How Internet Of Things (IoT) Is Transforming App Development

From transportation solutions to applications like video-streaming, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has impacted almost every aspect of our lives. It includes the government sector as well, which is in constant search of innovative technologies to make the lifestyle of the public more convenient. Taking the example of Emma chatbots, US Citizenship and Immigration Services receive loads of service requests on a daily basis. 

The chatbot named Emma is specifically deployed to address the immigration questions. The chatbots possess the ability to operate in both English and Spanish languages and handle more than a billion immigration queries every month.

The adoption of AI has been steadier in the government sector as compared to the private sector. Though the magnitude of AI's impact is significant on public entities, it is vital to understand the roadblocks that are in the way of the government to adopt systematic AI.

There are major five key hurdles to AI adoption in government.

Marc Andreessen: audio will be ‘titanically important’ and VR will be ‘1,000’ times bigger than AR

“In a new a16z podcast with the venture firm’s founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, there’s a lot to enjoy, from Andreessen’s TV show recommendations to Horowitz’s secret to excellent barbecue. (It’s pretty much just “time,” as you might imagine.) More…”. Reblog with caption 🙃

Small Businesses Help Us Explore Space!

Earlier this month, Congress introduced a resolution officially recognizing Nov. 24, 2018 as Small Business Saturday “to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of locally owned small businesses on the economy of the United States.”

This annual American Express campaign began on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2010 to support “local places that make our communities strong.”

For 60 years, we have supported and partnered with small businesses across the country to pioneer the future of space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

Our Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program funds the research, development and demonstration of innovative technologies that help address space exploration challenges and have significant potential for commercialization. In 2018, our program awarded 555 contracts to small businesses for a total of $180.1 million.

NASA works with small business Nanocomp Technologies Inc. of Merrimack, New Hampshire, to advance manufacturing of carbon nanotube composite materials.

Our investments in small businesses help equip future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond by advancing our science and technology capabilities. They also benefit the U.S. economy. The SBIR/STTR program’s 2017 Economic Impact Report indicated a $2.74 return for every dollar spent on awards—money well spent!

Small businesses also contribute to scientific advances for the International Space Station as well as here on Earth. Pancopia, Inc. in Hampton, Virginia, developed an innovative, high-performance water recycling system to remove high levels of organic carbon and nitrogen in wastewater. Recycling water in space saves money on resupply and enables more Earth-independence and self-reliance. With the help of an SBIR award, Pancopia is also working on a similar system for public wastewater that has the potential to cut treatment expenses to less than half the current costs.

Small businesses also contribute to scientific advances for the International Space Station as well as here on Earth. Pancopia, Inc. in Hampton, Virginia, developed an innovative, high-performance water recycling system to remove high levels of organic carbon and nitrogen in wastewater. Recycling water in space saves money on resupply and enables more Earth-independence and self-reliance. With the help of an SBIR award, Pancopia is also working on a similar system for public wastewater that has the potential to cut treatment expenses to less than half the current costs.

When NASA went to the private sector to develop deformable mirror technology—a key component of starlight-blocking instruments—a small business in Berkeley, California, applied for research and development funding through SBIR to design extra-precision, segmented mirrors. This innovative approach for a small deformable mirror made up of many tiny hexagonal segments enables advanced control when paired with other optics.

Data collected by a telescope using the Iris AO deformable mirror can be used to determine if the target investigated in space is an exoplanet based on its orbit, and if the exoplanet has atmosphere using color spectrum imaging analysis. The Iris AO technology is currently being refined and prepared for inclusion in a future exoplanet mission.

Does your small business have a big idea? Your next opportunity to join our SBIR/STTR program starts on Jan. 7, 2019, when our next solicitation opens. We’ll be seeking new innovative ideas from small businesses and research institutions for research, development and demonstration of innovative technologies. Go to https://www.nasa.sbir.gov/ to learn more.

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Next level Robotics: Artificial Intelligence - Programmed Robots - Will They Complement?

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BostonDynamics社の人型ロボット「Atlas」が軽快に丸太や段を飛び越える映像 (BostonDynamics) Parkour Atlas (BostonDynamics)

Big data analysis is the buzzword in the technology domain has gathered massive traction in recent time. As the customer touch points are increasing from digital communications like social media and emergence of new innovative technologies like IoT, companies now have data sources that give real-time information. 

It is forcing enterprises to rely on it for more profound insights which are helping organizations to grow. Here are five significant data analytics trends that will be the talk of the technology world in 2019 and beyond.

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The Pathway for Retailers to Attain Better Customer Loyalty

Today, loyalty programs have become one of the most powerful arsenals used by global retailers to incentivize consumers, ensure repeat business, and subsequently increase ROI. Recent surveys indicated that over 62 percent of these retailers plan on revamping their loyalty offerings next year, while many others are already battle-ready with offers no shopper can ignore.

However, to have a successful loyalty program in place, it is vital that retailers need to understand customers’ behavior and preferences. A global study across retail and hotels published by Oracle Retail highlighted the fact that many organizations have the wrong idea about the end-users’ likes and dislikes.

For example, 58 percent of the retailers believed that consumers would sign up for every program they offered, but in reality, nearly 70 percent of the end-users limit their participation. This shows that organizations need to first understand the mindset that drives customer loyalty perceptions and then develop engaging programs accordingly.

Better Customer Loyalty for Retailers 

The Importance of AI in Automation

In this race for applying AI in unique and attractive ways, an important piece of the AI learning curve is missing—the flashy AI technology used at the front end cannot be fully appreciated without a complex infrastructure that comprises end-to-end process automation. Read More

Microsoft pursues botnet herders via Russian newspapers http://☀.co.cc/iQq2e5