Arrow Electronics introduces first healthcare-focused proof-of-concept design incorporating Analog Devices’ 3D time-of-flight technology

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Arrow Electronics introduces first healthcare-focused proof-of-concept design incorporating Analog Devices’ 3D time-of-flight technology

Powered by intelligent sensing algorithm for monitoring breathing pattern and small-motion detection

 

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach – 7 January 2020 – Global
technology solutions provider Arrow
Electronics today unveiled
the first healthcare-focused proof-of-concept design incorporating Analog
Devices‘ 3D
time-of-flight (ToF) technology at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Powered by intelligent sensing algorithm, the design
demonstrates how 3D ToF technology can be deployed to deliver highly accurate, up
to nanosecond real-time sensory data for monitoring breathing pattern and small
motion detection.  This integrated design
will be used by Hubble Connected, an IoT platform that provides connectivity and
services to Motorola-branded smart nursey products, to create these intelligent
and intuitive nursery products.  A live
demonstration the innovative design is on showcase at Analog Devices’ booth (South
Hall 3, #30322) at CES in Las Vegas Jan. 7-10, 2020.

Arrow now offers ADI 3D Time-of-Flight development platform evaluation kit to help engineers accelerate prototyping and product development.

Accelerating adoption of smart sensing technology

Smart sensing technologies are being introduced into healthcare products and devices
to enrich user experiences and deliver superior functionalities.  Some of the engineering challenges that
product designers often face include how to choose the right intelligent sensing
technology; how to best to integrate hardware system and AI algorithm so that
sensory data can be translated into meaningful insights; and how to accelerate the
engineering design cycle and minimize development costs. 

“We appreciate Arrow’s support in jump-starting our
innovation cycle by developing an integrated platform that combines Analog
Devices’ latest depth-sensing technology, powerful computing module, and intelligent
sensing algorithms to enable smarter and more intuitive features for next-generation
health monitoring products.  This
solution gives room for future custom development within the AI deep learning
space,” said Feynman Li, CEO of Hubble Connected.


Incorporating Analog Devices’ 3D ToF technology

Time of Flight (ToF) principle is a method of measuring how long a light signal
travels between a sensor and an object. 
ToF creates a depth mapping of objects within the field of view and is a
key technology used for developing digital vision, delivering high precision,
sub-nanosecond real-time sensory data, overcoming signal disturbance
challenges.

Kris Lokere, technical director of the Broad Market
for Analog Devices said, “We are pleased to extend ADI’s 3D depth-sensing
technology beyond industrial, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities
applications to consumer healthcare products. This high-resolution imaging
technology enables contact-free and non-invasive measuring of sensory data
regardless of the lighting conditions. 
We look forward to working with Arrow to expand the use of ToF to a
broad range of applications, including healthcare monitoring.”    


Integrating intelligent sensing algorithm

Collaborating with Arrow, Professor Guoliang Xing of the Chinese University of
Hong Kong (CUHK) is the principal researcher for developing the intelligent
sensing algorithm for this design.  “We
are excited to apply our AI research and development work to power a commercial
application.  Sensing technology is key
to capturing accurate and ubiquitous data needed for harnessing the power of AI
and deep-learning technologies.  This combined
capability provides devices with the ability and intelligence to analyze data,
identify hidden patterns, make classifications, and predict future outcomes
with improved accuracy overtime.”

To accelerate the design development phase, Arrow’s
engineers worked closely with Hubble Connected and CUHK research team to
address various engineering challenges.  “As
a global technology company, we are able to aggregate the solution with deep engineering
expertise and broad technology portfolio to help innovators such as Hubble
Connected create, make and manage complex integration of advanced electronics and
AI technologies so that they can focus on their core competence in delivering
extraordinary healthcare products into the hands of consumers,” said Jacky Wan,
Arrow’s vice president of engineering for Asia Pacific region.  

To help engineers accelerate prototyping and product development activities
using ADI’s 3D ToF technology, Arrow now offers an evaluation
kit which includes the AD-96TOF1-EBZ mezzanine
card, a complete analog front end (AFE) from ADI, along with a Qualcomm
DragonBoard 410c. 

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics
(NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 200,000 leading technology
manufacturers and service providers. 
With 2018 sales of $30 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that
improve business and daily life. Learn more at www.arrow.com.

About Analog Devices

Analog Devices (Nasdaq: ADI) is a leading
global high-performance analog technology company dedicated to solving the
toughest engineering challenges. We enable our customers to interpret the world
around us by intelligently bridging the physical and digital with unmatched
technologies that sense, measure, power, connect and interpret. Visit
http://www.analog.com

Vingroup Is Now Among 34 FIDO2 Certified Companies in The World

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Vingroup Is Now Among 34 FIDO2 Certified Companies in The World

HANOI,
VIETNAM – Media
OutReach – 7 January 2020 – VINCSS Internet Security Services Limited Liability Company (a member of Vingroup) has just been awarded FIDO2 Certificate for its authentication key product: VinCSS FIDO2 Authenticator by IDO Alliance. This makes Vingroup become one of 34 companies in the world capable of producing and mastering the most modern technology in the field of security authentication. 

FIDO2 is the
overarching term for FIDO Alliance’s newest set of specifications. FIDO2 enables users to leverage
common devices to easily authenticate to online services in both mobile and
desktop environments. In the world,
there are 13 countries capable of mastering technology for producing
FIDO2-certified authentication products, led by developed countries such as
USA, Japan, Canada, UK and Germany.

This event not only marks VinCSS in the
world security technology community but also affirms the transformation of
Vingroup as the leading technology corporation, gradually integrating with
world-class and complex technologies. This result also enables VinCSS to ranks
among FIDO2 certified technology companies and corporations in the world such
as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Fujitsu, Yubico, Solokey and Kensington, etc.

To achieve the certification, VinCSS FIDO2
Authenticator must pass the interoperability testing with a rate of 180/180
tests in two consecutive days. All product operations must be compatible with
all popular browsers. Interactions with 10 authentication servers specified by
FIDO Alliance must have a zero error.

Besides, design engineers of VinCSS must
pass a face-to-face interview by FIDO Board Certification Committee with lots
of difficult questions about the technological design details of the product.
Last but not least, VinCSS was required to submit a Vendor Questionnaire
detailing all the technical specifications of the product for evaluation by
FIDO Alliance.

About
this event, Mr. Nguyen Phi Kha, Director of Research and Development of VinCSS,
claimed that: “After
9 months of research and development, at the end of December 2019, VinCSS was
FIDO2 certified by FIDO Alliance. This success of VinCSS will make a big change
in defense activities of modern network security in Vietnam. With our team of
world-class experts, in the coming time, VinCSS will continue to introduce a
series of practical products and services such as MSSP, VinSOC, Zero Trust
Platform, ThreatHunting and IoT Security Lab”

In 2020, VinCSS will aim to provide an
authentication service chain using the most modern technology in the world,
including types of authentication keys that support bluetooth, NFC (Near-field
communication – allows two devices at a distance of 4cm to connect and process
programmatically), fingerprints; authentication solutions using applications
and mobile phones as keys and services to support agencies and organizations
converting authentication systems to prevent threats from network attacks such
as phishing attacks. 

FIDO2 authentication standard is the
safest way to authenticate users. FIDO2 aims to eliminate the difficulty due to
having to remember too many passwords for end users as well as eliminating the
risk of phishing, account cracking and hijacking network attacks. FIDO2 has
been supported on all popular browsers, products and services of major vendors
such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, Sony and Huawei. This
product is becoming a global conversion trend with an increasing number of
users.

References:

  • VinCSS: VINCSS
    Internet Security Services Limited Liability Company (a member of Vingroup)
    operates primarily in the field of research – development, manufacturing of
    products and providing network security services. With a team of leading
    Vietnamese and international engineers and experts, VinCSS provides customers
    with world-class practical, comprehensive, intelligent and automated network
    security solutions.
  • FIDO Alliance (Fast IDentity
    Online), fidoalliance.org, was established in July 2012 to
    address login authentication issues and overcome users’ over-reliance on user
    names and passwords.
  • Technology groups in the world that have been
    applying FIDO2:


–  In January 2019,
Android operating system was FIDO2 certified, supporting more than 1 billion
mobile devices.

–  In July 2019,
Google and Yubico successfully launched a FIDO2 certified fingerprint
authentication product, and supported authentication of Google services with
FIDO2 certified keys.

–  In September
2019, Apple updated its Safari browser, iOS 13.3 and MacOS Catalina operating
systems to support the FIDO2 certified security keys to improve the
authentication process for Apple ecosystem.

–  In October 2019,
Microsoft also applied FIDO2 certified authentication specifications to Windows
Hello and Microsoft Azure AD software and will soon support FIDO2 in the next
versions of Windows operating systems.

–  In December
2019, VinCSS-FIDO2 authentication key product was officially FIDO2 certified.

Stratagem Energy appoints ex Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (Coca-Cola Nigeria’s) Energy Manager as its new MD/CEO

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Stratagem Energy appoints ex Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (Coca-Cola Nigeria’s) Energy Manager as its new MD/CEO

Stratagem Energy Management Company, a leading energy and engineering company has appointed Ayodeji Dada as the CEO.

Ayodeji Dada, highly skilled and experienced energy professional with expertise in designing and implementing projects and programs to improve energy efficiency joins Stratagem Energy from Nigerian Bottling Company Limited where he was National Energy Conservation Manager responsible for the organization’s integrated long-term growth strategy in energy conservation and reduction in energy costs.

He has effectively managed energy and engineering costs (Power & Fuel, Boiler & Gen fuel, Gen Maintenance, Overhaul, Co2 Plant Maintenance) and drove electrical energy cost reduction through various innovative ways including Natural Gas & Public utility utilization and demonstrated energy cost savings. In addition, his proven talents include providing leadership and executing organizational reviews and processes.

Ayodeji, a Certified Energy Manager (CEM®) and a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) has executed over 60 high-level energy projects with average savings of $3Million per annum over the last 9 years. He has conducted several energy audits within the Industrial sector and has implemented energy-saving projects successfully. He has also supported cross industry-wide initiatives in partnership with various government and donor agencies over the past 5 years

He is the first Nigerian to be awarded the Energy Manager of the year (Sub-Saharan Africa Region) by the Association of Energy Engineers (USA) for his outstanding work in executing energy efficiency projects in Nigeria. He is the inaugural president of the Association of Energy Engineers in Nigeria.

Stratagem Energy offers integrated energy management services and engineering solutions to her customers, by helping them identify, prioritize and implement measures that will conserve energy, lower utility bills, strengthen their bottom-line, improve green credentials, and increase profitability. We are also into property maintenance and general engineering projects.

Lenovo Unveils Foldable, 5G Laptops At CES

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Lenovo Unveils Foldable, 5G Laptops At CES

Lenovo has presented at CES its ThinkPad X1 Fold, a 13.3-inch laptop with foldable Oled display. The device is planned to go on sale in mid-2020 for USD 2,499. 

Built from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fibre and covered in a leather folio, the X1 Fold is designed to offer the performance of a top laptop with the portability of a smartphone and comes with optional 5G connectivity. Co-engineered with Intel, the device runs the latest Intel Core Processors with Intel Hybrid Technology and will initially be available with Windows 10. Lenovo said it’s planning to offer a Windows 10X version at a later date.

The ThinkPad X1 folds shut like a book, with a magnetic seal and internal wireless charging. It can also be placed in an accompanying stand and attach a Bluetooth keypad to work as a full computer. The device offers various multi-screen options. In the common laptop fold, the top half of the screen can be used for a video call while the bottom half shows a presentation, while in portrait mode, the screen can be folded slightly for the same experience as reading a book.

With more than four years of development, Lenovo said it investigated four primary designs for X1 Fold and selected the 4×3 ratio with the 13.3-inch display in order to deliver the best experience and highest level of productivity. The company said the device is built to meet the same durability standards as other ThinkPad laptops, including the multi-link torque hinge mechanism to manage stresses during fold actions.

Yoga 5G, ThinkBook Plus coming this spring

At CES, Lenovo is also showing its first 5G PC. The Lenovo Yoga 5G supports both mmWave and sub-6 GHz 5G networks and is a 2-in-1 device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G Compute Platform. It comes with a 14-inch Full HD IPS touch display with 400 nits brightness. It’s expected to launch this spring in North America for USD 1,499.

In addition, the company presented the new ThinkBook Plus, a laptop with an additional e-ink display on the cover. The display can be used to create illustrations and take notes with the Precision Pen, at the same time as receiving essential notifications when the lid is closed. The ThinkBook Plus will be available from March, starting at USD 1,199.

In Collaboration With The AVATAR Films, Mercedes-Benz Is Developing A Vision For The Future Of Mobility: The VISION AVTR

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In Collaboration With The AVATAR Films, Mercedes-Benz Is Developing A Vision For The Future Of Mobility: The VISION AVTR

At CES 2020, the inventor of the automobile will be giving an outlook on the sustainable mobility of the future with the Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR. The concept vehicle connects human, machine and nature in an unprecedented way. Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, presented the visionary concept vehicle in his keynote speech to around 2,000 spectators at the Park Theater of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) together with the Academy Award-winning director and creator of AVATAR, James Cameron. The Vision AVTR is the result of an unprecedented global partnership between Mercedes-Benz and the AVATAR films.

Ola Källenius in his keynote on Sustainable Modern Luxury and the Next Chapter:

  • “Mercedes-Benz has always been a technology and a luxury brand. And it is time to bring luxury and sustainability even closer together. Because for us, the two are no contradiction.”
  • “People just love their individual freedom to instantly go where they choose when they want. That’s why our perspective is clear: we understand the boundaries of our planet. But we don’t want to add new boundaries to mobility.”
  • “Our approach is decoupling. Decoupling the Mercedes way, however, means that we’re decoupling volume growth from resource consumption. Our tools to achieve that are sustainable innovation and technology.”

Jon Landau, Academy Award-winning Producer of the AVATAR films, on the VISION AVTR during his creative exchange on stage:

  • “Not only is it beautifully designed but it will create a closer connection with the driver and the environment around them. One that hopefully results in a better understanding of our responsibility to the world in which we live.”

The Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR

Organic battery technology made from recyclable materials: The VISION AVTR concept vehicle uses a revolutionary battery technology developed with graphene-based organic cell chemistry that is completely free of rare earth and metals. The materials of the battery are compostable and therefore completely recyclable. In this way, electromobility becomes independent of fossil resources. In doing so, Mercedes-Benz underlines the high relevance of a future “circular economy” in the raw materials sector.

Vision “zero impact car”: With the VISION AVTR, Mercedes-Benz takes a look at the mobility of the distant future, combining sustainability with digitalization as well as people and machines with the environment. The concept vehicle describes a desirable future of mobility in which man, nature and technology are no longer contradictions, but are in harmony with each other. The VISION AVTR impressively shows the vision of a “zero impact car”. 

The fusion of interior and exterior: The holistic concept of the VISION AVTR combines the design disciplines interior, exterior and UX on an unprecedented scale. A design language inspired by nature characterizes the appearance of the concept vehicle. This is illustrated by the stretched, sporty “one-bow” design, which merges with spherically pronounced wheelhouses. 33 multi-directionally movable flaps – the “bionic flaps” – on the back of the vehicle enable a completely new interaction of the VISION AVTR with its surroundings. 

New UX concept: Digital neurons, which flow from the interior of the concept vehicle when connected to the vehicle, enable a novel communication with the environment. The interior of the VISION AVTR becomes an immersive experience space and conveys a completely new user experience. A menu selection projected onto the palm of the hand allows the passenger to intuitively choose between different functionalities. For example, the driver can choose the option to explore the fictional film world Pandora from AVATAR from different perspectives.

Novel control and biometric connection: Another highlight of the VISION AVTR is its control unit. The multifunctional control element in the centre console allows the driver to intuitively control the vehicle by simply placing his hand – as long as he does not want to travel autonomously. The new drive, in combination with the axis arrangement, not only allows movement forwards and backwards but also diagonally. In contrast to conventional vehicles, the VISION AVTR can move sideways by about 30 degrees. The so-called “crab movement” also gives the concept vehicle a reptile-like appearance and high agility in its movement.

World premiere as video recording on me media

The recording of the world premiere with the keynote by Ola Källenius can be found as a video-on-demand with much more information about the VISION AVTR show car and the appearance of Mercedes-Benz at CES 2020 in the Mercedes me media Eventspecial. You can also follow more news on our Twitter channel @mb_press.

Nigerians Expect Improvements in Economy, Job Creation and Electricity Supply In 2020 – New Poll Reveals

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Nigerians Expect Improvements in Economy, Job Creation and Electricity Supply In 2020 – New Poll Reveals

Abuja, Nigeria. January 7th, 2020 – The New Year celebration is one of the most celebrated events in Nigeria and often characterized by various activities to usher in the New Year. While Nigerians ushered in a new decade with great excitement and optimism as well as resolutions to be better individuals, great expectations also lie in the government to focus on key areas to create desired socio-economic changes that would stimulate the development of the nation as well as affect the lives of the citizens positively. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its Annual New Year Poll to gauge the expectations of Nigerians for 2020.

The poll result revealed that the top three areas most Nigerians want the government to focus its attention on in 2020  are the Economy (70 percent), Job creation (69 percent) and Electricity supply (62 percent). Other areas mentioned include Education (55 percent), Infrastructural development (38 percent), Healthcare (29 percent), Agriculture (23  percent) and Security (7 percent). On the economy, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the nation’s  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew from 2.12 percent in the second quarter of 2019 to 2.29 percent in the third quarter of 2019 indicating an increase of 0.17 percent.1 However, during the course of the survey, most of the respondent lamented the increasing cost of goods and services in the country especially food items. Given that average  Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the increase in the nation’s GDP, the call for the government to focus its attention on the economy this year is understandable.

With regards to Job creation, 69 percent of Nigerians want the government to channel its resources to ensure that they create more jobs for its citizens in 2020. This will go a long way in reducing the level of poverty and the number of dependent people as well as in reducing the crime rate in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)  report, the unemployment rate in Nigeria increased to 23.10 percent in the third quarter of 2018 from 22.70 percent in  the second quarter of 2018.2

Opinion on power revealed that 62 percent of the respondents expect the government to significantly focus its attention on the sector, considering that this sector has faced huge challenges over the years. The status quo in terms of electricity generation and distributions is still inadequate considering the country’s population. Adequate electricity means that Nigerians will be empowered to work from the domestic level and the cottage industries, through the small-scale and medium industries to employment in the large-scale manufacturing complexes. Therefore, the federal government and concerned stakeholders need to place a high priority on ensuring that challenges surrounding these sectors that Nigerians have singled out are drastically improved to improve the economy and foster national development in the country. These are the key highlights from the New Year poll conducted in the week commencing  December 16th 2019.

In conclusion, the poll has revealed that the status quo on the economy, job creation and electricity supply as well as in other sectors mentioned are no longer acceptable as most Nigerians task the government to improve these sectors in 2020. Thus, the onus lies on the government to listen to the demands of its citizens and work to improve these areas that Nigerians have pointed out to ensure a better quality of life for all its citizens.

The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing December 16th, 2019. It involved telephone interviews of a  proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above,

representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5  languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s teledensity put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied,  we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach.

NOIPolls Limited, No. 1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com.

Western Digital Brings Innovations to CES 2020 With Demo of Industry-First 8TB SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps Portable SSD Prototype

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Western Digital Brings Innovations to CES 2020 With Demo of Industry-First 8TB SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps Portable SSD Prototype

Western Digital’s unmatched portfolio offers a range of storage solutions for everything from mobile to highly specialized performance drives. At CES 2020, Western Digital will show its consumer storage solutions from its G-Technology™, SanDisk®, WD® and Western Digital® brands. Highlights include:

Industry-First WD_Black® P50 Game Drive SSD with SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps

The WD_Black portfolio provides the performance, capacity and reliability that allow PC and console gamers to drive their game and play without limits. Five gaming solutions from the WD_Black lineup will be shown, including:

ibi™ a SanDisk brand device for photos and videos

ibi is a smart photo management device from SanDisk that offers consumers local storage that works like a personal cloud for photos and videos. Features include:

  • Companion app allows consumers to wirelessly connect their phone for automatic back up with an intuitive interface to help people seamlessly collect, organize and privately share their photos and videos.
  • Ability to aggregate content from various locations including laptops, USB drives, social media and cloud accounts2 – all stored on ibi and viewable in the app
  • 1TB* of storage that can store up to 250,000 photos3 or 100 hours of video

“Consumers are generating more content than ever and require more advanced solutions to help them capture, access, share and manage it all. Our top priority is to empower people by giving them complete control of their content, so they have peace of mind that it’s reliably stored and at their fingertips when and where they need it,” said David Ellis, vice president, product marketing, Western Digital.

Introducing a new Idea at the workplace can be a huge task!

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Introducing a new Idea at the workplace can be a huge task!

Introducing a new idea or making an existing idea to work better at the workplace can be such a huge task. As employees, we desire to have our ideas received with enthusiasm! It’s possible that you have run your idea by your colleagues and Boss.

The problem, however, is that you may be stalling on execution because of the high rejection rate after your meetings and the feed-backs you received from those conversations.

The following tips, you will find insightful;

1.  Start Small, but don’t stay small.

If for example, the new idea you are suggesting at your workplace is to begin Mentorship in the business for interns, start first with the interns in your department. Measure improvement, record and share your achievements. With these, you can convince through your current outcomes, that your innovation is the way to go for the business. This will also avail you the opportunity to test run this idea in a smaller measure with lesser impact.

2.  Clearly state what the business will benefit from it.

Clearly itemize and always state this in every of your conversation on the subject. Be clear on the short and long term gains your organization will derive from this innovation if implemented.

3.  Expect Rejection of this idea, only don’t get buried by People’s rejection.

Do not expect that everyone will agree with this wonderful idea you have come up with. It’s possible for you to experience a 100% rejection at first. Your team may be the first to reject the idea. Doing No. 1 above may give you increased chances of reducing the rate of rejection over time, and eventually convince the business that this will work.

4.  Ditch the “What will people Say” Syndrome.

People will always have an opinion. You can’t stop that from happening, you can only determine through your actions, the outcomes of your idea. So focus on what you are driving to achieve.

5. Keep your attitude positive

People regardless of how they feel about your innovation will be drawn to know more about your innovations, give advice on how they think your ideas can work better if you have a positive and open attitude.

Have a lovely week ahead!

Are You Driving a Bicycle on a Highway in your Career?

E-mail: dekemiadore@gmail.com

Instagram: dekemiadore

About Omolara Omosehin Adeogo:

Lara holds a 9 year-plus work experience that spans across the Transit, Consulting, Telecoms and Market-Research sectors. She is a graduate of Chemistry Science from Lagos State University Nigeria and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management. Lara is a 2 time graduate of Immerse Academy and a WIMBIZ Mentee. She currently works as a project manager in a leading market research organization – Kantar TNS Nigeria. A lover of self-development and life-long learning. Lara loves to make meaningful contributions everywhere she goes. She is married with 2 boys.

Uber and Hyundai Motor Announce Aerial Ridesharing Partnership, Release New Full-Scale Air Taxi Model at CES

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Uber and Hyundai Motor Announce Aerial Ridesharing Partnership, Release New Full-Scale Air Taxi Model at CES
  • Hyundai is the first Uber Elevate partner with manufacturing capabilities to mass-produce Uber Air Taxis
  • Hyundai’s UAM (Urban Air Mobility) will vitalize cities by enabling on-demand urban air mobility in Uber’s Elevate Network

January 6, 2020 – Uber and Hyundai Motor Company have today announced a new partnership to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial rideshare network and unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Hyundai is the first automotive company to join the Uber Elevate initiative, bringing automotive-scale manufacturing capability and a track record of mass-producing electric vehicles. The air vehicle concept Hyundai released today was created in part through Uber’s open design process, a NASA-inspired approach that jump-starts innovation by publicly releasing vehicle design concepts so any company can use them to innovate their air taxi models and engineering technologies.

In this partnership, Hyundai will produce and deploy the air vehicles, and Uber will provide airspace support services, connections to ground transportation, and customer interfaces through an aerial rideshare network. Both parties are collaborating on infrastructure concepts to support take-off and landing for this new class of vehicles.

“Our vision of Urban Air Mobility will transform the concept of urban transportation,” said Jaiwon Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Division. “We expect UAM to vitalize urban communities and provide more quality time to people. We are confident that Uber Elevate is the right partner to make this innovative product readily available to as many customers as possible.”

“Hyundai is our first vehicle partner with experience of manufacturing passenger cars on a global scale. We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high quality, reliable aircraft at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip. Combining Hyundai’s manufacturing muscle with Uber’s technology platform represents a giant leap forward for launching a vibrant air taxi network in the coming years,” said Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate.

In preparation for this announcement, Hyundai has worked with Uber Elevate to develop a PAV (Personal Air Vehicle) model, S-A1, that utilizes innovative design processes to optimize electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for aerial ridesharing purposes. The Elevate initiative based this process on NASA’s historical approach of putting design concepts out publicly to inspire innovation amongst multiple companies, spurring the development of common research models to investigate novel aerodynamic concepts and catalyzing industry progress in wing design, noise, aerodynamics, and simulation verification.

As a result, Hyundai’s S-A1 model unveiled at CES reflects previous eVTOL designs Uber Elevate has released in the following ways:

  • It is designed for a cruising speed up to 180 miles/hr (290 km/hr), a cruising altitude of around 1,000-2,000 feet (300 – 600 mt) above ground, and to fly trips up to 60 miles (100 km).
  • The Hyundai vehicle will be 100% electric, utilizing distributed electric propulsion and during peak hours will require about five to seven minutes for recharging.
  • Hyundai’s electric aircraft utilizes distributed electric propulsion, powering multiple rotors and propellers around the airframe to increase safety by decreasing any single point of failure. Having several, smaller rotors also reduces noise relative to large rotor helicopters with combustion engines, which is very important to cities.
  • The model is designed to take off vertically, the transition to wing-borne lift in cruise, and then transition back to vertical flight to land.
  • The Hyundai vehicle will be piloted initially, but over time they will become autonomous.
  • The cabin is designed with four passenger seats, allowing riders to board/disembark easily and avoid the dreaded middle seat with enough space for a personal bag or backpack/rider.

Ushering in the era of seamless mobility, Hyundai’s exploration of future urban transportation incorporates the electric PAV concept with new ground transportation, the Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) concept. Hyundai’s vision for creating communities from future transit systems comes into focus with yet another new infrastructure concept, called the Hub. When many PBVs and PAVs are docked and connected to a Hub, they make a new public space where diverse groups of people can come together.

Hyundai Motor’s innovative smart mobility solutions including UAM, PBV, Hub and more will be showcased at Hyundai’s CES booth in Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall, Booth 5431.

Firms with less than N25 million turnover will no longer pay company tax

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Firms with less than N25 million turnover will no longer pay company tax

The Finance Bill 2019, when signed into law, will ensure that small businesses with turnover less than N25m will be exempted from Companies Income Tax.

Currently, all companies are expected to pay the Federal Government 30 per cent of their profit as Companies Income Tax.

However, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said once the bill is signed into law, companies that make a turnover of less than N25m will no longer pay this tax while those that have a turnover of between N25m and N100m yearly will now pay 20 per cent as companies income tax.

She said those earning over N100m would continue to pay the 30 per cent of their profits as CIT.

The minister said, “Not only will small businesses be able to do more because they are not paying taxes, but we are also working together with the trade authorities to also encourage people in the informal sector to become formalise because they will see other businesses like them that are not registered to do well.

“Their productivity will increase, they will employ more Nigerians and at the end of the day, they will grow to the level of a medium-size business and begin to pay taxes.

She added, “Our assessment is that any business that has a turnover of less than N25m needs that break, not being taxed so they can invest in their businesses.

“We reduced the tax for medium-size businesses from 30 per cent to 20 per cent so they can have more resources than they can plough back in their business.

“These are the largest employers of labour. The federal and state governments have a total labour force of less than one per cent of the population.”

On when the bill will be signed into law, Ahmed said the National Assembly had already forwarded it to the President for assent and the President had sent a copy to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies to cross-check the provisions.

She said it was saddening that the only aspect of the bill Nigerians were focusing on was the increase in Value Added Tax from five per cent to 7.5 per cent.

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