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Twitter halts verification process after far-right controversy
 “Verification was meant to authenticate identity and voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or importance,” the company said on Twitter. “We have created this confusion.”

Twitter originally began verifying accounts to give high-profile individuals — celebrities, politicians, journalists and others — a way to distinguish themselves from impersonators. The blue check mark has since become something of a badge of honor, signaling that someone had reached a certain level of importance.

“It’s recognition. It’s a simple as that,” Richard Spencer, a white supremacist who was verified by Twitter in 2016, said in an interview. “The blue check mark is useful.”

The white nationalist movement has flourished on Twitter, but Mr. Spencer said the platform had been behaving erratically toward his community lately.

“It seems to be non-algorithmic now,” he said. “It seems like there’s one person who doesn’t like this tweet or that account one day, and it seems like a judgment. It’s incoherent.”

Output: Twitter announced on Thursday that it would be halting its verification system, following the granting of a blue tick to white supremacist Jason Kessler earlier in the week. Verification is the process whereby the account of a high-profile user is confirmed to be real. The move prompted strong criticism, with some users arguing that the verification indicated endorsement of Kessler. On Thursday, Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey tweeted: “The system is broken and needs to be reconsidered”. Kessler’s account remains verified.


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Over 50% of Chinese shoppers bought UK brands recently
 Over half (55%) of shoppers in China bought items from British brands in a recent three-month period, spending an average of £104 per month, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail ahead of China’s Singles’ Day.

In a statement issued today (8 November), Royal Mail said that there is a real appetite for ‘Brand Britain’, as the goods are “regarded as being well made and genuine”. 87% like to buy British brands and 76% trust items bought from British retailers not to be counterfeit.

Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, commented: “This study provides a deep dive into the largest e-commerce market in the world. By 2020, China’s e-commerce market is set to be larger than those of the US, Japan, Germany, the UK and France combined.

“UK brands are really clicking with China’s shoppers and have a unique advantage as their goods are perceived to be of premium quality. UK retailers should feel confident that exporting to China can deliver benefits to their business. Breaking into this market has been made much more straightforward thanks to Chinese third-party platforms such as Alibaba’s Tmall.”

Output: Around 55% of Chinese consumers bought products made by UK brands in a recent three-month period, according to a study by the Royal Mail. It suggested that British goods are as considered to be genuine and well made. "UK brands are really clicking with China’s shoppers. UK retailers should feel confident that exporting to China can deliver benefits to their business," said the Royal Mail's Nick Landon, its managing director of parcels. He added that breaking into the market has been helped by "Chinese third-party platforms such as Alibaba’s Tmall”.


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West Health: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act May Put Vulnerable Seniors at Risk
 West Health: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act May Put Vulnerable Seniors at Risk

SAN DIEGO AND WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 6, 2017 – Dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services, West Health has concerns about the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act unveiled last week by House Republicans.

“While we believe tax reform is needed, both the short- and long-term implications of this proposed legislation on older adults are far from clear. However, there are provisions that raise concerns,” said Shelley Lyford, president and CEO of West Health. “For example, the plan calls for the elimination of the medical expense deduction, which could actually mean a tax increase for older Americans with significant disabilities paying the high costs of essential long-term services and supports from their own resources. This would be unfortunate. How can Congress increase the burden for some of the oldest and most frail and vulnerable who often struggle to afford the many expenses associated with long-term care?”

“We also have concerns that a tax cut of the size proposed in the legislation may eventually impact critical programs including Medicare and Medicaid, which rely on tax revenue for their stability and funding. We must not rush through this legislation for the sake of short-term tax relief. We must have rigorous debate and analysis, and understand as fully as possible what the tax changes we are considering today would mean for tomorrow,” Lyford said.

###

About the West Health Institute and West Health

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health includes the nonprofit and nonpartisan Gary and Mary West Health Institute and Gary and Mary West Foundation in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. These organizations are working together toward a shared mission dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. For more information, visit westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.

Press contact:

Tim Ingersoll

tpingersoll@westhealth.org

(858) 412-8727 or (619) 871-3769 (cell)

Output: Healthcare organization West Health has expressed its concerns about the proposals for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act put forward by House Republicans. Despite the organization’s favorable attitude towards tax reform, West Health has said that the short-term and long-term repercussions of the legislation have not been clarified. The changes that have been detailed, such as the elimination of medical expense deduction, could lead to undesirable outcomes such as tax increases for older Americans with serious disabilities, who would be forced to pay for long-term services and support services with their own funds. West Health has also expressed concern that the proposed tax cuts may affect “critical” programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, which presently rely on tax revenues for funding. The organization has called for further analysis and debate on the proposed cuts before changes are made for shorter-term tax relief. West Health was established by Gary and Mary West, two philanthropists, and includes the non-profit, nonpartisan Gary and Mary West Health Institute and Gary and Mary West Foundation. The organization aims to provide seniors with opportunities to age in place, as well as have access to affordable, higher-quality health and support services.


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UK online estate agent eMoov reintroduces no sale, no fee plan
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eMoov has launched a new ‘no sale, no fee’ payment option called ‘Pay Only When Sold’.

It costs £1,495 as opposed to its upfront fixed fee of £795.

It has done so at a time when the battle between online agents is hotting up, and after market leader Purplebricks was told by the Advertising Standards Authority that it must flag up that its fee is payable whether or not a property sells.

The new eMoov option is the reintroduction of a model offered two years ago as a trial, but CEO and founder Russell Quirk says that this one will be permanent.

He said: “eMoov were the first online/hybrid agent to offer a ‘no sale, no fee’ choice back in 2015.

“That was a pilot which has provided the data, alongside further intelligence from third parties that we’ve gathered, that’s convinced us to launch ‘Pay Only When Sold’.

“We will further refine and analyse this approach over the next few weeks to ensure that it meets customer needs in our fast-moving demanding sector.

“This option will sit alongside our standard fixed fee proposition and is designed to provide customer freedom, transparency and value when deciding which estate agent to instruct.”

He added: “We are truly putting our money where our mouth is.

“eMoov is the only UK estate agent that is genuinely the best of the traditional sector and the best of the so-called online space combined.

“Fixed fee value, pricing integrity, an end to end offering and transparency are blended with a technology that has been built around the customer journey but that does not replace the property professional within the process.

“It’s key to our proposition above others that the important aspects of the job are done in full around buyer vetting, offer negotiation and sales progression.

“Many of our competitors simply do not carry out these vital functions, but they are, in our view, the most important aspects of an agent’s role and cannot be neglected if one is to be seen as effective and viable.”

Included in both the fixed fee and ‘pay only when sold’ packages are photos, floorplans, portal listings, negotiation and sales progression.

In both cases, however, it is the vendor who will be doing the viewings – currently at least.

Quirk said: “We’ve tested some approaches to this and we’re considering these further.”

eMoov competitor HouseSimple also offers a choice between fixed fees upfront and a no sale, no fee option at £495 and £995 respectively – both cheaper than eMoov. Hatched also offers a no sale, no fee option.

Output: UK online estate agent eMoov has reintroduced a no sale, no fee offer to customers. "Pay Only When Sold" is priced at £1,495 ($1,945), instead of the ordinary upfront fixed fee of £795, and was first trialled in 2015. Rival agents HouseSimple and Hatched have also begun offering a similar option, but eMoov says its service offers better value with buyer vetting, offer negotiation and sales progression included. Market leader PurpleBricks was recently told by regulators to better inform customers its fees applied whether their property sold or not.


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Investors eye bitcoin-linked stocks to cut crypto-collapse risk
 As the price of bitcoin surges to more than $7,000, cryptocurrency-focused investment possibilities are emerging. (See more: Bitcoin Price Is Up Again And Could Go Higher.)

Wild price fluctuations have made some bitcoin and other cryptocurrency investors a great deal of money, but they also scare away some prospective investors. So what should one do to balance the desire to get involved against the riskiness of actually purchasing tokens or coins?

One suggestion that Investor Place has made is to buy stock in companies related to the cryptocurrency trend. These are companies which might be capitalizing on some aspect of the boom, but which ideally offer a bit of a buffer in case the entire market collapses.

Nvidia is a corporation that has seen its stock price nearly double in 2017, largely thanks to interest from cryptocurrency enthusiasts. This is because Nvidia makes high-performance graphics processors. These computer hardware pieces were originally designed for use with complicated video game rigs, but they have been co-opted by mining operations that generate bitcoin and other digital currencies.

The result? As bitcoin mining outfits have taken off around the world, Nvidia's revenue has climbed 40% for fiscal 2017. And its graphics cards have sold out around the world because the demand among miners is so high.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. launched in 1969. This makes Advanced Micro ancient compared with other tech companies. And yet, AMD has quickly earned a spot in the cryptocurrency hall of fame because of its graphics processors.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) decided to use Advanced Micro Devices chips for its cloud operations last year, which set AMD on a path to success. The cryptocurrency mining trend has helped fuel this growth.

Bitcoin Investment Trust is a company that aims to bring digital currency investment to small-scale investors. It is notable for being the first publicly-traded bitcoin fund.

It launched as a private investment fund in 2013. The value of Bitcoin Investment Trust is nearly double the value of the bitcoin it holds, allowing users to buy GBTC in a tax-advantaged account. The coins associated with the trust are held independently and securely.

As of this writing, Microsoft has not entered the digital currency field directly. Still, the blockchain technology which supports digital currencies has made a major impact on some of the largest tech companies around, including MSFT.

Microsoft has bolstered open-source and blockchain technology since its early days. (See also: When Will Amazon Accept Bitcoin?)

Output: Investors keen to capitalise on the success of bitcoin without incurring the risk of the cryptocurrency bubble bursting are urged to take positions in digital currency-linked companies. Graphics cards manufacturer Nvidia's revenues have risen 40% this year thanks to demand from bitcoin miners, while AMD's graphics processors have experienced similar interest. Smaller-scale investors have flocked to the Bitcoin Investment Trust fund, doubling the amount of the cryptocurrency it holds. In addition, analysts suggest Microsoft, which has been experimenting with the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies, could be the company to watch in the future.


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Visa payment gloves released for Winter Olympics
 Sports fans attending the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang will be able to keep their hands warm and fend off frostbite while paying for goods and services thanks to a special pair of wooly mittens bearing the Visa brand and an embedded NFC chip.

Visa teamed up with Lotte Card, the financial arm of South Korean-based retail giant, Lotte Department Store, to produce and make the gloves, as well as a commemorative Olympic pin and NFC stickers, available for purchase in Korea.

With the average temperature in PyeognChang hovering at 4.8°C, the payment glove will offer fans a way to pay securely without having to get cold hands. The gloves contain a dual interface chip housed with a contactless antenna capable of completing purchases throughout official Olympic Venues and compatible readers globally. The mittens will come with embedded prepaid amounts valued at KRW30,000 or KRW50,000.

Visa is also bringing to market four lapel pins featuring custom PyeongChang 2018 designs to offer a payment-enabled collectable for fans and athletes to utilise on-site. Cost per pin is KRW5,000 plus desired embedded prepaid amounts valued at KRW30,000 or KRW50,000.

The wearable stickers are available in denominations of KRW30,000, KRW50,000, KRW100,000 and KRW200,000. The collection includes 8 distinct designs including Soohorang - the official PyeongChang 2018 mascot - and the Korean flag.

As the exclusive payment partner of the Olympic Games, Visa is managing the entire payment system infrastructure and network throughout all venues within the arena. This includes more than 1,000 contactless point-of-sale terminals capable of accepting mobile and wearable payments.

“We are looking forward to transforming the payment experience for everyone who attends the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang,” says Iain Jamieson, Korea country manager at Visa. “At Visa, we have been working tirelessly to ensure all of the Olympic venues are equipped with the very latest payment capabilities to provide the best experience possible for all those on-site.”

Output: Visa has partnered with a South Korean firm to produce payment gloves for sports fans attending the Winter Olympics in the country next year. The card company is working with Lotte Card, the finance division of retailer Lotte Department Store, to market the gloves ahead of the event in PyeongChang. They will have a duel interface chip embedded with a contactless antenna and be capable of making payments using compatible readers across the world. Visa is also producing a range of payment-enabled lapel pins for the Winter Games, of which the company is the exclusive payment partner.


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Hybrid AI developed to detect explosives by 'smelling' them
 Story highlights A Nigerian start-up founder has created a device that he says can be used to detect the smell of explosives and cancer cells

The device, Koniku Kore, is the first to fuse live neurons from mice stem cells into a silicon chip

Arusha, Tanzania (CNN) A Nigerian start-up founder has created a device that he says can be used to detect the smell of explosives and even cancer cells.

The device, called Koniku Kore , is the first to fuse live neurons from mice stem cells into a silicon chip.

Oshi Agabi said: "We merged synthetic neurobiology with traditional silicon technology with the goal of fixing urgent real world problems."

Silicon Valley-based Agabi unveiled his invention at TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania on Sunday and says it could one day revolutionize airport security, enabling travelers "to walk from their car to the aircraft."

"One of the problems that plagues us right now is security," he tells CNN.

Koniku Kore, a new device that may be able to detect explosives and cancer cells.

Read More

Output: A Silicon Valley-based tech start-up has created a hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) device that its founder claims can detect explosives by their smell. Nigerian inventor Oshi Agabi fused live neurons from the stem cells of mice into a silicon chip to create the detection system, which he said could also be used to detect cancerous cells in the same way dogs are able to do. His company, Koniku, was founded in 2015 and has raised $8m of revenue since then. Agabi says its objective is to extend its AI research and "build a brain".


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Texcent plans eight staggered ICOs over four years
 Bitcoin has hit new highs, and the popularity of other altcoins has also been steadily growing. We recently covered how Bitcoin is now ranked 32nd global currency in terms of physical money supply. The trends in the future are also bright for cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, with crypto market cap all set to hit $1 tln by 2018. In this scenario, anything that makes trading cryptocurrencies easier and safer will have a huge impact.

One of the big developments in this direction has been Paycent, a financial platform powered by Texcent. Paycent provides a wallet that can handle multiple cryptocurrencies and its users can convert these currencies internally. The icing on the cake is that they can also convert between fiat and crypto in real time. Recently Paycent completed their pre-ICO, which successfully hit a hard cap of 22,500 ETH in 10 days.

They were able to raise these funds from 857 investors in 41 countries. A unique product offering and the right mix of products like debit cards, wallets plus Paycent’s garnering of regulatory licenses in the UAE and Philippines as well as getting in principle approvals from Singapore and Hong Kong put them in a position to contribute immensely to the crypto domain.

Convenience and comfort

Paycent offers convenience and comfort to its user through its unique wallet that allows for sending and receiving funds in real time. Not only can users interact with cryptocurrencies but also with fiat. Conversions are done internally and wallet users can choose to exchange funds within the wallet ecosystem.

The wallet isn’t just good for exchanging and holding funds but Paycent has taken a rather utilitarian approach with it. As an example, you can pay bills for water, electricity or cable with the wallet. Pay for goods and services within your own country or across borders or even cash out funds with the partner merchants to get cold hard cash in your hands.

Ultimately this amounts to a great deal of choice for the end user, who now can not only choose the currency in which they want to keep their money in but also choose what to do with it at any point of time. The Paycent wallet is available for download on both the Google Play and Apple Appstore.

More than just a wallet

Paycent’s plans go beyond just the multicurrency wallet that they have created. Paycent debit cards will be released in Asia Pacific, CIS, EU and the UK starting April 10, 2018. The cards are classified into Solitaire, Sapphire and Ruby Cards.

Early contributors will be given Solitaire and Sapphire cards free of charge if they have invested more than 500 ETH and 100 ETH respectively. Ruby cards will be available for a nominal payment. Paycent will also be able to build a profile of user’s credit ratings that would be attached to their wallet. This will allow Paycent users to leverage good credit ratings to get loans.

The loan amount will vary and limits can be increased as the profile of the user improves. Paycent is evolving a full financial ecosystem that includes mPOS services integrated into the application, which allows users to pay for utilities and telecom needs.

Staggered ICO, a world’s first

Paycent is holding an initial coin offering (ICO), whose first phase has commenced on Nov. 2, 2017. Interestingly, the Paycent ICO is the world’s first staggered ICO, which is being held in eight phases over four years. Each phase will have a hard cap.

This decision to split the ICO into phases comes as a result of Paycent following the advice of their community and advisors. It will allow contributors the token sale to track the performance of each phase before they contribute. The staggered ICO increases transparency and allows contributors to follow the project through its evolution. The holding of the token sale in phases though gives rise to the obvious question about why shouldn’t contributors just hold out and play the wait and watch the game.

In order to encourage early participation, they will be giving a bonus for early contributors. The bonus Paycent (PYN) tokens available would decrease with every phase. The first phase of the ICO is already in progress and contributors have a chance to get an 18 percent bonus on purchased tokens till Nov. 30, 2017.

At the time of writing of this article, the token sale had successfully reached 22 percent of the total cap. The details of the ICO and all the phases can be found in a whitepaper that Paycent has released. Paycent is accepting Ethereum, Bitcoin, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash for the token sale. The exchange rate has been pegged at 1 ETH = 600 PYN. Phase one of the token sale in progress has a hard cap of 30 mln PYN.

Encouraging crypto adoption

The facet that holds the most appeal for contributors is the fact that Paycent is straddling the sweet space between fiat and crypto. The project allows for mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies by people who have so far been bereft of the advantages of digital currencies. Contributors in the ICO also stand to benefit as they will receive 33 percent of the aggregate revenue that arises from conversions between fiat and cryptocurrencies by the users of the e-wallet.

Contributors will also be getting 33 percent of the interest revenue generated by microloans that Paycent extends. As there will be no PYN tokens created after the ICO and unsold tokens will be burned, the contributors can also potentially benefit from the scarcity of the token. The Paycent project acts as a bridge between currencies, people and businesses. If after all these years they can make cryptocurrencies usable by everyone, they would have accomplished a great deal.

Output: Singapore-based Texcent, which operates financial platform Paycent, is holding the opening phase of the world's first staggered initial coin offering (ICO). It began on 2 November and has so far reached 22% of its market cap of 30 million paycent tokens, offering investors an 18% bonus on tokens until 30 November. Subsequent ICOs held over the coming four years (there will be eight in total) will offer decreasing bonuses to incentivise early investment. Paycent plans to offer investors 33% of revenue generated from currency conversions performed by users of its wallets and 33% of interest revenue generated by microloans.


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Hasbro toys converted into helper robot pets with AI boost
 Brown University researchers have announced a partnership with Hasbro to add medication reminders, basic artificial intelligence, and other capabilities to the toymaker’s Joy for All Companion Pets, a collection of animatronic cats and dogs intended to relieve loneliness and improve mental health among older adults.

The Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly Support (ARIES) project looks to assist older adults who have mild dementia or may otherwise be in need of daily reminders. The three-year project is supported by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, and will include researchers from Brown’s Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative (HCRI), Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and the University of Cincinnati.

"Hasbro did a great job developing a product that can provide comfort and joy for older people," Bertram Malle, professor, co-director of HCRI, and the principal investigator on the grant, said in a statement. "What we want to do now is leverage our expertise in cognitive and computer science to add capabilities to this robotic pet."

Loneliness and isolation is a growing focus for digital health, as depression can amplify mental health conditions and lead to worse outcomes overall. At last month’s Connected Health Conference in Boston, Ted Fischer, vice president of business development at Hasbro, said that since launch his company has heard from users and market groups that the product line has had a positive impact on the wellbeing of both seniors and their caregivers.

“We went out to senior homes and communities whoever would have us and asked ‘Is this a valid concept?’” Ted Fischer, vice president of business development at Hasbro, explained during a panel. “The foundational insight we gained was this need for interactive companionship to combat social isolation and loneliness.”

After an initial period of research to identify user needs, the team will develop and embed an AI into the companion robots to assist with tasks.

"There are some things — like locating objects and taking medications — that we know from the literature people find useful," he said. "But in our first year we want to find out what other challenges people face that we don't know about, and then see if we can develop technologies to address them.”

Other challenges of the program will include the design of new sensors for the animatronic animals, and communicative purrs, growls, or gestures that can guide an older adult toward their medication, lost object, or other object of interest. The team hopes to have a completed prototype after three years ready to comfort and assist lonely seniors.

"To us, this project really represents what we do at HCRI, which is to let societal needs drive technology development," Malle said. "We know that caring for an aging population will be a tremendous challenge in the coming years, and we think technologies like ARIES could play a small but potentially important role in helping people meet that challenge."

Output: Researchers at Brown University will partner with toymaker Hasbro to build robot cats and dogs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to provide companionship for the elderly and remind dementia patients to take their medication. The AI technology will be added to Hasbro's Joy for All Companion Pets, toys designed to improve mental health among older adults. "What we want to do now is leverage our expertise in cognitive and computer science to add capabilities to this robotic pet," said Bertram Malle, a key researcher on the project from Brown's.


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Asian proptech investment dwarfs that in Europe or US: JLL
 China and India emerge as top two markets for proptech start-ups in the region, based on funding value and total number of deals

PROPERTY technology, or proptech, start-ups in Asia Pacific are outpacing their counterparts in Europe and the US, international real estate consultancy JLL said in a research released today.

Since 2013, 179 proptech start-ups in the region have raised around US$4.8 billion in funding, representing more than 60 percent of proptech investment worldwide, according to the latest research, which analyzed the state of proptech and its growth potential in 13 markets across Asia Pacific.

Proptech refers to the application of technology to solve challenges in the real estate sector.

"Technology and real estate are converging in exciting ways and we're already seeing the potential of data analytics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, virtual reality and blockchain, to transform how we invest in and occupy real estate in the future," said Anthony Couse, chief executive officer of JLL Asia Pacific.

China and India emerged as the top two markets for proptech start-ups in the region, based on funding value and total number of deals. Start-ups in China raised the most funding of US$3.02 billion, or over 60 percent of Asia Pacific's total, from 34 deals. India has the highest number of proptech start-ups in the region at 77 deals which raised US$928 million in total.

The research also forecast funding for proptech in the region of US$4.5 billion a year by 2020, mainly boosted by the region's young population, rapid urbanization and "mobile first" mindset.

Output: European and US proptech companies are lagging behind the Asian market, where 179 start-ups have secured $4.8bn in funding in the past four years, more than 60% of all global funding in the sector. Research by property giant JLL found that China and India are leading the charge, with 34 deals worth more than $3bn and 77 deals raising $928m, respectively. JLL also predicted annual funding for proptech will reach $4.5bn by 2020.


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Panorama Education nets $16m in series B round
 Panorama Education’s first product was a survey tool that let students speak up about their learning environment. Kids could let teachers and administrators know how they really felt about things like safety and school climate.

It turns out these insights are only a sliver of the data the company wants to surface and share with educators and parents. “The key things we now want to bring together are academics, social-emotional learning (SEL) and family engagement, all together in one platform,” says Aaron Feuer, Panorama’s co-founder and CEO, in an interview.

Doing that requires capturing more data, expanding his team—and raising additional capital. The Boston-based company’s new big-data play is backed by big funding: $16 million in a Series B round led by Emerson Collective. Other participants include Spark Capital, Owl Ventures, SoftTechVC, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The company has now raised $32 million in venture funding.

Founded in 2012, Panorama pitched its survey tools as a way for parents and educators to better understand the social-emotional needs of their children. The company provides template questions to help schools gauge students’ competencies in areas such as classroom effort, growth mindset, perspective-taking and emotion regulation. It also offers resources created by organizations such as Character Lab and Teaching Tolerance to help teachers better understand and tailor their SEL strategies.

Feuer saw, at the time, that too much of student success hinged on test scores and grades. So these surveys shed light on the emotional and psychological aspects of the learning experience that was—and still is—difficult to quantify.

Yet the company doesn’t just want to be a survey tool. And like so many of his fellow technology entrepreneurs, Feuer believes that connecting the dots between data silos can surface deeper insights.

In a “new chapter” for Panorama, he says, the company is “making a leap from helping you understand one sliver of a child on the social-emotional side, to understanding the whole, complete picture.”

What that really means: grades and other traditional measures of student success still matter. The company wants to pair social-emotional data from its surveys with academic, attendance and behavior data. By doing so, educators can better get a fuller picture of what students need and how to best support them. For instance, what’s the best way to help a child who has been absent for 20 percent of the school year, has a C in math, and self-reports low confidence?

To be able to answer this question, the company needs to sync up with other systems so that information can be transferred seamlessly. “We don’t want districts to send us data files any more,” quips Feuer.

This year, his team has been working on a new tool, dubbed “Panorama Student Success,” that captures and reports data from other systems used in schools. That’s no easy feat. It takes the company 10 full-time staff, focused exclusively on this effort, to connect data from education software that don’t speak to one another.

In many ways Panorama is diving headfirst into tackling the K-12 data interoperability problem, where software systems can’t easily share data with one another. So far the company’s Student Success platform works with 20 educational data tools; over time it hopes to grow that number to 300. If a district wants to connect its platform with a product that Panorama does not currently support, Feuer claims his engineers can sync it up in about eight weeks.

Collecting more data can mean playing with fire, however. Across the country, online software used by schools have been hacked and hit with data breaches; more than 230 public incidents have been tallied since January 2016 by Doug Levin, an education consultant.

That’s a risk that Feuer says he’s aware of. “Part of our need for the funding is actually to increase our security investment,” he shares. “We’re actually setting up a team that’s focused on platform security exclusively, as opposed to [it being a part of] the features team.”

More than 400 school districts currently use Panorama. That includes 20 of the 100 largest ones such as New York City Department of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, Dallas Independent School District and Long Beach Unified School District. Altogether the company claims to serve more than 5 million students in 7,500 schools across 45 states.

One of the biggest pushbacks the company has heard from educators are questions about whether there’s enough time and space in a given school day for SEL instruction. Those concerns are shared in a recent survey (PDF) of principals by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, which cited a lack of time, training and funding as the biggest barriers.

Feuer’s stance: “Social-emotional growth is part of everything you do. It’s not separate. There’s no SEL class; you weave SEL into math [or other] classes.” Recently the company has been growing its client success team to provide on-site training with principals and teachers.

Panorama’s team currently numbers 80 people. Expect that headcount to balloon by another 150 in 2018 as the company looks to fill additional product, engineering and research roles.

Panorama is hardly the only player aspiring to be the go-to platform that leverages data to drive student achievement. From private equity-backed juggernauts like PowerSchool, to smaller players like Schoolzilla, the industry is replete with data-hungry companies looking to turn bytes into actionable insights.

Output: Boston-Based edtech company Panorama Education has raised $16 million in a series B round led by Emerson Collective, bringing total investment raised to $32 million. Founded in 2012, Panorama's digital survey tools aim to help parents and teachers understand the social-emotional needs of their children at school. More than 400 school districts in the US currently use Panorama, which itself employs 80 people. Panorama’s co-founder and CEO Aaron Feuer spoke of a “new chapter” for Panorama, as the company moves from "helping [people] understand one sliver of a child on the social-emotional side, to understanding the whole, complete picture”.


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Conservative ousted by trans person in US state legislature
 A transgender Virginia politician has been elected to the state legislature, unseating one of the state’s longest serving and most socially conservative lawmakers.

The Democrat Danica Roem, a former journalist for the Gainesville Times, beat the Republican Bob Marshall, who sponsored a bill this year that would have required transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding with the sex on their birth certificate.

David Toscano, the Democratic leader in Virginia’s house of delegates, said: “It’s historic ... It sends a message to politicians everywhere that the politics of bigotry is over.”

In a good night for diversity in US politics, Andrea Jenkins clinched the ward eight Minneapolis city council seat, becoming the first transgender person to win such a seat in a major city, and Ravinder Bhalla became the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, despite an aggressive campaign that turned ugly when he was labelled a terrorist in flyers.

Overall, Democrats did well in key contests on Tuesday night. Ralph Northam decisively beat Ed Gillespie in the Virginia governor race, and in New Jersey, Phil Murphy romped to victory against the state’s incumbent lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno.

Roem will be the first transgender member of the house of delegates and the second trans woman to be elected to a statehouse. Althea Garrison, a black woman who won as a Republican in Massachusetts in 1993, was the first.

Roem discussed her gender identity during the campaign, but focused more on jobs, schools and northern Virginia’s traffic congestion.

The Democrat underwent therapy to begin her gender transition when she was 28, and said in an interview earlier this year that politics should be inclusive of all.

“No matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship or who you love, if you have good public policy ideas, if you’re qualified for office, you have every right to bring your ideas to the table,” Roem said.

Roem also argued that Marshall, who has served in the House since 1992, spent too much time on social policy. He was the author of a now-void constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between a man and a woman, and sponsored a bill banning gay people from openly serving in the Virginia national guard.

Roem has played in a heavy metal band, Cab Ride Home, since 2006. The quintet, with Roem roaring vocals over high-speed, chugging guitars, has independently released four albums, supported metal bands such as Cannibal Corpse and Amon Amarth, and toured the UK in 2012.

The band describe their style as “drunken thrash metal” and say on their Bandcamp page: “Cab Ride Home represents one thing: partying ... Our songs are about drinking and our shows are about raging.”

“Just because I sing in a heavy metal band while spinning my head in circles and getting paid to do it, why can’t I run for government?” Roem told Noisey earlier this year. “[Metal is] not just what you listen to in your car on the way home. The lyrics inspire part of your life. The music tells your story.”

Output: Danica Roem, a former journalist, has become only the second transgender person to be elected to a US state legislature. Roem, a Democrat, unseated Republican Bob Marshall in Virginia. Earlier this year, Marshall sponsored a bill that would have required transgender people to use public toilets corresponding to their sex as specified on their birth certificates. Elsewhere in the US, Andrea Jenkins, victorious in Minneapolis, became the first transgender person to win a city council seat in a major city, while Ravinder Bhalla became the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Alibaba drones fly over water, delivering fruit to island
 Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba today said that it has used drones to deliver packages over water for the first time.

Three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carrying six boxes of passionfruit with a combined weight of around 12 kilograms flew from Putian in China's eastern Fujian Province to nearby Meizhou Island on October 31, the company said in a statement.

Flying into a strong wind, the drones took nine minutes to make the five-kms crossing. Each drone can carry up to seven kilograms, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statement.

The drones were jointly developed by Alibaba's delivery arm Cainiao Network, the company's rural shopping platform Rural Taobao, and a domestic technology firm.

Zeng Jinmei, an online store owner based on the island, said the drone delivery service will cut the transportation time by half and save logistic costs.

Alibaba has prepared extra drones ahead of the upcoming November 11 "Singles' Day" shopping festival.

The day, which can be compared to Black Friday in the US, became a shopping festival in China after Alibaba launched a major promotional campaign in 2009.

Alibaba plans to use drones to deliver high value-added products such as fresh food and medical supplies over water in the future.

Using drones to deliver packages has increased in recent years.

Another Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com started conducting trial deliveries using drones in 2016. Smaller drones are being used in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province and Suqian, Jiangsu Province.

Output: Drones operated by Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba have delivered packages over water for the first time. The company said three of its unmanned aerial vehicles had successfully made the 5km trip from Putian in Fujian Province to the nearby Meizhou island in nine minutes. They carried six boxes of passionfruit weighing a total of 12kg on the trip, which took place on 31 October. The company said it plans to use the drones for similar deliveries of value-added products such as fresh food and medical supplies in future.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Ethereum client Parity hacked leaving $150m of coins in limbo
 A security vulnerability in Ethereum’s second most popular client, Parity, has been exploited by this address earlier today.

All Parity multi-sig wallets have been frozen. That includes the Polkadot ICO and may include many others totaling around 500,000 eth, worth $150 million, according to some number crunching.

Output: A bug in cryptocurrency Ethereum’s second-most popular client, Parity, has frozen coins valued at $150m and left the initial coin offering of blockchain tech firm Polkadot in limbo. The glitch was triggered after a security hole was found in the technology that backs the cryptocurrency. Ethereum may have to be forked to release the funds, the second time such a measure has been taken in as many years after the currency's largest smart contract was hacked in 2016.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Ethereum client Parity hacked leaving $150m of coins in limbo
 Severity: Critical

Product affected: Parity Wallet

Affected implementations: Parity 1.5 or later

Summary: A vulnerability in Parity Wallet's variant of the standard multi-sig contract has been found.

Affected users: Any user with assets in a multi-sig wallet created in Parity Wallet prior to 19/07/17 23:14:56 CEST.

Mitigation steps: Immediately move assets contained in the multi-sig wallet to a secure address.

UPDATE (20/07/17, 00:26 CEST): Multi-sig wallets created in Parity Wallet after 19/07/17 23:14:56 CEST are secure. (Fix in the code is https://github.com/paritytech/parity/pull/6103 and the newly registered code is https://etherscan.io/tx/0x5f0846ccef8946d47f85715b7eea8fb69d3a9b9ef2d2b8abcf83983fb8d94f5f).

Output: A bug in cryptocurrency Ethereum’s second-most popular client, Parity, has frozen coins valued at $150m and left the initial coin offering of blockchain tech firm Polkadot in limbo. The glitch was triggered after a security hole was found in the technology that backs the cryptocurrency. Ethereum may have to be forked to release the funds, the second time such a measure has been taken in as many years after the currency's largest smart contract was hacked in 2016.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
MRI Software announces fixed asset accounting
 MRI Fixed Assets enables real estate owners and operators to meet audit regulations, achieve compliance, and increase the ROI of their fixed assets

LONDON, Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MRI Software, a global leader in real estate software solutions, today announced MRI Fixed Assets, a new fixed asset accounting solution for the real estate sector. MRI Fixed Assets is a a comprehensive solution for real estate owners and operators to better manage accounting, meet audit regulations, improve compliance, and increase the ROI of their assets.

"Regulations for fixed asset accounting continue to grow more complex, and organisations with real estate interests need solutions that can automate and simplify compliance," said Charles McDowell, Vice President of Commercial Solutions and Client Experience at MRI Software. "MRI Fixed Assets builds upon the proven history of our recent acquisition, Real Asset Management, to easily address these ever-changing requirements. Our solution enables compliance with common accounting standards, including IFRS and UK GAAP. And, because it is linked with our Version X Financials platform, it provides a modern, intuitive user experience that leverages the full power of MRI."

MRI Fixed Assets allows organisations to manage, track and record all changes to an asset's status, from its physical location to the history of how it has been used. The application readily enables depreciation forecasts, manages the valuation of assets, and calculates depreciation for any period or range of periods across multiple books and multiple currencies. MRI Fixed Assets can be integrated with barcoding, RFID and other electronic readers to enable asset audits.

Available via MRI's Version X platform, MRI Fixed Assets shares integrated data and common work processes with the core financial management platform, giving users the benefits of increased automation within a single, intuitive experience. The solution is flexible and can be used in conjunction with other accounting and property management systems – including the Horizon and Qube PM platforms from Qube Global Software, also recently acquired by MRI Software, providing the sector with even more freedom to choose the right solutions for their business.

About MRI Software

MRI Software is a leading provider of innovative real estate software applications and hosted solutions. MRI's comprehensive and flexible technology platform coupled with an open and connected ecosystem meets the unique needs of real estate businesses—from property-level management and accounting to investment modeling and analytics for the global commercial and residential markets. A pioneer of the real estate software industry, MRI develops lasting client relationships based on nearly five decades of expertise and insight. Through leading solutions and a rich partner ecosystem, MRI liberates real estate companies to elevate their business and gain a competitive edge. For more information, please visit mrisoftware.com.

Contact Information:

Jeff Miller

LEWIS

mrisoftware@teamlewis.com

541-207-3461

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/599518/MRI_Logo_RGB.jpg

Output: Ohio-based MRI Software has launched an end-to-end fixed asset accounting solution for the real estate sector. MRI Fixed Assets enables companies to manage, track and record an asset's status, as well as offering depreciation forecasts and calculation across multiple books. In addition, MRI Fixed Assets is compliant with IFRS and UK GAAP and integrates with other systems, including Horizon and Qube PM platforms.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Cape Town plans first micro-flat development
 Cape Town is following the trend seen in cities such as Berlin, London, New York, Barcelona and Paris and is set to see the development of the first state-of-the-art micro-living apartments in the city.

To be constructed at 1 Albert Road in Woodstock, these micro units will range in size from 21 square metre studio’s to 75 square metre two-bedroom units. All the apartments will feature top end SMEG appliances, flat screen smart TV’s and uncapped, unshaped 100megs per second fibre internet – to name but a few of the features.

Rob Stefanutto, Managing Director of Dogon Group Properties, explains that in addition to the 133 living units over seven floors, the 1 On Albert development will also feature communal recreational spaces, shops, a food court, laundromat, heated swimming pool and more: “All part of a new conceptual design in living known as integrated living solutions, which incorporates all the elements needed for inner city living without having to leave the building.”

The 1 On Albert building, which is centrally situated in the up-and-coming area of Woodstock on a MyCiti bus route and with an Uber point at its doorstep, has been designed by award winning architects Louis Karol and the interiors of the apartments designed by leading hotel room designer Grant Gillis of Delta Interiors.

First-time buyers able to enter the property market

“Micro living units have been popular internationally for several years and we are now following this trend in Cape Town. Millennials are looking for location over square footage. They want to be close to the city center, close enough to walk, bike, or rely on public transportation. However, with cities becoming increasingly over-crowded there is not only a shortage of housing but also the cost of properties has sky rocketed to such a point that young people cannot afford to buy their first property and get onto the property ladder – forcing them to rent on an ongoing basis,” says Stefanutto.

“Recognising this, 1 On Albert, which is the first offering in a collaborative partnership between Dogon, AJ Developers, Power Construction and Gardner Property Solutions, has been designed to let the consumer buy their first home, with Nedbank having come on board to offer flexible finance that includes reduced interest rates, discounted registration fees and flexible deposit options.”

“The key to the value chain in real estate is to get on the property ladder as early as possible and 1 On Albert is providing the missing link to the property value chain.”

The entry levels units at 1 On Albert are priced at R799 000 to R945 000 inclusive of transfer duty – this equates to a monthly bond instalment that is in line with, if not lower than, rental figures. Those earning between R18 000 and R25 000 per month should qualify for finance through Nedbank.

“At these asking prices, when buyers eventually sell to move up the property ladder they will in all likelihood not face any Capital Gains Tax if they have been living in the unit as their primary residence. This, coupled with no transfer duty and reduced bond registration costs, means that there is minimal investment leakage for buyers – further helping them to climb the property ladder,” advises Stefanutto.

Stefanutto further explains that another benefit of these micro living units are the low monthly levies and rates – a cost which, in the case of many other developments, creates a barrier for budget conscious first time buyers.

A significant development for Cape Town’s property industry

“It is necessary for the property development industry to produce an ever changing and adapted product that fulfils the needs of consumers and I feel that 1 On Albert is one of the most significant developments to hit the property market in the 20 years that I have been in the industry.”

“Dogon Group are very excited to be a part of this project which allows us to introduce a whole new segment of customers to the property market through entry level units which are still in keeping with the upmarket, top-end style of properties which Dogon is synonymous with.”

“Construction will begin on 1 On Albert in February 2018 and units have already started to sell in this exciting development which is seen as the gateway project for the emerging suburb of Woodstock – a suburb which has seen ongoing revival in recent years and offers direct access to the city centre,” concludes Stefanutto.

Output: South African real estate company Dogon Group Properties has partnered with AJ Developers, Power Construction and Gardner Property Solutions to construct Cape Town's first micro-living apartments. Aimed at helping first-time buyers get on the property ladder, the units are priced between ZAR799,000 ($56,000) and ZAR945,000, while flexible finance partner Nedbank is offering a swathe of discounts to attract buyers. Construction on the units is set to begin in February 2018.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Deutsche Bank looks to robots to help it shrink workforce
 Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan, who has been planning a “big number” of job cuts at the German lender, thinks robots could replace a large chunk of its workforce. Cryan has already cut thousands of jobs as part of a five-year restructuring plan, and he hinted in a Financial Times interview (paywall) that he’s ready to cut much deeper by using technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate banking tasks.

The bank currently employs 97,000 people, but in a telling comment, Cryan noted that Deutsche Bank’s main rivals have about half that number on their payroll. He told the FT that the ratio of sales and trading roles to back office staff was “out of kilter,” and that the bank’s processes were far too manual and error-prone. He is also looking to close bank branches as part of the restructuring.

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The rest of the financial industry is struggling with similar problems, but most executives aren’t nearly as forthright about it as Cryan. Two months ago, he said (paywall) the bank’s accountants who “spend a lot of the time basically being an abacus” will need to find new things to do.

By next year, around 75% of financial firms will either explore or implement artificial intelligence technologies, according to a survey by Greenwich Associates. The research and consulting firm thinks some 15% of the industry’s jobs are at risk.

Deutsche Bank’s woes go beyond employing too many costly accountants. It used to the be world’s biggest investment bank, but lately its trading revenue has lagged behind its rivals. In the first nine months of this year, the bank’s revenue is down by 10% versus the same period last year.

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Cryan is refreshingly honest about the bank’s struggles—maybe too honest. The bank has struggled to win back customers, and talk of replacing thousands of employees with machines is unlikely to motivate the ones whose jobs aren’t on the line.

Output: Deutsche Bank could replace many of its staff with robots, according to its CEO, John Cryan. Speaking to the Financial Times, Cryan bemoaned the bank's "manual and error-prone" systems, argued the number of sales and trading roles compared with back-office positions was "out of kilter" and said Deutsche Bank's staffing levels were double those of rival banks. He also said that he was looking at closing branches. A survey by Greenwich Associates revealed 75% of financial companies will investigate or implement AI solutions within the next 12 months.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Shell buys EV charging company NewMotion
 Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Oil company Shell has signed an agreement to buy electric vehicle charging firm NewMotion. It did not disclose terms.

The company, which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, operates more than 30,000 private electric charge points for homes and businesses in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the U.K.

Shell's Vice President for New Fuels, Matthew Tipper, says Thursday that the deal will give customers "flexibility to charge their electric vehicles at home, work and on the go."

Shell has insisted it is planning for the day when demand for oil starts to fade. CEO Ben van Beurden has promised to look at "very aggressive scenarios" to remain competitive in a world that gets more of its energy from renewable sources and less from crude oil.

Read more:

Think you pay too much in taxes? 10 most and least tax-friendly states

As Napa fires rage, wineries face singed grapes, displaced workers and costs of rebuilding

Output: Shell has advanced its interests in the electric vehicle (EV) charging market by acquiring Dutch EV charging company NewMotion, which has 30,000 charging points across the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK. Other oil companies including Statoil, Enel and Engie have also sought to invest in EV charging, in an attempt to secure the future of their retail operations.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Shell buys EV charging company NewMotion
 This article first appeared on the BNEF mobile app and the Bloomberg Terminal.

Shell recently bought NewMotion, with 30,000 charging points

Shell joins other energy majors active in electric mobility

Number of electric vehicles on the road in Europe

Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Marklines

Large energy companies are snapping up groups active in EV charging infrastructure. Royal Dutch Shell Plc acquired NewMotion, a Dutch EV charging company with 30,000 charging points. Statoil ASA invested in ChargePoint Inc. in 2016 and in March 2017, Engie SA acquired EVBox which has over 40,000 stations. On October 25, Enel SpA bought eMotorWerks, another provider focused on monetizing the demand flexibility from EVs. The list of large energy companies active in EV charging includes Fortum Oyj, Vattenfall AB, EON SE, RWE AG. Utilities aim to reduce customer churn and expand into new services, while oil companies look to ensure their retail stations stay relevant as the vehicle mix shifts.

Clients can access the full report here.

BNEF Shorts are research excerpts available only on the BNEF mobile app and the Bloomberg Terminal, highlighting key findings from our reports. If you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us.

Output: Shell has advanced its interests in the electric vehicle (EV) charging market by acquiring Dutch EV charging company NewMotion, which has 30,000 charging points across the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK. Other oil companies including Statoil, Enel and Engie have also sought to invest in EV charging, in an attempt to secure the future of their retail operations.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Plentific builds property management tool for housing association
 Plentific has launched a new property management platform for Notting Hill Housing, created in collaboration with the housing association.

The new self-serve platform is designed to cut down the amount of time spent organising maintenance and repairs, as well as administrative tasks such as invoicing and sending payments.

Commenting on the launch, Notting Hill’s Chief Operating Officer Andy Belton said: “When I saw Plentific’s presentation at the HouseMark event, I was very impressed and immediately thought we could use the platform and instant booking system for some areas of our business.

“Having done further work with Plentific, we can see the potential that it offers to create a streamlined digital approach for maintaining properties that will save a great deal of valuable time and resources.”

Plentific Co-founder Cem Savas added: “Having the chance to work alongside Notting Hill Housing is a great opportunity to showcase the strength of the Plentific platform. Our goal has always been to make organising repairs and home improvements as easy as possible, a task that property managers at Notting Hill Housing can really appreciate.

“Our platform will make it easier for Notting Hill’s tenants to find the Pros they need to maintain their homes. This will in turn free up valuable time for property managers and help to increase efficiency overall.”

The partnership began following Plentific’s appearance at ‘Evolve’, an exclusive startup accelerator programme for the social housing sector organised by HouseMark and L Marks. Plentific has since built a B2B platform which can allow any housing association, estate agent or property management firm to digitally transform its repair and maintenance process.

Output: London-based Plentific has created a property management platform with and for Notting Hill Housing association in London. The digital system aims to streamline repairs and maintenance schedules and reduce admin for property managers. Plentific has also developed a B2B version of the platform for other housing associations, estate agents and property-management firms.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Domino's in Australia will use AI to check pizza quality
 Domino's Pizza Australia is using an artificial intelligence platform within its kitchens for quality control of its pizzas.

The fast food chain has been working with quick service restauraunt (QSR) technology vendor Dragontail Systems since earlier this year.

The partnership has borne from what Domino's is calling the Checked by DRU AI Pizza Checker.

The technology will "solve the number one customer complaint of incorrect toppings and poorly made pizzas", Domino's said.

The system includes a sensor and camera that monitor the preparation and cooking process and proprietary AI technology that checks for the proper distribution of ingredients.

Domino's said the system analyses and reports back in three seconds.

It has signed a 12-month global exclusivity agreement with Dragontail with the intention of rolling the technology out to the other markets it operates in.

Dragontail launched its computer vision quality system last December.

The firm's core product is the 'Algo' restaurant management system, which manages the food preparation and delivery process from start to finish.

It has submitted 13 patents for its technology in eight different countries including Australia. Dragontail debuted on the Australian Stock Exchange in December last year.

iTnews has a new report on the adoption of artificial intelligence within Australian enterprises. Download the report here.

Output: In a further reflection of growing cross-industry reliance upon artificial intelligence (AI), Domino's Pizza Australia has partnered with smart-restaurant firm Dragontail Systems to incorporate the technology into its food quality-control processes. A 12-month global exclusivity deal with Dragontail is to form the backbone of what Dominos's is dubbing the "Checked by DRU AI Pizza Checker". The company claims the system's sensor and camera can carry out and deliver a comprehensive quality report within just three seconds. The intention is to roll the technology out to other markets following the Australian run.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
US college to co-develop centre for overseas study in Connemara
 The centre, scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2019, is planned in partnership with Aquinas College of Grand Rapids, US. The state-of-art building will include an education hub (with a 50-seat auditorium), a library, group study rooms, video conference facilities and meeting rooms.

The centre will also include nine renovated thatched cottages to accommodate up to 40 students and staff. It is hoped the new centre, along with new and extended partnerships, will lead to a five-fold increase in student numbers.

Connemara West, a locally managed community development organisation based in Letterfrack, Galway, is leading the project. Its chairman, Kevin Heanue, said the new centre was needed due to the popularity of the Connemara study abroad offerings.

“[The centre] is needed to accommodate the growing number of US colleges who are bringing students and faculty to the village as part of Connemara West’s education-led development strategy,” he said.

It is understood that Aquinas will foot around half of the €2.5m bill, through its US interests. It is also hoped that the Irish government may assist the development as part of its rural development plan.

“The Aquinas College Ireland Study Abroad programme reflects the best of a liberal arts education”

“Extending fibre optic cables from Letterfrack to Tullycross is part of that ‘ask’ from the State,” Heanue added.

Dr Steve Barrows, executive vice president of Aquinas College, said: “our partnership between Aquinas College, Connemara West, and the Tullycross community is a concrete and wonderfully successful example of exposing our students to global opportunities and thereby promoting critical thinking.”

“The Aquinas College Ireland Study Abroad programme reflects the best of a liberal arts education with a global perspective,” he added.

The community has been promoting education tourism for several decades, with students from the US visiting the region on Ireland’s west coast for over 40 years. At least 1,000 US students have embarked on study visits to the region since 1973.

According to the latest available Open Doors data, complied by IIE, Ireland is the seventh most popular destination for mobile US students.

With a 15.9% year-on-year increase in student numbers (which equates to more than 10,000 US students in Ireland in 2015), Ireland is the only top 10 destination for US students that can boast double-digit growth in inbound students.

Along with Aquinas, which launched a renewed study abroad program in Tullycross earlier in 2017, six other colleges from across the US now base study abroad programs in the quiet Galway village.

The partnerships are based around Irish Studies minor courses at the US institutions, but have recently expanded to include Irish cultural studies courses taught by NUI Galway.

Output: An education centre is being developed to provide US students with a place to study in the Galway village of Connemara. The €2.5m ($2.9m) project is due to be completed in autumn 2019 and is a joint venture between the Aquinas College of Grand Rapids and Connemara West, a community development organisation. The centre will offer group study rooms, an auditorium, a library, video conference rooms and nine thatched cottages for 40 students and staff. The centre is intended for the growing number of US students coming to the village as part of its longstanding study abroad provision.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
OPEC daring to think oil could reach 'fair price' of $70 a barrel
 Brent prices hit $60 a barrel 10 days ago and have maintained that level ever since, sparking talk that this could be the new floor under oil prices and that $70 oil in the short term is now not only in producers’ wildest dreams, but a real possibility.

Although OPEC never officially admitted it, analysts have largely thought that pushing oil up to $60 was one of the cartel’s goals with the production cut deal.

Three weeks before OPEC’s November 30 summit in Vienna, some oil producers have already started thinking that $70 is the ‘fair price’ for oil, fairer than $60, Julian Lee, oil strategist for Bloomberg First Word, writes.

But if the cartel wants to target a higher price (which it won’t officially communicate to the market), it will likely trigger a new wave of U.S. shale production next year. More importantly, that higher oil price target may meet the resistance of Russia—the leader of the non-OPEC group of producers’ pact—which is now generally viewed as steering the OPEC/non-OPEC oil production policy, together with OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia,

Both the Saudis and Russians have signaled that they’re willing to extend the pact beyond March 2018, lending further support to oil prices over the past few weeks.

The higher the price of oil, the stronger the temptation for OPEC members to cash in on short-term gains and cheat (even more than they do now). Currently, Saudi Arabia is over-complying with its share of the production cuts, covering for rogue members—most prominently, OPEC’s second-biggest producer, Iraq.

Related: Russia Aims To Dominate Middle East Energy

Saudi Arabia needs oil prices at $70 per barrel in 2018 for a budget breakeven, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated last week, while Russia claims that it “can live forever” at $40 oil.

Although the November 30 meeting will discuss the production cut deal, OPEC and the Russia-led non-OPEC producers may not make or communicate a firm decision on extending the pact at that summit.

Last week, Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that the decision would likely come at a later stage—a delay that the market would surely be displeased with.

“If we see that the market is not balancing then we’ll do it. I can give you a more specific answer if you can find me any person now who can say what the market will look like in five months. If you find a person like this, I will shake his hand,” Reuters quoted Novak as saying through a translator.

Maybe no one can correctly predict how the oil market will look like in March 2018, but the recent oil price rally made analysts and investors much more bullish than they were just a couple of months ago.

“We think both fundamental data and an improvement in trader sentiment act as strong support for a continued test of the upside for oil prices,” Paul Horsnell at Standard Chartered told the Financial Times.

Money managers had a near-record net long position in crude oil and refined products contracts as of end-October, with the net long position soaring nearly 720 million barrels since end-June to 1.022 billion barrels, just shy of the February record of 1.025 billion barrels, Reuters’ John Kemp writes. The amassed long positions mean that hedge funds and other money managers expect oil prices to continue rising, but the amount of the net longs also raises the risk of a sharp correction if and when investors decide to take profits, Kemp says.

Related: Can Oil Prices Hit $65 This Week?

Part of the oil price movements in the next few weeks hinges on the OPEC-Russia production deal rhetoric leading up to the November 30 meeting. While it looks like Saudi Arabia continues to convey the “whatever it takes” message, its key partner in the pact—Russia—appears to be stalling, unwilling to give U.S. shale very solid reasons to boost production next year.

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“Russia appears to be trying to slow down the extension talk until there is more clarity on the outlook for balances and what they mean for prices in 2018,” consultancy Energy Aspects told the FT.

Some OPEC producers may be vying for a ‘fair price’ of above $60, but $70 oil could be a deal-breaker for Russia, a further incentive to cheat for OPEC, and an additional impetus for U.S. shale to defy skeptics.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Output: The global "fair price" for oil could reach $70 a barrel, according to OPEC officials. The Venezuelan oil minister suggested last year that $70 a barrel was a fair price, whilst Iraq has suggested a level of $70-$80. There are concerns that such aspirations could trigger a similar boom and crash to that seen between 2011 and 2014, blamed on attempts to keep prices above $100 a barrel. Rising prices could also endanger OPEC's output deal with Russia.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
France delays nuclear power targets to focus on CO2 reduction
 France to review nuclear reduction target

07 November 2017

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The French government will come up with a more "realistic" target to reduce the share of nuclear energy in the country's electricity generation, Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot told a news conference in Paris today.

The previous government of Francois Hollande in 2015 established an energy transition law which set a target of reducing the share of nuclear in the power mix to 50% by 2025 from the current 75%.

Hulot told reporters today that this is not realistic, but he did not set a new deadline.

"We will reduce the share of nuclear in the mix as soon as possible," he said, adding that doing so in a hurry would increase France's CO2 emissions and could endanger the security of power supply and put jobs at risk, according to Reuters.

Hulot also said that the Fessenheim nuclear plant, France's oldest, would be closed during President Emmanuel Macron's five-year term.

Elected in May, Macron had promised to respect Hollande's target and Hulot had said in July France might have to close as many as 17 of its 58 reactors by 2025 to achieve it.

State-owned utility EDF, which operates France's nuclear power plants, has argued instead to extend the operation of its nuclear fleet from 40 to at least 50 years.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics

Output: The French government has postponed a target to reduce the share of nuclear energy in the country’s power production to 50% by 2025 after grid operator RTE said it risked supply shortages after 2020 and could miss a goal to curb carbon emissions. France currently relies on nuclear power for 75% of its power output. Its nuclear reduction target will likely be pushed back to between 2030 and 2035.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
ParallelDots develops AI to identify brain haemorrhaging
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ParallelDots Inc. (Lewes, Delaware, USA), an artificial intelligence (AI) company that develops algorithms, has trained a deep neural network to act as a second pair of eyes for radiologists by automatically detecting brain hemorrhage from computed tomography (CT) scans.ParallelDots Inc. focuses on building a proprietary AI stack, which can solve real-world problems end to end, including proprietary datasets, proprietary algorithms and deployment mechanisms. The company’s Data Tagging engine churns out annotated data from various domains (social media, healthcare, and retail), while its Data Science team develops novel algorithms, which can use this data and deliver AI agents that can be deployed in the real world.The company’s model, named Recurrent Attention DenseNet (RADnet), emulates the procedure followed by radiologists for diagnosis of brain hemorrhage by analyzing 3D CT scans and sifts through 2D cross-sectional slices while paying close attention to potential hemorrhagic regions. It utilizes 3D context from neighboring slices to improve predictions at each slice and subsequently, aggregates the slice-level predictions to provide diagnosis at the CT level.When benchmarked against independent analysis performed by three senior radiologists for 77 brain CTs, RADnet demonstrated 81.82% hemorrhage prediction accuracy at the CT level that was comparable to the radiologists. What was particularly remarkable was that RADnet achieved higher recall than two of the three radiologists.ParallelDots Inc. has acknowledged that very high sensitivity is required for deploying automated emergency diagnostic tools and that there are several other equally severe brain conditions which RADnet is unaware of. However, the company envisions a future where similar emergency diagnostic tools will be used to detect different anomalies from brain CT scans and believes that RADnet also demonstrates potential to be deployed as an emergency diagnosis tool.

Output: Delaware-based artificial intelligence (AI) company ParallelDots has developed a deep neural network called Recurrent Attention DenseNet (RADnet), which outperformed three radiologists in the detection of brain haemorrhages in computed tomography (CT) scans. The RADnet system achieved a success rate of almost 82% by analysing 3D CT scans and cross-referencing them against 2D cross-sectional slices. ParallelDots said RADnet could be used to identify other brain anomalies from CT scans, and had potential applications as an emergency diagnosis tool.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Apple tests P2P cash transfers via iMessage texting platform
 Person-to-person cash transfers via iMessage using Apple Pay kicking off in the US first.

Apple has every intention of being at the helm of the fintech revolution and has just soft launched the beta for Apple Pay Cash, which enables users to send cash to each other via iMessage.

The programme is launching on iOS 11.2 beta 2. Users can opt in by joining the Apple Beta Software Program.

With the new service, users can pay each other within iMessage or by telling Siri to transfer cash to another user.

The money can then be used within apps, in stores where Apple Pay is accepted on the web.

Cash is king in the P2P economy

Peer-to-peer cash transfer is one of the fastest evolving areas in the fintech space.

Irish-based company Circle already lets users transfer cash in Europe using either the Circle app or a plugin for iMessage. It recently launched a new group payments feature and free transfers to US accounts.

Another Irish-based company called Plynk allows people to send money via message to a single contact or in-group chats, instantly and with no fees.

Using the new Apple Pay Cash platform, when users opt in and accept the cash, they are issued a new virtual Apple Pay Cash card that will sit in their Wallet on the iPhone. The card can only be used to send money or pay for goods or services via Apple Pay.

Because it sits within Apple Pay, Apple can fund payments immediately to the card so the money can be spent right away.

It could be a handy way for parents to send their kids at college cash to buy iBooks or food, or a neat way to pay rent or support your local sports club.

To use the platform, you need an iPhone that runs iOS 11.2 and two-factor authentication for your Apple ID as well as an eligible credit or debit card in Wallet.

The new Apple iPhone X. Image: hurricanehank/Shutterstock

Output: Apple is testing the use of its iMessage texting platform to make P2P payments. Apple Pay Cash is available on devices running iOS 11.2. It also enables users to ask virtual assistant Siri to send transfers and any payments received can be used within the apps of stores that accept Apple Pay. Irish company Circle has already enabled P2P cash transfers using iMessage, while Dublin fintech firm Plynk created a rival service earlier this year.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Twitter rolls out 280 character limit to all users
 Back in September, Twitter began testing an increase to its tweet length, doubling the character limit from 140 characters to 280 characters. Now, the microblogging site has decided to roll out the 280-character limit to all users.

According to Twitter, its short trial period was a success with the number of tweets hitting the character limit falling from nine per cent to just one per cent for English-speaking users.

“Since we saw Tweets hit the character limit less often, we believe people spent less time editing their Tweets in the composer,” said Aliza Rosen, product manager at Twitter, in a blog post. “This shows that more space makes it easier for people to fit thoughts in a Tweet, so they could say what they want to say, and send Tweets faster than before.”

Despite having a 280-character limit, those in the test group only sent out five per cent of their tweets over 140 characters and only two per cent over 190 characters – appeasing user concerns about the character length ruining user experience. Twitter notes that this may notes that the “novelty effect” will mean users initially get excited with their use of tweet space, but normal behaviour should be resumed once this wears off.

“You’ll still see about the same amount of Tweets in your timeline,” said Rozen. “For reference, in the timeline, Tweets with an image or poll usually take up more space than a 190-character Tweet.”

As with the trial, those on the Japanese, Korean and Chinese versions of the platform will not have the ability to tweet in 280 characters, as their languages are already able to condense thoughts into less space due to their writing systems.

Join us at the 2017 Effective Mobile Marketing Awards Ceremony, taking place in London on Thursday 16 November, to mix with the industry's best and brightest, and raise a glass to the year's best campaigns and solutions. To find out more, and to book your place, click here.

Output: Twitter has doubled the character limit for tweets from 140 to 280 for all English-language users. Trials in September saw users hitting the character limit fall from 9% to 1%, though only 2% of the test group sent out tweets using more than 190 characters. Aliza Rosen, product manager at Twitter, said the change would mean people spent less time on editing and added: "more space makes it easier for people to fit thoughts in a tweet".


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Owner of Capital and Heart to launch weekly Twitter show
 Global, the U.K. media company known for its radio brands like Capital and Heart, is launching a weekly show exclusively for Twitter on Nov. 16. called “PopBuzz Presents,” opening up new revenue streams for the media company.

The 30-minute show will stream each Thursday from Twitter’s London headquarters at 5 p.m. local time, hosted by presenters Lilah Parsons and Will Hardy. The show will consist of three seven-minute segments, featuring discussions around trending stories, guest interviews and games.

While the goal is for people to tune in to the entire show, Global remains realistic that it’s creating a show for people who don’t watch much TV. PopBuzz, Global’s pop culture and music-streaming site — and first non-radio brand — launched three years ago, targeting the 18- to 24-year-old age bracket.

“In the lifetime of PopBuzz, we’ve learned that Twitter is the first place audiences go to get close to the things they really care about, whether that’s celebrities, musicians or politicians,” said Charles Ubaghs, head of social at Global. “Twitter has the scope and scale representative of the whole web. People can make connections with their passion points quickly.”

Social platforms are vying for exclusive content, and Twitter is proving it’s still in the running, despite being unable to compete with Facebook and Google on reach. During August, Twitter had 22 million monthly unique users; in the 18- to 24-year-old age bracket, Twitter had more users than Instagram and Snapchat, according to Global, which cited comScore figures.

Beyond reach, Twitter’s ability to monetize “PopBuzz Presents” was appealing, said James Hickman, Global’s director of digital. As part of a revenue-share deal, Twitter and Global are selling a mix of commercial packages that include pre-roll, mid-roll and sponsorship, a model more closely resembling TV. Global hasn’t announced which brands it’s working with.

“The options for monetization for publishers are clearer and more mature on Twitter than other platforms, partly because they have been doing it for longer,” said Gareth Capon, CEO at video tech platform Grabyo. Twitter has also been quicker than Amazon and Facebook to license sports content.

Twitter’s differentiator is the live element, and it has pushed sponsorships around live video, according to Katie Manor, head of paid social worldwide at MediaCom. According to Manor, sponsorships can range from £25,000 ($33,000) for packages with less reach to north of £500,000 ($658,000), depending on the market and scale of exposure.

“PopBuzz Presents” will run for at least six months. Eleven people, including the hosts, from Global’s central video team of 25 people and from PopBuzz’s team will work on the show.

“’PopBuzz Presents’ is still something specific for a platform, using the immediate reaction from the audience in a public way,” Ubaghs said. “It’s TV for your thumbs.”

Capon said as Twitter becomes a more attractive alternative to other social platforms and brings more choice to the market, publishers will have more room for negotiation with platforms.

In the U.K., Twitter has deals with BT Sport to stream “Score,” a weekly football show that simultaneously runs on TV. Sky Sports also streams exclusive Twitter content on transfer-window deadlines. In the U.S., companies like Bloomberg, BuzzFeed, Time Inc. and Vox Media are among those producing exclusive content for the platform and seeing more promise there than with other social platforms.

“Historically, people have maybe ignored Twitter in favor of Instagram or Snapchat,” Ubaghs said. “In the last year, there’s a realization there’s still a big audience there; there won’t be the scale, but it has a utility and a unique way of selling live video.”

Image courtesy of Global

Output: UK media company Global, the owner of Capital and Heart radio brands, is set to launch a new weekly show on Twitter. PopBuzz Presents, a series of 30-minute broadcasts, is aimed at people aged between 18 and 24, while the revenue-sharing deal includes a mix of advertising packages similar to television. Analysts said that although Twitter can't compete with Facebook or Google in terms of reach, it was among the first to broadcast live content, offering tempting monetisation options to a range of advertisers.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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VW fails to fix one third of UK cars with cheating devices
 A third of cars manufactured by Volkswagen with devices to cheat emissions tests remain unfixed, two years after the scandal erupted.

In what was coined the “diesel dupe”, VW equipped their vehicles with defeat devices designed to realise when they were being tested so they could appear to be much less polluting than in reality.

The company subsequently pledged to recall all of its cars and remove the devices.

However, the monthly rate of fixes to Volkswagen manufactured cars has fallen to 2% of those affected from a previous high of 10% in February, despite the task not having been completed, according to the Department of Transport.

The emissions scandal affected 1,207,152 vehicles in the UK and while two-thirds of the cars have been fixed, the rate of fixes to the remainder has stalled.

An analysis showed the fix-rate of Skoda’s spiked between July and August to around double that of other Volkswagen brands, an anomaly queried by Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield and chair of the environmental audit committee.

The fix-rates for other brands has faltered.

Creagh has written to the Department for Transport to express the committee’s concerns about the lack of progress in applying fixes to cars equipped with the defeat devices.

“It is over two years since the VW emissions scandal was discovered, a third of vehicles have yet to be fixed and rates have slowed considerably,” said Creagh.

“It is essential that the vehicles on Britain’s roads adhere to emissions regulations, particularly as the country is faced with dangerous levels of pollution. The department must take responsibility for ensuring that these fixes are completed as soon as possible”.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “The UK government continues to take the unacceptable actions of Volkswagen extremely seriously and is working hard on behalf of UK consumers.”

“Officials in the Department for Transport hold monthly meetings with representatives from Volkswagen for information on the number of updates applied across all of the affected brands and to press them on remaining issues.”

Volkswagen UK managing director Paul Willis told the Commons transport select committee in February that the firm hoped to have completed the fixing programme by autumn of this year.

Greenpeace clean air campaigner Mel Evans said: “Time and again VW has dodged its responsibility.

“It’s paid no fines, or faced criminal charges in the UK as it has in the US.

“Now it won’t even meet its own timeline for a product recall of its dodgy diesels, which is currently the only redress on offer to the public here.”

The report comes the day after it was announced the UK government is being sued for a third time over the widespread illegal levels of air pollution, which cause 40,000 early deaths every year.

Nitrogen dioxide pollution, largely produced by diesel vehicles, has been unlawfully high in most of urban Britain since 2010.

The government’s latest plan was derided as “woefully inadequate” by city leaders and “inexcusable” by doctors.

Volkswagen manufacture cars for the Audi, Skoda, SEAT and VW brands, all of which were affected by the scandal that affected 11m cars worldwide.

The hidden damage from VW vehicles fitted with the devices amounted to between 250,000 to 1m extra tonnes every year, according to one analysis.

This could equate to all of the UK’s NOx emissions from all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture.

The car’s were programmed to adjust air-fuel ratios and exhaust flows, and in some cases, to inject a solution which makes NOx harmless when they were being tested.

However, when running normally, at a far greater performance level, the cars would never operate in the same way. The NOx they produced, for instance, would indeed be harmful.

Following the initial revelations VW boss Michael Horn said the company had “totally screwed up”, while other bosses pledged to win back trust by “leaving no stone unturned”.

Output: Volkswagen (VW) has not fixed a third of the 1,207,152 cars in the UK fitted with emissions-cheating devices, two years after the scandal first emerged. VW pledged to remove all such devices, which caused vehicles to appear less polluting in tests than they were in reality. The monthly rate of fixes has now fallen to 2% of vehicles affected, from 10% in February, according to the UK Department of Transport.