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The artificial intelligence company unveiled its new voice engine technology on Friday, just over a week after filing a trademark application for the name.

The company claims that it can recreate a person's voice with just 15 seconds of recording that person speaking.

OpenAI says it plans to test it with early testers, but “will not generally release this technology at this time” due to the risk of misuse.

“We recognize that producing speech that resembles people’s voices poses serious risks, which are particularly great in an election year,” the San Francisco company said in a statement.

In New Hampshire, authorities are investigating robocalls sent to thousands of voters just before the presidential primary that featured an AI-generated voice imitating President Joe Biden.

A number of start-up companies are already selling voice cloning technology, some of which are available to the public or to select business customers such as entertainment studios.

OpenAI says its initial voice engine testers agreed not to impersonate a person without their consent and to disclose that the voices are AI-generated.

The company, best known for its chatbot and image generator DALL-E, took a similar approach when it announced but did not widely release its video generator Sora.

However, a trademark application filed on March 19 shows that OpenAI is likely aiming to get into the speech recognition and digital voice assistant business.

Ultimately, improving this technology could help OpenAI compete with other voice products like Amazon's Alexa.

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Fairmont San Francisco Hotel
San Francisco, California

12:13 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  This is a 14-hour meeting.  (Laughter.)

Look, let me begin by saying that one of the things that disturbed me — being involved in elective office for a long time — is how, over the last 30 years, the federal government has paid less and less attention to investments in science and technology. 

And we’re in a situation where we used to have a significant portion of our GDP going into research and development.  And it got down to 0.7 percent from 2 percent.  We used to lead the world.

And I don’t know how we can be the safest, most secure, and healthiest nation in the world without significant investment in — in science and technology, and I mean that.  And so, you’ve all really stepped up.

And one of the things that I also — it doesn’t directly relate today, but Arati and I talked a little bit about it earlier this morning — is that: What leaders say matter, in terms of people’s confidence in things they’re not sure about. 

And one of those areas — you saw what happened with regard to the crisis — health crisis that we had that cost us — we lost well over a million people.  And as time began to move on, you had more and more voices saying, “No, no, no.  You don’t need to get that shot.  You don’t need to be — get — you don’t need to.” 

And we have a new strain of COVID now, and we have answers for it.  But I just would urge those in public life and both political parties or no political party to be cautious about the ac- — the sometimes inflammatory things you say about this, because people’s lives are at stake. 

And the last piece was: When I was vice president, for a slightly different reason, I spent a lot of time going between rural areas and urban areas.  And one of the things that we — you’re going to talk about here is the — the healthcare workers reflecting the community.  We need not only to have more focus on rural communities and rural hospitals in order to get the kind of care and — and attention they need, but we need to have people from those communities to be the ones who are trained and engaged in that effort.  And I think that — again, Arati raised that with me this morning. 

I — I can’t tell you how certain I am that that is necessary, and I’m not a scientist.  It matters.  It matters who you go to and do you trust what they’re doing.  Do you think they know what they’re talking about?

And so, Dr. Zuber, thank you.  I’m really looking forward to this discussion.

And this group represents some of the top minds in America.  And that’s, again, not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.

I’ve often said, America is the only nation in the world  that can be defined by one word.  I spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping when I was vice president and subsequent to that.  And he once asked me, on the Tibetan Plateau, could I define America for him?  And I mean this sincerely — not a joke.  I said, “Yes.  One word: possibilities.”

We’ve always believed that anything is possible if we set our mind to it.  Possibilities.

And science and technology is allowing us to unlock the potential as a nation and meet the challenges of our time with some sense of urgency and purpose.  I can’t emphasize the word “urgency” too much. 

I’d hate like hell if three generations from now, them to look back on this period where we had the potential tools to explore and increase significantly our ability to help, and we somehow mes- — messed it up.  No, no, I mean it sincerely.  I’m sorry to talk so plainly, but I think that’s what it gets down to in many cases.

So, I’m looking forward to discussing actions that we’re taking on two priorities: AI — artificial intelligence — and expanding high-quality healthcare for every American no matter where they’re quartered, where they live, what their background is.

You know, as we just heard, AI has the potential to transform research, and I’m looking forward to learning much more today.

And, by the way, I’m not joking.  My latest two trips around the world — and not figuratively; literally around the world — to meet with other world leaders, ev- — well, I wouldn’t say “everyone.”  I can think of — I can’t think of anybody who didn’t, but I’m sure I will — there was some world leader who didn’t ask me. 

They wanted to talk about our leadership on artificial intelligence and what the meetings — what we — I’ve conducted already around tables similar to this with the 10, 12 major, major initiators within AI — and the vast differences that exist among them in terms of what potential it has, what dangers there are. 

And so, you know, I’ve been keen — I have a keen interest in AI and convened key experts on how to harness the power of artificial intelligence for good while protecting people from the profound risk it also presents — we can’t kid ourselves — the profound risk if we don’t do it well. 

And the United States is committed to that goal.  And we’re going to work with world leaders to achieve it, including British Prime Minister Su- — Sunak and others that I’ve been — they want to do more together with us.  

And I want to thank — thanks to our administrations, 15 American technology companies have already begun to implement voluntary commitments to help ensure that AI technology is safe, secure, and trustworthy before it’s released to the public.  That includes extensive independent safety testing.  That includes watermarking and identifying images that have been generated by AI. 

And — and to state the obvious: AI — AI extends beyond health and security issues.  I applaud the tentative resolution from the writers strike, for example, here — not here — in California, in Los Angeles, including insurances on how the use of AI will occur. 

This fall, I’m going to take executive action, and my administration is going to continue to work with bipartisan legislation so America leads the way toward responsible AI innovation. 

We’re also taking action to ensure our loved ones have access to high-quality healthcare, starting with the PCAST release — report you released on strengthening patient safety.  I made very brief reference to it at the beginning, but it is really, really critical. 

And today, I’m announcing major investments in patient safety from ARPA-H to develop antibiotics and to fight deadly drug-resistant bacteria and save lives.  Think of that.  We’re talking about the potential for antibiotics to be used to deal with ca- — anyway, it just — 

When I start reading your reports, I think to myself, “My, Lord, what an incredible era we’re about to go through.”  But it has to be done well. 

And so, finding and implementing solutions to reduce medical errors and other problems for patients’ experiences when hospitalized is going to improve health outcomes and protect our loved ones as well. 

And Joe Kiani knows a lot about that — been working with it a long, long time. 

My administration is committed to ensuring every American receives high-quality care they deserve in every community — urban, rural, suburban, Tribal — I — and — and it varies as to who — think about your — I — I say to the public who may be listening: Think about whether or not — who you go to and how much you trust that doc is going to impact on whether you follow the instructions.  No, I — I mean it.  It is a very basic human nature element.  And that’s why having people from, quote, “the neighborhood” makes a big difference, I think. 

And — and so, it’s going to reduce medical errors and other problems patient fac- — face when they’re hospitalized.  And I believe it’s going to improve outcomes and protect the people we love. 

My administration is committed to ensuring every American receives high-quality care they deserve in every community, as I said.  And ultimately, it’s all about dignity — it’s all about dignity. 

The actions we take together are going to help protect people’s health.  They’re going to promote innovation.  And we’re going to win the economic competition of the 21st century, in my humble opinion. 

And I’ll just say: If we have a government shutdown, a lot of vital work in science and health could be impacted, from cancer research to food safety.  So, the American people need our Republican friends in the House of Representatives to do their job: fund the government. 

We’ve got a lot to discuss, so let’s get this meeting started.  I’d rather hear from you than me.  Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, do you think the government shutdown is inevitable at this point?  Over here, sir.  Do you —

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t think anything is inevitable in politics.

Q    What — what can be done now to make — to make sure it doesn’t happen?

THE PRESIDENT:  If I knew that, I would have done it already.  (Laughter.)

12:22 P.M. PDT

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HOVER has received the prestigious 2023 Pro Tool Innovation Award within the Networking and Technology category.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — HOVER, the technology company building the largest, most comprehensive spatial data model used to connect the homeowner and construction professional in order to transform the home improvement process, has received the prestigious 2023 Pro Tool Innovation Award within the Networking and Technology category. In its eleventh year, the Pro Tool Innovation Awards brought to light an impressive assortment of pioneering power tools, hand tools, technology solutions, and tool accessories.

According to PTIA’s panel of judges, composed of contractors, construction business owners, tradespeople, and media professionals, HOVER solves several challenges for contractors. They state the following:

“Visualizing what the final results will be is a challenge for every home contractor and client relationship. HOVER can help bridge that gap with its design functions, and give your clients more confidence that they’re getting the home of their dream before the groundwork even starts. When it’s time to crunch numbers, HOVER can help you build your estimates more quickly and even order materials once the contract is signed. There are even applications for homeowners, such as help with insurance claims and brainstorming future upgrades. When it comes to exterior design, HOVER is a high-tech solution in a high-tech world.”

“We are thrilled to be recognized by the Pro Tool Innovation committee. This recognition validates our commitment to helping construction professionals provide the best experience to homeowners – enabling transparent, interactive, and collaborative experiences that transform home improvement,” said Kevin Sturm, Head of Product and Customer Marketing at HOVER.

“Innovation comes in many forms. Pro Tool Innovation Award Winners push boundaries. They typically introduce features no one has ever seen, create new battery-powered solutions, redefine what compact tools can do, or even design products at a lower price than you would otherwise expect for the performance they deliver,” said Kenny Koehler, Editor-in-Chief. “The work of teams and individuals who dare to think outside the box can be seen all over the Pro Tool Innovation Awards.”

The awarded products stood out for their innovative features, superior power delivery, revolutionary ergonomics, technological advancements, improvements in jobsite safety, or exceptional value. The 2023 Pro Tool Innovation Award winners are a testament to the companies and products that propel the construction, landscaping, automotive, and manufacturing industries forward. These industry-leading products merit recognition for their role in driving progress within their respective fields.

This year, 99 different manufacturers and brands submitted over 465 products in dozens of categories for a chance to take home a 2023 Pro Tool Innovation Award.

In a statement reflecting on the 11th annual Pro Tool Innovation Awards, Executive Director Clint DeBoer expressed admiration for the ongoing innovation in the industry.

“This marks our 11th year of hosting the PTIA Awards, and each year we witness an increasing level of innovation from both large and small companies.” DeBoer added, “Every Pro Tool Innovation Award celebrates a product developed by people who really believe that the standard we’re used to is no longer good enough.”

For further information about HOVER, please contact:
Noelie LeBlanc
[email protected]
225 Bush St
San Francisco, CA 94104
Ph: 805-276-8340

About HOVER

HOVER, the technology company building the largest, most comprehensive spatial data model to unlock interactive and engaging digital experiences for home improvement. Used by contractors, insurance adjusters and homeowners alike, HOVER drives efficiencies with a mobile app that measures, designs, and estimates costs all in one place; smartphone photos or blueprints of unbuilt structures transform into beautifully rendered, fully-measured 3D models of any home. Known for industry-leading measurements, 3D visualizations, and precise project estimates, HOVER offers contractors easy-to-use tools and customizable automation for any exterior trade, job type or team – all in one place. For more information, visit hover.to.

About the Pro Tool Innovation Awards

The annual Pro Tool Innovation Awards (PTIA) began in 2013 and are judged by a panel of professional tradesmen and trade media representatives in the electrical, plumbing, MRO, and concrete fields as well as landscaping professionals, general contractors, mechanics, and builders. The Pro Tool Innovation Awards seek to discover and recognize the most innovative tools, accessories, and products across a wide variety of industries and categories. Learn more at protoolinnovationawards.com

Media Contact
Noelie LeBlanc, HOVER, 805-276-8340, [email protected], https://hover.to; The Key PR, The Key PR, 415-377-3158, [email protected]

SOURCE HOVER

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Old fashioned irrigation systems were quite thorough, and technically sustainable. They broadcast generous volumes of water over any vegetation that required it. Their systems were too simple to need much adjustment. Their metallic composition was very resilient. That is why so many old systems were in service for so long. Some continue to function.

However, such old fashioned irrigation systems were not perfect. Their consumption was not as sustainable as their plumbing. They wasted water on vegetation that needed less, and pavement. Some of the broadcast water evaporated before reaching any vegetation. Without automation, old irrigation systems operated when convenient for their operators.

Modern irrigation systems are typically more efficient. Automation allows them to operate prior to sunrise to limit evaporation. Most modern systems apply water directly to the soil. This leaves no irrigation water to evaporate from foliar or other surfaces. Also, it prevents evaporation from airborne broadcast irrigation water. Evaporation innately wastes water.

Newer is not necessarily better.

Of course, modern irrigation systems are no more perfect than old systems. Groundcover and lawns still rely on broadcast irrigation. Such systems still waste water on pavement. Automation can actually waste water if not adjusted manually for rain and other weather. Only the most modern automation adapts to weather. No system responds to vegetation.

Consequently, irrigation can become either deficient or excessive as vegetation matures. Many native species need regular irrigation only as they disperse roots after installation. They are likely to rot with the same irrigation as they mature. Many tropical species need more water as they grow. Some vegetation, as it grows, can obstruct broadcast irrigation.

The complexity of modern irrigation systems complicates their maintenance. Automation is merely one component of the infrastructure. Emitters of drip irrigation sometimes need relocation or replacement. They are sometimes difficult to find below healthy vegetation. Because components are plastic, they are not as durable as old fashioned components.

Highlight: Gaura

Although not native, gaura, Oenothera lindheimeri, can almost naturalize as if it were. All it needs is occasional watering through summer. It performs better with regular watering. Individual specimens live for only about four years. Some may last for only a single year. However, their abundant progeny are likely to replace and perhaps overwhelm them first.

Gaura prefers sunny and warm exposure. Shade causes sloppy form. Naturalized gaura has potential to become weedy or invade other vegetation. Seedlings relocate efficiently. Cutting back old growth as it deteriorates through winter promotes vibrant spring growth. Concurrent removal of the shabbiest old specimens favors vigorous younger specimens.

Collective growth is mostly less than five feet deep, with wispy and lightly foliated stems. Basal leaves are bigger than tiny upper leaves. Airy flowers are only about an inch wide. Floral color is mostly pale pink. Seedlings of cultivars with white or richer pink bloom are not necessarily true to type. Neither are seedlings of cultivars with richly bronzed foliage. Bloom continues from very early spring until cooler wintry weather.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

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A $25 million project at a Calpine Corp. power plant near San Francisco will test a technology that could capture 95% of a plant’s carbon emissions, a process California officials say is critical to the state’s climate fight.

Carbon capture technology provokes fierce criticism from many environmentalists who consider it a license to keep burning fossil fuels rather than switch to cleaner energy sources. But at the unveiling of the Calpine project Friday, California’s top climate change regulator said some fossil fuel plants will still be needed to keep electricity service reliable as the state moves to eliminate its net carbon emissions by 2045.

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Figure: © IoT for everyone

Smart building technology was a hot topic at 2023 AHR Expo in Atlanta. Some of the top innovators in the HVAC industry spent three days in early February exchanging ideas and showcasing the future of technology in the HVAC industry.

“The industry is changing so slowly, but technology is always changing,” said Victoria Garcia Massimo, Operations Manager at Airzone. “It’s important to bridge the gap between industry and technology so that the things we build not only work with today’s technologies, but also with the standards and protocols that will be introduced in 10 years.”

In order to move from anecdotes to data, a survey was conducted during the fair. The results are interesting. Many HVAC companies have not yet decided on their digital transformation journey—or aren’t even considering it. However, things are going well for those who are actively driving digital transformation. Some common themes emerged among those who reported fighting along the way. We will take a look at these issues and possible solutions that are presented.

“Many HVAC companies have not yet decided on their digital transformation journey—or aren’t even considering it.“

-Very technology

Key findings from the survey

#1: Supply chain issues continue

The overwhelming majority of HVAC companies surveyed during the show identified supply chain constraints as the top professional challenge their teams face in the coming year. Other key concerns include budget constraints, staffing shortages, and a lack of specialized skills.

#2: Acceptance levels vary

Respondents to the survey reported that there was varying degrees of adoption of intelligent building management or building automation technology. The good news is that the majority (~58 percent) are either currently working on it with good results or are well ahead of the curve, and only 3 percent said they are struggling with adoption. The majority of those who have taken the plunge feel good about it. However, just over 21 percent are still in the exploratory phase and 18 percent have no plans to pursue these technologies any further. This equates to almost 40 percent who have either not yet committed to a path of change or are not even considering it.

#3: Adoption faces challenges

Among the 3 percent of respondents who indicated they had difficulties with the adoption process, the top obstacles were:

• Costs
• Incompatible devices and systems
• security concerns
• Lack of internal skills

No. 4: Respondents want to know more

Regardless of where they were in this process, respondents expressed a desire to learn more about specific disciplines that play a key role in smart buildings and building automation technologies. At the top of the list were:

• AI and ML
• IoT security
• Manage and interpret data
• remote monitoring
• UI design

dealing with the challenges

Overcoming the challenges faced by the HVAC industry requires a commitment to problem solving and innovation. Here are several approaches you can use.

#1: Supply Chain Constraints: Elephant in the Room

During the peak of the pandemic, supply chain restrictions weighed on industries across the board. Shortages of spare parts and labor shortages combined to cause significant disruption to the global supply chain. Although Gartner predicts some relief In the second half of 2023, ongoing supply chain issues in the semiconductor market continue to prove a persistent thorn in the side of manufacturers. Recent challenges include geopolitical conflicts, inflationary pressures and a global economy on the brink of recession.

“Parts availability is a major challenge in the industry,” said Mike Boyd, product manager at Weil-McLain. “It’s always a struggle to get the parts these days.”

There is no magic solution to this complicated global problem. However, there are ways to mitigate the effects. Agile engineering allows both software and hardware engineers to quickly iterate and make changes to the design as needed. Hardware flexibility is especially important during supply chain disruptions as it allows a product to evolve and exist on multiple platforms. It also enables manufacturers to quickly adapt to new realities in the supply chain and maintain a steady flow of materials.

#2: Lack of specialized skills

Boyd continues, “In our industry, the old guard is aging and new people are coming. They are tech savvy but their skills are not the same as people who have been working on boilers for 30 years. We use technology to bridge this gap.”

He and numerous others recognize that developing smarter technologies is key to dealing with the loss of institutional knowledge. However, the development of these technologies is not easy. It typically requires IoT engineering – which requires unique expertise that traditional engineers and developers lack. Developing smart building technology does not require an engineer to have expertise in every part of the stack. However, She must be at least fluent in all of them. In general, a well-prepared IoT engineer will have deep expertise in one or two sub-areas and basic competency in the others. The subdomains include:

• data science
• Electrical engineering
• firmware engineering
• mechanical engineering
• software development
• UX design

When starting a smart or connected project, make sure you have real IoT engineers on board – either as collaborators or as business partners for your team. It’s critical that your engineering team understands how all of these pieces fit together to form a cohesive whole.

#3: Cost

Very

With a forecast of 575 million connected devices around the world by 2032 and revenue of $29 billion, the connected HVAC industry is expected to see significant growth. Despite the revenue opportunities, survey respondents and many of our customers report that investing to take advantage of these opportunities is challenging, especially in today’s economy.

If you are facing a complicated development process and the best way is not clear at first, an agile engineering approach is an important tool to overcome hurdles effectively and efficiently. Don’t make the mistake of investing heavily in a project plan that shows no weaknesses until you’ve made decisions that will be difficult to reverse. Instead, use agile design and development. Agile methods—including extensible, flexible code and early hardware prototypes—make it easier to uncover problems early, so you can iterate quickly and deliver business value faster.

#4: Incompatible devices/systems

Dealing with incompatibility is a complicated subject with nuances that depend on the use case. Are you building a smart HVAC product? Do you integrate building systems as part of a building automation system (BAS) project? Let’s look at some options.

Avoidance of incompatibilities during product design

The last thing you want to discover once you start building your smart HVAC product is that it doesn’t integrate with key systems. Before you start building, thorough market research is crucial to avoid incompatibilities. Dig deep during market research to determine not only what users want and need, but also what technologies you need to integrate. As a best practice, your design team conducts market research that includes engineering members who can help uncover key technical insights.

Solution of existing incompatibilities

But what if you integrate existing devices and systems? Let’s say you have a building running multiple HVAC systems that communicate using different protocols. A possible solution is to implement a protocol gateway. A protocol gateway can act as a translator between two different protocols, allowing the devices or systems to communicate with each other.

However, this solution does not work for everyone. Obstacles to using this approach include:

• A system may not have an integration path for the gateway.
• The gateway may not support all required BAS functions.
• The gateway may be using an older BACnet protocol that is not implemented by default.

Sometimes the best solution from a performance perspective is to upgrade your devices and systems – not a cheap deal. But before you take that leap or abandon integration altogether, it’s worth exploring the gateway approach.

#5: Security Concerns

With the multitude of devices and systems in commercial facilities impacting not only physical security but also professional productivity, smart building understandably raises concerns about security risks. If there was ever a situation where you absolutely do not want to learn “the hard way”, it is smart building security. Although security is not easy and can never be guaranteed to be perfect, fortunately it exists well-documented strategies to secure networked systems. It requires a comprehensive approach that spans multiple dimensions—physical devices, firmware and software, the network, and the data touchpoints.

The path to innovation & value

Smart building technology represents an immense opportunity for the HVAC industry. But for many, the path to realizing this value is elusive.

Raw poll results

The survey was conducted in February 2023 on AHR Expo. A must-attend event for HVAC professionals, AHR Expo attracts the industry’s most inclusive gathering from around the world each year.

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Dreame Technology (“Dreametech”), a global leader in smart home cleaning appliances, announced the launch of its all-new DreameBot L10 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop in the US market. DreameBot L10 Ultra is ready to bring highly accessible fully automatic cleaning to the market with a powerful combination of advanced robotic technologies and base station automation. With market-leading suction, incredibly thorough dual-rotation mopping and auto-drain, mop cleaning, mop-drying, and automatic water and solution addition functions, as well as powerful navigation technologies, DreameBot L10 Ultra is a complete cleaning companion for any household.

Dreame Technology launches DreameBot L10 Ultra – the latest fully automatic cleaning robot

At the heart of the DreameBot L10 Ultra is a commitment to convenience and efficiency. For this reason, Dreametech devotes great priority to the complete automation of the base station functions.

With high-capacity 3-liter dust bags, the DreameBot L10 Ultra provides up to 60 days of continuous cleaning before the bag needs to be changed. In addition, an advanced filter system firmly traps dust in the dust bag to keep it out of the air. The bag also automatically seals when removed from the base station to prevent leakage or accidental spills, keeping a clean house clean.

With an advanced DualBoost 2.0 auto-empty system, the DreameBot L10 Ultra thoroughly empties the dust bin in seconds while reducing clogging, so you only have to throw away the full dust bag. In connection with the automatic wiping wash with hot air drying, the maintenance of the vacuum and wiping robot is practically hands-free.

DreameBot L10 Ultra is further automated with water features that ensure DreameBot L10 Ultra has enough water to refresh floors throughout the home.

The robot’s state-of-the-art technology allows it to perform a variety of tasks automatically, making it the perfect solution for busy individuals and families who want to maintain a clean home without constant attention. The DreameBot L10 Ultra’s powerful combination of robust vacuuming and mopping with advanced LiDAR navigation allows it to navigate complicated environments to tackle any surface in your home, whether it’s hardwood, tile, vinyl, or carpet.

With market-leading suction power of 5,300 Pa and ultrasonic carpet detection, the DreameBot L10 Ultra raises its mopping pads by 10 mm and boosts suction power on carpets to the maximum to remove deeply embedded dirt and fine dust. When it’s time to mop, the DreameBot L10 Ultra uses its powerful suction, edge-sweeping side brushes, and high-speed rotary mopping to thoroughly scrub and clean floors. Whether you need a thorough household clean or a quick clean before the company comes over, DreameBot L10 Ultra has you covered.

“We at Dreame Technology are very excited to introduce our latest innovation, the DreameBot L10 Ultra, to the US market. We believe it’s a game changer for anyone looking for a more convenient and efficient way to clean. Its advanced automation features and powerful cleaning capabilities make it the perfect companion for busy households, and we’re confident it will transform the way people approach cleaning,” said Dreametech Product Manager, “We can’t wait to see the impact this advanced robot vacuum and mopping is having on the lives of our users and we are proud to be able to offer such an amazing product at an affordable price.”

Dreame plans to launch the DreameBot L10 Ultra on Amazon at a price of $899.99, making it an affordable and accessible device for anyone wanting to experience the benefits of fully automated cleaning. This state-of-the-art product is the perfect choice for anyone looking to improve their cleaning routine, whether they’re busy professionals, time-crunched parents, or just those looking for a high-tech solution to their weekly cleaning routine.

About Dreame Technology

Founded in 2017, Dreame Technology is an innovative consumer products company focused on smart home cleaning appliances with a vision to empower life through technology. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit https://www.dreametech.com/

SOURCE Dreame Technology

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Courtney Nash’s LinkedIn profile says she is a cyber incident librarian. Your job is to keep track of how things fail and go wrong on the internet.

For the past three months, Nash, a senior researcher at VOID, or Verica Open Incident Database, a public database of reports of Internet errors and outages, has been keeping tabs on Twitter.

Nash points to a key reason for the disruptions: huge layoffs that wiped out about two-thirds of Twitter’s workforce in about 100 days. From about 7,500 employees when Musk acquired it, Twitter reportedly now has about 1,800 employees. The cuts included Twitter engineers, who Nash said play a critical role in maintaining one of the largest and busiest social platforms in the world.

“These people have had years, in some cases even a decade, to understand how this system is set up and how it’s supposed to work,” Nash told The Examiner. “They have a lot of intimate knowledge of what looks weird and wrong.”

Twitter was not immediately available for comment.

In an interview with The Examiner, Nash spoke about how impressed she’s been with how well the Twitter platform has held up during a turbulent transition — why she and others worry about the site’s degradation amid uncertainty under Musk.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

According to your observations, how is the Twitter platform doing? Many of us have foretold calamity and darkness, and many of us will admit that we were wrong about how bad it was going to be. But it shows creaks and cracks, the kind of errors those of us who study complex systems have predicted, and the folks who’ve worked at Twitter have predicted, too.

We’re seeing more performance drops, more widespread outages, things just take longer to even work. There are many reasons why this could be so. But the biggest credit, which I think everyone was right about, is the loss of expertise in managing this system.

What do you mean by that? people are gone Did you need 7,000 people to run Twitter? Maybe not. Need more than 1,800? Probably. We see that.

Twitter is technically designed to stay active for that long. It’s a very resilient distributed system. It was designed to tolerate a lot of turbulence.

But part of it was that there were people behind the scenes. When the turbulence really increased, they knew how to adjust and how to deal with it and what parts of the systems could creak and break. Many of these people are gone.

can you break this down Who are these people and what were their duties that are not being fulfilled now? The layoffs have affected Twitter employees across the board. In particular, we’ve seen a loss of people who we think are on the infrastructure side — people who know how the databases work, how the tools work, how their deployment tools work, people involved in incident response. Most of these people are gone.

These people have had years, in some cases a decade, to understand how this system was set up, how it was supposed to work. They have a lot of intimate knowledge of what looks weird and wrong. You can go in and look at all kinds of tools. You can look at the monitoring and graphs and all those things.

Many of these people in the industry are called site reliability engineers. SREs is a term you might see and they really are the people responsible for the reliability of the site. These people are all gone.

If you just take someone who doesn’t know how all the plumbing works and something isn’t right, they don’t even know where to look.

Can we go a little deeper? How are the issues manifesting in terms of what has been reported, things that Twitter has externally confirmed? One of the things that was reported and was pretty obvious was that they took one of their data centers out of the equation. They used to have three data centers. And now they only have two. And I think it was a day after they got rid of the Sacramento data center that they had one of their biggest outages.

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Typically, all of Twitter has been conceived or designed to allow for what is known as failover. So if you have a problem, you can move things from one data center to another. So when they just shut down Sacramento, the people who designed this data center, the people who built the systems, weren’t even there to tell you what would go wrong if you got rid of it.

That was one of the things that I think really manifested and a reported fact that I was able to point out. There are many other things I can’t tell you exactly. But that’s a really obvious one. They did this so quickly that there was no way they could have planned how their system would rely on this one data center.

Let’s go back to something you said. There were predictions that Twitter would simply collapse after Musk’s acquisition, but it didn’t. The one we didn’t take into account – and in hindsight, it’s fantastic, isn’t it? – Twitter really was that well built. I mean it was the side that we all like to hate or hate to love.

It kind of always existed in a run down state because there were so many pressures and it was always changing and scaling. But it was really well built. So you could go from 7,000 to 1,800 employees and still have the fundamentals that kept it going

So this is a credit to (former CEOs) Parag Agrawal and Jack Dorsey? It is a credit to the engineers. From the very top, there were business goals and all of that stuff, and that involved promotion and content moderation. But the engineers had to decide how to support that. And they had to be able to do that for a long time.

Twitter has been around for a long time. I’m not going to get into the debates about whether or not it was a successful business at the time. I think your point is correct, it still succeeds to some extent. We have not seen how the finances will develop. But it still works. And I think that’s because the systems were built to be very adaptable and resilient.

Do you think you can still do what it was with 1,800 people? That remains to be seen. But we’re still skeptical.

Why? To be financially viable, you need engineered systems that can respond incredibly quickly to many changes and experiments. If you’re objectively nice to what Musk is doing, there’s a lot to experiment with and a lot to change.

You need expertise so your systems can potentially do things they haven’t done before. An example of one thing that didn’t go so well was when they tried to change how Twitter Blue works, how the Blue Check stuff works, and fast.

If it’s going to be successful and trying to adapt to new business models and new things, it’s going to be hard to do with an emergency staff. Without years of expertise in how the guts of Twitter work, it’s going to be difficult.

If you want to build on that and try new things and push those systems forward in truly unique ways, the expertise of how the system originally worked must still be there. And most of it is gone.

Can you do it with 1,800 people? Maybe – but not 1,800 people who don’t know how it’s really supposed to work. Expertise is so priceless. It’s not the sheer number of people. It’s what was on the minds of those who are no longer around.

There are also concerns about a rise in hate speech on Twitter. Elon Musk himself has made controversial statements or posts. What is your own call for how this might work?

I would just say if fighting hate speech is a business value for Twitter then they don’t have the investment and they don’t have the staff to do it right now. If they’re concerned about advertising and advertising perception and infrastructure, you need to support what they’re not doing.

You essentially need a team and the expertise to ensure that the kind of content that might turn off advertisers doesn’t appear alongside the ads that advertisers want to show users.

Yes. You need non-technical people to make decisions about this and ensure it. And you need the techs to make sure that doesn’t appear next to this ad. As far as we know, these people no longer exist.

What has been the most disturbing development for you on how things have unfolded under Elon Musk over the past 100 days? I worry that other leaders will think that gutting your expertise is a business model that will work. We’ve all seen that you can’t just get rid of experts and people who know how systems work and work. But this is a grand experiment being conducted on a public stage. Then right now we are seeing an economic climate in which the reduction of manpower and employees is very attractive for company managements. That would be my concern – a skills crisis if you will, and that we feel like we can get rid of experts and still go ahead and have everything work as it should.

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About the position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has a vacancy for a two-year postdoctoral scholarship within the Sustainable Energy System (SES) group. The research activity in the SES group ranges from energy storage to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in buildings. The postdoctoral position is part of the knowledge-building project NORGIBATF, led by the SES group in collaboration with the Norwegian battery manufacturing industry (FREYR, BEYONDER, NORSIRK, Nordic Mining and Norsk Hydro). Several Norwegian industries are planning large scale (GWh) battery cell factories to produce batteries for export. The NORGIBATF project aims to support these industries by developing competence in energy-efficient battery cell production and enabling a world-leading research environment within industrial battery production in Norway.

Current battery factories are equipped with a dry room where several important steps of the battery cell assembly are performed. The relative humidity (RH) in dry rooms should be kept extremely low (< 1% RH) to prevent impairing the long-term battery performance. Keeping such a low RH is an energy-intensive process that represents a large share of the embodied energy in a battery. Therefore, the research aims at improving the energy efficiency of dry rooms.

The main research activity is based on systems analysis where the hygrothermal dynamics of the dry room and the HVAC system will be investigated together. This will be done using detailed dynamic simulations (e.g. Modelica or IDA-ICE), calibrated on field measurements that will serve as virtual experiments. The objective of the simulations is to enable improvements in the design and operation of dry rooms. The research may also focus on the ventilation air distribution in dry rooms, in order to optimize the air distribution to keep the RH below the limit at all locations in the dry room while minimizing the flow rate.

The Head of Department is Professor Terese Løvås. The day-to-day position management is by Associate Professors Bjørn Austbø and Laurent Georges. The NORGIBATF project is managed by Professor Odne Burheim, head of the SES group.

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

Duties of the position

• Develop a virtual dynamic model of a dry room calibrated on a real test case
• Perform field measurements to support the development of the model
• Analysis the energy efficiency of dry rooms to optimize their design and operation
• Analysis of the ventilation airflow distribution in dry rooms

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in HVAC engineering, process engineering or similar.
• If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Experience with dynamic simulation tools such as Modelica, TRNSYS, IDA ICE or similar
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate (in Norwegian).

Preferred selection criteria

Research or professional experience in one or more of the following domains will be considered an advantage:

• Desiccant wheel technology
• Field measurements of indoor climate and/or energy use in buildings and/or industrial premises
• Pre- and post-processing tools like Python or MATLAB
• Data-driven systems modelling
• Building physics
• Control engineering

Knowledge of the Norwegian language will be considered as an advantage

Personal characteristics

• Confidence in working independently
• Ability and willingness to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams
• creativity
• critical thinking

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 584 700 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 2 years (with teaching duties).

The commitment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants (in Norwegian), and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of ​​work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

The application must include:

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your Ph.D thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 items)
• Research plan
• Name and contact information of three referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision-making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to remove yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the request is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Bjørn Austbø, email: bjorn.austbo@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Emmy Høiseth, e-mail: emmy.a.hoiseth@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.

Application deadline: 02.11.2022

NTNU

NTNU – knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Energy and Process Engineering

We conduct research and teaching covering the entire energy chain, from resources to the end user. We look at how energy is produced and used by humans and machines in a sustainable way with regard to health, climate change and the resource base. The Department of Energy and Process Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

deadline 2nd November 2022
employer NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
scope full time
duration Temporary
Place of service

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