R2W GOES HYBRID
Just in time for ABL's August Technology Tables' Discussions, a wealth of articles are actively reporting on this Hot Trend:

• Return to Work Meets Hybrid Office: "6 Looming Questions"
• How to Navigate the IT Tension of Hybrid Work
• Here's How Zoom is Helping Create the New World of Hybrid Work
• Most US Employers with Flexible Work Plans Choose Hybrid Work, Mercer Says

TECH MEETS THE MONEY

• US Consumer Technology Sales to Reach Record-Breaking $487 Billion
• Zoom to Buy Five9 in All-Stock Deal Valued at $14.7 Billion
• Venture Investments Hit Record Highs
• Facebook, Instagram to Pay Out $1 Billion to 'Reward' Creators Through 2022

GOVERNMENT'S FUNDING INNOVATION, TOO

• California's Ambitious Fiber-Internet Plan Approved by Legislature
• US State Dept Offering $10 Million Reward for State-Backed Hackers

THE NEW TECH WORK FORCE

• Sony TVs Will Soon Be 100% Robot-Made: Report
• Walmart Debuts Warehouse Robot Technology

TECH TIPS TO KNOW

• How to Stop Google from Tracking Your Location
• Tesla Full Self-Driving Subscription Launches, but Some Owners are Peeved

A leading global integrator is working with Canoga Perkin's Network Interface Card and CanogaView Solution - using the technology for mission-critical E-911 applications, where performance, low latency, and reliability are paramount. Canoga's Carrier Ethernet NIDs have over a decade of proven reputation in the telco market. Canoga delivers profitable MEF or Wavelength services, E-Line, E-LAN, and E-Access, by providing highly efficient, low OPEX, revenue-generating features such as highly adaptive PM and SAM monitoring, Service Activation and Zero Touch Provisioning. (Malik Arshad, SGV)

II-VI Incorporated and Coherent, Inc. announced that II-VI's shareholders and Coherent's stockholders have each voted overwhelmingly to adopt and approve, as applicable, all proposals relating to the previously announced merger agreement for II-VI to acquire Coherent. The companies believe the transaction is on track to close by year-end 2021 or in early 2022. (Randy Heyler, SGV)

On July 21, at 11 a.m. Pacific, Cornerstone OnDemand will present a webinar - Open for business: betting on HR to enable the post pandemic recovery, which will include how to enable a strong learning culture to empower employee agility and help organizations recover and move forward.
And, on November 16-17, an all-virtual, free Cornerstone Convergence will take place, offering 50+ sessions across four tracks. (Adam Miller, WLA)

Electrosonic recently won multiple awards at the 2021 Commercial Integrator Integration Awards, including a third-straight win in the "Best Museum Project Category," this time for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In addition, Electrosonic saw its work on the Krispy Kreme Times Square Flagship Retail Store take home "Best Retail Project" and the Hyosung America CXC and HQ earn the title of "Best Small Office Project." (Bryan Hinckley, SGV)

GF Piping Systems has debuted ProSite, a digital logistics solution that helps reduce administrative efforts of ordering, reordering, and accounting of piping system components. In addition, it simplifies the stock management of installation projects, reducing the necessary workforce and related costs to ensure that a sustainable and efficient solution is achieved.
And, GF Piping has released a new version of its cloud-based field data collector, Track & Trace 3.0, with many new functionalities, available for Android and iPhone devices.
Also, click here to learn more about how you can protect and preserve the environment when transporting hazardous media and gases. (Mike Smith, SGV)

LookinLA has been named a "Top Marketing Strategy Provider in Los Angeles" by Clutch, a leading business reviews and ratings website which connects businesses with the best agencies for their B2B needs.
And, on August 12, at 11 a.m. Pacific, LookinLA will present a webinar - B2B Marketing + Sales: Building A Winning Content Strategy.
Meanwhile, the company and its CEO Ali Payani were the recent cover story in Mirror Review for Unified Media Solutions Providers: LookinLA: Transforming Companies into Authorities of their Industries.
Plus, in Authority Marketing Key Post-Pandemic, Ali shares insights into harnessing data, digital and creative to expand companies as industry authorities. (Ali Payani, SGV)

Volkswagen of America and Audi of America have recently strengthened their partnerships with Optimum Info. Both auto groups have been customers of Optimum Info's AMOS Business Management solution since 2019, and both have now also launched Optimum's APEX Dealer Package Management cloud-based solution. Additionally, Volkswagen has launched Optimum's IKON Dealer Contact & Field Operations Management solution. Tailored to OEMs to manage the entire spectrum of franchise network development, this suite of solutions integrates together seamlessly. (Arvind Verma, OC)

On July 22, at 11 a.m. Pacific, Chris Dyer, CEO of PeopleG2, will co-lead a webinar - Human Focused Leadership - which will be centered on the idea that the most successful leaders of the future recognize that, first and foremost, their people are their competitive advantage, and value them as such.
Meanwhile, Chris has written an article for CEO Today magazine - How Remote Work Aids Disability Inclusion, and Chris and Kim Shepherd have co-written Establishing and Engaging a Remote Workforce for Porchlight. (Chris Dyer, SGV)

SoftwareWorld, a leading software review and rating website, has ranked ProProfs Project in its "Top Workflow Management Software" list for 2021 and featured ProProfs Training Maker among the "10 best eLearning software solutions for 2021." SoftwareWorld helps businesses pick the most effective software for smooth and error-free operations. (Sameer Bhatia, WLA)

Siemens Digital Industries Software recently announced that its Calibre nmPlatform tools and Analog FastSPICE platform are now both qualified for TSMC's advanced N3 and N4 processes.
Also, Siemens has signed an agreement with PRO DESIGN Electronic GmbH to acquire its proFPGA product family of Field Programmable Gate Array desktop prototyping technologies. Through a prior OEM relationship, proFPGA technology is already part of Siemens' Xcelerator portfolio as part of its world-class suite of electronic design automation IC verification offerings. Bringing the technology and team in-house can allow Siemens to more fully integrate and optimize the scalable, high-performance prototyping platform. (Greg Lebsack, OC)

Covetrus, a global leader in animal-health technology and services, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire VCP, a market-leading platform in veterinary wellness plan administration, expected to close in the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. VCP's technology platform and infrastructure will afford Covetrus new ways to provide today's veterinarians with tools to foster stronger relationships with their pet parent clients and deliver better business and healthcare outcomes. Following the acquisition, Bob Richardson will continue in his role as VCP Co-Founder and President. (Bob Richardson, OC)

Venture Beat reports that Xsolla and Devcom have signed a year-long strategic partnership. Xsolla has been a frequent sponsor of Devcom, the game developer conference that accompanies the giant Gamescom event in Cologne, Germany, but now the partnership includes the integration of Xsolla's payment system and infrastructure as Devcom's leading solution for all upcoming events. Xsolla will also be featured as the main partner for all forthcoming events, participate in Devcom channels with informative industry content, and have a permanent seat on the Devcom strategic advisory board.
Meanwhile, at Game Developer Conference 2021, July 19-23, Xsolla will be center stage for the DevNote presentation, along with four additional sessions covering topics ranging from the rise of indie game funding, mobile game commerce, retaining game talent, and pivotal moments in game publishing history. (Shurick Agapitov, WLA)

In Your Perceptions Will Control Your Outcome and Life, Harrison Barnes, of BCG Attorney Search, asks: When you are thinking about your life, is how you feel determined by the economy? By how others treat you? By how you think others perceive you? The truth is, Harrison says, how you feel is determined by how you direct your mind. The ability to direct your mind and control your emotional and psychological states are about the most important tools you can have.
And, in Never Stop Using Your Imagination, Harrison declares that your strongest skill is your ability to imagine what you want. (Harrison Barnes, JD, WLA)

In Here are five TACTICAL skills of a great leader, Dave Berkus discusses the important skills of daily operation, the skills that make or break a company from the top. In summary, they are: delegate, measure, support, reward and celebrate. (Dave Berkus, SGV & WLA)

In Your Guide to Light Plans, California Lightworks (CL) provides a guide of how light plans work and what to be aware of when reading a light map.
And, in LED Optics: What You Need to Know, CL explains that factors like surface treatment, size, and shape can all impact how optics regulate light intensity, so do your research when deciding on the proper optics for your LED lights.
Also, in Your Guide from HID to LED Grow Lights, CL reports that LED and HID lighting conversion is a complex process, and that flexibility is ultimately key to success. (George Mekhtarian, SGV)

In 3 Strategies to Engage Your Employees Returning to the Office, Electrosonic discusses how organizational leaders can provide a space that feels safe, inclusive, and focused on employees' well-being, without sacrificing the powerful face-to-face interaction that makes office spaces so critical to sustained growth.
And, in How Will Technology Innovations Transform People-First Design?, Electrosonic explores how immersive technologies can support a continued emphasis on people-first design principles in the face of tremendous technological acceleration. (Bryan Hinckley, SGV)

In this video, Envision Financial Systems covers three of the benefits alternative investment sponsors get when working with Envision: flexible technology, risk mitigation, and cost savings. (Satnam Gambhir, OC)

Jason Ciment, CEO of GetVisible, was recently featured on the INspired INsider podcast, hosted by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, where he talked about the impact value of search engine optimization (SEO), as well as how storytelling matters in communicating value.
Meawhile, Jason recommends this: Want to be a better manager? Look at this list of questions to review with your employees and more specifically your direct reports. (Jason Ciment, WLA)

In 6 Signs That You Might Be a Bad Quality Leader, Intellect delves into these warning signs: (Over)Confidence Reigns Supreme; Inspection and Re-work are Commonplace; Fire-fighting Heroics are Rewarded; There's a Lot of Finger-Pointing; You Aren't Measuring the Right Things; and Your Customers Are Telling You There's a Problem.
And, in The Do's and Don'ts of Quality Management, CEO Romeo Elias writes: "In many ways, quality managers must strike a balance between not having enough process and sometimes having a bit too much of it ... In many respects, quality management is as much about leadership as it is about the nuts and bolts of company processes. Let's look at some of the key do's and don'ts." (Romeo Elias, WLA)

In Anticipating software project requirements - 10 questions to ask before your project starts, Pegasus One provides a list of questions to ask your customer upfront. Asking key questions during the discovery phase of the project can help uncover blind spots, avoid budget shortfalls, and provide valuable guidance to stakeholders who may need outside perspective on what will truly be required to bring their vision to life.
Also, Pegasus One is offering a downloadable white paper: Building Cloud-Native SAAS Products: What You Need to Know Today. (Tushar Puri, OC)

In 6 Best Practices for Growing Your Consulting Business from Seasoned Professionals, Profi elaborates on: Using the right tools; Providing clients with clarity; Building relationships; Learning to say no; Evolving as needed; and how Teamwork makes the dream work. "Whether you've been in business for a while or are considering starting your own consulting business, these tips will give you some insight into what running an effective consulting business entails and how to do so smoothly." (Alina Trigubenko & Adam Miller, WLA)

In 25 Best Remote Working Tools to Work From Any Part of the World, ProProfs explores a variety of remote working tools that will enable you to collaborate across the organization, communicate effectively, track work progress, and achieve superior results no matter where you work from.
Other recent blogs from ProProfs include: Top 15 Knowledge Management Trends to Keep You Ahead of the Curve and FAQ Page Best Practices: How to Optimize Your FAQ Section. (Sameer Bhatia, WLA)

Chapman University's Marshall Toplansky and Joel Kotkin have teamed on a video podcast series, called Feudal Future. Recent episodes include: Power and Responsibility: Tech's control from the eyes of a venture capitalist and The War on Space: The battle no country wants to lose. (Marshall Toplansky, OC)

WorkDone CEO Joe Rogers, along with Kirsten Campbell of The Campbell Agency, have hosted recent online discussions - called WorkDoneLive, and they are now available to watch on-demand:
>> Survival Skills (Resiliency? Adaptabililty? Growth Mindset?) in the Future of Work
>> Ethics in the Future of Work, featuring HR expert Shawnte Howard
>> How Should Leaders Upskill for the Future of Work?
>> Resignation Revolution! Is This an Inflection Point or an Outlier?
>> Will AI End Work as We Know It?
>> HyperChange, Humans 2.0 and Future of Work, featuring futurist Mark Cofano.
(Joe Rogers, WLA)

Grace is Co-Founder and CEO of LucidAct Health, a next-generation remote patient monitoring company whose technology collects patient data in a single integrated platform, making it easy for providers, care teams, and patients to launch and manage RPM programs quickly and efficiently. LucidAct is device agnostic with the ability to ingest data from a variety of devices, including wearables, wireless scales, watches, and blood pressure monitors. LucidAct's intuitive interface allows providers and care teams to conduct eVisits, handle billing, and connect to their EMRs all from LucidAct's cloud platform. The company is backed by multiple investors, including Liquid 2 Venture, 500 Startups, BRIIA, and Social Starts Venture. Grace is an accomplished data architect with over a decade of experience in healthcare IT. Prior to starting LucidAct, in 2016, Grace was a senior data architect at Stanford Health Care and at Sutter Health. She successfully led multiple high-profile care transformation projects at Stanford Cancer Center and jumped-started the survivorship program for 10,000 patients by targeting the specific needs of cancer survivors. Grace is involved with 500 Startups, a global venture capital firm which has backed 2,400+ companies or 5,000+ entrepreneurs in 75+ countries. Grace has joined the ABL-Health SV Round Table.

Mark is CEO of PRODEO, which is engaged by companies and their investors to advance emerging technologies and therapeutics in various areas of brain health, including genomics, gut-brain axis, multi-omics, biometrics, and affective computing. Their work addresses conditions across the life span and includes those deemed neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric, as well as brain injury. Mark is also co-founder of the PRODEO Institute, which has partnered with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to develop new approaches to brain-based investing, economics, and policy. Other collaborators include Gates Ventures, J&J, PwC, and the Milken Institute. Having led PRODEO since 2001, Mark's work is inspired by his early experience in brain health program development in clinical settings, and later through his broad executive roles in health system management and informatics where he observed co-occurring mental health conditions suppressing adherence and optimal outcomes for virtually all chronic disease sufferers and many post-surgical patients. Mark has been a co-founder/owner of several ventures and has held CEO and other C-suite leadership roles with companies such as HCA, CorVel, Wanda Health, CNSdose, Global Care Quest, CIGNA, and Fiserv. Mark has joined the ABL-Health OC Round Table.

In the recent CRN article - 10 'Horrifying' Ransomware Trends And Best Prevention Methods, Alvaka Network's Kevin McDonald takes a deep dive into how the ransomware world operates today and what every business needs to do to protect itself.
And, in Machine Learning and AI in Cybersecurity, Alvaka discusses how machine learning and artificial intelligence are being used in cybersecurity. ABL-Tech Member Joe Rogers, CEO of WorkDone, joins the conversation on what the future holds for these technologies. (Oli Thordarson, ABL-Health OC)

Eliott Jones, CEO of Biospectal, has published an article in Forbes - Remote Care Is Here To Stay: How To Overcome The Remaining Obstacles And Build Better Healthcare For All, following Biospectal's recent announcement of the alpha launch of Biospectal OptiBP for iOS, which enables instantaneous blood pressure measurement and monitoring, anytime and anywhere. The public beta launch of OptiBP for Android was announced earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Biospectal is highlighted in these recent articles: How Health Tech is Shaping the Future of Healthcare and Global Health Research Studies to Use Ground-breaking Blood Pressure Measurement App from Biospectal. (Eliott Jones, ABL-Health SV)

El Camino Health is now one of just five in the U.S. and the first health system in California to offer cancer patients an innovative adaptive radiation therapy called Ethos, which uses artificial intelligence to create customized cancer-fighting treatment plans in minutes - a process that traditionally takes days to develop. (Cecile Currier, ABL-Health SV)

In this edition of Gibson Talks, Gabe Stein, EVP of GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, and Trey Wheless, a risk adjustment and quality reporting executive at Gibson Consultants, discuss the benefits to payors and providers of adopting technology that impacts risk adjustment. Gabe shared his perspective as an executive for a leading technology-enabled provider of revenue cycle management solutions. (Gabe Stein, ABL-Health LA)

King & Spalding (K&S) Partner Marcia Augsburger, JD, recently published these client alerts: Are States Making COVID-19 Telehealth Emergency Measures Permanent? and OCR Updates Ransomware Guidance. Also, the Legal 500 United States 2021 Guide has recognized K&S with 53 practice rankings, including 10 Tier-1 rankings.
Meanwhile, on July 28, from 9-10 a.m. Pacific, K&S will present a webinar - COVID-19-Related Litigation and the PREP Act: A Year Later. (Marcia Augsburger, JD, ABL-Health SF)

In Laboratory Software Systems: What You Need to Know to Make an Informed Decision, LigoLab provides a comprehensive list that highlights the types of laboratory software systems currently available, and the common processes managed by these systems.
Other recent blog posts from LigoLab include Leveraging LIS & RCM Integration to Improve the Laboratory Billing Process and LigoLab Delivers the Interoperability Needed to Transform Medical Laboratories into Thriving Businesses. (Suren Avunjian, ABL-Health LA)

LucidAct Health Inc. and North East Medical Services (NEMS) have partnered to deliver remote patient monitoring management to some of San Francisco's most vulnerable communities. LucidAct's innovative and linguistically appropriate virtual healthcare will aim to improve patient outcomes for some of NEMS' limited-English-proficient seniors by making these virtual services available and accessible to use in the comfort of their homes.
Also recently, the LucidAct Provider Portal was integrated with AireHealth's digital health solution to support remote treatment and management of COPD and other chronic respiratory conditions from patients' homes. (Grace Chen, ABL-Health SV)

Melissa Hanna, CEO of Mahmee, recently sat down for a conversation with Mike Biselli for his Passionate Pioneers podcast - spotlighting Mahmee's role in revolutionizing maternal and child healthcare. Melissa talks about the national crisis of mothers and babies falling through the cracks of our fragmented healthcare system, how preventable issues are not being caught fast enough because of siloed patient data, and how Mahmee's rapid growth is coming to the rescue. (Melissa Hanna, JD, ABL-Health LA)

Bob Rose, President of MedWand Solutions, recently remarked on LinkedIn that his company was a big star at the Arab Health live trade show in Dubai last month. Bob said it's "clear that the entire world is in need of and desperately searching for a new paradigm in telehealth where a clinician can actually examine a patient remotely, real-time from anywhere to anywhere. As the many visitors to our booth from across the Gulf Region and the rest of the world experienced first-hand, MedWand solves all of that. And now MedWand Connect enables seamless, single log-in integration with any EHR/EMR or PMS without disrupting your current workflow or data integrity." MedWand is also participating in Arab Health Online, the official virtual event from May 23 until July 22. (Bob Rose, ABL-Health OC)

Savi Group's Sumit Mahendru recently participated in a "Preview of the New RCM Industry Benchmarking Survey" from Healthcare Business Management Association, discussing the performance metrics it will measure and how viewers can get the survey data to assess their own company's performance - watch a video of the presentation here.
Also, click here to read recent articles from Savi Group, including "Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Healthcare;" "Common Myths About Outsourcing Medical Billing;" and "The Many Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring." (Sumit Mahendru, ABL-Health OC)

As offices reopen we'll have one of the best A/B tests for productivity, well-being and employee experience. The great office reopening is underway as employees head back to work after 18 months of working from home. This migration is expected to result in a new normal of hybrid work, but there is a bevy of questions to ponder as this grand experiment kicks off. There are a few firms such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs that expect everyone back in the office every day. We'll see how their approach goes and how many employees their rivals ultimately poach. On the other end of the hybrid work spectrum are companies like Atlassian, which plan to use their remote work DNA to poach talent. Most companies are falling somewhere in the middle with a hybrid approach. In other words, the rest of 2021 will be one giant experiment on hybrid work, productivity, employee/employer leverage and management. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/return-to-work-meets-hybrid-office-6-looming-questions/)

Adjusting to the challenges and upsides of having employees re-enter the office under a flexible model will take some time. Data confirms the hybrid work environment will test most IT managers in the months ahead. Though just 12% of employees had returned to the workplace in June, 43% say they expect to be back in the office by the end of September, according to a survey of 3,600 U.S.-based workers. With businesses operating simultaneously remote and in-person, they have to support employee flexibility - a test for IT as systems must be able to respond to the ebb and flow of employees. But long-term, a new, more complex problem arises: businesses need to set up software, hardware and cloud tools to enable digital parity for workers, supporting equal experiences regardless of their location. (https://www.ciodive.com/news/hybrid-work-challenges-IT-2021-CIO/603423/)

While more workers are starting to go back to the office, virtual meetings are sticking around. Most companies are planning some form of hybrid work, according to a recent CNBC survey of senior executives across many sectors of the economy. (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/heres-how-zoom-is-creating-the-new-world-of-hybrid-work-.html)

Seventy percent of a group of 510 employers with a flexible work program in place plan to adopt a hybrid work model, while 20% will return to a predominately office-based model, according to a May survey by HR consulting firm Mercer. Full-time, on-site employees will account for 40% of the average workforce among 430 of the employers surveyed, while an average of 29% will consist of those working remotely one to two days per week. Mercer researchers also suggested that employers look for ways to embrace flexibility beyond remote work, such as adopting flexible schedules or compressed workweeks. (https://www.ciodive.com/news/flexible-hybrid-work-mercer/603401/)

Retail sales revenue for the tech industry in the US will reach a record-breaking $487 billion in 2021 - a 7.5% jump year-over-year - powered by unprecedented consumer demand for tech related to work, school and lifestyle. The Consumer Technology Association's "US Consumer Technology One-Year Industry Forecast" reflects US manufacturer shipments for 100+ consumer tech products and related software and services, and identifies major trends shaping the future of consumer technology. (https://shop.cta.tech/products/cta-u-s-consumer-technology-one-year-industry-forecast-2017-2022-july-2021)

Zoom Video Communications, the videoconferencing service that became a household name globally during the pandemic, plans to parlay some of the resulting rise in its share price into a $14.7 billion acquisition to secure growth. The all-stock deal for Five9 Inc., a provider of cloud-based customer-service software, will help Zoom expand its potential offerings for business and enterprise clients. The growth opportunity will allow Zoom to tap into a $24 billion contact-center market, the company said. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/zoom-to-buy-five9-in-all-stock-deal-valued-at-14-7-billion-11626662804)

The National Venture Capital Association says that venture capital activity in Q2 of 2021 has hit record highs, with the group saying, in particular, that seed and early-stage VC financings have hit record highs and new quarterly records. NVCA said that $75 billion was invested across an estimated 4,302 deals in the second quarter, with a total of $150 billion invested across 8,406 deals for the first half of the year. In addition to the investments, near-record level of distributions from venture funds - driven by a robust exit market - has continued to drive cash flow back to LPs. NVCA said that total capital available to VC-backed companies will "likely continue to swell through the end of 2021, especially at the late stage." (https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0081489.html)
Meanwhile, the first five months of 2021 saw $145.8 billion worth of technology deals, including nine megadeals, totaling $99.7 billion, according to PwC's midyear outlook on technology deals. (https://www.ciodive.com/news/pwc-technology-mergers-acquisitions/603251/)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social-media giant will pay out more than $1 billion to creators on Facebook and Instagram through the end of 2022. "We want to build the best platforms for millions of creators to make a living, so we're creating new programs to invest over $1 billion to reward creators for great content they create on Facebook and Instagram through 2022," Zuckerberg wrote. Separately, last month Zuckerberg said Facebook will not take a cut of creator-generated revenue until 2023. (https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/facebook-instagram-1-billion-creators-1235019759/)

The California legislature has unanimously approved a plan to build a statewide, open-access fiber network, which will function as a middle-mile network carrying data from Internet backbone networks to connection points in cities and rural areas. A middle-mile network doesn't extend all the way to residential properties, but "last-mile" ISPs can get access to it and focus on building infrastructure that connects the middle mile to homes. The state is providing $3.25 billion to build the middle-mile network and $2 billion in funding for last-mile ISPs to serve more homes. (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/07/california-passes-historic-plan-for-statewide-open-access-fiber-network/)

The State Department announced a $10 million reward for any information about hackers working for foreign governments. The measure is aimed squarely at those participating in "malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act." Officials said that this included ransomware attacks targeting "critical infrastructure." In addition to ransomware, the notice mentions a number of other cyber violations and notes that it applies to government computers as well as "those used in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or communication." The DHS estimated that about $350 million in ransom was paid to cybercriminals in 2020. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-state-department-offering-10-million-reward-for-state-backed-hackers)

Sony wants to give robots complete control of making its televisions in a bid to slash costs, according to a report in the Financial Times. Kimio Maki, head of Sony's electronics businesses, told the newspaper that he expected full automation of production lines at the company's main TV factory in Malaysia to cut costs by 70% by the fiscal year 2023, compared with 2018. Maki said that Sony also wanted to increase its use of robotic automation in smartphone and camera manufacturing, although it would keep some human workers on those production lines. (https://www.businessinsider.com/sony-robots-automation-tv-camera-smartphone-factory-2021-7)

Walmart will implement robotics technology from Symbotic in most of its regional distribution centers (RDCs) in a bid to "fundamentally alter how products get to stores," the retailer recently announced. The new system uses high-speed robots to sort, store and retrieve products at regional warehouses, and to load customized, store-ready and aisle-ready pallets to make unloading and stocking more efficient when product gets to Walmart stores. Symbotic's automation system will be incorporated into 25 of Walmart's 42 RDCs, according to the company. (https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/retailers/walmart-partners-symbotic-advance-warehouse-automation)

Here's how to stop handing over your location data to Google, according to ZNet:
>> Fire up your browser, and go to Google.com.
>> Click on your profile pic and sign into your account.
>> Click on your profile pic followed by Manage your Google Account.
>> From Privacy & Personalization, select Manage your data & personalization.
>> Go to Activity controls and select Manage your activity controls.
>> Go to Web & App Activity and switch the toggle to off.
>> On the screen that follows (a screen explaining the downsides to turning this feature off), click Pause.
(https://www.zdnet.com/article/stop-google-tracking-your-location/)

This weekend, Tesla rolled out a long-awaited, more accessible option for those wanting to toy around with the company's full-self driving beta: a subscription model. (Quick reminder: Full Self-Driving is not actually fully self-driving; it's a Level 2 driver-assistance system.) For $199 a month, owners can access all the goods that come with the $10,000 option on a new Tesla. However, Tesla owners who purchased their car between late-2016 and 2019 will, in fact, need a hardware update. Electrek rightly points out an announcement from five years ago where Tesla told customers "all Tesla cars being produced now have full self-driving hardware." (https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-full-self-driving-subscription-hardware-update-owners/)

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