UN and regional groups should refine their partnerships to build stability Annan
Video of address to meeting Citing examples from Afghanistan, Haiti, Kosovo and Burundi, Mr. Annan said the UN can and should work together with regional bodies to establish peace and security and to help reconstruct States emerging from crisis and conflict.But he told the Council’s meeting on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations that many of the partnerships so far have been improvised, rather than targeted to specific strengths.”I believe that more institutionalized channels of cooperation would help ensure more efficiency and effectiveness, and perhaps even economies of scale,” he said, pointing out that future partnerships must be shaped according to the individual challenges that arise.Mr. Annan said the UN will soon hold talks with regional groups about setting up cooperation mechanisms on several issues, including the protection of civilians in armed conflict, promoting tolerance and dialogue among civilizations.The next high-level meeting between the UN and regional bodies is scheduled to take place in mid-2005, and he said the talks may eventually become an annual event.The Secretary-General also praised regional organizations for having resources “on the ground” much more quickly than the UN in many cases.”However, not all regional organizations can sustain their deployments over a long period. And the legitimacy that flows from UN operations is often needed for longer-term sustainability.”In the debate following Mr. Annan’s address, many speakers – representing Member States and regional organizations – said that those groups played a vital role in promoting peace and stability.Several speakers also stressed that future partnerships between the UN and regional bodies must be tailored to suit the specific case and always be flexible in case change is required.
Caterpillar has agreed a five-year deal with leading international mining group, Rio Tinto, to support and supply a broad range of Cat® equipment to Rio Tinto mines worldwide. It is the second consecutive five-year agreement between the two companies, but expands to include the full range of Cat equipment. As part of this agreement Rio mine personnel, Cat dealers and Caterpillar employees will work collaboratively to improve machine and mine performance.“Rio Tinto has been and continues to be a valued customer, so we are thrilled to be expanding our products and services provided to them,” said Chris Curfman, President of the Caterpillar Global Mining Division. “The purchase, supply and support agreement will leverage the full range of Cat equipment and showcase the strengths of Cat mining dealers.”Some 90% of Rio Tinto’s assets are in Australia, North America and Europe. Additionally, the company has significant businesses in South America, Asia and southern Africa. The majority of the mines are open-pit operations and the majority of equipment supplied by Cat will be surface mining equipment, including large mining trucks, track-type tractors, large wheel loaders and motor graders.In June Caterpillar announced that it is accelerating capacity expansion plans for trucks in Decatur, Illinois, USA, with additional capacity expected to come on line beginning in 2011. The expansion in Decatur will increase truck capacity at the facility by nearly 30%. Decatur produces Caterpillar’s largest mining trucks, including the new 795F AC electric drive truck, the first AC electric truck ever manufactured by Caterpillar. Pre-production models of the 795F AC are being tested at a Rio Tinto mine.
Satcom Global has announced the launch of Aura: a global VSAT solution offering high quality, high bandwidth connectivity across a variety of customisable packages. Already live at a number of fixed remote locations around the world following a successful trial period, Aura “will set new standards” for businesses looking for flexible global communications in remote sites such as mines under development.Focused on flexibility, Satcom Global Aura says it “provides customers with a solution tailored to their specific requirements. Available in bespoke packages with high bandwidth speeds, as well as multiple hardware and L-Band backup options, Satcom Global Aura combines easy setup and an uncomplicated installation, with a low cost of ownership to ensure customers are never faced with unexpected costs.”As the need for high-speed real-time data communication grows, Aura is equally scalable, with the variety of packages catering for all communication requirements via a simple price plan structure. Satcom Global also provides hardware rental plans for customers who would prefer to spread their costs over the duration of the contract, rather than buy equipment outright.“With logistics being a key challenge with VSAT services, the Aura installation process has been designed to be as pain free as possible for customers no matter where they are in the world. Leveraging strategic partnerships with select equipment manufacturers, Satcom Global holds dedicated stock in key locations for the delivery of Aura, enabling quick deployment to wherever your location may be in the world. Additionally, Aura features clear tiered pricing options for installations with no hidden costs, and the entire end-to-end installation process will be managed by Satcom Global’s dedicated in-house engineering and implementation teams.”Customers will also benefit from an industry leading customer support process which is provided on a 24×7 basis from our dedicated and knowledgeable Network Operations Centre in the UK. At the launch CEO of Satcom Global, Ian Robinson, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Satcom Global Aura to both our loyal customers and to customers in new markets, as the demand for high speed streaming and data consumption continues to grow. Building and managing our own global Ku-band network gives us the flexibility and capacity to deliver a customisable solution, which will continually evolve to meet the needs of our customers. We are reaffirming our commitment to personalised service in delivering tailored satellite solutions, whilst bringing the benefits of high speed connectivity to the market place.”“The addition of Aura VSAT to Satcom Global’s portfolio marks a huge step forward for the organisation, strengthening its position as a leading global satellite communications provider. Satcom Global prides itself in creating innovative solutions to meet customer’s satellite communications needs regardless of where they are in the world. With offices based across Asia, the Americas, EMEA and Oceania, the 200 strong multi-lingual Satcom Global team work with an extensive global network of valued dealers and partners to fulfil this commitment.”
With current cost pressures on mines in South Africa and elsewhere, the role of procurement officers in saving unnecessary expenditure has become vitally important. Procurement officers are being increasingly relied upon to save money for the mine, according to SPH Kundalila Group Commercial and Operations Manager Graeme Campbell. He suggests a few practical ways in which these individuals can do this while achieving optimal results from their purchases.Firstly, says Campbell, procurement officers must know when and how to negotiate. This begins with learning more about every aspect of mine procurement that they are required to control. While not being expected to be experts in every field, they can learn a lot by sitting down with contractors and service providers to gain insights into the work that is to be done.“Suppliers can actually be important assets that many procurement officers fail to tap into,” he says. “Contractors like SPH Kundalila, for instance, have decades of experience and have acquired expert knowledge of the field they function in, from industry costs and new products right through to insights into important role players in the sector and the pioneering technology available.”Armed with this kind of industry knowledge, procurement officers can negotiate more beneficial and cost saving contracts with better levels of service provision.The second way to ensure good value for mine expenditure is to define an accurate scope of work, says Campbell. “A tender bid can be a daunting and time consuming process, and more time can be lost when trying to compare contractors’ quotations when the scope is too vague,” he says. “The answer is to start off a tender process by stating exactly – and in detail – what the scope of the work will be. Getting contractors to quote according to these specifications will makes comparisons easier, and expose any hidden costs.”Issuing a clear and detailed tender will also serve as a ‘dry run’ to gauge a contractor’s quality of service, he argues. Experienced companies, such as SPH Kundalila, have trained personnel and support teams who understand the tender’s requirements, and can quickly clarify any point of a quote or contract.Thirdly, urges Campbell, draw from the expertise inside your own company. He says the bidding process is really an opportunity for all the mine’s departments to find the best possible contractors for their purposes.“Bringing the input together from colleagues and department heads during a bidding process requires strong, trusting relationships between them,” he says. “Procurement officers should invest time in building these relationships with other departments, as colleagues may know of affordable service providers in the market that procurement officers are unaware of.” A unified approach motivates all departments – and even contractors – to work together for the greater good of the mine.
Updated 9.50 PMWORKERS AT ESB have said “an all out dispute” involving unionised staff will take place at 8am on 16 December.The warning from the company’s Unions’ Dispute Committee said that “all ESB generated power will be off the bars” from that time.In the statement, the committee said that they will give “due regard” to public, staff and environmental health and safety.“Emergency cover for fault and repair services” will only be available “where applicable and to be decided by the Dispute Committee”, they say.“False accounting”They added that this strike is down to “ESB’s false accounting and statement of interest regarding the staff’s Defined Benefit pension scheme”.This committee will not be part of the planned meeting between ESB management and the ESB Group Of Unions at the Labour Relations Committee (LRC) today.However, the Group of Unions stated that it was “happy” to distribute the committee’s message through its own channels.Unions slammed a “so-called offer” last night it had received from ESB management yesterday, although agreed to meet with the LRC at the request of Minister Pat Rabbitte, who called it “unthinkable” that “our economic recovery should be jeopardised” by a power cut.Read: Workers agree to LRC meeting with ESB management >
Monday 16 Jan 2017, 12:56 PM 15,045 Views https://jrnl.ie/3189280 Image: Google Maps Scottish DJ Jackmaster tweeted: Share159 Tweet Email Source: JACKMASTER/Twitter A SHOOTING ERUPTED at an electronic music festival in the Mexican resort of Playa del Carmen early today, leaving at least five people dead and sparking a stampede, the mayor said.Fifteen people were injured, some in the stampede, after at least one shooter opened fire before dawn at the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival, Mayor Cristina Torres told Turquesa radio.On Facebook, the BPM Festival said that police confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the nightclub, which resulted in four fatalities and 12 people being injured. The beach at Carmen del Playa Image: Google Maps The beach at Carmen del Playa The violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue. Jan 16th 2017, 12:56 PM 
By AFP The BPM Festival has been working closely with the local authorities (Seguridad Publica / Policia Turistica) throughout the festival to ensure public safety and security for all visitors. We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families and all those affected by these tragic events. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Someone has come into the club in Playa Del Carmen and opened fire. 4-5 dead and many wounded. Stay in ur fuckin hotel if you’re here at BPM— JACKMASTER (@jackmaster) January 16, 2017 At least 5 people dead in nightclub shooting at Mexican music festival Investigators are interviewing witnesses. Short URL – © AFP, 2017 – Additional reporting Aoife Barry 4 Comments This is a very very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected ♥— JACKMASTER (@jackmaster) January 16, 2017 Source: JACKMASTER/Twitter
Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Share220 Tweet Email2 https://jrnl.ie/3442146 5 Comments Jun 14th 2017, 6:01 AM Outside Adapt Image: ADAPT ‘It’s a huge loss to the community’: Staff protest closure of drug treatment service in Dublin Staff at Adapt in Dublin were told last month that the service was winding down. 14,044 Views Image: ADAPT Outside Adapt By Cormac Fitzgerald Wednesday 14 Jun 2017, 6:01 AM WORKERS IN A community drug treatment service in Dublin have requested a meeting with Leo Varadkar after they were told that the facility was closing.Staff at Adapt in Blanchardstown were informed at the end of last month that the service that has operated in the area for the past 18 years was shutting down.A total of 13 full-time staff work at the centre. They were given six weeks’ notice at the end of May. The service will officially cease on 7 July.However, a fire at the main centre in the Coolmine Industrial Estate over the June Bank Holiday weekend has led to the closure of the building.Staff are currently only providing outreach services, and the centre will not open before Adapt ceases operating entirely.A protest against the closure will be held later this afternoon at Mulhuddart Village.Workers have written to Minister of State Catherine Byrne and Varadkar (who is a local TD in the area) requesting a meeting over the closure.Adapt began operating in the late 1990s. It is a drop-in and support service for people dealing with drug issues.The organisation provides wrap-around support for people dealing with drug or alcohol misuse issues. It provides social care services, crisis management and intervention, one-to-one support and an outreach service among others.It also provides a childcare service for people who are seeking treatment.The service would deal with in the region of a thousand people a year across its services.Adapt had been funded by the HSE, but was its own company with its own Board of Management.The Board of Management announced to staff last month that they were closing Adapt, and making the 13 staff redundant. Staff claim they were not given a reason why.“Unbelievable” Maureen Penrose – who lobbied to have the service opened 20 years ago before becoming a full-time worker there – told TheJournal.ie that staff at the service were deeply disappointed with the decision to close.“I think it’s a huge loss to the community,” said Penrose. Short URL Now we’re back to where we were 20 years ago, lobbying to have more service for the area.Penrose claimed staff had been kept in the dark about why the Board of Management had decided to close the centre.She said the Board had approached staff with a restructuring plan for the organisation at the end of March. Staff did not accept the plan, which included a number of redundancies.Penrose said that staff were then informed last month that they were being made redundant.TheJournal.ie contacted the director of the board in relation to the closure. The director said that Board was not commenting on the closure.The HSE said in a statement that it “fully supports” the decision of the Board to wind down Adapt.CommunityLocal Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger – who is supporting the workers – told TheJournal.ie that the local community would suffer as a result of the closure.“It’s very unfair,” said Coppinger.To just simply close it down and make redundant staff with lots of experience.Coppinger said that Varadkar and Byrne should meet with the workers to discuss their issues.The HSE said that it was working hard to ensure that all Adapt service users would be linked in with and transferred to other supports in the area.“Our priority now is to ensure that service users are linked in with other services in the area and that these services are enhanced and sustainable,” said Donal Cassidy CHO DNCC.Adapt staff said many services will be lost in this transition, including the drop-in and childcare services.Read: ‘It takes me away from this world for the day’: Life as a homeless drug-user on the streets of DublinRead: Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug among young adults in Ireland (but MDMA use is on the rise)
Extremely Rare, Two-Colored Lobster Found in MaineNew Species of Giant Flying Reptile Identified By Scientists Stay on target Say hello to Big Blue: Botswana unveiled an extremely rare “Fancy Deep Blue” diamond weighing more than 20 carats on Wednesday. The “Okavango Blue” is the largest blue diamond discovery ever made in the country, and exceeds the clarity and purity of its world-famous predecessor, the Hope Diamond.According to a press release from the Okavango Diamond Co., the diamond’s “unique and vibrant blue color is created by the molecular inclusion of the rare mineral boron which between 1-3 billion years ago was present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity.”The oval-shaped diamond was discovered as a 41.11 carat rough stone. It was then cut and polished, retaining 20.46 carats.
At just over 20 carats, the Okavango Blue is smaller than the Hope Diamond, which is housed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., but graded above it in terms of purity by the Carlsbad, California-based Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Okavango Diamond Co. Managing Director Marcus ter Haar told Bloomberg.The GIA has graded the diamond as “Very, Very Slightly Included,” or VVS2, meaning inclusions — internal imperfections — “are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.”In comparison, the Hope Diamond was graded a “Very Slightly Included,” or VS1 grade, according to the Smithsonian, meaning “inclusions are minor and range from difficult to somewhat easy for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.”“It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this color and nature to have come from Botswana – a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” said ter Haar. “It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy color.”Blue diamonds are incredibly rare, comprising a minute 2/100ths of 1 percent of all mined. As the Okavango Diamond Co. undertakes a global marketing campaign for its gem of a find among high net-worth buyers and collectors, the diamond could likely go for millions.In 2016, a massive blue diamond, dubbed the Cullinan Dream, sold for a whopping $25.3 million at auction, breaking the record for most expensive gem of its kind ever sold, according to the New York Daily News.More on Geek.com:This Egg-Sized Diamond Is the Largest Ever Found in North America4.5 Billion-Year-Old Heart-Shaped Meteorite Up for AuctionRare Penny Found in Boy’s Lunch Money Could Fetch Up to $1.7 Million in Auction
A stock photo of a BB gun found in the possession of a man shot and killed by Anchorage police on April 1, 2019. (Photo courtesy Anchorage Police Department)Anchorage police shot and killed a man Monday after he allegedly pointed what looked like a handgun at officers. They later discovered it was a BB gun. According to Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll, the incident started in midtown.“We started getting some calls from Anchorage residents in the area of Walmart on A Street, about a subject who appeared to have a handgun and was waving it around,” the police chief said.Doll said the subject was described to police as an adult male wearing a “puffy jacket.” He boarded a bus, getting off a few blocks later near the intersection of A Street and 16th Avenue, according to police.Doll said officers arrived in the area and “made contact” with the suspect, who turned around and walked towards the officers. Police said he disobeyed verbal commands, produced a handgun from his waistband area and pointed it towards officers. Three officers fired and the man was hit, police said. Officers provided first aid and responding medics transported the man to a hospital, where he later died.According to Doll there were no bystanders in the area. He says the incident unfolded in seconds. It wasn’t until police began investigating the scene that they learned the pistol was actually a replica-style BB gun.“It looks pretty much identical to a real firearm,” Doll said.The victim was identified on Tuesday afternoon as 31-year-old Bishar Hassan. He’d recently been arrested in connection with charges of harassment stemming from a 2018 incident at a cannery in Unalaska. Court records show he bailed out about a week ago.This is the second officer-involved shooting in Anchorage so far this year. The last one happened on March 7. In keeping with department rules, all three officers who fired shots have been placed on administrative leave and will be identified three days after the incident.The Office of Special Prosecution is expected to review what happened, along with an investigation by the Anchorage Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit.
Visakhapatnam: As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Gangavaram Port Limited on Monday provided scholarships to selected students and distributed stationery materials also. The ceremony was attended by Tippala Nagi Reddy, MLA, Gajuwaka Constituency in the presence of Sambasiva Rao, CEO, V Janardhan Rao, COO, B Balakrishna, Vice President, Vigilance (R&R and Security), L P S Ramu Naidu, Vice President (R&R and Security) along with staff members of Gangavaram Port. Also Read – 10 injured as school bus falls off bridge in Nellore district Advertise With Us GPL staff distributed stationery items like school bags, books and compass boxes to nearly 550 students in ZP High School, MPP Elementary School, Pallepalam MPP Elementary School. GPL also awarded scholarships to meritorious Class X students (2018-19) from Gangavaram High School, Peddagantyada mandal, Gangavaram village. The students who got the scholarship are Jaya who got 1st prize of Rs 10,000, Pramila got 2nd prize of Rs 5,000 & M Manjusha got 3rd prize of Rs 5,000. This initiative was done with an objective to promote education in the neighboring villages and create a healthy environment for the students in the school. According to Gangavaram Port Management, “It’s our endeavour to strengthen the education facilities and promote an encouraging environment. We are committed to the development of our neighbourhood and will continue to support similar initiatives for creating a stronger society.”
Major Indian e-commerce players Flipkart, Snapdeal, Alibaba and Aditya Birla group’s Abof.com are in the race to acquire Jabong, an Indian fashion and lifestyle e-commerce portal. The initial rounds of talks are on as owners AB Kinnevik, a Swedish investment firm, and Rocket Internet are looking to sell the company and exit India operations.The owners are reluctant to pump in more capital into the e-commerce firm.The firm has been holding talks with potential buyers for the sale process and hope to close the deal in six month’s time, Mint reported.The value of the deal is expected to be between $250 and $300 million.”Jabong has held talks with these four companies over the past few weeks. While none of the negotiations has reached an advanced stage, the deal size could be around two times its annual sales,” a source was quoted as saying by the Economic Times.The Gurgaon-based e-commerce portal, which is owned by Global Fashion Group (GFG), initially held discussions with Amazon, but the talks reportedly fell through in the initial stages.By the end of May, Jabong has reported a 14 percent increase in revenue to €32.8 million during the March quarter. Jabong’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation loss reduced to €11.9 million from €16.3 million during the same quarter in the previous financial year (2014-15).Four months ago, the loss-making firm received funding of Rs. 2 crore to help it remain afloat. Oliver Samwer, CEO of Rocket Internet and deputy chairman at GFG, was reportedly not in favour of continuing its India operations. However, Kinnevik insisted on backing the company and the board finally agreed to infuse the amount into Jabong.Major e-commerce players Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon India have reported losses for the financial year 2014-15. According to a report in the Indian Express, Snapdeal recorded losses worth Rs. 1,328.01 crore. Amazon India’s clocked Rs. 1,723.6 crore and Flipkart reported losses of Rs. 2,000 crore. On the other hand, Jabong, in a filing with the registrar of companies, posted a loss of Rs. 43.6 crore as against sales of Rs. 1,082.9 crore. In the last few quarters, e-commerce retailers have brought down discount levels as investors are increasingly pressurising firms to turn profitable. “InJanuary-March, we have reduced our discount levels by 10 per cent to 15 per cent and in the October-December quarter, we had reduced discount levels by around 6 per cent. Women and footwear categories discount levels have declined sharply,” Sanjeev Mohanty, chief executive officer of Jabong, had told the Indian Express in March.[1 lakh = 100,000 | 1 crore = 10 million | 100 crore = 1 billion]
Welcome back to Geek.com’s Origin of the Species. Each time out we’ll take a look at one of our favorite fantasy, science fiction, or horror races or species, going in-depth exploring their origins in fiction, mythology, and etymology. Check out our previous installments on the history of orcs and zombies!Pop culture is lousy with robots. They’re everywhere! Whether you’re talking about the droids of Stars Wars, synthetic men like Marvel’s Vision, or countless other examples, you can’t swing a dead cat around your head without hitting a robot, android, gynoid or, at the very least, a cyborg. But while robots are a staple of science fiction books, films, television, and comics, they have far, far older origins than most people realize.The first use of the word robot was way back in 1920, in the science fiction play R.U.R. Czech playwright Karel Čapek was the first to use the term in a published work, but claimed that it was his brother Josef – himself a painter and writer – who actually coined the term as a take on the Czech word robota. From there, it didn’t take long for “robot” to begin to replacing much older words, like “automaton” and “android.” While “automaton,” “android,” and even “robot” as used in the present-day refer generally to any kind of mechanical entity, one with a specific set of tasks and orders, the original use of the word, as seen in R.U.R., is much more specific and cynical.In Czech, robota actually means forced labor, as in that done by serfs and peasants, and it is derived from an even more dire term, rab, which means slave. As such, in the first published mention of them, robots are shown to be a type of working class who are disregarded and disrespected by their masters until they, inevitably, rise up in their discontent. This specific interpretation of robots, due to its obvious allegorical usages, has remained a popular way to depict the entities, perhaps nowhere more notably than in the world of The Matrix.Interestingly, the year 1920, in which the word “robot” first appeared in R.U.R., also saw the birth of a man who did more than anyone to promote the concept of robots in popular culture, establishing them as a staple of science fiction and even providing a set of enormously influential “laws” by which robots should operate. That man was, of course, Isaac Asimov, and his science fiction writing – specifically that centered on robots – casts a long, long shadow in not just sci-fi, but all of pop culture.From Asimov, robots proliferated wildly in countless genres and subgenres. Everything from B-movies about space travel, to comic book superheroes and villains, to even rock songs like Styx’s “Mr. Roboto.” But all of that stuff is pretty easy to track, as well as common knowledge to the type of pop culture savants who tend to cruise Geek.com. That’s why we’re going to look back further, to the antecedents of the gleaming metal men and women you’ve grown to love.Obviously, pre-1920 robots aren’t referred to as such, as the term didn’t yet exist. But you don’t even need to squint to realize that many of the automatons and artificial lifeforms that populate fiction, myths, and even religious texts, are much closer to robots than anything else. The oldest of these, and the first appearance of anything robot-esque in Western literature, appears in a piece of foundational fiction: Homer’s Iliad. In it, the god of fire, volcanoes, and blacksmithing, Hephaestus, has a squad of golden maidservants that help him craft armor for Achilles. Though they were not real women, they nonetheless looked like them, and were trained to serve the god in his work.Other early appearances of robot-esque entities include a set of dry bones that became animated in the biblical book of Ezekiel, Pygmalion’s living statue Galatea, and even a set of moving tables created, once again, by Hephaestus. Perhaps most notable of all these ur-robots, however, is the Jewish myth of the golem.In Jewish mythology, just as God created man from clay, man could, himself, create a being in his own image using clay and chunks of stone. Though the legend of the Prague golem is the most famous, the creature can be found in numerous sources, with various takes on the specifics of its creation and how it’s controlled. Most of them, however, feature, to one degree or another, an idea that would become central to robot-based literature: That man, in attempting to create life on his own, commits a dangerous act of hubris, at best a risky endeavor and at worst, an affront to the gods themselves.Nowhere is this clearer, however, than in a tale that has transcended its literary origins to become a pop culture staple: Frankenstein’s monster. While the creature has been largely claimed by the horror genre – unsurprising, as it’s a kind of hybrid between a zombie and an automaton – the original version of the creature, as seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, has a lot in common with modern robots. Frankenstein creates his monster in a laboratory, animating it with electricity, and giving it only limited capabilities which, inevitably, go awry, further driving home that frequent robot metaphor.Robots have long been an important part of humanity’s fictional endeavors, with many appearances predating the actual existence of the term. But despite being a concept that has existed consistently since antiquity, robots remain a valuable trope and a useful metaphor for exploring concepts as varied as man’s hubris, the nature and responsibility of creation, and even class struggle and the horrors of slavery.What are your favorite depictions of robots in literature and pop culture? Tell us about them in the comments below! Oh who are we kidding. It’s Bender Bending Rodriguez.Aubrey Sitterson is the creator of the ongoing sword & sorcery serial podcast, SKALD, available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Podomatic. Follow him on Twitter or check his website for more information.
Jeff Fagnan, partner at Atlas VentureImage credit: Atlas Venture Geoff Mamlet, managing director at CICImage credit: CIC.us The Milken Institute wrapped up 2013 with a report listing the best performing cities in job creation, wage growth and tech economic output. On the heels of yet another disappointing labor report, it’s important to applaud areas where job growth is thriving.Related: Why Our Job Market Is Dying Before Our EyesCommunities in California such as (surprise, surprise) San Francisco, San Mateo, San Jose, and Sunnyvale stood out as the most fertile grounds for innovation. Three-thousand miles away from the Silicon Valley sunshine, the Cambridge-Newton area of Massachusetts also won accolades in this category. It had the overall third-highest share of tech economic output in the nation, second to San Jose, Calif., and Boulder, Colo. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs are increasingly discovering new frontiers in cheaper, emerging tech hubs. Austin, Texas, was ranked the overall best-performing city, with its low-tax and low-regulation environment. Also, financial firms are launching global tech centers in low-cost Raleigh, N.C.As newer, cheaper startup scenes develop across the country, it’s important to dissect how established tech cities are upheld as landmarks for U.S. innovation. The Milken report says, “Tech firms don’t just fall from the sky. The leading tech metros cultivated these assets through indigenous innovation and strategic recruitment.”Five leaders from Cambridge’s startup scene say it also takes relentless networking. Here, they share what’s moving and shaking Kendall Square: Related: 9 U.S. Cities You Wouldn’t Think Are Hubs for Tech Startups Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals 3. Companies are continuing to invest in untapped talent.When it comes to recruiting top human capital, Nitesh Banta of General Catalyst Partners says his firm’s Harvard Square office is financing a student-run seed stage fund, managed by Rough Draft Ventures. A student team selects undergrad entrepreneurs to receive funding of up to $25,000.Banta says they sift through programs from all neighboring colleges, and not just Harvard and MIT campuses: “We’ve backed great teams from Olin, where the student body is very technical. For being a young school, it already has a notable engineering department.”He adds that Northeastern University has a highly developed student-run venture accelerator lab and Boston University has some of the best professors in business marketing and communications. “These two fields are filling critical roles for expanding tech companies,” Banta says. Tufts University also has a strong entrepreneurial leadership program.Peter Boyce, who co-founded Rough Draft with fellow Harvard alum Banta, says the organization is set up to connect with students every semester, including the summer. “They know they could reach us year-round if they need access to office space, or even just mentorship,” Boyce says. Jaime Mayo and Sandra Glucksmann of WESTImage credit: westorg.org 2. A new era of angel activity has emerged.Throughout the 1990s, the tech behemoths of yesteryear, such as Apollo, DEC and Data General, were dispersed throughout towns like Waltham, Burlington and Andover. Today, the high-tech scene has moved from these expansive New England suburbs to clusters within Cambridge and the greater Boston area. “The return to the city is driven by younger entrepreneurs,” says Jeff Fagnan, a partner at early-stage VC firm Atlas Venture. “This density of networking companies is causing a thriving nucleus of activity.”Just last month, Atlas Venture hosted a dinner in Central Square and invited the top startup founders, venture capitalists and angel investors in the neighborhood. It was for their launch of the first “Boston Syndicate” on AngelList. Atlas pledged to invest up to $250,000 into deals made through that syndicate.“Angel investors have a responsibility to invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs, now we’re going to make it financially worth their while,” says Fagnan. The places were set for notable players such as DataXu CEO Mike Baker, PayPal Media Network COO David Chang and Highland Capital venture partner Walt Doyle, among others. By the time dessert was served, two startups had secured angel funding, including Drizly, the alcoholic beverage delivery app.Fagnan says that while he is always concerned about whether people can work for startups while living in an expensive city, he says that a new era of liquidity in the region will breathe new life into Cambridge’s small business scene. “As some companies are getting bigger and purchased, these entrepreneurs who have had successful exits will too become angel investors,” says Fagnan. The co-founders of Rough Draft VenturesImage credit: Rough Draft and GCVP.com Related: Networking Tricks for College Treps 7 min read 5. Investors are asking young innovators to “Stay in MA” even after they graduate.Five years ago, when partners from Flybridge Capital Partners attended venture industry events, they noticed something was missing.“We realized there weren’t any students in the audience,” says Kate Castle, VP of marketing at Flybridge Capital Partners. “We’re focused on seed stage businesses, the founders of which are mostly from the student population.”In 2008, the firm launched the Stay in MA scholarship program. They pay the admission for graduate and undergraduate students who wish to attend conferences and workshops throughout the state, including the recent four-day Massachusetts Hackathon. Flybridge awards up to $100 per event. If the price of admission exceeds $100, the firm negotiates the price for their scholars. The firm grants about 300 scholarships per year to students from 30-35 different school in the state. Castle says, “If we can help students make more relationships in this city, then we would love to have them stay here.”The firm plans to launch a similar program in NYC. “It sold out fast,” says Mayo. “It saw a record level of participation, so we decided to hold this twice a year and open it to the public.”Sandra Glucksmann, COO and founder of Editas Medicine (a gene editing company) is Chair of the WEST Board. “She volunteers her time to run mentoring groups, facilitate panel discussions, and offers support to early level WEST members,” says Mayo.Elizabeth Levy, who co-chairs the New England chapter of the Siemens Healthcare Women’s Information Network and Diversity Council, and Georgia Mitsi, the founder and CEO of Apptomics, which creates apps for managing neurological conditions, are among WEST’s 350 active members. Kate Castle of Flybridge CapitalImage credit: Flybridge Capital 1. The city’s lead incubator has transformed into a social epicenter.Cambridge has a unique density of financial firms, tech companies and academic institutions. In addition to this trinity, the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) may be the fourth powerhouse behind the city’s startup scene. The low-cost incubator has counted more than 1,200 new companies as tenants. It also hosts invaluable networking events, including its most recent Innovation in the City conference in early January. “We believe that by bringing together a broad array of market players into one place, magic can happen,” says Geoff Mamlet, managing director of CIC.While paying small-town wages and rent can save a startup some cash, he says entrepreneurs must prioritize easy access to talent, a vibrant investor community and research facilities.“The best entrepreneurs don’t really care a whole lot about the cost,” says Mamlet. “If you have a bunch of top venture investors pouring millions into your company, what you care about is where to get access to the best, most readily-available resources for the next phase of growth.” He continues to seek leasing opportunities to expand in Boston. February 7, 2014 WEST members enjoy cocktails at an Executive Women’s Dinner.Image credit: westorg.org Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right. 4. The city’s tech and biotech leaders are giving “ladies’ night” a brand new meaning.WEST’s mission is to advance women in science, tech, engineering and math businesses. Jaime Mayo, director of operations at the Cambridge-based organization, knows that their events calendar can’t lose its luster. In addition to book clubs and author readings for aspiring entrepreneurs, WEST hosted the first Women’s Night in Cambridge’s Venture Café last August. The networking event and featured panels focused on women in startups and attracted several hundred attendees. Register Now »
January 4, 2017 — Fujifilm Medical Systems U.S.A. Inc. unveiled the FDR AQRO, a complete digital radiography (DR) system that combines advanced dose-saving features in detector engineering with an ultra-lightweight point-of-care mini mobile cart, at the 2016 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The company also showcased its latest FDR Go mobile, which includes several new enhancements.FDR AQRO is a complete digital mobile X-ray system that combines all the elements necessary to maximize maneuverability, generate high-resolution images and deliver low patient dose in a variety of point-of-care settings. The system offers the low-dose acquisition capabilities of Fujifilm’s FDR D-EVO II, ISS and noise reduction circuitry, combined with Virtual Grid image processing software which allows acquisition of images without a physical grid — reducing dose techniques by as much as 50 percent. FDR AQRO is equipped with an exclusive Fujifilm-engineered mini-generator, a compact tube head incorporated onto an ultra-lightweight, durable mini mobile cart. Additional features include an integrated touchscreen and X-ray control panel that articulates and swivels for easy viewing from any angle and can run up to 12 hours on its lithium batteries or plugged into wall power. FDR AQRO also has Fujifilm’s Hydro AG antibacterial silver ion coating on its primary surfaces for enhanced protection against germs.Fujifilm also exhibited its latest FDR Go with updates for 2017. The FDR Go is a full-featured system in a compact design, featuring smooth and speedy travel with the technologist throughout the hospital and on a quiet, agile mobile X-ray platform. FDR Go integrates with both FDR D-EVO II and FDR D-EVO digital detectors and the full-featured FDX Console easy-to-use workstation designed to simplify exams. The latest FDR Go includes new workstation software with automated keypad display, quick start, enhanced Virtual Grid (option) and Dynamic Visualization II image processing (option). Other new features include a larger 17-inch display, built-in storage for wipes, detector bagging holder slot, a smart wake from standby and smart charging enhancements.FDR AQRO and Dynamic Visualization II will be made commercially available in the United States upon clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Related Content News | Digital Radiography (DR) | July 23, 2019 Konica Minolta and Shimadzu to Co-market Dynamic Digital Radiography in the U.S. Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. along with Shimadzu Medical Systems USA announced a collaborative agreement to… read more Related Content Videos | Artificial Intelligence | July 03, 2019 VIDEO: Artificial Intelligence May Assist in Pediatric Imaging Sudhen Desai, M.D., FSIR, read more Shimadzu FluoroSpeed X1 Walkaround AHRA 2019Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 1:25Loaded: 11.42%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -1:25 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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Videos | Radiographic Fluoroscopy (RF) | August 09, 2019 VIDEO: Demonstration of the Shimadzu FluoroSpeed X1 Radiographic Fluoroscopy System Shimadzu displayed the FluoroSpeed X1 conventional radiographic fluoroscopy (RF) system at the Association for Medica read more Technology | Radiographic Fluoroscopy (RF) | August 09, 2019 Shimadzu Medical Systems Receives FDA 510(k) for FluoroSpeed X1 RF System Shimadzu Medical Systems USA, a subsidiary of Shimadzu Corp., announced they have received U.S. Food and Drug… read more Feature | Digital Radiography (DR) | July 19, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr DR Advances Promote Imaging of Whole Spine Recent advances in… read more For more information: www.fujimed.com FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 Feature | Information Technology | June 27, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr Smart Algorithm Extracts Data from Radiology Reports Radiology reports may contain information essential to figuring out a patient’s condition. read more News | Digital Radiography (DR) | January 05, 2017 Fujifilm Presents Latest Mobile Digital Radiography Innovations at RSNA 2016 Company debuts new FDR AQRO compact mobile DR system, updated FDR Go Advances in long-length digital radiography are creating opportunities for visualization during spinal surgery, as well as pre- and post-operatively. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Medical Systems News | Digital Radiography (DR) | June 28, 2019 Springfield Clinic Deploys 17 Carestream Digital X-ray Systems Springfield Clinic implemented 14 Carestream DRX-Evolu read more Video Player is loading.Sudhen Desai explains how deep learning might assist pediatric imagingPlay VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 8:21Loaded: 1.95%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -8:21 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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News | Radiation Dose Management | July 18, 2019 Low Doses of Radiation Promote Cancer-capable Cells Low doses of radiation equivalent to three computed tomography (CT) scans, which are considered safe, give cancer-… read more News | Radiology Business | June 26, 2019 Konica Minolta Healthcare and the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub Partner to Drive Innovation in Healthcare Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. read more Technology | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | January 17, 2017 Iradimed Corp. Receives FDA Clearance for MRI-compatible IV Infusion Pump Iradimed Corp. announced in December that it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its… read more Technology | Digital Radiography (DR) | July 25, 2019 Samsung Announces New iQuia Premium Digital Radiography Platform Samsung has announced iQuia, a new digital radiography (DR) platform of premium products and technologies that improves… read more 