Innovation & Tech Today - Vol 8 Issue 3

PHOTO ESSAY

The Foundation of

Charles Warner, Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

“From specially designed algorithms to millions of dollars in hardware, in a hurry, cybersecurity costs for even a medium-sized business can catch up with the cost of labor. The more sensitive the data a company holds, the more it can expect to spend.”

Dear readers,

In an increasingly connected global society, cybersecurity continues to be the linchpin that keeps the entire internet safe from trolls and thieves scraping for even the tiniest slivers of your personal information.

With the development of new technologies every year and an increasing number of ways for individuals and businesses to connect, cybersecurity has to continue to be the most innovative field in the marketplace.

Sure, the need has been around for decades, but the developments within the cybersecurity space require constant, sometimes daily, updates. By design, cybersecurity operates as an industry both proactively and reactively.

The goal is always to prevent attacks before they occur, but most of that knowledge comes from analyzing prior attacks. So, the only way to stop innovative hackers from obtaining your information is to have an equally innovative and fast-acting cybersecurity solution.

For that to happen, you need frontline developers who can spot vulnerabilities and problems before the hacking community does. That’s no small feat. Like trying to predict a car accident, you know it’s coming for someone, somewhere, but who, where, and how are almost impossible to calculate.

It’s a cat-and-mouse game characterized by new software developments and novel ways to get around them. On and on, the wheel spins.

In the age of stylish new hardware with fancy features, it’s easy to overlook the development of protections built into the software that protects your device.

In the 1990s, the world was all abuzz about passwords. Suddenly, you had to have them for everything. People complained ad nauseum, but understood the need.

Step forward to the early-2000s and passwords transformed into much longer keys with a variety of characters making their way into the mix — still an annoyance, but we made it through.

Over a decade later, we’ve transitioned into — and in some cases through — shorter fourdigit pin numbers, thumbprints, biometric faceprints and even two-factor authentication.

These examples show just how far (and often) we see major changes in how cybersecurity affects an individual, but at the corporate level, it’s immensely more challenging.

From specially designed algorithms to millions of dollars in hardware, in a hurry, cybersecurity costs for even a medium-sized business can catch up with the cost of labor. The more sensitive the data a company holds, the more it can expect to spend.

While a common web store can be protected quite reasonably, that’s not the case for all industries. When you start looking at fields like healthcare, banking or insurance, the cost and demand of what is needed to remain in regulatory compliance quickly skyrockets.

Since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic, a new wrench was thrown into the machine: the remote worker. Now, instead of securing individuals on company-owned computers connected to company-operated networks, a corporate level of security has to extend to at-home networks and computers to which the company may never have physical access.

How are cybersecurity professionals answering this call? That’s one of the questions we hope to answer in this edition of Innovation & Tech Today

THERE’S AN INNOVATOR IN ALL OF

As temperatures begin to fall and another book comes to a close, we at Innovation & Tech Today always enjoy checking back in on topics from the previous issue.

From the comic book cover featuring famed YouTuber James “Hacksmith” Hobson through the new product features combined with a heavy Crypto/NFT/Web3 special focus, the issue is among our internal favorites.

The Hacksmith has stayed busy since our interview. Most recently, he has been showing off his work on the first fully-contained lightsaber — a major step up from the protosaber he developed in the past. The new fifth generation lightsaber is the hottest and lightest he and his team have made to date. While it’s not completely finished, it’s clear that he is well on his way.

Also since last issue, the crypto market has continued it’s tumultuous roller coaster ride leaving investors somewhere between panicked and opportunistic. While Bitcoin, Ethereum and other currencies tumble to levels not seen in several years, many investors are taking advantage of the lower prices to wade into the market. Whether it’s a safe time to buy remains to be seen, but there’s always a chance we’re seeing it at prices we may never see again.

Another topic worth a fresh peek is that of the James Webb Space Telescope. Last issue we featured Charlie Atkinson, Chief Engineer for the design, development and construction of JWST. In the months that followed, we began to see images trickle in, showing us the sky like we have never seen it before. To call JWST a success would be the understatement of the century. The incoming science and data are actively turning many things we “know” on their heads.

On page 24, you’ll find a stunning photo essay showing the most amazing shots released to date. Throughout production and as new images continued to appear, we kept having to go back and make tough decisions. But in the end, we’re delighted to bring you this visual carnival of the universe that might even change how you see the night sky.

Here’s a QR code that will get you straight to the Charlie Atkinson interview video.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charles Warner cwarner@goipw.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shane Brisson shane@goipw.com

MANAGING EDITOR Corey Noles

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jeremy Glowacki Patricia Miller Aron Vaughan

SENIOR WRITER Adjoua Kouassi

AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR Michael Coates

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chris Mellides David Wallach

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mary Roche

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Steven Higgins

VIDEO/PODCAST PRODUCER Alan Tuszynski

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Innovation & Tech Today is part of the PrintReleaf program helping to sustain and grow our global forestry system.

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This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators, and the doers – who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!

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SPECIAL THANKS TO: Brian Boothe, Ian Cohen, Eric Goldberg, Darren Aronofsky, National Geographic, Aaron Peterson, Ryan Star

New Software Enables Law Enforcement to Scan Fingerprints

From a Smartphone

Contactless fingerprinting could soon be implemented by police departments across the U.S.

Telos, a contactless fingerprinting technology company, has developed software that uses a phone’s camera to scan an individual’s fingers from about two inches away and produce a traditional fingerprint image. The technology works with cameras that have as little as two megapixels.

Civil liberty and privacy groups are concerned about the implications of the technology, arguing the biometric data collected by law enforcement will be used to infringe upon the freedom of citizens. Similar arguments have been made about facial recognition technology being used by several governments around the world.

Large Hadron Collider Experiment Leads to Discovery of 3 New Exotic Particles

The Large Hadron Collider’s third run is already producing new discoveries. Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) collaboration has announced the discovery of three new exotic particles.

The results, presented July 5 at a CERN seminar, prove the existence of three new particles made up of quarks. The particles were theorized by scientists about six decades ago, but only recently have they been observed by LHCb and other experiments.

“Finding exotic particles and measuring their properties will help theorists develop a model of how these particles are built, the exact nature of which is largely unknown, it will also help to better understand the theory for conventional particles such as the proton and neutron,” said Chris Parkes, professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Manchester.

3D-Printed Organs Could

be in Use in the Next Decade

AI is Unlocking the Key to DNA

AI has made a breakthrough in the field of protein structures. A new algorithm recently deciphered the structure at the heart of inheritance — a massive complex of roughly 1,000 proteins that helps channel DNA instructions to the rest of the cell.

The AI model is built on AlphaFold by DeepMind and RoseTTAFold from Dr. David Baker’s lab at the University of Washington, which were both released to the public for further experimentation.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) monitor the ins and outs of molecular messages, ensuring DNA is protected. By solving the puzzle of NPCs, AI can unlock the gate through which DNA information is transmitted to the rest of the cell. The breakthrough has wide implications for gene therapy and could help in the fight against the next COVID-like virus.

“NPC [is] a hotspot for disease-associated mutations and host-pathogen interactions,” said Dr. Di Jiang, a senior editor at Science. “The work reported here represents a triumph of experimental structural biology.”

Organ bioprinting could be possible in the next decade. 3D printed organs would eliminate the need for patients to receive transplants from donors. Organ bioprinting is the use of 3D-printing technologies to assemble multiple cell types, growth factors and biomaterials in a layer-by-layer fashion to produce bioartificial organs that ideally imitate their natural counterparts, according to a 2019 study published by biology journal Micromachines.

The treatment is currently in the development phase, but research is moving forward at a brisk pace due to the overwhelming need patients have for transplants.

Every day, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. And every nine minutes, another person is added to the waitlist, the agency reported.

Photo courtesy of CERN

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Rost-9D

Photo: iStockphoto.com/janiecbros

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Devrimb

AI-Driven Facial Recognition Software Helps Families of Holocaust Survivors Identify Relatives

A Google engineer has created an artificial intelligence-driven facial recognition platform that can scan through photos from World War II and the Holocaust, linking them to people living today.

The program, called From Numbers to Names (N2N), was developed by 40-year-old software engineer Daniel Patt, who thought of the idea while visiting Warsaw’s POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in 2016.

Three of his four grandparents are Holocaust survivors from Poland, and he wants to help his grandmother find photos of the members of her family murdered by the Nazis.

N2N software can return the 10 best potential matches found in the database available to it. The software has already been used to search through hundreds of thousands of photos, identifying faces for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) as well as individual survivors and descendants of survivors.

New Space Hotel Concept Shows The Near Future of Vacations

Tired of the same old luxury cruise offering nothing but a beautiful view of the open ocean? Me, too. Fortunately, the free market always provides. Starting in 2025, you and your family will be able to slip the surly bonds of Earth and enjoy a vacation among the stars.

Private U.S.-based space company Orbital Assembly has revealed new information and concepts for its space hotel idea, designs for which have been making the rounds since 2019.

Orbital Assembly is planning to build two space hubs: Voyager Station and Pioneer Station. Voyager Station will reportedly accommodate 400 people and is scheduled to open in 2027, while Pioneer station will house 28 people and could be operational as early as 2025.

Photos: Orbital Assembly

GM Announces Hybrid Corvette for 2023

America’s most popular sports car is getting a major tech and environmental upgrade. GM announced April 29 that an electrified AWD Corvette is in production. The electrified version of the classic model will be available sometime in 2023, according to GM president Mark Reuss, who announced the rollout via Linkedin.

A fully electric Corvette will be coming at a later, unspecified date. Until then, we can look forward to a hybrid version of the model and a plethora of EV models from other prominent vehicle manufacturers.

The Apple Lens is Getting Closer to Reality

Augmented reality is getting closer. Apple recently announced it is developing AR contact lenses that could make iPhones obsolete. The “Apple Lens” combines the iPhone and Apple Glass to create a unique augmented reality experience that allows users to see notifications, play games, and answer messages while interacting with the world around them.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the lenses will take technology products from an era of “visible computing” to “invisible computing.”

The technology is still several years away, though. Kuo said Apple plans to roll out the Apple Lens around 2030. The AR contact lenses will also be affordable for most people at the product’s debut, retailing between $99 and $299.

Photo: General Motors

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Jay_Zynism

Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-N0827-318

Is Your Home Office Secure?

As more Americans move toward remote work, cybersecurity is becoming

By Adjoua Kouassi

In the previous issue of Innovation & Tech Today, we brought you a series of work from home must-haves, including a standing desk to combat the ergonomic fatigue associated with long hours of sitting, as well as our top keyboard choices. But even more important than an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable home office environment is a robust cybersecurity system. With the cultural shift that arrived with the pandemic, more companies are shifting to a fulltime or hybrid remote work model. Statistics on remote workers from Owl Labs reveal that more than 4.7 million people work remotely at least half of the time in the United States. That number is predicted to increase over the next three years.

With 26% of the U.S. workforce calling their spare bedroom or dining room their office, it’s more important than ever to address cybersecurity in the home. After all, it’s not just personal data that is at stake, but that of entire companies and their clients.

Types of Security Threats

Malware, a term that refers to any type of intrusive software that can harm your data or devices, is the most common type of cyberattack. Malware includes viruses, trojans, spyware, ransomware, and more.

Phishing attacks aim to scam users by collecting personal information under a false pretense. Cybercriminals may pose as a representative from a legitimate organization — even your employer or bank — in order to obtain an email address, phone number, bank information, or a social security number. Scammers then sell the information online or attempt to withdraw funds from the user’s bank account.

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a targeted method that floods a user’s network with false requests in an attempt to make it inaccessible.

Large-scale DoS attacks, like the one Russia enacted against Ukrainian banks and government websites earlier this year, can be detrimental when directed at core institutions or large websites with a large amount of traffic.

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are carried out by cybercriminals by “eavesdropping” on a conversation between a user’s device and a web application. Hackers can collect information such as passwords, bank information, and other personal data using this method.

According to the FBI, there are some cyber best practices to adopt as the first steps toward a secure network.

▶ Use two-factor authentication like login requirements along with a token or pincode

▶ Ensure your operating system and software are up to date

▶ Disable hidden file extensions

▶ Ignore unsolicited emails

▶ Disable automatic logins

▶ Turn your computer off when not in use

Incorporating these habits will create a strong foundation on which to build. You can then consolidate that foundation by integrating antivirus software such as a VPN and firewall.

Antivirus Software, VPNs and Firewalls

Antivirus software is another tool users can use to stay a step ahead of cybercriminals. AV software keeps out viruses, malware, ransomware and other malicious code that may be trying to steal your personal information.

a higher priority.

You can think of antivirus software as a proactive way to stop cyberattacks before they happen.

A VPN, or virtual private network, is an application that uses proxy servers from around the world to hide a user’s IP address, making it more difficult for cybercriminals to track activity.

Firewalls have been implemented since the 1980s to combat external security threats. They’re still being used 40 years later for a good reason — they are effective at keeping malware at bay.

Acting as a barrier that sits between a private internal network and the public internet, firewalls monitor network traffic, stop virus attacks, prevent hacking and stop spyware. ■

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Irina_Strelnikova

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Move Over, VR

Augmented Reality is Gaining Ground on Technologies Like Virtual Reality and the Metaverse.

By Aron Vaughan

While virtual reality (VR) has risen to prominence in the last few years, its technological cousin, augmented reality (AR), was busy being perfected outside of the spotlight.

The birth of the metaverse — a fully immersive VR experience in which avatars can interact and game — was a paradigm-shifting innovation that understandably demanded the attention of the tech world. Throw in the allure of NFTs available for purchase within the metaverse and you have a technology that invites developers and media outlets to inundate consumers with an onslaught of buzzwords.

AR Apps

Despite its ungraceful debut, progress has been made with the technology. In 2022, social media users are integrating AR into their lives without consciously recognizing it.

Snapchat and Instagram filters that change a person’s face from happy to sad, or superimpose a pair of bunny ears atop a user’s head are early forms of AR.

Pokemon Go is perhaps the most well-known use of AR. In the game, players search for virtual Pokemon in real locations. When a pokemon has been found, it appears on the app, superimposed in front of the real surroundings picked up by the phone’s camera.

The Seamless Transition Into Our Lives

AR technologies used in Snapchat filters and Pokemon Go are entertaining and moderately impressive, but they’re just the first step in a greater paradigm shift. The lens through which we view the world is changing, in a metaphorical and literal sense.

Humans and technology have become inseparable. We live in a time where we would be lost without instant access to news, information and entertainment. Imagine trying to navigate to a new restaurant without a GPS giving traffic updates in real-time on the dashboard. Imagine then having to split a check and calculate a tip without a calculator available at your fingertips. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

Walking down the street, users would be able to access someone’s social media profiles simply by pointing at them. Ads would pop up in your field of vision when you stare at a cafe or a clothing store for more than three seconds.

More practical applications include apps that calculate the trajectory of a falling object or the measurements of a doorframe.

All the while, augmented reality has been bumbling along beside its celebrity cousin, taking one step forward and two steps back.

The progression from a handheld smart device to an AR experience that guides the user through the world is a logical one. AR contact lenses, glasses, or even a Neuralink-style chip implanted in the brain could project the virtual world with which we are already integrated onto our physical reality.

The technology housed within AR of the near future can encompass everything from AI and facial recognition, to the power and knowledge of the mighty internet itself. And here’s the kicker: its fundamentally revolutionary nature will catapult it far beyond the status of VR. Think Elizabeth Olsen and her formerly famous twin sisters.

VR will likely always have a place as an immersive gaming and online social experience. AR, on the other hand, is on the path to changing how we perceive reality every minute of every day. ■

The Original Custom-Width Soundbar

Leon’s Horizon soundbars provide an unrivaled listening experience, bringing all your music, movies, and TV to life with stunning authenticity. And because they’re custom built to match the width of any TV, they provide a discreet aesthetic that blends seamlessly, beautifully into any room.

Tech for Tikes

By Adjoua Kouassi

One day, Lovevery Co-Founder/CEO Jessica Rolph was watching her baby play with a purple plastic cow with flashing lights, when a question popped into her head: Why do toys like this exist and what do they do for development?

“I felt pretty confident about how my baby’s food was helping his body grow, but I wasn’t so sure about how his toys were helping his brain grow,” Rolph said.

A short time later in 2017, Rolph and her cofounder, Roderick Morris, developed Lovevery’s first product, the Play Gym.

Today, Lovevery’s holistic early learning program includes dozens of products across its line of play kits and other standalone items. The company currently has over 270,000 active subscribers in more than 30 markets worldwide.

Lovevery is introducing science-driven fun to children aged six months to four years.

refine multiple prototypes and conduct play studies with families across the country to get real-world feedback.

To inform its products, Lovevery works with a range of practitioners and researchers in the fields of education, neuroscience (including experts in early STEM and math learning), speech and language pathology, occupational and physical therapy, psychology and more.

What Does the Data Say?

Ninety-percent of the human brain is developed by age five. Throughout the first few years of early life, predictable developmental windows are constantly opening and closing. Taking a stage-based approach means parents can tap into exactly what their baby is craving to learn at any given moment.

After years of well-established child development research, scientists have found play directly benefits fine and gross motor skills, social-emotional learning, cognitive skills, language development, executive functioning, creativity and self-esteem.

This progression can be seen in the example of containment. Their learning starts with the “pots and pans” phase of dumping and filling containers and learning what volume does and doesn’t spill. This then evolves to transporting things around the house, and eventually to storing and collecting small objects.

Play Kits introduce containment with the Nesting Stacking Dripdrop Cups and the Ball Drop Box, where the ball is contained but not visible for an instant. This then progresses with the Clear Plastic Tube in the Explorer play kit, which gives a baby a much richer, deeper understanding of containment by watching various objects drop and pull through the tube.

The Science Fueling the Inspiration

The original research that inspired the product line was Dr. William Staso’s thesis, Current Research Findings on the Neurological Development of Infants. Rolph used Stetos’ research as a foundation for her prototype line of cognitively stimulating children’s play kits. After a few more years of research and development. Lovevery was ready to hit the shelves in the national marketplace.

Today, the process of creating a new product starts with a team meeting and speaking with parents to understand their unique needs and what Lovevery could be doing (and others may not be) to solve developmental problems their child may be experiencing.. Then, they test and

Products

Lovevery’s products and books are tailored to each stage of a child’s development.

The program introduces new skills during the specific window when a child is ready to start learning them. As a child moves through the program, each new toy and activity encourages them to go deeper into the skill.

Next is the Sliding Top Box, which teaches that something can be there even when it can’t be seen — a concept known as object permanence. Things get more advanced with The Babbler Play Kit by practicing putting smaller and smaller items through different sized holes using the Carrot Lid with Carrots for Coin Bank. After that, toddler’s can master their containment skills by learning to fill different-sized containers with water using the Liquid Lab.

The Future of Lovevery

Lovevery plans to add more years to its subscription Play Kits program in the near future. It is also heavily invested in expanding its content offering, including its stage-based books and parent learning resources across The Lovevery App and e-courses. ■

Photos courtesy of Lovevery

Team Wildfire is Combating Wildfires with Jet Engines

A Movie Special Effects Engineer’s Revolutionary Concept Will Help Combat the Wildfire Epidemic.

By Aron Vaughan and Patricia Miller

Wildfires are fast becoming one of the world’s most detrimental ecological disasters. Climate change and the resulting lack of moisture in forested areas are contributing to the crises seen on the West Coast of the U.S., the heartland of Australia, and many other areas of the plantet.

Movie special-effects coordinator Steve Wolf created Team Wildfire to tackle the challenge of putting out wildfires. After spending most of his life figuring out new and creative ways to blow things up, Wolf is turning his pyro-manipulation talents in innovative directions to combat this enormous threat.

“My dad got me a chemistry kit when I was eight,” said Wolf. “The whole purpose of chemistry, I thought at the time, was to blow stuff up. I combined that thrill with some advice my dad had given me, when he said, ‘Find what

you like to do, then figure out how to make a living at it’ and used that passion to make a fascinating career in stunts and special effects.”

Wolf founded Team Wildfire, formerly known as PyroNemesis, in 2020, after years of working with the idea of manipulating fire with man made weather.

“I had worked with director Sydney Pollack on the Tom Cruise movie The Firm,” said Wolf. “In one scene there was a small leaf fire. And at the end of the shot, Sydney joked, ‘Steve, the fire looked great. You don’t have to put it out, but it

can’t stay here,’” because they needed to put the camera where the fire had been.

“And that’s really what gave me the idea of moving fire fuels. Not just putting them out, but physically pushing them away, especially if adverse winds are blowing fire towards you. You need to blow it back, harder.”

That inspiration led to a decade-long endeavor of creating a functioning machine capable of providing intense counter winds, stripping away fuel, generating massive evaporative cooling, and depleting the oxygen that feeds wildfires.

The answer was a “hurricane on wheels.” Team Wildfire now has a working prototype, the StormCell. They are working on a mid-sized CloudBurst, and a huge version, the Hurricane, which can be AI-enabled and remotecontrolled.

Photos courtesy of Team Wildfire

Like many visionary engineers, Wolf speaks almost exclusively in the present tense, describing in great detail the intricate workings of a technology that he’s largely yet to build. For him, seeing it clearly in his mind is the big work, and the physical fabrication is the easy part.

How does the tech work?

Essentially, the system consists of jet engines mounted on highly capable off-road vehicles of different sizes, from a nimble UTV that can run up trails to attack a single tree lightning fire, to a huge logging forwarder that can attack large swaths of land in difficult terrain. Attached downstream of each engine is a mist injection chamber that adds various fire suppressants and retardants to the exhaust.

The jet engines can be used in several ways. They can clear land of flammables, perform direct attack, direct mists to fire to cool the fuels, physically remove burning limbs from trees using hurricane force winds, and drive backfires in the face of adverse winds. The system is designed to blow anything that’s burning back over the char zone, while simultaneously stripping away fuels in front of the fire by directing the jets downward. Of course this could also be used to penetrate fire swept areas and rescue trapped or injured firefighters.

The jets can be controlled independently, so the operator, or the Fire OS AI System, can use one engine for direct attack, another for ground clearing and another to create a rain umbrella that showers the fire from above, to capture, extinguish, and precipitate embers, so that ember cast can be reduced.

The suppression tech can be controlled from inside the cab, or by remote control, allowing the vehicle to be placed where it’s most effective, without having to compromise its position out of concern for an operator. Because of the amount of thrust involved, load sensors are used to keep the vehicle from flipping over. Traction and tip-over sensors are on every axle, so when the vehicle detects less traction or less weight on any axle, it can automatically rotate the engines up to counter that, and throttle them down.

In the fluid tanks, air bladders can be inflated from either side to shift the center of gravity of

the vehicle to counteract jet recoil or the grade of the terrain.

The operator, either onboard or remotely, wears a mixed reality headset, connected to live video, LIDAR, and infrared feeds. The images are combined allowing the operator to see through the fire, view a model of the terrain that they’re driving over, and see the position and effect of the jets. The system can be used at night, and in any weather, so it can stay on station and active 24/7. In comparison, conventional fire fighting largely stops in the dark.

Another extremely important use of the technology that Wolf envisions is “evacuation route hardening,” wherein the machines are driven down defined evacuation routes monthly, using their jet engines to apply long term retardants deep into roadside trees and greenery, to make sure that when people need to use that route to escape, it’s not a fiery death trap of burning trees and blacktop.

Applications for Modern Firefighting Operators can be swapped out, and mid-shift refueling allows the vehicle to suppress fire continuously.

Compared with some of the limitations of aerial firefighting, including that their dangerous chemicals can’t be dropped near lakes, streams, ponds or reservoirs, the Team Wildfire systems uses eco-friendly suppressants that can be used in sensitive environments. Chemicals currently in frequent use contain phosphorus and other ecologically unfriendly agents.

One of the principal sufferings caused by wildfires is damage to watersheds and municipal water supplies. Trees and root systems that form the vegetative barrier protection against mudslides are lost. As a result, when it rains after a major wildfire, mud cascades down into rivers and reservoirs and clogs them up. Team Wildfire’s ability to operate close to bodies of water, and maintain vegetative protection around them, is very important — and is an issue not well addressed by older tech.

Derivative of Wolf’s early interest in chemistry, Team Wildfire is committed to surfactants, suppressants, retardants, gelling agents and foaming agents that are based on natural, foodgrade materials that can be safely applied to homes and vegetation, and is working closely

with North American-based formulary NeroShield Fire. In fact, many of these formulations have the positive effect of improving soil’s ability to absorb and hold water. After a fire, that enhances soil’s ability to support revegetation.

To ensure that Team Wildfire tech would be well received by fire teams that are often resistant to change, Wolf partnered with Chief Andy Amalfitano, of the Boulder Emergency Squad, and Dan Eamon, a wildland fire chief and former public safety chief. Zach Jordan is the team’s lead engineer. Together, they are crafting their technology not only to put out fires with next level tech, but to integrate with current and emerging tech, tactics, and operations. Winter Winds Robotics is also contributing to the technology, bringing NASA grade robotics to the project.

Currently, fire suppression is a $3.5 billion-ayear expense in the United States, with similar figures in Canada and even larger numbers in Australia. That number continues to grow year over year, confirming forecasts that wildfire consumption and occurrence will more than double in the coming years.

Team Wildfire’s proof of concept was validated in the 90s when Hungarian engineers used 2 MiG-29 engines on a military tank as a fire suppression system that quickly blew out oil well fires in Kuwait. With the versatility and new approaches to firefighting that Wolf’s system offers, it is likely we will see Team Wildfire’s people and technology deployed on an enormous scale in the very near future. ■

For more info, visit TeamWildfire.com

Ford Aims to Use a Hit EV to Change the Way Its Cars Are Sold

By Michael Coates

Ford has one of the hottest new models on the planet — the all-electric F-150 Lightning fullsize pickup. You wouldn’t think they would be looking for new ways to sell it. Historically, auto companies looked the other way when their dealers took advantage of the limited availability of popular vehicles to add markups that went right to the dealer’s bottom line. The parent company might make public statements denouncing the tactic, but it has long been accepted as part of the “free market” franchise system, where dealers as independent businesses could add profit to popular vehicles while sometimes taking a hit on slower-moving models that the manufacturer may insist they carry.

Enter the 21st century paradigm shift, where an upstart — electric vehicle maker Tesla — tore up the playbook. Tesla jettisoned the franchise system of independent dealers and set up a direct-to-consumer sales model that allowed consumers to order and pay for vehicles directly. Vehicles were built to order and

delivered directly to the consumer, though the wait could sometimes stretch for many months. The business model was predicted to collapse when Tesla hit high sales volume, but Tesla has passed the million vehicle a year sales mark and shows no signs of changing.

Vehicle service for Teslas was handled in a similar fashion. Factory-owned or authorized shops would perform service or repairs. Sometimes a mobile unit might bring the service directly to the customer. This system’s bottom line — some of the highest customer satisfaction ratings seen in the industry.

New Ways for New Vehicles

Initially, the traditional automakers dismissed Tesla as an outsider that did not understand how the business worked. That’s changed as Tesla sales increased, and it became clear that this new model could deliver high-volumes of vehicles.

Ford, alone so far among the old guard, made a course change as it ramped up its electric vehicle portfolio. It decided to split into two companies — one dedicated to EVs and the other dealing with the ongoing ICE vehicles. Both would be supplying cars and trucks to existing dealers, but Ford has proposed dealers

selling EVs sign an agreement to sell cars at “no haggle” prices and shift to online ordering that would result in little new car inventory on dealer lots.

Ford also will require dealers to invest $1.2 million in fast-charging infrastructure and EVspecific training for dealership personnel. Since Ford claims 96% of its customers live within 20 miles of its dealerships, having fast-charging available is a way to turn its extensive dealership network into an EV advantage over competitors likes Tesla.

Ford has told automotive journalists that direct selling saves Tesla about $2,000 per vehicle. Tesla has managed to deliver its vehicle to customers even in states that don’t allow the company to have a dealership, but its system is not without complications for both the company and its customers.

There is a bit of irony in Ford’s new dual company approach since Ford’s EVs trade on their ICE models in name and reputation, even though they may be completely different vehicles. The Ford F-150 Lightning EV and E-Transit mimic their ICE predecessors in looks and functionality. The Mach-E crossover has only a passing resemblance to the gas sedan

Hot Selling EVs Give Ford Leverage to Alter its Sales System.

Mustang, but it shares that model’s name and logo.

Bringing the Legacy Into the Electric World

Ford believes a big step toward this leaner vehicle delivery system will be led by its work in the commercial sector. A hefty portion of F-150 and virtually all Transit sales are commercial vehicle sales. These customers tend to plan ahead and order vehicles, which fits well with the new EV business model. Ford PRO, the arm of the company dealing with fleet customers, has expanded its package of services to include other areas that reinforce EV selling points–telematics that gather data and optimize vehicle use, and solutions for charging, including monitoring each vehicle’s charge status

Journalists were offered an insight into how Ford PRO works with customers in the vineyards of Northern California. Vintners, who’ll likely buy the entry-level $40,000 model for their workers and maybe the $90,000+ Platinum for themselves, detailed the bottomline impact of the data gathered through the Ford PRO system. They also reinforced that in

their trials they found the F-150 Lightning met or exceeded their existing gas-powered F-150s.

Ford wasn’t the first to market with an electric pickup (that was actually the GMC Hummer), but it beat Tesla with the F-150 Lightning (the Tesla Cybertruck has a new promised delivery timeframe — by mid-year 2023. Ford is already moving to its second year of production, hoping to catch up with a robust set of orders, but it will have plenty of competition in the marketplace. Besides the Cybertruck, the Lightning will battle with the GMC Hummer EV, Rivian R1T, Chevy’s electric Silverado and maybe even a Ram EV from Stellantis. That’s not even counting some EV startups that have targeted the roughly two million annual sales of pickups.

Then There’s the Real World

The final point about Ford’s embrace of new vehicles and new sales models is that plans don’t always go according to plan. While Ford garnered plenty of attention with the flashy Mustang Mach-E and hit a PR homerun with the F-150 Lightning, already some thorny issues are intruding on further progress. Material costs

and “other factors” have led Ford to bump up prices on all new orders for its EVs. The lowest price F-150 Lightning PRO will now start at $46,974, about $7,000 more than the initial price. The Mach-E had a similar hike. Ford has said the Lightning was “cash positive” from the first sale, but it looks like profit — and the longevity that goes along with that — may be a moving target.

Despite the price hikes, consumer interest appears to remain strong. Ford is moving forward securing its own mineral resources to address price volatility. It’s building its own battery plant to further integrate that key element into the Ford system. The shift to EVs is not an easy passing of the baton. Then again, the Mustang Mach-E EV outsold its ICE brethren during several months this year.

Ford has truck legacy with the F-150 — the best-selling pickup for more than four decades and the biggest contributor to the company’s bottom line. Ford’s now betting it can replicate this success with electric powered models and is reorganizing the company to make it happen. ■

Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company

READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF EV BATTERIES?

The Long Wait for Solid State EV Batteries Will Be Over Soon.

By Michael Coates

Batteries are the essential component for electric vehicles.

The promises of a lighter, cheaper battery that would give longer range has been elusive. It has always been just around the corner as major battery companies make incremental gains on each of the three fronts. We’re still peering around that corner, but it feels like we’re really going to get there this time.

This corner is a big one, on par with the leap from nickel-metal-hydride batteries to lithiumion a decade and a half ago. Rather than the incremental improvements we’ve seen so far this century, this promises to be one that kicks electric vehicles into an even high gear and wider adoption as range limitations shrink and safety concerns fade.

OEM Investment

If it were merely a matter of money, we would have found that corner some time ago. But even the substantial investments of the past are being dwarfed as automakers team with battery companies to ramp up production for the expected explosion of EV popularity. The investments are spurred by a variety of government mandates — some to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, others to subsidize electric vehicles and, most recently, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that will reward companies that use battery components from the U.S. or a trading partner.

That’s a problem right now, since Benchmark Minerals reports show 73% of the world’s cobalt and 59% of the lithium is processed in China. More than 90% of the world’s battery cathodes and anodes are produced in China. This is spurring an unprecedented wave of investment

in American battery production as well as mining.

Toyota is planning to spend $2.5 billion on a cell-production plant in North Carolina. Honda is doing a $4.4 billion joint venture with LG Energy in Ohio. Panasonic, a longtime Tesla battery supplier, is looking into building a $4 billion battery plant in Oklahoma. Tesla itself has indicated it is looking into potentially setting up a lithium refining operation in Texas.

This follows massive multi-billion-dollar investments by General Motors, Ford and Stellantis to secure their battery supply chain in North America. Meanwhile, lithium mining is cranking up in the U.S. and the hunt is on for other minerals such as nickel. The brine of California’s Salton Sea is one source. The deserts of Nevada are another. Billions are

flowing into those ventures and other mineral extraction plans to localize core American EV mineral resources.

The Hook-Ups

The push to localize the entire battery system is being done by a variety of start-ups and some established companies, almost all with substantial investment from auto companies and suppliers. The areas of innovation break down into two main areas — solid state batteries and materials beyond the standard lithium-ion chemistry.

Solid Power has already started small volume production of its solid state batteries, helping with support from Ford and BMW.

QuantumScape is backed by Volkswagen and promises its batteries “soon.” Vietnamese newcomer to the U.S. market Vinfast is working

Photo courtesy of SolidPower

with ProLogium from Taiwan and there’s speculation that the company’s next-generation models could contain solid state batteries. Vinfast has also said it will establish a battery plant near where it will locate its vehicle manufacturing operations. Li-Metal Corp. out of Canada is already functioning as a Tier 2 supplier, shipping samples of its solid-state style anodes to customers. It’s also working with Blue Solutions, a subsidiary of the French Bolloré Group and says it will have batteries in cars by 2026.

Then there are companies like Toyota, which has more solid-state battery patents than any of the large battery makers or other auto companies. A distant second in the tabulation by Nikkei and Patent Result was sometime Toyota battery partner Panasonic. Samsung from South Korea was the only non-Japanese company in the top 10, though the report noted that both LG Chem and Samsung have greatly increased their patent portfolios in the past three decades.

The State of Solid State

All this intellectual activity and money has moved the needle, as is evident by the close-in market predictions for the technology. The European environmental group Transport & Environment studied solid state batteries and found that — if the most sustainably sourced

materials are used — this type of battery could reduce a car’s carbon footprint by as much as 39%. One caution was noted — solid state batteries actually require 35% more lithium than their predecessors, though they use far less cobalt and graphite. That could affect pricing and the promise of more battery power at less cost.

The solid state push and a concurrent move to reduce the environmental footprint of mining operations, have spurred new developments in the areas of mining and also recycling. Ionic Mineral Technologies recently emerged from stealth mode operations and is ramping up production of nano-silicon, which can be used as a replacement for graphite, promising increased energy density and faster charging speeds.

Tesla’s next-generation batteries have been delayed until 2023, according to Reuters, but when the production issues are overcome they are expected to bring about a $5,000 reduction in battery pack costs. That would be half the cost of the current generation battery packs.

Another way to attack mineral scarcity and reduce cost is to use recycled components of the battery pack when it deteriorates and is no longer able to function as an automotive battery. Tesla’s J.B. Straubel quit the company he helped found to go into the battery recycling business. Another company to move into the space,

Ascend Elements, has the support of Jaguar Land Rover and the South Korean conglomerate SK Group. Ly-Cycle Holdings is another new company moving into this space.

Alternatives to Solid State

New battery chemistries may give solid state batteries a run for its money. Addionics CEO Moshiel Biton, a battery expert, analyzed the various alternatives.

Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries are safe and lightweight, but less energy dense than some other options. BYD and Tesla, two of the largest EV makers in the world, are fans.

Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries are more expensive than LFPs, but offer higher energy density. There are some concerns about high temperatures that could cause safety issues. LG is working on cobalt-free versions of the battery.

Using more silicon to substitute for graphite is one approach being tried. The concern with this approach, which Tesla is said to be exploring, is that while it is significantly cheaper than current chemistries, it may not be as stable or durable as other chemistries.

Sodium-ion batteries are a new approach that uses a cheaper material. Safer than LFP batteries, they have lower energy density. Giant Chinese battery maker CATL is working to improve this chemistry.

Then There’s Solid State

This one checks all the boxes — safer, more energy dense, capable of faster charging, greater range and longer life, but it’s current fatal flaw (other than not being in production) is cost. It’s still significantly more expensive to produce than the other chemistries, but given the amount of money being poured in this area, progress should be made relatively quickly. That corner we talked about earlier should be before the end of the decade.

It’s urgent because right now material costs — lead by lithium, cobalt and a variety of other critical materials — are skyrocketing and driving EV pricing up rather than down as production scales up. That corner, whether it’s ushering in solid state batteries or just a more advanced battery chemistry, cannot come too soon. ■

Photos courtesy of QuantumScape

A Vista of 100 Billion Flares: Photos From the James Webb Telescope

By Aron Vaughan

If there’s one reason to smile It’s when you look up out at night You’re fortunate enough To drink in a vista 100 billion flares Display a glowing history Splayed out across a canvas, the night sky But, for a moment just contemplate When looking up, you only saw a blank slate And, for a moment just contemplate It appears that heaven’s been abandoned – Rou Reynolds

On those cloudy summer nights when light can’t penetrate the mass of liquid droplets, frozen crystals and other particles suspended in the atmosphere, consider taking a look at the latest James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images. They give us an unprecedented view into the ethereal realm of the cosmos beyond our Pale Blue Dot — and they’re being beamed back to Earth at an impressive rate.

NASA revealed the first five images

taken by the new observatory July 12. Streaming live from the Goddard Flight Center in Maryland, scientists presented the photos one by one accompanied by detailed explanations.

A team of over 20,000 engineers and scientists worked over the course of more than 20 years leading up to JWST’s launch on Christmas Day, 2021. Here are the first official images from NASA’s newest deep field observatory.

Image 1: Deep Field Photo of a Cluster of Galaxies

We’re seeing these galaxies as they looked over 13 billion years ago, around the same time our Sun was born. You can see individual clusters of stars forming and faint red galaxies in the background. These detailed deep-field images are exactly what JWST was designed to capture.

In comparison, the Hubble extreme deep field took two weeks of continuous work to produce a photo with less than half the clarity of this one.

“With Webb, we took that image before breakfast,” said operations project scientist Jane Rigby.

All photos courtesy: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Image 2: Exoplanet

WASP 96-b is an exoplanet 1000 light years away — which is relatively close on a universal scale. It is a hot, gaseous, giant planet similar to Jupiter. The biggest breakthrough JWST provided about the planet, however, is that Wasp 96b shows evidence of having atmospheric water, which is essential to sustaining life. Exoplanet scientists at NASA will continue to investigate WASP 96-b, other exoplanets, Mars, and asteroids using the JWST.

Image 3: Southern Ring

This side-by-side comparison shows observations of a nebula in near-infrared light, at left, and mid-infrared light, at right, from NASA’s Webb Telescope. Nicknamed “Southern Ring,” this planetary nebula is an image of a dying star expelling a large fraction of its mass in successive waves. Remnants of a binary star, the nebula is reminiscent of a cell dividing. Newly firmed molecular hydrogen gives the nebula a foamy orange aesthetic emanating from the core. There is a blue haze in the inner region due to hot ionized gas heated by the leftover core of the exploding star. The rays in the outer regions are holes in the inner nebula allowing light to escape.

Image 4: Stephan’s Quintet

This image shows five galaxies located 300 million light years away from Earth. The middle galaxies on the right are locked in a closed interaction — a cosmic dance driven by gravitational force.

“This is an important image and area to study because it shows the type of interaction that drives the evolution of galaxies,” said Webb NIRSpec scientist Giovanna Giordino.

Aug. 31: Phantom Galaxy

M74 shines at its brightest in this combined optical/mid-infrared image, featuring data from both the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. With Hubble’s venerable Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Webb’s powerful Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) capturing a range of wavelengths, this new image has remarkable depth.

The red colors mark dust threaded through the arms of the galaxy, lighter oranges being areas of hotter dust. The young stars throughout the arms and the nuclear core are picked out in blue. Heavier, older stars towards the galaxy’s center are shown in cyan and green, projecting a spooky glow from the core of the Phantom Galaxy. Bubbles of star formation are also visible in pink across the arms. Such a variety of galactic features is rare to see in a single image. Scientists combine data from telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum to truly understand astronomical objects. In this way, data from Hubble and Webb compliment each other to provide a comprehensive view of the spectacular M74 galaxy.

Image 5: Carina Nebula

This stunning image of the cosmic cliffs of the Carina nebula reveals new details about the vast stellar nursery.

“Today, for the first time, we’re seeing stars that were previously completely hidden from our view,” Webb’s Deputy Project Scientist Amber Straughn said. “There’s a sense of depth and texture from these new data.”

The Carina Nebula is a near star-forming region within the milky way galaxy, about 7,600 light years away. This photo shows examples of new stars we’ve never seen before, features such as bubbles, cavities, and jets being blown out by newborn stars abound.

Toward the top of the rim are a sea of gigantic hot, young stars. Stellar wind from those stars is pushing down into the gas and dust of the nebula — ideal material for newborn stars and baby planets.

Every dot of light we see here is an individual star, many of which also likely have planets orbiting them.

Since the initial July 12 unveiling by NASA, photos showcasing distant galaxies and nebulae, as well as relatively close exoplanets and solar systems have abounded. We have also received highly-detailed images of the planets in our own backyard, with snaps of Jupiter being particularly stunning.

Sept. 6: Cosmic Tarantula

Take a moment to stare into thousands of never-before-seen young stars in the Tarantula Nebula.

The James Webb Space Telescope reveals details of the structure and composition of the nebula, as well as dozens of background galaxies.

Stellar nursery 30 Doradus gets its nickname of the Tarantula Nebula from its long, dusty filaments. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, it’s the largest and brightest star-forming region near our own galaxy. It is also home to the hottest, most massive stars known.

The center of this image, taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera instrument (NIRCam), has been hollowed out by the radiation from young, massive stars (seen in sparkling pale blue). Only the densest surrounding areas of the nebula resist erosion, forming the pillars that appear to point back towards the cluster of stars in the center. The pillars are home to stillforming stars, which will eventually leave their dusty cocoons and help shape the nebula.

Aug. 22: Jupiter

This image comes from the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet. Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum. The longer wavelengths appear redder and the shorter wavelengths appear more blue. Scientists collaborated with citizen scientist Judy Schmidt to translate the Webb data into images.

In the standalone view of Jupiter, created from a composite of several images from Webb, auroras extend to high altitudes above both the northern and southern poles of Jupiter. The auroras shine in a filter that is mapped to redder colors, which also highlights light reflected from lower clouds and upper hazes. A different filter, mapped to yellows and greens, shows hazes swirling around the northern and southern poles. A third filter, mapped to blues, showcases light that is reflected from a deeper main cloud.

The Great Red Spot, a famous storm so big it could swallow Earth, appears white in these views, as do other clouds, because they are reflecting sunlight.

Pillars of Creation

First captured by the Hubble Telescope in 1995 and again in 2014, the Pillars of Creation has become one of the most mesmerizing deep space phenomena of all time.

Now, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has fixed its gaze on the towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas sitting at the heart of M16, also known as the Eagle Nebula.

The level of detail the Webb telescope has picked up through its formidable infrared sensors is nothing short of astonishing. It is no wonder it is one of the most highly anticipated JWST images of the year.

What is being shown to human eyes through the processed image is the formation of stars in real time. The 3-D pillars look like majestic rock formations but are actually a vast collection of interstellar dust and gases that are slowly being condensed together by gravity, paving the way for the creation of new stars.

“When knots with sufficient mass form within the pillars of gas and dust, they begin to collapse under their own gravity, slowly heat up, and eventually form new stars,” NASA stated.

Stretching roughly 4 to 5 light-years, the Pillars of Creation are a fascinating but relatively small feature of the entire Eagle Nebula, which spans 70 by 55 lightyears. The nebula, discovered in 1745 by the Swiss astronomer JeanPhilippe Loys de Chéseaux, is located 7,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Serpens.

Fighter Jets Help Capture America The Beautiful

Greg Wilson and His Cinematography Team Used Unprecedented Techniques to Bring the Latest Disney+ Nature Documentary to Viewers.

By Aron Vaughan

Cinematographer Greg Wilson has been a part of some major projects in the last few years, including the award-winning documentary Zion, and the Netflix film Amateur. Most recently, he took to the skies as the aerial cinematographer for the National Geographic series, America the Beautiful, a six-part documentary series streaming now on Disney+.

Wilson captured the diverse and mesmerizing landscape of North America from thousands of feet in the air to help viewers get an unprecedented look at the vast ecosystems, flora and fauna of the continent. Narrated by Michael B. Jordan of Creed and Black Panther fame, the documentary series rolled out just in time for Independence Day.

America the Beautiful is the first natural history series to place cinema-grade cameras on fighter jets, revealing rich and textured worlds that are unique to the continent. The jet-mounted cameras show how America’s landscapes fit together and shape one another: a single shot can reveal how the Sierra mountains made the Mojave Desert or the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon.

The same aerial system proved a revelation for filming wild weather, enabling footage of supercells and tornados from close range. For the series, National Geographic purchased carbon credits from projects that reduce emissions, benefit communities, and support biodiversity to compensate for production emissions, including the emissions of the aircraft used in filming.

Innovation & Tech Today spoke with Wilson preceding America the Beautiful’s release about the novel approach to making the documentary and what it felt like to capture the natural beauty of North America’s landscape from several different aircraft.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Innovation & Tech Today: So, can you tell me a little bit about your experience on the documentary series?

Greg Wilson: I’ve been a cinematographer for about 14 years and shot all kinds of commercials and documentaries and feature films. And, you

know, my roots come from natural history, still photography and bringing high-speed photography into the natural history sphere for storm chasing and things like that back in, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Kind of moving back into the natural history sphere with a team around us with Wild Star Films, and the trust that they extended to us to explore the jet platform, the innovation and the coordination and the teamwork that went into this series provides a totally new perspective and a new ability to place cameras in places where they’ve never been before. So when we were first approached by Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz about engaging and joining this series, we couldn’t have been more excited.

Lightning strikes during a monsoon storm over the Grand Canyon, AZ. (America Films Ltd/Ty Schmitt)

I&T Today: What’s the advantage of using jets for the documentary rather than drones or helicopters?

GW: So, there’s a significant amount of stability that’s gained. Drones have been used for quite a while. Helicopters have been used for a long time in natural history. I mean, going back to Planet Earth, and it gives you a new perspective and an ability to stay back a little bit from the predation that’s happening with wolves and caribou and things like that. But as far as stability over long distances and transitions of altitudes from 500 feet to 40,000 feet in a single shot, there’s just nothing like a jet aircraft to be able to bring entirely new perspectives. It’s just an entirely new lens and paintbrush to work with as a cinematographer.

I&T Today: What kind of jets did you use to shoot?

GW: The first aircraft that we built was an L39. So that’s a twin-seat fighter. It fits the profile of the GI system that we use perfectly, which is rated for 350 knots and three Gs. Now, the aircraft can perform at a bit higher level than the GI, but overall it fits the envelope for most of

the work that we’re gonna do in most of the spheres that we work in. So that was me and a pilot in the front, who is almost always gonna be a former fighter pilot. So we work with Air Force fighter pilots from both the F4 Phantom and the F16. And then our other main pilot is John Flanigan, who was a Naval aviator and a Top Gun adversary pilot who basically taught the new recruits what they’d be up against if they were to go into combat with an enemy.

So that was the L39. We also used a Phenom 300 business jet, which we could bring on our whole staff and basically have a command station in the air where we could have two pilots: one managing systems, one managing the flying. And we could have a meteorologist on board. We could have our aerial coordinator, Mike, and then we could have up to two cameras operating at the same time, one on the nose, one on the tail, and then we could also travel our technician in the aircraft to fend off any technical glitches that we may encounter as we fly.

I&T Today: So you felt pretty safe up there?

GW: Yeah. I mean aviation self-selects for some pretty special folks and we’ve put great effort

into hand-picking the best of the best, that have basically honed their skills over a lifetime. And now we’re all kind of united in this sort of multidisciplinary team that is approaching and applying all of the skills that we’ve learned over the last decade or two or three or four in some cases, applying that to film and natural history.

I&T Today: So, what makes this documentary different from other nature documentaries?

GW: I think, obviously the animal and wildlife footage and the way that those scenes are treated is above and beyond anything that I’ve seen in another series. But I think if we were to talk about my contribution and our team’s contribution, setting scope and scale and really illustrating the way things fit together and how mountain ranges are essential. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is a shield that blocks all the moisture from the fertile valley of California on the west side. And then on the east side, you have Death Valley. I think you can really see how things, from an ecological standpoint, all fit together. So I think it’s a big scope and scale. And then I think the jet brings an energy to the natural world that has never been there before. ■

Pyrocumulus clouds, literally translated as “fire clouds," form above a wildfire in northern California. (National Geographic for Disney+)

A supercell storm hits the Heartland. (National Geographic for Disney+)

The sun reflects on the water of the Yukon flats. These lands are essential for the survival of migratory caribou. (National Geographic/Austin Ferguson)

A fighter jet fitted with a gyrostabilized camera flies close to speed of sound to capture Grand Canyon National Park in a way that it's never been seen before. (National Geographic for Disney+)

Camping and Hiking

Sawyer Bottle Filtration System — The 24-ounce Water Filtration Bottle allows you to fill and drink instantly from freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, or while traveling. It includes Sawyer’s high performance 0.1 micron absolute hollow fiber membrane filter, which removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli, 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium, and 100% of microplastics. The kit includes a 24-ounce BPA free Tritan bottle, cap that fits standard wide mouth bottles, the dual threaded Mini Filter, and a backwash syringe. Use it for hiking, backpacking, camping and emergency preparedness, and travel. $36

Mini — A lightweight, versatile personal filtration system, the second-generation Sawyer MINI Water Filter fits in the palm of your hand and has a total field weight of just 2 ounces. Perfect for everything from camping with the kids to traveling abroad where tap and bottle water can’t be trusted, the tiny MINI provides 0.1 micron absolute filtration for clean drinking water on-the-go, filtering out bacteria, protozoa and microplastics. $21

Garmin 700 GPS Montana — A phone GPS may do the trick for most outings, but for off-grid wilderness adventures, you need to bring out the big guns. The Garmin 700 GPS Montana is built to withstand everything nature can throw at it. The durable, waterresistant handheld is tested to U.S. military standards and features a glove-friendly 5” touchscreen that’s 50% larger than previous Montana models. Add in features like topoactive maps, public land boundaries, satellite views, ABC sensors, active weather forecasts and a pre-loaded trail finding app, and you have an essential piece of tech for hikers, hunters, cross-country cyclists or any outdoor enthusiast. $600

Unibank Power Bank — The Unibank Power Bank offers the power of energy in any situation. Pulling the cord for just 90 seconds can give you 25 minutes of talk time on a typical smartphone. As well as its built-in LED torch and unique pull & power charger, Unibank offers a choice of a portable ambient light, wireless speaker, panic alarm, and laser measure attachments — all controlled from an intuitive, free app. Perfect for camping and hiking, the Power Bank is also an indispensable tool to keep in the glove compartment in case of emergency. $100

SwitchBot Lock — The SwitchBot Lock is a smart lock option that requires no refitting, so users can control their door to open or lock remotely via smartphone or Apple Watch. SwitchBot Lock uses 3M VHB to stick to the door and has a thumbturn adapter to control the thumb-turn to lock or unlock. It also has an automated lock feature so that when you leave your house, the door will automatically lock.Of course, it wouldn’t be a true smart device without remote control and voice assistant support. By adding a SwitchBot Hub Mini, users can control unlock or lock remotely to let a family member or a friend in during long hikes and camping getaways. SwitchBot is compatible with most deadbolt locks. $104

How to Turn Your Backyard Into an Outdoor Entertainment Hub

As Devices Become Smarter, the Patio is Becoming the Social Center of the Home.

By Adjoua Kouassi

Where I live in Southeast Florida, indoor/ outdoor living is baked into the very fabric of home design. In many homes, French doors open up to sprawling patios where friends and family can gather, eat, and drink, well past sundown — as long as ample citronella candles are provided to fend off the ever-present mosquito invasion.

In recent years, homeowners in less welcoming climates have begun to adopt the indoor/outdoor lifestyle. The availability of heating lamps, smart fire pits and insulated patios have made it possible for everyone to enjoy lazy evenings on the back porch watching a football game or simply gazing at the stars while enjoying the company of a crackling fire.

sprinklers to go off, or even control your fan without leaving the comfort of your chair. Lights can even be dimmed to create the desired atmosphere with specialized smart plugs.

The Govee Dual Smart Plug takes the technology to the next level by incorporating Bluetooth and Alexa or Google Assistant capability. The Govee Home App controls the plugs remotely, so no hub is required.

Smart Plugs

The first step to creating the ideal smart patio is implementing smart plugs to your lighting, speakers, grill and other appliances and entertainment devices.

Smart plugs are an inexpensive addition that can transform an outdoor living space into a smart, integrated entertainment and hosting hub.

A smart plug is a small device that plugs into any outlet and allows the user to control whatever is plugged into it remotely. This means you can easily turn on your outdoor lights, schedule your

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most effective ways to convert a patio or outdoor space into a focal point. The LIFX Outdoor Bulb is a multi-color light that doesn’t require a bridge or hub to work. LIFX is especially known for their bright and accurate colors, so users won’t have to worry about their blues looking too white or green. Like the Govee Smart Plugs, LIFX lights connect to voice activation apps.

If you don’t feel like removing your outdoor lights and rewiring new ones, LIFX BR30 bulbs are a good option. Installation is as easy as screwing in a light bulb. Just make sure your light switches are kept on after they are installed, since you will control the lights in the app going forward.

Fire Pit

No patio space is complete without a robust fire pit centerpiece. In colder climates, it’s also essential to being able to enjoy your patio yearround. Today’s models are so much more than your wood-in-a-ditch variety. With adjustable flames, smoke-free functionality and appenabled control, prepare to spend a lot more time getting toasty on chilly nights.

The BioLite FirePit+ is a high-tech solution to your smart fire pit needs. Boasting an airflow system with 51 air jets that fuel the fire with oxygen, the Biolite FirePit+ produces more efficient flames with less smoke than traditional pits. And depending on the type of burn style you select, you can keep those embers burning for up to 24 hours.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true piece of smart tech without Bluetooth capability. You can control the size of the flames remotely via the The Biolite Energy app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. The fact that it is portable and can transform into a hibachi-style grill is just icing on the s’more. ■

Should I Have Cyber Insurance?

By Chris Mellides

With so much emphasis behind sharing personal information online for the sake of presenting our best digital selves, we seldom consider the various cyber threats that exist and the propensity by which they can pose serious risk.

The emphasis on living carefree and posting ad nauseam online can come at a significant cost. It’s not all fun and games when it comes to preserving your sensitive information while casually browsing the internet.

Agreeing to the usual Terms of Service (TOS) of a given website, app or social media platform often gets glossed over before vulnerable users click “accept”, or worse still, find themselves downloading the latest freeware or files from less than credible websites.

At the forefront of cyber attacks, that include everything from phishing and e-mail scams to trackers and malware, it’s important to consider if investing in cyber insurance is appropriate for you and whether the ends do justify the means.

Cyber security insurance primarily helps guard businesses from computer-related crimes, losses and scams. For a nominal fee, there are a number of services that provide real-time

protection so that companies big or small can continue to conduct business with fewer worry.

While it is true that there are a number of online threats that affect your everyday user, businesses tend to be the bigger targets. A common cyber attack against them usually comes in the form of ransomware and makes companies panic as they run the risk of losing their sensitive information while unwittingly spamming their clients.

Small businesses are particularly vulnerable since they often refrain from allocating a portion of their budget towards the prevention of cyber security threats, according to DataStream Cyber Insurance, a company that advises businesses to prevent attacks before they can occur.

“Threat actors often look for the low hanging fruit,” DataStream cautions, “To them, no business is too small. All businesses hold sensitive data from customers and employees including credit card info, e-mail addresses, Social Security Numbers, driver’s license info, even competitive info and trade secrets.”

In a report conducted by Forbes Magazine, 61 percent of all server message block protocols (SMB) have reported at least one cyber attack

since last year, which is alarming, considering that SMBs can also impact company-wide communications.

SMB protocol is designed for sharing information and granting access to known users, which allows them an entry point to serial ports, files and a host of resources that reside on their shared networks that can sometimes become virtual playgrounds for hackers.

David Seidman has spent over 13 years as a cyber security expert and is currently the head of detection and response platform for Robinhood. He has advised companies like Google and Microsoft in assessing and preventing cyber attacks.

Seidman recognizes the faults in companywide security that guards against hackers who often used advanced methods to dupe vulnerable businesses.

“It takes a good team to set up the right alarms that catch a real attack but don’t trigger too often when no attack happened,” Seidman writes. “Catching this level of attacker is very feasible, but not cheap. These attackers tend to be commercially motivated, looking to steal credit cards, passwords and other monetizable data.” ■

– DataStream

“Threat actors often look for the low-hanging fruit … To them, no business is too small. All businesses hold sensitive data from customers and employees … ”

Cyber Insurance

Mental Health in a Pandemic World

COVID-19 Forever Changed Mental Health Care.

By Chris Mellides

The various impacts of the global pandemic have increased worry among people in pursuit of relief. As inflation rates soar and industrywide shortages have only furthered societal stress, there are people turning their attention to application-based solutions for their mental health treatment.

Telehealth usage skyrocketed in popularity near the start of COVID-19 from 2019 into present day. New viral strains continue popping up and have made transitioning back to pre-pandemic life harder to fathom, no matter the age group.

However, there are other ways to seek treatment without leaving the comfort of your own home. But, if you’re more on the go and need a quick affirmation or pick-me-up, you’re a text message or a one-on-one video session away from making that a reality.

Conventional therapy is such that a stigma is still associated when seeking treatment, particularly with the ill effects and persistence of the pandemic along with subsequent worries that stem from volatile world events. This has left many young people seeking more discreet and accessible means of receiving alternative assistance.

Dr. Neha Jain, who specializes in mood and anxiety disorders and is a faculty member at the University of Connecticut’s (UConn Health) psychiatry department says that while there is a

“rapid proliferation” in the app-based field, “new apps on the market are far outpacing both research and regulations.”

This, according to the doctor, can muddy the perception of effectiveness when it comes to these newer treatment methods.

“App-based mental health treatment is a wide umbrella term that may include many different types of treatment, including apps that monitor symptoms and recommend DIY therapy techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, and apps that may help you connect with a therapist,” Jain said.

Telehealth visits are on the uptick and the general response has been positive according to experts, who see remote treatment with an established provider benefiting those patients who have already connected with a mental health physician.

“Most app-based treatments do not involve meeting with a clinician,” Jain said. “They may be based more on symptom monitoring and providing therapeutic techniques for patients to practice when symptoms go above a threshold.”

“Some apps may simply collect data to provide to your personal physician, like your sleep or activity data. Other apps may involve seeing a therapist who you never actually see in person, because they are located in another state,” Jain added.

Traditional counseling seems to be more trusted among older patients who continue to value this treatment method that’s proven popular and effective for generations.

However, there are a growing number of teens and young adults who seek alternate forms of therapy that’s more easily accessible via an application that can be downloaded to their mobile devices.

Those individuals that are more open to the adoption of new technology will often turn to their phones and various mobile devices, such as tablets and wearable tech for ease and comfort.

However, no state in the U.S. is created equal. There are a number of them that make seeking mental health treatment extremely difficult and those that suffer from a number of varying ailments have a lack of options when it comes to in-person therapy.

For example, Oregon, Wyoming and Colorado rank as the worst offenders when it comes to the number of mentally ill people living within those states and the

lack of assistance available to them, according to Mental Health America (MHA), an online mental health resource, offering current and past data on the subject.

MHA also states that New Jersey, Wisconsin and Massachusetts rank at the top of the heap, where its’ residents receive the best care and where those adults suffering from Any Mental Illness (AMI) are more highly concentrated.

Therapy has come a long way and we as a society have seen the effectiveness of telehealth, which had become the new normal for many and still has its place in mental health treatment. However, there are a number of companies that can facilitate positive mental attitude (PMA) and, typically, it’s the country’s youth that stand to benefit.

These platforms include, but are not limited to, Regain, Betterhealth and Pride Counseling, the latter of which is tailored specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. These digital resources are convenient and radically different from traditional in-person office visitations.

These various platforms and a number of others afford you the opportunity to match you

with a licensed therapist of whom you can research and select. He or she should be qualified to meet your specific needs at the moment you need assistance most.

Additionally, if you’re someone who is curious about what alternative therapy can offer you, various platforms exist, and the perfect fit can be a simple click away.

Psychotherapy is not a homogenous, one-sizefits-all endeavor. There are different schools of thought and different approaches that may work better for you than others, according to Best Online Therapy Services, an organization that ranks the best alternative online therapy platforms.

Since the pandemic took hold over three years ago, telehealth medicine became the new normal for many therapists that were given the option to work from their homes rather than their places of work. This too, has been wellreceived by their clients.

This begs the question: Just how disruptive is app-based therapy to the overall traditional mental health treatment model?

“One of the biggest ways I think app-based therapy has the potential to disrupt the traditional model is through increasing access to care,” Jain said.

For most people the cost of therapy will generally end up being the same, regardless of what form it takes, whether that’s in-house, telehealth or app-based,” according to Jain, who also said that, “app-based therapies that do not involve seeing a therapist are usually less expensive but may or may not be covered by an individual’s insurance.”

Still, because app-based therapy solutions are a new platform for mental health treatment, it’s hard to say just how beneficial and cost-effective they may be. There are some studies looking at outcomes that have shown positive results, but doctors like Jain say that there is more research needed.

“Mental health services in particular are very hard to access these days, due to increased need, reduced supply, and many other constraints,” Jain said. “Apps can remove many of these constraints, and put therapy, or at least a form of it, in everyone’s pocket.” ■

Supernatural — Supernatural takes VR fitness games to the next level. With immersive games like Flow and Boxing, it’s easy to forget you’re burning calories while flailing away in your living room with a headset on. Motivating instructors help ground the experience as you carry out motions in sci-fi-style alien planets or Earth’s most breathtaking locations. The workouts are also specifically designed to maximize each motion. For example, the boxing movements are modified so the hand movements are like jabs and the footwork is more ducking and dodging. To cool down, take part in some mediation offered within the app. Supernatural is available for the Meta Quest and Quest 2. $15/ month subscription

Withings Body Cardio Smart Scale — Go beyond measurements with the Withings Body Cardio Smart Scale. Developed with cardiologists, users can get a holistic picture of their overall health with features like a weight and BMI display, body composition, and heart rate. All Withings scales also automatically sync to the Health Mate app. With built-in coaching, you can set goals, see your trends over time, and get rewarded. $150

Smart Fitness

Theragun Mini — After a particularly grueling Supernatural guided workout, there is no better way to decompress than breaking out the Theragun Mini muscle massager. The Theragun Mini offers all the benefits of handheld percussion therapy in a convenient pocket-size. Theragun quality meets ultimate portability. With a universal attachment and 3 speeds, your device has the power to massage any area like a pro. Compact but powerful, Theragun mini is the most agile massage device that goes wherever you do. $180

Ozmo Smart Water Bottle — Ozmo Smart Water Bottle connects with the Ozmo Water Tracking App to record both your water and coffee consumption and tracks your progress throughout the day to help you reach your hydration goals. It syncs with Fitbit, Apple Watch, and other fitness trackers to re-evaluate your hydration needs post-workout. Other features include LED lights, vibration alerts that remind you to stay hydrated throughout the day, high precision and accuracy in measurement and up to three weeks of battery on a single charge. $70

Creating Genie

Hook from Peter Pan, Mirabel from Encanto and young Simba from The Lion King.

anyone who has a little fear about drawing, just do it. And I was wondering, was that a struggle for you early on?

By Corey Noles

It’s not often we get to step behind the curtain at Disney Animation, but a new series has shown us a glimpse of life behind the scenes of the original animators.

The six-part original series Sketchbook with Walt Disney Animation Studios is available on Disney+.

Audiences get an insider’s look into the animation process as talented artists teach them how to draw beloved Disney characters, including Kuzco from Emperor’s New Groove, Olaf from Frozen, Genie from Aladdin, Captain

An intimate instructional documentary series, Sketchbook takes us onto the desks and into the lives of talented artists and animators as they teach us how to draw a single iconic character from a Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Each episode focuses on a single artist illustrating a character that either they helped create or inspired them to want to be an artist at the Studio.

As we learn the steps to drawing these characters, we also discover the artists each have a unique story to tell about how they made their way to Disney and their chosen character.

Eric Goldberg, the creator of the iconic Genie from Aladdin, recently sat down with Innovation & Tech Today to share his story. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Innovation & Tech Today: There was a quote in the very beginning I really liked. You said for

Eric Goldberg: No, I actually started drawing very, very early. Actually, my brother Elliot started me drawing. He taught me how to draw Woody Woodpecker when I was four, and I kept it going and he became a journalist. So there you go. I was always comfortable with drawing. I wasn’t always good at it, but I was comfortable with it. And I just got more and more practiced over the years.

I&T Today: So your first character with Disney was Genie from Aladdin. How did the plan and vision for Genie come together?

EG: Well, first of all, I can’t not talk about John Musker and Ron Clemens who directed it and also wrote the initial script. And I had known John for a while. My wife, Susan, was one of his Cal Arts colleagues. She had introduced me a few years before and by the time I got on Aladdin, you know, we were friends.

Aladdin animator Eric Goldberg shares how his love of drawing was sparked and his experience working on some of Disney’s most beloved animated films.

The other person I can’t not mention is Robin Williams. And one of the talents that John and Ron have is to be able to write the script in the voice of the actor they would like to cast. So they gave me the script a week before and said, oh, have a look and see if there’s a character that interests you. And of course, the Genie leaps off the page. And I go in and I go, I hope they give me the Genie. I hope they give me the Genie. And they say, oh, we’re thinking of you for the Genie. And I’m like, oh, oh, okay. That was great. And, I was so excited. It turns out that I locked myself out of my rental car and they had to call security to break me in.

So, that was my inauspicious start at Disney Animation.

I&T Today: Do you ever look back at any of those old drawings and wonder how it would feel if you’d gone with a different style or different Genie?

EG: Yeah, I do. I, you know, the nice thing about Genie is that he got paired down to his simplest essence.

You know, when, when I was first doing some initial designs, I had genies with horns and vests and turbines and, you know, all sorts of things on him. And, the more I paired down all off of him, the simpler he got, the better he got.

So I’ll quote Al Hirschfeld, you know, who said “when I don’t have the time, I make a complicated, fussy drawing. When I do have the time, I make a simple one.”

I’ve always taken that to heart. It really takes time to get something to its essence, to what that line should be like. And I always think about him in conjunction with this film in this character.

I&T Today: In this episode, you also talked a lot about the role the actor plays in reference, and how involved Robin Williams was with Genie. Do you often get to work with the actor that early on to help mesh your vision with theirs and create this being?

EG: Yes. Often, even if I’m not directing the film, the directors would have me sit in on the recording sessions, so I’d be able to be there and watch Robin and kind of formulate things and get ideas while I was watching Robin and hearing the takes.

Some of those things came thick and fast because it was Robin, and some of those things kind of worked out the recording sessions. But what was kind of cool is Robin knew I was on his wavelength. It’s like he could do something, and he’d know I’d pick up on it.

I&T Today: How has technology changed your job over the years? I noticed we only see a very simple room with a simple table, paper and a pencil. And I’m wondering as tech changed, how has your day-to-day work changed with it?

EG: You know, tech has changed it. Absolutely. And in most cases changed it for the better.

I’ll give you a few rudimentary examples. So,

you know, back in the day, drawings used to be inked on cells and painted on the reverse and then put on top of a background. Well, now we can do that digitally. Now, one thing that happened, so we scan our drawings and can paint them digitally then composite them digitally over the backgrounds.

One thing that affords us is a million different levels. When you are working with cells, you could only have five levels max before the picture would start to get gray. So you had a limited amount of space to work with in terms of the number of levels your frame could have.

Now, it can be infinite because there’s no image loss. Of course, that makes things more complicated too, but it does allow us to do things that we couldn’t have done before. And also, I work on a Wacom tablet very, very frequently for designing, storyboarding, illustration —things like that — that the studio needs. And it’s very, very useful. And I’m very comfortable on it. ■

To read the full interview, visit https://innotechtoday. com/disney-sketchbook-aladdin-animator-recallsgenie-creation-robin-williams/

Eric Goldberg joined Disney Animation as the supervising animator of Genie for 1992’s Aladdin. He is considered one of the greatest animators in history. In this episode of Sketchbook, he revisits the character Genie. (Disney/ Richard Harbaugh)

Now You Can Have Your Vinyl and Stream it, Too

Burntable Co-Founder Aaron Peterson Has Created a Platform That Allows Vinyl Record Aficionados to Upload Their Favorite Pressings to the Cloud and Listen to Them in a Digital Format.

By Corey Noles

Vinyl or digital? It’s a loaded question to which the answer changes drastically depending upon the individual it is directed toward. Audiophiles have their arguments teed up, ready to fly through the air in an accusatory barrage.

“Records contain an analog copy of sound pressed into vinyl in the shape of the original sound wave. Digital music files are merely the waveform of the original sound transformed into a stream of ones and zeroes,” an analog purist might begin.

The digital advocate would logically rebut with “digital recordings contain at least 40,000 samples or snapshots per second so we can accurately reconstruct the original, continuous analog waveform up to the limits of human hearing (frequencies up to 20,000 Hz).”

“Vinyl has an intangible fullness subtly missing from music streamed from the cloud,” the purist returns.

“But digital is so much more convenient.”

“But vinyl is so much cooler.”

Both sides make cogent arguments, but what if there were a way to have your record and stream it, too?

Burntable co-founder Aaron Peterson believes Analog vs. Digital is a false dichotomy.

Burntable is the world’s first dedicated site designed to ease the digital preservation of vinyl recordings.

With Burntable, artists and aficionados alike can upload their ultra-rare pressings to the site using a simple interface that preserves the integrity of an LP in a lossless format.

With the right analog-to-digital conversion chip, a properly designed input buffer and a responsibly engineered PCB layout, one can capture the purity, essence, image and dimension of analog–free from artifacts when played back through equally competent digitalto-analog converters. In pursuit of this, Peterson helped build DropStation — the companion hardware to Burntable that converts analog into digital.

Innovation & Tech managing editor Corey Noles sat down with Peterson to discuss the finer points of sound engineering and the revelatory technology Burntable and DropStation use to bring high-quality vinyl to the ears of millions. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Innovation & Tech Today: Let’s start out by learning a little about your background.

Aaron Peterson: Well, it’s mostly software and then I had a little bit of a music mixing and production career in the early 2000s. I opened a small recording studio with my friend, who’s also my Burntable co-founder. We opened a recording studio in Koreatown and I had been messing with audio recording since the midnineties. I’m a musician. I play pretty much everything. That’s how I learned about audio and about the different qualities of audio. And that’s how I learned about digital. So I’ve been messing with analog to digital conversion for many years and watching that change. I was born in 1978, but I still caught the tail end of the analog world.

Eventually, Chris, my co-founder, got me into collecting vinyl. I think it was Steve Albini’s master of In Utero by Nirvana that he Let me just capture onto my MOTU audio interface. He said ‘I just want you to hear what this sounds like. It’s gonna blow your mind.’

It was like everything that mastering engineer and that LA operator cutting that record, cutting that lacquer, everything they put into that. We could hear everything crystal clear, you got the whole thing. You got the whole ride of the

dynamics. I feel like it sparked something in me.

I listened in my car and again, it was like, “Why doesn’t anything sound like this anymore?”

And that’s how it started. I was right in the beginning of the pandemic and I thought, “let’s work on this. We’re nuts. Like, who cares? It might be the end of the world. Let’s just do something crazy. Who cares?”

So that’s how it started.

Peterson on Analog vs. Digital

The discussion’s never been analog versus digital. Digital can be done fantastically and it is a lot of the time. But then you compare some old masters that only exist on vinyl to what’s out there on Apple lossless or whatever. It doesn’t even come close. And I could just as easily say, which is true, there are some terrible pressings. I have quite a few of them. When I’m just going through Target grocery shopping, I swing by their little vinyl aisle. I have about a 50% success rate on their pressings. The good ones are amazing.

The Weekend: The Highlights is the way to hear the Weekend’s body of work, and I’m not even into pop, but that is like whoever took the time to cut that Laquer was somebody who was like, “I’m gonna make this sound really good.” That’s the cool part of the whole thing to me. It became like, “well, can we get a streaming license? How do we

make this legal?” So first we wanted people to just be able to hear firsthand — this is what this pressing sounds like. So if you’re gonna spend this much money for it in the discogs marketplace, at least to know what you’re getting into. And then the second part was, “well if we have all these files, how can we go about letting people listen to them legally?” We talked to a few copyright attorneys and figured out we could get this noninteractive streaming license, kind of like Pandora used to be.

I&T Today: How did you come up with the idea for DropStation?

AP: Well, the DropStation came after Burntable was created. What happened was we realized the equipment we’re using to capture vinyl is in the software designed to record music. It’s designed for music production. I’ve been a Raspberry Pi user, Arduino and all that stuff. I’ve been doing electronics, building my own guitar pedals forever. For one of my birthdays when I was 13, my parents bought me a book called Electronics Projects for Musicians. And it had a flexible 45 final in the back that you could listen to the examples of the projects on a turntable.

I still have that thing somewhere. I think I still have the record too. What happened was it was like, “well, how can we make this easier?” And not only that, we have to make a convenience product, right? But at the same time, it has to

sound really good. And by sound really good, I mean, not do anything to the signal. On this, we basically want to make sure that the signal that comes in is exactly what occurred so that it could be captured by the analog to digital converter and be an accurate representation of what’s on the turntable and what’s on the cartridge, and of course pressing itself.

So the idea was to make something like an easy interface to just capture the records while you’re listening to them. Why not just let people take their phone out and just hit capture and capture what’s happening in a passive way that’s not only electronically and, I should say electronically passive, meaning that the signal can still pass through to your amp.

We just kind of tap into it and capture and convert it to digital. The idea was to create something to make it easier for people to get stuff on Burntable. We did not know so many people were gonna come. We had an interest list from our website of like 1,600 people, so quickly getting emails from all over the world where it’s like, “I have this collection of like rare Swedish metal,” or, “I have 1,800 LPs and they’re all awesome and nobody can stream this stuff.” ■

Listeners can go to burntable.com to learn more about Burntable DropStation. The full podcast with Peterson is also available at innotechtoday. com/innovation-tech-talks.

Burntable's UI is intuitive offering playlists as well as channels that randomly rotate through recordings based on genre. The site also allows users to create their own stations, generated from your own selection of categories and tags.

For the full-length video interview with Burntable Co-Founder Aaron Peterson, scan the QR code now.

Democratizing Radio

Ryan Star’s Stationhead is Revolutionizing the Streaming Experience.

Tdecade. Gone are the days when despotic gatekeepers would single-handedly choose who lives or dies in the entertainment industry. Now, if you have the talent, you can simply upload content to one of the almost infinite number of platforms available to the public. Want to get your name out there as the world’s greatest steel drum percussionist? Get a friend or passerby to upload your street performance to TikTok. Come up with a solution to the latest political news story in your shower? Podcast about it on Patreon.

Of course, there are still traditional avenues that artists can pursue to boost their brand like the ever-popular American Idol and America’s Got Talent, but the best performers inevitably

Star has been on both sides of the media machine, first toiling away as a cog under the watchful eye of the almighty gatekeeper, and eventually finding freedom from the archaic mechanics of it. Star has reinvented himself as an entrepreneur on a mission to unscrew the last nuts and bolts from the rust-stricken mechanized beast that is traditional media.

From Consumer to Creator

Stationhead is a social audio app that turns its users into streaming radio DJs. Fans all over the globe come to host stations, stream live together and talk, chat and celebrate their favorite artists. The idea behind Stationhead is to democratize and recapture the personality of traditional radio

“They don’t want gatekeepers,” said Star. “They don’t want Spotify algorithms telling them what to play. They want their people having an experience with them.”

One of the more genius moves in the creation of Stationhead was integration with Spotify and Apple Music. The partnership means Stationhead doesn’t have to make its own licensing deals with the music labels. For listeners, it means when a DJ plays a song, they’re hearing it stream from the music service of their choice.

In addition to giving young artists a platform, Stationhead has provided the opportunity for music lovers and fans to come together as a community.

Former Rockstar: Supernova contestant, recording artist and Stationhead founder Ryan

“It’s really evolved into more of this experience, more of this music experience together and it feels more like you join … Lately, it feels more like a place where you go to experience the community and experience the music together than a traditional radio where I have a mic and you’re going to listen to me,” Star said.

As the lines blur between content creator and consumer, a symbiosis is being created between the two; fan communities are driving artists’ careers and artists are fueling consumer-driven content. Stationhead is further facilitating this dynamic by offering a platform where artists and consumers can interact. And interaction is the keyword in today’s era of instant and continuous communication.

We are never truly alone in the modern world. Whether we are reading an article, commenting on a post on social media or listening to a podcast during a morning workout, there is an ever-present buzz of external stimuli. Furthermore, we can’t just experience something in a pure form — we must hear the analysis, watch the reaction, listen to the commentary. That’s where Stationhead pulls away from its competitors. It’s fan-based streaming of content — a democratized radio-streaming platform hybrid that has so far been lacking from a seemingly endless list of platforms.

Of course, there would be no interaction if not for the content created by artists. With Stationhead, artists and streamers can hang out in the same virtual space, giving artists a chance

to build real-life relationships with their fans.

“It’s this really, really special place where these stations are created and the fans become the new creator, and then the artist comes and this whole beautiful world’s happening and it’s really special because I feel like it’s where Spotify and Apple and the DSPs kind of left off in this very lonely music experience,” Star said.

All About the Music

Social media has undoubtedly created an open door for up-and-coming artists where there was previously a brick wall. But, with the democratization of media also comes a desperate scramble by creators to claw their way to prominence.

“There’s a narrative going on with these big stars kind of saying, ‘Really? This is what I have to do now to be a musician?’ I would submit a record to my label thinking that was my content and they’d say ‘we need content,’ and they meant ‘go take pictures of your French toast in Brooklyn and post it so people might find out who you are.’” Star said.

Stationhead changes this paradigm and allows the experience to be all about the music and the community of fans behind it.

The Machine and the Man

Through the turbulent early years trying to “make it,” Star gained a new perspective on the entertainment industry. The constant clash between himself, record labels and television executives stifled his artistic expression and

career path. That’s likely why he is so passionate about giving young creatives a path to success.

“When I went back out as a solo artist, I’d have some success at radio and I was told multiple times that, ‘Hey, we don’t break the hits, we play the hits,’ and I thought, ‘Well, that’s dead, that industry. That terrestrial old archaic model is going to die because that’s never been cool,’” said Star. “In radio’s defense, it wasn’t set up that way in the beginning.

“All the famous artists before us were the equivalent of what’s happening now. People were taking chances. They were radio DJs and at midnight, were spinning the new Aerosmith back in the seventies. It was all about chances. So you take the fearlessness and the independence away from any industry and it will become the machine and the man, and then the youth will want to rebel. We are on the rebel side of that.”

Something Special

According to Star, there’s something special happening with Stationhead. There are 12 to 24-year-olds around the planet just realizing that there are people like them out there and that together, music is more fun,” Star said.

In fact, it’s so much fun that the artist wants to be a part of it, too. Young artists are mobilizing and monetizing their passion and talent by becoming creators. In the words of Star: “We’ve given birth to a new kind of creator and that’s the fan.” ■

Photos courtesy of Stationhead

Darren Aronofsky

limitless – the science of longevity

Award-winning director Darren Aronofsky is heading several new projects, including a film adaption of The Whale, and Limitless, a National Geographic docuseries that pushed Chris Hemsworth to his breaking point.

By Aron Vaughan

Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Over the past decade, films became bigger in almost every sense of the word — bigger budgets, bigger action scenes, bigger scales, and bigger universes for characters to interact within. From 2000 onward, we have been living in the era of the superhero.

Everyone and their cousin enjoys an explosive, suspend-your-disbelief comic book adaptation, but the overabundance of additions to the genre leaves some viewers with a feeling of emptiness. Where is the substance?

Some of these media megaliths explore more sophisticated themes like Machiavellianism and utilitarianism, as showcased in anti-hero offerings such as Logan, and more recently, Black Adam. Later-phase Marvel movies even loosely incorporate advanced scientific principles like multiverses and quantum mechanics into their writing. Still, the inclusions are often little more than a jumping-off point for mythic gods and wizards to play around in.

More subtle storytelling that explores the universal themes of the human condition — purpose, meaning, life, death, metaphysics, philosophy, theology, love, loss — seems almost superannuated in a “post-meaning” world. Ironically, as blockbusters get bigger, the pool of motifs to draw from gets smaller. We are now left with a shrinking box — the contents of which are limited to revenge, justice and friendship.

Darren Aronofsky is one of the few directors fighting against the grain in Hollywood while still achieving massive commercial success.

Aronofsky’s sophomore directorial offering, Requiem for a Dream, is a philosophical one. Its themes cut to the heart of contemporary youth: media, drugs and sex. But beyond that, Requiem is a reflection on addiction, alienation and self-ownership.

Visually and aesthetically, Aronofsky materializes urgency of need and the obsession with consumption.

Despite the profundity of the themes Aronofsky explores in the film, it was a critical and commercial success. The provocative nature of Requiem struck a chord with a large audience — a notion that gives hope to the idea that people are still searching for meaning in a social media-centered world that uplifts the shallow and profane.

His surreal psychological thriller Black Swan built upon the success of Requiem, garnering multiple awards, including a 2010 Best Actress Oscar for Natalie Portman and a Best Director nomination for Aronofsky.

Aronofsky’s latest big-screen project, The Whale, will hit theaters in December. Like his previous endeavors, the film, which stars Brendan Fraser, focuses on the human condition. This time, Aronofsky and his team are exploring the importance of connection — a fundamental need for human beings — and the stigma and judgment associated with obesity.

In a recent Variety interview with Fraser and Aronofsky, Fraser stated “the corporeal being he [the Whale] inhabits is really the least interesting thing about him.”

In a poetic twist, Aronofsky’s recent docuseries stars none other than Chris Hemsworth — Thor himself. In Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, the actor undergoes six challenges that push his mind and body to the limit and beyond in an attempt to unlock the key to longevity.

Hemsworth had to master stress, overcome strength barriers and teach his body to handle shock over the course of the series. The most intriguing challenge for Aronofsky, however, was the sixth and final one, where Hemsworth had to face his inevitable mortality in an episode aptly named “Acceptance.”

While Hemsworth may play an immortal god in the Marvel cinematic universe, he is, in reality, a very mortal human who happens to be an actor. Worlds collided in the making of the series as Aronofsky brought the Australian named 2014’s “Sexiest Man” by People back down to Earth.

Innovation & Tech Today recently discussed the new series, life philosophy, and moviemaking with Aronofsky. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Innovation & Tech Today: What prompted you to create Limitless with Chris Hemsworth?

Darren Aronofsky: I became friends with Dr. Peter Attia (one of the experts on the series) a long time ago. He is a world-renowned expert in longevity science, and we just became friends. We probably connected because I made a film called The Fountain in 2006, which is about longevity in some ways.

I was interested in the subject because when I made The Fountain back in the day, but longevity science didn’t really exist. It was truly in the realm of science fiction. But then I’ve noticed over the years how it’s become something super respected with lots of resources from the baby boomer and Gen X generation.

I felt that, “Hey, it would be really interesting to bring to Nat Geo a show on longevity science.”

So that began the pitch and the idea and Nat Geo very quickly understood how it was interesting. Then together with Utopia Production Company out of the UK, we decided to move forward with it.

I&T Today: It seems like you get into mind, body and soul a little bit in this show. Is that something that you consciously wanted to bring to the table right away? Because when you talk about longevity, the last episode was “Acceptance,” right?

DA: Yeah. That was the hardest one to make, and I’d say everyone but me was very skeptical about that. But really the entire reason I did it was for that last episode.

I guess the first five episodes are really about mind and body. There are practical things to do right now at this moment that can help you live better and longer. But it turns out that coming to terms with your death and a form of acceptance can actually help with your longevity, would actually help you live longer, and there’s real science to that.

So for the last episode, I really wanted to dive into that and do it in a way that was extremely

(Photo: Andriy Makukha (Amakuha), CC BY-SA 4.0)

1 2 3

unexpected and a lot of fun. Ultimately, to me, it is emotionally the most entertaining of all the episodes.

I&T Today: You bring a lot of philosophical and metaphysical themes to your projects. Are you searching for your own ontological answers and working them out through your films and this series? You said you were excited about that episode in particular. Is that something that you were maybe wrestling with yourself and you’re finding the answers as you go on this project?

DA: Yeah, I’ve been circling these ideas or wrestling with them and thinking about them my entire life. I think they’re the big ideas of “Why are we here? What are we supposed to be doing? What is life, what is death?” They’re just ideas I remember thinking about as a teenager, and I guess I’m still thinking about it.

I&T Today: We don’t think about it as kids, do we? Because we think we’re invincible. Then one day it hits and some people delve into it more than others. You’ve made that a large part of your life’s work trying to answer those questions through media.

DA: Yeah. I remember there were a lot of guys in high school who didn’t think about any of this and were just really super happy and thrilled running around, acting crazy. I was always the kid with a copy of Sartre, Camus in my back pocket.

I&T Today: After all of this research that you’ve done and diving into the big questions, what is your philosophy of life now?

DA: I think curiosity is super important to me. Over my life, I’ve learned that the youngest old people in the world are the most curious. Personally, I think that one of the biggest secrets to longevity is curiosity. It’s something I try to harness.

I&T Today: You have a movie called The Whale coming out next month. Can you tell me a little bit about it and what your experience was like working on the film and with Brendan Fraser?

DA: It’s a super small film that has a lot of heart. It feels like people are responding to it in a way that was way beyond any of our expectations. We just wanted to work. It was during COVID. I wanted to do something that was really small and safe to pull off because we started working on it before the vaccine, and I had this small film in my back pocket that I was able to get going, and it’s just been a great and exciting ride that people are responding to it so well.

I&T Today: Yeah, there’s a lot of hype. I’m very excited to see it. So you employ devices like the unreliable narrator and have adopted a magical realism style in some of your work. How do you toe the line between artistic vision and commercial success? It seems like something you’re constantly having to battle, and you’re either on one side or the other of it.

DA: I think it’s all about just doing what you believe in. I’m not really calculating beforehand those types of questions. I just get excited by a piece of material and then follow it through. I think if I sat there and tried to weigh the

1. Peter Attia and Chris Hemsworth talk on a bench.

2. During the “Shock” episode Chris Hemsworth surfs a wave.

3. Chris Hemsworth and frontline firefighter Tara attempt to extinguish a fire and locate casualties in the “Stress-Proof” episode.

(All photos National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Parry)

commercial viability or the award play or any of that before I started to go … I don’t think there’s any way to ever predict that and more.

It’s just better to follow the passion you have to tell a certain story to present certain images, to work with certain actors and just sort of follow that path. I try to do that every time I get up to bat — go out and make a movie or even to do a project.

You have to just spend so much time with them that you have to really deeply love them. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for a lot more pain than necessary.

I&T Today: A lot of your films, especially Requiem for a Dream, cut to the heart of the human condition. Some of the themes that you explore can be difficult to watch on screen. How do you reach into those places in your mind and still maintain a positive outlook?

DA: That’s what I like in movies. When I see real people with real feelings in real situations. I love the big Hollywood entertainments that come out as well, and there’s a place for them. But I think it’s also … It doesn’t ever fill my appetite fully. When I see a great dramatic performance, I’m deeply moved and reconnect to people in different places on the planet and see, for a moment, their reality.

I think tragedy, or just even realism, really fills a necessary niche where we live through other characters’ experiences. Then even though those experiences are … Sometimes they move us and make us feel afterward an incredible relief that that’s not our lives, and we can hopefully take

something from watching those experiences and use them to move forward through the world.

It’s the Instagram problem, where people are presenting these perfect lives, bodies and images. How does that make you feel? What does that do to you when you live that? Versus saying, “Oh, wow. There are other people out there that are not having the same journey I am.” I think honesty and truth in stories are important, but we can’t live on a diet of romance novels.

I&T Today: It certainly doesn’t make you feel fulfilled.

DA: Yeah, you’re not going to feel fulfilled in your life if you’re just told this endless, ridiculous story. You have to understand that there are other parts of life and that’s where storytelling is often underused.

Don’t find it difficult. Don’t use that word because it’s wrong. It’s not difficult. It’s important that we visit those parts of our humanity because they exist for all of us. If you don’t know that other people are having a hard time, it’s just going to make you more isolated and feel more alone. I think it’s important that we’re a community where life is complicated. ■

Chris Hemsworth and sports scientist Ross Edgley pose in front of Chris' next challenge: an extreme rope climb.

computer-aged Chris Hemsworth on his door at Sunset Pines.

National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Parry)

THE BUFFALO BOOM

Passionate Companies and Non-Profits are Turning Western New York into a Tech Haven.

By I&T Today Staff

As Web3, robotics, AI, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, and other advanced technologies move forward, the burden to fill roles within these frontier sectors increases.

According to the US Department of Labor, it’s estimated that 3.5 million STEM jobs will need to be filled by 2025. Employment in STEM occupations has grown 79% since 1990, and that number is projected to continue to grow exponentially over the next decade. As technology evolves, STEM universities and training programs need to proliferate at a commensurate rate to keep pace with that evolution.

It is a monumental task, but tech havens like the one cultivated in Buffalo, NY, are providing a model that other cities can emulate to keep up with the existential demand for talent within the tech industry.

Buffalo’s bucolic canvas and traditional pastoral backdrop have blended with quiet suburbs and sustainability-focused tech districts in recent years to paint an idyllic picture. Buffalo families are in the unique position of being able to enjoy the life-enhancing qualities of nature, the value-building structure of a tight-knit community and the opportunity provided by a robust and forward-thinking local economy — a balance that is not easily achieved.

“It’s a wonderful place to start your career and start a family and to engage in all the things that we think are great about Buffalo,” said Sonny Sonnenstein, CIO for consumer business and digital banking at the Buffalo-based M&T Bank.

Buffalo’s geographic position also means that companies in the region have access to talent from Toronto, another major tech hub, and New York City. The proximity to these major tech cities, paired with the opportunities native

Buffalo residents are afforded, puts Buffalo tech companies in an ideal position to retain homegrown talent while reinforcing their teams with professionals from nearby, tech-driven communities.

“I’m super excited when folks choose to come and stay in the Buffalo community,” said Sonnenstein. “I knew we were going to be successful a couple of years into our transformation when we had pulled enough folks out of the ecosystem, we started to put some technologists back into the ecosystem. I think that’s really powerful.”

TechBuffalo is a non-profit organization that focuses on creating and growing an inclusive, accessible and equitable tech community in Western New York. The organization collaborates with businesses in the region to retain and grow talent, including those from communities that have been historically underrepresented in tech.

“It’s a broad mission, but our organization intends to be the glue,” said TechBuffalo CEO Sarah Tanbakuchi. “We’ve made a commitment to supporting non-traditional training programs, things like the data analytics community boot camp pilot, which was all about bringing community members that didn’t have prior data analytics experience through a training program, collaborating with employers to get them into entry-level roles.

TechBuffalo works closely with employers in the region — like ACV Auctions, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, M&T Bank, Moog, Rich Products, and others — who are passionate about growing the tech ecosystem.

“Talent is everywhere,” said Tanbakuchi. “Opportunity is not. And TechBuffalo is really thinking, along with a lot of community partners, on how we expand that aperture of what is tech and what tech opportunity looks like. That’s how I see tech evolving here in Western New York.”

TechBuffalo

Tech employment in Buffalo is projected to increase by 7% from 2022 to 2032. Companies like M&T, Tech Buffalo, and Odoo and the training programs they have created and collaborated on are driving the growth of the Buffalo tech industry, helping build the skills of the next generation of STEM graduates and providing on-ramps for newly certified tech professionals.

M&T

M&T is a prime example of a company investing in Buffalo’s future by taking steps toward making the city’s loft tech aspirations a reality.

As the 11th largest commercial bank in the country and a TechBuffalo partner, M&T is in a position to be a leader in the Buffalo tech movement.

Sarah Tanbakuchi

Photo courtesy of TechBuffalo

One way M&T is facilitating the continued success and growth of that movement is by offering accelerated training programs for STEM students.

“We basically built our own tech academy, which is focused not just on our own employees, but also creating on-ramps to technology careers, helping evolve the ecosystem,” Sonnenstein said.

As a University of Buffalo campus ambassador and a computer science engineering advisory board member, Sonnenstein has spent a lot of time on campus working to get to know the students and helping them build their skills. He also understands how to communicate with students in a way that helps them understand the philosophy behind computer science.

“It’s like learning a foreign language, like Spanish — it’s not as scary as many people think,” said Sonnenstein. “Programming and data analytics are a set of techniques and skills that can be taught. And if you have the aptitude,

we can hopefully, as a community, provide the opportunity.”

While M&T has partnered with organizations like TechBuffalo, it has also created some innovative programs of its own. M&T’s technology development program brings in computer science engineers immediately after graduation. After an initial introduction, they are put through a nine-month training rotation where they continue to learn, grow and enter the workforce with all the necessary skills to succeed.

“It’s a great way for a computer science engineer to start their career because it doesn’t pigeonhole them into one thing,” said Sonnenstein. “And I think we find the best technologists over time aren’t locking themselves into one particular technology. That’s a big piece of our puzzle.”

M&T has also partnered with IBM and Franklin to create the ZDP program, which finds potential employees who have the aptitude

for computer programming computer science and other STEM jobs but may not have been given the opportunity to pursue a career in those fields. The program provides a one-year apprenticeship and trains applicants in mainframe programming. After two successful classes, a third is set to begin later this year.

According to Sonnenstein, the model created by the ZDP program is so successful, it is now being adopted by others in the industry.

“I’m finding as I talk to other CIOs in the industry, that they’re interested in what we’re doing,” said Sonnenstein. “I was just talking to the CIO of another bank who said, ‘Yeah, I heard about the program through you, and I saw it on your LinkedIn. And I reached out to IBM and Franklin. We’re doing it now, too.’”

“We need folks who have those skill sets,” he added. “It’s not just enough to attract people here. We have to keep them growing in the ecosystem. We have to give them the opportunities to advance. And that means

Photos courtesy of TechBuffalo

having a robust set of opportunities, not just for traditionally trained technologists coming out of computer science programs, but for everyone.

“There’s more demand for this technical talent than any one community can import or even just grow through the universities. We have to find more and more on-ramps for folks.”

Odoo

Great programs can churn out tech professionals ready to hit the ground running in a number of fields, but where are they running to?

Odoo is one of a growing list of software firms receiving top-level talent that has come through Buffalo’s robust tech training pipelines.

Founded in 2005, Odoo provides a suite of business management software tools including customer relationship management (CRM), e-commerce, billing, accounting, manufacturing, warehouse, project management, and inventory management.

Born from open-source software, Odoo skyrocketed to the top of the business management software sector after launching its propriety suite of apps in 2015.

Since the V9.0 release that year, the company has transitioned to an open core model, which provides subscription-based proprietary enterprise software and cloud-hosted softwareas-a-service, in addition to the open source version. In 2013, the not-for-profit Odoo Community Association was formed to promote the widespread use of Odoo and to support the collaborative development of Odoo features.

“We forked off of our community or our opensource edition, a proprietary edition of our software called Odoo Enterprise,” said Odoo managing director Nick Kosinski. “Odoo Enterprise is a true SaaS solution that companies have to pay for in order to utilize. That was the birth of our recurring revenue model, which since then has allowed for us to really accelerate our growth.”

Acceleration of growth is an accurate statement. As of August 2022, Odoo was valued at around $3.3 billion and has been growing at about 50 to 60% year-over-year for the last five years.

Although the company was founded in

Belgium, Odoo’s Buffalo branch has been pivotal in growing the local economy and bolstering the tech presence in the region. Kosinski echoed what Sonnenstein and Tanbakuchi said about hiring STEM-focused individuals from Buffalo.

“We want people who are intellectually curious and who are really looking to dig in and build the future of what we see of management software. We are not a company that falls for bias. We do not value previous work experience. We value people who can think rationally and logically and are not afraid to confront a problem.”

With a software suite that integrates all management apps like eCommerce, WordPress, finance, sales and marketing into one system, there are a wealth of opportunities for software developers, web developers, UX designers, mobile app developers, IT project managers, systems architects and AI engineers within the company, and Odoo is not alone in that aspect.

Tech Incubator Programs

The city also provides several startup initiatives specifically targeted toward techfocused companies. During 2021, Buffalo doubled its startup venture capital, raising more than $530 million.

Take 43North for example an annual tech startup competition that has invested in 51 startups from around the world and created more than 800 local jobs in industries and verticals range from artificial intelligence to medical devices, consumer products, manufacturing and all-in-one software platforms. Buffalo’s first tech unicorn, ACV Auctions, won 43North’s 2015 Finals and received a $1 million investment in exchange for 5% equity. Other notable local startups include Jerry, Circuit Clinical and Kangaroo Time. And most recently they have recruited Odoo and Rural Sourcing, two software companies creating over 300 new tech jobs.

“Buffalo is showing itself as a region where tech and innovation can thrive. More companies from outside the region are launching here, raising capital here and, perhaps most telling of our traction, choosing to open offices here. This success is fueling a renewed optimism across our city, while inspiring and cultivating

entrepreneurship like never before,” said 43North’s president Colleen Heidinger

The University at Buffalo also has a hand in the action with its startup incubator spaces and R&D labs, which has more than 50 successful startups under its belt. Through the Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI), which aids manufacturing companies develop innovative products and The Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS), a hub for life sciences and technologybased scientific discovery, UB helps inventors transform their ideas into commercial technology, while facilitating collaboration among academia, industry and the public sector to create jobs that impact the region.

“Our technology ecosystem proves that the Buffalo/Niagara region has the pioneering spirit, talented people, funding and educational resources, affordability, quality of life and unique geographic assets that it takes to support innovative and growing companies,” said Tom Kucharski, president and CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara.

As cCompanies like ACV Auctions and Odoo expand, they are shouting into the ether hoping for tech professionals to respond as their companies expand. Because of Buffalo’s passion and investment in tech, those professionals are shouting back, ready to push the world forward. ■

Nick Kosinski

Photo courtesy of Odoo

BY THE NUMBERS

Nearly 400 miles away from bustling New York City, Buffalo, New York, is making its own statement in the tech industry. Following Buffalo’s inclusion as one of America’s “fastest-growing” startup cities in the York IE FastestGrowing Startup Cities Report, Invest Buffalo Niagara, the area’s private-sector economic development and business attraction organization, announced the former industrial town “saw record-breaking growth in its tech sector.” Buffalo is attracting start-ups, retaining homegrown talent, and drawing from nearby major tech hubs. The result is a growing, robust economy with the tech sector as its engine.

Building a Better World Building a Better World

By Aron Vaughan

It’s a Monday morning, and Murphy’s Law is in full effect. The alarm was set an hour later than intended and the spouse, child and dog have penetrated your inner calm like an invading army breaching castle walls. All before 8 am. You approach the heavy oak front door and swing it wide with reckless abandon, hoping to gain precious seconds back — a ploy that increases the likelihood of making it to the office on time by 0.1%.

But something miraculous happens when the threshold to the world is crossed: the spring air is crisp and clean. Birds sing and chirp and flutter from one hibiscus tree to the next. The sound of traffic is characterized by a gentle hum as vehicles come your way and now speed away in a most organized fashion. Cyclists almost outnumber cars as the morning rush reaches its daily crescendo.

You exhale and begin your seven-block trek to work. This idyllic scene may seem far-fetched or unattainable, but the transformation of urban areas to smart, regenerative, sustainable cities has already begun. Everything is smart nowadays. It’s the new paradigm for our phones, watches and even our homes, and now, our cities are following suit.

How Do We Turn Established Cities Into Something Smarter?

The first step toward creating a smart city is utilizing the digital intelligence we hold in our hands — sometimes obsessively — throughout the day.

Smartphones have the power to direct realtime data to a technology base. Dedicated applications can then analyze the information to provide alerts on crime, traffic and air quality. Technologies used for industrial applications can also be analyzed and added to the growing database. AI analytics are utilized in almost every piece of machinery as the technology becomes less expensive and more widely available. For example, recycling plants are beginning to use AI to understand how to efficiently dispose of and repurpose waste.

According to a report from McGinsky Global Institute (MGI), smart solutions can improve multiple aspects of quality of life in cities including cost of living, jobs, connectedness, environment and health and safety.

Technologies such as real-time crime mapping allow cities to deploy scarce resources to the

most needed areas. Deploying a range of applications to their maximum effect could potentially reduce fatalities from homicide, road traffic and fires by 8-10%. In a high-crime city with a population of five million, this could mean saving up to 300 lives each year. In addition, the intangible benefit of increased peace of mind will manifest in increased productivity and a greater sense of community.

Targeting the Traffic Crisis

If you live and work in a big city, you know the frustration of the daily commute. One of the goals of smart cities is to reduce traffic by creating a more intelligent traffic system.

PHOTO: Zapp2Photo/Shutterstock

Smart city initiatives are creating the framework for a more sustainable world.

Smart-mobility applications have the potential to cut commuting times by 15-20% on average, according to MGI. Digital signage and mobile apps can deliver real-time information about delays, allowing commuters to adjust their routes while in transit. Installing IoT sensors on existing infrastructure will alert crews to problems before they result in major delays. Intelligent syncing of traffic signals will significantly reduce average commute times for people in cities where cars or buses are the primary methods of transportation.

Real-time navigation is already helping drivers avoid on-route accidents and smart parking apps are being implemented throughout the U.S. right now. Reduced commute time and a more efficient traffic system will also reduce the carbon footprint of big cities. It may not seem like a consequential change, but scaled to every major city, these measures could be a critical factor in turning the tide in the ongoing climate battle.

Smarter Cities = A Cleaner World Urbanization, industrialization and rising consumption associated with rapid population growth are some of the main culprits in the degradation of the environment, pollution, food chain collapse and climate change.

Advanced technology like AI and the IoT have made our lives more convenient and even facilitated the path to longer, healthier lives. By making cities smarter, we can turn the crux of the problem into the epicenter of the solution.

Building-automation systems, dynamic electricity pricing and mobility applications

could combine to cut emissions by 10 to 15%, according to MGI. It is a little-known fact that water pipe leaks are one of the biggest sources of water loss. Sensors and analytics can reduce those losses by 25%.

The key to an effective smart city is the sharing-of real-time data. The more information available for analysis, the more the public can be informed on pollutants and the impact of their lifestyles. To fuse two maxims: knowledge is power, great knowledge is great power, and with great power comes great responsibility. Ultimately, well-informed citizens are more likely to take responsibility for the world around them.

Europe Initiatives

While U.S. cities are beginning to implement smart city policies, European cities are at the vanguard of the sustainable city movement. In 2021, 75% of Europe’s population was localized in urban areas, compared to 56% of the population in the U.S., according to Statista.

Because of the high population density in cities and Europe’s dedication to sustainable living, EU-funded smart city and community lighthouse projects have proliferated over the last decade. Stockholm, Barcelona and Cologne were chosen as “lighthouse cities” to pilot the GrowSmarter project — an initiative created to provide sustainable solutions to urban areas throughout Europe.

The project focused on low-energy districts, integrated infrastructures and sustainable urban mobility, and included a deep retrofitting approach for buildings from the 60s and 70s. It

also introduced vehicles fueled by alternative sources and smart traffic management.

“Around one-third of Europeans live in buildings from the 1960s and 70s, which are all in need of renovation,” said project coordinator Gustaf Landahl. “Under GrowSmarter, buildings from the 60s have been refurbished to meet newly built energy standards. If we see this potential, we can start putting in solutions to save energy and give people better instruments to control their own use of energy.”

Between 2015 and 2019, GrowSmarter received €25 million ($26.4 million) in funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program — the largest EU research program in history with nearly €80 billion of funding. The appropriation shows the level of dedication Europe has to sustainability.

According to GrowSmarter’s final report, the participating cities averaged 30-70% in CO2 savings, deployed 72 sustainable vehicles, engaged 15,000 citizens and improved overall quality of life. All aspects of our lives are getting smarter, from the way we eat to the medicine we take and, of course, the tools we use.

Now is the time to utilize these tools on the grandest scale — our planet. Cities are inexorably tied to the health of the Earth, as much as we may not want to admit it. But we must embrace this reality into our collective schema in order to facilitate a better way of living. Fortunately, we have the technology, data-backed knowledge and momentum to make the smart city a fixture of counties, states and countries around the globe. ■

PHOTO: R. de Bruijn_Photography/Shutterstock

PHOTO: Space-kraft/Shutterstock

Creating WorkforceTomorrow’s

By Robert Yehling

One of the least known bipartisan initiatives under the Trump Administration is proving to be one of the best government-private sectorpublic school partnerships to educate, empower and create tomorrow’s sophisticated STEM workforce.

Formally known as the Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Consortium (DSEC), the partnership is broadening STEM literacy and developing a diverse and agile workforce with technical excellence. By addressing and prioritizing critical STEM challenges, the Department of Defense is investing in evidencebased approaches to inspire and develop the Nation’s science and technology workforce. The consortium is aligned with the Federal STEM Education Strategic Plan.

According to the official website, “DSEC seeks to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. This multi-year effort includes elements focused on STEM enrichment programs for students and educators, STEM workforce engagement, program evaluation, and public outreach.” The end game? To improve access and resources for students to pursue STEM careers. While DoD is laying skin in the game in the hopes STEM achievers work in Defense, the skills and opportunities spread across the entire Federal, contractor and corporate spectrum.

Simply put, it is the largest STEM-related net being cast to ensure a workforce that can execute to all the advanced technology, manufacturing, healthcare, IT and other fields that will drive our economy moving forward.

DSEC, or the DoD-STEM Consortium, begins at the beginning — in elementary school.

Also, and importantly, it reaches not only to middle- and upper-class school districts and students, but emphasizes efforts in underprivileged and underserved communities and school districts. Twenty-five years of STEM initiatives, programs and research in this country have made it clear: basic STEM concepts are best learned at an early age — in elementary and secondary school.

As NOAA scientist and global STEM influencer Dr. Tracy Fanara told Innovation & Tech Today, “You have to get to the kids by middle school — especially the girls. That is where they first put it all together, that biology goes with chemistry goes with physics goes with geology and the environment… this is the age where the magic and their belief they can make a career from this really starts to happen.”

Likewise, studies show that by secondary school years, kids have learned or are learning the essential prerequisites to career technical training, advanced college-level and graduate study, and to increasing their technical skills in the workplace. “Increasing the overall digital literacy of Americans and enhancing the STEM workforce will necessarily involve the entire U.S. STEM enterprise,” the DSEC website states.

This is where the power and funding of the Federal Government kicks into high gear. The Government works in partnership with stakeholders at all levels — contractors, employers, school districts, educators, families, students, communities and STEM influencers —to remove barriers to participation in STEM careers, especially for women and other underrepresented groups.

The goal? By the end of 2023, all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM

education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.

To do so, DSEC spells out three aspirational goals, or “North Stars,” on which they focus this entire program:

Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy: Ensure that every American has the opportunity to master basic STEM concepts, including computational thinking, and to become digitally literate. A STEM-literate public will be better equipped to handle rapid technological change and will be better prepared to participate in civil society.

Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM: Provide all Americans with lifelong access to high-quality STEM education, especially those historically underserved and underrepresented in STEM fields and employment. The full benefits of the Nation’s STEM enterprise will not be realized until this goal is achieved.

Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future: This applies to both college-educated STEM practitioners and those working in skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree. The mission? To create authentic learning experiences that encourage and prepare learners to pursue STEM careers. A diverse talent pool of STEM-literate Americans prepared for the jobs of the future will be essential for maintaining the national innovation base that supports key sectors of the economy and for making the scientific discoveries and creating the technologies of the future.

This strategy is built on four approaches that are cross-cut and cross-linked, each holding its

The Government’s Big Investment in STEM

own set of objectives and priority actions for achieving them:

Develop and Enrich Strategic Partnerships. This pathway focuses on strengthening existing relationships and developing new connections between educational institutions, employers, and their communities. It brings together schools, colleges and universities, libraries, museums, and other community resources to build STEM ecosystems that broaden and enrich each learner’s educational and career journey. On top of that, it engages learners in work-based learning experiences with local employers, internships, apprenticeships, and research experiences.

Engage Students Where Disciplines Converge. Make STEM learning more meaningful and inspiring to students by focusing on complex real-world problems and challenges that require initiative and creativity. It promotes innovation and entrepreneurship by engaging learners in transdisciplinary activities such as project-based learning, science fairs, robotics clubs, invention challenges, or gaming workshops that require participants to identify and solve problems using knowledge and methods from across disciplines.

Build Computational Literacy. Digital devices and the internet have transformed society. The initiative adopts strategies that empower learners to take maximum advantage of this change. This pathway seeks to advance computational thinking as a critical skill for today’s world. Computational thinking, including computer science, means solving complex problems with data, a skill that can be learned at an early age. It seeks to expand the use of digital platforms for teaching and learning as well (which has proven priceless and lifesaving during the pandemic.)

Operate with Transparency and Accountability. This pathway commits the Federal Government to open, evidence-based practices and decision-making in STEM programs, investments, and activities — and for STEM stakeholders to abide by the same. ■

Photos courtesy of the Department of Defense (DoDSTEM)

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Yamaha YHT-5960 Premium All-in-One Home Theater System with 8K HDMI and Wi-Fi — Enjoy a complete home theater with the YHT-5960U. This system will transform how you listen and watch at home with a powerful subwoofer and complete set of surround speakers. This home-theater-in-a-box includes the latest in video processing, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, wireless streaming and more. Get ready for the future with four upgradeable HDCP2.3 HDMI inputs that support the latest HDMI specifications such as 8K/60bHz and 4K/120Hz pass-through and eARC. This 5.1-channel 725 Watt surround sound system has Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Hybrid Log-Gamma and BT.2020. $780

LG A1 48-inch Class 4K Smart OLED TV w/ ThinQ AI — Watch your content come to life on an LG OLED TV that delivers video images in over 8 million pixels. Each pixel turns on and off independently so you’ll see your content with perfect black, over a billion rich colors and infinite contrast. Whether you’re looking for a 4K TV that’s great for movies and sports, gives you access to the latest streaming services, or a gaming TV that puts you in the center of the action, the LG A1 OLED TV has you covered. Starting at $1,299 for 48-inch model

Denon AVR-S760H — The Denon AVR-S760H 7.2 Channel AVR was designed to deliver extraordinary sound quality from music, movies and games. Ushering in a new standard for fully immersive, high-resolution home theater and listening, this AV receiver supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X and delivers an improved audio output. Featuring six HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, the AVR-S760H incorporates an advanced 8K video section that supports 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video pass-through. $599

most monitors, for a clutter-free workspace. It can also stand alone. The CA-2890BT offers both USB (A or C via an included adapter) and Bluetooth 5.0. $30

Cyber Acoustics CA-2890BT Speaker Bar/Speakerphone — This multipurpose speaker is a great budget speakerphone for anyone who does conference calls — it’s the perfect way to give your ears a break from headphones during meetings. It gets surprisingly loud for its small footprint and the built-in clip allows it to attach to

Andover Songbird Music Streamer — The Songbird network music player from Andover Audio gives you an amazingly flexible highresolution — and high-value — streaming platform. You can be up and running with this streamer inside of five minutes. And it’s small — a little larger than a tin of Altoids — so it’s easy to tuck it out of the way. The Songbird literally talks you through the straightforward setup process with spoken instructions from its app via your system, so it’s easy to start enjoying streaming audio right out of the box. And its onboard DAC really punches above its weight, with up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution from Tidal and Qobuz plus support for other popular streaming platforms

JBL-EON ONE MK2 — The JBL EON ONE MK2 batterypowered column PA packs a class-leading acoustic package, 5-channel digital mixer, dbx and Lexicon DSP, Bluetooth functions and universal app control into a lightweight, portable package that can be carried in one hand. The EON ONE MK2 delivers the fidelity JBL is legendary for, combining a geometrically optimized, C-shaped 8-tweeter array with a 10” woofer to deliver classleading clarity and coverage down to 37 Hz, with wide dispersion and a maximum output of 123 dB. $1,249

Audio Technica LP60XBT — The AT-LP60XBT gives you all the great features of the redesigned AT-LP60X fully automatic belt-drive stereo turntable with the added convenience of Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The turntable pairs with speakers, headphones or other wireless devices. Audio-Technica has been a leader in phono cartridge design for more than 50 years, and that expertise shows in the AT-LP60XBT’s Dual Magnet cartridge with replaceable stylus. The AT-LP60XBT plays both 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records and comes with a 45 RPM adapter, a detachable dual RCA output cable (for wired connection) and a removable hinged dust cover. $219

PreSonus StudioLive 32SC — PreSonus’ StudioLive 32SC is a compact, rack-mountable 32-channel digital mixer that can be easily scaled, with 40 internal mixing channels, 26 mix buses, and 286 simultaneous processors—including 4 stereo reverberation systems and signalprocessing plug-in models on every input channel and mix bus. With 128 (64x64) channels of USB recording and AVB network audio I/O, flexible routing options, and studiograde audio quality, the StudioLive 32SC is equally at home in recording studios and pro touring rigs. $2,899

PRODUCT REVOLUTION

Samsung Freestyle — From slanted walls and kitchen tables to outdoor surfaces and floors, The Freestyle’s 180-degree design allows you to point, play and enjoy a big screen experience. With its round, compact shape, you can easily slip it into a backpack and take your entertainment on the go. The projector optimizes screen size, auto-focuses and levels the image even when pointed at an angle. It does the hard work for you, so you can kick back and enjoy the content you love, when and where you want to. $800

GPSS-650:

Portable Professional PA System —

This lightweight but powerful rechargeable battery-powered gem is the perfect answer for small gatherings on the beach, on the side of a mountain or middle of a field. Every input you can possibly need is all there: two combination XLR/1/4" phone plug channels a plus 1/8" mini jack and RCA channel — all three channels with 3-band EQ — and even Bluetooth, and a thoughtful USB phone charging port besides. $350

Meta Quest Pro — It comes loaded with innovative features like highresolution sensors that enable full-color mixed reality experiences, next-generation pancake optics, advanced LCD displays that deliver sharp visuals, an all-new, sleek and comfortable design complete with guided Fit Adjustment, and eye tracking and Natural Facial Expressions for enhanced social presence. All of this makes Meta Quest Pro the perfect device for collaborating and working much more naturally in VR. $1,500

Lumi Keys Studio Edition — Light up your sound with the world’s first keyboard controller offering per-key pitchbend and polyphonic aftertouch, plus whole-key illumination that sparks new ideas for playing and composing. Available in the LUMI Keys Studio Edition Bundle. Choose songs you love in the app, follow the lights on the keyboard, and build skills that last a lifetime. Unlock your musical potential with an easy, all-in-one system. LUMI is the fun, instant, rewarding way to learn to play the piano. $299

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COMING NEXT ISSUE

THE CONNECTED CAR & SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Smart Vehicles: The Exploding Autonomy Space Takes Center Stage

As smart cars continue to take over the automobile space, the autonomous vehicle space is blowing up as well. Dozens of companies have popped up in recent years, all vying for the attention major automakers hoping to have their solution adopted as “the” solution.

As this new space has developed, it’s become a competitive landscape with engineers and scientists working to create the autonomous vehicle of the future. Where is it headed? Read the next issue to find out.

5 Ways to Make Your Car Smarter

Is an electric car still out of reach for your budget? Don’t worry, there is still plenty of fun to be had by making your car smarter. There are tons of mods on the market right now that thousands of proud car owners are doing to bring their ride into the future … even vintage cars.

In this article, we’ll detail five of the hottest mods you can do to your own car that will shift your dumb ride into a smart one.

What is the Environmental Impact of EVs?

One of the main draws to an electronic vehicle is the sustainability of electricity over fossil fuels. But is there a true benefit to the electric car over a traditional gasoline-powered engine? What are the strengths and weaknesses as we push into a decade of substantial EV market growth? Is the benefit as big as expected? How can it be made better? Pick up our next issue to see the true difference, and where experts envision the future.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Chesky_W

The Lighter Side

Hi, My Name is David. I’m an Apple Addict.

By David Wallach

“Gazpacho is cold” a great quote from Bill Maher explaining how every single thing you know, you learn at a particular moment in your life. When Maher was a younger man, after dressing down a waiter in a restaurant for bringing him cold soup, the waiter responded “Sir, Gazpacho is cold.” And he learned.

My most recent Gazpacho moment came a few weeks back as I sat with a friend talking about his new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, you know the phone that folds, so it can be a phone but also works like a tablet, oh and it’s water resistant, has a great camera, loads of memory, impact resistant and on and on and on. I had learned quite clearly that Samsung made a more technologically advanced phone than Apple.

I am, however, as you may be able to tell by my many reviews, an ”Apple guy.”

The addiction started in the 90s. It was a different time, when we were all experimenting with this new thing called “technology.” At first, I was a casual user, but as time passed, I was hooked, spending thousands to get my hands on more and more Apple gadgets. Never satisfied with what I had, always Jonesing for the next big thing — I needed Apple to make it through a day, I was lost without it.

Now, 32 years later, I am in too deep. There is no way out for me. As much as I would like to get out, the cost, the work, the struggle, it feels like too much work, too many new buttons to push, libraries to fill, music to transfer. Sure, it might be a better experience, but that much change is hard and scary, and what if I don’t like being able to access that much technology? Then what? Go back? I would need a new case, new plugs, it’s too much to change!

I feel like Julia Roberts in the movie Sleeping with The Enemy (calm down, it’s a &%*#$@! analogy), alone on my porch, staring out at the water, all wrapped up in my sweater, drinking tea, longing for a better life, freedom, respect,

but… that first step, how, where, it’s too much to process!

So, I update my iTunes and ask Siri to remind me when the new iPhone will be out, with a “Dynamic Island” thingy, because that’s something that we need, right? A Dynamic Island? Just take my money and leave me alone in the corner updating everything.

Samsung even makes breaking up easy, like Harry Connick, Jr., in Hope Floats, showing Sandra Bullock how easy a new life can be. Their all-in-one iPhone-to-Android switching systems make it easy. These systems may include special software and possibly even physical cables for moving a bunch of data from your iPhone to your new Android device in one fell swoop.

If somehow Elon Musk created a time machine and reached out to a big time tech writer like me to test it for him, my first trip would be back to 1975. I would set up a wicked game of Dungeons and Dragons, grab some snacks and invite young Steve Jobs and Bill Gates over, then hold them hostage until they could get along and realize that they can both “change the world” and not make it so friggin’ difficult for the rest of us! Then I would invest every dollar I had in both of them before their moms picked them up and brought them back to their respective garages.

As far as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 goes, is it a great piece of tech? Will it make my life easier? No idea, and I most likely will never know, I am stuck and, as we all know, change is bad.

Hey Siri, is there a 12-step program for Apple junkies? ■

AUDIOPHILE QUALITY, ACROSS THE LINE

LANDSCAPE • AND MORE

Our new complete line of high-performance residential speakers, made by Origin Acoustics, is designed with your most discerning clients in mind. All made with premium materials. All extraordinarily easy to install. All built to work in perfect harmony with the Crestron Home® platform, and soon with DM NAX™ Audio-over-IP products, so they’ll be perfectly tuned the moment you power up. Learn more at crestron.com/ResidentialAudio

All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2022 Crestron Electronics, Inc.