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Challenges of the digital era

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In today’s era of digitalization, data has surpassed oil in becoming the world’s most valuable resource. It is a strategic asset, commonly referred to as a “new currency”. A testimonial to this is the fact that the five highest valued listed companies in the world are all technology and digital market operators. Their impressive valuations are largely a result of extensive consumer data aggregation, which fuels machine learning and revenue generating processes. While the possibilities of what can be done with data are endless, it’s important to consider the significant privacy, political and legal concerns that have developed as a result of corporate data processing in recent years.

The most important issues surrounding data gathering are neither technological, nor commercial, but rather legal and social. They center around the fundamental right to privacy, safeguarded on an international level by Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While we also have national protections in place, it is clear that the existing privacy laws are no longer fit for their original intended purpose. Despite constantly increasing volumes of personal information handled by private companies, privacy standards are deteriorating. Consumers, often unaware of the actual value of their online contributions to data mining algorithms, are being deprived of any bargaining power. With limited options to meaningfully opt-out, they have little choice but to accept arcane and non-negotiable privacy policies. One study found that an average internet user would need over 30 working days per year just to read through them. Such information overload, in combination with several other factors, leads individuals to progressively lose control over their digital identities.

 

 

There are also profound concerns about accountability of tech giants. The possibility of surveillance, profiling and hacks are just some of the triggers that have contributed to the case of serious public anxiety that we feel today. In 2018, hackers were able to access the private information of over 150 million users of MyFitnessPal. The Cambridge Analytica scandal was an even more striking example of how access to large datasets may allow private companies to peddle misinformation, thereby undermining democratic processes.

Beyond strict data protection concerns, there is an important interplay with law and fair competition. A significant peculiarity of online services is that they are often provided at “zero price”. This is due to the network effects in dual-sided business models, where cross-financing is enabled by revenue made through advertising and by trading information with data brokers. As a result, the concentration of user data can entrench market power and contribute to higher barriers to entry. Data-driven mergers often occur in order to eliminate nascent competitors, yielding serious exclusionary effects in extremely highly concentrated digital markets. Consequently, there is little incentive for the incumbents to innovate and provide users with optimal privacy protection. Given these negative developments as well as the industry’s general tendency towards monopolization, a wholesome regulatory reform seems inevitable. The EU General Data Protection Regulation and California’s Consumer Protection Act are the best examples of increased awareness surrounding the issues of privacy and transparency of tech giants. They also give hope for greater scrutiny of digital market operators worldwide. Yet, there is no doubt that technological innovations can increase productivity, accelerate business processes and automate mundane tasks. Indeed, it was technological tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Skype that allowed us to continue working and studying, despite the global pandemic. Thus, it is important to

Overall, while there is a clear need for global action to mitigate some of the risks, we must be careful not to squelch innovation and opportunities of the digital age. Ultimately, it is all about the balance between embracing innovation and effectively safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms.

Sources:

1. M. Vestager, ‘Competition in a big data world’, DLD 16, Munich, 17 January 2016.

2. A.M. McDonald, L.F. Cranor, ‘The Cost of Reading Privacy Policies’ (2008) 4 I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society.

3. G. Colangelo, M. Maggiolino, ‘Data Protection in Attention Markets: Protecting Privacy through Competition?’ (2017) 8 Journal of European Competition Law & Practice.

4. A.D. Chirita, ‘Data-Driven Mergers Under EU Competition Law’ in The Future of Commercial Law: Ways Forward for Harmonisation, J. Linarelli & O. Akseli (Hart Publishing, 2019), p. 51.

How we can help older people through new technology ?

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Unfortunately, most of us are not able to take care of older people from our family day after day or even every other day. We love them and would like to provide them with health and peace of mind daily, but each of us also has our private responsibilities, family, home, or work. However, thanks to the power of AI and the endless changes in technology, old age can look a little different these days. Smart Home Convenience for the Elderly - SmartHome.city

The life of elderly people in times of such changes in technology is getting harder and harder, while AI does not forget about the problems of the elderly.  According to some studies, in four years, an average family home can have up to 500 intelligent devices. But why are we talking about them here? These technologies can make life much easier for the elderly, especially those who have mobility problems or have hard to predictable health problems. 

Thanks to the Wireless Sensor Network, being alone in the home for the elderly becomes a little more secure. These products use cordless battery-operated sensors to measure environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and light intensity, as well as micro-level incidents, which allow you to infer about everyday activities such as moving around, sitting, sleeping, using electrical appliances, and trips to the bathroom. This is in some way aimed at monitoring the elderly person by their caregiver (e.g. another family member). All you have to do is log in to the product portal and in this way, you can get alerts on the phone where something will happen. Most of these products have a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), which, when it detects major deviations from the normal pattern of people’s activity or sudden drops, issues automatic alarms that can be forwarded to authorized persons.

A variety of Wearable Devices with Personal Emergency Response System was also created. Intelligent wearing technology is available in various forms: pendants, watches, and shoe soles.

One of the inventions is called CarePredict Tempo that focuses on the user himself, not on the surrounding environment. It is a wristband that monitors movement, sleep, location, personal care, and daily activities. When it is familiarized with the standards, the wearer will know when danger is coming and send signals to the authorized person. Almost the same is true for the new Apple Watch app, which is designed to keep you safe. The app, simply called an “alert”, works like a kind of panic button, allowing older people or others who may need help to contact their supervisor for help by pushing one-button. Almost the same is true for the new Apple Watch app, which is designed to keep you safe. The app, simply called an ” alert “, works like a kind of panic button, allowing older people or others who may need help to contact their supervisor for help at the push of a button. Thanks to the constantly evolving technology, changes in the operating system have been presented which have become available in watchOS 2, the application may also pay attention to physiological signals and suggest that seniors may want to ask for help before the problem actually becomes a problem.

Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Personally, I think how we can take care of our loved ones in these times thanks to AI and constantly developing technology is astonishing. This industry will grow every day more and more because health is one of the most important aspects of people. The arguments for using artificial intelligence in the care continuum can be very strong indeed, and the impact on health outcomes can be truly transformative. Each of us wants the best for the elderly in our families and these solutions make us able to help them and make sure they live long and happy lives.

If you want to know better how to use the “alert” button go to watch this short video. It is so simple.

https://towardsdatascience.com/the-state-of-elderly-care-products-and-how-ai-can-revolutionize-aging-d4b098a1dacd

 

 

DEEPMIND’S AI TAKES A HUGE STEP IN PROTEIN FOLDING PROBLEM

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Proteins are long, convoluted molecular chains called macromolecules. They are enzymes, that catalyse  almost every chemical reaction needed to keep the body alive. E.g. thyroxine plays vital role in digestion, heart and muscle function, haemoglobin carries the oxygen, immunoglobulin is responsible for defence in the body and keratin for hair and skin (SARS-CoV-2 spike a protein, that allows coronavirus to invade human cells). Each one of them is built from a menu of 21 different types of amino acids. But they are not the main problem. Machines which were able to analyse composition of amino-acid have existed for several years. But the functioning of the protein is also defined by its shape. For now we can only try to shape them using X-ray, but it is a very time-consuming process. Today, on November 30th biologists from DeepMind – laboratory owned by Google showed howto use a computer to predict those shapes. The measure now used in checking the progress  is Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP). “The algorithms are subjected to blind test their abilities to predict shapes of several proteins of known structure”. The first try DeepMind did was 2 years ago and the progress they have achieved is extraordinary. AlphaFold 2 compares the presumable locations of the atoms to the real ones and it has an average score of 92.4%. 

Why did DeepMid performed so well at this? The answer is in what they were doing before this project. Their best known achievement is for AlphaGo. Their programmed a computer (“taught”) how to play a game named Go. Go is a game created in China over 2,500 years ago. It is believed to be the oldest board game in the world and the aim is to surround more territory, than enemy. Lee Sedol – one of the world’s best players has been defeated by AlphaGo in 2016. The game has around 10^170 positions, whereas it is believed to be 10^300 different shapes in which a protein could find itself. Because of such a large number the inventors had to go a way they took in Go project, which is looking for shortcuts. Of course players are not machines. They depend on their intuition, general understanding of the game and their own strategy. It may seems tough to teach a machine how to play, but the answer is examples. AI is know from self-learning abilities. When we give a machine enough examples of folding proteins, it will learn the shortcuts and some rules humans do not even notice they apply. This scientific research can boost drugs invention and can also help with numeral diseases, which are caused mainly by misshapen proteins, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Creutzfeldt–Jakob’s disease, Huntington’s and many others.

Sources:

https://deepmind.com/blog/article/AlphaFold-Using-AI-for-scientific-discovery

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/30/deepmind-ai-cracks-50-year-old-problem-of-biology-research

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03348-4

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/protein#:~:text=Proteins%20are%20macromolecules%20formed%20by,chains%20to%20form%20a%20protein.

 

Does 5G Network have some issues?

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   There is no disputing the fact that the new iPhone 12 launch stimulated US mobile broadband to make a 5G network available in 2020 worldwide. Those components are working together, and if one of them will collapse the whole ecosystem goes down automatically. One of the most significant aspects of the iPhone 12 is the 5G network modem. Therefore, most iPhone users expect from Apple by providing them with a high performance of the Internet. It seems quite simple to move from 4G to 5G, but in reality, each network provider faced with a huge amount of difficulties. Considerable work has been done and is continuing to be done.
   Companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon had divergent ways of building out 5G networks. They were faced with several issues. First, the amount of bandwidth data, it’s needed upgraded software configuration. The factor in performance results is the type of frequencies that each of the network providers is using. Verizon stopped on the mmWave spectrum, but it provides limited coverage. On another hand T-Mobile and AT&T focused more on a technology calls sub-6. The spectrum provides the speed and consistency of mobile broadband much more quickly than with a mmWave deployment.
    Second, the complexity of performance, which network architects were working on together by learning as they go. It takes time to upgrade and install new antennas. A simple network software upgrade makes a smooth transition from 4G to 5G by Ericsson and Qualcomm technologies. For example, modern Qualcomm X55 will be a part of the iPhone 12 provider 5G.
    Third, the speed capabilities are the number of “lanes”. It makes sense because nowadays users of 4G may move to 5G. However, there is a point, there are some technologies Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) access which are two 5G modes. NSA network relies on 4G facilities by providing more speed and higher data bandwidth. Moreover, 5G-capable smartphones will connect either to 5G or 4G networks depending on conditions. SA is dependent on 5G mode, will give tremendous performance speed, and minimize the delay.
    Sum up the foregoing, as we can see each mobile provider has its own strategy and idea of how to build the new ecosystem. It is business so everyone wants to win this game. However, not everything may work. Right now, by looking at official performance tests we may realize whose idea performed better. So only engineering ability and recourses can help with winning. A start has been made, the most interesting part ahead of us.
Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobodonnell/2020/10/08/us-carriers-prep-5g-networks-for-iphone-12-launch/?ss=5g#713c30874d5d

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobodonnell/2020/10/08/us-carriers-prep-5g-networks-for-iphone-12-launch/?ss=5g#713c30874d5d

https://oppo.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12796/~/5g-sa-versus-5g-nsa%3A-whats-the-difference%3F

https://www.androidcentral.com/why-sub-6-better-mmwave-immediate-5g-future

AI can help people with bipolar disorder

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Two professors explain how artificial intelligence can help to improve the lives of individuals living with bipolar disorder.

Melvin McInnis, professor of bipolar disorder and depression, and Emily Mower Provost, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, are working on an AI system to help unlock deeper insights about individual bipolar sufferers.

Speaking on a panel titled “Artificial Intelligence, Personalized Technology, and Mental Health” at the Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan, the professors first discussed their reasons behind getting involved with the project.

For Provost, her reason is a passion for the application of engineering to have a positive impact on people’s lives. “It gives me an opportunity not only to try to create new and really innovative algorithms, but when you put a human-centred swing into AI, then you also have the opportunity to really join engineering and science,” Provost said.

McInnis has been researching bipolar for over 30 years. During his time as a physician, he has met family members of bipolar sufferers who can detect when their relative is at risk of an episode through their speech.

Using Provost’s knowledge of algorithms, McInnis hopes to teach an AI to recognise such changes in the speech of bipolar sufferers. Detecting these changes will help to provide early notice of an impending episode.

“Our work is to identify biological markers that are physiological markers that are in speech,” McInnis said. “How can we teach the computer to do what the family member is doing?”

If successful, the project will help to improve the lives of those living with bipolar and those around them. For example, an alert could be set up if signs of an impending episode are detected.

With the peace-of-mind of such an alert, relatives could go about their day without feeling they need to be around constantly to watch for potential signs of an episode. Meanwhile, the bipolar sufferer can benefit from greater independence and ensure they get help promptly if needed.

“Your device can give an alert and say, ‘Maybe you should talk to your doctor soon,’” McInnis explained. “You can share this information with your care team, with your support network, so that you can be part of a team that’s helping you stay healthy longer.”

One of the key challenges in rolling out such technology internationally is cultural differences around the globe; even a smile can be seen differently from culture-to-culture. A baseline will need to be established for each individual of what’s “normal” for that person.

McKinnis says that, in his work with bipolar patients, “up to 20 percent of these individuals end their lives by suicide”. Hopefully, the project becomes another example of how AI can not only have a life-changing impact; but a life-saving one too.

Resources:
1.https://artificialintelligence-news.com/2019/09/30/researchers-ai-help-people-bipolar-disorder/

Social Robots as a part of our daily life

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Nowadays it is not an extraordinary thing to observe robots around us. Materials handling, picking, packing, painting and other processes  robots, which help in creating new products. Some of them can be used in medicine. Ot, it would be better to mention, more frequently used robots, as window or floor cleaners.

It has always been a fairy tale for humanity that artificial intelligence, interacting with people, can exist. However, it is. Not so much time ago there were created «social» robots that can engage with people and even have their own emotional specter. Not surprisingly that these robots gain information from scientists, taking into consideration their behaviour, reactions to different news, etc. Robots «use artificial intelligence to decide how to act on information received through cameras and other sensors».

Social robots are equipped by various tools which allow them to recognize voices, appearances and plenty of other personal characteristics of every person.

In studies, made in 2015, it was found out that robot didn’t only  behave in the ordinary way, but tried to cheat on his competitors in the game rock-paper-­scissors. «As soon as the robot cheats, it immediately transitions from being an object to being an agent.» Surprisingly , how fast we rose from creating computers and button phones to intelligence like us, who can be not only clever and funny, but foxy and very unpredictable.

The biggest advantage is that social robots can help kids with autism to recover. Autism has become very common illness nowadays, so it is unbelievably awesome, that thanks to modern technologies we can help these kids. So, from the one side, it is a good way to simplify human’s lives.

 

On the other hand,  as it was told  billion times before me, it can reduce number of working places and the need in people at all. According to statistics, consumer robots sales reached almost 6 billion dollars in 2018 and it is expected this number to be increased to 19 billion dollars in the next 6 years.

Despite everything, we have to get used to social robots, walking around city streets, giving us their mechanical smiles, communicating, making jokes and playing with our children.”Robots that engage with people are absolutely the future. There’s no question that’s where robotics is moving,”says Brian Scassellati, director of the Social Robotics Lab at Yale University.

References:

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/01/cover-social-robots

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/new-technologies-2019

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/social-robots-play-nicely-with-others/

Self-flying Airplanes

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Ask yourself with what are you connecting flying with?

Being free? Seeing the world from a different angle? Traveling and adventures?

All of it sounds amazing, but a lot of people are scared of flying because they can’t control what is going on. It all depends on the pilot sitting in the cockpit.

So what do you do when the pilot/s can’t fly anymore for whatever reason?

Hope for superman to save the plane you are sitting in?

Or maybe bees to land the plane softly?

Well, good news, you don‘t need good connections to Superman or a whole army of bees anymore.

Garmin has introduced a system that lets the plane navigate ad land themselves with just one push of a button.

Function:

After the button is pushed or the plane notices that the pilot isn’t responsive, the system determines the best place to land, considering circumstances like weather, fuel, runway size, etc.

Its system navigates the plane around terrain (e.g. Mountains) and bad weather, which could cause the aircraft to crash.

The system automatically notifies the air traffic control so that they can prepare for the landing, route other planes around you, and possibly prepare ambulance, firefighter trucks, or whatever is needed.

Interface:

The interface of the G3000 flight deck changes to a simplified interface, which basically just allows the passengers to talk to the air traffic control and gives the information they need to know like landing time or any updates. This is Screen Shot 2019 10 31 at 9.20.13 AM 1most likely helpful to keep the passengers more relaxed and not panicking about all the radars and numbers on the displays, which might look scary, especially in such a moment.

 

 

 

Planes:

For 2020 the models Piper M600 turboprop and Cirrus Vision Jet are trying to get authorization by the FAA. Older models with the G3000 cockpit could be upgraded, but the company didn’t confirm yet whether this option will be made available.

Piper M600 turboprop

Cirrus Vision Jet

 

Trailer:

As you can see, for now, there are no plans to implement this system into commercial planes, and it is a system that should only be used in emergencies. So maybe for now keep the connections with Superman and your bee friends.

However, in my opinion, this is a good indicator that in the future, planes will fly without pilots having to sit in the cockpits starting and landing the plane.

 

Sources:
TechCrunch
Engadget
Beam
The Billionaire Shop

Privacy issues of Smart Speakers

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In the 21st century people really started to worry about their privecy, as with the development of IT sphere more and more malicious codes and eavesdropping systems are involved to track our lives.
Nowadays smart speakers like Amazon Echo,

Amazon Echo Dot,

Sonos One,

JBL Link 20,

Google Home

and so on are becoming rather popular, as it has many usfull functions, which make our lives easier: answer questions, cotrole smart home gadgets, play music, search information etc.
Lets look at the pie chart below. It reflects that 21 persent of customers use smart speaker less often than they did at the beggining.

And next diagram shows why.


We can conclude that these 21% now use smart speaker less frequantly because they worry about personal date. And as it turned out not in vain.
October 20, security researchers claimed that Amazon and Google speakers have several desein flows, which can be used in eavesdropping and voice phishing.
To prove it several reaserches were held at Security Research Labs, a hacking research collective and consulting think tank, situated in Berlin. They found out that developers could create malicious apps for the Amazon and Google platforms to turn the smart speakers into smart spies. It was estimated that even after finishing using smart speaker, it was still recording voice, and as a result collecting personal data from users, including passwords, and eavesdropping.
“Consumers need to be aware that they are sending data to third parties when using voice apps,” explained SRL researcher Karsten Nohl. “These apps do not need to be installed on the device, but instead are invoked through phrases that the app developer chooses.”
“Hence, users might not be aware they are using the services of a third party,” he told TechNewsWorld. “The smart spies hacks add urgency to this situation since they allow app developers to listen in on users after the app has supposedly stopped running.”
Amazon and Google always care about their customers privecy, so after Being alert about such a problem both companies blocked the particular one smart speaker platform and put changes in place to reject or block any skill exhibiting the nasty behavior of the researchers’ app.
“It’s important that we continue to work with the security community to protect our customers,” the Amazon spokesperson said.” We have a dedicated team focused on certifying skills and ensuring the safety and security of our customers.”
Amazon and Google also added a new function for the safety of their customers, which allows users to delete everything smart speaker has recorded, as well as ask it what it heard and why it responded in a certain way.
Do you think Amazon and Google managed to solve this privecy issue or personal dater of their customers is still not safe?
Links:

https://www.technewsworld.com/story/Smart-Speaker-Apps-Caught-Snooping-Around-Homes-86309.html

https://marketingland.com/privacy-issues-may-be-hurting-smart-speaker-market-growth-263199

Multiple Realities

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Envision what it may resemble to live and work in our reality in 2030 and past. Maybe, on account of headways in broadened reality (XR), an umbrella term used to depict vivid advancements that can consolidate the physical and virtual universes, you may have the option to search for another home anyplace on the planet as though you were quite site or head to lunch in some faraway land. By 2022, the XR market is relied upon to reach $209 billion, which is multiple times what it is today. This gigantic development could mean the substances of our 2030 lives are past our creative mind’s capacity to get a handle on.

Different Types Of Realities

Extended Reality(XR)

XR is a rising umbrella term for all the vivid innovations. The ones we as of now have today—enlarged reality (AR), computer generated reality (VR), and blended reality (MR) in addition to those that are still to be made. Every single vivid innovation broaden the truth we experience by either mixing the virtual and “genuine” universes or by making a completely vivid encounter. Late research uncovered that over 60% of respondents trusted XR will be standard in the following five years. To show signs of improvement picture of XR, how about we survey every one of the current innovations that exist today.

Augmented reality (AR)

In aumented reality, virtual data and items are overlaid on this present reality. This experience upgrades this present reality with computerized subtleties, for example, pictures, content, and liveliness. You can get to the experience through AR glasses or by means of screens, tablets, and cell phones. This implies clients are not segregated from this present reality can even now cooperate and see what’s happening before them. The most outstanding instances of AR are the Pokémon GO game that overlays advanced animals onto this present reality or Snapchat channels that put computerized items, for example, caps or glasses onto your head.

Virtual Reality

Rather than augmented reality, in virtual reality, clients are completely inundated in a reenacted computerized condition. People must put on a VR headset or head-mounted showcase to get a 360 – degree perspective on a fake world that tricks their cerebrum into accepting they are, e.g., strolling on the moon, swimming under the sea or ventured into whatever new world the VR engineers made. The gaming and media outlet were early adopters of this innovation; be that as it may, organizations in a few ventures, for example, medicinal services, development, building, the military, and more are seeing VR as valuable.

Mixed Reality(MR)

In mixed reality, computerized and genuine articles coincide and can interface with each other progressively. This is the most recent vivid innovation and is some of the time alluded to as hybrid reality. It requires a MR headset and significantly more preparing force than VR or AR. Microsoft’s HoloLens is an extraordinary model that, e.g., enables you to put computerized objects into the room you are remaining in and enable you to turn it around or interface with the advanced article in any capacity conceivable. Organizations are investigating ways they can give blended reality something to do to take care of issues, bolster activities, and improve their organizations.

 

Applications Of Extended Realities(XR)

There are numerous reasonable uses of XR. Here are a couple:

· Retail: XR enables clients to attempt before they purchase. Watch maker Rolex has an AR application that enables you to take a stab at watches on your genuine wrist, and furniture organization IKEA enables clients to put furniture things into their home through their cell phone.

· Preparing: Particularly throughout everyday life and-demise conditions, XR can give preparing apparatuses that are hyper-practical that will help troopers, human services experts, pilots/space travelers, physicists, and more make sense of answers for issues or figure out how to react to hazardous conditions without putting their lives or any other person’s in danger.

· Remote work: Laborers can associate with the home office or with experts situated the world over such that makes the two sides feel like they are in a similar room.

· Advertising: The conceivable outcomes to connect with planned clients and purchasers through XR will have promoting experts contemplating all the capability of utilizing XR to further their organization’s potential benefit.

· Land: Discovering purchasers or occupants may be simpler if people can “stroll through” spaces to choose on the off chance that they need it in any event, when they are in some other area.

· Excitement: As an early adopter, media outlets will keep on finding better approaches for using vivid advancements.

Disadvantages of XR

Those creating XR advancements are engaging with a portion of the difficulties to standard reception. To start with, XR advancements gather and procedure enormous measures of definite and individual information about what you do, what you take a gander at, and even your feelings at some random time, which must be secured.

What’s more, the expense of executing the innovation needs to descend; something else, numerous organizations will be not able put resources into it. It is basic that the wearable gadgets that permit a full XR experience are chic and agreeable just as constantly associated, savvy, and vivid. There are critical specialized and equipment issues to explain that incorporate however are not restricted to the showcase, power and warm, movement following, availability and basic enlightenment—where virtual articles in a genuine world are indistinct from genuine items particularly as lighting shifts.

As every day passes, we are one bit nearer to settling these issues so we will see a lot more standard utilizations of all XR advancements over the coming years

Reference:https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/08/12/what-is-extended-reality-technology-a-simple-explanation-for-anyone/#66f64e4e7249

AI As Danger To Public Road Safety

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Impact of Technology on Driving

 

Prepared by: Artem Beregovskykh

[5]

 

In the past 20 years, technology had a massive impact not only on the business market segments but also on our day-to-day life and the automotive industry is not the exception. With the increased use of technologies and its implementation in the new cars, they became safer, more economical, less polluting and more “independent” than they have ever been. On the other side, drivers became way too reliant on the new systems and in some cases that leads to deadly accidents. This report will focus on the impact of new systems implemented in cars and how they benefit and deteriorate the way we transport ourselves.

 

Automakers are investing the majority of their budgets on improving the safety of their new car models [3]. Several new systems were introduced to reduce the possibility of getting into an accident, let’s look at some of them in a more detailed way. Firstly, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) approximately 50% of both head-on and rear-end collisions were prevented by this system. Furthermore, the auto manufacturers in North America have agreed that this feature will come as a standard option on new vehicles from 2022 [3]. Second, Blind-Spot warning systems help you changing lanes and avoiding hitting a car in the blind spot have reduced nearly 14% of side crashes [2]. The electronic stability control (ESC) helped to prevent nearly half of the severe accidents involving roll-overs [3]. Adaptive Headlights are turning with your cars wheels allowing you to see what is in front of your car when you are entering a turn and avoiding an obstacle at the curve if it is present [1]. Although, the governments around the world are stiffening the regulations on safety features of new cars a lot of people worldwide are still dying in major crashes.

 

As new cars are becoming more technologically-advanced we expect them to be safer. However, in the USA there was a 50% increase in car accidents from 2015 to 2016 involving deaths and fatalities, which was the biggest annual increase in 50 years [4]. Also, from 2005 to 2008 the rise of telephone usage contributed to the growing amount of car accidents by 28% [9]. In the USA in 2017 texting and driving included 14% of fatal crashes [7]. Another way automakers are trying making public roads safer, is by developing and introducing self-driving systems. On the automotive market, Tesla is seen as the most tech-driven company but there were a lot of complaints from the drivers when Tesla cars were very close to hitting an obstacle when operating under the autopilot if the driver was not strictly following its manoeuvres [6]. However, there were also tragic instances when Teslas were involved in deadly car accidents when the autopilot was turned on. In 2019 Model  Tesla went under a truck resulting in the death of a driver. In the same year, the most expensive model in Tesla’s lineup Model X went into a barrier, caught on fire killing the driver [8]. In the end, people become highly dependent on the new technologies in their cars that they lose the caution and control over the process that increases the possibility of dying or getting serious injuries in a car accident.

 

Although, new cars are safer and more efficient than the old ones there are a lot of things that must be done to prevent future collisions and deadly accidents. Moreover, today’s drivers must be constantly involved in the driving process and control the environment around them, this approach will help reduce most of the crashes. To sum up, I believe that all auto manufacturers  should engage in more deeper research and development of the new systems in cars to reduce the possibility of its failure to a minimum. However, in the near future, I do not believe that cars will be able to operate without the driver’s presence.

 

 

Works Cited

 

  1. Agarwal, H. (2018, March 20). How Does Technology Help To Reduce Car Accidents? CEOWORLD magazine. Retrieved October 19, 2019, from https://ceoworld.biz/2018/03/20/how-does-technology-help-to-reduce-car-accidents/.
  2. Automated safety systems found to prevent car crashes. (2017, August 23). Retrieved October 19, 2019, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4815388/Studies-automated-safety-systems-preventing-car-crashes.html.
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