Nov 21, 2017  - Soul Machines says the humanised AVA will enable customers to get answers to questions direct them to content and enable them to complete transactions.  Soul Machines, a spinout from the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, is developing digital human interface to Autodesk’s customer assistance chatbot, the Autodesk Virtual Agent, AVA.

Soul Machines says the humanised AVA will enable customers to get answers to questions direct them to content and enable them to complete transactions.

“Soul Machines is advancing AVA’s capabilities, with a digital human face and persona that it literally brings AVA to life using [our] world leading Human Computing Engine (HCE),” the company said.

However to take full advantage of humanoid AVA, Autodesk customers wil need to turn on the video on the phone or computer so AVA can see them,

HCE is described as a virtual nervous system that combines neural networks and biologically inspired models of the human brain that will give AVA “the ability to see and hear as well as sensory systems that enable to recognise and respond emotionally in an incredibly human like way.”

Soul Machines’ CBO Greg Cross said: “Talking to one of our digital humans means you will get the same sort of social responses and non-verbal communication cues as if you were sitting face to face across a table from a real person. It means our customers can deliver highly personalised brand accretive experiences in a way they have not been able to afford to do up till now.”

CEO of Soul Machines Dr Mark Sagar said “[Ava] has a virtual nervous system and all kinds of sensory capabilities so she can respond to the user’s behaviour in real time to facilitate the communication.”

The move, announced Autodesk University, Autodesk’s annual conference in Las Vegas, follows Soul Machines’ announcement in March 2017 that it had developed for the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme, an online virtual assistant for Australia’s disabled community who “can understand thousands of questions put to her in plain English and respond with clear and simple replies.”

Both Nadia and AVA have been developed from Soul Machines’ Baby-X, billed as “an intelligent, emotionally responsive virtual toddler” created by Sagar and his team in the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and which drew worldwide attention when it was released in 2013, leading to the launch of Soul Machines, in November 2016.

This

says that Air New Zealand is also looking at using Soul Machines’ virtual humans for customer service, and it shows just how human they are.

| A ComputerWorld release ||  November 18,  2017   |||

 

 

 

 

Nov 21 2017  -  Liberio Riosa is not one to get ahead of himself and he has grown his export business, LZ New Zealand, step-by-step over the past ten years. But he is hugely energised by a new patent the company is about to lodge which, he says, will redefine the maglev industry.

Continue to read the full article published in NZBusiness Magazine here  ||  November 21, 2017   |||

 

 

Nov 20  2017  -  The biggest and most important international tech conference to be staged in New Zealand will be held in Auckland early next year which may pave the way for faster advances for the Kiwi economy.  NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says changes and tech developments are happening globally at a phenomenal and unprecedented rate.  “This year alone we have seen the launch of a self-driving vehicle firm in New Zealand, face-detecting systems to authorise payments, the creation of new solar devices that could create cheap and continuous power and the relentless push to add connectivity to home gadgets. “As self-driving cars become common in this country, we need to gauge if New Zealand’s is living up to its reputation as a standout digital nation. The Digital Nations 2030 Global Future summit, organised by NZTech and Conferenz bringing together the tech sector and the government, will put the spotlight on Kiwi tech advances.” The Digital Nations conference on 19 and 20 February 2018 will be a forerunner to the D5 summit to be held later that week in Wellington. The D5 is a network of the world’s most advanced digital nations, with a shared goal of strengthening the digital economy. It was founded in London in 2014 by the United Kingdom, Estonia, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea. Among the 10+ international speakers and panellists at the Digital Nation 2030 summit are South African futurist Graeme Codrington, chief executive of TomorrowToday; Singapore’s Sandra Ng, group vice president Asia Pacific, for IDC; Siim Sikkut, Government chief information officer, Estonia; Martin Lundqvist, partner at McKinsey & Co, Sweden; and Shai-lee Spigelman, chief executive of Digital Israel. Technology, business, social and government leaders from across New Zealand are also on the agenda including Simon Moutter, chief executive, Spark; Carolyn Tremain, chief executive, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment; IanTaylor, chief executive of Animation Research; Te Aroha Moreehu, general manager for digital transformation, Ngati Whatua Orakei Whai Maia. Muller says the conference will cover every aspect of how a digital economy is shaping. His comments come hard on the heels of the 2017 Digital Planet report by the Fletcher School at Tufts University that shows New Zealand is one of the world’s leading digital nations. “The Digital Nations conference offers a great moment to bring together New Zealand’s digital leaders, with international experts, business leaders, societal change agents and policy makers to envision what New Zealand could look like as a digital nation by 2030, and then agree on investments and policy to help us get there. “By listening to the plans of other leading nations and then working on what it could mean for New Zealand’s education, health and financial systems, our productive sectors and the society, this should help us move together as a country towards a more prosperous future during a period of profound change. “NZTech is pleased with the close and proactive partnership with in the Department of Internal Affairs and the Government Chief Digital Office as industry and government work together to prepare New Zealand for a tech focused future. “New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem and institutional environment are both noted as strengths for New Zealand in the 2017 Digital Planet report and this Digital Nations conference partnership between industry and government is a great example of why we are seen as a leading country,” Muller says. The Digital Nations conference is expected to attract more than 450 people including D5 Ministers and their delegations, invited international experts and New Zealand digital leaders and influencers representing all sectors.

| A NZTech release  ||  November 20,  2017   |||

 

 

16 Nov 2017  -  For many people, an electric bike makes sense for longer commutes, but it isn't needed for shorter jaunts or recreational rides. As a result, we've seen a number of kits that allow cyclists to temporarily turn their existing bike into an e-bike, by swapping one of its wheels with an electrified one. It's a pretty simple solution, although the Swytch eBike Conversion Kit may be even simpler and easier yet.  Most of the electric wheels we've seen have been quite heavy – this is because they contain not only a motor, but also a battery pack and the associated electronics. That extra revolving weight makes them difficult to move if pedalling without electrical assistance, so the bike's original unpowered wheel needs to swapped back in when using the bicycle in non-e-bike mode.

In the case of the Swytch system, though, the supplied front wheel only contains a 36V/250W hub motor. This reportedly leaves it light enough that it can stay on the bike full-time, permanently replacing the bike's regular wheel. The lithium-ion battery and electronics are in a separate power pack that clicks in and out of a handlebar-mounted bracket within just a few seconds.

Electrical cables run from that bracket to the motor, and to brake and pedal sensors. Initially installing all of the permanent hardware is a one-time affair, which is claimed to take about 10 minutes. From there, users just pop the power pack on when they want an e-bike, and pull it off when they don't.The whole Swytch system – including both the permanently-mounted bits and the power pack – weighs...

A control panel in the top of the pack lets riders do things like selecting the amount of electrical assistance, and checking how much power is left. An electronically-limited top speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) is possible in the European version, or 20 mph (32 km/h) for the US/international model. The range sits at either 25 or 50 miles (40 or 80 km), depending on which of two available battery capacities are selected. Charging time is 3-4 hours or 5-6, respectively.

The whole system – including both the permanently-mounted bits and the power pack – weighs 3.9 kg (8.6 lb) with the small battery, or 4.8 kg (10.6 lb) with the big one. By contrast, the lightest all-in-one electric wheel we've seen so far tips the scales at 7 kg (15 lb), with others more in the neighborhood of 9 kg (20 lb).

The Swytch system is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, with pledge levels starting at US$299 for the 25-mile model. The planned retail price is $650. There are also complete bikes available, with the system built in.

It can be seen in use, in this video.

| Source: Indiegogo  ||  November 16,  2017   |||

 

 

15 Nov 2017  -  Applications close Friday 24 November for the Rocket Lab Scholarship that was established in 2017 to enable students from the Mahia Peninsula and wider Wairoa District in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, to pursue tertiary study in science, technology or engineering disciplines.

The Rocket Lab Scholarship directly supports the community surrounding Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 and is designed to foster continued excellence and innovation amongst New Zealand’s next generation of science, technology and engineering leaders.

To apply or view the regulations and selection process please click here to download the application form. Complete the form and send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 24 November 2017

| A Rocket Lab initiative ||  November 15, 2017   |||

 

 

14 Nov 2017  -  Desktop Metal is a US based company committed to bringing metal 3D printing to engineers and manufacturers, today announced it will begin accepting international pre-orders of its metal 3D printing system, the Studio System™ from companies throughout Asia Pacific. The announcement comes as Desktop Metal is experiencing tremendous interest and demand from manufacturers and strategic partners around the globe.

“Our vision is to make our Desktop Metal 3D printing solutions accessible to engineers and manufacturers around the world,” said Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal. “We plan to begin offering our metal 3D printing technology internationally and will be accelerating production to meet worldwide demand first for our Studio System and later for our Production System. Our partnerships with best-in-class resellers in each of these geographies bring us closer to making metal 3D printing solutions available to all who want to realize the benefits of rapid prototyping and mass production of metal parts. We are excited to see what happens next in manufacturing as we welcome these new countries to our landscape.”

To support its international expansion plans, Desktop Metal has developed strategic partnerships with authorized Desktop Metal international resellers to immediately begin pre-selling its Studio System throughout APAC, including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand. To date, the company has partnered with 13 resellers throughout APAC to pre-sell and support its systems. Availability of the Studio System will vary by country. Interested buyers should visit www.desktopmetal.com/international for the complete list of APAC resellers and country-specific information.

About the Studio SystemThe Studio System, which debuted in May 2017, is the first office-friendly metal 3D printing system for rapid prototyping and is 10 times less expensive than existing technology today. The Studio System is a complete platform, including a printer, a debinder, and a sintering furnace that, together, deliver complex and even impossible geometries of metal 3D printed parts right in an engineer’s office or on the shop floor.

To manufacture metal 3D printed parts at scale, Desktop Metal also debuted the only 3D printing system for mass production of high resolution metal parts today, the Production System.

| A Desktop Metal release  ||  November 14,  2017   |||

 

 

 

 13 Nov  2017  -  New Zealanders are set to start receiving emergency alerts to their mobile phones, warning them that their life, property or health is in serious danger.  Minister of Civil Defence Kris Faafoi said implementation would start with a live nationwide test of Emergency Mobile Alerts on 26 November. “By running this test and asking people to be aware of the alerts, we are able to test our systems, the cell towers and your phones ability to receive an Emergency Mobile Alert,” Mr Faafoi says.

“This is a test for now but when emergencies happen this is another tool we can use to keep everyone in our community safe. Not all phones are currently capable of receiving the alerts, so we need people to look after others: if you receive an alert, tell your neighbours, your whanau, your colleagues.”

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) is leading the implementation of the new emergency alert channel. A nationwide multi-media campaign starts today (Sunday), online, on radio and on street posters, letting people know about the alerts and how to check whether their phones will receive them.

The alerts are sent using cell broadcast technology, so there is no need to sign up or download an app. They can be targeted to affected areas, so you will only get them if the emergency is in your area. It is expected that around one third of phones will immediately be able to receive alerts but this will rise over time. You can check whether your phone can receive the alert and find out more at civildefence.govt.nz.

Minister Faafoi says Emergency Mobile Alert is an additional channel to help keep New Zealand safe in an emergency and does not replace other alerting systems and information channels, or the need to take action after natural warnings.

“If you feel your life may be in danger, don’t wait for an official warning. Take immediate action. For example in local source tsunami, there may not be time to send an alert. Please recognise the natural warnings and get safe – ‘Long or Strong, Get Gone’”.

Emergency Mobile Alert messages can only be sent by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups, NZ Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

| A Beehive release  ||  November 13,  2017   |||

 

 

12 Nov 2017  -  The Government has outlined its priorities across digital technology, media and open government signalling that the establishment of a Chief Technology Officer is at the top of the list.  Delivering the keynote speech at NetHui 2017, the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media and Government Digital Services and the Associate Minister of State Services (Open Government), Clare Curran, said that the Chief Technology Officer would be responsible for preparing and overseeing a national digital architecture, or roadmap, for the next five to ten years.

Ms Curran also said that the Government would begin work on a blueprint for digital inclusion to address the emerging digital divide, establish RNZ+ as the centrepiece of a full non-commercial public media service for all New Zealanders, institute a process for the proactive release of government information and create a framework for strengthening citizens’ rights in the digital environment.

“This Government will be modern, future-focused and innovative. We will also work collaboratively with industry, non-government organisations and communities.”

Further, Ms Curran said she would convene reference groups in her key portfolio areas and task them with pulling together leading thinkers and actors in each area, from inside government and across industry, local government, Māoridom, non-government organisations and community groups to ensure that the best thinking is applied to realising Government policy.

“This Government intends to progress its goals to close the digital divide by 2020, and to make ICT the second largest contributor to GDP by 2025.”

“New Zealanders rightly expect that their government should behave in a predictable, open and transparent way and ensure that nobody is left behind. The internet and digital tools are fundamental to us achieving these goals,” Ms Curran said.

| A Beehive release  || November 11, 2017   |||

 

 

10 Nov 2017  -  Blockchain is an emergent technology that may be as transformative as the internet, according to many predictions. But this innovative new technology has a surprising link to the days of medieval treasuries.  Blockchain is a distributed ledger that uses cryptography—mathematical code—to chain together records of transactions in a tamper-resistant and transparent manner. It is being used as an alternative or replacement for national currencies, contracts, internet device authentication and more.

This form of record-keeping, though technologically novel in the digital era, is not so new after all. Historian M.T. Clanchy tells us that it existed in the medieval era, during the transition from oral to written forms of memorialization. At that time, symbolic objects played a crucial role in providing evidence of transactions, rights and entitlements.

I've been researching how governments and businesses around the world are either planning for or already piloting the use of blockchain for record-keeping. The goal of my research is to determine what these applications of the technology actually do—as opposed to what the marketing hype says they do.

I've been to Estonia to study how the government there is using distributed ledger technology to protect the integrity of citizens' medical records. I've been to Sweden to discuss how its land registry is testing blockchain to record the transfer of land ownership. I've reviewed proposed blockchain systems for land title registration in Honduras, new pilot implementations for land transaction records in Brazil. And I've spoken with innumerable new ventures looking to transform record-keeping with blockchain technology.

Three patterns for blockchain records

From this research, I've noticed three specific design patterns for blockchain record-keeping, which need explanation to understand how blockchain relates to medieval practices. I have classified these categories as mirror, digital record and tokenized systems.

The first of these design patterns is what I call the "mirror" type system. I characterize this type of system as being the most similar to current centralized record-keeping.

In these types of systems—be they for medical records, land titles, public archives or some other kind of records—digital records are neither created nor kept "on chain," despite some claims by blockchain companies to the contrary. Instead, a kind of digital fingerprint of the records in the form of a 256-bit random number, known as a "hash," is entered into the blockchain.

The purpose of recording this digital fingerprint in the blockchain is to protect the integrity of the records and be able to detect if they were tampered with. To prove that the records are tamper-free, the original digital records must be preserved in off-chain trustworthy digital repositories alongside preservation of their hashes in the blockchain.

Proving integrity of the records involves matching the hash of the record you want to validate with its digital fingerprint on the blockchain. If the hashes match, then the record you hold has not been altered.

Digital records

The second type of approach I've noticed is one that I call the "digital records" design pattern. In this type of system, new digital records are actually created within the blockchain itself, primarily by using smart-contracts.

Smart-contracts are computer programs that instruct the blockchain when to carry out a transaction, such as sending funds from one user to another. In these types of systems, the text of records is no longer in natural language that people can read. It is written in computer code for machines to read.

How blockchain technology has medieval roots

Three major categories of blockchain systems classified with examples. Credit: Victoria Lemieux

The rise of the smart contract raises a number of challenging and currently unanswered questions, such as what to do in case an error occurs and a smart contract doesn't behave as expected.

In the 2016 Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) incident, for example, the attacker exploited poorly written smart code to siphon off 3.6 million Ether—an alternative to the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin—roughly equivalent to $68 million at the time of the attack.

Equally importantly, current principles, standards and practices for managing and preserving digital records are not designed for smart-contracts and other distributed autonomous records created on chain. Ensuring that society's evidence infrastructure remains intact presents challenges similar to the early days of email and other electronic records. New approaches, yet to be developed, will be needed.

The third type of blockchain record-keeping design pattern is the "tokenized" type of solution. This is arguably the farthest from our current form of record-keeping, and many would argue the most innovative. With this type of system, not only are records captured on chain but valuable assets are represented and captured on chain.

These assets can symbolize anything of value: currency such as a primary use blockchain, Bitcoin; land, fine wine, food, diamonds, artworks—you name it.

In this third, tokenized form we can find centuries-old predecessors to blockchain.

Medieval objects parallel digital tokens

Are these assets really records? For answers, we may turn to the English archival theorist Sir Hilary Jenkinson, who observed in his 1937 Manual of Archive Administration that "there is a case where an old pair of military epaulettes; and among enclosures to letters, forming in each case an integral part of the document, the writer can recall portraits, human hair, whip-cord (part of cat-o'-nine-tails), a penny piece inscribed with disloyal sentiments, and a packet of strange powder destined to cure cancer."

In Jenkinson's view, these "exhibits" formed part of the archive, or collective body of records, because they provided evidence of business transactions.

We now have come to view these so-called exhibits more as museum objects than records because before the digital era, the physical awkwardness of these objects meant that they could not be managed with other records. Just as coins and paper currency once represented records of reserves of gold in a national treasury, Jenkinson's exhibits were themselves tokens that represented other things.

Today, what once had a material form can be essentially dematerialized. Paper currency can be transformed into cryptocurrency. Land, fine wine, artwork, diamonds, food and other material objects—though still physically in existence—can be transformed into virtual representations called "tokens." In this way, in a tokenized, blockchain record-keeping system, literally every thing potentially becomes a record.

This is not a new idea.

At the time of the Norman Conquest, many grants were conferred by the bare word (nude verbo) without a writing or charter, but only with a sword, helmet, horn or cup. One example is the broken knife of Stephen de Bulmer kept in the archives of Durham Cathedral. It bears a parchment label recording the details of a gift of land made in the middle of the 12th century—which the knife itself symbolizes.

Just like the knives, horns, cups, rings and other objects customarily used in the conveyance of land during the medieval period, today's tokenized blockchain record-keeping systems use valuable cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as symbolic representations of assets like land.

This raises the question of whether blockchain technology will return today's archival repositories to their medieval roots as the treasure storehouses of kings. Will it be back to the future?

| A The Conversation article  ||  November 11,  2017   |||

 

 

8 Nov 2017 -  Automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation issues facing the country could become threats, leading to increased social and economic difficulties and a strain on government resources unless they are immediately addressed, New Zealand’s tech leader say.  The TechLeaders executive has only recently just been formed because New Zealand is facing unprecedented growth and change in tech, which is now the nation’s fastest growing sector. TechLeaders from some of New Zealand’s biggest companies and organisations has been set up with the support of NZTech and is a group of New Zealand tech, digital and ICT focused-executives from leading organisations. They have just met in Auckland and all agreed AI and other digital changes will greatly impact on many of today’s jobs in coming years, as well as the income of many Kiwi families, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. “Automation will change just about every industry in New Zealand and over the next few years rapidly change the number and type of jobs available. If we act now to prepare the New Zealand workforce for these changes it may provide opportunities. “If left unaddressed these opportunities will turn to challenges and potential threats leading to increased social and economic difficulties and a strain on government resources. “The TechLeaders discussed how we can help prepare New Zealand’s future workforce. Being at the forefront of technology change these senior executives have insight into the pace of change and see critical elements in ensuring Kiwi families all have jobs in the future. “We need to ensure that our education system is developing the skills needed for a future workforce, in particular, an understanding of digital technologies and collaborative working practices. “We need to start developing policy and a national shared purpose around how to re-train or upskill current employees who work in jobs that may change or disappear rapidly due to technology. “Through the discussion a number of ways were identified where technology leaders and industry could play an active role in helping secure the future of work for Kiwis. “We must bring a stronger connection with education to help prepare students, support teachers and support the introduction of the new digital technology curriculum. “And we need to work with government to help reshape the national conversation away from the robots are taking my jobs to a more positive view that encourages upskilling.” TechLeaders chair David Kennedy says they have a responsibility as industry leaders to prepare future generations for what tomorrow holds. “We are well placed people to help tackle the difficult questions that need to be addressed to ensure future work for generations of Kiwis,” Kennedy says. “We all agree that tech leaders and industry have a role and responsibility to guide and support initiatives to retrain people for the new skills paradigm brought on by technological change. The development of the next generation of workers is also critical.” Among a series of recommendations, the leaders want to reduce fear-inducing messaging about everyone losing their jobs and robots taking over.

| A Techleaders release   ||  November 8,  2017   |||