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TikTok Strikes Back by Suing the Trump Administration for Ban

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The COVID-19 situation has led to several political and economic issues with certain nations beginning a trade war with China. The US has been very vocal with its displeasure regarding Chinese handling of the health pandemic. This has led to the souring of the economic and political relationship between the two nations. As a result, President Donald Trump stated that certain Chinese products and services would now not be available in the US. Furthermore, the American government has banned Chinese manufacturers from making excessive use of American technology. The most shocking of these moves was the one to ban TikTok in the US. However, reports state that TikTok has sued the Trump Administration for the same. Here’s a look at how the situation played out and what it could mean for the viral video platform.

TikTok Strikes Back

Reports state that the viral video-sharing platform filed a lawsuit on Monday against the executive order brought out by Trump. The lawsuit says that the order does not have enough evidence to deploy such strong measures against the use of the app. The company also states that the imminent ban on the app from September 20th violated its right to function within the US. TikTok has been facing scrutiny from around the world due to its ownership by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court of California, and lashes back at the executive order that came out on August 6th. It further claims that the executive order did not follow the due procedure or prove that the app was a threat to American security. 

Politics, Not Science

TikTok is an immensely popular video sharing platform that boasts of over 100 million users in America. The lawsuit filed by them claims that the company did not get an opportunity to put across their point. Furthermore, the lawsuit states that concerns regarding national security did not have any merit as there is no data to back these claims. The complaint also says that the order holds no value as it is a political stunt rather than an action taken due to fear for national security. The company also wrote that IT experts had rejected the order stating that it was more of a political tool rather than one backed by actual scientific data.

Executive Order by Trump

President Trump’s executive order, if it does come into effect will lead to a ban on American companies to engage or be a part of transactions with ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok. The order said that the data collected by TikTok from American users would help the Chinese Communist Party gain insights into personal details of American citizens. It also blamed the Party for snooping on US citizens, making the application a threat to national security, unless it changes ownership to an American company. 

Similar Views in India

The executive order came right after India banned TikTok in June, along with another 58 Chinese applications. India too had cited national integrity and security as reasons for banning the application. However, TikTok has vehemently denied both these claims and says that it has no ties with the Chinese government. Furthermore, TikTok also refuted claims that it always censored content that was critical of the Chinese system or government. However, CIA analysts reported to the White House that the Chinese Intelligence services could exploit the data that TikTok possesses.

Global Interest

TikTok had also put out a blog earlier this month wherein it called Trump’s order a political move that undermines global companies, and their trust in the US. However, as a result of these events, tech giant Microsoft had expressed an interest to purchase TikTok’s American, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand divisions. But the deal by Microsoft requires the acquisition to happen before September 15th, which is the date the order comes into effect. 

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Twitter was in talks to acquire the video platform, but that chances of the deal happening were low. While Apple denied having any interest, Alphabet, which owns Google too had expressed an early interest. However, as of now, there is no confirmation or signs that any of these talks have gotten very far. Also, the filing of this lawsuit shows that TikTok wants to preserve its identity, rather than selling out to an American company. It will be interesting to see whether the American courts take the lawsuit seriously, owing to how the order comes directly from the President.

illumina

The success of Illumina, Inc. and how it helped fight COVID-19

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With our generation constantly marching towards the IT sector and playing safe by working for a multinational company is a common view these days. This doesn’t mean that working for the IT sector harms us rather the advent of AI and ML is making a great contribution to every field. But, how many of us consider working for a biotechnology company and contributing to mankind from a different perspective? Our world has been attacked by an infectious pathogen that can stop time and turn everything upside down. People dying, the economy at the edge, unemployment, and we do not know what else we will witness. And, in this crisis, we are looking up to companies like Illumina to make a breakthrough and save the world from drowning.

What is Illumina?

Illumina is an American-based biotechnology company that develops systems to analyze genetic variation and biological function. The company dragged down the price of human genome sequencing from $1 million to $1,000 in 2014. Research organizations around the world, the pharmaceutical companies, and also academic institutions buy the products of Illumina. The company was founded in 1998 by David Walt, Larry Bock, John Stuelpnagel, Anthony Czarnik, and Mark Chee. The company’s headquarters are currently based in San Diego, California.

About the founders

David Walt

David Walt went to the University of Michigan and acquired a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He later pursued his masters and Ph.D. in chemical biology. Currently, he is an Advisor at Illumina Ventures and a faculty member at the Harvard Medical School.

Larry Bock

Larry Bock was a famous American entrepreneur who died on 6th July 2016. He went to Bowdoin College and later to UCLA for his MBA. Apart from Illumina, Larry has also founded Nanosys, Caliper Life Sciences, and a few more companies.

John Stuelpnagel

John Stuelpnagel went to the University of California and has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He was a venture capitalist at the CW group when he founded Illumina. Currently, he is the chairman of Fabric Genomics (also co-founder).

Anthony Czarnik

Anthony Czarnik is an American chemist who worked as an assistant professor at Ohio State University. Czarnik is the founder of RenoCares, a charity to support the drug addicts for rehab.

Mark Chee

Mark Chee went to the University of New South Wales followed by the University of Cambridge. He completed his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. Currently, he is on the Board of Directors of Complete Genomics.

How Illumina was founded?

Back in 1998, the five founders established Illumina when Larry and John came to an understanding of what would be the BeadArray technology for Illumina. Shortly after founding the company, Illumina acquired Spyder Instruments which had the technology for high-throughput synthesis. In 2000, the company successfully filed its first IPO. The next year, the company started the new service, single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping.

Growth and Expansion

Eventually, the company started growing and designing solutions that can make our lives better. In 2007, Illumina acquired Solexa, a British company for approximately $600 million. Solexa was famous for commercializing genome sequencing technology who also bought the DNA colony sequencing technology in 2004. Illumina from the very beginning put immense effort to bring down the sky-high cost required for this kind of analysis and sequencing. In 2009, the company started its service for personal full genome sequencing for $48,000 which dropped to almost $19,000 by the next year.

Until 2010, Illumina sold systems and solutions only for research purposes but in 2010 it received approval for clinical tests as well. In 2011, the company acquired Epicentre Biotechnologies and next year launched HiSeq 2500, a very successful product of Illumina. This year the company also launched a cancer analysis service.

Famous people like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos invested $100 million in Series A funding of the company. Since Illumina was working in the field of cancer testing as well, it partnered with Philips in 2017 to offer integrated genomic solutions for oncology. This year the company also opened its first commercial and customer training center.

How Illumina is fighting COVID-19?

Today, Illumina has provided solutions to more than 10,000 labs over 115 countries. And, due to the trust, they have built over time they are now connecting the local and global resources to fight against the pandemic. Next-generation sequencing or NGS is claimed to be very crucial for the study of patients during this pandemic. Illumina said that NGS can help gain information about patients and create a genetic tree that can show the path of transmission of this virus between two patients.

In response to this, the company designed Illumina COVIDSeq Test which is the first NGS test to receive emergency authorization use from the FDA. It can be only used in the US-based laboratories to perform tests at moderate and complex levels. The software toolkit of Illumina for COVID-19 has also been made free. The company is still working vehemently to help combat COVID-19 around the globe.

BlueDot

BlueDot is the company to bring a revolutionary change in the healthcare world using AI and ML

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In 2015, Bill Gates while giving a speech at Munich mentioned that nothing is worse for mankind than an outbreak. An infectious pathogen can harm the entire world that no nuclear weapon or natural disaster can do. Looking at the scenario of 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 has proofed every world of him is true. It’s been around five months that people around the globe have been traumatized by a virus turning our life upside down within a few days. The world will be highly benefited if the probability of such infectious diseases can be predicted with accuracy. BlueDot, a company based in Toronto, Canada has been striving to accomplish it using advanced AI and ML. We are living in a data-driven world where everything is based on the amount of data we receive and transfer every day.

BlueDot is famous for building technology exclusively based on data analysis to predict the risk of such outbreaks. With the help of data science, they create models to observe different areas and timing depending on various factors where a chance of any kind of infectious outbreak is high. They help the government and hospitals to take precautionary measures to minimize the risk of any damages.

Who founded BlueDot?

Kamran Khan is the founder of BlueDot Inc. He founded the company in 2009 and delved deeper into the unexplored world of data science to bring a massive change in the medical world. Kamran Khan has a very strong medical background and that is probably the reason he wanted to do something innovative to save the world from infectious diseases.

Kamran khan has a degree in Doctor of Medicine from the University of Toronto and graduated in 1996. He went to Columbia University in the City of New York and received a degree in Master of Public Health. He started practicing as a Clinician at St. Michaels Hospital from 2003 and still working there. In 2010, he joined the University of Toronto as an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. The same year, he also joined the World Health Organization as a Medical Advisor. After three years, he founded BlueDot comprising of a talented bunch of scientists, engineers, data analysts, and experts from other fields to improve global health conditions.

Journey of BlueDot

While working at St. Michaels Hospital, Kamran launched a scientific program called BioDiaspora. This program’s main objective was to study how the spread of infectious diseases is correlated with commercial air travel. Thus, he studied its impact on different populations worldwide. In 2009, the result of this program was implemented to predict the first influenza pandemic of this century. The model of BioDiaspora helped to predict the degree of impact on a global level. The company found out that the air travelers from Mexico were carrying novel influenza without their knowledge to various cities around the world.

In 2012, the company jointly worked with Public Health England to estimate and take precautions at a local level from foreign pathogens. This year, the main field of their research was the spreading of infectious diseases in mass gatherings and how to predict it via mathematical modeling. In 2013, the BioDiaspora received plenty of support from St. Michaels Hospital and MaRS Innovation and got incorporated as Certified B Corporation.

BioDiaspora started expanding slowly and with seed funding from Horizon Ventures, the company established itself rigidly and renamed it as BlueDot. With the help of data science and mathematical modeling, BlueDot in 2014 successfully predicted the migration of the Ebola virus out of West Africa. After a couple of years, the risk assessment models of BlueDot successfully predicted an outbreak of Zika in Florida months before it took place.

Launch of George

Over the years BlueDot received impressive funding. In Series, A funding round the company raised $7 million making its total funding to $9.5 million. Throughout the years, BlueDot has been helping government and healthcare professionals by predicting risks way ahead of time. But, in 2017, BlueDot launched the software George to help common people protect themselves from infectious diseases. This software was mainly launched for travelers who send personalized alerts based on location and how to take preventive measures.

Prediction of COVID-19 outbreak

The algorithms of BlueDot are so brilliantly designed that it was one of the first companies to predict the outbreak of novel coronavirus. In the New Year’s Eve of 2020, BlueDot spread out an alert that an infectious flu-disease has broken out in the city of Wuhan, China. They went through several medical reports, news bulletin, and livestock reports to confirm the prediction. BlueDot is truly doing a commendable job and maybe it would stop the world from witnessing such outbreaks in the future.

TeamViwer

TeamViewer – A German start-up to make significant progress in the Internet of Things (IoT)

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The demand for IoT will not have a flat curve for any time as soon as progress in digital communication is expanding. With the advent of the internet followed by the massive revolution by digitalization, the entire idea and system of communication have transformed. Today, transferring data is the most important procedure for carrying out any kind of communication. And, that is where the concept of IoT marches in. Internet of Things (IoT) is a broad system that connects any kind of device with internet access. From a computer to a smartphone, from a smartwatch to a virtual assistant, everything is part of IoT. In a simpler word, it is a network like TeamViewer that doesn’t need human interaction to transfer signals or messages (data more precisely).

What is TeamViewer?

TeamViewer, a German-based start-up founded in 2005 has built proprietary software for carrying out tasks like remote controlling, desktop sharing, file transferring between two devices, etc. With the help of a web browser, one can have access to any equipment that is running the TeamViewer software. Tilo Rossmanith is the developer of the software.

The software is available for Chrome, iOS, Android, Windows RT, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Blackberry operating systems, etc. TeamViewer provides encryption mainly based on 2048-bit RSA private/public key exchange and AES 256-bit session encryption. The software also includes two-factor authentication, enforced password reset in case of any unfamiliar activities, etc.

About Tilo Rossmanith 

Back in 2005, Tilo Rossmanith built the software for his personal purpose. But, by the end of 2019, TeamViewer was installed in more than 2 billion computers. The software received a huge response from around the world and somewhere enlightened the face of the nation. Tilo became famous after building TeamViewer and he is currently on the Board of Directors at TeamViewer GmbH.

TeamViewer and IoT

When the internet was invented it was expensive and out of reach for common people. The same rule applies to computers and smartphones as well. But, many companies are trying to manufacture smart devices that are affordable for the entire world. Eventually, the price for such fancy things has come down and today almost everybody owns a computer, a smartphone, etc. For example, you can find a desktop in supermarkets for the ease of billing more efficiently. This contributes to IoT and with such progress, the demand for TeamViewer increased significantly.

By the end of 2017, out of the billions of IoT devices around 37 million were connected through the network of TeamViewer. It was in 2010 that TeamViewer stepped out of Germany and went international with subsidiaries in Australia and the U.S. In 2015, Permira invested around $1 billion in the company, and eventually, it became a part of the uniform club. There are very few companies in Germany whose total worth exceeds a billion.

TeamViewer’s software is also used in space especially by the Space Station medical team. The communication is encrypted between the linked devices and ensures safety. The company says that ensuring security is the most important purpose of the company which also provides real-time status alerts, early insights, etc. Apart from remote operations, the software also provides remote assistance to solve an issue without the need for a technician. And, remote alarming helps the clients receive alert notifications given that one sets up predefined conditions.

Other products and solutions of TeamViewer

The remote support provided by TeamViewer is enhanced with augmented reality called TeamViewer Pilot. The product helps the customers to fix bugs beyond the screen at the right time. You can contact any TeamViewer expert with the help of TeamViewer Pilot and show the problem with the help of your camera.

Another great product of the company is TeamViewer Tensor which is of great advantage for big enterprises. It helps to connect more than 2 billion devices globally around the globe and provide real-time support. It is a cloud-based connectivity platform that has remote access and device control SaaS solutions. Apart from these it also provides a platform for online meetings, support for mobile devices, etc.

TeamViewer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the service and product of TeamViewer both ensure fast connectivity and security, the demand for its products escalated amongst the pandemic. In February 2020, when the pandemic started spreading its root, the demand especially increased in China. The company expects that the profit would increase by a third at the end of this year.

technology

Which way the technology addressing the world during this pandemic?

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Technology

The world is going through a significant upheaval in the form of a global health pandemic. Most countries around the world are doing all they can to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. As a result, we saw a mass shut down of schools, colleges and offices. Half the world’s population are under one form of lockdown or another, confined to their houses for months. However, what this pandemic has made more evident than ever before is the value that technology adds to our lives. Throughout this global lockdown, we have witnessed the many ways in which technology has made things easier for us. So, in what ways has technology addressed the world during this pandemic? Here’s a quick look at the same.

Healthcare

The most significant help that technology has provided the world during this pandemic is in the healthcare sector. Around the world, we are seeing several research institutes and pharma companies working together to find a cure and vaccine. From Harvard to Johnson and Johnson, researchers are working against the clock to help contain this pandemic. Furthermore, corporations are also trying to figure out combination drugs that can help prevent the spread of the disease when used together.

Countries are lending each other drugs and medicines on a scale never seen before. College students, researchers and scientists are also coming out with upgrades for ventilators that help make them more efficient. Breathing apparatuses, which are vital to treating patients, also witnessed several upgrades thanks to the global scientific community. In fact, Mercedes Formula One worked with researchers to build a special apparatus that works without a ventilator and using 70% less oxygen. Certain countries are also using remote-controlled care robots to take care of their patients. These automatic medical staff can do everything from taking swab tests to checking Ultrasound scans.

Artificial Intelligence

The tracing of patients has also become an integral part of our fight against the COVID-19. In our interconnected world, AI and IoT are making it possible for healthcare workers to find links and quarantine the right people. Road maps of the places they have been to, and the people they have come in contact with help in tracing possible victims and carriers. Countries are making use of drones and other such technology to monitor people and ensure their safety. The Indian Government too came out with an app to make it easier to monitor people.

Aarogya Setu has since gone on to become one of the most downloaded and used apps in the country. Contact tracing using GPS and mobile phone tracing has helped countries all the way from China to Ghana track the disease’s spread. Liechtenstein also came out with biometric bracelets to help track potential COVID-19 cases in real-time as an early warning system. Data analytics within the bracelet help collect data on essential metrics. Such data help algorithms detect patterns in physiology to identify likely cases. Therefore, we are reaping all the benefits provided by a well-connected digital world. 

Digitalisation

The COVID-19 also put in wheels the most massive exodus to remote working the world has ever seen. More people are now working from the comfort of their homes than ever before. This is primarily due to the efficient digital connections we have been able to establish. Most companies host their applications and projects on cloud servers, allowing their employees to access them from their homes. The large-scale penetration of the internet and the use of mobile devices has made this transition smooth and efficient. Furthermore, applications like Zoom and Teams have made it easier for companies to host meetings and maintain internal communication. Live presentation sharing websites allow for presentations and meetings to happen without a hiccup. Essentially, we are witnessing the dawn of a new age of employment opportunities.

Education Technology

The global pandemic also brought to a standstill our traditional forms of education. Since most schools and colleges had to shut in a bid to prevent further spread of the virus, millions of students were left without a classroom. However, digital methods of learning came to the rescue, enabling teachers and students to work together to take their learning forward. A large number of Ed-tech companies from Bjyus to Coursera opened up their services to people for free. This made it easier for children to continue their learning, uninterrupted, from the confines of their living rooms. Furthermore, server-hosted applications allowed colleges to go ahead with their evaluation so that students can move on. Several colleges around the world took online examinations to the homes of their students to make graduation a reality. In the US, we saw a host of digital graduations, where children enjoyed the rite of passage while following social distancing norms. All of these are, without a doubt, how technology has addressed this pandemic. 

Logistics and Operations

Since the older generation has been confined to their homes due to being in risk of contracting the disease, we see new supply lines come up. Whether it is Reliance Mart or Swiggy, we witnessed the launch of large supply-chain logistics come to life in the last few months. From home-delivering groceries to getting cooked food to people, these companies have ensured that everyone has access to these commodities. Governments have also come out with applications to make the seamless availability of essential daily needs a reality.

This pandemic has made it very clear how globalisation and digitalisation have helped the world. Global trade and scientific relations have made it possible for even developing countries to implement new-age methods. It is globalisation that made the large-scale adoption of technology possible. This pandemic has shown us how technology will play a big part in redefining the economy of tomorrow. All key industries, such as manufacturing, food and beverages, medicine, tourism and education, will leverage technology to get itself back on its feet. Whether it is by discovering or vaccine or helping people communicate, technology has answered more questions and addressed more issues than ever before, during this pandemic.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 to launch online next month due to COVID-19 crisis

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On Tuesday, Samsung hosted a live online event to announce the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series next month. Due to the horrific consequences of the novel coronavirus, many companies are forced to delay their product launches. But, Samsung has decided to launch the next series of Galaxy Note 20 on 5th August via a digital platform.

This virtual unpacking of new products will include Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Galaxy Z Flip (5G version). The product launch will be different from the events hosted before by the company especially when it is exclusively online. So, gear up, and let’s wait for the big moment to see what Samsung has got for its users this time.

Apart from Samsung other companies are also planning to take their events online. We also witnessed the shifting of WWDC20 hosted by Apple from offline to online mode this year. This might become the new normal for us amidst the pandemic.

Where and how the launch will take place?

As the company made it crystal clear that the unpacking will take place on a digital platform, Samsung will host a live event on YouTube. The streaming will take place on 5th August at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. P.T. Samsung’s official teaser has already been launched which gives us a few hints about the look of Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Apart from the Galaxy Note 20 series, the audience is expecting more from the unpacking event. The event might also include revealing tablets, that is, Galaxy Tab S lineup and so much more. It is expected that the company made suitable modifications to each of the models to be launched because last year the Galaxy Fold received criticism for its screen defects.

Galaxy note 20
Image Source: pocket-lint.com

What are the new features?

Last year, Samsung received a whole lot of negative feedback on the Galaxy Fold. After the company distributed a limited number of units to the reviewers, many problems were reported along with pointing out vast scope of improvement. So, Samsung delayed the launch to carry out thorough internal tests. Most of the issues were concerning the display and the hinge of the fold. The company has decided to unfold the second generation of the series next month. So, we expect better technology and durability this time which will balance the high price.

Some of the modifications that can be expected for the new Galaxy Fold are a glass display instead of a plastic one and a bigger internal screen. Rumors have been spread that Samsung might launch a cheaper model of Galaxy Fold besides Galaxy Fold 2.

Rumors have also come upon the surface regarding the Galaxy Z Flip and this time with a 5G version. The model of the Galaxy Flip that was released a few months later this year was a 4G phone. The new model is expected to run on a 5G network along with a Snapdragon 865 Plus processor and a bigger battery.

Regarding the Note series, Samsung is maybe planning to launch three new models, namely, Note 20, Note 20 Plus, and Note 20 Ultra. These models might have a comparatively thinner body and all of them will be run on the 5G network.

Amongst the global pandemic

No matter how big a company is especially in the phone industry, the pandemic has planted doubted in every mind. The major smartphone brands are in a dilemma if the impact will be the same as the events are gradually shifting to a virtual model. Moreover, this year the phone companies were going to break records as 5G connectivity just started entering the market. But, with the globally pandemic pinning every business down, the craze for new models is questionable. And, even after the crisis is over, the businesses will still struggle to come up on the surface.

Samsung in particular has faced a decelerating market as its new series of Galaxy S20 was launched just a few weeks before the lockdown. So, the company is now trying to make more budget-friendly phones to approach new users as well.

After August 5th, Samsung is planning to host another virtual event in September 2020

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