Trifacta, the global leader in data wrangling, announced the Spring ’17 Wrangler Enterprise release, accelerating expansion of data wrangling projects in production environments through advancements in self-service scheduling, sharing and sampling capabilities. With the Spring ’17 release, Trifacta now provides enhanced features that meet the growing expectations for deploying data wrangling solutions at enterprise-wide scale. The updates improve upon Trifacta’s award-winning user experience, empowers users to more effectively build and manage complex workflows, share wrangling recipes and datasets with other users, and more flexibly define samples with more flexibility to leverage in developing wrangling recipes.
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Ericsson introduces customized network solutions for Indian market
Ericsson has announced the launch of new dual band radio products customised for the Indian market. The latest innovations from Ericsson include Wideband Radio 2242 – a single radio addressing two spectrum bands (1800 MHz and 2100 MHz) and three standards and Dual Band Radio Dot –provides significant boost to indoor mobile broadband connectivity. It combines two frequency bands (1800 MHz and 2100 MHz) in one form factor simplifying deployment that integrates 100% with outdoor networks. These radio solutions from Ericsson are designed to provide a superior end customer experience while enabling telecom operators to boost capacity and at the same time be more energy and cost efficient .
”Video and Social media are driving the dramatic increase in data traffic. Growing smartphone penetration and rapidly changing data usage patterns have put a lot of focus on network performance. Ericsson’s latest range of dual band radio solutions have been designed to help Indian operators address this heightened demand by increasing capacity, improving coverage outdoors and indoors while enabling significant opex benefits,” said Nitin Bansal, Head of Network Products, Ericsson India.
EuroCACS: Understand Your Audit & Who Conducts It
In a talk at the ISACA EuroCACS Conference in Munich, London Chapter director external relations Raef Meeuwisse described a situation where he had completed a third party audit of a company, and how many of the ‘mega-breaches’ occur because companies fail on the basics.
He said that every major cyber-breach was down to three major or critical security safeguards which were either not in place, or were not fit for purpose. He asked: “Why is it we can identify problems, but not get buy-in to get these fixed?
“People spend a fortune on layers of security but leave something open. Every security department says ‘we’re not particularly good’ and they are doing a great job under the circumstances, in my top ten someone said that they were surprised security culture was not in there, and if there is a sharing culture you can enforce a good security practice, if not it goes the other way.”
Public clouds woo SAP apps to win the heart of enterprise IT
The three biggest cloud providers have buddied up to SAP as they seek to bring the crown jewels of enterprise IT into their massive data centers.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure have all publicly lauded the German ERP software maker as they compete to win workloads that remain largely on premises. It's a huge opportunity for public cloud providers -- it not only signifies trust in handling sensitive enterprise data, but also because ERP apps are among the most complicated and expensive apps in corporate IT.
Friday, 26 May 2017
Rackspace Acquires Managed Cloud Firm TriCore Solutions
Rackspace has reached a deal to acquire consulting and managed cloud services company TriCore Solutions, adding its enterprise application management expertise and support, according to a Thursday announcement.
Financial details of the deal, which is expected to close in June, were not disclosed. TriCore provides management of Oracle and SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) products, as well as business intelligence and analytics, data warehousing and integration services.
These mission-critical applications manage core business functions, but are complex and expensive to run, according to the announcement, which leads companies to seek help managing and optimizing them.
The Windows firewall is the overlooked defense against WannaCry and Adylkuzz
Despite all the attention currently focused on Windows computers being infected with WannaCry ransomware, a defensive strategy has been overlooked. This being a Defensive Computing blog, I feel the need to point it out.
The story being told everywhere else is simplistic and incomplete. Basically, the story is that Windows computers without the appropriate bug fix are getting infected over the network by WannaCry ransomware and the Adylkuzz cryptocurrency miner.
Amazon Charts, Amazon’s new bestseller list, ranks titles by ‘most read’ and more
Amazon has long relied on customers providing feedback and other ranking data as part of the process of encouraging more sales on its platform, and now the e-commerce giant is adding a new twist on this to spur more buying in its books business.
Today, Amazon announced Amazon Charts, a new kind of bestseller list that will give users, for the first time ever, a top 20 list of ‘most read’ books on Amazon — a new metric that combines how much books are read on Kindle and listened to via Audible.
Apple Looking to Cook 5G Test Devices
Apple is asking the FCC for a license to test high-band millimeter wave technology in devices ahead of the anticipated launch of 5G networks using such technology before the end of the decade.
Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) wants to test on 28GHz and 39GHz spectrum at its headquarters in Cupertino, and in Milpitas, Calif.
"Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers' future 5G networks," the company said in documentation filed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) , first reported by Business Insider.
Thursday, 25 May 2017
Why location intelligence is the key to addressing customer churn
The structure of network traffic is changing. It is estimated that 31% of smartphone users now make no traditional voice calls in a given week, and 36% of 18-24 year olds are ‘data exclusive’, so the pressure on infrastructure providers is increasing rapidly. In its latest Visual Networking Index, Cisco forecast data traffic will reach 49 Exabytes within the next five years. An exabyte is equal to a quintillion, and 49 quintillion looks like this: 49,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s a lot of data traffic.
AMD plots return to the data center with Epyc
There aren't many second acts in technology, let alone a third. But that isn't stopping AMD.
In the early part of the century, AMD shook up the computing world when it introduced three major changes to the x86 CPU: multi-core CPUs, 64-bit extensions, and moving the memory controller onto the CPU instead of a separate front-side bus.
As a result, the company suddenly became very competitive with Intel and began taking market share. Nowhere was that more obvious than in servers, where the company introduced its first server product, called Opteron.
Making the Leap to 25 Gigabit Ethernet and Beyon
If you're beginning to feel the bandwidth pinch while operating Gigabit Ethernet and 10 GbE within your data center, a logical step is to consider 25-, 40-, 50- and even 100-Gbps links. But while all four are excellent new technologies that can significantly boost throughput capacity, there are a few things to keep in mind. Let's look at three key considerations before you make the jump to new Ethernet standards.
PTC Creo Product Insight Offers the Power of the IoT for Product Design
Integrated with the ThingWorx® Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform, Creo Product Insight brings a new dimension to the design process – the connection of real-world IoT data.
With Creo Product Insight, designers can better understand how products are used and how they behave, and proactively design products with custom data streams by integrating sensors into the design process.
During LiveWorx®17, thousands of attendees were introduced to Creo Product Insight and viewed demonstrations that highlighted how Creo and ThingWorx work together to provide designers access to new levels of product and service information. This information helps drive better design decisions and supports their needs to build smart, connected products.
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Placing The Data Center Bet: Intel Partners Take The Vertical Leap
Intel's portfolio is expanding into a number of new areas beyond the PC, and the data center is one of the company's biggest bets.
In fact, for 2016, Data Center Group revenue was up 8 percent to $17.2 billion compared with the previous year. And it's the company's partners that are key to such growth, according to Jennifer Huffstetler, senior director of data center product marketing at Intel.
Ericsson introduces customized network solutions for Indian market
Ericsson has announced the launch of new dual band radio products customised for the Indian market. The latest innovations from Ericsson include Wideband Radio 2242 – a single radio addressing two spectrum bands (1800 MHz and 2100 MHz) and three standards and Dual Band Radio Dot –provides significant boost to indoor mobile broadband connectivity. It combines two frequency bands (1800 MHz and 2100 MHz) in one form factor simplifying deployment that integrates 100% with outdoor networks. These radio solutions from Ericsson are designed to provide a superior end customer experience while enabling telecom operators to boost capacity and at the same time be more energy and cost efficient .
Four Tips to Help Clients Guard Against Insider Threats
An organization’s most vital and secured systems are placed into the hands of a third party (very often an MSP) to manage and maintain.
It is an MSP’s responsibility to keep the comprehensive IT operations – from the network to applications and systems – of an organization secure.
As an MSP, offering an organization the added security of protecting against insider threats for data breaches and compromised sensitive data can be the difference between scoring or losing a customer.
Microsoft Cloud Uses Nvidia GRID to Pump Out High-End Graphics
Microsoft is no stranger to using Nvidia's GPUs to speed up its cloud-delivered artificial intelligence workloads, but now the company is taking aim at high-end graphical workstations and virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) with its latest NV-series Azure virtual instances.
The software giant this week announced three NV-series offerings that use Nvidia's GRID virtualization platform to generate high-fidelity computer imagery on the cloud. Available in with up to 24 processing cores, 224GB of memory, 1.44TB of solid-state storage and four M60 Nvidia GPUs, Microsoft's latest Azure virtual machines pack some serious graphical horsepower, according to Karan Batta, a senior program manager at Microsoft Azure.
Monday, 22 May 2017
53% off Linksys Cable Modem for Comcast, Eliminate Rental Fees - Deal Alert
The Linksys DPC3008 Cable Modem delivers high-speed broadband connectivity to your home and office with download speeds up to 340 Mbps and upload speeds up to 120 Mbps. The Gigabit Ethernet port provides high-speed network performance, while DOCSIS 3.0 support ensures you can connect directly to your existing cable broadband service. Comcast-certified, the DPC3008's simple setup allows you to get connected quickly and easily. It also allows you to stop paying monthly modem-rental fees.
Lantronix Announces Availability of Beta Release of IoT Application Development Platform
MACH10 Dramatically Simplifies the Process for OEMs to Deliver Web-Scale IoT Applications.
Lantronix, Inc. today announced availability of the beta release of MACH10, a multi-dimensional IoT application development and deployment platform that dramatically simplifies the process for OEMs to deliver web-scale IoT applications.
“Following a successful preview and demonstration of MACH10 to early access customers during the March quarter, we’re pleased to announce the availability of the MACH10 beta,” said Jeff Benck, president and CEO of Lantroni
Dell Technologies announces new IoT products and partnerships
The new IoT products and services from the company, which was formed after the merger of Dell and EMC, include VMware Pulse IoT Center, a secure IoT infrastructure management solution allowing customers to efficiently manage, operate, scale and protect their IoT projects from the edge to the cloud, as well as a consulting operation, the IoT Technology Advisory Service. EdgeX Foundry, an open source standards framework from the Linux Foundation previously reported on by this publication, was also noted.
Dell also said it has organised a group of IoT software and services partners through the Dell IoT Solutions Partner and Dell EMC Partner Programs. New partners recently added to the programme include Analog Devices, Atos, Bosch, ForgeRock, IOTech, Mocana and Modius.
Zain Group launches Iflix service across ME
Zain Group and Iflix have announced the official launch of Iflix’s world-class service across several of Zain’s markets. The move follows the announcement made earlier in the year that Zain and Iflix were forming a joint venture entity called ‘iflix Arabia’. The service is now available to Zain customers in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan. The companies additionally plan to further extend service availability to other markets in the region where Zain operates, particularly Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
From 21 May, Zain customers will receive complimentary unlimited access to the iflix service, for varying periods according to each of its markets. New users can go to Iflix website or download the app from the Google Play or Apple App Store to sign-up. With over 170 studio and distributor partnerships worldwide, Iflix offers users a vast library of top Hollywood, regional Arabic, popular Turkish, Bollywood and other local TV shows and movies, including many first run exclusives and award winning programmes.
Ericsson's Ewaldsson Takes Aim at Telco 'Conservatism'
Ulf Ewaldsson does not seem like a man facing one of the most daunting tasks in telecom. With his ready smile and lilting Swedish accent, the head of Ericsson's newish digital services business appears unflappably calm. But the company he works for is in turmoil: Following a sequence of earnings setbacks, Ericsson is desperately trying to restore profitability to historical levels without sabotaging its future prospects. That challenge falls heavily on the shoulders of Ewaldsson.
That's partly because of his status within the company. Formerly Ericsson's chief technology officer, Ewaldsson seems to have been instrumental in developing the latest, margin-focused plan, taking charge of strategy back in September. Since March, however, and with Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) in plan-implementation mode, Ewaldsson has been leading a new-look digital services business that forms a major part of the IT and cloud division -- one of three big units, the others being networks and media, that Ericsson now operates.
Google’s machine-learning cloud pipeline explained
When Google first told the world about its Tensor Processing Unit, the strategy behind it seemed clear enough: Speed machine learning at scale by throwing custom hardware at the problem. Use commodity GPUs to train machine-learning models; use custom TPUs to deploy those trained models.
The new generation of Google’s TPUs is designed to handle both of those duties, training and deploying, on the same chip. That new generation is also faster, both on its own and when scaled out with others in what’s called a “TPU pod.”
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Oil Prices, Sluggish Economy Hurt Chemical Industry Sales In 2016
The nation's top chemical manufacturers saw lower sales last year amid low oil prices and slow economic growth.
Chemical & Engineering News reports that the 50 largest U.S. chemical producers in 2016 reported $260 billion in combined sales for the year, a drop of more than 5 percent compared to sales by 2015's top 50 companies.
Just nine of those 50 companies reported sales increases last year, including just one of the 10 largest chemical makers — PPG Industries at no. 4.
Market leader Dow Chemical reported a decline of at 1.3 percent, followed by a 7.4 percent decline from no. 2 ExxonMobil and a 4.9 percent slide by third-ranked DuPont. Praxair rounded out the top five with 2.2 percent lower sales.
A New Healthcare Cloud from Virtustream
Virtustream, an enterprise class cloud company, announced today that it will be launching a new healthcare cloud for its clients. This new product is built on Virtustream Enterprise Cloud and is aimed to helping clients to comply with the security requirements from regulatory bodies.
One of the key aspects of this healthcare cloud is that it offers an environment that is compliant with existing standards like HIPAA and HITECH. The service level agreements ensure that these requirements are met 99.999%, and this can be a big relief for healthcare companies.
Currently, the many regulations take up a lot of time and resources of healthcare companies and it also takes their time away from their core business. If the IT environment they work on is going to take care of all these requirements, then it’s sure going to make life easy for them.
This healthcare cloud product is designed to support a range of different electronic medical record systems and a ton of other healthcare and non-healthcare applications that are used by hospitals worldwide.
Friday, 19 May 2017
Verizon’s Ellis: We are committed to our wireline business
Verizon may have shifted a lot of its attention toward wireless services in recent years, but the telco isn’t going to hang up on its wireline network anytime soon.
As the service provider’s wireless business densifies its network and prepares for upcoming 5G rollouts, the role of fiber has become a key underlying asset to support wireless backhaul of these higher speed services.
Matt Ellis, EVP and CFO at Verizon, told investors during the MoffettNathanson 4th Annual Media & Communications Summit that Verizon sees the wireline assets overall as an important element of its network future.
RELATED: Verizon’s Ellis: We’ll look at all options to expand our fiber network
“We’re committed to the wireline business because it’s really the backbone of all of the network services that we’re offering,” Ellis said.
Delphi joins BMW, Intel and Mobileye in connected car cooperation
Delphi is to join BMW, Intel and Mobileye as a development partner and system integrator for its autonomous driving platform partnership.
Their intention is joint deployment of a cooperation model to deliver and scale developed solutions to the broader OEM automotive industry and potentially other industries.
Delphi, who had earlier worked for the BMW Group on prototype compute platform, is currently working on areas of perception, sensor fusion and high performance automated driving computing with Intel and Mobileye.
The cooperation partners had come together in July 2016 to realise their conceptualisation of autonomous-driving vehicles, make advancements in technologies pertaining to autonomous-driving vehicles and to bring into series their production by 2021. They have developed a scalable architecture which can be used by other automotive developers to pursue state-of-the-art designs and create differentiated brands.
SolarWinds Closes Acquisition of Scout Server Monitoring
IT management software provider SolarWinds announced on Wednesday that it has completed the acquisition of Scout Server Monitoring, which will bring deep server monitoring capabilities for DevOps professionals. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Pingdom Server Monitor, formerly Scout Server Monitoring, will join Pingdom website uptime and performance monitoring products, as well as Librato, Papertrail, and TraceView in its SaaS portfolio for monitoring cloud-native applications, servers and other infrastructure.
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Where are the text analytics unicorns?
Customer-strategy maven Paul Greenberg made a thought-provoking remark to me back in 2013. Paul was puzzled — Why haven’t there been any billion-dollar text analytics startups?
“Text analytics” is a term for software and business processes that apply natural language processing (NLP) to extract business insights from social, online, and enterprise text sources. The context: Paul and I were in a taxi to the airport following the 2013 Clarabridge Customer Connections conference.
Customer experience leaders outpace laggards in key performance categories, according to a 2014 Harvard Business Review study.Above: Customer experience leaders outpace laggards in key performance categories, according to a 2014 Harvard Business Review study.
Clarabridge is a text-analytics provider that specializes in customer experience management (CEM). CEM is an extremely beneficial approach to measuring and optimizing business-customer interactions, if you accept research such as Harvard Business Review’s 2014 study, Lessons from the Leading Edge of Customer Experience Management. Witness the outperform stats reported in tables such as the one to the right.
Meet the CMOs: Verizon’s Scotti works to shore up wireless, Fios business
This is an entry in our new “Meet the CMOs” feature that will look at the top marketing executives in the nation’s biggest telecom companies. These are the executives who oversee multimillion dollar advertising budgets and are charged with raising their company’s brand profile.
CMO: Diego Scotti
Bio: Scotti was appointed as Verizon’s first CMO in 2014. Prior to Verizon, Scotti served as the CMO of J. Crew, and before that oversaw 20 print and digital media brands at Condé Nast Publications. Earlier, he headed up global advertising and brand management for American Express.
Scotti was recognized as one of the “Marketing Top 40 under 40” by Advertising Age in 2007 and was one of 21 marketers named as “Internationalists” by International Magazine in 2012. He is also a member of the board of directors of the ANA and Ad Council.
How much money does the company spend on advertising? Verizon spent $2.74 billion on advertising in 2016, down slightly from $2.75 billion in 2015.
What’s the company’s marketing message? Facing competition from cable and its three main wireless competitors, Verizon has campaigns geared toward pushing both its wireline and wireless offerings.
Computex Taps Security MSP President To Lead Sales Charge, Aims To Signficantly Grow Its Security Footprint
Computex Technology Solutions has tapped Matthew Brennan, the president of VirtualArmour, one of the country's top managed security providers, to lead the sales charge at the solution provider.
The appointment of Brennan as senior vice president of sales signals Computex's intent to significantly expand its security vendor partnerships and services offerings, CEO Frank Vitagliano told CRN in an interview.
"Matt is a strong leader that understands managed services and the services security market," said Vitagliano. "He is a perfect fit for us as we expand our security partnerships and services offerings."
Cloud computing goes beyond tipping point in financial services, says DTCC
Cloud computing has reached a ‘tipping point’ in financial services with capabilities and cost efficiencies moving ahead of on-premise data centre equivalents, according to The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC).
The company, which provides financial transaction and data processing services for the global financial industry, has issued a new report, titled ‘Moving Financial Market Infrastructure to the Cloud’. The tipping point, the report argues, comes from a change in questioning on cloud services; the conversation moves forward from ‘is the cloud safe?’ to ‘what compromises are we making by staying on-premises?’
DTCC itself says it has leveraged cloud services for almost five years, and is therefore looking at methods of expansion, with the proof of the pudding in the eating.
The report goes through the usual rigmarole of outlining software, infrastructure, and platform as a service, as well as discussing benefits such as scale, resiliency, privacy, security and cost. The paper also notes that public cloud vendors have significantly upped their game in recent years.
Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Oil output spike brightens North Sea's twilight years
By Amanda Cooper and Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) – North Sea oil output is expected to jump by a net 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) or about a fifth in the next two years, defying gloomy forecasts for the oldest deepwater basin that produces the world’s benchmark crude price. Projects from the West Shetlands to the icy fringes of the Arctic Ocean aim to add 1.2 million bpd, Reuters research shows. That will more than offset the decline in output from older fields in a region now producing about 2 million bpd. The net rise in overall production is expected to be about 400,000 bpd by 2020, according to U.S. energy-focused investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. The North Sea produces Brent and three other crudes – Forties, Oseberg, and Ekofisk – that make up the Brent futures benchmark. The region is expected to report its third annual production rise in a row in 2017, reversing years of sliding output. Since production began in earnest in the 1960s, about 40 billion barrels of oil have been extracted from the North Sea. A 50 percent drop in oil prices from above $100 (£77.5) a barrel in 2014 has forced some North Sea producers to sell assets. Others have adapted as they seek to extract more of the 20 billion barrels estimated to lie under Britain’s North Sea zone alone. “The drop in the oil price forced everyone to focus even more than they were on (production) uptime and operating efficiencies which have risen dramatically over the last two years,” Premier Chief Executive Tony Durrant told Reuters.
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Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars
SAN FRANCISCO — As the race to bring self-driving vehicles to the public intensifies, two of Silicon Valley’s most prominent players are teaming up.
Waymo, the self-driving car unit that operates under Google’s parent company, has signed a deal with the ride-hailing start-up Lyft, according to two people familiar with the agreement who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The deal calls for the companies to work together to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream through pilot projects and product development efforts, these people said.
The deal was confirmed by Lyft and Waymo.
“Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation,” a Lyft spokeswoman said in a statement.
A Waymo spokesman said, “Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.”
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Waymo, the self-driving car unit that operates under Google’s parent company, has signed a deal with the ride-hailing start-up Lyft, according to two people familiar with the agreement who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The deal calls for the companies to work together to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream through pilot projects and product development efforts, these people said.
The deal was confirmed by Lyft and Waymo.
“Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation,” a Lyft spokeswoman said in a statement.
A Waymo spokesman said, “Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.”
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China's fondness for pirated software raises risks in attack
BEIJING – China's fondness for pirated software left it especially vulnerable to the latest global cyberattack.
Beijing has tolerated rampant use of unlicensed software copies despite repeated promises to crack down and warnings by industry groups that China is leaving itself open to being hurt by malicious code.
Some 70 percent of computers in China run unlicensed software, the highest level among large countries, according to BSA The Software Alliance, an industry group. Rates for the United States, Japan, Germany and Britain range from 18 to 22 percent.
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Beijing has tolerated rampant use of unlicensed software copies despite repeated promises to crack down and warnings by industry groups that China is leaving itself open to being hurt by malicious code.
Some 70 percent of computers in China run unlicensed software, the highest level among large countries, according to BSA The Software Alliance, an industry group. Rates for the United States, Japan, Germany and Britain range from 18 to 22 percent.
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FORMER FOX NEWS STAR GRETCHEN CARLSON DOES NOT BELIEVE IN REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT TO HR
Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson warned Monday that employees should be wary of reporting sexual harassment to their human resources departments.
Carlson, who sued the TV network’s CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment—leading to his resignations in July—told an audience in New York to think twice about telling HR if and when they experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.
"Is human resources really the right place to go? Because what I always equate it to is: Who's giving them the paycheck? In the end, if the culture's being set from the top and it's trickling down to the lower levels, human resources may not be looking out for you,” she said during an interview at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women dinner.
Global firms to China: Put new cyber rules on hold
Dozens of industry organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have sent a letter to the Chinese government over a new cybersecurity law that's due to take effect next month, calling for it to be delayed.
One of the biggest concerns about the new rules is China's plan to conduct security reviews of technology products, which the letter describes as "trade-inhibiting."
It also argues that the requirements on issues ranging from data disclosure to encryption could give Chinese companies an unfair advantage over their rivals from overseas. Foreign businesses operating in China usually need to transfer information outside the country, but the new law states that sensitive data must now be stored domestically, a move critics say will hinder trade and innovation.
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One of the biggest concerns about the new rules is China's plan to conduct security reviews of technology products, which the letter describes as "trade-inhibiting."
It also argues that the requirements on issues ranging from data disclosure to encryption could give Chinese companies an unfair advantage over their rivals from overseas. Foreign businesses operating in China usually need to transfer information outside the country, but the new law states that sensitive data must now be stored domestically, a move critics say will hinder trade and innovation.
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Monday, 15 May 2017
Uber Engineer Barred From Work on Key Self-Driving Technology, Judge Says
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber, the ride-hailing company, sidestepped a full shutdown of its self-driving car efforts on Monday when a federal judge stopped short of issuing a temporary injunction against the program.
But the court mandated that Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer leading the program, be prohibited from working on a critical component of autonomous vehicle technology for the duration of the litigation, a setback that could hamper Uber’s development efforts.
The decision was in a case that has underlined the increasingly bitter fight between Uber and Waymo, the self-driving car business that operates under Google’s parent company. The companies have been competing in the development of autonomous vehicles, which many consider the future of transportation. The outcome of the case may affect who wins or loses in the technology, which has also drawn other tech companies, automakers and start-ups.
For years, Google had an advantage as an early entrant in autonomous vehicle research. But more recently, Uber has poured millions of dollars into bringing self-driving cars to the mainstream, with Apple and others also diving in. Automakers, including General Motors and Ford, have invested in artificial intelligence start-ups like Cruise Automation and Argo AI in hopes of building the software that will run self-driving cars.
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But the court mandated that Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer leading the program, be prohibited from working on a critical component of autonomous vehicle technology for the duration of the litigation, a setback that could hamper Uber’s development efforts.
The decision was in a case that has underlined the increasingly bitter fight between Uber and Waymo, the self-driving car business that operates under Google’s parent company. The companies have been competing in the development of autonomous vehicles, which many consider the future of transportation. The outcome of the case may affect who wins or loses in the technology, which has also drawn other tech companies, automakers and start-ups.
For years, Google had an advantage as an early entrant in autonomous vehicle research. But more recently, Uber has poured millions of dollars into bringing self-driving cars to the mainstream, with Apple and others also diving in. Automakers, including General Motors and Ford, have invested in artificial intelligence start-ups like Cruise Automation and Argo AI in hopes of building the software that will run self-driving cars.
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Japan's 'Superhuman' athletes mix legends with high tech
By Kyung Hoon Kim TOKYO (Reuters) – When it comes to culture and entertainment, Japan has a rich history spanning ancient legends and sport to popular comics and video games. Now a new generation of inventors is drawing on this culture to create sports with a 21st-century twist — helping players feel “superhuman” through technology or other special equipment. The Superhuman Sports Society, a Tokyo-based group of researchers and game designers, has certified 12 new sports since its launch in 2015, including “HADO”, or “wave motion” in English. In “HADO”, players in head-mounted augmented-reality displays and arm band sensors dodge waves of light as they fire energy balls at each other in a virtual arena. The game is similar to the action seen in the “Dragon Ball” manga-animation franchise and “Street Fighter” video games. Some games are low tech such as “Rock Hand Battle”, in which each player wears an oversized arm and tries to knock off small rocks attached to an opponent’s “rock hand”. Noriya Kazami, 25, a cartoonist and an inventor of “Rock Hand Battle” (above), said she took inspiration from the legend of Mitsuishi (Three Rocks) and the Demon’s Handprint. She also created a comic book series based on the legend, in which a devil was tied to rocks and made to stop harassing the local people. The devil left a handprint on one of the rocks, making a “rock hand”. We asked other players for their thoughts on playing “Superhuman Sports”.
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Delta to test facial-recognition tech on new self-service bag drop
Delta Air Lines will begin testing facial recognition technology this summer at a self-service bag-drop station at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
The effort, announced by the carrier Monday, is part of a broader trial of self-service bag drop machines at its MSP hub. Delta is installing four of the machines, including the one that will test facial recognition technology "equipped to ... match customers with their passport photos through identification verification.”
Delta says the $600,000 initiative at MSP will make it the first airline to try a biometric-based self-service bag drop in the United States.
“We expect this investment and new process to save customers time,” Gareth Joyce, Delta’s SVP - Airport Customer Service and Cargo, says in a statement. “And, since customers can operate the biometric-based bag drop machine independently, we see a future where Delta agents will be freed up to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service.”
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The effort, announced by the carrier Monday, is part of a broader trial of self-service bag drop machines at its MSP hub. Delta is installing four of the machines, including the one that will test facial recognition technology "equipped to ... match customers with their passport photos through identification verification.”
Delta says the $600,000 initiative at MSP will make it the first airline to try a biometric-based self-service bag drop in the United States.
“We expect this investment and new process to save customers time,” Gareth Joyce, Delta’s SVP - Airport Customer Service and Cargo, says in a statement. “And, since customers can operate the biometric-based bag drop machine independently, we see a future where Delta agents will be freed up to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service.”
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McLaren puts brakes on KPMG and revs up Deloitte partnership
Sky News has learnt that McLaren Applied Technologies (MAT), a subsidiary of McLaren Technology Group, will announce a new venture with Deloitte that will target the delivery of £1bn of annual benefits to the professional services firm's clients by 2022.
The partnership is expected to be launched on Tuesday, according to a person close to McLaren.
Both companies declined to comment on Monday.
The new alliance will seek to develop products based on the technical expertise of MAT's engineering and analytics functions drawn from the McLaren motorsport operations.
McLaren's F1 team is experiencing a torrid period, but hired Zak Brown, a leading industry executive, to help turn around its fortunes, following the acrimonious departure of veteran chief Ron Dennis.
A source close to the talks between McLaren and Deloitte said their new partnership would create scores of jobs focused on devising data-generated products for us in industries such as healthcare, retail and transport.
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The partnership is expected to be launched on Tuesday, according to a person close to McLaren.
Both companies declined to comment on Monday.
The new alliance will seek to develop products based on the technical expertise of MAT's engineering and analytics functions drawn from the McLaren motorsport operations.
McLaren's F1 team is experiencing a torrid period, but hired Zak Brown, a leading industry executive, to help turn around its fortunes, following the acrimonious departure of veteran chief Ron Dennis.
A source close to the talks between McLaren and Deloitte said their new partnership would create scores of jobs focused on devising data-generated products for us in industries such as healthcare, retail and transport.
Read More
Judge orders Uber not to use technology taken from Waymo
A federal judge has ordered Uber not to use technology that a key executive downloaded before he left Waymo, the autonomous car company that was spun off from Google. But he refused to order a halt to Uber's self-driving program, as requested by Waymo.
Judge William Alsup in San Francisco says in the ruling filed Monday that Waymo has shown "compelling evidence" that a former star engineer named Anthony Levandowski downloaded thousands of confidential files before leaving Waymo. The Judge also says evidence shows that before he left Waymo, Levandowski and Uber planned for Uber to acquire a company formed by Levandowski.
Waymo sued Uber in February alleging that the ride-hailing company is using stolen self-driving technology to build its own fleet of autonomous cars. Monday's ruling prevents Uber from using the technology on a laser navigational tool called Lidar that robotic cars use to see what's around them.
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Judge William Alsup in San Francisco says in the ruling filed Monday that Waymo has shown "compelling evidence" that a former star engineer named Anthony Levandowski downloaded thousands of confidential files before leaving Waymo. The Judge also says evidence shows that before he left Waymo, Levandowski and Uber planned for Uber to acquire a company formed by Levandowski.
Waymo sued Uber in February alleging that the ride-hailing company is using stolen self-driving technology to build its own fleet of autonomous cars. Monday's ruling prevents Uber from using the technology on a laser navigational tool called Lidar that robotic cars use to see what's around them.
Read More
Global cyberattack: A super-simple explanation of what's going on
What the attack does
Cyber bad guys have spread ransomware, known as WannaCry, to computers around the world. It locks down all the files on an infected computer. The hackers then demand $300 in order to release control of the files. That's why it's called ransomware.
How it happened
WannaCry takes advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.
The software tools to create the attack were revealed in April among a trove of NSA spy tools that were either leaked or stolen. The tools were made public by a hacking group called the Shadow Brokers.
Microsoft released a security patch for the vulnerabilities in March. But many corporations don't automatically update their systems, because Windows updates can screw up their legacy software programs.
Read More
Cyber bad guys have spread ransomware, known as WannaCry, to computers around the world. It locks down all the files on an infected computer. The hackers then demand $300 in order to release control of the files. That's why it's called ransomware.
How it happened
WannaCry takes advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.
The software tools to create the attack were revealed in April among a trove of NSA spy tools that were either leaked or stolen. The tools were made public by a hacking group called the Shadow Brokers.
Microsoft released a security patch for the vulnerabilities in March. But many corporations don't automatically update their systems, because Windows updates can screw up their legacy software programs.
Read More
The hero who accidentally stopped the cyberattack from spreading
he 22-year-old researcher, who goes by the name MalwareTech, has become an internet hero for their efforts to stem the spread of the WannaCry ransomware. MalwareTech, who is based in the U.K., did not disclose their identity or gender to CNN. MalwareTech published a blog post early Saturday morning detailing how they stopped the spread of this ransomware.
The ransomware took control of computers around the world and required owners to pay hundreds of dollars to get their files back. It took advantage of a Windows vulnerability leaked in April and the hacking tool is believed to belong to the NSA.
MalwareTech found an unregistered domain name in the ransomware and bought it for $10.69. Then, they pointed the domain to a sinkhole, or a server that collects and analyzes malware traffic. What they didn't realize was that the domain -- a random assortment of letters -- was actually a kill switch, a way for someone to take control of the ransomware.
Read More
The ransomware took control of computers around the world and required owners to pay hundreds of dollars to get their files back. It took advantage of a Windows vulnerability leaked in April and the hacking tool is believed to belong to the NSA.
MalwareTech found an unregistered domain name in the ransomware and bought it for $10.69. Then, they pointed the domain to a sinkhole, or a server that collects and analyzes malware traffic. What they didn't realize was that the domain -- a random assortment of letters -- was actually a kill switch, a way for someone to take control of the ransomware.
Read More
5 cool inventions that could save the planet
(CNN)You've heard about the impact that our technology-driven population is having on the planet -- from cars, to energy factories, to the over-consumption of the earth's resources.
It's causing a lot of problems.
Yet, inventors are also using this technology to improve lives across the planet. Here are a few of their creations (or soon-to-be ones):
1. A high-tech sieve that makes the ocean drinkable
Yes, you can already turn the ocean into drinkable water through existing, industrial-scale desalination plants.
But these plants are often costly and can damage the environment: They use large amounts of energy, produce greenhouse gases and can harm marine life.
Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable
Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable
So, researchers in the UK have developed a sieve made out of graphene that may be able to filter out salt using less energy.
That could help provide safe, clean, drinkable water -- which is a rare resource in many countries.
In fact, the United Nations predicts that in less than a decade, 14% of people around the world will not have access to sufficient water resources where they live
Read More
It's causing a lot of problems.
Yet, inventors are also using this technology to improve lives across the planet. Here are a few of their creations (or soon-to-be ones):
1. A high-tech sieve that makes the ocean drinkable
Yes, you can already turn the ocean into drinkable water through existing, industrial-scale desalination plants.
But these plants are often costly and can damage the environment: They use large amounts of energy, produce greenhouse gases and can harm marine life.
Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable
Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable
So, researchers in the UK have developed a sieve made out of graphene that may be able to filter out salt using less energy.
That could help provide safe, clean, drinkable water -- which is a rare resource in many countries.
In fact, the United Nations predicts that in less than a decade, 14% of people around the world will not have access to sufficient water resources where they live
Read More
Israel's high-tech sector is thriving, and now China wants in on the action
Go to Israel and chances are you'll install some new apps on your phone, just to keep up. A few years ago that might have been the navigation and transportation ones Waze and Moovit. More recently it may well have been photo editors Facetune and Enlight. All Israeli developed, all global successes and just a tip, albeit a visible one, of the country's high-tech iceberg.
High-tech is usurping the place once held by Israel's founding myths, the ones about the kibbutz collectives and making the desert bloom. Nowadays it's all "Start-up Nation" and "Silicon Wadi". In fact, some say high-tech is even replacing the archetypal Jewish mothers' wish for their child to be a doctor or a lawyer; today's Israeli moms supposedly brag about the number of employees in their kids' start-up.
Inevitably such success is shot through with hyperbole but it rests on very solid and tangible numbers. $15.3 billion is one of them, representing the biggest high-tech business deal in Israel's history and the sum that Intel paid in March for autonomous driving firm Mobileye.
Read More
High-tech is usurping the place once held by Israel's founding myths, the ones about the kibbutz collectives and making the desert bloom. Nowadays it's all "Start-up Nation" and "Silicon Wadi". In fact, some say high-tech is even replacing the archetypal Jewish mothers' wish for their child to be a doctor or a lawyer; today's Israeli moms supposedly brag about the number of employees in their kids' start-up.
Inevitably such success is shot through with hyperbole but it rests on very solid and tangible numbers. $15.3 billion is one of them, representing the biggest high-tech business deal in Israel's history and the sum that Intel paid in March for autonomous driving firm Mobileye.
Read More
Saturday, 13 May 2017
Batteries that can charge smartphones in five minutes could launch next year
New batteries that can charge smartphones fully in just five minutes may be ready to launch as soon as next year, a company claims.
That means you'd no longer need to plug your phone in at night, or keep it charging on your work desk during the day.
The aggressive claim was made by the CEO of a company named StoreDot, Doron Myersdorf, who recently told the BBC that his special FlashBattery technology will enter production next year.
The company has similar technology that it says can charge an electric car battery just as fast. Skeptics, however, aren't so sure this technology is ready for primetime.
"Taking risks with battery technology can bite you," CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood told the BBC. Wood is correct. As Samsung's experience with the Galaxy Note 7 showed, batteries can be extremely dangerous, particularly if they're not used in products properly or efficiently.
Read More
That means you'd no longer need to plug your phone in at night, or keep it charging on your work desk during the day.
The aggressive claim was made by the CEO of a company named StoreDot, Doron Myersdorf, who recently told the BBC that his special FlashBattery technology will enter production next year.
The company has similar technology that it says can charge an electric car battery just as fast. Skeptics, however, aren't so sure this technology is ready for primetime.
"Taking risks with battery technology can bite you," CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood told the BBC. Wood is correct. As Samsung's experience with the Galaxy Note 7 showed, batteries can be extremely dangerous, particularly if they're not used in products properly or efficiently.
Read More
Massive ransomware attack hits 99 countries
Cybersecurity firm Avast said it tracked more than 75,000 ransomware attacks in 99 countries on Friday.
It said the majority of the attacks targeted Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan. But hospitals in the U.K., and global firms like Fedex (FDX) also reported they had come under assault.
What is it?
The ransomware, called "WannaCry," locks down all the files on an infected computer and asks the computer's administrator to pay in order to regain control of them. The exploit was leaked last month as part of a trove of NSA spy tools.
The ransomware is spread by taking advantage of a Windows vulnerability that Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) released a security patch for in March. But computers and networks that hadn't updated their systems were still at risk.
In the wake of the attack, Microsoft said it had taken the "highly unusual step" of releasing a patch for computers running older operating systems including Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003.
Read More
It said the majority of the attacks targeted Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan. But hospitals in the U.K., and global firms like Fedex (FDX) also reported they had come under assault.
What is it?
The ransomware, called "WannaCry," locks down all the files on an infected computer and asks the computer's administrator to pay in order to regain control of them. The exploit was leaked last month as part of a trove of NSA spy tools.
The ransomware is spread by taking advantage of a Windows vulnerability that Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) released a security patch for in March. But computers and networks that hadn't updated their systems were still at risk.
In the wake of the attack, Microsoft said it had taken the "highly unusual step" of releasing a patch for computers running older operating systems including Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003.
Read More
Sheryl Sandberg tells Virginia Tech: Anyone can be resilient
"I've spent the last two years studying resilience, because something happened in my life that demanded more of it than I ever needed before," Sandberg said in a prepared draft of her speech.
In 2015, Sandberg's husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg, died of a cardiac arrhythmia while they were vacationing in Mexico. She suddenly became a widow in her 40s with two small children.
"Sometimes I can't believe it actually happened. I woke up on what I thought would be a normal day. And out of nowhere, my world changed forever," she said.
Related: Sheryl Sandberg kicks off her next movement: resilience
Sandberg said losing her husband has "fundamentally changed" how she views the world and how she lives in it every day. She said that Virginia Tech graduates have also faced challenges, heartbreak, illness and shared losses, like the shooting at the university in 2007, which was the second deadliest mass shooting in US history.
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In 2015, Sandberg's husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg, died of a cardiac arrhythmia while they were vacationing in Mexico. She suddenly became a widow in her 40s with two small children.
"Sometimes I can't believe it actually happened. I woke up on what I thought would be a normal day. And out of nowhere, my world changed forever," she said.
Related: Sheryl Sandberg kicks off her next movement: resilience
Sandberg said losing her husband has "fundamentally changed" how she views the world and how she lives in it every day. She said that Virginia Tech graduates have also faced challenges, heartbreak, illness and shared losses, like the shooting at the university in 2007, which was the second deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Read More
Modern technology is transforming the photograph
London (CNN)As the great, already much lamented, art critic, presenter and writer John Berger said: "Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak."
A poet, a storyteller and a maker of images -- despite a brief dalliance with photography, he was principally a painter -- Berger knew, as he put it, that "this relationship between what we see and what we know is never settled." How we need him now.
For at least two decades I have been fascinated by the potential impact of technology on the creative process.
Whether developing projects based on the innovative use of technology within artistic practice or working to help artists and designers understand the possible uses of technology, I have always regarded technology as just another tool in the creative armory.
Given my own background it is thrilling to see the myriad ways in which today's artists deploy the creative potential of technology.
Read More
A poet, a storyteller and a maker of images -- despite a brief dalliance with photography, he was principally a painter -- Berger knew, as he put it, that "this relationship between what we see and what we know is never settled." How we need him now.
For at least two decades I have been fascinated by the potential impact of technology on the creative process.
Whether developing projects based on the innovative use of technology within artistic practice or working to help artists and designers understand the possible uses of technology, I have always regarded technology as just another tool in the creative armory.
Given my own background it is thrilling to see the myriad ways in which today's artists deploy the creative potential of technology.
Read More
Thursday, 11 May 2017
Microsoft has technology that can help Parkinson's disease
Graphic designer Emma Lawton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years agoat the age of 29. Now, with the help of a BBC project and Haiyan Zhang,Microsoft Research Cambridge's innovation director, she's been able to use a wearable device to reclaim her lifelong passion for drawing and sketching.
The Big Life Fixis a BBC series that got underway Wednesday. Lawton was featured in the first episode of the series, which focuseson people in need who turn to some of the United Kingdom's top inventors for solutions to problems that affect their day-to-day life.
Other projects being tackled by the show include a solution for a terminally ill photographer who can nolonger operate a camera, and the construction of a specialized BMX bike for a child born with no hands or feet.
Parkinson's disease can cause sufferer's hands to shake uncontrollably, making even simple actions almost impossible to carry out. Lawton's tremor was becoming so severe that her career as a graphic designer was in serious jeopardy, according to a report from MS Power User.
Read More
The Big Life Fixis a BBC series that got underway Wednesday. Lawton was featured in the first episode of the series, which focuseson people in need who turn to some of the United Kingdom's top inventors for solutions to problems that affect their day-to-day life.
Other projects being tackled by the show include a solution for a terminally ill photographer who can nolonger operate a camera, and the construction of a specialized BMX bike for a child born with no hands or feet.
Parkinson's disease can cause sufferer's hands to shake uncontrollably, making even simple actions almost impossible to carry out. Lawton's tremor was becoming so severe that her career as a graphic designer was in serious jeopardy, according to a report from MS Power User.
Read More
Aircraft carrier tech makes landings for fighter pilots safer
A new carrier landing technology allows jet wings to better control lift, making landings for fighter pilots safer and more precise, according to Military.com.
The system, formerly known as Maritime Augmented Guidance with Integrated Controls for Carrier Approach and Recovery Precision Enabling Technologies, or MAGIC CARPET, now is called Precision Landing Modes. It uses what’s called dynamic lift control to take some of the burden of last-minute, high-stakes adjustments off of pilots, who can focus on their flight path in and let the aircraft adjust accordingly.
SECRET X-37B MILITARY SPACECRAFT LANDS WITH SONIC BOOM AFTER 718 DAYS IN ORBIT
The Norfolk, Virginia-based George H. W. Bush and the San Diego-based carrier Carl Vinson were both deployed with the developmental technology in January.
“When a pilot is landing an aircraft, if he wants to come down quicker, he’s going to pull power, and if he wants to slow that down, he’s doing to add power,” Capt. James McCall, commanding officer of Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard the Bush, told the website. “As you get closer to the back end of the ship, any power-off correction tends to get folks’ hair raised a little bit. Because, obviously, if that were to result in a large rate of descent, getting the engines to spool back up to do the other correction, reducing the rate of descent, it’s not instantaneous.”
Read More
The system, formerly known as Maritime Augmented Guidance with Integrated Controls for Carrier Approach and Recovery Precision Enabling Technologies, or MAGIC CARPET, now is called Precision Landing Modes. It uses what’s called dynamic lift control to take some of the burden of last-minute, high-stakes adjustments off of pilots, who can focus on their flight path in and let the aircraft adjust accordingly.
SECRET X-37B MILITARY SPACECRAFT LANDS WITH SONIC BOOM AFTER 718 DAYS IN ORBIT
The Norfolk, Virginia-based George H. W. Bush and the San Diego-based carrier Carl Vinson were both deployed with the developmental technology in January.
“When a pilot is landing an aircraft, if he wants to come down quicker, he’s going to pull power, and if he wants to slow that down, he’s doing to add power,” Capt. James McCall, commanding officer of Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard the Bush, told the website. “As you get closer to the back end of the ship, any power-off correction tends to get folks’ hair raised a little bit. Because, obviously, if that were to result in a large rate of descent, getting the engines to spool back up to do the other correction, reducing the rate of descent, it’s not instantaneous.”
Read More
20 things we don't do anymore because of technology
See if these sound familiar: You’re not sure where your U.S. road atlas is, or if you even own one. It’s been so long since you licked a stamp, you’ve forgotten what it tastes like. You’ve seen more scrumptious two-minute videos in the past week than you’ve consulted a cookbook in the past year.
We all know technology is making things easier and less time-consuming, but it’s hard to believe how much our devices have transformed the way we live. Tasks and tools that once were routine now seem hopelessly out of date, after only a few years. Example: Who would post an ad on the personals page of a local newspaper? It sounds so Victorian!
Here are some rituals that are no longer necessary in high-tech households. Teenagers may shrug, but if you’re 20 or older, you’ll probably smile with nostalgia.
1. Memorize a phone number
Pop quiz: How many phone numbers do you know by heart? Some people don’t even know their spouse’s number. Before our smartphones stored our friends’ contact information, we resorted to
scrawling numbers on cocktail napkins, fearing we wouldn’t them in the phone book. How times have changed.
Read More
We all know technology is making things easier and less time-consuming, but it’s hard to believe how much our devices have transformed the way we live. Tasks and tools that once were routine now seem hopelessly out of date, after only a few years. Example: Who would post an ad on the personals page of a local newspaper? It sounds so Victorian!
Here are some rituals that are no longer necessary in high-tech households. Teenagers may shrug, but if you’re 20 or older, you’ll probably smile with nostalgia.
1. Memorize a phone number
Pop quiz: How many phone numbers do you know by heart? Some people don’t even know their spouse’s number. Before our smartphones stored our friends’ contact information, we resorted to
scrawling numbers on cocktail napkins, fearing we wouldn’t them in the phone book. How times have changed.
Read More
Sky Bridge is Dubai's newest architectural landmark
Dubai has a new architectural landmark to its name, with the completion of an iconic Sky Bridge linking the new Address Sky View hotel and the Address Residences Sky View in Downtown Dubai.
Rising at a height of over 220 metres, the 85-metre-long Sky Bridge, with a height of 22 metres and maximum width of 30 metres, has three storeys and will feature eight units of luxurious Sky Collection Duplexes and a 70-metre-long infinity pool that overlooks Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain.
The Sky Bridge was fabricated using 4,500 tonnes of structural steel, and was lifted in position using Strand Jacking Technology, customised for the project. A team of global experts from five different entities worked on the project that was completed in around 365 days by over 300 professionals and skilled workers.
"Building and lifting the Sky Bridge is the result of the hard work and collaboration of some of the best international experts in the field, who addressed various challenges through their innovative and creative approach," said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties. "They have accomplished a remarkable engineering feat that will serve as a referral point in modern construction. Sky Bridge is an added value to Downtown Dubai, and contributes to the pride of our nation."
To build the Sky Bridge, a number of design challenges had to be overcome, given the extensive loads of steel and concrete, as well as the loads related to the infinity pool, pool deck and façade. The ambient temperature difference was also considered during the design stage to ensure that it suits the region's climate. A steel frame with three levels was designed to hold the huge loads transferred to the core walls of the two towers it links.
Read More
Rising at a height of over 220 metres, the 85-metre-long Sky Bridge, with a height of 22 metres and maximum width of 30 metres, has three storeys and will feature eight units of luxurious Sky Collection Duplexes and a 70-metre-long infinity pool that overlooks Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain.
The Sky Bridge was fabricated using 4,500 tonnes of structural steel, and was lifted in position using Strand Jacking Technology, customised for the project. A team of global experts from five different entities worked on the project that was completed in around 365 days by over 300 professionals and skilled workers.
"Building and lifting the Sky Bridge is the result of the hard work and collaboration of some of the best international experts in the field, who addressed various challenges through their innovative and creative approach," said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties. "They have accomplished a remarkable engineering feat that will serve as a referral point in modern construction. Sky Bridge is an added value to Downtown Dubai, and contributes to the pride of our nation."
To build the Sky Bridge, a number of design challenges had to be overcome, given the extensive loads of steel and concrete, as well as the loads related to the infinity pool, pool deck and façade. The ambient temperature difference was also considered during the design stage to ensure that it suits the region's climate. A steel frame with three levels was designed to hold the huge loads transferred to the core walls of the two towers it links.
Read More
To execute the seamless lifting of the Sky Bridge, each element was assembled on ground.
Dubai has a new architectural landmark to its name, with the completion of an iconic Sky Bridge linking the new Address Sky View hotel and the Address Residences Sky View in Downtown Dubai.
Rising at a height of over 220 metres, the 85-metre-long Sky Bridge, with a height of 22 metres and maximum width of 30 metres, has three storeys and will feature eight units of luxurious Sky Collection Duplexes and a 70-metre-long infinity pool that overlooks Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain.
The Sky Bridge was fabricated using 4,500 tonnes of structural steel, and was lifted in position using Strand Jacking Technology, customised for the project. A team of global experts from five different entities worked on the project that was completed in around 365 days by over 300 professionals and skilled workers.
"Building and lifting the Sky Bridge is the result of the hard work and collaboration of some of the best international experts in the field, who addressed various challenges through their innovative and creative approach," said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties. "They have accomplished a remarkable engineering feat that will serve as a referral point in modern construction. Sky Bridge is an added value to Downtown Dubai, and contributes to the pride of our nation."
To build the Sky Bridge, a number of design challenges had to be overcome, given the extensive loads of steel and concrete, as well as the loads related to the infinity pool, pool deck and façade. The ambient temperature difference was also considered during the design stage to ensure that it suits the region's climate. A steel frame with three levels was designed to hold the huge loads transferred to the core walls of the two towers it links.
Read More
Rising at a height of over 220 metres, the 85-metre-long Sky Bridge, with a height of 22 metres and maximum width of 30 metres, has three storeys and will feature eight units of luxurious Sky Collection Duplexes and a 70-metre-long infinity pool that overlooks Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain.
The Sky Bridge was fabricated using 4,500 tonnes of structural steel, and was lifted in position using Strand Jacking Technology, customised for the project. A team of global experts from five different entities worked on the project that was completed in around 365 days by over 300 professionals and skilled workers.
"Building and lifting the Sky Bridge is the result of the hard work and collaboration of some of the best international experts in the field, who addressed various challenges through their innovative and creative approach," said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties. "They have accomplished a remarkable engineering feat that will serve as a referral point in modern construction. Sky Bridge is an added value to Downtown Dubai, and contributes to the pride of our nation."
To build the Sky Bridge, a number of design challenges had to be overcome, given the extensive loads of steel and concrete, as well as the loads related to the infinity pool, pool deck and façade. The ambient temperature difference was also considered during the design stage to ensure that it suits the region's climate. A steel frame with three levels was designed to hold the huge loads transferred to the core walls of the two towers it links.
Read More
Wingsuit pilot Fraser Corsan aims to become fastest moving man
Former aerospace safety engineer Fraser Corsan will attempt four world records in two separate jumps later this month in the US and Canada.
He has set himself four ambitious targets during the jumps:
:: To fly at an altitude beyond 40,000ft - higher than the summit of Everest.
:: To glide at 250mph - making him the fastest forward moving man in the world under his own steam.
:: To remain airborne for 10 minutes.
:: To travel 20 miles - the furthest distance ever flown in a wingsuit.
I went to film this week's Swipe with the 42-year-old at Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire.
He told me: "We live in a world now which is controlled by safety and legislation, and whilst we have all the processes and procedures that we're going through... we are trying to push the limits a little bit and inspire people."
In Mr Corsan's 16 years of wingsuit piloting, he has covered more than 1,300 jumps, fallen a total height equal to 108 times the distance between Earth and space, and spent around 56 hours in freefall.
Read More
He has set himself four ambitious targets during the jumps:
:: To fly at an altitude beyond 40,000ft - higher than the summit of Everest.
:: To glide at 250mph - making him the fastest forward moving man in the world under his own steam.
:: To remain airborne for 10 minutes.
:: To travel 20 miles - the furthest distance ever flown in a wingsuit.
I went to film this week's Swipe with the 42-year-old at Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire.
He told me: "We live in a world now which is controlled by safety and legislation, and whilst we have all the processes and procedures that we're going through... we are trying to push the limits a little bit and inspire people."
In Mr Corsan's 16 years of wingsuit piloting, he has covered more than 1,300 jumps, fallen a total height equal to 108 times the distance between Earth and space, and spent around 56 hours in freefall.
Read More
Big tech is now a monopoly 'that doesn't look like a monopoly,' investor Calacanis said
The 'FAAAM' index — Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft — these companies now have virtual monopolies," Calacanis told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Wednesday. "In fact, they've figured out how to game the Justice Department and really become monopolies that are immune to government action — at least, in the United States."
While stocks pulled back from record highs on Wednesday, the Nasdaq 100 has climbed more than 16 percent so far this year, while the S&P 500 Information Technology sector has jumped more than 17 percent — far more than any other S&P grouping.
Markets may have risen broadly, but companies like Facebook and Google have also made plenty of money. Both companies reported better-than-expected earnings in the first quarter, shaking off controversies around "fake news" and extremist content.
Read More
While stocks pulled back from record highs on Wednesday, the Nasdaq 100 has climbed more than 16 percent so far this year, while the S&P 500 Information Technology sector has jumped more than 17 percent — far more than any other S&P grouping.
Markets may have risen broadly, but companies like Facebook and Google have also made plenty of money. Both companies reported better-than-expected earnings in the first quarter, shaking off controversies around "fake news" and extremist content.
Read More
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