemens portfolio of solutions and bring them into the industry,” Sparks says. “Those customer needs have changed a bit in the low oil price environment. Everybody is focussed on lower capex and operating costs, much more than they have been in the past.” The new initiative is part of an overall push to bring down costs, he says. “It’s about leveraging new technology to get there. Digitalisation is one effort, but not the only one.” Two recent Siemens acquisitions have significantly enhanced the company’s oil and gas capacity. In 2014, Siemens acquired Rolls-Royce’s gas turbine and compressor business along with access to its aero-derivative technology. The purchase of Dresser-Rand the following year expanded the rotating equipment catalogue as well as Siemens’ reach in the oil and gas industry. The acquired technologies are integral to the Topside 4.0 service, which is complemented by Siemens’ expertise in electrical systems and automation, Sparks says. The company is also drawing on its track record in digital technology, for example its work with the Barcelona rail network to ensure on-time train service and the imaging techniques developed within the Siemens health care division. Those technologies have applications in the upstream business, he says. Thomas Sparks, Siemens (Photo: Siemens) Photo: Siemens We can take a much greater scope on a vessel such as an FPSO and apply the existing solutions from other industries, integrating them and bringing in digitalisation. Thomas Sparks, Siemens “This is the package we are providing to the oil and gas industry,” he explains. “We can take a much greater scope on a vessel such as an FPSO and apply the existing solutions from other industries, integrating them and bringing in digitalisation.” Project design “in a virtual environment” avoids redundancies by allowing engineers to predict how systems will work together, make necessary adjustments and determine the optimal topside design. “We have, to a certain extent, already applied these technologies to existing platforms,” Sparks says, citing Aker BP’s Ivar Aasen platform on the Norwegian continental shelf. The fixed platform, which came on stream at the end of 2016, is monitored and controlled remotely from an operation centre in Trondheim. “De-manning the platform has had a huge impact,” he says. “If you can de-man the platform you don’t need living quarters, you don’t have to fly people out there, and there are huge savings. Offshore platforms are the most expensive hotels on earth.” Taking full advantage of the Topsides 4.0 offering requires collaboration from the outset, he says. “It starts at the design phase. You can’t really do it on a brownfield, just elements of it,” he says. “We really need to be involved in the beginning.” Siemens is targeting the FPSO market for an opportunity to prove the Topsides 4.0 concept and the benefits of greater digitalisation. “It’s a journey,” he says of the digital revolution. “Some companies have adapted to it.”

Workers entitled to paid leave, rules European Court of Justice

Workers are entitled to holiday pay and can claim compensation if denied leave, according to a ruling on 29 November by the European Court of Justice. The judgment came in an case involving a Mr King, a UK window salesman, and his employer, the Sash Window Workshop. The case involved a dispute over King’s contract, which failed to specify whether he was entitled to paid leave and which described him as self-employed. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain claimed the case was a “game changer” for the gig economy.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2017/nov/29/eu-top-court-rules-workers-can-claim-compensation-for-untaken-holidays

2017-11-29 00:00:00

Workers are entitled to paid leave and can claim compensation if they are not allowed to take their holidays, the EU’s highest court has ruled. In a case involving a UK window salesman, the European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg – whose continuing jurisdiction is vehemently opposed by Brexiters – has reinforced employees’ rights. The long-running legal challenge concerned a claim brought by the salesman, identified as Mr King, against The Sash Window Workshop Limited. The dispute was over his employment contract, which did not specify if he was entitled to paid leave. The salesman had been paid entirely on commission and his contract described him as self-employed. A UK employment tribunal subsequently found he should have been treated as a full-time worker. The case is one of a series that have gone to the Luxembourg court to establish whether businesses operating in the “gig economy” are depriving employees of benefits to which they should be entitled by reclassifying workers as self-employed. In its judgment on Wednesday morning, the ECJ said: “A worker must be able to carry over and accumulate unexercised rights to paid annual leave when an employer does not put that worker in a position in which he is able to exercise his right to paid annual leave. “The employer was able to benefit from the fact that Mr King did not interrupt his professional activity … It is for the employer to seek all information regarding his obligations in regard to paid annual leave. “In the absence of any national statutory provision establishing a limit to the carryover of leave in accordance with the requirements of EU law, to accept that the worker’s acquired entitlement to paid annual leave could be extinguished would amount to validating conduct by which an employer was unjustly enriched to the detriment of the purpose of that directive, which is that there should be due regard for workers’ health.” Claire Gilroy-Scott, a partner at Goodman Derrick, who represented King, said: “This case is of importance in clarifying that workers who are denied their entitlement under the working time regulations to paid annual leave do not have to take a period of unpaid leave first before taking legal action to receive pay for that leave. “This would otherwise have left a worker (who was without protection from unfair dismissal and reliant upon continued work) with the unattractive prospect of having to suffer a detrimental impact on his remuneration by taking unpaid leave. The court has confirmed that a worker may carry over and make a claim for untaken leave entitlement on the termination of the engagement in these circumstances.” James Potts, the head of legal at the law firm Peninsula, which represented The Sash Window Company, said: “Employers with self-employed individuals, whether these number in single figures or the thousands, need to seek advice on the real status of their workforce. “This European decision binds UK tribunals when deciding similar cases. In its current form, the Brexit withdrawal bill maintains European judgments made before the UK’s exit from the EU. However, it does give the supreme court the right to depart from these decisions where it is right to do so. As such, this decision will remain binding post-exit unless a future case proceeds through the domestic courts to the supreme court, where this decision could be departed from.” Dr Jason Moyer-Lee, the general secretary of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, said: “Today’s bombshell judgment from the court of justice of the European Union is a game changer for the so-called gig economy. The law is now recognising the massive unpaid debt of gig economy companies to their workers and IWGB members will be coming to collect. “Today’s judgment is also a striking reminder of the impending disaster that is Brexit for worker rights. It’s cases like this one, where the Tories are told that their manoeuvres to protect big business to the detriment of workers are a step too far, that help one understand why they have such an obsessive hatred for the [ECJ]”

US could lose 14,000 historic sites to rising sea level

Climate change-related rises in sea levels could cause the loss of nearly 14,000 national monuments and archaeological sites in the US by the year 2100, according to scientists. Sea levels are expected to rise by an average of one metre across the world by that date. The research, the first of its kind, combined site elevations on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts with predictions about rising sea levels. The researchers said that climate change presented dangers for “the archaeological and historic record” and called for discussion of the need for relocation and documentation.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0188142

2017-11-29 00:00:00

Abstract The impact of changing climate on terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes can be examined through quantitatively-based analyses encompassing large data samples and broad geographic and temporal scales. The Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) is a multi-institutional collaboration that allows researchers online access to linked heritage data from multiple sources and data sets. The effects of sea-level rise and concomitant human population relocation is examined using a sample from nine states encompassing much of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States. A 1 m rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over >13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), encompassing archaeological sites, standing structures, and other cultural properties. These numbers increase substantially with each additional 1 m rise in sea level, with >32,000 archaeological sites and >2400 NRHP properties lost should a 5 m rise occur. Many more unrecorded archaeological and historic sites will also be lost as large areas of the landscape are flooded. The displacement of millions of people due to rising seas will cause additional impacts where these populations resettle. Sea level rise will thus result in the loss of much of the record of human habitation of the coastal margin in the Southeast within the next one to two centuries, and the numbers indicate the magnitude of the impact on the archaeological record globally. Construction of large linked data sets is essential to developing procedures for sampling, triage, and mitigation of these impacts. Citation: Anderson DG, Bissett TG, Yerka SJ, Wells JJ, Kansa EC, Kansa SW, et al. (2017) Sea-level rise and archaeological site destruction: An example from the southeastern United States using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology). PLoS ONE 12(11): e0188142. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142 Editor: Peter F. Biehl, University at Buffalo - The State University of New York, UNITED STATES Received: July 28, 2017; Accepted: November 1, 2017; Published: November 29, 2017 This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. Data Availability: Primary locational data for the archaeological sites used in this study is available from the site file managers of the states examined herein. These include: Georgia SHPO; Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VA-DHR); Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources (FDOS-DHR); South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA); University of Alabama’s Office of Archaeological Research (OAR); Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, Division of Archaeology; Maryland Historical Trust; and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology (OSA). The Coastal State Site Data for Sea-Level Rise Modeling. 2017 From Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF), Virginia Site Files, Florida Site Files, South Carolina SHPO, Alabama Site Files, Louisiana Site Files, Maryland Site Files, North Carolina Site Files. Edited or directed by: David G. Anderson, Joshua Wells, Stephen Yerka, Sarah Whitcher Kansa, Eric C. Kansa. Released: 2017-03-01. Open Context. Available from: http://opencontext.org/tables/0c14c4ad-fce9-4291-a605-8c065d347c5d DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6078/M7ST7MRR. Funding: The development of DINAA is funded by the National Science Foundation (Awards Numbers NSF 1217240, 1623621, 1216810, 1623644), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Award #LG-70-16-0056-16). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction In recent years, concerns about the damaging effects of anthropogenic global climate change have been amplified by the increasing frequency of destructive weather events, large-scale wildfires and droughts, and a growing body of evidence indicating sea levels will rise appreciably over the next several centuries, from 1 m in the next century to 5 m or more in the centuries thereafter ([1–4]). The effects of such increases in sea level will be severe and long-lasting. At present, over 40% of all people worldwide live within a 100 km distance from the nearest coastline, many in low lying areas vulnerable to sea level rise [5–11]. Should projected rises occur, the effect on humans living on and near the coast, including the loss of infrastructure is nearly incalculable, and will require population movement and resettlement on scales unprecedented in human history. Here we demonstrate, using examples from the southeastern United States, that not only modern populations and properties, but also irreplaceable heritage in the form of the physical record of past human settlements, are currently vulnerable to projected sea level rise as a destructive agent. We argue that archaeologists and society at large should direct increased attention to planning for and mitigating these losses to heritage resources. The worldwide historic preservation community has begun to express serious concerns over the threat of global climate change to the archaeological and historic record, especially with respect to the potential loss of data that will occur as coastal zones are subjected to increased erosional forces and inundation from rising sea levels [12–35]). Analyses have been directed to determining how rising or fluctuating sea levels damage archaeological and historical resources, sacred and traditional sites, as well as submerged resources like former terrestrial archaeological sites, buildings, and shipwrecks [36–45]. Threats to coastal and near-coastal cultural resources will also come from activities undertaken to resist rising waters. Sea walls and other barriers may provide protection to critical coastlines at favorable cost benefit tradeoffs [46], but their construction will potentially impact large numbers of existing and undocumented cultural resources, far exceeding work conducted as a result of recent oil spills like the Exxon Valdez in Alaska and Deepwater Horizon along the southeastern Gulf coast [47–50]. Far less consideration has been given to the damage or loss of cultural resources that will occur as populations residing in coastal areas are displaced inland, building new communities or expanding existing ones. In previously less-developed regions, where little prior archaeological work has occurred, innumerable unrecorded archaeological and historical sites will also be threatened. The salvaging of valuable materials from threatened infrastructure itself will likely take a toll on historic properties, although some of the more iconic buildings may themselves be relocated to higher ground. For example, the White House or the Lincoln Memorial may be moved from Washington, D.C., much like the Egyptian New Kingdom era temple of Abu Simbel was moved before the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam submerged the area in the 1960s, and the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was relocated 2,900 feet to protect it from encroaching seas in 1999 [32, 51, 52]. Damage from shoreline erosion represents a significant concern to preservationists, with appreciable research globally now being directed to well-known archaeological and historical resources threatened by such processes [19, 24, 25, 27–45]. Important research is addressing the threat of global climate change, particularly sea level rise, to national landmarks or national parks in the United States [19, 21, 28, 29, 32, 53, 54]. However, more inclusive and geographically broad-based analyses are rare, because comprehensive data sets encompassing all known archaeological and historical resources at regional or continental scales have not previously been available. In the United States, cultural resource data are managed at the state rather than the national level, or within specific federal agencies, making such database development and large-scale analyses challenging. Integrating these data together is crucial to determining how climate change, including fluctuations in sea-level, will impact heritage resources at regional and continental scales. Calls for such syntheses have recently appeared [55, 56], and fostering research on this scale is widely heralded as a grand challenge facing the archaeological profession in the United States [57, 58], essential to exploring questions about changes over time in organizational complexity, human responses to climate change, and long-term settlement dynamics [31, 59–70]. Linked database development: The DINAA project The Digital Index of North American Archaeology [71–73], or DINAA, permits the examination of relationships between environmental and cultural resources over large areas, by rendering diverse heritage data sets interoperable, and linking them with natural systems data sets encompassing physiography, biota, and climate in the past, present, and projected into the future. A multi-institutional collaboration, DINAA consists of an online, integrated open-source database of archaeological and other kinds of evidence for North America’s human settlement. Since 2012, DINAA has compiled and rendered interoperable archaeological site file data from 15 states in Eastern North America (N = 505,056 sites). This work has been done in consultation and cooperation with government, academic, and tribal stakeholders, and with funding from the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and support from the leadership of archaeological professional organizations, including the Society for American Archaeology, the Society for Historical Archaeology, and the Archaeology Division of the American Anthropological Association [73] (Fig 1). As of October 2017, personnel from 21 states are actively participating in DINAA development, and the project has initiated discussions with site file managers and governing authorities in the remaining 28 states in continental North America, and in other countries, with the goal of developing a truly continental database. Information rendered accessible through DINAA is seeing increasing attention and use by researchers and resource managers, enhancing public awareness, education, and appreciation for scientific research in general and archaeology in particular [74–86]. PPT PowerPoint slide PNG larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 1. DINAA partnerships as of July 2017 with dot density plot showing distribution of cultural resources at low resolution within states whose data have been received thus far. Data: [73]. Ohio and most Pennsylvania site data is at county-level resolution. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142.g001 DINAA is a publicly accessible compilation of existing archaeological site file, collection, and report data from multiple regional, state, and local repositories, linked with other archaeological databases as well as modern and paleoenvironmental data sets, with site numbers serving as the basic identifier and standardized temporal metadata as a relational control between data sets, to permit analyses by selected time periods. Archaeological site files contain data and metadata about the chronology, location, and function of sites, in combination with other information that can include diagnostic artifact descriptions, radiocarbon and other absolute dating determinations, and bibliographic citations. While each state and agency uses somewhat different systems, they are rendered interoperable through DINAA. Through deployment on Open Context [73], an open data publishing service for archaeology, DINAA embraces current best practices in scientific data-management including open standards and open licensing, transparent version control of both data and source code, Linked Data, and iterative development. Through aggregation and human editorial processes to align data set schemas and controlled vocabularies, DINAA provides some of the benefits of centralization without requiring different (and typically financially constrained) state agencies to change their own systems. Thus, DINAA fosters independent development and experimentation through integration of distributed systems managed by a host of institutions. This approach enables community-wide participation and investment in archaeological informatics, making the resulting cyberinfrastructure products shared and useful for all. DINAA also strictly conforms to legal requirements regarding the maintenance and use of cultural resources data. While analyses like those reported herein can occur making use of records with specific geospatial data, the data itself and permission to use it must be obtained from the agencies maintaining the information. DINAA, accordingly, does not publish or store precise site coordinates online, and the project redacts other sensitive attributes, particularly property ownership, from state site file repositories, in consultation with agency and other interested parties, including tribal nations. Directions to offices to contact to obtain such information for each site are provided with analytical output, but DINAA itself does not maintain or release such data. For public display purposes DINAA site data is aggregated within a tiled web map in Open Context, where a map-tiling algorithm allocates each site record to a 0.176 degree grid cell in the WGS Web Mercator projection (roughly 20x20 km at the equator). The Open Context platform provides publicly accessible online map interfaces for visualization and queries at a low level of spatial resolution that still has great utility when examining distributions encompassing large areas or time periods. DINAA digital data are archived with the California Digital Library, and mirrored in repositories in other countries to ensure long term survival [71, 72]. Indexing, or linking to and rendering interoperable data from many sources and across disciplines is a major function of DINAA, increasing its utility for resource management, research, and public education (Fig 2). By cross-referencing distributed collections on the Web, DINAA enables users to find and access relevant content in archaeological systems like Archaeology Southwest [87], the Paleoindian Database of the Americas [88, 89], the Eastern Woodlands Household Archaeology Database Project [90], the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database [91], the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery [92], the Chaco Research Archive [93], PeriodO [94], and The Digital Archaeological Record [95]. Aggregators such as Pelagios [96], a collaborator with DINAA, can then “harvest” cross-references between different systems to present users with services, maps, and visualization tools to discover related data and other media that relate to DINAA curated site files. DINAA can serve as a key node in connecting North American archaeological data, allowing, for the first time, its linkage across multiple time periods and geographic regions, and using an array of environmental data sets to explore fundamental issues such as changes in human land use over time; the nature of the archaeological record collected over the past century, including the identification of research strengths and gaps; and, as we show here, how future changes in climate will affect site preservation and heritage management. PPT PowerPoint slide PNG larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 2. DINAA links information in a wide range of online data repositories, using archaeological site numbers as the common referent. DINAA directs users to these outlets, but access and content control remains on their systems (black arrows indicate existing linkages, white arrows indicate linkages under development). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142.g002 Strategies for mitigating losses due to sea-level rise At present, the effects of sea level rise on past cultural resources can be directly observed in the sparsity of the coastal archaeological record for the late Pleistocene and early Holocene period, during which time humans living in the Americas occupied vast areas of the continental shelf that were exposed by sea levels as much as 120 m lower than today [37–39, 61, 62]. Following a period of rapidly rising sea levels in the late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, the coastlines of the eastern United States reached near modern locations about 6000 years ago, but have still experienced fluctuations of 1 to 2 m vertically and up to several kilometers horizontally in recent millennia, with significant impacts on coastal populations [97–99, 101–102]. These regions are now directly threatened by rising waters, and the potential for the loss of thousands of years of accumulated information is significant. Given the large numbers of cultural resources threatened by sea level rise, planning possible protection and mitigation strategies should proceed with an increased sense of urgency. Many researchers and government agencies within the United States and beyond, in fact, have initiated or been developing both broad based and focused, site-specific studies on the effect of sea level rise [21–23, 25–35, 129]. One way to proceed is to use the entire known sample of cultural resources to document the numbers of properties that will be lost, by specific time period and within specific areas. Developing such a comprehensive database, of course, will be necessary, and include site records maintained by disparate state, federal, tribal, and local government agencies. This information can help to develop a triage system for cultural resources in coastal and near-coastal regions [130]. At the same time, efforts should be directed toward identifying and evaluating areas and site types currently under- or unexamined. The goal of such efforts should be to assist in the development of programs directed to the excavation, removal or relocation, and architectural documentation of critical cultural resources and resource areas. In the Southeast such efforts are appearing at the state level, including studies of significant sites or areas in Georgia [25, 131]) and Florida ([41, 66–70, 132], and collectively over large areas by federal agencies like the National Park Service [21, 28, 32]. DINAA offers a means to augment these studies by updating inventories with robust data linked to many other data sets and analytical platforms, facilitating effective resource management planning. Data on the number of components by major temporal period located at archaeological sites within 200 km of the coast, by elevation above modern sea level, are given for the state of South Carolina in Table 5. The numbers of sites in each elevation interval correspond to the state totals, since they are derived from the same site file data set in DINAA (Table 1), but the numbers of components are invariably higher, in some cases much higher, because some sites were repeatedly visited and are multicomponent. In some cases individual occupations can be quite specifically identified to temporal period while others can be only generally identified to age, perhaps no more specifically than to a categorization as precontact or historic. It should be noted that comparable tables can be generated for each state in the region; South Carolina was chosen as an example for illustrative purposes, and to show the potential of DINAA. PPT PowerPoint slide PNG larger image TIFF original image Download: Table 5. Archaeological site and component loss in South Carolina due to sea level rise within 200 km of the coast. Data: [73]. PI = Paleoindian. EA = Early Archaic, MA = Middle Archaic, LA = Late Archaic, AA = Any Archaic, EW = Early Woodland, MW = Middle Woodland, LW = Late Woodland, AW = Any Woodland, M = Mississippian, LP = Late Prehistoric, UP = Unknown Prehistoric, CEP = Contact Era/Protohistoric, 16th = 16th Century Historic, 17th = 17th Century Historic, 18th = 18th Century Historic, 19th = 19th Century Historic, 20th = 20th Century Historic, UH = Unidentified Historic. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142.t005 Land use patterns are highlighted when examining individual state data by time period, and help to determine if survey coverage or research biases have affected the estimated number of existing sites in coastal areas. Few early prehistoric Paleoindian through Middle Archaic period components, for example, are found in coastal (i.e., low elevation) areas in South Carolina, compared to the much larger number of later precontact and historic components. With greatly lowered sea levels during these earlier periods, the coast would have been much farther away, perhaps making these areas less attractive for settlement. Likewise, given the intense occupation in coastal areas after sea levels largely stabilized in the region during the later Mid-Holocene [133–136], it is not surprising that large numbers of components are found in close proximity to modern sea level. Even in this area, appreciable variability in location exists, due to the effects of ca. 1–2 m fluctuations in sea level in recent millennia ([97–99, 101, 102]. Interestingly, within the South Carolina sample the larger regional pattern holds, in that that large number of components are found within 1 m of modern sea level, and far fewer above 3 m in elevation, reinforcing the conclusion that people over the last several thousand years lived in close proximity to the coast, albeit shifting location as needed to accommodate the fluctuations in sea level of plus or minus 2 m or so that have occurred. Resource managers will need to evaluate sites in large numbers to determine which ones to preserve, protect, or mitigate. This is no different than what modern cultural resources management deals with on a regular basis, only here we call for consideration of the entirety of the coastal record as one data set, rather than on an individual case-by-case basis. Effective systems of management, including triage and mitigation, can only be developed when we have an accurate understanding of the cultural resources in an area, and where critical gaps in that knowledge exist. Existing databases need to be completed or developed and subsequently linked to systems like DINAA, while strict protections for sensitive location and other information are maintained. Many cultural resource databases reflect incomplete coverage of a geographic area or contain only particular kinds of data. A recent exemplary study of the effects of sea level rise on National Park Service coastal parks, for example, excluded most known archaeological resources because they were not part of the Facilities Management Software System database listing assets requiring routine maintenance within each NSP unit [21]. Improving and linking dispersed databases, and rendering them interoperable for research and management purposes, will allow management decisions to proceed with much larger and more representative samples. Archaeologists and land managers need to be aware that cultural resources face specific threats, and that sea level rise will impact resources differently in different areas, depending on geomorphological factors like shoreline shape and slope, the underlying matrix, the nature of the archeological deposits, and a range of other variable associated with the cultural properties [22–26, 28–30, 123, 137]. For example, some shell middens dating to the Mid-Holocene have already witnessed episodes of submergence and exposure, but remain at partially intact in coastal marshlands of the Southeast (e.g., [97, 98, 136], suggesting sea level rise does not necessary always equate with the total destruction of all types of resources. The circumstances favoring preservation or loss of coastal sites will need to be carefully evaluated on an individual or class basis [22, 130]. Resources directed to cultural resources will undoubtedly change as environmental conditions change, and historic preservation specialists will continue to have a major role in preserving our cultural heritage [26, 114–115, 129, 138]. Guidance for resource managers on how to deal with the impacts of climate change is clearly needed, and action directed to these ends is underway in federal agencies like the US National Park Service [21, 28, 29, 139, 140] as well as international governing bodies like the United Nations [141, 142]. Effort should be directed to making sure our inventories of cultural resources are accurate, adequate, as complete as possible, and linked together with interoperable data elements, so the information can be utilized to prioritize preservation projects and research problems by site type and risk level, allowing the most pressing needs in resource preservation to be addressed effectively. More sites should be evaluated for placement on the NRHP; at present, in some circumstances only formal listing offers any hope of preservation or mitigation. Resources should be directed to evaluating sites in large numbers, as has happened with southeastern coastal shell ring and midden sites [132, 135, 136]. The economic costs of mitigating cultural resource loss through excavation, relocation, or architectural documentation should be considered thoroughly and incurred conscientiously, as it is well known that public funding for historic preservation efforts is often difficult to acquire, limited in quantity, and requires a high level of justification. Ultimately, what will be needed is a commitment, like that last seen in the Great Depression, to document that which will be lost if the effects of sea level rise are not mitigated. This time, instead of rescuing information from sites in reservoir floodpools as was done by the Tennessee Valley Authority [143], or deliberate economic recovery or tourist-industry focused make-work projects like those in the Macon, Georgia area [144], much of the work will need to occur in coastal areas or where the resettlement of displaced populations will occur. The Cape Hatteras lighthouse relocation was expensive and technically challenging, but offers an excellent example of what can be done when resources are made available [51]). Consideration may have to be given to relocating or constructing protective barriers for other such monuments, like the Castillo de San Marcos and Ft. Matanzas in St. Augustine, for example, or the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials [21, 28]. The solution to addressing the effect of sea level rise on major centers of heritage, like the nations’ capitol, Boston, New York, or Washington, to list just a few of the threatened cities that will receive consideration ([119]), would probably be the construction of sea walls and similar projects, whose cost is projected to be far less than the damage caused by flooding [46]. While these kinds of projects would cause massive damage to cultural resources in the construction zone, including where fill/retaining wall materials came from, their loss could be better accepted given an effective assessment of the totality of the resources affected by sea level rise. Sites in heavily developed, low lying areas may in fact be at less risk, because there will be added effort taken to protect those areas. An NRHP eligible site or structure in central New Orleans is probably more likely to be protected by new sea walls or levees than a shell ring on a low, relatively undeveloped southeastern coastline. This analysis assumes sea level rise will destroy cultural resources. Of course, depending on the rate and rapidity of rise, it may only submerge these resources, with the extent of damage or loss uncertain. Some studies have shown that sea level fluctuations may not totally destroy cultural resources; much depends on the rapidity and frequency with which submergence or exposure may occur (e.g., [37, 38, 127, 136]. More such studies are critically needed, since preservation in place may be our only option for most sites, unfortunately by default. What will be preserved is important to determine, because it will mean resources can be directed to other, more vulnerable site types. Some of these sites may be accessible using underwater archaeological methods in the future, meaning mitigation should be directed to site types unlikely to survive sea level rise or storm surges. Finally, we need to be thinking not just about sites and architecture, but also about the long term curation of physical collections and records. Storing the archival records and collections within one or even several meters vertical elevation above modern sea level will need to be rethought, since such actions can no longer be considered a viable means of ensuring effective curation in perpetuity. Conclusions Although the scientific community recognizes the profound impact of humans on the natural environment in recent centuries, few institutions fund the investigation of long-term human-environmental interactions through database development like DINAA. The initial data collection and integration phase of DINAA has been undertaken largely voluntarily by project team members at several institutions, together with limited funding from the Archaeology Program of the National Science Foundation. This has allowed us to develop a proof-of-concept framework integrating archaeological data from 15 states [72, 73], for linkage to environmental and collections data sets. DINAA demonstrates how a truly continental archaeological database useful for research, resource management, and public education can be developed, and how it can be maintained and updated on a regular schedule by a sustainable community of scholars and stakeholders. Linking archaeological site files and other data sets at broad scales catalyzes research across disciplines, promoting more holistic understanding of both human adaptation and environmental impacts. As multidisciplinary databases addressing sea level and other forms of global change are developed, the role of cultural resources are increasingly coming to be regarded as a critical factor when planning mitigation strategies [19, 27, 148, 149]. DINAA, through its adoption of an open data policy (within limitations regarding sensitive information), promotes information sharing and integration, not only of archaeological but paleoenvironmental, biogeographical, physiographic, and other data characterizing our environment. Within archaeology such approaches to data management are increasingly viewed as not only good science, but an ethical obligation [150]. DINAA has open-ended applications allowing researchers, land managers, and interested members of the public to examine the nature and scale of human responses to the dramatic fluctuations in temperature, biota, and sea level that have occurred over the ca. 15,000+ years people have lived in the Americas, and help inform our understanding of possible human responses to similar changes predicted for the future, questions of critical importance. Hopefully there will be time to implement these suggestions. However, changes in sea level may be far greater and occur far faster than currently predicted. Delay in thinking about these matters and in seeking solutions accomplishes nothing. Developing data infrastructure like DINAA is crucial to multidisciplinary analyses linking differing kinds and sources of data together and rendering them interoperable. By facilitating the mapping of archaeological sites over time and at varying geographic scales, showing where people were on the landscape and how they reacted to changes in climate and biota, tools like DINAA are useful to addressing research and management concerns. These include helping people gain a much greater appreciation for American history and culture, and protecting the vulnerable heritage of indigenous communities. Linked data can be used to explore the impact of sea level rise on cultural and historical resources. The effects of sea level rise on cultural resources is intimately linked to the humanitarian and economic issues that need to be faced in all crises [44, 145]. Cultural resources, promoting an awareness of and appreciation for our heritage, are essential to our well-being, and a continuing source inspiration [26, 146, 147]. Population relocation and new infrastructure required to cope with sea level rise, we have seen, will have severe negative impacts on coastal and near-coastal cultural resources. Given the investment humanity has made in these areas, efforts should be directed to preventing and, if this is not possible, managing potential losses. Cyberinfrastructure development is a critical part of 21st century archaeology, and projects like DINAA will make archaeological data increasingly useful and relevant to research, management, and public educational efforts. Data-driven archaeology can provide unparalleled insights into long-term human-environmental interactions, enabling archaeology to more fully participate in the efforts directed to understanding the impacts of climate change. Such knowledge is critical to making well informed forecasts and policy decisions about the consequences of rapid climate change, extreme weather events, and burgeoning populations, factors that will shape our civilization profoundly in the coming decades. While legal and ethical restrictions require that we safe-guard the precise location data behind this study (which is available from the agencies maintaining it [151]), DINAA makes data openly available with a lower level of spatial resolution to enable at least partial replication of these analyses, and most critically, to enable researchers in many fields of study to try other applications, using a framework built on information from the past to project trends forward in time. Our species has witnessed comparable periods of dramatic climate change in the past, and understanding how we responded can provide valuable lessons, and hope, for the future. Indeed, these are some of the greatest lessens archaeology can teach us, by providing information about how past human response, and resilience, as we move forward into an increasingly uncertain world. Acknowledgments Primary locational data for the archaeological sites used in this study is available from the site file managers of the states examined herein [151]. No permits were required for the described study, which complies with all relevant regulations. The authors express our deepest thanks to the SHPOs and site file managers in the states partnered with DINAA. Without their help, the analyses reported here would not have been possible. Thomas H. McGovern, Marcy Rockman, Kenneth E. Sassaman, and Martin P. Walker are also to be thanked for their advice and detailed comments, and the PLOS ONE reviewers and editors, as well as Stephen J. Yerka for preparing the graphics. The population data summarized in Table 3 was made utilizing the LandScan (2013)™ High Resolution global Population Data Set copyrighted by UT-Battelle, LLC, operator of Oak Ridge National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the United States Department of Energy. The United States Government has certain rights in this Data Set. Neither UT-Battelle, LLC nor the United States Department of Energy, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the data set.

Sexual harassment has economic as well as personal cost

Sexual harassment has an economic cost, according to an opinion piece by Nilofer Merchant in the Harvard Business Review. The Economist reported in September that the increasing difficulty of finding new ideas is damaging economic prosperity in the US. Merchant argues that institutionalized patriarchy is slowing economic development by blocking women’s contributions and promoting mediocre men. Power needs to be rebalanced within organizations to preserve human dignity and to counter the economic cost of harassment.

https://hbr.org/2017/11/the-insidious-economic-impact-of-sexual-harassment?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=863d23532c-The_Download&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-863d23532c-154403165

2017-11-29 00:00:00

Up to 85% of women report that they have been sexually harassed at work, and 80% of them leave their firms within two years. Many even change industries. We know this imposes an economic cost on them, but what’s the larger cost to all of us? As talented women are pushed into starting over again, industries lose their ideas and expertise. And ideas are what drives today’s economy. The Economist has said that “new ideas are getting hard to find.” But what if actually, we’re just limiting who gets to have ideas? Systemic sexual harassment mean that women and their ideas are disproportionately chased away. That’s not something that companies — or countries — can afford. Up to 85% of women report that they have been sexually harassed at work, according to a 2016 report by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. What happens next is often not captured in numbers, but in the fine-print details of recent media reports. Whether the industry is media, entertainment, politics, technology, or something else, these women say things like: “I quit.” Or, “I left that place.” Or “maybe I shouldn’t be in [this industry]”. Some women scaled back on their ambitions, while others left companies or their chosen industry altogether. Reading these many stories, over the last few months, made me reflect on my own exits. After a senior law enforcement official chased me around a hotel room while we both served on a statewide board for community colleges, I left the education field. I went into the tech industry, where I saw firsthand that male executives preferred to promote the ideas and innovations proposed by the female colleagues they happened to be having sex with. (And, moreover, having sex with in the office – I saw that firsthand, too, though I wish I could unsee it). I left that industry, too, becoming an independent consultant and advisor. Then, after hearing too many young women’s stories of venture capitalists who asked for sex in return for funding, I stepped back from participating in the startup ecosystem, the driving economy of Silicon Valley. I had never thought of sexual harassment as affecting my career arc, and yet I can now see how its friction surely influenced it. While each woman’s harassment story is different in particulars, together the vignettes add up. Obviously, each individual diminishes her earning power as she starts over. And collectively, this rash of exits is one reason that women as a group haven’t advanced to the highest levels of power in any industry. Research supports what these anecdotes suggest: according to data collected by sociologist Heather McLaughlin and others, about 80% of women who’ve been harassed leave their jobs within two years. But it’s only when we squint at the stories, the more insidious economic story becomes visible. Which is this: as people drop out, opt out, and tune out of their chosen fields, it affects the whole economy. It’s the missing female Harvey Weinstein who never got a chance to shape the full range of stories of our society. It’s the female Charlie Rose who never got a chance to earn the power and influence associated with that role. And moving away from the hypothetical, it’s the Susan Fowlers and Ellen Paos who didn’t get to build the companies or make the investments that offered the new solutions that society most desperately needs. The development of new ideas is what allows economies to grow richer year after year. This is especially true in the modern, digital, social economy: ideas are essential for growth, innovation, and ultimately prosperity. Power can either liberate or limit ideas. Too often, ideas are considered or dismissed based on who contributes them, and how powerful the person—not the ideas themselves—are. Just as recently as September, The Economist reported that “new ideas are getting hard to find.” Robert Gordon and other notable economists’ quotes show that America’s economic boom is now behind us, as the productivity of new innovators and innovations to market have tumbled. Those economists seem to think we’ve run out of ideas, but I’m wondering if it’s something else. Could it be that institutionalized patriarchy – the system in which men predominantly hold the power and women are largely excluded from it – is itself the key turnstiles, slowing economic progress? Could it be that many women’s contributions are blocked by those currently are in charge? Could it be that women are gaslighted into believing their ideas aren’t as worthy? And that men’s mediocre ideas are artificially elevated, rewarded and celebrated? Surely there’s an economic impact in all of that. While researchers have attempted to quantify the economic cost to individual women of being harassed, we may never be able to fully quantify the total economic cost to all of us – just as we can’t quantify the total costs to human prosperity of racism or other systemic discrimination. But it’s only logical that as sexually predatory behavior goes on and is covered up, some people get to contribute their ideas, while others don’t. And we all pay the price. Because the key inference here is not about how one person feels or that people are being treated wrongly – important issues, surely — but that the system itself is the limiting gateway for our ideas, growth, and prosperity. In the coming months, I predict that there will be a discussion on how “fair” it is that men lose their jobs for this conduct. The headline will likely read, “Claims of sexual harassment have gone too far”. After all, that person will argue, the harassers are (overall) good people who do (generally) good and valuable work. As you hear those backlash arguments, I want you to stop and ask yourself something: how “fair” it is that women have been essentially (and sometimes quite literally) chased out of their ability to contribute? We can see the effect of men losing their jobs, but that’s only because women have already been rendered invisible, before their ideas even had a shot. Just because you can’t see that, doesn’t make the loss to society and our economy any less real. Seeing this bigger picture changes the call to action. Instead of thinking of sexually predatory behavior as a few (or many) bad seeds, we ask, instead… how do we change our organizations to rebalance power? In the near-term, companies could improve reporting procedures so transparency and crowdsourced data could make the “whisper network” visible. A change in legal defaults to make settlements public would make it possible to see patterns. This, in turn, would make companies and their boards more accountable to the marketplace. This is a bottom-line issue, in addition to being a human dignity issue. If only a few ideas are seen and valued, the wealth of a broader set of ideas is lost. While there’s a lot of attention economically on “the race against the machine”, we’re only now paying attention to the more enduring race affecting our economy in parallel: the skirt chase around the conference table. The question of what is created depends on who has a place at that table. And that is the problem, and the opportunity, that needs to be acted on.

Sexual harassment has economic as well as personal cost

Sexual harassment has an economic cost, according to an opinion piece by Nilofer Merchant in the Harvard Business Review. The Economist reported in September that the increasing difficulty of finding new ideas is damaging economic prosperity in the US. Merchant argues that institutionalized patriarchy is slowing economic development by blocking women’s contributions and promoting mediocre men. Power needs to be rebalanced within organizations to preserve human dignity and to counter the economic cost of harassment.

https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21729746-exploitation-currently-available-knowledge-far-complete-cost

2017-11-29 00:00:00

WERE there far fewer undiscovered ideas out there than in our more primitive past, how would people know? This is not an idle question; decoding the mysteries of nature, from atmospheric pressure to electricity to DNA, allowed people to bend the natural world to their will, and to grow richer in the process. A dwindling stock of discoverable insights would mean correspondingly less scope for progress in the future—a dismal prospect. And some signs suggest that the well of our imagination has run dry. Though ever more researchers are digging for insights, according to new research, the flow of new ideas is flagging. But that uncovering new ideas is a struggle does not mean that humanity is near the limits of its understanding. The development of new ideas—meaning scientific truths or clever inventions—allows economies to grow richer year after year. Adding more workers or machinery to an economy boosts GDP, but only for a while. Applying ever more men with hoes to the cultivation of a field will generate diminishing returns in terms of crop yields, for instance; wringing more from the soil eventually requires the use of better seed-stock or fertiliser. Unless humanity finds new ways to do more with the same amount of labour and capital, growth in incomes peters out to nothing. Dwindling growth in incomes is not a bad description of what has happened in much of the industrialised world in recent decades. Meagre rises, in turn, lead some to conclude that there are simply not many breakthroughs left to be uncovered, of the sort that lifted living standards during the Industrial Revolution. That, for instance, is the view of Robert Gordon, an economist at Northwestern University, whose bleak book, “The Rise and Fall of American Growth”, reckons that the era of economic revolution is behind us. Is it? A recent paper by Nicholas Bloom, Charles Jones and Michael Webb of Stanford University, and John Van Reenen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, provides relevant evidence. Though striking an agnostic position as to whether humanity has used up all its eureka moments, they nonetheless conclude that new ideas are getting more expensive to find. The authors consider four different case studies, within which they compare research “inputs” (such as the money spent on researchers and lab equipment) and outputs. The number of transistors that can be squeezed onto a microchip has doubled with reassuring regularity for half a century, every two years or so—a phenomenon known as Moore’s Law (after Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel). Yet this success has been achieved by pouring more and more resources into the effort over time. The research productivity of each scientist participating in the battle to cram in transistors has correspondingly tumbled. Much the same is true in other fields of inquiry, such as efforts to raise crop yields and extend life. As the authors acknowledge, squeezing oranges dry is not a problem if new oranges keep arriving: ie, if new lines of research appear even as others are exhausted. Yet they reckon that, across the economy as a whole, the notion that the cost of ideas is rising holds true. Since the 1930s, the effective number of researchers at work has increased by a factor of 23. But annual growth in productivity has declined (see chart). Not the only fruit Despair is premature, however. The effort to find new, growth-boosting ideas is not necessarily hopeless, just complicated. Whether herding more researchers into the laboratory raises growth might depend on how intensively the resulting brainstorms are used, for example. Across the global economy, many countries have yet fully to exploit ideas already in use by firms at the frontier of scientific knowledge. The problem, in other words, is not that oranges are in short supply or are already squeezed dry, but rather that of the ten workers at the juice bar, only one has learned to do the squeezing. Investments in education and training, to expand the share of workers that can use new ideas, or in the quality of management, to improve how effectively ideas are applied within firms, would do wonders for growth, even if the world’s scientists are idly scratching their heads. Analysing the supply side of the innovation equation in isolation can also be misleading. The demand for new ideas, and, correspondingly, the incentive to tackle difficult questions, also matters. In his analysis of the Industrial Revolution, Robert Allen, an economic historian then at Oxford, sought to explain why it started in Britain rather than anywhere else. Supply-side factors, such as improved literacy and stronger property rights, certainly played a part. But it was the demand for labour-saving innovation, prompted by Britain’s relatively high wages at the time, which gave tinkerers a strong incentive to develop and hone the steam engine and its applications. Put differently, researchers are often like the drunken man searching for his keys under the streetlight, because that is where the light is. Until some pressure is applied to encourage him to look elsewhere, the search will often prove fruitless. It is easy to see why firms might take a lackadaisical approach to some research questions. Disappointing wage growth across advanced economies is a deterrent to the invention and use of labour-saving innovations. Persistently high rates of profit give big firms plenty of money to plough into fancy research labs, but also suggest that the competitive pressures which might prompt them to exploit the resulting discoveries are weak. The accumulation of knowledge is in some ways a burden. The more is known, the more researchers must absorb before they can add to the stock of human knowledge—or the more they must collaborate with other researchers to combine their areas of expertise. But the incomplete exploitation of currently available knowledge is in some way reassuring. It suggests that people are underperforming relative to their potential: both in how they use available ideas and in how they uncover new ones.

GOP tax bill is just another way to repeal health care. Will coverage ever be safe?

The proposed tax bill from the Republican party still includes the healthcare repeals that were unsuccessfully pushed in the Senate two months ago. The GOP priority to repeal and replace Obamacare seems to have driven the tax bill, which appears to still cover the main points of the prior agenda: reduce the funding for health care for low-income citizens, seniors and children; use this funding to lower taxes for higher-income citizens; and end any federal protections against discrimination towards those with pre-existing conditions. The bill appears to benefit corporations and wealthy citizens, offering significant permanent tax cuts. By 2025, the bill - if passed - will give tax cuts of an average $360,000 to the top 0.1 percent of American homes. These tax cuts will be funded by reductions in health care benefits across private coverage, Medicare and Medicaid. A key point is the predicted $338 billion cut to assistance for working-class Americans' insurance, with the requirement for citizens to purchase care up for removal. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has predicted that all citizens' insurance will cost 10 percent more if the bill passes. The American Academy of Actuaries, an independent body, warns of  “severe market disruption and loss of coverage” if insurers no longer offer coverage. In addition to this, those with severe chronic conditions, nursing home care requirements or high-cost medication needs will no longer be able to deduct medical expenses. The presidential decree that allows insurance companies to exploit loopholes to exclude those with pre-existing conditions also compounds the issue. The tax bill will be enabled by a budget that gives 10 years for debt growth of up to $1.5 trillion with only 50 votes in the Senate. The debt will likely be used to facilitate cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs. , Medicare is already facing cuts of $250 billion over 10 years.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/11/28/health-care-repeal-rises-again-in-gop-tax-bills-andy-slavitt-column/897810001/

2017-11-28 18:10:01.117000

Andy Slavitt Opinion columnist It has been just two months since the Senate gave up on trying to pass a series of health care bills that Americans had soundly rejected in poll after poll. Yet the same Republican recipe for health care now is back on the table in the form of the lopsided tax bill that the Senate plans to vote on this week. A lot of people get intimidated by the idea of trying to understand the tax bill. It’s a shame because, much like congressional budgets, tax bills reveal priorities. More:Obamacare verdict is in, but will Trump let GOP scrap repeal? More:Republican tax plan is right to kill Obamacare's individual mandate And GOP priorities are easy to follow as they haven’t changed since the party failed to accomplish its three-part health care agenda: Cut the money going toward health care for low-income people, seniors and kids; use that money to cut taxes for people in the upper-income brackets; and end the federal protections that stopped discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Flip the order, and the tax bill looks the same. Much like the earlier health bills, with their corporate tax breaks and breaks for the upper-income brackets, the dollars and cents of the House and Senate tax bills point to clear beneficiaries and losers. The beneficiaries? Corporations and wealthy individuals (particularly those who stand to inherit large estates), who get large permanent tax cuts. In 2025, the bill would give tax cuts averaging $360,000 to the top 0.1% of households. And like the health care bills last summer, these tax cuts are paid for in large part with cuts to health care benefits — affecting people with private coverage, Medicare and Medicaid. To start, an estimated $338 billion that is helping millions of working-class Americans pay for insurance is on the block to be cut. Republicans argue that these are people who are being compelled to buy health insurance and so neither they nor anyone else will be hurt. That’s simply untrue. Yes, there is a requirement that Americans purchase health care or pay a penalty, and the Senate GOP proposes to remove it. And requiring people to do something is not wildly popular. But why does that requirement exist? Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney put it this way in 2011: “It is fundamentally a conservative principle to insist that people take personal responsibility as opposed to turning to government for giving out free care.” It’s also a good basic insurance principle — more people with insurance reduces everyone’s costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office expects everyone’s insurance to cost 10% more if the Senate GOP is successful. The American Academy of Actuaries, an independent and just-the-facts body, says it's even worse than that. It predicts “severe market disruption and loss of coverage” as insurers stop offering coverage. That’s not all. In the version of the tax bill passed this month by the House, Americans who have serious chronic conditions or pay for nursing home care or high-cost medications would lose the ability to deduct medical expenses. These are people with often crippling medical bills, nearly half with annual incomes under $50,000 and more than half of them 65 and older. This assault on the sick fits with the executive order the president signed last month, which is designed to give insurance companies loopholes so they can exclude people with pre-existing conditions, adding an effective surcharge to policies that do cover people with pre-existing conditions. More:Tax bill race to break Trump's populist promises: Who's winning? POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media To pave the way for this tax bill, Republicans passed a budget that over 10 years allows them to grow the debt by up to $1.5 trillion with just 50 votes in the Senate. And so far, most of the party's deficit hawks are suspiciously silent. There is a half-hearted set of GOP talking points claiming the economy will grow enough to offset those lost taxes, but 37 out of 38 economists recently surveyed disagreed. More likely, the $1.5 trillion budget hole will be used to meet the objectives of the failed health care repeal bills — to make dramatic cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Conveniently forgetting it was their tax cuts for the wealthy that got us there, these same lawmakers will decry the manufactured fiscal crisis and bemoan that we can’t afford the cost of health care for our older and sicker citizens. Many of these cuts will occur automatically. Under a 2010 pay-as-you-go law, Medicare will automatically face draconian cuts of $250 billion over 10 years. And three former Defense secretaries warned that the tax bill would endanger national security funding, which should make John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, think twice before signing on. Tax cuts for the wealthy? Health care repeal? Call it what you will. For this Congress and White House, they are two sides of the same coin — gold on one side, lead on the other. Andy Slavitt, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, is a former health care industry executive who ran the Affordable Care Act and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2015 to 2017. Follow him on Twitter: @ASlavitt

Darpa keen to work with commercial space sector on new projects

The director of the Tactical Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), Fred Kennedy, has said the military space industry is "in dire need" of innovation and called on the commercial space sector to create new technologies. Kennedy has been critical of the Pentagon's satellite purchasing methods and wants to "shake up" national security space programmes so Darpa can take advantage of the current commercial interest in space. Darpa uses "other transactions" or OTA for contracts with companies to avoid federal procurement bureaucracy, a practice Kennedy said can be effective in speeding up development of new projects.

https://www.space.com/38852-darpa-aims-to-disrupt-national-security-space-business.html

2017-11-28 17:50:48.673000

WASHINGTON — The military space business is stuck in its old ways and missing a "golden opportunity" to capture the energy of a rejuvenated commercial industry, said a former White House space and aviation technology adviser who is now a top official at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. "In the national security space sector, we're in dire need of new thinking and innovation," said Fred Kennedy, director of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office. He assumed that post in September after serving as deputy director since January. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation Nov. 15, Kennedy criticized the Pentagon's methods for acquiring satellites and called for a "shakeup" in national security space programs. In the Defense Department, Kennedy said, "We've gotten very good at building small numbers of extremely exquisite things, very expensive things on very long time schedules." That culture that emphasizes high performance and low risk is now working against the military because its satellites have become huge targets for adversaries. "Our savior is going to be the commercial sector," said Kennedy. Some pockets within the military are moving in that direction but not soon enough. "We're starting to see an influx of commercial technology, but we need more of it, and quick." Kennedy worries that the commercial space boom could turn out to be a fad that fades in a few years, so the Pentagon should be harnessing that energy now. "My biggest fear is that in a couple of years people will forget Matt Damon and 'The Martian' and be back where we were before." 'Other transactions' contracting DARPA's weapon for capturing privately funded technology is an authority known as "other transactions," or OTA, to sign contracts with vendors that bypasses some of the federal procurement red tape. "We do that. It's very effective and useful," said Kennedy. "I can't say it's always quicker than the normal contracting process. But it is actually an effective way of teaming." The way it works with DARPA: The agency selects a commercial partner and the company is expected to help fund the venture. "Then we can go out and work on problems jointly," Kennedy said. He touted one of DARPA's most ambitious space programs, the robotic servicing of geosynchronous satellites, or RSGS. It is a government-industry partnership with SSL MDA Holdings. If the project is successful — a launch is planned for 2021 — it would elevate DARPA's status as a disruptor, Kennedy said. He recalled that an earlier program called Orbital Express, designed to service spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, got off to a fast start but was deactivated in 2007 because there was no business case for it. The RSGS effort is aimed at high-orbit satellites, most of which are in need of some type of service — new flight computers, more fuel, more propellant. Companies in the industry told DARPA that they would buy that service if available. "We have to get out of today's culture of treating satellites like a Rolls Royce or Ferrari, that they have to work for 15 years, so you'd better test the hell out it, make sure it absolutely works," said Kennedy. "Geosynchronous orbit is a natural place to go. … They all need to be refueled, repaired, moved or retired. There is a commercial interest and a national security need." The RSGS will be a "commercial transition and not something we push to the Air Force," he said. Once the system is up and running, SSL will commercialize it. Industry skeptical Kennedy's cheering words of encouragement, however, were met with skepticism from executives in the audience who argued that DARPA often funds the development of technologies that already are available in the private sector, creating government vs. industry competitions that undermine private efforts. Kennedy only partially agreed. He said he hopes projects like the RSGS will result in a "shakeup" in how the space sector does business with the government. "I'd like to use RSGS and other systems to be some kind of a wedge to force people to think differently about the enterprise, in our case, about the 'order of battle.'" But he acknowledged that "culture is the biggest problem" in military programs. "I'd like to live in a world where we do not have to wait 10 years and spend $20 billion to get a capability," he said. "I would like to see a change away from that." Executives in the audience pointed out that the Defense Department has not moved to capitalize on the small satellite revolution or "hosted payloads" as alternatives to custom-built military spacecraft. The industry had expected to see movement in that direction by now as the Pentagon considers future replacements for its constellations of missile-warning and classified communications satellites. Rather than deploy hundreds of sensors in tiny satellites that are cheaper to replace, the Pentagon has preferred to buy large expensive systems, giving enemies richer targets, industry officials said. "That is a problem," said Kennedy. "The idea of having lots of something as a deterrent isn't a bad thing. … It's very difficult for DoD to see beyond the traditional model. But DARPA is well positioned to poke at that model." Kennedy defended DARPA's decision to award BAE Systems a $12 million contract to develop a digital "testbed" for space command-and-control technologies. Companies in the sector contend that such technology is commercially available. The project, known as "Hallmark," is more ambitious than it looks, said Kennedy, and DARPA believes it needs to invest in areas where there is no commercial capability. The testbed is not just to experiment with technology but also to do cognitive assessments of operators. "We want to measure how people are performing when they get new tools. We think that's a unique place for us," he said. "We thought we needed to invest in that." Space plane moving forward DARPA also has come under criticism for rejecting commercial proposals for a military space plane in favor of a new development venture with Boeing Phantom Works. Kennedy said the experimental space plane, dubbed XS-P, will help the military services launch satellites into space quickly and at less cost than traditional methods. DARPA reportedly invested $40 million in the project. The space plane was initially named the XS-1 but it was relabeled once DARPA realized XS-1 also was the designation of the original rocket engine–powered aircraft, the Bell XS-1, designed and built in 1945. The new XS-P uses an AR-22 engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. It would be reusable like a commercial airliner and DARPA wants it to be able to fly to space 10 times in 10 days. An initial flight is scheduled for 2019, said Kennedy. The contract with Boeing is an "other transactions" deal so it will be up to the company to move it forward after the development is completed. "That's commercial transition," he said. "I'm not here to sustain capability. I can't afford that." Boeing has a commercial business case for the space plane, he added. "They believe they can go off and launch capability and make money. DoD then can purchase those services." This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

Google AI notifies users when others are looking at their screen

Researchers at Google have demonstrated an "Electronic Screen Protector" which uses an AI to alert smartphone users whenever someone is secretly looking at the phone's screen over their shoulder. The privacy feature uses the phone's front-facing camera as well as the neural networks of GazeNet and Google's FaceNet to power its facial detection capabilities. It's hoped that the "Electronic Screen Protector" will help professionals users maintain privacy while working in crowded public spaces. The researchers are due to present their work at the 2017 NIPS Conference in California in December.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/google-ai-will-alert-you-when-someone-is-sneaking-glances-at-your-smartphone/#ftag=RSS56d97e7

2017-11-28 17:30:02.037000

None of these tips from TechRepublic Premium require a paid Google Workspace account, so anyone should be able to make use of them. You do, of course, need to have a Google account. From the guide: HOW TO PASTE WITHOUT FORMATTING I use this tip all the time. When you copy and paste text into ...

Chinese bike graveyards show lack of demand for bike-sharing

The future of China's bike-sharing industry is in doubt as demand has fallen catastrophically, according to The Guardian. It cited a bicycle graveyard the size of a football pitch in Xiamen, that was piled high with discarded machines. In an open letter following its recent bankruptcy announcement, Bluegogo CEO Li Gang apologised for having been "filled with arrogance". The country's two biggest operators, Mobike and Ofo, which have secured $1bn of investment between them, are among the companies reportedly flooding the market.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/25/chinas-bike-share-graveyard-a-monument-to-industrys-arrogance?CMP=twt_gu

2017-11-28 16:25:08.523000

At first glance the photos vaguely resemble a painting. On closer inspection it might be a giant sculpture or some other art project. But in reality it is a mangled pile of bicycles covering an area roughly the size of a football pitch, and so high that cranes are needed to reach the top; cast-offs from the boom and bust of China’s bike sharing industry. Just two days after China’s number three bike sharing company went bankrupt, a photographer in the south-eastern city of Xiamen captured a bicycle graveyard where thousands have been laid to rest. The pile clearly contains thousands of bikes from each of the top three companies, Mobike, Ofo and the now-defunct Bluegogo. Once hailed as “Uber for bikes”, China’s cycle hire startups allowed users to unlock GPS-enabled bikes with their smartphone, and drop them off anywhere without the need to park it at a dock. 01:30 Peak bike: are China's dockless cycles becoming a public nuisance? - video Bluegogo’s bankruptcy last week sparked questions about the future of dockless bike sharing in China, amid concerns there are too many bikes and insufficient demand. In an open letter apologising for his missteps, Bluegogo’s chief executive said he had been “filled with arrogance”. A share bicycle graveyard viewed from the air in Xiamen, south-east China. Photograph: Chen Zixiang/The Guardian Customers are charged just pennies per 30 minute ride, but competing companies have flooded cities with bikes to ensure cycles are always available. The top two firms have each raised more than $1bn (£750m) in funding. Shanghai currently has 1.5m shared bikes on the streets, and despite its population being three times greater than London, that number far outstrips the 11,000 Santander Cycles peppered throughout the UK capital. A mechanic from bike share company Ofo stands amongst damaged bicycles needing repair in Beijing. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images The large number of cycles on Chinese streets have led to scenes of clogged sidewalks no longer fit for pedestrians and piles of mangled bikes that have been illegally parked. But the scene in Xiamen appears to be one of the largest amalgamations of discarded bicycles, with trucks unloading bikes from around the city.

Why Telemedicine is the Future in Senior Housing

Telehealth and telemedicine will be key features for future health care delivery and senior care. A National Business Group on Health survey in 2016 found that by next year, 96 percent of health systems will likely offer telehealth in their services. The use of electronic or digital technology can include teleconferences for doctors’ appointments to health monitoring devices such as fitness bands. Senior care could be improved through the use of technology, which can provide greater access to healthcare, better personalization and improved quality. With 50 percent of hospital readmissions being patients over the age of 65, improving care and access to care is vital. The Access Physicians telemedicine program, which provides acute care in conjunction with Kindred Healthcare, has estimated that over 600,000 patients will be cared for in 2017, saving $2.64 million in operational costs and reducing the mortality rate by 17 percent. The program has found that 99 percent of users felt the doctor spent a sufficient amount of time on their care; 95 percent felt the physician included them in their care decisions; and 100 percent felt their queries were answered to their satisfaction. With finance being the largest obstacle for wider implementation of telemedicine, the support of CMS and payers is critical for the practice to spread. Since 1997, Medicare has already provided reimbursement for telehealth services, though it is conditional. However, the introduction of telehealth programs should be carried out with care, given the insecurity of patients and care teams about potential disruption.

https://seniorhousingnews.com/2017/11/26/telemedicine-future-senior-housing/

2017-11-28 15:22:30.487000

The 21st Century Senior Living Community is a series brought to you by CDW, a provider of technology solutions and services focused exclusively on serving the healthcare marketplace. The series takes a clear-eyed look at how leading providers and their partners are creating the next generation of senior living communities by raising the bar on services, design and technology. Debate remains about the terminology, but one thing is certain: telehealth and telemedicine are becoming cornerstones of health care delivery and stand to significantly improve senior care. A 2016 survey from the National Business Group on Health found that by 2018, 96% of health systems will be using some form of telehealth in their health care delivery. The term “telehealth” is a broad and often misunderstood one, and does not exactly inspire enthusiasm. Yet its sweeping qualities make it an easy concept to understand: it is the use of digital or electronic technologies in the delivery of health services. Advertisement This can mean anything from teleconference doctor appointments to wearing fitness bands, like a Fitbit, that monitor personal behavior to build a health-related dataset. It’s not surprising, then, that perhaps more than any other demographic, seniors could see the most upside from telehealth’s three key benefits: access, personalization, and quality. “Fifty percent of hospital readmissions are actually from those over the age of 65,” said moderator Ginna Baik, strategic business development executive at CDW-Healthcare. “It’s becoming not only a pertinent but most important issue inside of health care in general, as well as the continuum of care in senior care.” Advertisement How senior care benefits from telehealth While there is still some debate surrounding the nuance in terminology, there is general agreement about the value of the technology and the degree to which it will continue to grow, particularly in senior care. “There really are endless reasons why those greater than 65 have more difficulty accessing care,” said Dr. Eduardo Vadia, co-founder of Access Physicians, during a recent Senior Housing News webinar on the rise of telemedicine in senior housing. “This is a better approach to providing better access.” The statistics tell the tale. Vadia’s Access Physicians telemedicine program — an acute care program in partnership with Louisville-based post-acute giant Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) — projects more than 600,000 patients served in 2017, leading to an operational savings of $2.64 million and a 17% reduction in mortality rate. He wants to see more outcomes-based data, which will help sell the broader implementation. The patient experience will, too. Travel time is a huge barrier to health care for seniors. Telehealth cuts that. Access’s program has a Net Promotor Score of +95, with patients expressing satisfaction in their care: – 99% felt the doctor spent an adequate amount of time with them – 95% felt the doctor included them in decisions – 100% felt their questions were answered to their satisfaction Fighting the cost barrier While Vadia is encouraged by the program’s ability to deliver “elite care,” he noted that program longevity depends not just on finding clinical wins, but financial ones. This is critical because, as the panelists agreed, one of the largest barriers to widespread implementation is cost. “What I think success looks like [in telehealth] is policy changes, and having CMS and payers really put some cash behind us, because money makes things move,” said Davis Park, director of Front Porch Center for Innovation & Wellbeing. The center is affiliated with Front Porch, which offers a variety of senior living options, including continuing care retirement communities (CCRC). To expand upon the results Vadia has seen, Park noted that health care systems must be incentivized to support telemedicine delivery via new payment models. “I personally think legislation needs to move in this direction,” Park said. “I think that we all should try to be as informed as possible so that we can advocate for these kinds of reimbursement models.” Medicare has reimbursed for telehealth services since 1997, though conditions for reimbursement vary. Information is available at Center for Connected Health Policy, and individual addresses and ZIP codes required for reimbursement can be searched at www.datawarehouse.hrsa.gov. For those wanting to launch their own telehealth programs, Park recommends talking to leadership in their organizations, and partnering with organizations in the community already using telehealth initiatives. Front Porch has used grant funding to develop telehealth initiatives in some senior housing settings, focusing on telemedicine and teledentistry. “This is a very disruptive space, and your care teams are not going to like it,” Park said. “People are not going to be happy that you have a screen in one of your rooms or are wheeling them into people’s bedrooms. We need to be mindful about people’s insecurities about this.” ‘Just medicine’ Perhaps part of the insecurity is the use of language. It’s not just the confusion over the terms, with many not realizing that “telemedicine” is a subset of “telehealth.” The problem is also in the use of “tele.” Vadia wants to normalize telemedicine by driving out the prefix, so that patients, families, and doctors view it just as “medicine” — just another piece of the total medical offering. Another panelist, Dr. David Lindeman, director of CITRIS Health, offered straightforward advice. “Don’t sweat the terminology,” he said. “Just focus on what you’re doing.” Lindeman’s experience with telehealth through CITRIS has been eye-opening. CITRIS stands for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, and works to bring together laboratory research at various University of California campuses with public and private institutions and investors to facilitate the development of new technologies. But nothing sells like a personal experience. Lindeman uses telehealth as a patient member of Kaiser Permanente, and saves time by rarely going in for appointments, instead communicating via email. “This has become expected,” he said. “When people do realize that they do not have to take an hour or two out of the day, a caregiver does not have to take an older adult in for an appointment, or staff has to be assigned to a senior living community to move to a location, it’s a game-changer. And I think it’s now become far more the norm.” Written by Jack Silverstein

Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens to develop hybrid-electric plane

Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have said that they will develop a hybrid-electric plane that seats 50 to 100 passengers. The project, E-Fan X, aims to have a prototype based on a BAe 146 aircraft ready to fly by 2020 before bringing a product to market by 2030. Airbus will build the control architecture of the hybrid-electric propulsion system and batteries; Rolls-Royce will be responsible for the turbo shaft engine and 2 MW generator, while Siemens will deliver the 2 MW electric motor.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/11/20171128-efanx.html

2017-11-28 15:15:03.437000

Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have formed a partnership to develop a near-term hybrid-electric flight demonstrator for commercial aircraft. The partners expect the E-Fan X series-hybrid-electric technology demonstrator to fly in 2020 following a ground test campaign, provisionally on a BAe 146 flying testbed, with one of the aircraft’s four gas turbine engines replaced by a 2MW electric motor. Provisions will be made to replace a second gas turbine with an electric motor once system maturity has been proven. The E-Fan X demonstrator will explore the challenges of high-power propulsion systems, such as thermal effects, electric thrust management, altitude and dynamic effects on electric systems and electromagnetic compatibility issues. The objective is to push and mature the technology, performance, safety and reliability enabling quick progress on the hybrid electric technology. The program also aims at establishing the requirements for future certification of electrically powered aircraft while training a new generation of designers and engineers to bring hybrid-electric commercial aircraft one step closer to reality.

Egyptian-Japanese partnership to construct €500m wind farms

Two 500 MW wind farms are to be constructed in Egypt under a €500m ($594m) deal between the country's Elsewedy Electric company and Japanese trading and investment firm Marubeni. The consortium is understood to be seeking finance from Japanese banks for the projects, which will be constructed on two sites in the Gulf of Suez and west of the Nile.

https://english.mubasher.info/news/3194140/Egyptian-Japanese-consortium-to-build-EUR-500m-wind-farms

2017-11-28 15:12:50.340000

Cairo – Mubasher: A consortium of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and Japan’s Marubeni is planning to establish two 500-megawatt wind farms. El Sewedy, the largest listed cable company in the Arab world, will deal with Japanese institutional funds to finance both farms, and it has started negotiations with banks over financing the project, sources familiar with the matter told Alborsa News. The consortium is selecting a land plot in the Gulf of Suez and another in the west area of the Nile. In March, Elsewedy had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Marubeni to build, own, and operate two 500-megawatt wind farms, with investments worth up to EUR 500 million.

Shell to double clean energy investment, halve carbon footprint

Shell has said it plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2035 and 50% by 2050 as it doubles investment in clean energy to as much as $2bn a year from 2018. The reduction in its carbon emissions will come not just from its own operations but will include the consumption of its products, such as petrol. The focus of its clean-energy drive will be wind power, biofuels and electric car infrastructure. Shell has also allocated $5bn to $6bn a year for deepwater drilling and $2bn to $3 billion a year for shale oil and gas.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/28/shell-doubles-green-spending-vows-halve-carbon-footprint

2017-11-28 15:10:13.243000

Shell has doubled its spending on clean power and bowed to shareholder pressure by promising to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050, as the oil giant said it was stepping up its ambitions on green energy. The Anglo Dutch firm is increasing capital expenditure for its new energies division, to $1bn-$2bn (£750m to £1.5bn) a year for 2018-2020, up from a previous plan of up to $1bn a year by 2020. But the spending on wind power, biofuels and electric car infrastructure will still account for a small fraction of the giant’s planned $25-30bn annual investment. Shell has $5bn-$6bn a year pegged for deepwater drilling and $2-3bn a year allocated for shale oil and gas. The company’s new climate change target aims to cut the net carbon footprint of its products in half by 2050, and around one-fifth by 2035. “It is making sure that the products within society have an overall lower carbon footprint. That is the longterm way of making sure our business remains a relevant business in the face of the energy transition,” said Ben van Beurden, Shell’s chief executive. The carbon target is similar to one put forward by shareholder activists at the company’s AGM earlier this year, which the board opposed and defeated. Shell said the goal addressed the spirit of the shareholders’ proposal but the company’s chosen methodology meant it did not have “negative side-effects” of the resolution. “We could see a kernel of truth and relevance in there,” said Van Beurden. The Dutch activist shareholder group behind the proposal, Follow This, welcomed the new target. “We applaud Shell’s ambitious decision to take leadership in achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to well below 2C,” said the group’s founder, Mark van Baal. Shell said it would grow its new energies division through its existing businesses and by acquiring companies, as it has done recently by buying electric car charging firms Ionity and New Motion. Van Beurden defended the level of spending on green energy. “Is the investment we are going to put in new energies enough? Let’s see, we have to start somewhere,” he said. Wind and biofuels would have a key role, he said. “We will systematically improve, we will grow this business up to be a very significant part of the future of the company, otherwise you can’t even get to a 20% reduction of a carbon footprint. “But we have to do it in a disciplined way. If we destroy value in this process, no one is going to be served.” However, the company said hydrocarbons would still be at the heart of its business and the global energy landscape over the next two decades. “Oil and gas will remain an important part of the energy system [up to 2030], no credible forecast says otherwise,” said Van Beurden. Q&A What is the Paris climate agreement? Show The 2015 Paris climate agreement is the first truly global deal to tackle climate change. It commits governments to limit temperature rises to no more than 2C (3.6F) – which scientists say is the threshold of safety, beyond which the effects of global warming are likely to become catastrophic and irreversible – and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C. It has been signed by 197 countries. The US is on course to become the only country outside the agreement if it follows through on Donald Trump’s vow to leave. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback. On the idea that some of its assets would be stranded by governments taking action on carbon emissions as part of the Paris climate deal, he said: “I think we will have very limited, if any, stranded assets [in the 2020s].” The chief executive said that the firm sees underlying reasons that the oil price could go even higher than where it stands now, at just over $60 per barrel, but in the meantime the price could be unpredictable. “I think we will see an era of volatility,” he said, adding: “You may argue the fundamentals point to a slightly higher oil price than we see at the moment.” As expected, Shell also announced it was would begin rewarding shareholders in cash rather than issuing more shares. “Ben van Beurden has delivered an early Christmas present for Shell shareholders,” said Nicholas Hyett, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, of the scrapping of the scrip dividend which was introduced after Shell bought gas behemoth BG Group for £35bn in 2016.

London mayor unveils plan for gender-neutral public toilets 

London’s public spaces should have more gender-neutral toilets for the benefit of trans and non-binary people, according to a blueprint for the capital by mayor Sadiq Khan. The proposals, to be published this week, will call for more public toilets reflecting London’s diversity to be built, including in commercial developments. The guidelines will call for toilets to be accessible for all users, including disabled and older people, and families with young children. The plans will also call for more “changing places toilets” suitable for those with profound and multiple impairments or who require assistance from a carer.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/28/london-needs-more-gender-neutral-public-toilets-says-mayors-plan

2017-11-28 15:02:40.183000

More gender-neutral toilets should be built in public spaces to help trans and non-binary people feel more comfortable, according to Sadiq Khan’s new London Plan. The mayor’s planning blueprint for London will argue that more public toilets should be built across the capital, including in commercial developments, to reflect the diversity of the city. The document, due to be published this week, will include guidance saying more toilets must be built in shops, leisure facilities and large public areas that are suitable for all users, including disabled people, older people and families with young children. For the first time, the London Plan also calls for the provision of gender-neutral toilets for trans and non-binary people. In addition, it will argue for more “changing places toilets”, which are designed to be suitable for people with profound and multiple impairments, some people with learning disabilities and people who require the assistance of a carer. These are different to standard disabled toilets, with additional features including a height adjustable changing bench, height adjustable sink, a toilet designed for assisted use and a hoist. Khan said he was concerned that some Londoners and visitors to the city are limited over where they can visit and how long they can spend somewhere because the capital does not have enough appropriate toilet facilities. “I have vowed to be a mayor for all Londoners so I am determined to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy our great city to its fullest,” he said. “Toilets are a vital public service and can help to shape the experience of the capital for those who live here and for those visiting. We need a range of toilets that reflect the incredible diversity of this city – giving people the confidence to move around London with dignity.” Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, the charity for LGBT rights, said: “We’re pleased the mayor has used the London Plan to call on councils to create more gender-neutral toilets, and so help meet the needs of all Londoners and the city’s many visitors. Gender-neutral toilets are a practical solution for many people, for many reasons and it’s a powerful demonstration of acceptance that has benefits for everyone. “But this move isn’t just practical, it’s symbolic. By introducing gender-neutral toilets, planners can show that London is a city that cherishes its diverse population.” The plan also pleased charities for older people and those campaigning for disability rights. This year, half of respondents to an Age UK survey of over-75s said the issue of too few loos was a “regular” problem when going out shopping. Paul Goulden, chief executive of Age UK London, said: “It is reassuring to see that the mayor’s London Plan has committed to building more accessible public toilets across the capital. We want as many older Londoners as possible to be able to move confidently around their city without restriction and this pledge should go a long way to improving their experiences when out and about in London. “The commitment to building more changing places toilets is especially encouraging, as many older people contend with limited mobility or require the support of a carer. We look forward to the provision of the new free, publicly accessible toilets across the city.” Robert Meadowcroft, chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, added: “The mayor has rightly recognised that we need changing places toilets so that profoundly disabled people won’t face a choice between exclusion or changing on the floor of a public toilet. “Muscular Dystrophy UK and the Changing Places Consortium welcomes this positive move and are keen to work with London’s train stations, shopping centres, cultural institutions and attractions to get more facilities built and make sure the city is accessible for all.”

VR headset shipments surge to record as Oculus cuts prices

A million virtual reality (VR) headsets were shipped in the three months through September, the most for a single quarter, analytics firm Canalys said. Price cuts for Oculus headsets and strong demand in Japan drove the surge, Canalys said. Sony claimed the largest market share, with 490,000 PlayStation VR sets; Oculus sold 210,000; and, HTC 160,000. Canalys has predicted that Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform will boost future sales.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/27/vr-headsets-pass-1-million-shipments-for-the-first-time-in-a-single-quarter/

2017-11-28 14:55:25.607000

While the debate about whether virtual reality is just some oversold hype rages on, the nascent industry can at least boast of having crossed an important milestone. According to a report from Canalys today, one million virtual reality headsets shipped in the three months ending September 30. This was the first time the gadgets had topped this mark in a single quarter. What’s generating that momentum? Price cuts, says Canalys. “VR adoption in the consumer segment is highly dependent on price, and Oculus’ strategy of lowering prices has definitely helped drive adoption,” said Canalys research analyst Vincent Thielke, in a statement. Event Transform 2023 Join us in San Francisco on July 11-12, where top executives will share how they have integrated and optimized AI investments for success and avoided common pitfalls. Register Now During the third quarter, Sony was the market share leader, with shipments of 490,000 PlayStation VR (PS VR) sets. Facebook’s Oculus was number two with 210,000 Rift headsets shipped. HTC came in third, with 160,000 Vive VR headsets. Those three companies are dominating, accounting for 86 percent of the VR headset market share in Q3. Thielke pointed to the Rift’s discounted price of $399 over the summer as having helped move headsets. That success inspired Oculus to permanently drop the price to that level this month. Meanwhile, strong consumer adoption of VR in Japan is giving Sony a boost. “Sony is well-placed to take advantage of this increasing interest in VR,” said Canalys analyst Jason Low in a statement. “Sony has dominated the Japanese VR headset market since the release of the PS VR, taking more than an 80 percent share, and will continue to lead as it increases supply of the PS VR headset with bundles featuring new titles from popular franchises, including Doom, Skyrim, and Gran Turismo.” Canalys projects that next year the VR headset market will gain more fuel from PC vendors who will roll out new headsets supporting Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform.

Airbnb allows people on group trips to split the bill

Airbnb has responded to one of its customers' most frequent requests and launched a service enabling groups of travellers to split their accommodation bill. Available now worldwide, tourists can access a feature in which a link requesting email details is sent to every member of a party, while Airbnb will send notifications for payment. In testing, the company said more than 80,000 groups used the feature successfully. The move followed Airbnb's acquisition of Tilt, a crowdfunding platform that allows users to pool money online, and is the first announced development arising from the takeover. 

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/28/airbnb-now-lets-groups-of-guests-split-the-cost-of-their-stay/

2017-11-28 14:51:21.097000

Missed the GamesBeat Summit excitement? Don't worry! Tune in now to catch all of the live and virtual sessions here. When Brian Chesky asked last December what Airbnb should be working on, one of the most popular requests the company’s chief executive received was the option to let groups of guests more easily share the cost of their stay. Today, powered by the company’s acquisition of Tilt, a split payment feature is now available and rolling out worldwide. According to Airbnb, an estimated 38 percent of guests reported that they didn’t receive all the money owed to them from group trips. It’s something many of us are probably used to — booking accommodations for a friend or family getaway by putting the upfront cost on a credit card, only to find that at the end of the trip, at least one person hasn’t paid their share. Or perhaps it’s extremely complicated to figure out how much someone owes for their stay. Either way, Airbnb’s newest feature promises to eliminate the problem moving forward. Group travel is a big opportunity for Airbnb, with at least 15.5 million groups using the service last year. Using the split payment feature, you can now send your fellow guests a link where they can provide payment details, make a payment for one or more friends, or add an email address that will direct Airbnb to send someone a notification asking for the money. This feature will be available in most markets starting today. James Beshara, Airbnb’s director of group travel, told VentureBeat that split payments are “one of our most-requested features in recent years, and in our initial testing we’ve already had more than 80,000 groups successfully split payments. Starting today, the feature will be live globally and across more than 40 major currencies.” Beshara is the former CEO of Tilt, which Airbnb purchased earlier this year for a reported $50 million. This is the first time Airbnb has officially confirmed the acquisition. At the time, Tilt was a crowdfunding platform that let users fundraise and pool money online, akin to GoFundMe and others. When asked what specifically about Tilt motivated Airbnb to pursue split payments, Beshara responded: “We’ve been seeing travelers request social and group travel functionalities from Airbnb for quite some time, and combining the expertise of Airbnb and Tilt greatly accelerated our ability to begin solving these problems for our community. Splitting payments — when you have 5, 10, or 15 people paying at different times, using different currencies, and needing the financial side of things to function flawlessly (since guests would lose their reservation if there were any hiccups) — is a significant step forward for social travel, especially when you consider the large cost of accommodations for a group trip.” According to Airbnb, some of the top destinations where people are traveling with split payments include Paris; New York City; London; Buenos Aires; Los Angeles; Sydney; Melbourne; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; and Boston. The addition of split payments is another milestone for Airbnb as the company continues to check off features that hosts and guests have asked for. It also gives Airbnb additional tools to target demographics that it may not have optimized before, such as business travelers, groups, and travelers with disabilities.

YouTube boycott expected to have little impact on bottom line

Profits at Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube are not likely to be affected by recent scandals which prompted brands to suspend or withdraw their advertising on the platform, according to an anonymous ad executive. Mars, Lidl and Adidas were among the big names removing their ads from YouTube after they were found next to content that exploited minors, while earlier this year, a similar boycott occurred over extremist material posted on the site. One buyer urged advertisers to continue making a fuss, as it was the "only thing that forces YouTube to focus on fixing its problems".

https://digiday.com/marketing/will-blow-quickly-youtubes-latest-ad-scandal-unlikely-hurt-bottom-line/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digidaydis&utm_source=uk&utm_content=171128

2017-11-28 14:33:32.833000

Just as controversies roll off Donald Trump, scandals don’t affect YouTube the way that many people hope they will. YouTube is embroiled in another ad scandal, with advertisers freezing their buys over videos of children on the platform accompanied by obscene comments. Ad buyers say the controversy won’t lead brands to dial back their spending on the platform, though. Those that pull their ads are likely to return, and YouTube will continue to grow and wield control over video buyers. “Brands say they care [about brand safety], but do they really?” said an ad buyer from an agency holding company, requesting anonymity out of concern of irritating Google. “History says they’ll be back and spending more.” On Nov. 24, The Times of London reported that brand ads on YouTube were being served next to content and comments that exploited children. Particularly bothersome for brands was that ads were being served next to videos of children singing and dancing in their underwear on YouTube, commenters repeatedly left sexually suggestive comments on the videos and YouTube failed to boot the predatory accounts in a timely manner. In response to this, brands like Mars, Lidl and Adidas pulled their ads off YouTube. YouTube declined an interview request, but said in a statement that it has shut down hundreds of accounts for making predatory comments and is “working urgently to fix this.” If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In March, brands like AT&T and Verizon took their ads off YouTube after the Times — the newspaper owned by Google enemy Rupert Murdoch that also kick-started YouTube’s most recent controversy — published an exposé that showed brand ads appearing in videos that promoted terrorism. Despite all the hubbub, most of the brands that pulled their ads from YouTube were back on the platform within a few months, and the boycott had little impact on YouTube’s bottom line. “When you are part of a monopolistic culture, [putting up with YouTube’s gaffes] comes with the territory, unfortunately,” said an exec of an independent ad agency requesting anonymity. “You don’t have a lot of control when they have all of the video views. I think brands will forgive YouTube and move on.” Marcus Pratt, vp of tech at media-buying shop Mediasmith, said the blowback YouTube is receiving should remind advertisers that digital video doesn’t match TV’s quality or scale. Advertiser optimism about digital video has led demand to exceed supply. This trend leaves advertisers dependent on YouTube — one of the few places selling video inventory at scale — and it has driven publishers to pivot to video in a desperate attempt for ad dollars. Even if some brands commit to their YouTube holdout for the long haul, it is next to impossible for an individual advertiser to make a dent in the platform’s ad business since it is designed to perpetually draw in buyers by the thousands. Brendan Gahan, founder of social agency Epic Signal, said one of his clients has yet to come back to YouTube after pulling out from the platform this summer, but that overall, his agency continues to put more money toward YouTube in each successive quarter. The holding company ad buyer said the brouhaha won’t stop brands from pouring money into YouTube, but the protests still serve a purpose for buyers. After YouTube’s scandal earlier in the year, advertisers pressured the video platform into allowing more third-party measurement tags on its platform. “This will blow over quickly,” the buyer said. “But brands should indeed make a lot of noise. It’s the only thing that forces YouTube to focus on fixing its problems.”

Lexplore aims to diagnose dyslexia using AI

Swedish firm Lexplore has combined artificial intelligence and eye-tracking cameras to create a screening tool that can identify dyslexic children. Already used across Stockholm’s municipal education board and in several private schools in Atlanta in the US, the system traces a reader's eye as it moves over a text. So far the system has achieved 95% accuracy. Lexplore, which has an informal partnership with Microsoft, has yet to work out a US pricing level, but one principal said it was "significantly cheaper" than current systems.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-11-28-how-ai-and-eye-tracking-could-soon-help-schools-screen-for-dyslexia

2017-11-28 14:28:20.520000

In an era of breakneck change and tech innovation, evaluating dyslexia in young students looks much the same today as it has in the past: A struggling reader’s parents and teachers might sit down, gather information and assess the child on their strengths and weaknesses to determine a diagnosis and appropriate interventions. Often this is done via paper tests—despite the growing usage of predictive analytics in schools, where there are seemingly as many data dashboards as students in a classroom. All that’s to say, it seems like an industry almost too tempting for deep-pocketed tech investors and an ambitious startup with an eye on using machine learning to trim the fat. “Today’s methods are quite cumbersome,” explains Frederik Wetterhall, the CEO and co-founder of Lexplore, a company that has devised a dyslexia screening tool that pairs eye tracking cameras with AI and algorithms. “With paper- and pen-based tests, it’s quite hard to read the results and takes a lot of time. [Educators] ask, ‘Who are the kids we think have difficulties?’ and they miss a lot of kids.” Wetterhall’s company opts for a different approach, screening every student using computers and eye tracking cameras in an effort to find the few that might have dyslexic tendencies. Already, it’s caught the attention of investors, who just this March injected $5.6 million into the company in a funding round led by Gabriel Urwitz, CEO of private equity group Segulah, specifically to help it expand into U.S. schools. Currently, Lexplore has an established presence in its native Sweden, where it’s used across Stockholm’s municipal education board to help identify kids who may be dyslexic as early as first grade. “It’s a screening tool, not a diagnostic tool,” clarifies Wetterhall. “The main purpose is to find kids that are struggling with reading early on.” Eye movements is one of the best ways to index reading ability at an incredibly in-depth level Julie Kirkby From Research to Reality Lexplore claims its technology is new—particularly the algorithm that separates typical from atypical readers. But the concepts it’s based on aren’t. Its tech draws from a deep well of previously-conducted research stretching back decades, which is generally supportive of using a combination of eye tracking and machine learning to screen for dyslexia. “Eye movements is one of the best ways to index reading ability at an incredibly in-depth level,” says Julie Kirkby, a psychology professor at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, who has studied eye tracking and dyslexia for years. One study from 2015 reported being able to identify dyslexic readers using eye tracking with 80 percent accuracy. That study used different cameras and methods, but Lexplore claims its technology can do even better, achieving 95 percent accuracy in a study conducted by two of the company’s co-founders immediately prior to the launch of the company, originally called Optolexia. Tools like Lexplore make their analysis by tracing how a reader’s eyes follow words in sequential (or non-sequential) order looking for patterns. Readers at low risk for dyslexia tend to make more progressive movements—from left to right—as they scan words. Dyslexic readers on the other hand make more regressive movements—right to left movements—and do not make regular pauses (or fixations) during reading in the same way non-dyslexic readers do. A comparison of eye movements between two readers (source: Lexplore) Claims like Lexplore’s 95 percent accuracy seem a little high but are possible, Kirkby acknowledges, since research has shown that eye trackers can pick up on these reading differences. While researchers are torn on the exact reasons for these differences, they are likely a "product of reading disability rather than a cause," Kirkby says. For Lexplore, the challenge has been refining this research into something user-friendly and inexpensive enough to make it attractive for schools, particularly ones that screen for dyslexia in traditional ways. According to Wetterhall, his technology is impartial and not subjective the way teachers and paper-based evaluations are. Ultimately, he says, that advantage may help screen at-risk kids faster. “We have a high balanced sensitivity and specificity,” says Wetterhall. “We are equally good at finding kids with dyslexia and also excluding kids.” Kirkby, who reviewed the Lexplore research at the request of EdSurge, was most surprised that the study was able to achieve its results using lower-frequency trackers. The data collected might not be suitable for high-quality research of the kind she typically helps conduct, but such innovations could end up making eye-tracking technology more affordable for schools. Tracking the Market Lexplore hasn’t made many inroads into U.S. schools, but it has done some preliminary work with a handful of private institutions in the Atlanta area. Among them is the private Galloway School in the tony Buckhead neighborhood, where tuition runs more than $20,000 year. There, the company came to the attention of the school after a suggestion from the parents of a Swedish student. As a result, Galloway became one of the first stateside schools to test drive Lexplore’s technology as part of a research pilot to see how the technology would translate from Swedish to English readers. At Galloway, Lexplore representatives guided about 200 kids in grades 1-4 through the brief screening process. Kids read two short texts on a computer as a small, mounted eye tracking camera scanned and recorded their eye movements and uploaded it to the company’s database, along with some basic identifying information such as their name and age. That data was then uploaded to the cloud on a Microsoft Azure-based platform. Early in Lexplore’s development, Microsoft helped the company scale its product and now works with them in a sort of informal partnership, assisting with marketing and lead generation. According to Wetterhall, the collected data is only used to sharpen its machine learning algorithm, which analyzes each child’s eye movements looking for patterns and abnormalities. “We have the data to help us develop our method further,” Wetterhall says, “but when we store it, it’s not connected with personal info, just a birthdate.” After the screening, Lexplore made results available to the school and asked for feedback. “The kids were in and out in a very quick amount of time, and they were not stressed at all about it, like a regular test,” says Polly Williams, a principal at Galloway’s primary school. “One of the things I asked for was to be able to see a visual comparison of a child who was struggling versus a regular child, side-by-side. I thought that would have been good to show parents.” Williams says she was impressed, and thinks the service could be significantly cheaper than current screening methods, although pricing hasn’t been set. But she isn’t sure yet whether her school will continue using it. “I think they’re still working out their business model and really identifying how to position and market themselves,” she says. “I don’t think that’s quite figured out yet.” Right now, Williams says the company offers a couple of different models: a white glove package where company reps come to the school to conduct screenings; an option where schools purchase the hardware and software along with some support; and a do-it-yourself route that includes only the equipment. It’s that last model that raises eyebrows for Kirkby, who cautions that educators are not necessarily scientists or researchers and may not have the resources to understand how to make the most of their results. “If they can afford to dedicate someone to understand that data, I think that could present them with a really interesting way of getting more from their interventions,” she says. “Because then they can design an intervention and test a before-and-after scenario. But the schools would have to invest in that knowledge.”

UK charging network isn't keeping up with EV growth: report

The UK doesn't have enough electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to meet growing demand from the sector, with 4,615 charging points per 100,000 EVs and hybrids, the equivalent of one every 53 miles, according to data from Moneybarn. The car finance provider also pointed out only 2,500 of the UK's chargers could top up an EV within 30 minutes, while the other 11,500 took three to four hours. The government has already pledged to invest £1.2bn ($1.6bn) in the sector.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/car-industry-news/2017/11/27/uk-can-t-handle-acceleration-of-electric-vehicle-numbers-says-moneybarn

2017-11-28 14:23:37.383000

Analysis from non-standard vehicle finance provider Moneybarn, shows UK infrastructure might be unable to support the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. Numbers of EVs are expected to rise to 700,000 by 2020 and at the end of last year, there were 100,000 Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) in the UK for only 4,615 electric charging stations. This equates to just one charging station every 53 miles. In contrast, there are petrol stations available on average every 29 miles. This means the current number of charging stations could leave motorists dangerously low on charge and out of range for stations during long journeys and non-motorway travel. In addition, only 2,500 of the 14,000 electric chargers fall into the ‘rapid’ category which, charges EVs in around 30 minutes. The majority are ‘fast’ chargers which take 3-4 hours - inconvenient for on-the-go charging. Simon Bayley, sales and marketing director of Moneybarn, said: “While it’s great to see a rise in the adoption of electric vehicles, UK infrastructure needs to keep up. Motorists need peace of mind they can complete journeys without the worry of running out of power or long charging delays. It will be interesting to see how the government responds to this growing need.” The UK will need a range of technologies for managing electrical consumption to meet an estimated rise of up to 15% in overall demand and to prevent spikes of up to 40% at peak times. One suggestion has been for drivers to ensure they recharge their EVs overnight when spare power capacity is abundant to avoid power outages. However, 43% of households have no off-street parking, so many drivers will be unable to recharge vehicles overnight in garages or driveways. The government has introduced the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill in Parliament and aims to invest more than £1.2 billion in the industry, to try and combat some of these issues. However, it’s uncertain whether these changes will happen in time to significantly help motorists, who already own an electric vehicle.

SelfDrive offers $1.50 an hour electric vehicle rentals in Dubai

Dubai online car rental firm SelfDrive is offering the opportunity to rent an electric Renault Zoe for less than $1.50 an hour or around $30 per day. Users are limited to 250 km of driving per day and will have have free access to Dewa's 90 charging stations. Vehicles can be rented on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Dubai's Clean Energy Strategy aims for the country to have the world's lowest carbon footprint by 2050 and reduce CO2 emissions by 16% by 2021.

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/11/27/selfdrive-offers-electric-car-rentals-dubai-less-1-50-hour/

2017-11-28 14:19:27.253000

This story about renting an electric car in Dubai was first published by Gas2. SelfDrive, an online car rental company in Dubai, has begun offering customers the chance to drive an electric car for less than $1.50 an hour. Yes, a minimum 24 hour rental is required, but that still works out to about $30 for a day’s worth of use. The rental plan is for the all-electric Renault Zoe, a car slightly smaller than the Nissan LEAF that happens to be the highest selling electric car in Europe. Consider the ZOE the little sister of the Samsung SM3 electric car sold in South Korea. Notably, the longer-range ZOE just arrived into the UAE a few weeks ago. Soham Shah, founder and director at Pinewoods Technology Services Dubai, tells Gulf News: “We are thankful to the Road Transport Authority and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority for collaborating to incentivize electric cars by allowing free charging across all Dewa car charging stations, free parking and Salik tags.” Dewa has a network of 90 charging stations in Dubai and all of them will be free to use for people who rent from SelfDrive. The rental agreement limits customers to no more than 250 kilometers of driving a day. Cars can also be reserved on a weekly or monthly basis. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive officer of Dewa, says, “Under the umbrella of the Supreme Energy Council, Dewa is working on implementing the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative to promote the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 for Dubai to have the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050 and the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy to slash carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021.” All electric car owners in Dubai are entitled to use the Dewa network of EV chargers for free until 2019. They also enjoy priority parking privileges and are not required to pay annual licensing fees. Dewa will have 100 chargers in operation by the end of 2017 with plans to install another 100 next year. Al Tayer says the incentives are intended to “motivate organizations to use sustainable transport such as hybrid and electric vehicles and to contribute to the sustainable development of the emirate by reducing carbon emissions in ground transport, which is the second largest gas emitter in Dubai.” Related: Renault Zoe 40 Launches In The UAE 2017: The UAE’s Year For An EV Charging Boom Dubai Supreme Council Of Energy Announces New Electric Car & Hybrid Incentives The UAE Has Become A Cleantech Hub, Because Leadership Sign up for Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast: I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ... Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps —— grow. So ...

Researchers develop quantum key distribution encryption system

Researchers from Duke University, Ohio State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a quantum key distribution (QKD) encryption system using off-the-shelf components. In an article for Science Advances, the team explained how encoding two bits per photon in transmitted keys, rather than one, made systems between five and 10 times faster, and running several together created a viable internet speed. However, the team also acknowledged that QKD is currently vulnerable to hackers, as the equipment used to devise it is still "imperfect".

https://futurism.com/future-cybersecurity-quantum-encryption/

2017-11-28 14:17:50.260000

A New Level of Cryptography The advent of functioning quantum computers has been considered to present a threat to today's encryption methods. On the other hand, these quantum systems might hold the key to keeping computers and the internet secure, thanks to quantum cryptography. A team of researchers from Duke University, Ohio State University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have tackled quantum encryption on a whole new scale. In a study published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers demonstrated a system that uses quantum key distribution (QKD), creating and distributing encryption codes at megabit-per-second rates. The secret lies in putting more information on the photons — light particles used in QKD and in most of today's quantum networks — and combining it with high-speed detectors. Illustration of a high-dimensional quantum communication device that can stream encrypted video. Image Credit: Agheal Abedzahdeh/Duke University The feat was achieved by adjusting the moment when photons are released, making it possible to encode two bits of information on a photon instead of just one. As a result, their system can transmit keys five to ten times faster than current methods, which only allow for between tens to hundreds of kilobits per second. Running several systems that use their new method in parallel creates current internet speeds. This is important, because most of today's existing "quantum-secure encryption systems cannot support some basic daily tasks, such as hosting an encrypted telephone call or video streaming," Nurul Taimur Islam from Duke said in a press release. Securing a Quantum Future QKD requires a set of encryption keys sent separately from the encrypted message. In principle, the information becomes "hack-proof," because tampering with the message or the encryption key would alert both the receiver and the sender. However, QKD cannot work flawlessly, because it requires equipment that is still imperfect. This makes QKD vulnerable to hacking. "We wanted to identify every experimental flaw in the system, and include these flaws in the theory so that we could ensure our system is secure and there is no potential side-channel attack," said Islam, explaining how they had to identify and incorporate the limitations of the equipment they used. In any case, QKD is still currently the best chance we have for improving today's cybersecurity measures, which have been proven — time and again — to be inadequate to deal with hacks and breaches. And because this new system used equipment that's mostly commercially available, it would be easy to integrate into the current framework of the internet.

Samsung's 'graphene ball' could rapidly speed up battery charging

Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have used graphene balls to increase a lithium-ion battery's capacity by 45% and reduce charging time to 12 minutes. The team used silica to generate synthesised graphene in structures similar to popcorn, which remained stable at high temperatures when used as both an anode and cathode on lithium-ion batteries. SAIT has applied for patents covering the technology in South Korea and the US.

http://en.asiatoday.co.kr/view.php?key=20171127001906478

2017-11-28 14:17:36.853000

0 The image of "graphene balls" By AsiaToday reporter Choi Sung-rok Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) said Monday it has developed 'graphene ball' that could increase lithium-ion batteries' capacity by 45 percent and make their charging speed five times faster. While the existing lithium-based batteries take an hour to be fully charged, the graphene-based batteries will take only 12 minutes. In addition, the new batteries can be used in electric vehicles, as they can maintain stability at up to 60 degrees Celsius. The findings were recently published on science journal Nature Communications under the title "Graphene balls for lithium rechargeable batteries with fast charging and high volumetric energy densities." SAIT has sought a way to apply graphene, which has high strength and conductivity, to batteries, and then found a mechanism for mass synthesis of graphene into a 3D popcorn-like structure using low-cost SiO2, or silica. According to the new findings, the graphene balls shortened charging time by increasing charging capacity and satisfied high temperature safety when used as material for anode and cathode on lithium-ion batteries. Since the first commercialization in 19991, the lithium-ion batteries have been applied to mobile devices and electric vehicles, expanding the market. However, its technology has been facing limits in terms of capacity and charging speed. Therefore, various attempts have been made to apply new innovative materials. Graphene has been garnering attention as one of the next generation materials. Hence, SAIT has applied for two patents in South Korea and the United States related to graphene ball.

Soil Essentials targets digitised crop management

Scottish agritech firm Soil Essentials is hoping to give the independent agronomy sector a boost with the launch of its Kore online platform. Developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and in partnership with Deimos Space UK, the system blends existing information on soil type, historic weather data and yield maps with daily-updated satellite and drone imagery from ESA’s Sentinel satellites. The company said Kore can be tailored to a farmer's specific needs, and features crop-count tools and yield forecast models.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/scottish-firm-launch-precision-farming-platform.htm

2017-11-28 14:12:22.823000

Angus-based precision farming experts Soil Essentials have launched an online precision farming platform aimed at independent agronomists and farm businesses. The new Kore software is the fruit of a three-year project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and collaboration with Deimos Space UK, the British arm of Spanish remote sensing experts Elecnor Diemos. The cloud-based app allows users to incorporate satellite and drone imagery data with existing on-farm information such as soil type, yield maps and historic weather data to aid and improve crop management. See also: Early success for blight-resistant GM potato trial While other similar options are available, Soil Essentials managing director Jim Wilson told Farmers Weekly at British Potatoes that Kore’s unique selling point is it is completely bespoke to the individual needs of customers. Soil testing An example is the spatial frequency in soil testing protocols, which can vary from business to business. With Kore, any such methodology can be programmed into its data-analysing modules by the company’s developers. “It also allows small independent agronomy groups or farm businesses to put their own branding on the interface. “We like independent agronomy and its way of thinking and felt that the sector was in danger of losing out, so needed a precision tool that allows them to compete,” said Mr Wilson. Satellites The platform uses satellite imagery from the ESA’s latest Sentinel satellites and updated daily. This is supplemented by drone and tractor sensor imagery where required to ensure access to crop growth data during periods of cloud cover. Clever functions of the software include the ability to carry out plant counts in crops such as potatoes, sugar beet and maize as they emerge. Crop growth Subsequent monitoring of crop growth parameters such as percentage ground cover as the season progresses allows potato growers to produce variable rate desiccant application maps. Modelling within the platform can also forecast potato yield and tuber size distribution, helping to time crop burn off accurately to maximise marketable yield – particularly important for salad and seed potato growers. In addition, 50 years of historic weather data is fed into the system and when combined with slope and aspect data, field-scale late blight risk alerts can be produced for more informed fungicide application decisions. The price of the service starts at £1/ha a year for images from lower cost satellites. More accurate, higher resolution options from the commercial satellite networks are £2/ha a year.

Teladoc reports strong results and aims for 23 million users

New York firm Teladoc has said it aims to have 23 million people paying to access its portal by the end of Q4. The company's Q3 results revealed it had 22.6 million paid memberships, a year-on-year increase of one-third, while revenue reached $68.7m, a year-on-year rise of 112%. CEO Jason Goveric said the results were "at or above our expectations on all key metrics". The firm expects Q4 revenue to reach $75m. Teladoc was the first telehealth platform to take off in the US and offers video and phone access to specialist and general doctors via its app.

http://www.hcanews.com/news/the-telehealth-company-thats-charming-wall-street

2017-11-28 14:07:34.983000

Image: Teladoc Think telehealth is a trend? The deep-pocketed suits on Wall Street beg to differ. Teladoc, the 3100-member remote healthcare network, saw its stock price rise by more than 24% over the holiday week, according to the finance website The Motley Fool and various stock trackers. The move followed Teladoc’s first-ever investor and analyst day and came just a few weeks after the announcement of its third-quarter results: $68.7 million in revenue, for a 112% year-over-year increase; 22.6 million paid memberships, a 33% year-over-year hike; and a 51% spike in total visits. “Teladoc demonstrated very strong performance in the third quarter, delivering results that were at or above our expectations on all key metrics,” CEO Jason Goveric said early this month, foreshadowing the stock’s ascent. Founded in 2002, Teladoc was the first telehealth platform to take off in the country. It provides round-the-clock access to board-certified physicians with a variety of specialties, including dermatology, behavioral health, and general medicine. The company’s doctors prescribe medical treatments, manage records, and consult patients through an app, which supports video and phone calls. The model seems to be working. Its 22.6 million members—who made 306,000 visits last quarter—report an average customer satisfaction rate of 95%, according to Teladoc. Members, meanwhile, reported a 92% resolution rate following encounters, the company noted. And Teladoc’s tentacles extend beyond telehealth. It also uses big data and analytics, medical devices, and consumer wearables to boost care and engage patients, according to the company. Its tool bench, according to experts, combines many of the much-discussed features at the center of the marriage of healthcare and technology. So, what has this all done for its stock? Teladoc, or TDOC, closed its initial public offering in July 2015 with more than 8.2 million shares of common stock at $19 apiece, according to the company. As of 12:35 p.m. today, Nov. 27, the stock’s value had climbed to $35.80, a 55-cent jump from the opening bell. Teladoc hosted its investor and analyst powwow last Monday in New York City. The senior management team was expected to highlight “key industry insights” and “several business segments,” the organization noted. In the fourth quarter, Teladoc expects its revenues to rise beyond $75 million and membership to grow by 400,000, to 23 million people.

Gene therapy research hindered by virus shortages

The expanding field of gene therapy is being hampered by a lack of disabled viruses with which to test new treatments, with some companies forced to wait years for a supply. Companies that create bespoke viruses are deluged with orders, but the process of creation is laborious, requires extensive documentation and is prone to setbacks. Smaller firms that don't have the financial clout to follow BioMarin's example and build their own facility, are having to pay millions to buy slots in delivery queues years ahead of time.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/health/gene-therapy-virus-shortage.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&_r=0

2017-11-28 14:02:40.713000

Eager to speed development of revolutionary treatments, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it would expedite approval of experimental gene therapies. But the regulatory process may not be the biggest obstacle here. Biotech companies have exciting plans to introduce treatments that may be transformative, sometimes curing genetic diseases with a single treatment. And the firms are itching to test their products. But they are struggling to obtain a critical component of the therapy: the disabled viruses used to slip good genes into cells that lack them. This delivery system lies at the heart of many forms of gene therapy; without the disabled viruses, there is no treatment. But manufacturing them is costly and onerous.

QR payments via GCash accepted in Philippine convenience stores 

Payments using QR codes will soon be accepted in one of the largest retail chains in the Philippines. Ministop, which runs 24-hour convenience stores across the country, is partnering with payment system GCash to deliver the service. Customers will be able to use the GCash app on their iPhone or Android smartphone after loading it with funds at one of 12,000 outlets. Payments can then be made using the phone's camera to scan QR codes on items for purchase. GCash, which is operated by Mynt, is seeking to expand its coverage in the Philippines with similar deals.

http://www.nacsonline.com/Media/Daily/Pages/ND1127175.aspx#.Wh1Hn1Vl9pi

2017-11-28 13:15:34.963000

MANILLA, Philippines – The Manilla Bulletin reports that GCash, an electronic payments firm that utlizes QR codes, has partnered with Ministop, one of the largest 24-hour convenience store chains in the Philippines, to promote the benefits of cashless payments in the country. “We are excited over this partnership since Ministop is the first convenience store in the country to embrace e-payment via QR code. This will be good for the larger population because of the ease, convenience, and security that e-payments provide both to the consumers and merchants,” said Anthony Thomas, president and CEO of Mynt, which operates GCash. Ministop has developed products and services that cater to the consumption profile of the Filipino market with its wide assortment of merchandise and an extensive selection of ready-to-eat products, which are mostly frequented by employees and students, notes the news source. “Providing 24/7 convenience to our customers has always been our thrust,” said Thelma Roxas-Jacob Ministop’s general manager. “And we find that Globe GCash’s e-payment via QR code program will redefine convenience to our customers by providing them an easier way to shop for their favorite treats and meals with just few clicks on their mobile phones.” To use the scan to pay feature of the GCash App, customers need to download or update the GCash App in their iPhone or Android smartphone, register for an account and load their GCash wallet in any of the 12,000 GCash partner outlets nationwide, including Robinsons Business Centers, Globe Stores, SM Business Centers, Puregold branches, 7-Eleven Cliqq kiosks and TouchPay kiosks, among others. To make a purchase, users tap or point the phone’s camera at the QR code, and input the amount to be paid. Thomas told the news source that Filipinos will see GCash becoming more ubiquitous in the next couple of years as it acquires more partner merchants including micro entrepreneurs. “We are not reserving e-payment for organized trade, but also for your cigarette vendor, balut vendor and the sari-sari store, among others. Eventually, you can pay with your smartphone anywhere you go. No need to bring cash,” he said.

AI headhunter Woo doubles success rate of human recruiters

Large corporations are using artificial intelligence (AI) recruitment platform Woo to headhunt potential employees. Woo uses AI to scan the internet for data, such as LinkedIn pages, to place people into jobs that suit their skills. Its developers claim 52% of candidates identified by Woo's software, Helena, have accepted job interviews, double the rate of human recruiters.

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/609570/an-ai-recruiter-could-find-you-your-next-job/

2017-11-28 12:54:40.597000

The hiring process is tedious for people on both sides of the interview table. There are online forms, stacks of résumés, LinkedIn browsing, and countless job interviews. Each of these tasks is repetitive, a matter of scanning the Internet for data. That makes them ideal for artificial intelligence to take on. AI is skilled at automating tasks that have a lot of easily accessible data it can learn from. Enter Woo, a recruitment platform that harnesses AI to get people into jobs that best fit them. The platform serves as a headhunting tool for large corporations and a simplified job-hunting tool for talent. “If you think about an interview, it’s an outcome of a lack of information on both sides,” Woo CEO and founder Liran Kotzer told Forbes. “But if there’s a machine that knows everything—like a god—knows about your past experiences, about your projects, your culture—the machine is going to tell you that there’s a perfect fit and both parties won’t question it.” The company claims its headhunting software, Helena, has a 52 percent success rate of interested candidates accepting job interviews, more than twice that of human recruiters. Woo isn’t alone—Belong, a startup based in Bengaluru, India, also uses AI to pull information on candidates from all over the Web, including sites like GitHub and Twitter. It then generates a ranking of the best candidates based on the requirements for a given position. But while using algorithms to streamline the hiring process is clearly attractive to any firm that wants to save on costs and time spent recruiting, as we have written before, AI can often be biased (see “How to Root Out Hidden Biases in AI”). This isn’t the fault of the software, as such—it’s only as good as the data it is fed. And we humans have an unfortunate habit of being unable to shake habits like gender and racial bias. If we’re to avoid such pitfalls in a world in which AI mediates the hiring process, then, we’re going to have to keep a sharp eye out to make sure it does a better job than we have of playing fair.

Washing synthetic fabrics pollutes ocean more than microbeads

Washing synthetic clothes causes more damage to oceans than microbreads found in cosmetics, according to research by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The report, launched on Tuesday by Dame Ellen and fashion designer Stella McCartney, calls for reform of the throwaway nature of fashion and for research into a recyclable, non-polluting “super fibre”. Fast fashion has led to global clothing production doubling in 15 years. Since 2000, the number of times that clothes are worn has fallen 36%. Each year, half a million tonnes of microfibres are released into the ocean from clothes, equivalent to over 50 billion plastic bottles.

https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/a-new-textiles-economy-redesigning-fashions-future

2017-11-28 12:52:07.907000

Since the 20th century, clothing has increasingly been considered as disposable, and the industry has become highly globalised, with garments often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold worldwide at an ever-increasing pace. This trend has been further accentuated over the past 15 years by rising demand from a growing middle class across the globe with higher disposable income, and the emergence of the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon, leading to a doubling in production over the same period. The time has come to transition to a textile system that delivers better economic, societal, and environmental outcomes. The report A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future outlines a vision and sets out ambitions and actions – based on the principles of a circular economy circular economy A systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. – to design out negative impacts and capture a USD 500 billion economic opportunity by truly transforming the way clothes are designed, sold, and used. Beyond laudable ongoing efforts, a new system for the textiles economy is needed and this report proposes a vision aligned with circular economy principles. In such a model, clothes, fabric, and fibres re-enter the economy after use and never end up as waste. Achieving a new textiles economy will demand unprecedented levels of alignment. A system-level change approach is required and one which will capture the opportunities missed by the current linear textiles system.

App allows instant purchase, sale or rental of property

Florida-based firm Trent Real Estate has completed the first build of a groundbreaking, as-yet-unnamed mobile app that allows users to buy and sell real estate using their smartphone. Users can fill out descriptions, mortgage information and inspection days, as well as complete mortgage documents, with everything time-stamped for legality purposes. Trent Real Estate is currently in the midst of a series A round, after having gained $150,000 in seed funding.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/now-people-can-buy-and-sell-property-from-their-smartphone-300558513.html

2017-11-28 12:25:18.630000

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Groundbreaking news hit the real estate industry in the United States today as Trent Real Estate, Inc of West Palm Beach, FL, announced that the first build of its unique real estate mobile software application was complete. The app – which allows anyone to buy, sell, or rent real estate directly from their phone – was seed funded for $150,000 and is currently in Series A seeking further funding to finish the round. The name of the app is to be announced in the near future. Trent Real Estate "Our application is the first of its kind. Imagine being able to buy or sell a home as easily as ordering a ride from Uber or Lyft, or a pizza from Dominos – that's exactly what our app does," explained Roy Trent Jr., founder of Trent Real Estate. "We wanted to create a one-stop shop for brokers, agents, buyers, sellers, and renters. With our app, you don't even need to speak to anyone; just pick up your phone and buy, sell, or rent when you need. We believe that this is a key step forward in the future for real estate brokerage." Trent, who has personally closed over $3 billion dollars' worth of real estate deals, is the mastermind behind the app, which has made the often-convoluted process of buying, selling, or renting a property a streamlined affair. Users simply fill out key areas of information such as descriptions, mortgage information and inspection days, then choose the commission percentage they would like to pay the agent they choose. The app has a full database of agents, each of whom competes for business on a first-accepted basis. Once an agent has accepted the agreement, the app is time-stamped and sent to both parties and accepted as a real contract. Users can also fill out mortgage documents, and related services such as property inspections from the app. The news comes not long after Inc. Magazine revealed that the real estate industry was ripe for tech disruption. Matt Hunckler, writing for the magazine, said, "real estate has dragged its feet to adopt new technology, and as a result, many processes are weighed down by paper. There is a lot of speculation about how real estate will be disrupted – but companies across the country already have boots on the ground. In 2016, 235 real estate tech companies received VC funding – compared to just 72 in 2012." Trent Real Estate's unique new app is at the vanguard of this transformation – and promises to be a revolution in the way that over 100m Americans will buy, sell, or rent property in the coming decades. For media inquiries or to invest in the revolutionary real estate concept, please contact Roy Trent at 321-305-1422 or email at [email protected]. SOURCE Trent Real Estate

Redrow CEO says local authorities unable to reach housing targets

Abstract: Councils are unable to meet central government housing targets, Redrow CEO John Tutte said. Housing is the responsibility of different local authorities across the UK and that "fragmented" and complicated system meant it would be tricky for smaller house builders to access the £44bn ($60bn) of financing earmarked for housing, Tutte said. Meanwhile, larger firms who don't need access to that funding are the ones with a skillset to understand the system, he added.

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/markets/sectors/housing/councils-cannot-hit-housing-targets-says-redrow-ceo/10025673.article

2017-11-28 12:17:55.810000

Redrow chief executive John Tutte has said government targets won’t be hit while local authorities remain responsible for housing. Describing the local authority structure as “fragmented”, Mr Tutte said it was unlikely that central government targets would be achieved if the current system was maintained. “You will never get the housing delivered in this country while you rely entirely on local authorities making the decisions,” he said. “The problem with housing is it’s left to all the local governments across the country. “If you wanted to build a railway line from London up to Leeds and you left it to the local authorities, well it’d never get joined up would it.” Speaking exclusively to Construction News, Mr Tutte said he believed it would be difficult for many smaller housebuilders to access the £44bn-worth of finance promised for housing in last week’s Budget. “There are so many finance initiatives, it’s a minefield trying to work your way through what all the funding options are,” he said. “The larger companies, who to be frank don’t need access to that funding, would have the people and the resources and the skillset to understand it all. “But all this funding is directed [to] businesses that are not of a scale and don’t have the in-house resources to know how to access it. “So I do think [the government] make life a little bit complicated at times. It’s a pity they can’t have a more effective way to put funding into smaller businesses.” Mr Tutte also questioned the uptake of government funding in recent years. “I’d be interested to know of the money that’s been allocated in these funds over the last five years how much of it has actually been taken up,” he said. “Nothing ever really gets said about that. It’s not the first time it’s happened.” The chief executive expressed his disappointment over the Budget announcement that the government was conducting another review into landbanking. However, he told CN he hoped Oliver Letwin’s latest review would analyse other obstacles to development. “It’s a little bit disappointing that the government still thinks the industry might be landbanking,” he said. “I think the industry has been reviewed four times on landbanking. “It comes from local authorities [who] say, ‘We’re granting all these permissions and they are not being built out’. “But we very much challenge a lot of the numbers that come out of local authorities. “I’m confident that [Oliver Letwin’s review] will show that we’re not landbanking; hopefully it will also show where the real logjams are.”

Redrow Councillors approve 72-home Redrow development in Burbage

A housing development of 72 homes will be built in Burbage, Leicestershire after the local authority granted planning permission. Redrow Homes will complete the development on a 3.4 hectare site adjacent to existing homes, alongside the M69 motorway. It will consist of homes ranging from one to four bedrooms in size and include 14 affordable homes, which will be designed in a 1930s style, the company said. Planning permission was granted on a second application after another developer, Davidsons, had an earlier submission rejected. The initial plans were opposed by local residents and the parish council.

http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/go-ahead-72-new-homes-13938257

2017-11-28 12:09:37.440000

We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to FREE email alerts from hinckleytimes - weekly New homes will be built off Lutterworth Road in Burbage, with developers promising dwellings of a distinctly 1930s feel. Councillors approved reserved matters for the scheme which will feature 72 properties ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms and containing 14 affordable homes. Outline planning permission for up to 80 homes was granted in January 2016 before an appeal was due to be heard. Developer Davidsons initially had a submission turned down but later argued the borough at that time could not demonstrate a five-year housing supply. To avoid going to appeal the second application was granted. Now competitor Redrow has followed through with a blueprint to progress the project on former agricultural fields at the back of existing houses. The firm’s submission stated: “The aim of the proposal is to provide a new high quality residential development that respects and enhances its existing landscape and built context.” The estate will access from Lutterworth Road and a new crossing and extra footpath are planned. In an attempt to disperse the road noise from the neighbouring M69 a densely wooded embankment has been established between the site and the motorway. Redrow said: “A range of plot sizes are proposed, from detached houses to semi-detached and terraced. The scale of the site will be two storeys, with feature dwellings in key locations, these have been positioned in prominent corner locations aiding legibility and wayfinding through the site. “The proposed properties will have a distinct 1930s architectural style, reflecting the quality workmanship of that era.” The plans for the 3.4 hectare plot were vigorously opposed by residents and the parish council when initially submitted.

Unprepared retail industry a tempting target for cyber attacks

The retail industry is particularly vulnerable to cyber attack, warns a report, and are a cybercriminal's goldmine of customer and credit data during the holiday shopping period. "For retailers who are not paying enough attention to their cybersecurity health, the start of the holiday shopping season could mean the start of a slippery slope from cyberattacks to reduced sales and eventually to store closures," the SecurityScorecard report warns. Jeremy Drew at law firm RPC said retailers' high profiles over Christmas and often ageing IT systems "make them a popular target for hackers".

http://www.brinknews.com/study-reveals-flaws-in-u-s-retail-cybersecurity/?utm_source=BRINK+Subscribers&utm_campaign=4d9f404411-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c3639d7c98-4d9f404411-110036825

2017-11-28 12:08:41.293000

Photo: Shutterstock In the midst of the retail industry’s most lucrative time of the year, a new report finds the industry ranks fifth in overall cybersecurity health out of 18 major industries. “As a trust-based industry the retail industry has a compelling reason to move up within the ranks,” says the report by cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard. The company analyzed more than 1,900 companies in the retail industry and compared the results to 17 other major industries across a variety of cybersecurity categories. The holiday shopping season is expected to rake in up to $682 billion, according to the National Retail Foundation. However, “for retailers who are not paying enough attention to their cybersecurity health, [the start of the holiday shopping season] could mean the start of a slippery slope from cyberattacks to reduced sales and eventually to store closures,” the report says. Retailers make a particularly tempting target for cyber criminals, owing to all the customer data and credit card information they retain, making even small retailers potential targets. “Retailers are a goldmine of personal data but their high-profile nature and sometimes aging complex systems make them a popular target for hackers,” said Jeremy Drew, partner at UK-based law firm RPC, which recently released its own report on the cybersecurity environment for the retail industry. The National Retail Foundation says it’s working on long-term solutions with all parties to ensure that consumer information is protected. “Cybersecurity is a perpetual game of high-stakes leapfrog where each new level of security devised by legitimate businesses is quickly overcome by criminals,” the NRF says, “so there is no single answer and no single industry that can provide it.” Because retail is essentially a trust-based business, cybersecurity mishaps can cause customers to bolt to competitors. Nineteen percent of customers won’t shop at a store that’s been hacked recently, the report says, and 33 percent of customers stay away for at least three months. Retailers suffered more than 4,000 security incidents over the last year, the report says. “Compounded with the fact that a cyberattack may increase a company’s churn by 2.9 percent, having poor cybersecurity health can be a real threat to the financial viability of companies in this industry.” A particular weakness in the retail and e-commerce sector involves application security. Web applications have grown in importance and are a tempting target for hackers, but such applications haven’t kept up with increasing security demands. The retail sector ranks near the bottom in terms of cybersecurity performance, the report says, and it’s getting worse. “This year, web application exploits were one of the most common cybersecurity attacks against e-commerce retailers, accounting for 13 percent of all attacks,” the report says. The root of the problem can be tracked to the “decentralized ownership of technology in brick-and-mortar shops,” the report says. In such instances, unqualified personnel may have been installing critical equipment, such as WiFi networks. The result: Vulnerabilities are introduced into the network that remain undetected until it’s too late. A 2013 report found that 64 percent of retail stores took more than 90 days to detect intrusions, with the average time being 210 days. The retail industry also finished dead last in the area of “DNS Health,” which is critical for the authenticity of emails. Inadequate protection in this area can lead to “increased potential for phishing attacks—a type of attack where a hacker tricks consumers to visit a fraudulent site and attempts to steal login credentials or credit card information,” the report says. Weakest Sector in Retail An analysis of the bottom 50 U.S. retailers reveals that clothing stores were among the poorest performers. “There were more poor performing clothing stores than poor performing department stores, car dealerships, food stores, grocery/pharmacy stores, wholesale retailers, office supply stores, and stores selling sports good combined,” the report says. Top retailers scored in the mid-A range across 10 security factors, while bottom retailers received an overall grade in the mid-C range, on average, with network security and patching cadence—how often software updates are installed—receiving a grade of D. “Ultimately, as cyberattacks continue to steal the headlines and consumers become more educated on the potential risks of poor cybersecurity performance, the retail industry, especially its bottom performers, will require significant investments in cybersecurity to keep its doors—physical or digital—open from this holiday season to the next,” the report says.

Banks could lose £1bn in rise of fintech challengers: Carney

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has urged established lenders not to underestimate the fintech sector, saying increased competition from digital start-ups was exciting for consumers but could reduce banks' profits by £1bn ($1.4bn). The comments followed the first ever tests of the impact of fintech competition on the industry. All the major lenders passed, but Carney warned upcoming open banking regulations "may cause greater and faster disruption to banks’ business models than banks project".

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-england-fintech-competition-could-092046041.html

2017-11-28 11:59:56.330000

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson speaks with head of Tyro Fintech Hub Andrew Corbett-Jones during a visit to the Tyro Fintech technology hub in Sydney, Australia, July 26, 2017. REUTERS/William West/Pool Impact of fintech on the UK banking sector included in Bank of England's stress testing scenario for the first time ever. The Bank says lenders could lose £1 billion in profits from increased competition and higher customer liquidity. The BoE admits that it may be underestimating the risks posed by fintech. LONDON – The Bank of England thinks banks could be underestimating the risks to their business posed by financial technology startups. The Bank wrote in its stress testing results that fintechs could: reduce banks' overdraft revenues erode payment services fee income increase liquidity risk as customers switch accounts more frequently and make it harder for lenders to attract and retain customers, or cross-sell products. The BoE speculated that banking profitability could take a £1 billion hit from all this increased competition, although cautioned that these were just thought experiments rather than predictions. The impact of fintech on the banking industry was included in the central bank's stress testing scenario for the first time ever this year. The stress tests are "war games" for the financial sector to make sure that lenders could cope with a nightmare economic scenario and ensure another financial crisis doesn't occur. The results, published on Tuesday, show that all major lenders passed for the first time ever. But the BoE highlighted the growing threat of fintech as something banks must watch out for. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said that banks "took the good from financial technology and said that will help drive down their costs" when asked about the impact on their businesses. But he questioned their "basic assumption" that fintech will allow established banks to lower the cost of acquiring and maintaining customers as it lowers costs. "Actually, from a consumer perspective, this is potentially a very exciting environment," Carney said, suggesting customers could switch banks more often and therefore push up their cost of business for traditional lenders. He pointed to new reforms coming into force in the new year that will make data sharing and accounting switching easier. "It's possible that some banks become not front-facing to the customer but utilities behind," Carney said, adding that new apps that are not even banks could become consumers' main point of contact with financial services. This kind of competition is included in the Bank's stress testing scenario, which speculated that fintech "contributed to the significant squeeze in net interest margins banks experienced in the exploratory scenario, leading to a reduction of £1.1 billion in banks’ aggregate profits by end‑2023 — worth just over 0.2 percentage points of projected return on equity in 2023." The Bank also admitted that it may be underestimating the risks posed by fintechs to traditional banks, saying in its stress testing results: "Competitive pressures enabled by FinTech, and in particular the emergence of Open Banking, may cause greater and faster disruption to banks’ business models than banks project. " The Bank stressed that they are supportive of the fintech sector, which the government see as a key service to export in post-Brexit Britain, despite the possible threats it poses to traditional banks. The fintech industry has exploded in the UK over the last decade and is now worth an estimated £7 billion. Banks such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Barclays, and BNP Paribas have moved to embrace the sector in recent years by investing, partnering, and monitoring startups in the space. They hope that these innovative new businesses can help them reduce costs and future-proof them. NOW WATCH: The CIO of a crypto hedge fund explains the value in cryptocurrency — and why the market will explode over the next 2 years See Also: SEE ALSO: CITI: The technology banks are going wild for could turn them into 'dumb pipes' DON'T MISS: Bank of England says UK lenders could cope with 'disorderly' Brexit — as all banks pass stress tests for the first time NEXT UP: Here's the doomsday scenario British banks faced in the Bank of England's annual stress test

TalkTalk TalkTalk gala night raises £420,000 for autism charity

UK telecoms provider TalkTalk raised £420,000 ($563,000) during a recent gala event for the charity Ambitious about Autism, bringing its total raised for the charity since 2006 to more than £3.5m. The Night of Ambition, held in central London's Supernova pop-up venue, was hosted by actor Tina Hobley. Guests also pledged to support Autism Exchange, an initiative aimed at getting more young autistic people into work.

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/understanding-autism/talktalk-raises-over-35-million-in-support-of-children-and-young-people-with

2017-11-28 10:57:42.417000

As seen on Channel 4, our film blends drama and documentary to tell one autistic girl’s story. This film, directed by the Oscar-winning Tom Hooper, follows a day in the life of 15-year-old autistic girl Ash – featuring her real-life family and best friends. We’re sure many of you will recognise your own experiences in Ash and her family’s story. Our campaign aims to shine a light on autistic women and girls to increase understanding of the gender gap in autism diagnosis.

Russia launches Soyuz-2.1b rocket to deploy weather satellite

Russia has successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome to deploy 19 satellites into orbit, most notably the country's upgraded Meteor M2-1 weather satellite. The 2.75-tonne observatory will measure humidity and temperature in the Earth's atmosphere, while scanners and cameras will capture images of cloud and ice cover, and infrared spectrometry will measure the ozone layer. The Meteor M2-1 is also the first Russian weather satellite to able to use the International Cospas-Sarsat network to receive emergency distress beacons. The other 18 payloads come from countries such as the US, Canada, Japan and Germany.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/27/soyuz-rocket-set-for-launch-from-russias-new-cosmodrome/

2017-11-28 10:56:23.623000

A Soyuz rocket is scheduled to lift off Tuesday from a launch pad in Russia’s Far East with a new Russian weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads from companies and institutions in the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Germany. The liquid-fueled launcher is set for blastoff at 0541:46 GMT (12:41:46 a.m. EST) Tuesday from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a facility in Russia’s Amur region near the Chinese border. Liftoff is scheduled for 2:41 p.m. local time at Vostochny. Tuesday’s flight will be the second launch from Vostochny, a multibillion-dollar spaceport built to help Russia shift more launches to its own territory from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Soyuz rocket made the first launch from the Siberian spaceport in April 2016. Russia’s Meteor M2-1 weather satellite is the Soyuz rocket’s main passenger, beginning a five-year mission collecting imagery and data for Roshydromet, the Russian government’s weather agency. Launch services for the 17 satellites from international customers were booked through Glavkosmos, a Russian commercial launch broker. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket will head north from Vostochny, dropping its four kerosene-fueled boosters, nose shroud and core stage to fall in the Siberian forest. A third stage powered by an RD-0124 engine and a Fregat upper stage will deliver the satellites to a preliminary parking orbit about 12 minutes into the flight. The Fregat upper stage’s main engine will ignite seven times on Tuesday’s mission, first to place the Meteor M2-1 weather satellite into its targeted orbit, then to maneuver to different altitudes for deployment of 18 more spacecraft. The seventh and final Fregat main engine burn will steer the upper stage back into Earth’s atmosphere for a destructive re-entry in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico. The 6,062-pound (2,750-kilogram) Meteor M2-1 weather observatory awaiting launch Tuesday carries four meteorological instruments: two multi-channel scanners and cameras to obtain infrared and visible images of clouds and ice cover, a microwave radiometer to measure temperature and humidity in the atmosphere, and an infrared spectrometer to monitor the ozone layer. The Russian weather satellite also hosts a search-and-rescue radio transponder and a payload to relay data from remote weather stations and offshore buoys to Russian forecasters. Meteor M2-1 is the first Russian weather satellite equipped to receive emergency distress beacons through the international Cospas-Sarsat network. This video shows technicians readying the Meteor M2-1 weather satellite for launch, including the removal of instrument covers and other ground equipment before encapsulation inside the Soyuz rocket’s payload fairing. Video credit: Roscosmos Built by VNIIEM, a Moscow-based aerospace contractor, the Meteor M2-1 spacecraft is the third in a series of upgraded Meteor M weather satellites. Two Meteor M satellites launched in 2009 and 2014 are still functioning, according to VNIIEM. Once operational in polar orbit around 513 miles (826 kilometers) above Earth, the Meteor M2-1 satellite will provide data inputs to help Russian meteorologists craft medium-range forecasts. More than 70 Russian Meteor weather satellites have launched since 1964. Separation of the Meteor M2-1 satellite from the Fregat upper stage is set for 0642 GMT (1:42 a.m. EST), shortly after the mission’s second Fregat main engine burn. A third Fregat engine firing will move the perigee, or low point, of its orbit closer to Earth for deployment of the IDEA OSG 1 spacecraft shortly after 0800 GMT (3 a.m. EST) in an elliptical egg-shaped loop around the planet. Manufactured and owned by the Japanese company Astroscale, the suitcase-sized IDEA OSG 1 satellite is covered with sensors to register impacts with tiny pieces of space junk smaller than a millimeter in diameter. The space debris detectors, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will help tell scientists and engineers about the amount of space junk in low Earth orbit, focusing on satellite and rocket fragments too small to be tracked by ground-based radars. The IDEA OSG 1 spacecraft’s two-year mission is sponsored by OSG Corp., a Japanese tool maker, and is the first of several satellites planned by Astroscale. A follow-on mission conceived in partnership with Britain’s Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. could launch in 2019 to demonstrate a relatively low-cost method of removing small pieces of space debris from orbit. Another 16-second firing of the Fregat main engine will circularize its orbit at an altitude of approximately 370 miles (600 kilometers) for the release of 16 more satellites. The Baumanets 2 microsatellite built by students at Bauman Moscow State Technical University is set to separate from the Fregat upper stage at 0815 GMT (3:15 a.m. EST). The 190-pound (86-kilogram) spacecraft’s mission is primarily educational, but the satellite also carries an optical camera and a communications experiment. A few minutes later, the Norwegian Space Center’s AISSat 3 satellite will deploy from the Fregat upper stage, kicking off a three-year mission to monitor ships and determine their position, speed and direction. The 14-pound (6.5-kilogram) spacecraft, built in Canada by the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory, is the latest in a series of Norwegian maritime tracking satellites. A staggered deployment sequence for 14 CubeSats will come next. The exact order of the separation maneuvers has not been disclosed. Two commercial Landmapper-BC CubeSats manufactured and owned by Astro Digital, formerly Aquila Space, are also on Tuesday’s Soyuz flight. They are the third and fourth Landmapper-BC satellites to launch, following two craft that flew on a Soyuz mission in July, and failed shortly after reaching space. Astro Digital’s Landmapper-BC satellites are about the size of a shoebox and weigh around 22 pounds (10 kilograms), packing color and infrared cameras for wide-area imaging. The Silicon Valley-based company aims to field a commercial Earth-imaging fleet, initially with 10 CubeSat-class satellites. San Francisco-based Spire Global has 10 Lemur-2 satellites on Tuesday’s Soyuz launch, ready to join the company’s commercial weather monitoring constellation. Spire’s Lemur-2 craft carry GPS radio occultation antennas, using satellite navigation signals passed through Earth’s atmosphere to derive temperature and humidity profiles that can be fed into numerical forecast models. Spire’s satellites — each weighing about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) — also track ships out of range of terrestrial receivers. With Tuesday’s flight, the company will have launched a total of 67 Lemur-2 CubeSats, some of which have ended their missions. Spire won a NOAA contract last year to supply pilot weather data to determine the information’s usefulness in forecasting. Two European CubeSats will also be deployed. The SEAM mission, led by Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, will conduct measurements of magnetic and electric fields in the ionosphere, a layer in Earth’s upper atmosphere where auroras are generated. The SEAM spacecraft is also a pathfinder for the design of future small-scale European science missions. Billed as the first German commercial CubeSat, the D-Star One spacecraft has four communications modules on-board, two of which will be used by the amateur radio community. Developed by German Orbital Systems in Berlin in cooperation with the Czech company iSky Technology, officials hope to build follow-on satellites to construct a low Earth orbit communications network. Two more maneuvers by the Fregat upper stage will set up for separation of an experimental communications craft for Telesat, a leading Canadian-headquartered operator of large geostationary broadcast satellites. Telesat ordered two demonstrator satellites in April 2016 to help engineers wring out technical hurdles before the company builds out a 117-satellite constellation to provide global broadband communications coverage from orbits less than 1,000 miles up, a goal officials say could be realized by 2021. Telesat’s LEO Vantage 2 satellite is the first of the test craft to reach the launch pad. The roughly 154-pound (70-kilogram) prototype satellite was built by the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory, and Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, serves as prime contractor. Telesat eyes the U.S. military and the aviation and maritime industries as prime markets for the Ka-band network. The satellites will also link under-served communities and far-flung outposts with high-speed Internet connectivity. Another test satellite, named LEO Vantage 1, is set for launch on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in late December. It was provided by Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd., a British subsidiary of Airbus Defense and Space. Telesat will verify each satellite design’s capabilities and performance next year. The LEO Vantage 2 spacecraft is expected to deploy from the Fregat upper stage into a 620-mile-high (1,000-kilometer) orbit at 0954 GMT (4:54 a.m. EST), followed by a final Fregat engine firing at 1043 GMT (5:43 a.m. EST) for a de-orbit burn. Email the author. Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

NASA and SpaceX to launch ozone measurement sensor to ISS

SpaceX is set to transport a NASA sensor to the International Space Station, where it will monitor the sun's effect on the Earth's ozone layer, which absorbs deadly ultraviolet radiation. According to a NASA statement, the total and spectral solar irradiance sensor will measure total solar irradiance, the sun’s total energy input into Earth, and solar spectral irradiance, the distribution of the sun’s energy input across ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths of light.

https://www.inverse.com/article/38766-nasa-tool-tsis-1-solar-radiation-spacex

2017-11-28 10:56:23.623000

NASA and SpaceX are teaming up to save the world from itself — sort of. On Monday, December 4, the aerospace company will launch a Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a NASA instrument called TSIS-1 as part of its special delivery to the International Space Station (ISS). TSIS-1, which is short for Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor, will measure sunlight with unprecedented detail, in order to study the sun’s impact on Earth’s ozone layer. “TSIS-1 makes two key measurements: total solar irradiance, or TSI, the sun’s total energy input into Earth, and solar spectral irradiance (SSI), the distribution of the sun’s energy input across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths of light,” NASA explained in a post. “TSI measurements are needed to quantify the solar variations in the total amount of energy input to the Earth. SSI measurements are also vital because different wavelengths of light are absorbed by different parts of the atmosphere.” The ozone layer — situated in Earth’s stratosphere — is responsible for absorbing ultraviolet radiation blasted off by the sun, making our planet habitable. TSIS-1 is a great step toward understanding the sun’s impact on the ozone region, especially considering how careless humanity has been about it. In the past, humans have caused ozone depletion by spraying aerosol cans, which release chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere. These can break down ozone molecules and make the ozone layer worse at its job — which, in case you forgot — is keeping us all from getting burned to a crisp. In the 1980s, this was a big concern, which led to the creation of the Montreal Protocol in 1989. In short, the TSIS-1 — and the ozone layer — are good. We hope scientists at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will have plenty of data to comb through once TSIS-1 is up and running.

Invesco Canada introduces robo-advice capabilities

Invesco has introduced a robo-adviser platform for its Canadian clients. The platform is called advisorDUO and will let clients sign up to receive portfolio recommendations based on their risk tolerance. The platform is only being provided to mutual fund shops to use within their existing adviser relationships. Invesco says seven mutual fund providers have signed up to use the robo-adviser platform. The platform will allow investors to gain exposure to exchange-traded funds, like the majority of robo-advisers do, but this exposure will come in the form of mutual funds invested in ETFs. 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/funds-and-etfs/fund-giant-invesco-canada-finds-way-into-robo-adviser-space/article37100657/

2017-11-28 10:24:39.337000

A Bay Street sign, a symbol of Canada's economic markets and where main financial institutions are located, is seen in Toronto, May 1, 2013.Mark Blinch/Reuters Share Invesco Canada Ltd., one of the country's largest mutual-fund providers is keeping with the times in launching a robo-adviser tool that will help wealth-management firms and their advisers bring digital advice to Canadian investors. "The wealth-management industry is undergoing massive change due to new technologies and proposed regulations, and one of our global priorities as an organization is to help advisers navigate this rapidly changing environment," Peter Intraligi, president of Invesco Canada, said in a statement. Robo-advisers – also known as online portfolio managers or digital advisers – have recently gained traction in the Canadian financial landscape. Over the past five years, the total number of providers has jumped from only a handful in 2012 to more than 15 registered platforms today. The new platform, titled advisorDUO, has similar capabilities to a traditional robo-adviser, where clients are able to sign up for accounts digitally and receive a recommended portfolio based on risk tolerance and investment goals. Unlike other platforms, Invesco's offering is only being rolled out to mutual-fund dealers to use exclusively with their financial advisers. Investment firms must sign an agreement with Invesco in order for their advisers to gain access to the platform. The platform doesn't deal directly with individual investors. Already, there are seven mutual-fund firms signed up to pilot the platform, including Sterling Mutuals Inc., an investment firm in Windsor, Ont., that has over 250 advisers. "AdvisorDUO has the potential to be a game changer for us," said Nelson Cheng, chief executive of Sterling Mutuals. "It has the capacity to increase the reach and productivity of our advisers while enabling us to benefit from how an ever-increasing number of investors prefer to work with a financial adviser." The platform will allow Invesco to strengthen its relationships with mutual-fund firms – and their financial advisers – during a time when competition continues to emerge for asset managers, leaving many independent dealers having to think outside the box for distribution access. "Investors and their advisers are looking for solutions that meet their evolving needs – enriching the client experience while improving the adviser's practice efficiency," said Andrew Manning, head of marketing for Invesco Canada. "Built and designed using Invesco's in-house digital expertise, advisorDUO maintains the adviser-investor link, with the intent of increasing the competitiveness of financial advisory firms and allowing advisers to serve clients in the way they wish to be serviced." Another difference with conventional robo-advisers is that Invesco's platform provides investors access to exchange-traded fund products through five mutual fund "fund-of-fund" portfolios. The majority of robo-advisers recommend portfolios that are predominately made up of individual ETFs. Invesco is well known on the Street for both its mutual fund and ETF lineups, with assets under management of $40-billion. The company was one of the first mutual-fund companies to enter the ETF industry in 2009, and now has $8.6-billion invested in its PowerShares ETF products, as of Oct. 31. The platform recommends one of five fund-of-fund Invesco Target Risk Portfolios. Each portfolio provides investors exposure to Invesco's Powershare ETFs, as well as ETFs from rivals Vanguard and BlackRock Canada. Portfolio management fees for fee-based accounts range from 0.41 per cent to 0.51 per cent, while the adviser series ranges from 1.41 per cent to 1.51 per cent. These fees include all underlying ETF fees, and are competitive compared with stand-alone mutual funds, which can have fees ranging from 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent. Many traditional robo-adviser platforms are starting to partner with investment firms, offering hybrid models, discounted pricing for adviser accounts or licensing agreements of their proprietary technology. For firms, digital partnerships are enticing as they eliminate burdensome paperwork during account openings and minimizes administrative costs. But the ability to maintain client assets in house and under their administration was a big draw for Sterling's Mr. Cheng. "With other digital platforms we looked at, we would have to sign a referral agreement and then the assets are 'off book' and the client no longer belongs to the dealer," says Mr. Cheng. "The other firm can do whatever they want and the dealer can't do anything about it. That was not a route we wanted to take."

Chinese taste for luxury ham forces Spanish into traditional food

China's increasing demand for Spanish jamón ibérico is forcing up prices of the ham as Spaniards prepare to tuck into the traditional Christmas delicacy. The recent lifting of import restrictions on the luxury item has strained supplies of the Iberian-ham, produced slowly from carefully raised pig breeds, and increased prices 10%. As we highlighted previously, China is the world's largest consumer of pork and its rising middle class is being enticed by luxury brands.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/26/spaniards-face-ham-shortage-as-chinese-market-gets-taste-for-jamon-iberico

2017-11-28 10:07:27.387000

Having discovered the joys of French wine, caviar and truffles, China’s new rich are turning to a new gourmet delicacy to satisfy their demand for luxury goods from the west: Spain’s jamón ibérico, or Iberian ham. But demand is now threatening to outstrip supply, leaving Spaniards facing steep price rises in their most prized Christmas delicacy. The recent lifting of import restrictions has allowed top-of-the-range ham to find its “rightful place in the market, alongside caviar and truffles”, René Lemée, the head of exports for the famous Cinco Jotas brand, told El País newspaper. The Chinese, pork lovers par excellence, have now been seduced by jamón ibérico. The problem is that the best ham takes years to produce and, as demand outstrips supply, it is pushing up the price by as much as 10%. A 7.5kg leg sells at between €150 and €600 (£135-£540). Spanish ham comes in many forms, but to be defined as jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham), which is what the Chinese want, it must first come from Iberian blackfoot pigs, or from 50% crossbreeds. These pigs must then spend several months of the year roaming the dehesa, a pasture planted with oaks, feeding on grass and acorns. During the last few months before being slaughtered they must live exclusively on this diet. Iberian pigs search for acorns. Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Observer Not only are there relatively small areas of dehesa – mostly in north-west and western Spain – but each pig needs about two hectares (five acres) to fulfil its needs. Once slaughtered, the animals’ legs are plunged into vats of salt and hung and dry-cured over a range of temperatures for a minimum of 36 months, with the best hams cured for about 48 months. “It’s inevitable that the price in Spain is going to rise,” said Roberto Batres, the director of Shanghai de Delaiberia Gold, which exports ham, wine and olive oil to China. “The companies licenced to trade in China don’t have enough jamón de bellota to meet Chinese demand.” In an effort to meet demand the Chinese have started importing raw frozen pork from Iberian pigs and curing the meat themselves, although Batres says the product is excessively salty. The production and consumption of top-quality ham is the subject of the same awe and mystery as the making of fine wine. Cutting de-boned jamón de bellota on a ham-slicing machine is regarded as sacrilege. The leg must be bolted on to a frame called a jamonero and then cut by hand using a long, narrow blade. Most towns in the ham-producing areas of Extremadura, Castilla y León and Andalucía hold solemn ham-slicing competitions, often attended by hundreds of spectators. “They have established a ham-cutting school in China and a professional association,” said Batres. “That’s a sign of how far the product has penetrated the local market.”

China funds suspension may hit pace of Hong Kong investment

Chinese investment in Hong Kong stocks may be curbed by a surprise directive from Beijing that has suspended the approval of 59 mutual funds linked to the former British colony. The China Securities Regulatory Commission has given no reason for the move but it's thought to be motivated by a desire to cool a market that has surged more than 30% this year, fuelled by Chinese money. Hong Kong-linked fund portfolios must be heavily weighted towards stocks listed in the southern city.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/27/china-regulator-suspends-approval-of-hong-kong-focused-funds.html

2017-11-28 09:59:07.297000

China's securities regulator has suspended approval of Hong Kong-focused mutual funds, according to the industry newspaper China Fund, potentially slowing the pace of Chinese money into Hong Kong stocks. New funds with "Hong Kong" in their names - which rules dictate must allocate at least 80 percent of their portfolio into Hong Kong-listed stocks - have seen their approvals suspended by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), China Fund said on its website, citing two unidentified fund sources. The move could delay the launch of 59 products that are backed up in the queue, although funds that invest less than 50 percent of their portfolio in Hong Kong will not be affected, according to the newspaper, which is affiliated with the official People's Daily. The sources, who were notified by the CSRC, said the body did not explain why it was suspending Hong Kong-focused funds. But they speculated that regulators may hope to cool fervor in a market that has soared over 30 percent this year, aided by Chinese money inflows, according to the newspaper.

App-based challenger bank Revolut to add cryptocurrency support

UK app-based bank Revolut is set to launch support for cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin. Customers will be bale to buy, hold and sell the digital currencies as well as enable their transfer between Revolut accounts. CEO Nikolay Storonsky said cryptocurrencies were "definitely not a fraud", in contrast to comments made by his JPMorgan counterpart Jamie Dimon. Storonsky compared bitcoin to gold, whose transaction volumes were mostly speculation-driven, with much smaller percentages of real-world usage.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/24/revolut-signs-up-1-million-users-ahead-bitcoin-cryptocurrency-launch.html?utm_source=Autonomous+NEXT&utm_campaign=eaa114edb2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c8cf357092-eaa114edb2-90551329

2017-11-28 09:51:37.327000

Bitcoin and other digital currencies are not "a fraud," the chief executive of app-based bank Revolut told CNBC, ahead of the start-up's plans to launch a range of services for cryptocurrencies. The firm's CEO gave an alternative view to JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who has called the phenomenon a "fraud" that will "blow up." "They are definitely not a fraud," Nikolay Storonsky said in an interview Tuesday. Revolut's co-founder said that, though people are less likely to use bitcoin in everyday transactions, the same could be said for commodities like gold. "Real-world usage for gold is quite limited. But still there is a huge market, huge volumes that are being traded in the market, and these volumes determine the gold price," he said. "The question, 'Where is the real gold price?' No one knows. It's the same with bitcoin. Volumes are increasing, the price is shooting up, there is no implication of bitcoin in the real world, it's quite limited." He said that 99 percent of bitcoin transaction volumes are "speculation-driven," with just 1 percent of volumes involving everyday applications. Some executives in the financial services sector have expressed concern about the volatile nature of bitcoin, however, with Credit Suisse's CEO Tidjane Thiam describing it as "the very definition of speculation and the very definition of a bubble." But Storonsky, who is a former Credit Suisse trader, said bitcoin was similar to another commodity in this aspect — oil. "If you look at the oil market, 90 percent of volume is speculation, 10 percent is real use case."

SA insurtech Fo-Sho launches for lower-income customers

South African insurtech Fo-Sho has launched with the goal of providing short-term insurance policies for lower-income portions of the population. The firm says it makes use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analysis in underwriting its risks. Fo-Sho has reportedly written over ZAR10m ($729,000) in premiums during a testing period. Customers will be able to register and apply for coverage in as little as three minutes, the firm says.

http://ventureburn.com/2017/11/insurtech-startup-fo-sho-launch-short-term-insurance-products-thursday/

2017-11-28 09:50:30.803000

Accelerator Startbootcamp Cape Town has scored some success, with South African insurtech startup Fo-Sho set to launch this Thursday (30 November) with its short-term insurance offering aimed at lower-income consumers. For the past three months the Johannesburg-based startup, which was founded in June last year, has along with nine other startups been part of Startbootcamp Cape Town‘s inaugural accelerator programme. The programme concludes with a demo day this Thursday. The startup has been beta testing its product and has so far secured premium commitments in excess of R10-million. In addition the company has already secured a “multi-million rand venture capital investment” from BEE investor and Alpha Vista Systems director Dempsey Naidoo, says Fo-Sho co-founder and CEO (pictured middle) Avi Naidoo. He however would not disclose the exact amount of the investment but he said the deal was signed in July. Fo-Sho applies artificial intelligence, machine learning, behavioural economics and peer-to peer underwriting Fo-Sho’s insurance products use artificial intelligence, machine learning, behavioural economics and peer-to peer underwriting. Policy holders are grouped into similar risk profiles. These groups create savings pools which then reduce the cost of risk and act to mitigate excess payments in the event of a claim. In addition, the startup claims one can register for cover in about three minutes. Naidoo told Ventureburn in a phone call that he got the idea behind the platform in May last year after seeing a Johannesburg community come together to assist a security guard who had his un-insured car stolen. He said that’s when he realised that insurance is “really unfair”, citing “structural and pricing issues”. “People who need it (insurance) the most are the ones least able to afford it,” he added. The startup, whose founding team is made up of three insurance industry veterans who claim to have total of 50 year’s worth of experience between them, will have its products underwritten by A-rated insurance company Constantia. Although the startup has not yet been granted a license by the Financial Services Board (FSB), Naidoo said his company is in the process of applying for one. In the meantime, the company would operate under Constantia’s license. But he added that Fo-Sho would still, despite this, make its own decisions regarding pricing and the services it offers consumers. Startupbootcamp Cape Town managing director Zachariah George believes that Fo-Sho’s model that makes use of “socially validated methodology” will allow consumers access to a fairer form of insurance. “The result is the pooling of like-minded risk groups and a reduced risk of fraudulent claims, a major point for policy issuers – and subsequently giving issuers greater leeway to increase the amount of cash-backs paid to claim-free clients. We know that this will skyrocket to become the new norm in the industry,” said George. Featured image (left to right): Fo-Sho founding team Mithun Kalan, Avi Naidoo, and Siva Moodley (Supplied)

Half of US fracking wells are close to private water systems

Almost half of hydraulically fractured wells in the US are within 2 km to 3 km of a domestic groundwater well, according to a study from UC Santa Barbara researchers Scott Jasechko and Debra Perrone, highlighting the need to determine the impact of fracking on groundwater well quality. Environmental Protection Agency regulations do not give the same protections to private water supplies that they do to public water systems, with owners being responsible for maintaining their water quality. The researchers said that water quality near fracking sites needed to be more closely scrutinised.

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-hydraulically-fractured-wells-kilometers-domestic.html

2017-11-28 09:22:43.467000

Hydraulically fractured wells in California's Central Valley. Credit: Debra Perrone How safe is the water you drink? For the 45 million Americans who get their drinking water from private groundwater wells rather than a public utility, the answer is decidedly murky. The Environmental Protection Agency regulations that protect public drinking water systems don't apply to privately owned wells, leaving owners responsible for ensuring their water is safe from contaminants. In assessing how frequently hydraulic fracturing takes place close to a public water supply, a 2016 EPA report said that drinking water supplies located near hydraulic fracturing sites are more likely to be impacted should a contamination event occur. How many privately owned groundwater wells could face a similar fate is undetermined. Motivated by the EPA study, UC Santa Barbara researchers Scott Jasechko and Debra Perrone sought to change that. The investigators amassed a large database of private drinking water wells and compared their locations to hydraulic fracturing sites. Conducting a scientific analysis of data that spanned 15 years, from 2000 to 2014, and covered nearly 27,000 wells in 14 states, they found that about half of all hydraulically fractured wells stimulated in 2014 existed within 2 to 3 kilometers of a domestic groundwater well. Their results appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This co-location emphasizes the need to determine the frequency that hydraulic fracturing activities impact groundwater well water quality. This knowledge is important to maintaining high-quality water in many domestic wells," said co-author Jasechko, an assistant professor at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. "Our results underscore the importance of increased water monitoring efforts near both hydraulically fractured and conventional oil and gas wells in ascertaining the risk of contamination and in protecting water well quality." Jasechko and Perrone charted the data on a variety of maps, one of which tracked hotspots. "These hotspots are areas where, in light of potential contamination mechanisms, limited resources for assessing spill frequency and well integrity could be used more effectively and efficiently," explained Perrone, an assistant professor in UCSB's environmental studies program. Perrone noted that some hotspot areas include not only hydraulically fractured but also conventional oil and gas wells, which are more abundant. "We can use these hotspot analyses to focus resources, so that we can learn more about oil and gas contamination mechanisms: How often do they occur, and do they have an impact on groundwater?" she said. "Our analysis underscores the need to increase monitoring efforts to maximize the probability that we can identify well waters that may be impacted, and do our best to remediate, contain and isolate potentially contaminated waters before they cause harm," Jasechko added. "We can consider stronger policies that include requirements for repeated groundwater quality testing of the many domestic self-supply wells that exist close to hydraulic fracturing." Often, research can be limited by the amount of data available. In this case, the problem is a lack of consistent data across states as well as across industries. In fact, the scientists found vast differences in how states collect groundwater data. "One policy recommendation would be to have a national standard for data collection on groundwater well construction," Perrone said. "On the energy side, a national standard for data collection for both unconventional and conventional oil and gas wells could provide opportunities for increased transparency across jurisdictional boundaries."

Fashion brands urged to stop wasting 25% of material resources

Leading fashion brands are wasting an average of 25% of virgin material resources, according to a report by European non-profit Made-by and industrial textile upcycler Reverse Resources. The findings are supported by UK waste reduction charity, Wrap. As a result of the research, Made-by has launched a project that will target European apparel brands and suppliers. Companies will be supported to reduce spillage rates and to avoid incineration and landfill. The project will form part of the European Clothing Action Plan, which is the first EU-funded project aiming to increase sustainability throughout the entire lifecyle of clothing.  

https://www.ecotextile.com/2017112823117/fashion-retail-news/textile-manufacturers-in-virgin-material-spillage.html

2017-11-28 00:00:00

LONDON – Non-profit Made-by and Reverse Resources has launched a report that suggests manufacturers producing textiles and clothing for many major fashion brands are wasting an average of 25 per cent of virgin material resources. WRAP also worked with Made-by to support the findings.

New bans urged as UK children see 12 TV junk-food ads per hour

Children as young as four view as many as 12 advertisements for junk food per hour while watching family television shows, according to research by Liverpool University and commissioned by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA). Current rules, instituted a decade ago by regulator Ofcom, ban ads for foods high in fat, sugar and salt from being shown in or around children’s programmes, or shows for which 75% of the audience will be children. The OHA has called for the ban to be extended to all broadcasts before 9pm.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/28/children-seeing-up-to-12-adverts-for-junk-food-an-hour-on-tv-study-finds

2017-11-28 00:00:00

Children are seeing as many as 12 advertisements for junk food within an hour while watching family television shows such as The Voice, new research has revealed on Tuesday. Children as young as four are seeing ads for pizza, burgers, sweets and biscuits in breaks during shows on ITV, C4 and E4 such as Hollyoaks and The Simpsons, Liverpool University researchers found. The findings have led to renewed calls from health experts to ministers to toughen up rules restricting the broadcast of adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), which they claim are “not fit for purpose”. Dr Emma Boyland and Dr Rosa Whalen, from Liverpool University’s appetite and obesity research group, found that a half-hour episode of Hollyoaks on E4 in February – seen by 140,225 children – contained no fewer than nine adverts for such products. They included promotions of McDonald’s bacon double clubhouse burger, Domino’s chicken strippers and their pepperoni passion pizza, Oreo thins biscuits and Haribo sweets. An episode of The Voice the next day on ITV watched by 708,500 children featured 12 ads for HFSS foods, including Domino’s pizzas, McVitie’s chocolate digestive nibbles and Anchor spreadable butter. Part of a Domino’s pizza TV advert. Photograph: YouTube “This report is another grim reminder why we’re losing the fight against the scourge of childhood obesity,” said Prof Mary Fewtrell, nutrition lead at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. “Children are very impressionable and need protection from the hundreds of millions of pounds spent each year on junk food advertising, much of which is within the family viewing hours of 6-9pm.” Under current rules, put in place a decade ago by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, adverts for HFSS foods are banned from being shown in or around children’s programmes or any programme where 75% of the audience will be children. But the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), which commissioned the new study, said children were still being exposed to adverts for unhealthy foods because no such restrictions apply to shows aimed at adults but watched by many under-18s. It wants the ban extended to everything shown before the 9pm watershed. “We know brand recognition influences children’s behaviours from as young as 18 months, which is why the government saw it fit to ban junk food advertising during children’s shows back in 2010,” added Fewtrell. Caroline Cerny, the OHA’s lead, said: “The rules to protect children from junk food advertising in the UK are 10 years old. They weren’t strong enough then and they are definitely not fit for purpose now, as they only cover 27% of children’s viewing time.” Three-quarters of adverts during The Voice would be banned if Ofcom changed the rules, the OHA said. ITV said the Ofcom rules do not need to be extended. “There is already a robust system of regulation in place in the UK to restrict both the content and scheduling of advertising for food high in fat, salt or sugar, to children and young people, which is enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, is endorsed by Ofcom and is rigorously applied by ITV across all of its platforms,” said a spokesman for the broadcaster. The government ruled out any change. “Current advertising restrictions in the UK on junk food are among the toughest in the world, including a ban on advertising junk food in children’s media.” Labour pledged that it would ban all junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed if it was elected.

Montreal 'upcyclers' use decommissioned trains for new projects

Artists and architects are among those who will receive decommissioned Montreal Metro carriages. In celebration of the metro's 50th birthday, the Société de transport de Montreal (STM) put up some of its first-generation MR-63 cars for sale at the price of CAD750-1,000 ($584-$778), along with a CAD$4,000 shipping fee. STM then chose seven submissions to receive the disused baby-blue cars, which are part of the oldest fleet in North America. Winning projects include an art installation made up of 16 sets of sliding doors and a community centre built from multiple carriages stacked on top of each other.

http://www.citymetric.com/transport/artists-and-architects-montreal-are-upcycling-old-subway-cars-3510

2017-11-27 18:14:09.130000

Montreal’s Metro system celebrated its fiftieth birthday this October. And for a limited time its first-generation “MR-63” cars were available to buy for the bargain price of C$C750–1,000 (£445-£593), along with a C$4000 (£2,370) shipping fee. The two-ton, baby-blue cars make up the oldest fleet in North America. They are gradually being decommissioned. Out of 30 submissions, the Société de transport de Montreal (STM) has picked seven projects that will receive cars. These include a high-rise community centre built from multiple cars stacked on each other; a 13-story building that will encase over one hundred cars; a car plonked in a botanic garden in remote northern Quebec; and an art-installation made of 16 sets of sliding doors. Submissions were evaluated by the STM on criteria that included optics, heritage value, feasibility and sustainability. “We wanted to do something crazy, but not too “in-your-face” crazy,” said Frédéric Morin-Bordeleau, co-founder of Projet MR-63, one of the lucky finalist projects. “So we thought, let’s get eight metro trains, create a building out of it, make it self-sustaining and generate revenue, and showcase the culture of Montreal.” He expects the sculpture, which will house a café, bar, gallery and community space, to be complete in 2020. Artist’s impression. Image: Project MR-63. Morin-Bordeleau acknowledged that his love of the metro carriages, like many Montrealers’, is steeped in nostalgia for the “glorious era” of the sixties, when Montreal hosted Expo ’67, the world fair that marked Canada’s centennial and attracted fifty million visitors to the city. On top of the metro system, which was hurriedly built to accommodate Expo crowds, remnants of this era include Moshe Safdie’s iconic Habitat 67 complex, the Montreal Biosphere (capped by a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller) and two large man-made islands in the St-Lawrence river, created and reshaped using rubble dug out by the subway construction. While he was not alive in the sixties, Morin-Bordeleau’s mother was a photographer for Expo ’67 and “would talk about [it] with stars in her eyes,” he said. He sees the project, which he founded with his brother, as an homage to this period. “We want to make Montreal proud and the metro trains were exactly the symbol we needed. It’s a mix between the glory of the past and visions for the future,” he said. The brothers were initially inspired by the Village Underground arts centre in Shoreditch, London, which rents out studio space in four upcycled tube carriages to artists and designers. Parts of MR-63 cars will travel internationally in the form of a travelling art installation. Another finalist of the STM’s call for proposals is interactive art piece Thresholds, a corridor of 16 opening and closing subway doors that people can walk through. Created by Montreal artist Michel de Broin, it was exhibited in Montreal’s this summer and he plans on taking it abroad. While he acknowledged that the “distinctive” doors of the metro were likely to have a particular effect on a Montrealer, he believes the experience of the piece “will work anywhere”. His website describes the experience as “recalling the digestive tract’s ingestion process as the installation breathes and swells”. MR-63 cars that are not being upcycled are slowly being retired, a process that is anticipated to finish in mid-2018. Montreal-based metal recycling firm American Iron and Metal is recycling the cars at the rate of one a day, with a new car ferried each morning to their headquarters on a specifically-designed trailer. The invitable metro map. Image: STM. The question of what to do with old subway cars has been approached in a variety of ways by different cities. In England, tube cars shuttle passengers down the east coast of the Isle of Wight, while a 1967 Victoria Line tube carriage hosts a monthly supper club in Walthamstow. In 2015, over 2,500 New York subway cars were dropped into the Atlantic to create an artificial underwater reef for fish and crustaceans. Two of Buenos Aires’ iconic 1913 wooden cars have been converted into diesel-electric buses, and Washington architect Arthur Cotton Moore wants to transform his city’s old metro cars into one-bedroom prefab apartments for the homeless. Back in Montreal, the subway is receiving a new generation of trains – but like their predecessors, the city’s new underground cars will arrive at stations accompanied by the faint smell of burning wood. That’s because designers have opted to continue making the tyre brake pads out of yellow birch sourced from Quebec’s forests. According to the STM, wooden brake pads are quieter than steel or graphite disc pads, and environmentally safer, given that they do not release of carbon dust into the atmosphere. To prevent friction or burning, the wood is saturated in hot peanut oil, left to drip-dry for 30 days, and soaked in salt water. Montreal commuters have come off lightly with their subway’s trademark fragrance. Washington DC’s subway cars organic brake pads are often blamed for a lingering fishy smell.

Australia can reach renewable energy tipping point by 2020: EY

The cost of renewable energy may fall below coal and natural gas in Australia by 2020, a year earlier than in many other markets, because of the high price of baseload power in the country, according to EY. "If gas in Australia was near its historical cost levels or near that of the USA – of $3 to $4 per gigajoule – then gas would still be competitive for a few years yet, but that is not the case with gas at $10/GJ", said Grattan Institute energy director Tony Wood.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/energy/renewable-energy-to-reach-cost-parity-with-coal-by-2020-20171126-gztbyh.html

2017-11-27 16:44:07.553000

Australia can reach a renewable energy tipping point in 2020, with renewable generation costs to be less than fossil fuels, EY power leaders say. Australia may be one of the first nations to reach this stable grid parity point, EY Global Advisory power and utility leader Serge Colle told Fairfax Media. "As early as 2021, [globally] we reach what we call grid parity; with Australia, the expectation is that this will come one year earlier, as early as 2020," Mr Colle said. Grid parity is when renewable or alternative sources can produce energy at a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) equal to or less than buying energy generated from traditional power sources such as coal or natural gas.

UPS to convert New York delivery vans from diesel to electric

US logistics company UPS is planning to convert two-thirds of its New York delivery fleet from diesel to electric. The project will be conducted under a partnership between the company and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which will provide $500,000 of funding to help develop effective conversion technology. Unique Electric Systems will work with UPS to design and build the system, which should be operational next spring. The plans would mean about 1,500 UPS vans going electric by 2022.

https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=PressReleases&id=1510239934903-452

2017-11-27 16:41:03.430000

Financials UPS Releases 1Q 2023 Earnings UPS today announced first-quarter 2023 consolidated revenues of $22.9 billion, a 6.0% decrease from the first quarter of 2022.

AI quicker than human analysts to locate missile sites

Scientists in the US have developed artificial intelligence (AI) systems which can detect undeclared missile sites from satellite images much quicker than human analysts. A team at the University of Missouri's Center for Geospatial Intelligence conducted an exercise using images of 90,000 sq km of southeastern China, which were analysed using the AI's deep learning algorithms. Using the system, they were able to reduce the time taken to identify potential missile sites from 60 hours to 42 minutes, and matched the 90% accuracy rates of human analysts.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-can-help-hunt-down-missile-sites-in-china/

2017-11-27 16:22:06.383000

Intelligence agencies have a limited number of trained human analysts looking for undeclared nuclear facilities, or secret military sites, hidden among terabytes of satellite images. But the same sort of deep learning artificial intelligence that enables Google and Facebook to automatically filter images of human faces and cats could also prove invaluable in the world of spy versus spy. An early example: US researchers have trained deep learning algorithms to identify Chinese surface-to-air missile sites—hundreds of times faster than their human counterparts. The deep learning algorithms proved capable of helping people with no prior imagery analysis experience find surface-to-air missile sites scattered across nearly 90,000 square kilometers of southeastern China. Such AI based on neural networks—layers of artificial neuron capable of filtering and learning from huge amounts of data—matched the overall 90 percent accuracy of expert human imagery analysts in locating the missile sites. Perhaps even more impressively, the deep learning software helped humans reduce the time needed to eyeball potential missile sites from 60 hours to just 42 minutes. "The algorithms were used to find the locations where they said there is a high confidence of a missile site, and then humans reviewed the results for accuracy and figured out how much time the algorithms saved," says Curt Davis, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and director of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence, at the University of Missouri. "To my knowledge that’s never been studied before: How much time did you save, and how does that ultimately impact the human performance?" The University of Missouri study, published on October 6 in the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, comes at a time when satellite imagery analysts are figuratively drowning in a deluge of big data. DigitalGlobe, a leading commercial satellite imagery company, generates about 70 terabytes of raw satellite imagery each day, never mind all the imagery data coming from other commercial satellites and government spy satellites. 'How much time did you save, and how does that ultimately impact the human performance?' Curt Davis, University of Missouri Davis and his colleagues showed how off-the-shelf deep learning models—heavily trained and modified for satellite imagery analysis—could identify objects of potentially great interest to intelligence agencies and national security experts. The deep learning models, including GoogleNet and Microsoft Research's ResNet, were initially created to detect and classify objects in traditional photo and video imagery. Davis and his colleagues adapted such models to the challenges and limitations of interpreting satellite imagery, such as training some deep learning models to interpret both color and black-and-white imagery, in case only black-and-white images of SAM sites were available. They did so with satellite imagery representing a huge swath of Chinese territory, not that much smaller than the entire country of North Korea. And in fact, analysts rely extensively on satellite imagery to keep track of how North Korea's weapons programs evolve. Human analysts have already likely identified most, if not all, existing SAM sites within the relatively small country. But similar deep learning tools could help automatically flag new SAM sites that appear in North Korea or other countries. Knowing the location of existing and new SAM sites can sometimes lead analysts to other locations of interest, because countries often place SAM sites in specific areas to defend valuable nearby assets from air attack. The latest study also illustrates the challenges of applying deep learning AI to satellite imagery analysis. One major problem is the relative lack of large training datasets that include the hand-labeled examples needed to train deep learning algorithms to accurately identify features in satellite imagery. The University of Missouri team combined public data on the worldwide locations of about 2,200 SAM sites with DigitalGlobe satellite imagery to create their training data, and then tested four deep learning models to find the best-performing one.

Airbnb buys Chicago-based adtech start-up AdBasis

Airbnb has acquired a Chicago-based advertising start-up to boost its online marketing operation. AdBasis, which already counted Airbnb as a long-standing customer, provides brands with a system for optimising their adverts by testing hundreds of different versions at once. The company was launched in 2015 and provides services to clients including Angie's List, Safeway and Tableau, which it will continue serving until February 2018 when it will become an internal resource purely for Airbnb. Financial details of the deal have not been made public.

https://www.builtinchicago.org/2017/11/16/airbnb-scoops-chicago-startup-tailor-its-ads-just-you

2017-11-27 15:56:58.650000

Image via Shutterstock Airbnb just bet on Chicago-crafted adtech to extend its global reach. AdBasis, a Chicago startup whose technology lets advertisers experiment with hundreds of variations for a single ad campaign at once, just announced that it has been acquired by Airbnb. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The startup said it will continue working on its ad testing and optimization platform as part of the Airbnb team. AdBasis will remain available to other customers, which include Angie’s List, Safeway and Tableau, until February 2018, according to a statement released by the startup. After that point, the platform will become an internal resource for Airbnb's marketing department, according to a source familiar with the deal. AdBasis lets marketers drop Photoshop projects directly into its SaaS platform, indicating which elements of the ad they would like to run automated variations on. Variations can include anything from minor tweaks to copy or design elements to swapping out photos based on user demographics or location. The startup's technology also tracks how different variations on a campaign perform, helping marketers stretch their advertising dollars further. Airbnb, which is a longtime AdBasis customer and has more than 3 million individual listings across the world, will use the platform to improve its targeting and optimization efforts, the source said. AdBasis was founded by Jason Puckett and Joseph DiVita, veterans of Chicago tech companies Social Katy and Belly, respectively. The startup launched its services in 2015.

Final tests begin on Tesla's Australian 'big battery'

Tesla's 100 MW energy storage project in South Australia is entering the final stages of testing. The world's largest lithium-ion battery will store energy from a wind farm at Jamestown and release it into the grid when demand is high or supply is low. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had pledged that the development would be completed free of charge to the South Australian government if it wasn't operational within 100 days of the agreement being signed.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/teslas-south-australian-battery-to-begin-final-testing/

2017-11-27 15:54:52.187000

The world's largest lithium-ion battery being built in South Australia to store renewable energy is about to enter final testing. State Premier Jay Weatherill has said Elon Musk's Tesla has finished installing the battery powerpacks at Jamestown, in the state's mid-north, where they are linked to an adjacent wind farm. Weatherill said the 100-megawatt battery will now be energised and tested to ensure it meets all energy market and state government regulatory requirements, and will be up and running in time for the Southern Hemisphere's summer season. When first announced in July, the battery came with a guarantee from Musk that it would be working within 100 days of the grid interconnection agreement being signed, or it would be free for the South Australian government. The 100MW/129MWh battery is expected to provide backup and stability services through energy storage to the South Australian grid. Last week, Musk unveiled the Tesla Semi, an electric truck with a range of 500 miles that is slated to be in production by 2019. TechRepublic: Elon Musk and the cult of Tesla: How a tech startup rattled the auto industry to its core While Tesla has yet to disclose the cost, battery size, or distribution plans for its new trucks, a number of companies have already signed up to purchase units. In September, Musk's SpaceX venture also announced its plans for the BFR rocket, which is intended to allow for manned missions to Mars, as well as travel to any city on Earth within an hour after launch. With AAP Related Coverage Five things you need to know about Tesla's new electric semi truck Tesla just unveiled an all-electric, semi-trailer truck at an event in California, and here's all you need to know. Tesla nearing deal to build its own plant in China: Report Tesla is passing on the joint venture route and plans to build its own electric car plant in Shanghai's free-trade zone, a new report said. Tesla's solar roofs could revolutionize the industry Tesla and SolarCity have just unveiled a new series of solar roofs that look almost indistinguishable from traditional ones, and are said to cost the same amount of money. Here are all the companies that have bought Tesla's electric semi truck so far (TechRepublic) The Tesla Semi was formally unveiled in November 2017, and a host of big-name companies have pre-ordered the trucks to try them out. Will human drivers always be the weak link when sharing the road with autonomous vehicles? (TechRepublic) A collision between a self-driving shuttle and a human-driven truck in Las Vegas shows the inevitability of accidents, and who is more likely to be at fault, as we share the road with robots.

Irish agriculture tech firms increasing look to export market

"Smart farming" systems are forming an important part of the Irish agricultural export market to the UK, which exceeded €44m ($52.3m) last year. The Irish government sees a key role for disruptive technologies in the sector, both for global export and for use on farms in the country. Examples that have made an impact on the UK market include a magnetic spraying technology called MagGrow and a farm management app called HerdWatch. The development and effective use of such technology is being encouraged with a package of government initiatives designed to support innovation and start-up agri-tech companies.

http://www.farminglife.com/farming-news/irish-agri-exports-to-the-uk-exceed-44m-1-8250951

2017-11-27 15:47:28.437000

Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government agency, aims to boost UK-Irish trade relations and support farmers to produce, sell and export more than ever before. Providing funding and support has allowed client companies to develop innovative solutions from the laboratory through to the farm, including a number of ‘smart farming’ solutions. With Irish agricultural exports exceeding €44m in 2016, and several Irish companies exporting on a global scale, it is clear collaboration between the UK and Ireland will continue to be key despite current Brexit uncertainty. In particular, Enterprise Ireland expects to see a strong spike in demand for innovative technology, with a number of Irish disruptors gaining momentum in the UK market. Leaders in this space range from MagGrow, a magnetic spraying technology that helps farmers grow more by using less, to HerdWatch, the number one farm management app. Advertisement Advertisement The agricultural sector is changing rapidly and, with stats showing that food production must increase by 70% by 2050 to feed the 9.6bn people predicted to inhabit the planet[1], increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural production is paramount. One way to achieve this is through making farms more “intelligent” and more connected through ‘precision agriculture’. Recognising the need to encourage, grow and develop the next generation of Irish agri-business companies and enable them to compete on a global scale, Enterprise Ireland supports innovative agri businesses through a series of initiatives, including: · The Competitive Feasibililty Fund for Agri-Business – With a total fund size of up to €250,000, this fund aims to support agri-business entrepreneurs grow scalable businesses. Applications for funding are considered on a competitive basis. · The Competitive Start Fund – Agriculture and Manufacturing - The purpose of the Competitive Start Fund is to accelerate the growth of start-up companies that have the capability to succeed in global markets. The fund is designed to enable those companies reach key commercial and technical milestones. The maximum support available is €50,000 for a 10% ordinary equity stake in the start-up company. Advertisement Advertisement · The National Ploughing Championships Innovation Arena Awards, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland. · In addition, there are Research & Development supports for clients in the form of funding. Enterprise Ireland also provides on-the-ground support for attending shows in-market, market experts, pathfinders and lead-generation support. Sean Long, Senior Market Adviser at Enterprise Ireland, commented: “While unpicking the UK’s relationship with Europe is a huge task and there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of UK agriculture, Ireland has historically been a first-point partner in the agricultural sector, and we hope this relationship will continue. The agricultural space is moving even faster into the digital world, and Ireland is perfectly placed to service the next generation of UK farmers.

BBVA completes export documents pilot using Wave's DLT

Spanish banking group BBVA has used blockchain technology to complete an export deal between companies in Spain and Mexico. The bank used a distributed ledger technology (DLT) system developed by technology firm Wave, which enables users to verify and authorise documents automatically along the supply chain much faster and with more accuracy than by using conventional procedures. The trial operation involved a genuine sale of 25 tons of frozen tuna, and the transaction time was cut from seven to 10 days to just two and a half hours.

https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2017/11/27/bbva-wave-complete-pilot-automating-import-export-documents/

2017-11-27 15:44:34.803000

BBVA, the Spanish banking group, in collaboration with Wave, a company which allows members of the supply-chain a direct exchange of documents in a decentralized environment conducted the first pilot that uses blockchain to automate the electronic submission of documents in an import-export transaction between Europe and Latin America. Thanks to the Wave solution, which uses Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and blockchain, BBVA was able to reduce the time required to send, verify and authorize an international trade transaction, which normally takes from seven to ten days, to just 2.5 hours. The pilot was run on an actual sale transaction between Mexico and Spain, in which Frime, a company of Barcelona, Spain, bought more than 25 tons of frozen tuna from Pinsa Congelados, of Mazatlan, México. The payment was made using a letter of credit – the most common payment system in international trade transactions. BBVA Spain issued the letter and BBVA Bancomer processed the payment. The large volume of documentation required by a letter of credit entails a series of different processes that in most cases involve error-prone processes such as manual checks and sending physical documents, of which can make the process last up to two weeks. The Wave system made it possible to make changes or corrections that arose from the moment the goods were loaded until their arrival at the destination. The pilot also included the electronic signature of documents, the simultaneous distribution of copies to all parties and the reception of the ownership of the documentation at each step along the way. Wave’s electronic submission of documents represents a huge step forward in terms of cost savings and greater efficiency, makes the entire process transparent and reduces operational risk. This project is part of BBVA’s commitment to digitize the financial sector and make it more efficient through the use of emerging technologies like DLT and blockchain. In addition to the pilot with Wave, BBVA has also conducted others for currency conversions and international transfers. BBVA belongs to the leading consortiums working on developing platforms and proofs of concept related to blockchain, such as R3, Hyperledger, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and Alastria.

Driverless buses to serve three Singaporean districts by 2022

The government of Singapore has unveiled plans to introduce driverless buses to three districts by 2022. Singapore recently opened an AV testing centre, where a number of companies are experimenting with the technology and which is being used to develop the shuttle buses. Commuters will be able to hail the buses with their smartphones.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/24/singapore-driverless-buses-2022/

2017-11-27 15:39:40.127000

While driverless buses are making cameos in Las Vegas and Michigan, they're set to become a more common sight in Singapore in the near future. Following initial trials of an autonomous shuttle (fit for 80 passengers), the country plans to bring a mixture of the larger buses and smaller mini-vans to three new neighborhoods by 2022. Singapore has been at the forefront of driverless tech for years, which fits nicely with its mission to become the world's first smart city. This year alone it launched a robo-cop car, allowed Scania to trial autonomous trucks on its roads, and gave the green light to Peugeot's driverless vehicle tests. Now, with the opening of a self-driving vehicle center, the nation is trying to lure even more manufacturers. And, according to the government, around six as-yet undisclosed firms are ready to try out their tech at its two-acre facility. The center is also serving as the testing ground for the shuttles, before they make their way to Punggol, Tengah, and the Jurong Innovation District, where they'll run during off-peak hours. Commuters will be able to hail the buses using their smartphones. But, Singapore already has some competition on its hands, in the form of Baidu's upcoming driverless bus trials in China, and Finland's pilot programs in Helsinki.

Drones, smartphones helping fight malaria spread in Tanzania

An initiative between Aberystwyth University in Wales and the Tanzanian Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme is using DJI Phantom 3 drones to survey malaria hotspots in Tanzania and identify areas were disease-carrying mosquitoes are likely to breed. The next stage of the programme will bring the imagery to smartphones to help guide eradication teams treating the affected area with anti-larval sprays.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/26/drones-and-smartphones-help-fight-malaria-in-tanzania/

2017-11-27 15:37:41.350000

The fight against malaria has been improving, but there's still lots more work to do. For one thing, anti-larval sprays are both expensive and time-consuming -- you can't always afford to spray an entire area. Thankfully, a mix of technology is making that mosquito battle more practical. Wales' Aberystwyth University and Tanzania's Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme have partnered on an initiative that uses drones to survey malaria hot zones and identify the water-laden areas where malaria-carrying mosquitoes are likely to breed. An off-the-shelf drone (in this case, DJI's Phantom 3) can cover a large rice paddy in 20 minutes, and the data can be processed in the space of an afternoon. You can discover and spray trouble zones within hours, preventing outbreaks from getting started. And there are expansion plans, too. The next step is to bring the drone imagery to smartphones to both guide the spraying teams and track their progress. Instead of having only a general idea of where to go, sprayers can make a beeline for affected areas and report back when they're done. It could be a while before drone-assisted spraying finds widespread use. There are concerns that drones may interfere with local wildlife and spark privacy concerns. The creators hope that familiarizing residents will make them more comfortable with the technology, though, and mindfulness could prevent clashes with the ecosystem. So long as that happens, it might be possible to virtually wipe out malaria in entire neighborhoods without having to spend a fortune or waste valuable hours.

India approaching AI with caution as IT boom comes under threat

The rise of automation in India is regarded as a double-edged sword, with companies benefitting from technological advances and reduced costs of artificial intelligence (AI), but human workers paying the price through unemployment, according to Samanth Subramanian. Writing for the MIT Technology Review, he said the country's two-decade old IT boom could be ended by chatbots and algorithms. While only about 25% of easily automated tasks are being carried out solely by machines in India, according to Forrester Research, Subramanian said Indian businesses are still "enthusiastically dabbling" in the sector, spelling potential doom for the IT industry.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/609118/india-warily-eyes-ai/

2017-11-27 15:33:28.793000

When his employment was terminated, Kumar was earning close to $17,000 annually, a nice middle-class salary in India. Around the same time, Tech Mahindra announced profits for the previous financial year of $419 million, on revenue of $4.35 billion. (Tech Mahindra did not respond to a request for comment for this story.) IT services and related offerings in India record annual revenue of $154 billion and employ nearly four million people. The sector’s vigor has relied upon its ability to shave costs lower and lower—upon its ability to arbitrage the cheaply bought skills of workers like Sunil Kumar. Bangalore is filled with IT professionals and engineers who resemble him. His curly hair is thin on top and gray at the temples; when we spoke he was wearing a faded checked Tommy Hilfiger shirt, a backpack, and a look of subdued anxiety. He grew up in a village a few hundred miles from Bangalore, where his father wove silk saris on a handloom. In 1995, when he was 15, he moved to Bangalore to study for a diploma in mechanical engineering; it was a step below a university degree, which he would gain later through a correspondence course. Until he joined Tech Mahindra, in the summer of 2008, Kumar worked as a draftsman at an aerospace firm. The new job opened his life up the way the IT industry did for so many Indians, offering a chance to vault from a blue-collar background to a white-collar future. He got married, and the couple had a son; he took out a loan of $47,000 to buy a house, so that his parents and two brothers, who followed him to Bangalore, could stay with him. “I live a middle-class life,” he says. “I don’t want to showcase to people that I’m doing an IT job. Branded shirts, shoes—I don’t want them.” The size and prestige of India’s IT industry are reflected in the design of Infosys campuses in Mysore (above) and Bangalore (below). INDIAPICTURES/UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES When Kumar lost his job, he became part of a wave of layoffs washing through the Indian IT industry—a term that includes, in its vastness, call centers, engineering services, business process outsourcing firms, and infrastructure management and software companies. The recent layoffs are part of the industry’s most significant period of churn since it began to boom two decades ago. Companies don’t necessarily attribute these layoffs directly to automation, but at the same time, they constantly identify automation as the spark for huge changes in the industry. Bots, machine learning, and algorithms that robotically execute processes are rendering old skills redundant, recasting the idea of work and making a smaller labor force seem likely. An analysis by the business newspaper Mint reported that the top seven IT firms in India will lay off at least 56,000 employees this year. After its annual general meeting this summer, the $10 billion behemoth Infosys announced that 11,000 of its 200,000 employees had been “released” from repetitive tasks by automation and redeployed elsewhere within the company, the burden of their previous work now borne by algorithms. HfS Research, which studies the IT industry, predicted last year that automation will result in a net loss of 480,000 jobs in India by 2021. “If we sit still, there is absolutely no doubt that our jobs are going to be wiped out by AI,” Vishal Sikka said in March, when he was still the CEO of Infosys. (Sikka resigned in August.) “Sixty to 70 percent over the next 10 years—or maybe less than 10 years—of the jobs that we do today are going to be replaced by AI ... unless we continue to evolve ourselves.” Automation could hit India particularly hard because much of its high-tech economy involves ­relatively routine work that is prime for computers to take over. The fear that AI is pulverizing jobs is not unique to India, but automation could hit this country particularly hard because so much of its high-tech economy involves relatively routine work that is prime for computers to take over. In some cases, Indian IT services companies will automate the work themselves. In other cases, companies in the West will do it, so they no longer have to farm work out to humans in India. Sunil Kumar wasn’t told, in any detail, why he was being let go; he insists that what he did at Tech Mahindra wasn’t automatable, and that he was fired as part of a drive to invigorate the bottom line. Devika Narayan, a sociologist at the University of Minnesota who is researching the subject for her doctoral thesis, thinks automation may indeed be getting too much blame for the loss of jobs like his. Companies might well be talking up automation to mask some of their own failures, or to distract from the ill effects of other factors beyond their control, she says. She points out that many IT giants are flabby and overstaffed, and that American companies are now wary, given the U.S. political climate, of sending work overseas. “The extent to which automation is being exaggerated is still unclear to me,” Narayan says. She suspects that Indian IT companies “want to leverage this automation narrative to undertake structural changes, particularly downsizing.’”

NASA sends E.coli into low orbit to test antibiotics in space

NASA is using an autonomous satellite to conduct experiments to determine how low gravity might affect resistance to antibiotics. The project involves a small craft the size of a shoebox made up of cubes containing a strain of the bacteria E.coli responsible for urinary tract infections. Named the E.coli Anti-Microbial Satellite, it will be launched into orbit from the International Space Station and will conduct the experiments automatically over a 150-hour period before transmitting the results to scientists at Santa Clara University in California. It will then burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_is_sending_E__coli_to_space_for_astronaut_health_999.html

2017-11-27 15:32:13.467000

NASA is sending E. coli to space for astronaut health by Frank Tavares, Ames Research News Moffett Field Ca (SPX) Nov 27, 2017 EcAMSat contains this experimental module, inside which the E. coli are stored. Nutrients, the antibiotic, a special dye and waste are stored in bags connected through a series of tubes to the microfluidics card - a device storing small pools of liquid containing the bacteria. Credits: NASA/Ames Research Center/Dominic Hart Ever wonder what would happen if you got sick in space? NASA has sent bacteria samples into low-Earth orbit to help find out. One of the agency's latest small satellite experiments is the E. coli Anti-Microbial Satellite, or EcAMSat, which will explore the genetic basis for how effectively antibiotics can combat E. coli bacteria in the low gravity of space. This CubeSat - a spacecraft the size of a shoebox built from cube-shaped units - has just been deployed from the space station, and may help us improve how we fight infections, providing safer journeys for astronauts on future voyages, and offer benefits for medicine here on Earth. "If we find resistance is higher in microgravity, we can do something, because we'll know the gene responsible for it, and be able to design countermeasures," said A. C. Matin, principal investigator for the EcAMSat investigation at Stanford University in California. "If we are serious about the exploration of space, we need to know how human vital systems are influenced by microgravity." Scientists believe that bacteria like E. coli may experience stress in microgravity. This stress triggers defense systems in the bacteria, making it harder for antibiotics to work against them. Bacteria on Earth do something similar by developing a natural resistance to traditional antibiotic treatments. By knowing how E. coli's resistance to antibiotics changes in space, we can also better understand bacteria on Earth, leading to more effective treatments here, too. The E. coli strains used on EcAMSat are responsible for urinary tract infections, which can happen to astronauts in space in addition to other types of infections. With these results, scientists will learn about the ideal dosage of medicine to combat E. coli infections in space, and explore other techniques that could enhance the power of antibiotics that already exist today. "Beyond low-Earth orbit, the compounding human health effects of microgravity and space radiation will require more knowledge about how biology reacts to the space environment," said Stevan Spremo, project manager for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. "Lessons learned in this experiment will serve as a stepping stone for more advanced biological CubeSat missions, answering critical questions." EcAMSat is a uniquely autonomous satellite, meaning it can conduct its experiment without any communication from Earth. After arriving at the International Space Station, crew will work with ground controllers to release the satellite into orbit, and it is programed to automatically begin its experiment. Students at Santa Clara University in California will monitor the spacecraft, handle mission operations and download data. The spacecraft will awaken the dormant E. coli by flooding them with a nutrient-rich fluid, adjusting their containers to the temperature of the human body, and then injecting the bacterial samples with different amounts of antibiotics. Two types of E. coli will be compared: one with a naturally occurring gene that helps it resist antibiotics, the other without. The bacteria will be mixed with a dye that changes from blue to pink. A dye that remains blue indicates most cells have died in reaction to the antibiotic. The more cells that remain viable and active in spite of the medicine, the stronger shade of pink the dye becomes. An on-board color sensor will detect these changes, and determine how strongly the two types of E. coli resist the antibiotic at different doses. The experiment will last for 150 hours as EcAMSat orbits the Earth, and the dataset, less than a megabyte in total, will then be transmitted via radio down to Earth. After the conclusion of its mission, this little satellite will burn up in the Earth's atmosphere some 18 months later. Keeping Astronauts Healthy Today, Searching for Life Tomorrow EcAMSat is not only building on a legacy of reliable hardware design demonstrated on prior small satellite missions, but also maturing technology for future missions to enhance our understanding of life in our solar system. In the future, some of the same components designed for EcAMSat could live on in other missions. "Though EcAMSat will only fly this once, many of its components may embark on a different mission: life detection in the solar system," said Tony Ricco, chief technologist for the mission at Ames. "Using sensors and the microfluidics technology from EcAMSat, NASA is developing the technology needed to look for life on moons such as Enceladus and Europa - ocean worlds covered by icy crusts." In a package the size of a couple loaves of bread, the science from this satellite will provide health benefits for future astronauts and humans on Earth for decades to come. Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 01, 2017 A diagnostic tool, similar in theory to those used by the medical profession to non-invasively image internal organs, bones, soft tissue, and blood vessels, could be equally effective at "triaging" extraterrestrial rocks and other samples before they are shipped to Earth for further analysis. In an effort designed to find creative uses of technology for future robotic and human missions to ... read more Related Links

Online lending firm WeLab plans $500m IPO

Hong Kong-based online mobile lending platform WeLab is looking to an initial public offering (IPO) on the country's stock exchange to help raise $500m, according to anonymous insiders. The four-year-old start-up, which counts Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and Credit Suisse Group among its backers, analyses unstructured data in seconds to help borrowers make decisions on loans. The IPO comes at a time when China is cracking down on micro-lenders, and regulatory body the Internet Financial Risk Special Rectification Work Leadership Team Office recently asked local governments to stop issuing licences.

https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/2017/11/24/credit-suisse-backed-lending-firm-welab-plans-500m-hk-listing

2017-11-27 15:30:47.803000

Hong Kong-based online mobile lending start-up WeLab, backed by investors including Credit Suisse Group AG, local tycoon Li Ka-Shing and Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, is planning an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Bitcoin’s mining uses more electricity than whole of Ireland

Bitcoin’s mining network, used to prevent fraud, consumes more electricity annually than all of Ireland, according to cryptocurrency news platform, Digiconomist. The statistics, which showed Bitcoin using 30.14TWh per year, were released as the currency broke $9,000 for the first time. Such usage exceeds that of 19 European countries and means each Bitcoin transaction uses nearly 300KWh of electricity, equivalent to boiling 36,000 full kettles. One of Visa’s two US data centres, which conduct 200 million transactions daily compared to Bitcoin’s 350,000, is believed to run on 2% of the cryptocurrency's power. 

https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption-surpasses-ireland

2017-11-27 15:24:43.850000

Luke Broyles @luke_broyles $1 billion #Bitcoin... Fidelity's @TimmerFidelity thinks #BTC could reach $1 billion by 2038, or 15 years from today. This would make one sat worth $10. Who knows if 2038 will be right... However if #Bitcoin thesis is correct there is no logical conversation rate for USD. 🤯

Bitcoin’s mining uses more electricity than whole of Ireland

Bitcoin’s mining network, used to prevent fraud, consumes more electricity annually than all of Ireland, according to cryptocurrency news platform, Digiconomist. The statistics, which showed Bitcoin using 30.14TWh per year, were released as the currency broke $9,000 for the first time. Such usage exceeds that of 19 European countries and means each Bitcoin transaction uses nearly 300KWh of electricity, equivalent to boiling 36,000 full kettles. One of Visa’s two US data centres, which conduct 200 million transactions daily compared to Bitcoin’s 350,000, is believed to run on 2% of the cryptocurrency's power. 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/27/bitcoin-mining-consumes-electricity-ireland

2017-11-27 15:24:43.850000

Bitcoin’s “mining” network uses more electricity in a year than the whole of Ireland, according to statistics released as the currency broke $9,000 for the first time. According to Digiconomist the estimated power use of the bitcoin network, which is responsible for verifying transactions made with the cryptocurrency, is 30.14TWh a year, which exceeds that of 19 other European countries. At a continual power drain of 3.4GW, it means the network consumes five times more electricity than is produced by the largest wind farm in Europe, the London Array in the outer Thames Estuary, at 630MW. At those levels of electricity consumption, each individual bitcoin transaction uses almost 300KWh of electricity – enough to boil around 36,000 kettles full of water. Although power consumption of other payment networks is harder to isolate, one of Visa’s two US data centres reportedly runs on about 2% of the power required by bitcoin. Between them, those two data centres conduct around 200m transactions a day; the bitcoin network handles fewer than 350,000. The astronomical power draw is a facet of how the bitcoin network protects itself against fraud. With no centralised authority confirming transactions, bitcoin is instead backed by “miners”, who put specialised computers to work churning through extremely power-intensive computing problems. Solving those problems both rewards the miner, handing them almost a quarter of a million dollars in bitcoin, and verifies all transactions made in the last 10 minutes. As the price of bitcoin goes up, so does the value of the reward, meaning that more miners put more computers to the task of running the network. But since the price of bitcoin doesn’t necessarily rise in step with the number of transactions, that disconnect can mean the currency uses a significant amount of power per transaction in periods of high prices. The value of one bitcoin neared $10,000 on 27 November, as the currency continued to grow in its third significant boom in its history. Previous periods of sustained growth, in 2013 and 2014, each ended with substantial busts, leading commentators to label them, in hindsight, as speculative bubbles.

Japan, India to pool resources for joint lunar mission

India and Japan are looking to team up for an unmanned mission to gather samples from the moon surface in a bid to overtake China in the Asian space race. The fast-tracked Chinese lunar exploration programme has put the country on par with the US and Russia. A joint moon mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) would allow the pair to pool resources when up against their economically stronger rivals and also stimulate development of technologies such as electric ion propulsion engines.

https://qz.com/1138313/indias-isro-and-japans-jaxa-are-joining-forces-for-a-lunar-mission/

2017-11-27 15:18:35.160000

India and Japan took their deepening natural partnership into outer space when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) divulged that they may jointly carry out a sample-return mission to the moon. There is a sound rationale for this even though the two countries have independent plans to go to the moon: ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter-lander-rover mission is proposed for launch in 2018 and JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission in 2019. They have had success in the past, too: since 2007-08, JAXA’s Selene orbiter and ISRO’s first orbiter-impactor, Chandrayaan-1, have found water on the moon, discovered lunar volcanic tubes, which could serve as sites for human habitation (pdf), and mapped the eternally dark Shackleton crater, among others. Their concern is the wide techno-economic gap with Beijing, which is playing an efficient game of catch-up with Washington. This, in turn, is affecting the geo-strategic balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, and, likewise, India’s and Japan’s security outlook. Advertisement Catching up makes comparisons inevitable. While New Delhi and Tokyo took 10 long years to graduate from orbiter to the forthcoming landing-roving demonstrations, Beijing undertook four lunar missions from 2007 to 2014. The last of them, Chang’e 5-T1, went around the moon, practicing a sample-return mission. In 2018-2019, when India and Japan will carry out SLIM and Chandrayaan-2, Beijing will be technologically far ahead with its back-to-back sample-return missions, Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6, that are likely to bring back a few kilograms of lunar soil and rocks for high-end analyses. These analyses will be vital for Beijing to develop space systems and technologies for safely carrying out human-rated missions in the 2020s. Beijing’s fast-tracked lunar exploration programme has put it on par with the US and Russia, which are also preparing for human-rated moon missions in the 2020s. A joint moon mission makes sense also because it is thriftier to pool resources when up against the economically stronger countries: China, US, and Russia. Besides, there are many lessons that Japan can offer India, such as its success with public-private collaboration in the space launch and exploration sector: for nearly two decades, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been the primary manufacturer and operator of JAXA’s expendable launch system. New Delhi is mulling over privatising the manufacturing, management, and launch operations of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle by 2020. The partnership will also stimulate the development of several crucial technologies, such as the electric ion propulsion (EIP) engines. ISRO recently demonstrated its EIP engines on the South Asia Satellite, a strategic undertaking of prime minister Narendra Modi’s Neighbourhood First Policy. JAXA’s EIP engines have performed intricate and autonomous manoeuvring of the Hayabusa space probe (launched in 2003) that touched the surface of asteroid Itokawa, 300 million miles away from the Earth (pdf). Crucial for any extraterrestrial sample-return mission is the construction of non-polluting and non-contaminating clean-room infrastructure for the storage of extra-terrestrial samples. JAXA’s Hayabusa series of sample-return missions has resulted in collaborations with companies, like the Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, to develop this. Such infrastructure will also be crucial for space-station based manufacturing, which is an anticipated major industrial sector in the coming decades. Advertisement New Delhi and Tokyo will also have to devise the network for communicating with the proposed spacecraft. India and Japan currently possess one Deep Space Communication Network (DSCN) antenna each: a 32 m antenna in Karnataka and one measuring 64 m in Nagano, Japan. All their outer space missions have been dependent so far on the US DSCN global triad—three radio antennae, located roughly 120 degrees from each other across the globe—based in California, Spain, and Australia. China, Russia, and Europe possess an independent DSCN global triad, which they regarded a national priority. Considering the numerous outer space missions, planned by American public agencies and their thriving private space sector, it is likely that the US DSCN will have too many domestic liabilities to be available for international customers. Therefore, Tokyo and New Delhi should use their partnership to build a DSCN infrastructure each—the state-of-the-art 70 m antenna—on each other’s land parcels. They should together pitch for a property in the Western Hemisphere, akin to what the Chinese acquired in Patagonia, Argentina. Lunar exploration technologies that seemed fantasies in the past are now becoming imminent possibilities. The rush to acquire them is resulting in a space race in Asia that is additionally yielding scientific research and techno-economic growth. It is, therefore, important that the new India-Japan outer-space partnership use the lunar mission as an opportunity to fill the gaps, techno-economic and otherwise. This article was exclusively written for Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. We welcome your comments at [email protected].

NVIDIA to apply its AI to medical image processing

GE Healthcare has partnered with Intel and Nvidia to update 500,000 of its medical scanning devices with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a company statement. Among the machines being improved is the Revolution Frontier CT scanner, which detects liver lesion and kidney lesion characterisation. AI will also be integrated into GE Healthcare's ultrasound devices, offering improved 2D and 4D imaging. The medical company is also set to develop an analytics platform to archive some of the 50,000 TB of data generated by the machines in Nvidia's GPU Cloud.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/27/nvidia-ge-healthcare-medical-scans/

2017-11-27 15:17:49.950000

NVIDIA's AI will help GE speed up medical image processing Deep learning tech is doing some of its best work in hospitals. Deep learning tech is making itself at home in hospitals by helping radiologists examine medical scans for just a buck per image. Now, GE Healthcare is bringing that AI tech directly to the scanners, thanks to partnerships with NVIDIA and Intel. It announced that it will update 500,000 of its medical devices around the world with NVIDIA AI tech, most notably its Revolution Frontier CT scanner (below). The tech "is expected to deliver better clinical outcomes in liver lesion detection and kidney lesion characterization because of its speed," GE wrote in a press release. The tech will also be used in GE's advanced ultrasound imaging devices to provide visualization and quantification of data. "NVIDIA's GPUs accelerate reconstruction and visualization of blood flow and improve 2D and 4D imaging for ... interventional deployments," the company said. Clinical diagnosis has dramatically improved thanks to improved imaging via incredibly advanced MRI, CT and other machines, but there's a downside to that tech. It generates up to 50,000 terabytes of data, per hospital, but only three percent of that is analyzed or even tagged, says GE. Using AI would not just help patients, but also make the data available for further analysis so the algorithms can be refined even more. As such, GE is also developing a new analytics platform and placing some of the data in NVIDIA's GPU Cloud. It has also teamed with Intel on its Xeon Scalable platform to get images to radiologists more quickly. AI can produce impressive results, but it often takes months or even years of training to get there. For instance, Zebra-Med was only able to unveil its $1 per scan service after training its system on millions of images, in cooperation with hospitals in the UK and US. Companies like GE, NVIDIA and Intel have an even larger reach, and can potentially give researchers a more impressive amount of data to work with. So, for now, Elon Musk's fears aside, AI has a better chancing of healing us than hurting us.

Gut-monitoring wearable seen aiding post-op recovery, weight loss  

Wearable gut-monitoring technology being developed to aid surgical recovery may also support in weight loss programmes. The AbStats device, being tested by scientists at the Los Angeles Cedar-Sinai Hospital, uses sensors to record and assess patients' gut sounds, both while digesting food and at rest. It's being tested on post-op patients to determine whether they are ready to eat. They are also examining whether AbStats could be used to help patients lose a few pounds, as it is thought weight gain could be caused by eating meals before fully digesting an earlier one.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/25/fitbit-stomach.html

2017-11-27 15:13:34.310000

Consumer health devices are giving all of us new insights into our bodies, from the quality of our sleep to the number of steps we take each day. But thus far, the stomach remains elusive. Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles are testing out a new wearable called "AbStats," that can read the stomach in a similar manner to how a Fitbit tracks steps. The device was invented by Brennan Spiegel, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai. The device, which sits neatly on the stomach, uses sensors to record how our gut sounds when it's digesting food or at rest. The algorithm is trained to hear relevant sounds from the gut like cracks and rumbles.

Nvidia, Nuance partner to help healthcare institutions use AI

Massachusetts computer software firm Nuance has partnered with US chip manufacturer Nvidia to launch a tool aimed at bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to the field of medical imaging. The Nuance AI Marketplace for Diagnostic Imaging offers a platform for developers to release shareable AI models which help analyse X-ray images and other radiology systems. Kimberly Powell, VP for health care at Nvidia, said she expects to see several algorithms working in concert to provide a single diagnosis due to the complex nature of the field.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/26/nvidia-and-nuance-team-up-on-ai-for-radiology/

2017-11-27 15:00:32.067000

Join top executives in San Francisco on July 11-12, to hear how leaders are integrating and optimizing AI investments for success. Learn More Nvidia and Nuance announced a partnership today that’s aimed at helping health care institutions tap into artificial intelligence. The Nuance AI Marketplace for Diagnostic Imaging is, as the name suggests, designed as a hub where medical professionals can pick up new tools for analyzing the results of X-ray imaging and other radiology tools. AI developers will be able to release the models they’ve trained through Nuance’s PowerShare network, which will then allow participating medical institutions and radiology groups to subscribe. After they’ve subscribed, Nuance’s PowerScribe software will automatically apply the AI algorithm in relevant situations. Nvidia’s Digits developer tool will be updated to provide developers with a way to publish their algorithms directly to Nuance PowerShare, so it’s easier for people to get their applications into the marketplace. The deal is designed to help medical institutions benefit from the rise of machine learning by offering access to trained models. What’s more, the institutions developing these models can benefit from sharing them with other radiologists to drive the overall field forward. Event Transform 2023 Join us in San Francisco on July 11-12, where top executives will share how they have integrated and optimized AI investments for success and avoided common pitfalls. Register Now Medical imaging is a tough field to tackle with machine learning since it encompasses multiple sections of the body and uses different machines that output different results. (A static X-ray film is quite different from a video of an ultrasound, for example.) On top of that, radiologists are often looking for different objects on the resulting images or videos. With that in mind, Kimberly Powell, vice president for health care at Nvidia, said she expects multiple algorithms working in concert will be necessary to provide even a single diagnosis through a single test. The marketplace is supposed to support that vision by making it easier for medical professionals to orchestrate the use of multiple systems. The news comes alongside another partnership between Nvidia and GE Healthcare to use the chip maker’s hardware to help power improved hardware for CT scans and ultrasounds, as well as an analytics platform.

AI harnessed to help overcome doctor shortage in India

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to tackle India's doctor shortage. The nation's 1.3 billion population of largely working-age individuals has driven rapid economic growth but could also prove a healthcare time-bomb. The doctor-to-patient ratio is just 0.2 for every 1,000 individuals, compared with 1.1 in the US, and modern clinics tend to be concentrated in cities. AI can help address this by increasing access to existing resources. For example, Aindra Systems uses AI to increase the productivity of early-stage cervical cancer screening, while Tricog Health's mobile app helps increase access to cardiac care in remote locations.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/26/ai-could-help-solve-the-worlds-healthcare-problems-at-scale/

2017-11-27 14:55:17.110000

Join top executives in San Francisco on July 11-12, to hear how leaders are integrating and optimizing AI investments for success. Learn More In a world with limited doctors, emerging diseases and superbugs, and sharply rising costs, how can we successfully tackle health care problems at scale? This is just one of the critical challenges India’s explosive startup community hopes to solve by implementing AI to serve the needs of the country’s 1,324 billion citizens. The result of this effort will have huge implications for the U.S. and other health care ecosystems around the globe. To understand how dire the situation is, it’s worth considering India’s health paradox. The country’s deep demographic dividend — which occurs when the majority of a country’s population consists of working-age individuals — is driving rapid and unprecedented growth, but it is also a ticking time bomb. With an average age of 27, India has one of the youngest and most educated populations in the world. Since 1991, this phenomenon has fueled approximately 7 percent annual growth, produced new goods and services, and reduced dependents in the economy. But in order to continue reaping the benefits of this dividend, India’s young population needs to have access to quality nutrition and health care. In addition, when the dividend declines (as we are witnessing in China), the country will need to have new infrastructure in place to care for its aging population. Unfortunately, the necessary infrastructure doesn’t exist today. The doctor-to-patient ratio in India is one of the worst in the world, with just 0.2 doctors for every 1,000 Indians (by comparison, there are 1.1 doctors for every 1,000 Americans in the U.S.). Modern medical facilities — and as a result, doctors — are heavily concentrated in urban areas. Event Transform 2023 Join us in San Francisco on July 11-12, where top executives will share how they have integrated and optimized AI investments for success and avoided common pitfalls. Register Now India’s health care issues are primarily a problem of resource scarcity. The country needs more medical facilities and more medical expertise, and both of these require time and billions of dollars to develop. Such resources are not easily obtainable, so we must consider other ways to dramatically increase access to existing resources in an effective and inexpensive way. This is where AI has the potential to reshape India’s health care industry. Manu Rekhi, managing director of Inventus, says: “Indian AI platform companies are building upon two decades of India’s IT industry expertise. They are supercharging how software and human intelligence can partner to create new human-in-the-loop AI systems for global markets, as well as the bottom of the pyramid.” Indeed, a number of Indian startups have implemented deep AI expertise to move the needle on specific health conditions and diseases. Some of these companies offer technology and distribution opportunities that attract Fortune 500 partners for both the India market and globally. One such company is Tricog Health, a startup handpicked by GE’s health care accelerator program for its cloud-based cardiac diagnosis platform. Coronary heart disease is increasingly prevalent in India, having escalated from causing 26 percent of adult deaths in 2003 to 32 percent in 2013. Tricog increases access to cardiac care across 340 cities in 23 states, including in some of the most remote locations in India. The company’s platform collects physiological data and ECGs from medical devices in the field and then uses specialized AI to process the data in real time and give the cardiologist a diagnosis.The cardiologist then reviews the diagnosis and recommends next steps to the GP or nurse in the field instantaneously using the Tricog mobile app. By using Tricog’s AI engine, a few specialists can diagnose over 20,000 patients. Another startup, Bengaluru-based Aindra Systems, is using AI to tackle cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among Indian women between the ages of 15 and 60. In fact, India represents a whopping one-third of the total global incidences of cervical cancer. Aindra’s solution can detect cervical cancer in its early stages and measurably increase the odds of survival. The company increases the productivity of the pathologists screening cervical cancer samples, who otherwise typically need to manually examine each sample and flag cases with a high cancer probability to an oncologist for further review. Adarsh Natarajan, founder and CEO of Aindra Systems, says: “Our vision is to implement mass cervical cancer screening using AI, and help the 330 million Indian women in the at-risk age bracket. With early detection, up to 90 percent of deaths can be avoided with appropriate treatment. Aindra’s computational pathology platform includes an affordable and portable point-of-care cervical cancer screening device to automate deep learning analysis and bring down the screening time significantly to help detect cancer at an early stage.” The AI boom in health care is just starting, and the up-and-coming list of players is endless. Niramai is working on early detection of breast cancer. Ten3T is providing remote health monitoring services via AI to detect anomalies and alert the patient’s doctor. HealthifyMe, a Bangalore startup, is working on lifestyle diseases like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. With its AI-enabled nutrition coach, Ria, HealthifyMe brings the best of elite nutrition expertise with AI in the loop. And, of course, global corporate leaders like Google are bringing their AI capabilities to India, as well. Google recently partnered with Aravind Eye Hospitals to use image recognition algorithms to detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that can cause blindness in diabetics if not treated early. Aravind Eye Hospitals is the largest eye care group in the world, having treated 32 million patients and performed 4 million surgeries. The hospital has provided 128,000 retinal images to Google that have been invaluable for the application of AI to detect diabetic retinopathy in 415 million at-risk diabetic patients worldwide. With a bevy of AI-fueled solutions in the works, India is poised to leapfrog over some of the key barriers to conventional health care. Of course, this has profound implications for health care delivery in other countries, including the U.S. With rising health care costs and unfavorable government policies, an increasing number of people in the U.S. are being priced out of access. The burden on emergency rooms across the country is increasing as more people are unable to afford preventative care at primary care centers. AI-assisted technologies could reduce health care costs in the U.S. using the same mechanisms being implemented in India to affordably scale access to millions of people. These startup-driven innovations and global platforms are just the tip of the iceberg. AI can ultimately become a force multiplier in bringing preventative health care to everyone, rather than just those in urban or affluent communities. As you’ll often hear AI experts say, “More data beats better algorithms.” In other words, simpler algorithms only need a larger training dataset to generate accurate, valuable predictions for both payers and providers. With 1.3 billion citizens, India has the potential to provide the vast amounts of data needed to improve the accuracy and precision of these algorithms and empower both startups and large companies to help solve health care problems around the world. Pranav Deshpande is a product marketer at Twilio in San Francisco and a volunteer with Startup Bridge at Stanford, an annual conference that connects leading technology innovators in the US and India to build new relationships for tomorrow’s moonshots.

Coinbase to add more developers for altcoin support

San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase could expand the number of digital currencies it supports and offer a much-needed platform for a wider range of altcoins. CEO Brian Armstrong said in a series of tweets that the company was looking for five engineers to work on any altcoin they chose, if they passed the company's interview stage. The growth in digital currencies has not been matched by the number of fiat currency gateways available.

http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/11/27/coinbase-looks-hire-five-engineers-work-digital-currency-protocol/

2017-11-27 14:49:40.130000

Coinbase is one of those cryptocurrency companies looking to expand its presence. There have been rumors regarding the possible addition of other cryptocurrencies. So far, no one knows which currencies those will be exactly or when this will happen. It does appear the company is looking to hire a handful of additional engineers. These staffers could work on any digital currency protocol they would like. An interesting turn of events, to say the least. It is good to see Coinbase acknowledge they need to support additional currencies. Right now, their list is still pretty short. Given the strong demand for exposure to other altcoins, something will need to change sooner or later. Integrating altcoin support will not be easy whatsoever. In fact, the company will need to introduce some big changes to make this happen. Hiring additional engineers would certainly help move things along in this regard. Coinbase is Serious About Altcoin Support According to Brian Armstrong, the company would like to have five additional engineer son board. These staffers can work unsupervised and focus on whichever digital currency protocol they like. This opens the door for altcoin integration on the platform. Whether or not anyone will decide to explore this venture, remains to be seen, though. A lot of altcoin developers would like to see their coin on this exchange. However, they need to pass the engineering interview first and foremost. That may be a bit of a challenge for a lot of people. https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/934563254101164033?s=17 All of this shows the company is pretty serious about altcoin support. It would be good to see some of the respected currencies added to their platform. However, one could argue the company’s engineers should focus on this integration themselves. Then again, this new opportunity shouldn’t be ignored whatsoever. Any developer or engineer passionate about altcoins can make a meaningful impact. Whether or not anyone will respond to this “challenge” remains to be determined, though. Right now, that seems somewhat unlikely. There is a growing demand for more fiat currency gateways associated with prominent altcoins. Right now, some currencies genuinely struggle in this regard. This even includes currencies in the top 10 by market cap. Something will need to change sooner or later to improve upon this situation. Without additional engineers, Coinbase won’t be of much help, that much is evident.

3D-printed double-handed glove could lead to 'augmented humans'

Italian robotics company Youbionic has created a 3D-printed "double hand", which uses the movements of a wearer's fingers to manipulate two bionic hands. The $2,100 device takes three days to print and assemble, and comes in left or right-handed versions. Youbionic has also developed a version for amputees, which relies on implanted electrodes to control it. Founder Federico Ciccarese said the augmented body technology is a natural accompaniment to augmented reality technology, and added the firm would be working on other body parts to eventually create a completely augmented "humanoid".

https://www.3ders.org/articles/20171124-youbionics-3d-printed-double-handed-glove-is-first-step-on-road-to-augmented-humans.html

2017-11-27 14:14:52.847000

Nov 24, 2017 | By Benedict Italy’s Youbionic has used 3D printing to create a bionic “Double Hand,” a robotic device worn on the wrist that doubles the wearer’s manual capacities. A fully assembled version of the device costs $2,100. Ever find yourself with your hands full and wish you had an extra set of fingers? Perhaps you work in the service industry but hate balancing plates on your arms, or perhaps you just like buying multiple drinks at the bar. Whatever your situation, Italian robotics company Youbionic has developed a weird and wonderful 3D printed solution to your problems: a Double Hand. Activated by sensors worn on the user’s actual hand, the 3D printed Double Hand effectively doubles one’s manual capacities by replicating natural hand movements across two individual bionic hands. Of course, these PLA 3D printed hands aren’t quite as dextrous as your own, but you can actually control each bionic hand individually by making finger movements: your index and middle fingers can open and close one bionic hand, while your ring finger and pinky control the other one. That probably means you can’t do anything much more complex than gripping and lifting sturdy objects, but even that function alone could be useful in many situations. Youbionic, however, is being highly ambitious, saying the Double Hand is the first step in evolving ourselves from regular humans to “augmented humans,” with the Double Hand able to be used by, for example, astronauts repairing the International Space Station. It’s worth noting that, although the Double Hand is 3D printed, it isn’t open source. You have to buy the bionic device for $2,100, while the digital files for the wrist support alone cost $58. Nonetheless, it’s intriguing to see how Youbionic used 3D printing to arrive at their design. Federico Ciccarese, Founder of Youbionic, told 3ders that all Youbionic devices are designed using Rhinoceros and printed in PLA on a Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer. It wasn’t a simple case of coming up with a quick design and churning it out on the Flashforge though. Ciccarese says he went through four prototypes, trying to figure out how to make the hand look sufficiently real, before settling on the current model. Eventually, the Youbionic chief happened upon the ideal shape and position for the fingers, and is now able to create an entire Double Hand in three days: two days for printing, one day for assembly. He’s even created a left and right version, so users can technically use four hands at once. But if you thought having four 3D printed hands was impressive, just wait til you hear what Youbionic has in store in the future. According to Ciccarese, we’ll soon be treated to an entire “humanoid,” which will include the current 3D printed hands plus many more augmented body parts. The Youbionic founder thinks this kind of augmented body technology is the natural accompaniment to augmented vision, i.e. AR and VR technology, with both kinds of augmentation helping humans perform complex tasks to a higher standard. A final important matter to note concerns the target recipients of this bionic technology. The 3D printed Double Hand is, of course, designed for wearers who have a functioning hand of their own, since real finger movements prompt movements in the 3D printed device. But Youbionic has also developed a bionic single hand for those who do not have a hand of their own. This will come as a relief to those who believe that bionic research should largely be dedicated to those who can benefit from it the most. Youbionic’s single hand, which is designed for amputees and other users, uses electrodes to detect muscle signals in the wearer’s arm, converting those signals into artificial hand movements. We wrote about the versatile 3D printed hand last year. Ciccarese even foresees a future in which users can update their bionic limb in the same way they update their smartphones. See Youbionic’s work here. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like:

Clinical trial results expected for neurodegenerative DNA drugs

The results of clinical trials of designer DNA drugs that treat neurodegenerative diseases are expected to be released next year. California-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals is testing antisense oligonucleotides that mute the mutant genes behind conditions such as Huntington's and Lou Gehrig's diseases. If early-phase results show a reduction in the levels of proteins thought to trigger malfunctions in patients' nervous systems, larger trials are likely to follow.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/sd-me-dnadrugs-update-20171026-story.html

2017-11-27 14:11:45.630000

What started more than a decade ago as a hunch among a small group of San Diego researchers has grown into real hope for treating currently-incurable neurodegenerative diseases. Next year, Carlsbad’s Ionis Pharmaceuticals is expected to release clinical trial results for Huntington’s and Lou Gehrig’s diseases that use designer DNA drugs to mute the mutant genes responsible for causing patients’ nervous systems to gradually go haywire. If early trial results show a reduction in levels of the harmful proteins believed to cause these diseases, then larger trials are likely to follow providing a new path to fight life-stealing conditions that, for all of human history, have remained untouchable by medicine. Advertisement While positive results are far from certain, Ionis already has a serious proof-of-concept in Spinraza, a drug approved late last year that uses a similar but not identical approach to successfully treat a neurological condition that kills one in 1,000 children before they reach their second birthdays. The big deal here is that Ionis has been able to show success working on the far side of the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield of sorts that automatically filters out most drugs injected into the bloodstream, making targets in the brain and spine extremely difficult to hit. So, if early-phase results, the first of which are expected in January, show that these DNA drugs — formally called “antisense oligonucleotides” — can reduce harmful proteins in nerve cells, well, that will be a very big deal indeed, especially because Spinraza has already proven that Ionis chemists have found ways to make these drugs last long enough in patients’ systems to create viable long-term treatments. It’s quite a moment on the horizon, given that, just a decade ago, nobody thought this approach could work. Well, almost nobody. Dr. Richard Smith, a local neurologist and director of the Center for Neurologic Study in La Jolla, explained that the difficulty, the point that has drawn the most skepticism form peers, has always been drug delivery. The blood-brain barrier requires these drugs to be injected directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, and most thought such an approach would result in drugs simply floating around doing nothing. “Everyone thought that, even if you put it directly in the spinal fluid, nerve cells wouldn’t take them up,” Smith said. But Smith, who did pioneering work in the use of interferon to treat neurologic disease and who spent much of his career treating patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease, which scientists call amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, said he had an intuitive feeling that these drugs, these tiny pieces of DNA, might surprise everyone. He approached high-flying UC San Diego neurobiologist Don Cleveland, a researcher known foundational work mapping the mechanisms of neuron growth and protein production. Smith recalls that first meeting with Cleveland as a bit of a roller coaster ride. “I think this is pretty much a direct quote. He said it was “the looniest idea he’d ever heard,” Smith said. There was a pause, and Smith said he figured he’d be accused of wasting Cleveland’s time. “Then he said with the greatest enthusiasm, ‘let’s do it!” Smith said. They approached Frank Bennett, now senior vice president of research at Ionis, and pitched the idea. With a doctorate in pharmacology, Bennett knew the challenges involved in getting tiny pieces of DNA to enter nerve cells and was skeptical but still open to Cleveland and Smith’s ideas even though Ionis, previously known as Isis Pharmaceuticals, was not at the time involved with trying to use the technology on neurological diseases. The key, Bennett said, was that Smith and Cleveland had identified a specific type of “messenger” ribonucleic acid or “m-RNA” that could, theoretically, be blocked by a designer DNA drug. “I listened to the idea and said, ‘it’s interesting and attractive because we finally have a target we can go after,” Bennett said. Ionis agreed to make a batch of drug candidates for further research, and when that first batch didn’t pan out, agreed to do a second round of 80 candidates. Smith described this progression with wonder in his voice. To receive so much commitment on such a long shot, he said, is unheard of, especially because most of Ionis’ work at the time was in cancer. “I mean, they were a cancer company, so for them to make 80 different molecules for us to try, and then another 80 after that, it was just remarkable,” Smith said. The key to early success in animals that has allowed further work in human patients has been the ability to prove that these drugs do get sucked in by nerve cells and that chemical wizardry performed in Ionis’s huge labs has made the drug stable and durable enough to last long enough to bond with passing mRNA strands. The efficacy, Cleveland said, has amazed everyone. “We don’t get two hours of efficacy. We don’t get two to three days. We don’t get two or three weeks. We get three or four months. The drug lasts a really long time,” Cleveland said. That means that patients could theoretically come in a few times a year, get a shot in the spine, and go home. “That would be more like going to the dentist. You don’t necessarily look forward to it, but you do it,” Cleveland said. This approach has recently produced startling results with spinal muscular atrophy, Spinraza’s successful target. Lack of a key protein causes the motor neurons in patients’ spinal cords to whither and die, but, using a specially-designed antisense oligonucleotide, researchers have been able to fix a critical error in messenger RNA, allowing a very similar substitute protein to be produced. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December after its development by Ionis and a team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, the drug has already been delivered to hundreds of children and adults and, in many cases, has dramatically reversed nerve damage. “Now they have kids who are walking, kids who never could move, for those families, it’s a miracle,” Cleveland said. These results, coupled with the trials that are about to show results, caused a fair bit of excitement at the recent annual meeting of the American Neurological Association recently. Gathering in a large meeting room at the Sheraton San Diego hotel, extremely sharp minds from all over the world listened as Cleveland explained the trials underway. It’s a big change, Cleveland said, from where things were at just a few years ago. “I wouldn’t have even been invited to speak to a meeting like that, because no one thought it could work. We’ve really gone from total skepticism and outright criticism to a feeling that these drugs are just obvious and inevitable,” Cleveland said. After hearing Cleveland speak, Dr. Craig Blackstone, senior investigator in the cell biology section at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said Cleveland and Smith get lots of credit for their sheer tenacity. “They’re the ones who really moved things forward in terms of convincing Ionis that they should do this. They’ve shown lots of people that there’s a real possibility that this approach is going to be effective,” Blackstone said. So, are similar results coming for Huntington’s and ALS given that they use the same designer DNA approach in a different way? At the moment, all results are still blinded, and researchers don’t know what’s coming. It’s important to note that, while all of the estimated 30,000 Americans living with Huntington’s could potentially be affected, it is not yet known what a reduction of harmful protein levels will mean for these patients. And, for ALS, these drugs will affect only the “familial” form of the disease, which is estimated to affect only 5 percent to 10 percent of all cases. The vast majority of ALS cases are termed “sporadic” and their cause has not been traced to specific genetic mutations. Still, a detectable drop in the harmful proteins that cause ALS or Huntington’s, Cleveland said, even if it does not cause a meaningful reversal in symptoms, will be good enough to justify larger and longer trials where more significant results would be more likely. “If we can shut off the bad gene, it’s just really likely that will have a big effect on disease,” Cleveland said. “That would be very exciting.” Health Playlist × On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life [email protected] (619) 293-1850 Twitter: @paulsisson

UK house prices gain contradicts Brexit-pundit warnings: YOPA

UK house prices have risen 5.2% in the past 10 months, contradicting predictions that the Brexit vote last year would suppress home values, according to data compiled by online estate agent YOPA. Its calculation, based on Land Registry values, compares with a 1.2% aggregated forecast of industry pundits, a figure YOPA established through its own methodology. While industry insiders said a devaluation in the pound following the vote in June 2016 was behind some of the boost, it may be too early to tell whether the surprising increase will affect the rest of the economy.

http://www.valuewalk.com/2017/11/uk-home-prices/

2017-11-27 14:09:26.657000

Another reminder never to listen to pundits, this time with data on UK home prices gathered over the past ten months… In a result that surprised many, the vote on June 23 2016 resulted in a decision to leave the European Union. The impact of the decision has been much debated, with many economists stating that the UK economy would be harmed by a decision to leave, whether that’s through a loss of cheap labour that powers the fruit picking industry or the restriction of movement for those in the Square Mile. Gates Cap Management Reduces Risk After Rare Down Year Gates Capital Management's ECF Value Funds have a fantastic track record. The funds (full-name Excess Cash Flow Value Funds), which invest in an event-driven equity and credit strategy Read More Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges with determining how the economy is performing is the ‘lag’ between the economic data being collected and the data being analysed and reported on. Take GDP growth for example, which usually reports on the performance of the past three months. Luckily the financial markets often have an almost immediate reaction to political crisis’, and indeed fluctuations in Sterling have certainly occurred since the Brexit vote. But the financial markets don’t always reflect the state of a national economy. Instead, the estate agent YOPA decided to check how UK home prices were doing in the wake of the Brexit vote, and the results are somewhat surprising. First, the estate agent collected and aggregated industry predictions in January 2017, and then created a Brexit house price widget to track how these predications would correlate against the actual house price changes throughout the year. The reasoning behind creating this house price widget was that property prices are a good barometer of how an economy is doing performing, mainly because they closely correlate with consumer confidence in the economy. If you can’t afford a house, you don’t buy one. If you can’t afford a price, you lower it. This may be a very simplistic view of it, but it broadly holds true. The industry expert predictions yielded a total gain in house prices of 1.2% throughout 2017. This would have been a modest leap, simply because house prices have typically significantly outpaced inflation. Due to various concerns about how the economy would fare and the uncertainty surrounding the negotiation process meant that these experts were generally sensible to produce lower figures. Yet what happened was unexpected: UK home prices over the past 10 months have risen significantly – to the tune of 5.2%, according to Land Registry values. While there was an initial dip, house prices surged after April, and they kept on rising. A property worth £200,000 in January could well be worth more than £210,000 today. Brexit UK home prices: Encouraging or not encouraging? Unfortunately, it’s hard to say whether this is symptomatic of the overall economy. The significant devaluation of the currency has made it easier for people overseas to buy houses, as their money is worth a lot more, and this is particularly true of London. With talks currently stalled and the overall negotiating position unclear, investing in housing is likely to be a cautious process for the next few years as we wait to see how Brexit pans out.

Humanity has a 10% chance of making AI safe: Elon Musk

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said humans have between a 5% and 10% chance of making artificial intelligence (AI) safe. Speaking from the office of his non-profit outfit OpenAI, Musk told Rolling Stone magazine that making something that was cleverer than humans but which lacked remorse, morality or emotion could leave mankind facing serious problems. "If artificial general intelligence represents an extreme level of power, should that be controlled by a few people at Google with no oversight?"

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/elon-musk-inventors-plans-for-outer-space-cars-finding-love-w511747

2017-11-27 14:04:26.793000

It’s mid-afternoon on a Friday at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and three of Elon Musk’s children are gathered around him – one of his triplets, both of his twins. Musk is wearing a gray T-shirt and sitting in a swivel chair at his desk, which is not in a private office behind a closed door, but in an accessible corner cubicle festooned with outer-space novelty items, photos of his rockets, and mementos from Tesla and his other companies. Most tellingly, there’s a framed poster of a shooting star with a caption underneath it that reads, “When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it’s really a meteor hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you’re pretty much hosed, no matter what you wish for. Unless it’s death by meteorite.” To most people, this would be mere dark humor, but in this setting, it’s also a reminder of Musk’s master plan: to create habitats for humanity on other planets and moons. If we don’t send our civilization into another Dark Ages before Musk or one of his dream’s inheritors pull it off, then Musk will likely be remembered as one of the most seminal figures of this millennium. Kids on all the terraformed planets of the universe will look forward to Musk Day, when they get the day off to commemorate the birth of the Earthling who single-handedly ushered in the era of space colonization. Editor’s picks And that’s just one of Musk’s ambitions. Others include converting automobiles, households and as much industry as possible from fossil fuels to sustainable energy; implementing a new form of high-speed city-to-city transportation via vacuum tube; relieving traffic congestion with a honeycomb of underground tunnels fitted with electric skates for cars and commuters; creating a mind-computer interface to enhance human health and brainpower; and saving humanity from the future threat of an artificial intelligence that may one day run amok and decide, quite rationally, to eliminate the irrational human species. So far, Musk, 46, has accomplished none of these goals. But what he has done is something that very few living people can claim: Painstakingly bulldozed, with no experience whatsoever, into two fields with ridiculously high barriers to entry – car manufacturing (Tesla) and rocketry (SpaceX) – and created the best products in those industries, as measured by just about any meaningful metric you can think of. In the process, he’s managed to sell the world on his capability to achieve objectives so lofty that from the mouth of anyone else, they’d be called fantasies. At least, most of the world. “I’m looking at the short losses,” Musk says, transfixed by CNBC on his iPhone. He speaks to his kids without looking up. “Guys, check this out: Tesla has the highest short position in the entire stock market. A $9 billion short position.” His children lean over the phone, looking at a table full of numbers that I don’t understand. So his 13-year-old, Griffin, explains it to me: “They’re betting that the stock goes down, and they’re getting money off that. But it went up high, so they lost an insane amount of money.” “They’re jerks who want us to die,” Musk elaborates. “They’re constantly trying to make up false rumors and amplify any negative rumors. It’s a really big incentive to lie and attack my integrity. It’s really awful. It’s…” He trails off, as he often does when preoccupied by a thought. I try to help: “Unethical?” “It’s…” He shakes his head and struggles for the right word, then says softly, “Hurtful.” It is easy to confuse who someone is with what they do, and thus turn them into a caricature who fits neatly into a storybook view of the world. Our culture always needs villains and heroes, fools and geniuses, scapegoats and role models. However, despite opinions to the contrary, Elon Musk is not a robot sent from the future to save humanity. Nor is he a Silicon Valley savant whose emotional affect has been replaced with supercomputer-like intelligence. Over the course of nine months of reporting, watching Musk do everything from strategize Mars landings with his rocket-engineering team to plan the next breakthroughs with his artificial-intelligence experts, I learned he is someone far, far different from what his myth and reputation suggest. The New York Times has called him “arguably the most successful and important entrepreneur in the world.” It’s an easy case to make: He’s probably the only person who has started four billion-dollar companies – PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and Solar City. But at his core, Musk is not a businessman or entrepreneur. He’s an engineer, inventor and, as he puts it, “technologist.” And as a naturally gifted engineer, he’s able to find the design inefficiencies, flaws and complete oversights in the tools that power our civilization. Related “He’s able to see things more clearly in a way that no one else I know of can understand,” says his brother, Kimbal. He discusses his brother’s love of chess in their earlier years, and adds, “There’s a thing in chess where you can see 12 moves ahead if you’re a grandmaster. And in any particular situation, Elon can see things 12 moves ahead.” His children soon leave for the home of their mother, Musk’s ex-wife Justine. “I wish we could be private with Tesla,” Musk murmurs as they exit. “It actually makes us less efficient to be a public company.” What follows is … silence. Musk sits at his desk, looking at his phone, but not typing or reading anything. He then lowers himself to the floor, and stretches his back on a foam roller. When he finishes, I attempt to start the interview by asking about the Tesla Model 3 launch a week earlier, and what it felt like to stand onstage and tell the world he’d just pulled off a plan 14 years in the making: to bootstrap, with luxury electric cars, a mass-market electric car. The accomplishment, for Musk, is not just in making a $35,000 electric car; it’s in making a $35,000 electric car that’s so good, and so in-demand, that it forces other car manufacturers to phase out gas cars to compete. And sure enough, within two months of the launch, both GM and Jaguar Land Rover announced they were planning to eliminate gas cars and go all-electric. Musk thinks for a while, begins to answer, then pauses. “Uh, actually, let me go to the restroom. Then I’ll ask you to repeat that question.” A longer pause. “I also have to unload other things from my mind.” Five minutes later, Musk still hasn’t returned. Sam Teller, his chief of staff, says, “I’ll be right back.” Several minutes after that, they both reappear and huddle nearby, whispering to each other. Then Musk returns to his desk. “We can reschedule for another day if this is a bad time,” I offer. Musk clasps his hands on the surface of the desk, composes himself, and declines. “It might take me a little while to get into the rhythm of things.” Then he heaves a sigh and ends his effort at composure. “I just broke up with my girlfriend,” he says hesitantly. “I was really in love, and it hurt bad.” He pauses and corrects himself: “Well, she broke up with me more than I broke up with her, I think.” Thus, the answer to the question posed earlier: It felt unexpectedly, disappointingly, uncontrollably horrible to launch the Model 3. “I’ve been in severe emotional pain for the last few weeks,” Musk elaborates. “Severe. It took every ounce of will to be able to do the Model 3 event and not look like the most depressed guy around. For most of that day, I was morbid. And then I had to psych myself up: drink a couple of Red Bulls, hang out with positive people and then, like, tell myself: ‘I have all these people depending on me. All right, do it!'” Minutes before the event, after meditating for pretty much the first time in his life to get centered, Musk chose a very telling song to drive onstage to: “R U Mine?” by the Arctic Monkeys. Musk discusses the breakup for a few more minutes, then asks, earnestly, deadpan, “Is there anybody you think I should date? It’s so hard for me to even meet people.” He swallows and clarifies, stammering softly, “I’m looking for a long-term relationship. I’m not looking for a one-night stand. I’m looking for a serious companion or soulmate, that kind of thing.” I eventually tell him that it may not be a good idea to jump right into another relationship. He may want to take some time to himself and figure out why his previous relationships haven’t worked in the long run: his marriage to writer Justine Musk, his marriage to actress Talulah Riley, and this new breakup with actress Amber Heard. Musk shakes his head and grimaces: “If I’m not in love, if I’m not with a long-term companion, I cannot be happy.” I explain that needing someone so badly that you feel like nothing without them is textbook codependence. Trending Tasha Reign: I Was Assaulted on Stormy Daniels’ Porn Set and Spoke Out Trump Attacks 'Gutless Pig' Bill Barr for Calling His Indictment 'Very Damning' A Yelling Jim Jordan Contradicts Trump While Defending Him ‘Vanderpump Rules’ No Longer Needs Lisa Vanderpump Musk disagrees. Strongly. “It’s not true,” he replies petulantly. “I will never be happy without having someone. Going to sleep alone kills me.” He hesitates, shakes his head, falters, continues. “It’s not like I don’t know what that feels like: Being in a big empty house, and the footsteps echoing through the hallway, no one there – and no one on the pillow next to you. Fuck. How do you make yourself happy in a situation like that?” There’s truth to what Musk is saying. It is lonely at the top. But not for everyone. It’s lonely at the top for those who were lonely at the bottom. “When I was a child, there’s one thing I said,” Musk continues. His demeanor is stiff, yet in the sheen of his eyes and the trembling of his lips, a high tide of emotion is visible, pushing against the retaining walls. “‘I never want to be alone.’ That’s what I would say.” His voice drops to a whisper. “I don’t want to be alone.” A ring of red forms around his eyes as he stares forward and sits frozen in silence. Musk is a titan, a visionary, a human-size lever pushing forward massive historical inevitabilities – the kind of person who comes around only a few times in a century – but in this moment, he seems like a child who is afraid of abandonment. And that may be the origin story of Musk’s superambitions, but more on that later. In the meantime, Musk has something he’d like to show me. “If you say anything about what you’re about to see, it would cost us billions,” he says, rising from his desk. “And you would be put in jail.” The most interesting tourist attraction in Los Angeles County is one that’s not in many guidebooks: It’s in the otherwise-untouristed southwestern city of Hawthorne, around SpaceX. If you walk along Crenshaw Boulevard from Jack Northrop Boulevard to 120th Street, what you will see is a city of the future that’s under construction. This is Musk city, an alternate reality, a triumph of futuristic imagination more thrilling than anything at a Disney park. On the west side of the street, a 156-foot-tall rocket towers above SpaceX headquarters, symbolizing Musk’s dream of relatively low-cost interplanetary travel. This particular rocket booster was the first in human history to be launched into space, then recovered intact on Earth after separating, and then fired back into space. On the east side of the street, an employee parking lot has been dug up and turned into the first-ever tunnel for the Boring Company, Musk’s underground-honeycomb solution to traffic jams and the future home of all his terrestrial transportation projects. Then, running for a mile beside Jack Northrop Boulevard, there’s a white vacuum tube along the shoulder of the road. This is the test track for the Hyperloop, Musk’s high-speed form of city-to-city travel. Taken together, the dreams of Musk city promise to connect the planet and the solar system in ways that will fundamentally change humanity’s relationship to two of the most important facets of its reality: distance and time. But there is a particular building in Musk city that few have visited, and this is where Musk takes me. It is the Tesla Design Studio, where he’s slated to do a walkthrough of the Tesla Truck and other future vehicle prototypes with his team of designers and engineers. Outside the door, a guard takes my phone and audio recorder, and I’m given an old-fashioned pen and paper to take notes on. Musk then continues into the building and reveals the Tesla Truck, which aims to help the trucking industry go green. (Musk has even been toying with creating a supersonic electric jet, with vertical takeoff and landing, in the future.) Four key members of the Tesla team are there – Doug Field, JB Straubel, Franz von Holzhausen, Jerome Guillen – and watch with anticipation as Musk explores a new configuration of the cab for the first time. Guillen explains the idea behind the truck: “We just thought, ‘What do people want? They want reliability. They want the lowest cost. And they want driver comfort.’ So we reimagined the truck.” This is a perfect example of the idea that Musk-inspired wannabe visionaries around the world worship like a religion: first principles thinking. In other words, if you want to create or innovate, start from a clean slate. Don’t accept any ideas, practices or standards just because everyone else is doing them. For instance, if you want to make a truck, then it must be able to reliably move cargo from one location to another, and you must follow existing laws of physics. Everything else is negotiable, including government regulations. As long as you remember that the goal isn’t to reinvent the truck, but to create the best one, whether or not it’s similar to past trucks. As a result of this type of thinking, Musk is able to see an industry much more objectively than others who’ve been in the field their whole lives. “I was literally told this is impossible and I’m a huge liar,” Musk says of the early days of Tesla. “But I have a car and you can drive it. This is not like a frigging unicorn. It’s real. Go for a drive. It’s amazing. How can you be in denial?” An unfortunate fact of human nature is that when people make up their mind about something, they tend not to change it – even when confronted with facts to the contrary. “It’s very unscientific,” Musk says. “There’s this thing called physics, which is this scientific method that’s really quite effective for figuring out the truth.” The scientific method is a phrase Musk uses often when asked how he came up with an idea, solved a problem or chose to start a business. Here’s how he defines it for his purposes, in mostly his own words: 1. Ask a question. 2. Gather as much evidence as possible about it. 3. Develop axioms based on the evidence, and try to assign a probability of truth to each one. 4. Draw a conclusion based on cogency in order to determine: Are these axioms correct, are they relevant, do they necessarily lead to this conclusion, and with what probability? 5. Attempt to disprove the conclusion. Seek refutation from others to further help break your conclusion. 6. If nobody can invalidate your conclusion, then you’re probably right, but you’re not certainly right. “That’s the scientific method,” Musk concludes. “It’s really helpful for figuring out the tricky things.” But most people don’t use it, he says. They engage in wishful thinking. They ignore counterarguments. They form conclusions based on what others are doing and aren’t doing. The reasoning that results is “It’s true because I said it’s true,” but not because it’s objectively true. “The fundamental intention of Tesla, at least my motivation,” Musk explains in his halting, stuttering voice, “was to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy. That’s why I open-sourced the patents. It’s the only way to transition to sustainable energy better. “Climate change is the biggest threat that humanity faces this century, except for AI,” he continues. “I keep telling people this. I hate to be Cassandra here, but it’s all fun and games until somebody loses a fucking eye. This view [of climate change] is shared by almost everyone who’s not crazy in the scientific community.” For the next 20 minutes, Musk examines the Tesla Truck. He comments first on the technical details, even ones as granular as the drawbacks and advantages of different types of welding. He then moves on to the design, specifically a driver-comfort feature that cannot be specified here, due to said threatened jail time. “Probably no one will buy it because of this,” he tells his team. “But if you’re going to make a product, make it beautiful. Even if it doesn’t affect sales, I want it to be beautiful.” According to Musk’s best guess, our personalities might be 80 percent nature and 20 percent nurture. Whatever that ratio actually is, if you want to understand the future that Musk is building, it’s essential to understand the past that built him, including his fears of human extinction and being alone. For the first eight or so years of his life, Musk lived with his mother, Maye, a dietitian and model, and his father, Errol, an engineer, in Pretoria, South Africa. He rarely saw either of them. “I didn’t really have a primary nanny or anything,” Musk recalls. “I just had a housekeeper who was there to make sure I didn’t break anything. She wasn’t, like, watching me. I was off making explosives and reading books and building rockets and doing things that could have gotten me killed. I’m shocked that I have all my fingers.” He raises his hands and examines them, then lowers his digits. “I was raised by books. Books, and then my parents.” Some of those books help explain the world Musk is building, particularly Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. The books are centered around the work of a visionary named Hari Seldon, who has invented a scientific method of predicting the future based on crowd behavior. He sees a 30,000-year Dark Ages waiting ahead for humankind, and creates a plan that involves sending scientific colonies to distant planets to help civilization mitigate this unavoidable cataclysm. “Asimov certainly was influential because he was seriously paralleling Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, but he applied that to a sort of modern galactic empire,” Musk explains. “The lesson I drew from that is you should try to take the set of actions that are likely to prolong civilization, minimize the probability of a dark age and reduce the length of a dark age if there is one.” Musk was around 10 at this time, and plunged in his own personal dark age. He’d recently made a move that would change his life. It was a wrong decision that came from the right place. When his parents split up two years before, he and his younger siblings – Kimbal and Tosca – stayed with their mom. But, Musk recounts, “I felt sorry for my father, because my mother had all three kids. He seemed very sad and lonely by himself. So I thought, ‘I can be company.'” He pauses while a movie’s worth of images seem to flicker through his mind. “Yeah, I was sad for my father. But I didn’t really understand at the time what kind of person he was.” He lets out a long, sad sigh, then says flatly about moving in with Dad, “It was not a good idea.” According to Elon, Errol has an extremely high IQ – “brilliant at engineering, brilliant” – and was supposedly the youngest person to get a professional engineer’s qualification in South Africa. When Elon came to live with him in Lone Hill, a suburb of Johannesburg, Errol was, by his own account, making money in the often dangerous worlds of construction and emerald mining – at times so much that he claims he couldn’t close his safe. “I’m naturally good at engineering that’s because I inherited it from my father,” Musk says. “What’s very difficult for others is easy for me. For a while, I thought things were so obvious that everyone must know this.” Like what kinds of things? “Well, like how the wiring in a house works. And a circuit breaker, and alternating current and direct current, what amps and volts were, how to mix a fuel and oxidizers to create an explosive. I thought everyone knew this.” But there was another side to Musk’s father that was just as important to making Elon who he is. “He was such a terrible human being,” Musk shares. “You have no idea.” His voice trembles, and he discusses a few of those things, but doesn’t go into specifics. “My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil,” he says. “He will plan evil.” Besides emotional abuse, did that include physical abuse? “My dad was not physically violent with me. He was only physically violent when I was very young.” (Errol countered via email that he only “smacked” Elon once, “on the bottom.”) Elon’s eyes turn red as he continues discussing his dad. “You have no idea about how bad. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done. Um…” There is clearly something Musk wants to share, but he can’t bring himself to utter the words, at least not on the record. “It’s so terrible, you can’t believe it.” The tears run silently down his face. “I can’t remember the last time I cried.” He turns to Teller to confirm this. “You’ve never seen me cry.” “No,” Teller says. “I’ve never seen you cry.” The flow of tears stops as quickly as it began. And once more, Musk has the cold, impassive, but gentle stone face that is more familiar to the outside world. Yet it’s now clear that this is not the face of someone without emotions, but the face of someone with a lot of emotions who had been forced to suppress them in order to survive a painful childhood. When asked about committing crimes, Musk’s father said that he has never intentionally threatened or hurt anyone, or been charged with anything, except … in this one case, he says he shot and killed three out of five or six armed people who broke into his home, and was later cleared of all charges on self-defense. In his e-mail, Errol wrote: “I’ve been accused of being a Gay, a Misogynist, a Paedophile, a Traitor, a Rat, a Shit (quite often), a Bastard (by many women whose attentions I did not return) and much more. My own (wonderful) mother told me I am ‘ruthless’ and should learn to be more ‘humane.'” But, he concluded, “I love my children and would readily do whatever for them.” As an adult, Musk, with the same optimism with which he moved in with his father as a child, moved his dad, his father’s then-wife and their children to Malibu. He bought them a house, cars and a boat. But his father, Elon says, hadn’t changed, and Elon severed the relationship. “In my experience, there is nothing you can do,” he says about finally learning the lesson that his dad will never change. “Nothing, nothing. I wish. I’ve tried everything. I tried threats, rewards, intellectual arguments, emotional arguments, everything to try to change my father for the better, and he… no way, it just got worse.” Somewhere in this trauma bond is the key to Musk’s worldview – creation against destruction, of being useful versus harmful, of defending the world against evil. Things at school weren’t much better than life at home. There, Musk was brutally bullied – until he was 15 years old. “For the longest time, I was the youngest and the smallest kid in the class because my birthday just happens to fall on almost the last day that they will accept you into school, June 28th. And I was a late bloomer. So I was the youngest and the smallest kid in class for years and years. …The gangs at school would hunt me down – literally hunt me down!” Musk put down the books and started learning to fight back – karate, judo, wrestling. That physical education, combined with a growth spurt that brought him to six feet by age 16, gave him some confidence and, as he puts it, “I started dishing it out as hard as they’d give it to me.” When he got into a fight with the biggest bully at school and knocked him out with one punch, Musk noticed that the bully never picked on him again. “It taught me a lesson: If you’re fighting a bully, you cannot appease a bully.” Musk speaks the next words forcefully. “You punch the bully in the nose. Bullies are looking for targets that won’t fight back. If you make yourself a hard target and punch the bully in the nose, he’s going to beat the shit out of you, but he’s actually not going to hit you again.” When he was 17, Musk left college and moved to his mother’s home country, Canada, later obtaining passports for his mother, brother and sister to join him there. His father did not wish him well, Musk recalls. “He said rather contentiously that I’d be back in three months, that I’m never going to make it, that I’m never going to make anything of myself. He called me an idiot all the time. That’s the tip of the iceberg, by the way.” After Musk became successful, his father even took credit for helping him – to such a degree that it’s listed as fact in Elon’s Wikipedia entry. “One thing he claims is he gave us a whole bunch of money to start, my brother and I, to start up our first company [Zip2, which provided online city guides to newspapers]. This is not true,” Musk says. “He was irrelevant. He paid nothing for college. My brother and I paid for college through scholarships, loans and working two jobs simultaneously. The funding we raised for our first company came from a small group of random angel investors in Silicon Valley.” Musk’s career history decorates his desk. There’s an item from nearly all of his companies, even a mug for X.com, the early online bank he started, which became PayPal. The sale of Zip2 resulted in a $22 million check made out directly to Musk, which he used in part to start X.com. With the roughly $180 million post-tax amount he made from the sale of PayPal, he started SpaceX with $100 million, put $70 million into Tesla, invested $10 million into Solar City, and saved little for himself. One of the misunderstandings that rankles Musk most is being pigeonholed and narrowcast, whether as the real-life Tony Stark or the second coming of Steve Jobs. When, at a photo shoot, he was asked to wear a black turtleneck, the trademark garb of Jobs, he bristled. “If I was dying and I had a turtleneck on,” he tells me, “with my last dying breath, I would take the turtleneck off and try to throw it as far away from my body as possible.” So what is Musk about? “I try to do useful things,” he explains. “That’s a nice aspiration. And useful means it is of value to the rest of society. Are they useful things that work and make people’s lives better, make the future seem better, and actually are better, too? I think we should try to make the future better.” When asked to define “better,” Musk elaborates, “It would be better if we mitigated the effects of global warming and had cleaner air in our cities and weren’t drilling for vast amounts of coal, oil and gas in parts of the world that are problematic and will run out anyway. “And if we were a multiplanetary species, that would reduce the possibility of some single event, man-made or natural, taking out civilization as we know it, as it did the dinosaurs. There have been five mass-extinction events in the fossil record. People have no comprehension of these things. Unless you’re a cockroach or a mushroom – or a sponge – you’re fucked.” He laughs sharply. “It’s insurance of life as we know it, and it makes the future far more inspiring if we are out there among the stars and you could move to another planet if you wanted to.” This, then, is the ideology of Musk. And though basic, it’s actually very rare. Think of the other names that one associates with innovation this century: They’re people who built operating systems, devices, websites or social-media platforms. Even when it didn’t start out that way, the ideology in most cases soon became: How can I make my company the center of my users’ world? Consequently, social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter use a number of tricks to activate the addictive reward centers of a user’s brain. If Musk’s employees suggested doing something like this, he’d probably look at them like they were crazy. This type of thinking doesn’t compute. “It’s really inconsistent to not be the way you want the world to be,” he says flatly, “and then through some means of trickery, operate according to one moral code while the rest of the world operates according to a different one. This is obviously not something that works. If everyone’s trying to trick everyone all the time, it’s a lot of noise and confusion. It’s better just to be straightforward and try to do useful things.” He discusses building a permanent moon base, and further funding SpaceX by creating passenger rockets capable of traveling to any city in the world in less than an hour, a form of transport he calls “Earth-to-Earth.” I ask if there’s anything that he believes works that surprises people. “I think being precise about the truth works. Truthful and precise. I try to tell people, ‘You don’t have to read between the lines with me. I’m saying the lines!'” On another occasion, I watch Musk at a weekly SpaceX engineering-team meeting, where eight experts sit around a table in high-backed red chairs, showing Musk a PowerPoint with the latest updates to the Mars spaceship design. And while Musk keeps pace on technical details with some of the most brilliant minds in aerospace, he also adds an element that goes beyond logistics and engineering. “Make sure it doesn’t look ugly or something,” he advises at one point. Then, later, “The aesthetics of this one are not so great. It looks like a scared lizard.” And, in a characteristically wry moment, “When you land on Mars, you want the list of what you have to worry about to be small enough that you’re not dead.” Overall, there’s a theme to Musk’s feedback: First, things have to be useful, logical and scientifically possible. Then he looks to improve efficiency on every level: What are people accepting as an industry standard when there’s room for significant improvement? From there, Musk pushes for the end product to be aesthetically beautiful, simple, cool, sleek (“He hates seams,” says one staffer) and, as Musk puts it at one point in the meeting, “awesome.” Throughout this process, there’s an additional element that very few companies indulge in: personalization. This usually involves Musk adding Easter eggs and personal references to the products, such as making the Tesla sound-system volume go to 11 (in homage to Spinal Tap) or sending a “secret payload” into space in his first Dragon launch that turned out to be a wheel of cheese (in homage to Monty Python). Beyond all this, most maddening or exciting for Musk’s employees, depending on which one you ask, is the time scale on which he often expects work to be done. For example, one Friday when I was visiting, a few SpaceX staff members were frantically rushing back and forth from the office to the parking lot across the street. It turns out that during a meeting, he asked them how long it would take to remove staff cars from the lot and start digging the first hole for the Boring Company tunnel. The answer: two weeks. Musk asked why, and when he gathered the necessary information, he concluded, “Let’s get started today and see what’s the biggest hole we can dig between now and Sunday afternoon, running 24 hours a day.” Within three hours, the cars were gone and there was a hole in the ground. On the other hand, one thing Musk is notorious for is setting ambitious deadlines that he often can’t meet. The Roadster, the Model S and the Model X were all delayed from his original timeline, and now the Model 3 – with its nearly half-a-million-person-long waiting list – is experiencing its own production delays. There are many reasons for this, but Musk summarizes: “Better to do something good and be late than bad and be early.” So expect Musk to get it done, just not on time. Because if he can’t do it, he won’t pretend otherwise. “I expect to lose,” Musk says. He’s in a three-story building in San Francisco that has only recently been furnished. It used to belong to Stripe, the credit-card payment processor, but now belongs to Musk, who’s housing two of his companies there: Neuralink and OpenAI. These are visions of what Tesla or SpaceX may have looked like when they first began. A small group of excited people working with limited resources to hit a distant, ambitious target. But unlike Tesla and SpaceX, there aren’t anything close to road maps toward these goals, nor are they so clear-cut. OpenAI is a nonprofit dedicated to minimizing the dangers of artificial intelligence, while Neuralink is working on ways to implant technology into our brains to create mind-computer interfaces. If it sounds like those are contradictory ideas, think again. Neuralink allows our brains to keep up in the intelligence race. The machines can’t outsmart us if we have everything the machines have plus everything we have. At least, that is if you assume that what we have is actually an advantage. It’s an unusual day at the office: Musk is showing a documentary about artificial intelligence to the Neuralink staff. He stands in front of them as they sit splayed on couches and chairs, and lays out the grim odds of his mission to make AI safe: “Maybe there’s a five to 10 percent chance of success,” he says. The challenge he’s up against with OpenAI is twofold. First, the problem with building something that’s smarter than you is … that it’s smarter than you. Add to that the fact that AI has no remorse, no morality, no emotions – and humanity may be in deep shit. This is the good son’s second chance against the remorseless father he couldn’t change. The other challenge is that OpenAI is a nonprofit, and it’s competing with the immense resources of Google’s DeepMind. Musk tells the group he in fact invested in DeepMind with the intention of keeping a watchful eye on Google’s AI development. “Between Facebook, Google and Amazon – and arguably Apple, but they seem to care about privacy – they have more information about you than you can remember,” he elaborates to me. “There’s a lot of risk in concentration of power. So if AGI [artificial general intelligence] represents an extreme level of power, should that be controlled by a few people at Google with no oversight?” “Sleep well,” Musk jokes when the movie ends. He then leads a discussion about it, writing down some ideas and bluntly dismissing others. As he’s speaking, he reaches into a bowl, grabs a piece of popcorn, drops it in his mouth and starts coughing. “We’re talking about threats to humanity,” he mutters, “and I’m going to choke to death on popcorn.” It is 9 p.m. on a Thursday night, and I’m waiting in the foyer of Musk’s Bel Air home for our final interview. He walks down the stairs a few minutes later, wearing a T-shirt depicting Mickey Mouse in space. A tall blond woman follows him down the stairs. He is, true to his words, not alone. The woman, it turns out, is Talulah Riley, his second wife. They met in 2008, and Musk proposed after 10 days together. They married in 2010, then divorced two years later, then remarried the following year, then filed for divorce again, then withdrew the filing, then re-filed for divorce and finally followed through with it. Musk suggests doing something rare for him: drinking. “My alcohol tolerance is not very high,” he says. “But I tend to be a fuzzy bear when I drink. I go happy fuzzy.” He pours two glasses of whiskey for us, and the three of us adjourn to his living room, where there’s a mechanical Edison phonograph, an Enigma machine and a short-wave radio from World War I on display. During the interview, Riley lounges on the couch nearby, half paying attention to the conversation, half paying attention to her phone. Musk is in a different mood than he was at SpaceX, and that’s something that those who’ve come to know Musk observe. One moment, he may be reciting favorite lines from an animated TV show he just saw, the next he may be curtly giving detailed instructions, the next he may be ignoring you while lost in a thought, the next he may be asking for your advice on a problem, the next he may be breathless with laughter while riffing on a humorous tangent for five minutes, the next he may be acting as if you’ve both never met. And through it all, you learn not to take it personally, because chances are that it has nothing to do with you. We start off talking, or at least with me trying to talk, about AI, because a few weeks earlier, Musk had tweeted, “Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3 imo.” But when I ask him about that, Musk gets testy. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m not saying that I have all the fucking answers. Let me be really clear about that. I’m trying to figure out the set of actions I can take that are more likely to result in a good future. If you have suggestions in that regard, please tell me what they are.” Riley chimes in: “I think just the way it gets couched is that ‘Elon Musk says we’re all gonna die,’ as opposed to ‘Hey, let’s have some regulation.'” Musk, it soon becomes clear, is not in the mood to talk about his work. Instead, he has some advice he’d like to offer to the world from his personal experience: “I find one learns lessons in the course of life,” he begins with a wry half-smile. “And one lesson I’ve learned is, don’t tweet on Ambien. That’s on the record: Tweeting on Ambien is unwise. You may regret it.” Musk grabs a coffee-table book published by The Onion and starts leafing through it, laughing hysterically. “In order to understand the essential truth of things,” he theorizes, “I think you can find it in The Onion and occasionally on Reddit.” Afterward, he asks excitedly, “Have you ever seen Rick and Morty?” And the conversation bounces from that animated show to South Park to The Simpsons to the book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. One of the lines from Hitchhiker’s, Musk says, ended up being Musk Family Rule Number One: “Don’t panic.” “The boys were quite skittish about all kinds of things,” Riley explains. “That’s our other rule,” Musk continues. “Safety third. There’s not even a Rule Number Two. But even though there’s nothing in second place, safety is not getting promoted to number two.” We’re interrupted by Teller, Musk’s chief of staff, who informs him that as we were talking, the Hawthorne City Council ended an hours-long debate with a 4-to-1 vote allowing Musk to burrow his tunnel two miles into the city. “Good,” Musk says. “Now we can dig past our own property line. Dig like fiends!” He laughs at the expression, and I understand now that Musk didn’t have me over to talk about his projects and vision. There’s nothing to be gained from talking about the problems of science with someone who doesn’t understand them. At the end of the day, he just wants to unwind and laugh about the world he’s trying to improve. I leave his home still hearing his chuckles in the doorway, and hoping that when the Mars colony builds its first statues of Musk, they’re not of a stiff man with a tight-lipped expression looking out into space, but of a fuzzy bear.

Samsung SDS to build admin blockchain for Seoul city government

Samsung subsidiary Samsung SDS will develop a blockchain-based administration solution for Seoul city's government. After initially evaluating the existing governance infrastructure, Samsung SDS will create a roadmap for blockchain's use in collecting private citizen data, which will then be rolled out to other municipal services, such as transportation and social security, by 2022. Last month saw the start of trials with local shipping outfits of the company's blockchain technology.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-sds-wins-seoul-blockchain-order/

2017-11-27 13:46:34.367000

Samsung SDS has won an order from the Seoul city government to draw up a roadmap to apply blockchain for administrative use. Seoul plans to first apply blockchain in municipal duties that actively collect private information of citizens. It will apply blockchain to all administrative duties by 2022, including in public transportation, social security, and public safety. The goal is to increase citizen convenience and increase transparency. Samsung SDS will, for the next five months, take a comprehensive look at Seoul's governance environment to see how to apply and expand the use of blockchain. The IT service provider will design a future model and come up with a step-by-step approach for application. Samsung SDS, together with affiliate Samsung Card, first commercialised its blockchain platform Nexledger earlier this year. In May, it joined global blockchain alliance EEA, whose members include Microsoft and Intel, to spread blockchain use globally. Last month it applied its blockchain solution to local shipping firms for trials. Samsung is pushing for its security solution offerings, such as Nexledger and its biometric solution Nexsign. Last month, it announced the integration of behavioral biometrics into Nexsign through a partnership with BioCatch. PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE <="" p="" rel="follow"> <="" p="" rel="follow"> <="" p="" rel="follow">

Airbnb acquires disabled travel start-up

Airbnb has acquired Accomable, a start-up that provides travel information for people with disabilities. The company, which lists over 500 accessible places to say in 60 countries, was launched two years ago by Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley, both of whom have spinal muscular atrophy. It received a grant from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, in addition to £300,000 ($399,958) from angel investors. Accomable’s listings will now be merged with Airbnb’s, appearing on the latter’s site within months. Airbnb also intends to improve its overall offerings for disabled travellers.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/nov/27/airbnb-expands-into-stays-for-disabled-travellers-accomable-rental

2017-11-27 13:37:32.270000

Airbnb has acquired accessible-travel startup Accomable as part of plans to improve its offering for disabled travellers. Accomable was launched just over two years ago by childhood friends Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley – who both have spinal muscular atrophy – to make it easier for people to find accessible places to stay around the world. It lists properties that can cater for a range of disabilities, highlighting details such as step-free access, hoists, roll-in showers and shower chairs. The site, now run by a team of six, with more than500 listings in 60 countries, grew rapidly thanks to a grant from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, part of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, and a further £300,000 funding from “angel” investors. Now, Accomable’s team and listings will be merged with Airbnb’s. In the coming months, the listings will be made available via the Airbnb site, and the team says it will now work towards improving the overall Airbnb experience for disabled travellers. Airbnb is also developing an “accessibility needs” checklist that allows hosts to be more descriptive about their home. In an open letter posted on its site, Madipalli reassured customers that the merger with a larger platform won’t mean accessibility becomes an “afterthought”. “Our decision to join Airbnb was one that we spent a long time considering,” he says. “Our work has allowed us to develop unrivalled expertise in the world of accessible travel, building a brand that disabled travellers can trust. We are convinced that joining Airbnb provides the best opportunity to take our dream and mission to a global level.” For accessible tourism expert and travel writer Carrie-Ann Lightley, it is significant to see accessible travel being taken seriously by a mainstream travel business though itremains just one aspect of the solution. “Airbnb’s investment in accessibility gives another option for disabled travellers, whose options are typically limited, and one I’m sure many will take up,” she says. “It shouldn’t overshadow the work of specialist operators though: many disabled travellers want and need a level of support that the mainstream industry still can’t cater for.” For Lightley, when it comes to travel, reliable information about facilities is the “single biggest barrier” disabled people face. “Armed with the right details, as a disabled traveller I can go anywhere, and make anything work,” she says. “Accommodation providers need to include good, detailed photographs of all rooms on their websites, as well as detailed accessibility guides.”

IoT firm the Yield offers predictive sensors for smart farming

Australian start-up the Yield has launched Sensing+ for Agriculture, which offers microclimate sensing and machine learning-based predictions to farmers with intensely irrigated crops for up to seven days ahead. Developed over two years and with the involvement of German firm Bosch, the Yield's system measures the 12 elements behind most agricultural models, from wind speed to temperature and rainfall. The data gathered is sent to farmers' smartphones to inform decision-making regarding planting, irrigating, feeding, protecting and harvesting crops. The technology was first deployed in Australian oyster farms to determine if conditions were right to harvest the oysters.

https://agfundernews.com/the-yield-expands-into-agriculture.html

2017-11-27 12:59:36.773000

Editor’s Note: AgFunder is an investor in The Yield. “We put electronics into open bays in one of the world’s roughest marine environments with an objective to protect food safety; it doesn’t get harder than that.” Ros Harvey, CEO of ag sensor and IoT startup The Yield, is talking about the Australian startup’s oyster-focused aquaculture business line. Founded in 2014 with a mission to “feed the world without wrecking the planet,” The Yield purposefully focused on a specific business problem, in a relatively small market segment, to perfect its technology stack before expanding. The startup now offers an end-to-end microclimate sensing and predictions service for land-based crops as well as aquaculture. Starting Small The specific business problem faced by oyster farmers relates to the harvest restrictions placed on them by regulators. Food safety regulators use rainfall as a way to determine when to open and close oyster harvesting because rain causes run-off from fields and surrounding land that could include dangerous contaminants, which will be filtered by the oysters. Measuring the salinity of the water is a much more accurate way of determining run-off and the presence of these contaminants. By deploying microclimate sensors measuring salinity, The Yield can reduce unnecessary closures by up to 30% by providing this information to both growers and local regulators. This translates into an extra four weeks a year of harvesting time, which is not insignificant for farmers, according to Harvey. The technology soon progressed to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to offer oyster farmers salinity predictions used by the regulators to open and close harvest with 95% accuracy three days ahead of time. The end-to-end service, which involves the deployment and management of the sensors as well as the data analytics and user interface, also enables oyster farmers to manage labor scheduling, disease risk, harvest records, and consignment reporting. For example, growers are required to keep track of water temperature and salinity when shipping out oysters as part of food safety standards. The Yield sells the oyster product to the food authorities in the states of New South Wales and Tasmania, representing over 60% of Australia’s oyster industry, according to Harvey. “We really learned to do this in some of the most difficult conditions in the world, and to some of the highest standards out there as it relates to food safety, so it was a great place to launch our next product from with all we had learned,” she said. “It’s also a great idea to start small and localized to iron out issues first before you scale.” Onwards to Agriculture Sensing+ for Agriculture, which the company launched last month, uses the same concepts of microclimate sensing and machine learning-based predictions, to offer an end-to-end solution for intensively irrigated crop growers. “Almost every grower we talk to has at least one unused agtech solution sitting in the shed, because they are rarely installed or supported properly, so it’s core to our offering that we take care of the whole package – from installing, supporting and maintaining the sensors, to delivering predictions and insights via mobile apps and on the desktop; all hardware and software is supplied as an ecosystem,” says Harvey. The Yield built the product alongside growers in Australia over two years to ensure it was solving the specific challenges they face around the five main business decisions they need to make each year: planting, irrigating, feeding, protecting, and harvesting. Sensing+ now offers farmers informed and intuitive decision support around these five activities by measuring the 12 factors that drive most agricultural models: temperature, rainfall, leaf wetness, humidity, soil temperature and soil moisture, wind speed and direction, photosynthetic active radiation, total solar radiation and air pressure. Using irrigation decisions as an example, The Yield uses the microclimate data it collects to create a water balance for farmers — including the amount of water lost to evapotranspiration and the growth curve of certain crops –and to predict the soil moisture at any given time. This enables the farmer to adjust their irrigation schedule and optimise the use of costly water resources. “We’re the only business making 7-day predictions for soil moisture – and microclimate growing conditions generally – wherever we have hardware,” says Harvey. This information is presented to growers in an app. Growers use the app to learn, act and record activity that generates an auditable train which Harvey describes as a “news feed for each field and crop.” Timely Decision Support For spraying decisions, the Sensing+ app gives growers the microclimate insights they need to decide the best time to spray based on the 12 factors such as humidity and wind, which might make agrichemicals less effective with the risk of washing off the plants and getting into the environment. Sensing+ also helps growers track when spraying actions occur — which is particularly relevant for large-scale operations that sometimes struggle to keep up with all the activity on their land. And it does all the relevant spray calculations, records things like withholding periods, and gives a real-time inventory based on the amount of chemicals used. Each spray action creates a date and weather stamped record as part of the field and crop record. Growers can also choose to receive custom notifications in the app, where they input the conditions they want to know about, and Sensing+ sends them an alert when these have been reached. One example is wind speed and direction, as growers will rarely spray when the wind reaches higher than 20 km per hour, so they can set to receive an alert when the wind is 18 km per hour and then turn off their irrigation system or sprayer at that time. With the 7-day predictions, they can then choose when a more suitable time to perform that task will be, saving time and money if contracting third parties to do the work, argues Harvey. “The overarching benefits to growers for having a solution like Sensing+ are convenience, time-saving, optimising farm resources such as water, chemicals, and labour, having a digital record at crop and field level to plan for each growing season, the ability to make evidence-backed decisions, and the 7-day microclimate predictions give them an unforeseen level of visibility over what is happening (and coming) on their farm,” says Harvey. As well as collecting data from its sensor network, The Yield crowdsources some data from the farmers around growth metrics. “We predict where a crop should be in terms of growth stage and will send farmers alerts to ask “is this where you are now? Yes or No.” Their response feeds back into our analytics to optimize the rest of the system,” says Harvey. Eight weeks after deploying a sensor in a microclimate, The Yield is able to start offering farmers 7-day predictions based on conditions in their immediate environment. “You need enough of a data stream to reach an acceptable threshold for the system to self-learn and for us, at the moment, that’s eight weeks.” Working with Bosch While The Yield uses third party microclimate sensors, it designed the supporting hardware and mesh network needed to maintain connectivity across operations in partnership with Bosch, the German multinational engineering and electronics company. Bosch is also an investor in The Yield. The Yield owns the IP on this enterprise-grade “farm area network,” which consists of nodes and a communications gateway, but contracted Bosch’s R&D team to help develop the design and manufacture them. The network is essential for the business because it means the startup can control the quality of the data its analytics platform ingests. “One of our cornerstone customers is a prominent winemaker in Richmond, Tasmania, and they told us that every time a tourist bus goes past, their 4G footprint shrinks, which means they can suddenly lose a whole load of data. That is a big no-no for us; you can’t do predictions and build analytics from localized data if you don’t have a constant, high-quality stream. So, the area network is critical to avoid any gaps in the data stream,” says Harvey. Later the company plans to build its own microclimate sensors too, How Did The Yield Get Here? “I often describe myself as the most unlikely entrepreneur; I’m a woman, I’m not a technologist, and I’m in my 50s.” Harvey worked in international development for 15 years before founding The Yield, and while that might seem an unlikely beginning for a tech entrepreneur, her experience is very complimentary. She founded a social enterprise called Better Work in 2002, which was a partnership between the United Nations and World Bank Group, which aimed to bring transparency to the supply chains of large clothing companies including Nike and The Gap. What ended up being a tech-enabled business, Better Work monitored conditions in these supply chains such as safety, child labor, and worker rights, with the earliest iterations of tablet computers and cloud-based data storage “although it wasn’t called the cloud back then,” says Harvey. The business sold that information to the brands as a knowledge service. “In international development, the holy grail is sustainable business models, and that’s how we approached using technology, as an enabler and facilitator, and not the end point,” she says. “Too often I’d see examples of people throwing money at problems, then the focus shifts and donors move on, and the initiative collapses. But if you come to technology in reverse, with the intention of solving a business problem first, and then building a platform to support it, it’s a much more sustainable and scalable approach.” Moving back to Tasmania in the early 2000s, Harvey wanted to apply her thinking and experience to a new business problem and agriculture was a clear choice of a sector with many business problems to address. Harvey also has great ambitions for The Yield to effect change to the food system and thereby contribute to reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment, and the company is already providing aggregated data to approved research organizations working on public good problems – with the express consent of their customers. But to make it work and scale, “we need to focus on execution; we won’t be able to realize larger ambitions if we don’t help farmers increase their yield through using our technology.”

Snapchat enables promoted, AR-supported ads to retain viewers

Snapchat is offering advertisers two new ad formats to keep users watching. Promoted Stories are in-depth ads with up to 10 photos or videos and labelled as sponsored content. An HBO Promoted Story reminded users what TV series and films they could be watching instead of shopping on Black Friday. Meanwhile, Augmented Reality (AR) Trial ads work like Snapchat's 3D World Lenses, giving users a good look at a product. BMW's AR Trial ad enabled users to virtually walk around its X2 vehicle.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/25/snapchats-new-ad-formats-keep-you-watching/

2017-11-27 12:47:50.780000

This week, Snapchat debuted two new ad styles meant to engage its users more and encourage less skipping, TechCrunch reports. So far, the app's ads have largely consisted of short videos, which followed the last clip in a Story or were placed throughout Discover content, as well as sponsored Lenses that promoted some sort of product. Now, advertisers will have the option of putting together a Promoted Story or an AR Trial ad. For Promoted Stories, advertisers will be able to create a more in-depth ad featuring three to 10 photos or videos that will work just like any other Snapchat Story. These ads will appear throughout a country for one day and will be labeled as sponsored content. Today, for example, US users will see an HBO Promoted Story featuring six Snaps that show what series or movies you could be watching on HBO instead of engaging in Black Friday shopping. The AR Trial ads are like more active versions of Snapchat's sponsored 3D World Lenses. In September, Snapchat released 3D World Lenses that promoted Blade Runner and Bud Light, but they were mostly just fun, not functional. The Bud Light Lens, for example, just featured an AR Bud Light vendor that you could place on whatever surface you liked. But the AR Trial ads are meant to let users get a better look at the product being sold. BMW's new AR Trial ad will let you place its X2 vehicle in the area you're viewing through the camera lens and then allow you to walk around it and even change its color. Snap Inc. had a less than impressive third quarter, reporting just 4.5 million new users, and the company has said it will focus on attracting more users in the coming year. Those efforts include a redesign of the Android version of its app and some significant tweaks to the app overall. Some of those changes are meant to make it easier to navigate through all of the app's offerings, which is not always intuitive and could help it increase its user base. And that, like these new ad formats, is likely to please Snapchat's partners.

Mortgage approvals at 13-month low may bode ill for UK market

British mortgage approvals dropped to 40,488 in October, a 13-month low, according to industry trade body UK Finance. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the figures appeared to be "just the start" of a bigger downturn in the UK housing market, which would probably be exacerbated by the recent interest rate rise to 0.5% from 0.25%.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/24/mortgage-approvals-in-uk-at-lowest-level-for-13-months

2017-11-27 12:47:04.417000

British banks approved the fewest mortgages for house purchases in more than a year in October, with economists warning the decline could signal the start of a downturn in the UK housing market. Mortgage approvals fell to a 13-month low of 40,488 last month, down from 41,576 in September, according to the industry trade body UK Finance. Samuel Tombs, the chief UK economist at consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the Bank of England’s decision earlier this month to raise interest rates for the first time in more than a decade, to 0.5% from 0.25%, would probably exacerbate the downward trend. “This appears to be just the start of a bigger downturn,” Tombs said. “Housing market activity likely has cooled further in recent weeks, given that mortgage rates have moved swiftly higher and consumer confidence has weakened since the hike by the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee.” The chancellor’s decision to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers would do little to counter this downturn, primarily because it is expected to push up house prices, Tombs said. Howard Archer, the chief economic adviser to the forecasting group EY Item Club, said the mortgage approval figures were the latest evidence of “lacklustre housing market activity”, after new buyer enquiries fell in October at their fastest pace since July 2016, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He said cash-strapped consumers were reluctant to commit to major purchases at a time when real pay was falling, as shop prices rise faster than wages. “It is also very possible that the recent Bank of England interest rate hike will weigh down on housing market activity,” Archer added. “While the increase in interest rates was just 0.25% and mortgage rates are still at historically very low levels, it could have a significant effect on housing market psychology.” EY Item Club is forecasting house price growth of about 2-3% in 2018, underpinned by a shortage of homes for sale, high employment, and mortgage interest rates that remain historically low. It was a different story for existing homeowners, who rushed to remortgage in October, before the Bank’s highly anticipated rate rise in November. There were 34,036 loans approved for remortgaging last month, according to UK Finance. That was up by 11.6% compared with September, and 37% higher than at the same point last year. “The anticipated bank rate rise saw a flurry of remortgage activity as many homeowners took advantage of the competitive rates on offer,” said Mohammad Jamei, the trade body’s senior economist. Annual growth in credit card lending slowed to 5.1% in October from 5.5% in September. Meanwhile, non-financial businesses repaid a net £1.5bn of debt last month, the largest since February, in a sign that businesses are becoming more cautious about investing when the outcome of Brexit negotiations is far from clear. “In terms of saving, consumer deposits grew at a slower rate in October, while businesses have continued the trend of bolstering their cash reserves amidst a cautious business landscape due to Brexit uncertainties,” Jamei said.

Surging prices forcing 100,000 households from property market

A shortage of affordable homes is pricing 100,000 households out of the market each year, according to a report by estate agent Savills. That's a significant rise from a 2015 projection of 70,000 a year and is due to increasing prices, low wage growth and changes in how housing need is assessed. UK Chancellor Philip Hammond vowed to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s but Savills said a third of those would need to be below market prices to meet the demand for affordable housing.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/27/property-england-priced-out-households-affordable-homes-savills-report

2017-11-27 12:39:13.030000

Almost 100,000 households in England are being priced out of the property market each year because of a shortage of affordable homes to rent or buy, according to a report. Research by the estate agent Savills, shared with the Guardian, found the number of priced-out households had risen from its previous projection in 2015 of 70,000 a year. This was in part because of a change in how housing need is assessed, but also due to rising prices and stagnant wage growth. On Wednesday, the chancellor, Philip Hammond, reiterated a pledge to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s and unveiled a package of measures to support housebuilding. Savills said one-third of those would need to be offered at below market prices to meet the growing need for affordable homes. About 96,000 households are unable to afford homes at the market rate, either to buy or rent, Savills said, with the vast majority in London and the south. It said varying approaches were needed to address the shortfall in different parts of the country: low-cost rented homes were needed more in markets in which incomes were smaller, while a mixture of homes, including shared ownership, would help in more expensive areas. In London, 20% of the households affected have incomes above £35,000, Savills said, while the same proportion earn less than £10,000. Over the past three years, 55,000 fewer affordable homes have been built each year than were needed, the research found. Although 42,500 households in the capital required below market rate housing, only 8,800 affordable homes a year had been delivered. In the south outside London, 15,500 affordable homes a year were being built while 34,100 were needed. Meanwhile, in the north of England, low incomes were locking out 9,600 households a year, with 8,900 homes being delivered. Although the post-budget headlines were dominated by Hammond’s decision to scrap stamp duty for the majority of first-time buyers, his announcement included more money for building and rule changes to help councils provide housing. A speech by the prime minister, Theresa May, at the Conservative party conference in October made a commitment of £2bn over four years to fund social housing. However, to house 100,000 emerging households over this period would need funding of £7bn a year, Savills said. Paying for the new homes would reduce the housing benefit bill by £430m a year. Helen Collins, the head of housing consultancy at Savills, said the budget had offered many positives for the housing sector, but expressed some concerns. “While the chancellor had plenty of good news, we feel there are still some important issues missing from housing policy,” she said. These included no changes on building on greenbelt land and no additional funding for homes for social rent. “There was little reference to the importance of social rented homes as a better and cheaper alternative to the private rented sector for very low-income households,” Collins said.

Beijing's Tsinghua to buy 30% stake in Taiwan semiconductor unit

Tsinghua Unigroup, controlled by Tsinghua University, is to buy a 30% stake of a subsidiary of Taiwan's Siliconware Precision Industries. This follows Unigroup's attempt in 2016 to buy the Taiwan parent company which failed to pass regulatory approval. This deal will provide extra capital for struggling Siliconware and help it expand in the Chinese market.

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2017-11-27/tsinghua-unit-buys-30-stake-in-taiwan-semiconductor-subsidiary-101176892.html

2017-11-27 12:18:14.300000

Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd.'s earlier attempt to buy a piece of Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Ltd. was brought to a swift end when Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen described the investment as a "huge threat" to the island’s important semiconductor industry. Photo: Visual China A company controlled by Tsinghua University has agreed to buy a 30% stake of a Taiwan-owned semiconductor unit. Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd. will pay 1.03 billion yuan ($155 million) for a stake in Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Ltd.’s Suzhou subsidiary, the Taiwan firm said in a statement on Friday. The deal comes after Unigroup’s 2016 attempt to buy into the Taiwan parent company failed to pass regulatory scrutiny, under the then-incoming Tsai Ing-wen administration. The new sale will supply fresh capital to Siliconware, and will help it expand into the fast-growing Chinese mainland market, it said. Siliconware has struggled in recent years, with its operating profit declining over the past two years. In late 2015, it signed an agreement to sell a quarter stake to Unigroup, but the deal was frozen in April last year until the incoming Taipei government clarified its policy on investment from the mainland, Reuters reported. Taiwan’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in May 2016, threw cold water on Unigroup’s plans when she called investments from the mainland a “huge threat” to the island’s important semiconductor industry. Unigroup’s two other deals to buy Taiwan chipmakers Powertech Technology Inc. and ChipMOS Technologies Inc. have also collapsed. Siliconware tried an alternative to fight the financial setback — agreeing to merge with a larger peer, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. That deal has completed all anti-trust reviews, including on the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and in the U.S., Siliconware said Friday. Shares of Taiwan-listed Siliconware rose 5.29% on Monday, while Unigroup’s Shenzhen-listed affiliate Unisplendour Corp. Ltd. saw its shares drop 2.1%. Contact reporter Coco Feng ([email protected])

Beijing migrants forcibly evicted to cut city population

Thousands of migrants living in Beijing are being forcibly evicted, sometimes with only minutes' notice, as part of the Chinese authorities' campaign against "illegal" structures and to meet a target of a 15% population reduction in the city centre. These structures house millions of migrant workers who work in the city's shops, factories, delivery companies and restaurants. China's household registration system means migrant workers, some of whom have lived in the capital for years, lack many rights compared with native residents. The evictions began after a fire in south Beijing that killed 19 people, who were mainly immigrants.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/27/china-ruthless-campaign-evict-beijings-migrant-workers-condemned

2017-11-27 11:45:38.930000

More than a hundred Chinese intellectuals and scholars have decried a “ruthless” campaign to evict thousands of migrant workers from Beijing. The latest round of evictions began in the wake of a fire on 18 November that killed 19 people in an industrial neighbourhood in south Beijing, and 17 of the victims were migrants. City officials have declared a 40-day campaign against “illegal structures”, which for years have housed the millions of migrant workers who run Beijing’s restaurants, delivery companies, construction sites, retail shops and a host of small factories. The open letter, which was addressed to the country’s leadership and circulated on Chinese social media, called the evictions “a serious trampling of human rights”. Signatories included professors, researchers, poets and artists and more names continued to be added. It criticised the lack of due process and rapid speed at which the campaign was being implemented. Videos and photos posted on social media showed streets clogged with clothes and other belongings after migrants were given just minutes to pack up. Many who had lived in the Chinese capital for years were only allowed to take what they could carry before police sealed entire buildings. Authorities reportedly cut water and electrical service in some cases. “Any civilised and law abiding society cannot tolerate this, we must clearly condemn and oppose these actions,” the letter said. The haphazard nature of the mass evictions make it difficult to determine exactly how many people have been displaced. Migrants are being forced from their homes at the start of Beijing’s winter and temperature have hovered around freezing for the past week. China operated a national “household registration” system designed to control internal movement, meaning migrant workers lack many of the rights compared to native Beijingers. The system has been widely criticised for years and officials have pledged reform but have made little progress. Beijing officials have targeted a 15% cut in population of the downtown districts from 2014 levels within the next two years. That amounts to a reduction of about two million people, and authorities have also plan to demolish 40m square metres of illegal housing. International rights groups also condemned the campaign. “It’s somewhat astounding that the large numbers of migrant workers could be evicted so quickly, but this is in part because the Chinese authorities have systematically eroded all the ways people can protect their rights,” said William Nee, a researcher at Amnesty International in Hong Kong. “And, of course, China maintains the world’s largest censorship apparatus, so that it’s hard to meaningfully debate issues of injustice.” But Beijing officials denied they were targeting migrant workers at all, and said it was focused on safety. “It is irresponsible and groundless to say the campaign is to evict the ‘low-end population’,” an official from the Beijing Administration of Work Safety told local media.

Amazon announces five new AWS Elemental Media Services

Amazon has unveiled five new cloud tools for its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division. Elemental MediaConvert, Elemental MediaLive, Elemental MediaPackage, Elemental MediaStore, and Elemental MediaTailor allow AWS customers to format and compress video, as well as encode and prepare live feeds. In addition, the suite offers "professional features, image quality and reliability", according to Marco Argenti, VP of Technology at AWS. Amazon also launched its Sumerian service, which allows users to create 3D, virtual and augmented reality apps on several devices.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/amazons-new-sumerian-service-launched-to-create-browser-vr-apps/#ftag=RSSbaffb68

2017-11-27 11:34:48.233000

Amazon has announced the new Sumerian service, which allows developers to quickly create virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D apps suitable for use online. On Monday, the retail giant and cloud services provider said during the AWS re:Invent kick-off event that Amazon Sumerian can be used to quickly develop these kinds of applications to run on suitable browsers, as well as mobile devices, head-mounted displays, and digital signage. In a news release, AWS said the new service can be accessed from the AWS Management Console, and there is no further subscription required. Instead, customers pay for the storage they use when creating and saving apps. Amazon Sumerian can be used by developers to drag and drop 3D objects into scenes, such as offices or landscapes, to create VR, AR, and 3D environments. Users can embed their own objects, choose from a pre-loaded library, or use third-party offerings from repositories including Sketchfab and Turbosquid. Templates are also included, and scenes produced through the software can run in browsers which support WebGL or WebVR graphics rendering, as well as devices including Daydream, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and iOS smartphones and tablets. In addition, Amazon Sumerian includes tools for the creation of animated 3D characters. As Amazon Lex and Amazon Polly are included in the solution, users are able to implement automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language understanding (NLU), and text-to-speech capabilities. "Customers across industries see the potential of VR and AR technologies for a wide range of uses -- from educating and training employees to creating new customer experiences," said Marco Argenti, Vice President of Technology at AWS. "But, customers are daunted and overwhelmed by the up-front investment in specialized skills and tools required to even get started building a VR or AR application." "With Amazon Sumerian, it is now possible for any developer to create a realistic, interactive VR or AR application in a few hours," Argenti added. Amazon also took the opportunity to announce five new AWS Elemental Media Services at AWS re:Invent. The five new cloud services, AWS Elemental MediaConvert, Elemental MediaLive, Elemental MediaPackage, Elemental MediaStore, and Elemental MediaTailor, offer solutions for AWS customers for formatting and compressing video, encoding live video, preparing live video streams, delivering media and embedding targeted advertising. The company says the new video services will "let customers build end-to-end workflows for both live and on-demand video with the professional features, image quality, and reliability needed to deliver premium video experiences to viewers across a multitude of devices." Last week, Amazon announced the Amazon ML Solutions Lab, a scheme designed to assist AWS customers in learning how to leverage machine learning through training with the firm's ML specialists. Boot camps, workshops, advisory professional services and other forms of programming are all on offer. Favorite gifts: Top tech, gadgets for under $100 Previous and related coverage

Big brands pull ads from YouTube and Google over brand safety fears

Major brands such as Mars and Deutsche Bank have removed ads from YouTube and Google over brand safety concerns. Companies, also including Cadbury, Lidl and Adidas, have pulled their ads after some appeared next to content that could be exploited by sexual predators. A Mars spokesperson said the firm was "appalled" to see its ads next to such inappropriate content, adding it would not advertise on either platform until the appropriate safeguards were in place. Advertisers also boycotted YouTube earlier this year, after ads were placed next to extremist content.

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/youtube-google-ads-dropped-mars-cadbury-lidl-deutsche-bank-adidas-children-paedophiles

2017-11-27 11:28:47.350000

Major brands have begun pulling their ads from YouTube and Google after their ads appeared with content that had become the go-to for sexual predators. The likes of Mars, Cadbury, Lidl, Deutsche Bank, and Adidas have all removed advertising from YouTube in what is the second mass exodus from the platform this year – following the advertiser boycott when ads were placed against extremist content. “We are shocked and appalled to see that our adverts have appeared alongside such exploitative and inappropriate content,” a Mars spokesperson told the Guardian. “We have taken the decision to immediately suspend all our online advertising on YouTube and Google globally. Until we have confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place, we will not advertise on YouTube and Google.” The decision made by the brands comes despite YouTube laying out a plan that will see it taking a tougher stance on predatory behaviour and exploitative videos in order to keep kids safer on the platform in future. The Google-owned video sharing site was forced to act after a variety of reports surrounding both the type of content kids were seeing on YouTube and the predatory environment they were being subjected to. Despite the questions raised against YouTube and its policy changes so far, it is believed that could be somewhere in the region of 50,000 to 100,000 predatory accounts still active on the platform.

Redrow Liverpool Mutual Homes partners with City Council and Redrow

UK house builder Redrow has generated a land value of more than £4m ($5.3m) and agreed to protect £3m of that sum as part its a strategic partnership with Liverpool Mutual Homes and Liverpool City Council. The joint venture aims to build 1,500 new homes by 2020, with the city council offering up local authority land for sale to Redrow. That money is then ring-fenced, while Liverpool Mutual Homes builds affordable housing. Two hundred and fifty units have been delivered since the scheme's launch in February 2015, with another 150 under construction.

http://labmonline.co.uk/features/local-authority-housing-association-development-ambitions/

2017-11-27 10:58:17.497000

Partnerships between local authorities and housing associations were a key theme at the NHF National Development Conference 2017. A panel discussion regarding the development ambitions of these partnerships was held between Chris Bowen from Liverpool Mutual Homes, Manjeet Gill from Solace and Colm Lacey from Brick by Brick. LABM’s Sophie Taylor finds out more from the panel. Chairing the discussion, NHF Chief Executive David Orr claimed that partnerships between local authorities and housing associations are key to the success of the housebuilding industry. David argued that it was essential to “develop the right kind of strategic and other relationships, and consider how you use these to make the best use of the assets and resources that both partners bring to the table”. Putting partnerships into practice in Liverpool Liverpool Mutual Homes have engaged in a strategic partnership with Liverpool City Council and Redrow, with Willmott Dixon as a building contractor. Aiming to build 1,500 new homes by 2020, the partnership is centered around a common ethos of delivery. How the model works: Local authority land is offered by Liverpool City Council. Redrow pay market value for the sites, which goes into the council in a ring-fenced programme account for the housing partnership. LMH delivers affordable housing which they subsidise themselves, or is subsidised by the council where necessary. The council allocates land to offer to the partnership, giving LMH the opportunity for exclusivity. LMH and Redrow then work together on the best solution to bring the sites forward. They have done a lot of work at the market assessment level to ensure that they are delivering outputs that are appropriate to the sites as well as the city’s housing market. Redrow and LMH take the leading role on programme management, the allocation of sites, and working out how cross-subsidy will work. Liverpool City Council put land into the partnership and put subsidy through. The collaboration agreement between Redrow and LMH offers a partnership to the local authority that provides a full range of strategic advice. Since the contracts were signed in February 2015, 250 units have been delivered. Redrow have generated a land value of over £4m, and the council has agreed to ring-fence over £3m of that money towards the housing partnership’s schemes. At the moment, there are 150 units being developed in the city centre for Rent to Buy and shared ownership. Total investment to date has reached £75m. Chris Bowen advises that these types of partnerships work best when they involve organisations with similar goals, which are committed to being flexible and pragmatic. Chris commented that in the LMH partnership, all parties are dedicated to “improving housing choice, growth in population in the area, and more regeneration.” He continued: “We are coming from a common standpoint: that we want to make a difference.” Prosperity and housing Understanding the different roles of local authorities and housing associations, and the potential that partnerships between them can offer is a key issue for Solace, The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. As part of their ‘prosperity’ agenda, housing has become a core strategic area. Manjeet Gill believes that there are many reasons why housing associations and local authorities should work together. They both have a social role: an advocacy role in influencing the Government’s policy direction, and social objectives regarding regeneration and communities. Local authorities also have an understanding of the planning regime, different types of capabilities, can borrow at cheaper rates, and hold a lot of land. With access to pension funds, public borrowing and the ability to raise bonds, local authorities are able to provide different types of financing. They are also ultimately responsible for overall community wellbeing and the housing strategy of their local area. “We are coming from a common standpoint: that we want to make a difference.” In places such as Croydon, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Lincolnshire, local authorities have started to work with housing associations, but performance is mixed. Local authorities have also started to develop housing themselves and establishing companies to do so. However, where these companies exist, there is a need for good strategic partnerships to deliver a large quantity of housing. Manjeet Gill suggests that housing associations should talk to Solace for advice — large housing associations may not have the time to contact different local authorities, while smaller housing associations can look to Solace for help with capacity building and support within the partnerships, particularly within niche areas such as extra-care. Brick by Brick Recent studies have suggested that around 75% of local authorities are either thinking about or have already set up a housing company of some kind. One of these is Brick by Brick, established by Croydon Council. Croydon is faced with a huge housing need, a growing population (around 20% since the early 80s), a particularly young population, and a changing type of population — with a growth in non-traditional households that change tenure fairly regularly. The borough currently has an oversupply of larger units, and a significant undersupply of smaller units. Furthermore, around 80% of residents cannot afford to buy the lowest value units, and 50% cannot afford to rent the lowest value units. To address the deepening housing need whilst capturing the advantages of growth in property value, Croydon Council formed Brick by Brick — an independent private company with the council as its sole shareholder. The company purchases land at market rates, borrows at market rates, and purchases legal/financial services from the council — creating an additional income stream for Croydon Council. The company’s main purpose is to engage in development activities, and where a profit is made, this returns to the council, creating a sealed commercial model. Brick by Brick aims to deliver 50% affordable housing, with a local sales policy to give local residents priority for affordable homes for a discrete period of time. There is a focus and commitment on design and delivery impact, in order to change perceptions of the local area. Most of the sites are suburban infill, and use tenure-blind design. In the last six months, 30 sites have been given consent, delivering around 1,000 units — 45% of which are affordable (of which 50% will be for affordable rent and 50% for shared ownership). There are another 15 sites in pre-application, delivering around 800 units of which over 50% will be affordable. Do these partnerships address the housing crisis? It is clear that different types of partnerships and approaches are more appropriate for different areas. However, David Orr concluded that strategic partnerships will be an important mechanism for truly increasing housing supply, “bringing together the skills, knowledge, resources and expertise that each respectively has, to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts”. Despite many barriers that remain, for the first time in a long time, the political environment is supportive of the housing sector’s objectives, and the National Housing Federation is optimistic about the future. Pictured above is the recently completed affordable rent scheme in Fazakerley, Liverpool, delivered by LMH under the umbrella of the Liverpool Housing Partnership.

Eastern Europe's closer China ties stoke EU integration concerns

China's deepening ties with Eastern Europe under its "One Belt, One Road" initiative is making Brussels nervous. Former soviet states are leveraging closer relations with Beijing against the European Union. Macedonian President Ivanov's recent claim that EU neglect has forced the Balkans to seek Chinese investment is among comments seen driving a wedge into the bloc's integration. This comes as China announces it will provide funding of over $3bn for development and investment projects in Central and Eastern Europe.

https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/chinas-charm-offensive-in-eastern-europe-challenges-eu-cohesion/

2017-11-27 10:58:17.350000

Advertisement Hungary in recent months has been associated with a Belt and Road fiasco, as work for the Hungarian stretch of the Belgrade-Budapest railway – China’s most ambitious transport project in Europe – has been halted for allegedly violating EU public procurement laws. But next Monday setbacks will be glossed over by grandiose symbolism as the Hungarian capital prepares itself to welcome the heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). In fact, while Beijing has yet to deliver on its promises for infrastructure investment in the region, it has been working full steam on institutionalizing its cooperation with Eastern Europe, shaping the 16+1 initiative into a platform for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This is turning into a stress test for EU cohesion. Established in Warsaw in 2012, the 16+1 framework for cooperation is China’s most advanced sub-regional diplomatic initiative in Europe, involving 11 Central and Eastern European EU member states and five Balkan states, each in the process of negotiating their accession to the EU. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Beijing initiated this format with the promise to foster investment, economic and trade cooperation, and to bring connectivity projects to the region. After the launch of Beijing’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, the format has turned into a platform for China to develop infrastructure projects to connect Asia to Europe – with the aim to facilitate Chinese access to the European market, to export China’s excess capital and labor, and to build its global power. Institution Building Shows Dynamism in 16+1 Political Relations So far at least, China’s economic engagement in the region lags far behind its promises. Despite last year’s announcement of a 10 billion EUR investment fund for infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe, most Chinese investment in Europe has been mainly directed to Europe’s four largest countries in the West, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France. Hungary is an exception in Eastern Europe, as it has obtained significant investment. At the same time, the Belgrade-Budapest railway – a landmark BRI project – is still blocked by an EU investigation trying into whether it violated EU laws on public tender processes. Diplomat Brief Weekly Newsletter N Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. Get the Newsletter While China’s promises for increased economic cooperation have yet to materialize, political cooperation and institution building with Eastern European countries have moved ahead at a remarkable pace. The 16+1 format now involves regular ministerial conferences such as the first China-CEEC Ministerial conference on energy cooperation that was held in Bucharest on November 8. A two-day meeting of China-CEEC transport ministers in Warsaw in October led to the creation of a 16+1 Coordinating Secretariat on Maritime Issues. Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month. With the upcoming summit in mind, governments from the Baltic to Eastern Europe have praised their countries as suitable destinations for Chinese investment under BRI-labelled infrastructure projects. Latvia pledged to strengthen cooperation on transport and logistics, infrastructure investments, trade and tourism. Hungary intends to launch a tender for the Hungarian stretch of the Belgrade-Budapest railway at next week’s summit. Bulgaria hosted a 16+1 forum branding Plovdiv as “the oldest city on the Silk Road.” During the October 16+1 meeting of transport ministers in Warsaw, the Polish prime minister referred to a plan for a new airport hub in Poland, which would be combined with a high-speed railway connecting Europe and Asia, while Slovenia’s infrastructure minister promoted his country as a major logistics hub in Central Europe, with logistics centers in Ljubljana, Maribor, and Koper, and the Port of Koper connecting commercial ports in the Northern Adriatic. A Stress Test for EU Cohesion In light of these countries’ high expectations for economic gains, next week’s summit is a stress test for EU cohesion. The EU has viewed the 16+1 format with concerns since 2015. A 2015 European Parliament’s resolution called on EU member states to “speak with one voice to the Chinese government, particularly in view of Beijing’s present diplomatic dynamism.” The text took note of Chinese expanded diplomacy activities in Central and Eastern Europe and stressed that the “16+1 group should not divide the EU or weaken its position vis-à-vis China and should also address human rights issues.” Advertisement China and CEEC countries have presented the format as a positive contribution to EU-China relations. On the sidelines of the recent ASEAN-EU summit, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reassured European Council President Donald Tusk that, “cooperation between China and CEEC countries is conducive to the comprehensive and balanced development of China-EU relations and to European integration as well.” But European integration seems very much at stake when Eastern European governments use their relationship with China to gain leverage over Brussels. This became clear when Macedonian President Ivanov claimed that the EU’s neglect of the Balkans was forcing these EU accession candidates states to turn to China for investment. The importance of next week’s summit goes beyond potential new Chinese promises or announcements of investments in CEEC countries. The 16+1 cooperation is full of symbolism that can threaten the cohesion within the EU if left unaddressed.