Category: Science & Tech

Washington DC: : E-commerce company Amazon is testing using video calls to verify third-party sellers in an attempt to minimise the amount of fraudulent accounts and listings on its platform, the company announced.

According to The Verge, earlier this year, the live verification initiative initially was used in-person meetings, pivoted to video conferencing as the coronavirus pandemic made social distancing measures necessary.

An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, “As we practise social distancing, we are testing a process that allows us to validate prospective sellers’ identification via video conferencing. This pilot allows us to connect one-on-one with prospective sellers while making it even more difficult for fraudsters to hide.”

Currently being trialled in countries including the US, UK, China, and Japan, the new live verification process involves an Amazon associate checking that a seller matches their ID and the documents they’ve provided as part of their application. It does not involve using any facial recognition technology to verify their identity, Amazon confirmed to GeekWire.

The call also provides an opportunity for the associate to answer questions about the application process. So far, that over 1,000 prospective sellers have gone through the pilot program, says Amazon.

San Francisco: Amid the growing debate over privacy and security around contact tracing technology, Apple and Google have announced new updates to allay such fears, saying the Bluetooth-driven exposure notification system to enable iOS and Android phones trace the spread of coronavirus is completely safe.

Cybersecurity researchers have questioned the contact tracing technology, saying tracing apps that allow attackers to access a user’s Bluetooth also allows them to fully read all Bluetooth communications.

Privacy concerns
Apple and Google representatives said that they are encrypting metadata associated with Bluetooth.

“By encrypting this data, we make it more difficult for someone to try and use it to identify a person (for example, by associating the transmit power with a particular model of phone),” the companies said in the updated document.

On April 10, Google and Apple announced a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of COVID-19 through contact tracing, with user privacy and security core to the design.

The tech giants said that the ‘Exposure Notification Bluetooth Specification’ does not use location for proximity detection. It strictly uses Bluetooth beaconing to detect proximity.

“A user’s Rolling Proximity Identifier changes on average every 15 minutes, and needs the ‘Temporary Exposure Key’ to be correlated to a contact. This reduces the risk of privacy loss from broadcasting them,” the document read.

Proximity identifiers obtained from other devices are processed exclusively on device and users decide whether to contribute to exposure notification.

“If diagnosed with COVID-19, users must provide their consent to share Diagnosis Keys with the server. Users have transparency into their participation in exposure notification,” the update added.

Technical changes
Among the technical changes proposed by Apple and Google to the system is that it can now share the strength and duration of a Bluetooth signal so that the apps can make a better judgment of who someone has been in contact with.

To provide even stronger privacy protections, Apple and Google made a slew of changes.

“We are updating the API so that keys will now be randomly generated rather than derived from a temporary tracing key”.

“When the app asks for exposure time, the time is recorded in five minute intervals, and we cap the maximum exposure time reported at 30 minutes,” the companies added.

Contact tracing is a technique used by public health authorities to measure and slow the spread of infectious diseases.

It requires gathering information from infected individuals about the people they’ve previously been in contact with. These people can then be notified by public health authorities to take appropriate safety measures, such as undertaking self-quarantine and getting tested.

This is how Apple-Google exposure notification works in the first phase.

Once enabled, users’ devices will regularly send out a beacon via Bluetooth that includes a privacy-preserving identifier — basically, a string of random numbers that aren’t tied to a user’s identity and change every 10-20 minutes for additional protection.

Other phones will be listening for these beacons and broadcasting theirs as well. When each phone receives another beacon, it will record and securely store that beacon on the device.

“At least once per day, the system will download a list of beacons that have been verified as belonging to people confirmed as positive for COVID-19 from the relevant public health authority,’ said the document.

Each device will check the list of beacons it has recorded against the list downloaded from the server. If there is a match between the beacons stored on the device and the positive diagnosis list, the user may be notified and advised on steps to take next.

In the second phase, available in the coming months, this capability will be introduced at the operating system level to help ensure broad adoption.

Both Apple and Google emphasized that this system does not collect location data from the device, and does not share the identities of other users to each other, Google or Apple.

Oakland, California: Stores and workplaces eager to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus are equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing.

Several companies told Reuters the software will be crucial to staying open as concerns about COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, persist around the world. It will allow them to show not only workers and customers, but also insurers and regulators, that they are monitoring and enforcing safe practices.

The question becomes whether the tech remains after the public health problem goes away, and that is the real privacy fear.
– Al Gidari, a privacy expert at Stanford Law School
“The last thing we want is for the governor to shut all our projects down because no one is behaving,” said Jen Suerth, vice president at Chicago-based Pepper Construction, which introduced software from SmartVid.io this month to detect workers grouping at an Oracle Corp project in Deerfield, Illinois.

Samarth Diamond plans to deploy AI from Glimpse Analytics as soon as its polishing factory re-opens in Gujarat, India, while two Michigan shopping centers owned by RPT Realty will have distancing tracking from RE Insight in two weeks.

Buyers expect the technology will work because they already have used similar tools to profile shoppers entering stores and find helmet scofflaws on construction sites.

But some technology consultants that advise retailers and office landlords have cautioned clients against introducing new technology at a chaotic time and investing in tools that may be needed only for a period of months. Privacy activists concerned about increasingly detailed tracking of people also are urging businesses to limit use of the AI to the pandemic.

“The question becomes whether the tech remains after the public health problem goes away, and that is the real privacy fear,” said Al Gidari, a privacy expert at Stanford Law School.

“Video in the store today to ensure social distancing remains to identify shoplifters tomorrow.”

COMPUTER VISION

Reuters spoke with 16 video analytics companies, many of them startups with a few million dollars in annual revenue, that have added offerings because of the coronavirus. Their systems can be set to produce daily reports, which site managers can use to correct recurring problems and document compliance.

Most work on a branch of AI technology known as computer or machine vision in which algorithms are trained on image libraries to identify objects with confidence of 80% or higher.

Several customers said the technology, which can cost $1,000 or more annually to analyze data from a handful of off-the-shelf video cameras, is cheaper than dedicating staff to standing guard. It also can be safer, as some guards enforcing distancing have clashed with people protesting safety measures, they said.

Pepper Construction’s Suerth said its SmartVid system has not flagged crowding issues yet because staffing has been limited. But Suerth said that as more crews arrive, the company will look at trends to issue reminders at “tool box talks.” “It’s another set of eyes on the site,” Suerth said, adding that software is less prone to mistakes than people and the “accuracy we’re seeing is really high.” Samarth Diamond manager Parth Patel said he could adjust procedures when the software identifies spots where his 4,000 workers are clumping together in busy areas. People tagged as not having masks quickly would be offered one by a team reviewing camera feeds, Patel said.

“It will surely be helpful for the safety of employees and their comfort level, and it will be helpful to show it to authorities that we are adhering” to regulations, Patel said.

Patel said he has confidence in the algorithms after his family successfully used computer vision last year at supermarkets it owns to count female shoppers and decide where to stock a new line of dresses.

RPT Realty, which Chief Executive Brian Harper said had used camera software to count visitors over the past few months at two of the 49 open-air shopping centers it owns in the United States, is moving to assess tenants’ compliance with reduced occupancy regulations across five malls.

It also plans to help consumers decide when to shop by using technology from startup WaitTimes to analyze lines of people waiting to enter stores, a phenomenon that has become common during the pandemic as part of social distancing efforts.

Signage will inform shoppers of the anonymous counting, according to Harper.

“You can never have too much data at your hands,” Harper said.

But calculating whether people are six feet (1.8 meters) apart and detecting objects such as face masks are all novel uses now being tested and launched on accelerated schedules.

Some startups even promise to spot sneezing and coughing, claims that drew skepticism from some experts.

“Most solutions will be in uncharted territory, without a proven track record, and likely susceptible to false-positives and bugs,” said Vinay Goel, a former Google Maps product leader who is now chief digital products officer at the tech unit of real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

Beside costs, businesses are concerned AI will trigger too many reports of non-problems, like a family walking close together in an aisle, retail consultants said.

Indyme, a technology vendor that works with BevMo!, Office Depot and other U.S. retailers, said that its clients have preferred rudimentary boxes that can count people at entrances and automatically announce, “For your safety, please maintain a social distance of six feet, thank you.”

San Francisco: The Coca-Cola Company on Monday announced a five-year agreement with Microsoft for an undisclosed sum to utilise the capabilities of Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365.

The solutions will help Coca-Cola gain new insights from data across the enterprise, enabling a 360-degree view of the business, and providing enhanced customer and employee experiences.

Coca-Cola “is taking its digital innovation a step further, leveraging Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365 and Azure to better connect people and opportunities through breakthrough productivity and powerful information management that will drive continued business success over the next decade,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft.

Once deployed, new Dynamics 365 AI-driven insights and real-time dashboards will allow call centre managers to monitor performance metrics for overall employee satisfaction scores and benefit from real-time insights into which call topics are driving scores.

These investments will also enable The Coca-Cola Company to access the latest innovations in the Dynamics 365 portfolio of applications and expanding capabilities, the companies said in a statement.

“This partnership with Microsoft allows us to really step change our employee experience through replacing previously disparate and fragmented systems. These platforms allow us to deliver relevant, personalised experiences as we network our organisation,” said Barry Simpson, senior vice president and chief information and integrated services officer of The Coca-Cola Company.

The Coca-Cola Company is also rolling out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams worldwide, equipping employees with a single hub to connect and collaborate across chat, calling, meetings and documents.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coca-Cola said it is leveraging Microsoft’s collaboration technologies to support the increased demand of a largely remote workforce.

Coca-Cola offers over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories.

There are 5.17 billion people that have a mobile device in the world, according to GSMA real-time intelligence data, means 66.77 per cent of the world’s population has one. Back in 2017, the number of people with mobile devices was only 53 per cent and had just breached the 5 billion mark.

Marry that data with the growing population of millennials – approximately 1.8 billion people – which accounts for about a quarter of the world’s population. This exclusive group has a strong grip on technology as they grew up using this seamlessly in their every day life. This market is now driving massive changes in the travel and tourism industry. Who does not have a mobile phone nowadays?

And how would this impact the way we travel and stay in hotels? Here are the top trends to look out for.

Mobile phones as door keys

Everything is evolving at a faster rate. In the blink of an eye, telephones or landlines have been replaced by mobile phones. Fax machines are becoming obsolete. And a function as simple as a door key has been transformed into electronic key cards. Now the hotel key card will be replaced by a guest’s mobile device.

This will make the lives of guests – especially the tech-savvy modern travellers – easier. They can get into their rooms seamlessly with their own mobile phones and plop into bed straight away after a tiring flight. This will involve NFC technology or visually scanning a code like many airports now do with plane tickets.

In-room tablets

With global warming wreaking havoc, it is high time for the hospitality industry to step up and implement ways to be more sustainable in the long term. Hotels are moving to greener initiatives to reduce paper usage. The traditional way of getting information through brochures and paper menus, are a thing of the past. All this information can now be moved to a tablet in the room and public areas around the hotel.

An in-room tablet for guests to use during their stay will be very useful. These tablets have custom tabs or menus whose rich features help in the long-term investment by reducing the usage of papers, brochures and flyers, which in turn reduces overall operating costs. In addition to getting key hotel information, guests can easily place room service orders directly from a tablet, without ever having to pick up the phone. This is due to the fact that tabs can make suggestions after a guest selects a menu option – which in turn will increase hotel revenue and make the F&B offerings in the hotel easily accessible.

Robot tech is the future

Although nothing can replace a human’s touch in hospitality and human staff are very much needed in the hotel sector, more guests are becoming independent. Self-serve is in especially for simple tasks; remote check-in and check-out options are becoming popular.

There’s a whole range of basic guest requests such as delivering whatever they need: An extra towel, a snack or a toothbrush that a robot staff can do. All in all, they’re a stand-in when their human counterparts are unavailable. That can be automated with the right technology, which frees hotel staff up for other activities that enhance the guest experience.

Fixed-mobile convergence

In the future, room phones will be elevated into an exciting hub for a larger connected experience. With the wide usage of mobile devices and applications, the guest may just need to touch buttons and have everything delivered pronto.

Imagine how easy life will be for guests. As soon as a guest arrives at your hotel he or she can pair a mobile device to the room phone, use the mobile to control the TV and the sound system, request a wake-up call after a night-out with friends, or order dry cleaning even if the guest is out of town for a travel meeting. And if a taxi, Careem or Uber is needed, it can be done so at the guest’s comfort.

Guest is king

One thing is certain – the hotel with a truly connected experience will be full of very happy, very empowered guests. The hotel industry is rapidly getting involved in rising new technologies that always help the guest to have easy check-ins. Almost all people who are visiting a hotel have mobile phones, which enable them to access the rooms directly without even passing through the reception for keys. This provides more convenience and helps to increase guest satisfaction.

Guests can directly skip the check-in line in hotels at the reception or front desk and go directly to their room. For hotel staff, they do not need to replace any lost keys, for example, since it resides in the guest’s mobile. This also helps staff to concentrate more on offering the highest service standards. This also helps guests’ loyalty to select a hotel more than once. When parking in garages, they do not need to approach the concierge and also can use elevators and public areas without a plastic key card.

HMD Global on Thursday announced another slew of Nokia smartphones, including its first 5G offering and another revival of a classic, plus a brand-new data roaming service as it pushes forth to provide a holistic offering to consumers.

The Finnsh device maker – known to deploy several devices in one go – revealed the Nokia 8.3 5G, its very first smartphone that is compatible with the latest mobile standard. HMD Global is touting the device as future-proof as it is designed to support multiple and evolving 5G deployments.

It also comes with a PureView quad-camera with Zeiss, with Zeiss Cinema capture and editor, promising enhanced low-light video recording, making its debut.

“Today we are kicking off a new chapter for HMD Global as we step into 5G with a truly global, future-proof smartphone. Combined with the launch of HMD Connect, we are creating a truly seamless experience in terms of connectivity,” Florian Seiche, chief executive officer of HMD Global, said in a statement.

Also introduced were the Nokia 5.3, which also features a quad-camera, the latest Snapdragon 665 platform and the signature two-day battery life; and the Nokia 1.3, a new Android Go device at an even more affordable price point.

And as is tradition, HMD Global brought another retro model into its classics fold – this time the Nokia 5310, the original Xpress Music device.

HMD Global also revealed its new data roaming service, HMD Connect, which allows users to be in full control of their data while travelling anywhere in the world.

HMD Global also announced that it will be growing its global footprint with its expansion to Brazil this year. The company also announced its exclusive partnership with the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die, which will feature Nokia phones.

Halting on-site interviews, Google is now conducting job interviews online via Hangouts or Bluejeans to reduce physical interactions in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

Google said in a statement: “In light of the coronavirus (Covid-19) and to protect our candidates’ and interviewers’ health and wellbeing, we will be conducting all Google interviews globally virtually via Google Hangout (or BlueJeans for applicable countries) for the foreseeable future,” reported HT.

Not only Google, but Amazon and Facebook have halted on-site job interviews while Twitter and Microsoft have asked their employees to work from home.

According to reports in Geekwire.com, Google asked all employees to work remotely and urged staff not to bring external visitors into the company’s offices in Washington, though they remain open to employees who choose not to work remotely.

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google has more than 4,500 employees in Seattle where 27 confirmed cases and nine deaths due to the Covid-19 virus in Washington state were reported Wednesday.

While in India, Paytm shut its Gurgaon offices after one its employees tested positive for the virus. Tech Mahindra, Indian multinational of Mahindra group, imposed restrictions on domestic and international travel and encouraging employees to work from home.

“Restrictions have been imposed on domestic and international travel with immediate effect. We have postponed all internal events which required large gatherings and everyone has been advised to adequately leverage technologies like – Tele Presence and Video Conferencing,” said Harshvendra Soin, Chief People Officer, Tech Mahindra.

According to the latest numbers, there are currently over 97,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with more than 3,300 deaths.