Right Tech Tuts

Google wants to use AI technology to subvert the medical industry. What is it going to do?

2019-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Google wants to use AI technology to subvert the medical industry. What is it going to do?

Google is particularly interested in AI and medical health. It has invested a lot of money in these two areas and may eventually change our lives.
Google neuroscience scientist Greg Corrado said: "Machine learning, the underlying technology of AI can handle a variety of tasks." This is indeed the case. He also said: "Whether it is a daily task, such as finding directions, organizing mail, or the tasks that doctors, nurses, and patients face every day, all can be handled."

Greg Corrado still has a say, and he helped Google Gmail develop a suggested response algorithm.

Google understands that medical health has endless value. John Moore, an analyst at Chilmark Research, said: "It's hard to ignore this market. It accounts for 20% of US GDP. Whether it's Google, Microsoft, IBM or Apple, everyone is talking about it and seeing how it can be done in the health care arena. what."

As early as 10 years ago, Google has entered the industry, but it did not succeed. Google’s investment in the so-called “Google Health” failed, and Google is now starting again. Hundreds of employees are currently working on health projects, often working with other companies and academic institutions. Google did not disclose the size of the investment, but Moore speculated that the investment could be as high as several billion dollars.

There is a company owned by Alphabet called Verily, which is a brother and sister with Google. Verily is developing a software that can diagnose blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy, which is currently being used in India. Verily is also developing tools that can diagnose blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, as well as surgical robots that can be learned from every operation.

Jessica Mega, chief medical science officer at Verily, said: "In every use case, new technologies and tools can be used to solve the problems ahead. When it comes to surgical robots, the idea is to learn from one operation to another. This idea is getting more and more important because it will get better."

Mega believes that the rise of AI does not mean that we have to be too far away from the habitual devices, such as pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. She said: "Patients have seen the intersection of technology and health care, and now it is only a turning point."

why? Algorithms for driverless use can be used in the health care arena, everything is related to managing large amounts of data.

Medical control of massive information, related to specific patients, related to electronic medical records, scans, and sometimes electronic pathology. The algorithm processes the information. Mega said that the algorithm might be able to extract very useful information. She also said: "There is a view that you are healthy before you get sick." But there is a continuous process between health and illness. If computer algorithms can grasp the early signs of turning to disease, it may help you avoid the disease.

However, medical data is not prepared for research, and there is a gap between the two. To bridge the gap, Verily partnered with Duke University and Stanford University to set up a project called Project Baseline with the goal of finding 10,000 volunteers and providing the company with massive amounts of data.

Judith Washburn and husband James Davis became volunteers. Judith Washburn is 73 years old and is a medical librarian. She saw the recruitment of ads and participated. Judith Washburn said: "After a few months, I received a call, accepted the test for 2 days, and then spent two weeks, everything went very well."

There, Judith Washburn underwent heart scans, blood tests, skin tests, and stress tests. Her husband also decided to participate.

James Davis said: "At the time, it was difficult for them to find African-American participants, so we are basically stable. Some people donate their bodies to medical science institutions. When you are alive, donations are reasonable."

James Davis is a retired aerospace engineer who discovered that his heart was in trouble and eventually Davis underwent surgery.

Every quarter, both husband and wife are subject to a questionnaire survey. There is a small device under the mattress that will track sleep. The two will also wear a watch to monitor heart rate. The watch can calculate the number of steps. All personal information flows into a database of private companies. The husband and wife considered this issue before signing the contract and finally agreed. Washburn said: "The specifics depend on what the data is used for. If it's just for research, I think there is no problem."

Google’s strengths are here. When you use Gmail or Chrome in Google search, it may have collected the most useful data. Well-known academic doctor Reed Tuckson said: "When Google and other consumer-centric companies march into the field, it is clear that they have the ability to access much of the information we have about us and then put it into use."

For example, the online history can tell us what the user bought, how it is being exercised, and other lifestyle-related information.

He believes that Google should be careful about privacy issues, and he is very optimistic about technology. Tuckson also said: "We should remember that the status quo is unacceptable and it is unacceptable. We have to use various tools to improve the health of Americans and use them wisely. This is where the technology is exciting."

Verily not only invited big cows like Tuckson, but also Dr. Robert Califf, former director of the US Food and Drug Administration, and Vivian Lee, a radiologist at the University of Utah's health care system. Google also invited Geisinger's doctor, David Feinberg, a large healthcare provider.

Analyst Moore said: "Amazon and Google seem to be vying for talent, and to some extent Apple." Google wants to establish its credibility in the health care field. Moore also said: "Google wants these people to prove what Google is doing, and can stand up and say: 'Yes, Google can do it.'"

Moore is also concerned about Google's investment, which he believes indicates that healthcare and AI are growing rapidly. Moore believes: "Everyone should value Google."

Some big players (such as Microsoft, Apple) will also have their own place.

Moore said: "There are some other AI companies that don't have such resources. They must carefully choose the market segments they want to target. These market segments are not of interest to Google."

Making technology available is just the first step.

Lonny Reisman was previously a senior executive at Health-Reveal, a company that developed algorithms to help doctors choose the right therapy. Lonny Reisman believes that the healthcare industry is a very complex ecosystem. When Google enters the industry, there are many questions to answer.

Who is motivated to buy AI software? As the advocates said, can it really save time or money?

Reisman believes: “Without cost control, various forces are competing.” He also believes that it is quite difficult to achieve balance in terms of innovation, access, fairness, and health and quality, so there is a lot to do.

Google executive Corrado believes that cooperation with academic institutions and the health care industry is the key to entering this territory. He said: "You need a lot of technology to form a long-term combination, penetrate through the academic and scientific communities, and then penetrate into the clinical community, in which the development is largely done."

Although there are many challenges, Google has its own advantages, and it collects huge amounts of data.

Corrado told the media that Google is quite sensitive when using data. It is thinking about whether there is any good way to use the receipt and not to be disgusted. Corrado also said: "When using data, you must act according to the patient's wishes and make them healthier. You must do this."

The UK's largest operator will suspend the sale of Huawei 5G mobile phones

2019-05-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

The UK's largest operator will suspend the sale of Huawei 5G mobile phones

Recently, Huawei's incident has been concerned by everyone. Affected by this, it is reported that the largest operator in the UK will suspend the sale of Huawei 5G mobile phones.

It is understood that the UK's largest mobile network operator EE will Huawei's (Huawei) mobile phone removed from the 5G mobile phone that will be sold at the same time as the 5G service. Earlier, Google said it would stop supplying Android to Huawei for compliance with the US government ban.

British Telecom (BT)'s EE announced plans to open 5G services next week, while Samsung and Samsung's 5G phones will be sold. EE had planned to sell Huawei's 5G mobile phone at that time but decided to "suspend" sales because the use of the Android operating system was uncertain after Google withdrew the license last weekend.

EE CEO Marc Allera said the company "suspended" the sale of Huawei's 5G handsets because Huawei's 5G handsets did not have the "service guarantee" that the company needed to provide long-term contracts. He said: "We have to withdraw."

However, EE will continue to use Huawei products for its 5G network radio equipment (in addition to Huawei, EE also uses Ericsson's products). Although the US authorities listed Huawei as an "entity list", political debates have arisen around the use of Huawei equipment and its Huawei supply chain.

Alila said that EE has tested its 5G network using Huawei technology, and the British government "has no instructions" on whether to change the route. He said that supply chain restrictions are a worrying issue, but in the process of being resolved, long-term delays in the 5G release will not benefit the UK.

"There are so many possible situations, we have no clear answer on anything. But we can't stand still." He said, "Nothing is clear, but we must work in this ambiguous situation. ”

The debate surrounding Huawei has cast a shadow over the opening of 5G services in the UK. Various network operators are lobbying the government not to ban Huawei from participating in the construction of 5G networks.

Samsung Galaxy S10 series is expected to launch canary red color matching domestic or ostrich red

2019-05-23T01:57:00.001-07:00

Samsung Galaxy S10 series is expected to launch canary red color matching domestic or ostrich red

Source: winfuture

At the end of February this year, Samsung launched the first flagship Galaxy S10 series new machine this year, offering a variety of color schemes such as carbon crystal black, jade white and glazed green. Now there is the latest news, recently there are foreign media reports, Samsung Galaxy S10 series is expected to launch a new canary red color in the near future, domestic or ostrich red.

From the spy photos of the foreign media, the new red version of the Galaxy S10's middle frame and fuselage back panel are red color, while the front panel is still black, the overall looks beautiful, very eye-catching. In recent years, brands such as Apple are also launching a big red version.

In terms of configuration, in line with the previously released color version, the Galaxy S10 series will also include three models, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, all of which are equipped with the 850 flagship platform, 5.8 inches. S10e adopts straight screen design, equipped with side fingerprint recognition, built-in 3100mAh battery; 6.1-inch S10 adopts curved screen design, equipped with ultrasonic screen fingerprint, built-in 3400mAh battery; 6.4-inch S10+ also adopts curved screen design, equipped with ultrasonic screen fingerprint Built-in 4100mAh battery.

In terms of photography, the Samsung Galaxy S10 will be equipped with a front-facing 10 megapixel camera, a rear 12 million pixel telephoto + 12 million pixels wide angle + 16 million pixels super wide-angle three-shot; S10+ is a front-mounted 10 megapixel + 8 megapixel dual camera, after Set 12 million pixels telephoto + 12 million pixels wide angle + 16 million pixels super wide angle three shots.

Panasonic Group issued a statement on the official website of China saying that the supply to Huawei is normal.

2019-05-23T00:31:00.001-07:00

Panasonic Group issued a statement on the official website of China saying that the supply to Huawei is normal.

The Panasonic Group issued a statement on the official website of China today saying that the supply to Huawei is normal, and the expressions such as “discontinuation of supply” are untrue.

Previously, foreign media was reported that “Panasonic (Panasonic) has instructed employees to stop transactions with the 68 affiliates covered by Huawei and the US ban.”

Panasonic issued a solemn statement on the official website of China. "At present, Matsushita Group supplies normal products to Huawei. It is untrue to express the "discontinuation" mentioned in the online media. Huawei is an important partner of Panasonic. We will strictly abide by the relevant laws and compliance regulations of Panasonic's countries and regions, continue to sell goods and services to Chinese customers such as Huawei, and contribute to the Panasonic team's meager efforts in China to contribute to the development of China's business."
News Source : reuters

Indian e-commerce new rules will affect Amazon sales

2019-05-21T22:06:00.001-07:00

Indian e-commerce new rules will affect Amazon sales

The new e-commerce regulations in India will come into effect next month and are expected to limit the investment e-commerce sector such as Flipkart owned by Amazon and Wal-Mart. According to a recent analysis released by Price water house Coopers Global Advisors, this regulation will lead to online sales in India in 2022. Reduced by 46 billion.

According to the new regulations, e-commerce companies operating in India will not be able to sell the products of their holding companies from February 1st, prohibiting e-commerce companies from selling exclusively on the platform.

This rule was announced in December last year, and only a few months away from India’s May elections this year, it is also considered to be the political means by which the Indian government’s government team, Narendra Modi’s government, tried to appease millions of small traders and shopkeepers. This group of people is the key voter base, and they say their companies have been threatened by online retailers around the world.

Industry sources told Reuters that the introduction of this policy would cause some investment plans to be postponed or failed, and companies such as Amazon and Flipkart had to create new and more complex business structures.

According to Baiyun.com, if e-commerce companies change their business models to meet the new policy requirements, India's online retail sales growth, taxation and employment opportunities will be severely hit.

To be sure, online sales will continue to grow, but the growth will be lower than expected before the policy change.

Online retailers typically use the total merchandise value (GMV) of monthly online sales to measure performance because they typically receive commissions from sellers to make money.

The analysis also said that by March 2022, India's policies could lead to a reduction of 1.1 million in new jobs than previously expected, and could also result in a tax reduction of $6 billion.

Both Amazon and Flipkart are making the final effort, hoping to postpone the original February 1 deadline, but sources from the Indian Ministry of Commerce told Reuters that the Indian government is unlikely to agree.

Amazon said in a statement that it still "strives to comply with all local laws," but has asked the government to extend it for four months.

According to sources, Flipkart has filed a six-month extension. The company said to the Economic Times of India that it believes that "extension is appropriate" to ensure compliance with all the elements of the policy.

After the Reuters news release, the Federation of Indian Merchants (CAIT) issued a statement saying it disagreed with PwC's analysis. CAIT has expressed support for a more rigorous review of large e-commerce companies, saying their pricing is predatory and hurts smaller businesses.

This AI can diagnose early lung cancer, and human doctors are afraid of being unemployed?

2019-05-20T23:46:00.001-07:00

This AI can diagnose early lung cancer, and human doctors are afraid of being unemployed?

Today, in a recent paper published in Nature Medicine , scientists from the Google Health Research Department and the Northwestern University School of Medicine have teamed up to bring an artificial intelligence system that can be based on the chest. CT scan, detection and analysis of malignant pulmonary nodules, in order to early diagnosis of lung cancer. It is even more accurate than radiologists.

Lung cancer is currently the world's highest morbidity and mortality cancer, and the number one killer of cancer patients in World. Large-scale clinical trials have shown that low-dose CT scans of the chest can identify important features of lung cancer, reducing mortality by 20% to 43% , which is the preferred method of screening for lung cancer.

However, the accurate detection of nodules is a challenge – the screening method has a high error rate and therefore has limited practicality. Considering the influence of other clinical factors, many lung cancers are advanced at the time of discovery and are difficult to treat effectively. How to improve the accuracy of early diagnosis of lung cancer is a problem that scientists want to make AI (Artificial Intelligence) give full play to its advantages.

To this end, Google's AI scientists have developed a deep learning model. This is an AI technique that teaches computer learning through examples.

The researchers used more than 40,000 CT scans from nearly 15,000 patients to train AI, and nearly 600 of them were confirmed to have cancer by biopsy within one year.

“Radiologists typically check hundreds of two-dimensional cross-sections in a single CT scan, but we let the new machine learning system look at the lungs in a huge three-dimensional image.”

Co-author of the study, Mozziyar of Northwestern University Professor Etemadi introduced.

The growth rate of suspected pulmonary nodules is an important indicator of malignant tumors. In order to allow AI to predict the degree of malignancy of lung nodules without human involvement, the investigator not only prepared a CT scan of the patient when he was first diagnosed. The input was also compared using an earlier CT scan.

"The AI not only looks at the current CT scan, but also compares the previous scan results, so in theory, this is a '4D' scan," added Professor Etemadi.

Image From nature.com

The accuracy of this deep learning model was tested in 6716 test cases. The results showed that it was able to detect very small malignant pulmonary nodules with 94% accuracy.

At the same time, AI performed a "competition" with six radiologists with an average of 8 years of clinical experience. In the case of a previous CT scan image, the AI system is comparable to the radiologist's. And in the absence of a previous CT scan image of the situation, AI and even it surpasses the performance of all six radiology medical experts, 11% reduction in false positive and false negative 5% reduction . High sensitivity and low miss rate means that if used in a clinical setting, the additional burden of unnecessary follow-up can be reduced while the tumor is missed less.

Although the authors caution that this model requires extensive clinical validation, this finding continues to show hope for improved management and prognosis in patients with lung cancer. With AI's strong learning ability, we look forward to clinically proven, such a system can help doctors to assess lung cancer screening as soon as possible, for patients to take lung cancer as soon as possible.

The United States blocked Huawei, hurting the global supply chain

2019-05-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

The United States blocked Huawei, hurting the global supply chain

When the United States abused the export ban, the board hit Huawei, but it hurts in the global supply chain, and of course, includes American companies.

According to Reuters, the US Department of Commerce recently said that the United States will soon reduce restrictions on Huawei, and the US Department of Commerce actually allows Huawei to purchase US goods to help existing US customers maintain network and equipment reliability. Previously, the Trump administration listed Huawei as an “entity list” for export control by the Ministry of Commerce on the grounds of national security. American companies would have to obtain government permission before they could sell technology products to Huawei. At the same time, Trump signed an administrative order to declare that the telecommunications industry is facing a "state of emergency", in fact, prohibiting Huawei from participating in US telecommunications equipment, especially the construction of 5G equipment networks.

In just two or three days, the US Department of Commerce opened a gap. The fundamental reason is that the US cut off Huawei's global supply chain has had a serious impact on its own interests.

When the news of Huawei's ban was passed, the stocks of US suppliers fell sharply, including Qualcomm and Broadcom. The object of the US to suppress is Huawei, but why is the stock of domestic companies plummeting?

The reason is that the global economic system has undergone a historic change. The main body of the global market is the enterprise, and the products traded are not finished products. For example, computers, smartphones, airplanes, etc., the production process of these complex commodities has broken the border of the country. Apple phones are not all produced in the United States, and Huawei mobile phones are the same. The connotation of market relations is not as simple as buying and selling, but a complex network of supply chains.

The original intention of the US government is to exclude Huawei from the construction of 5G in the United States, and also to delay Huawei's pace in 5G construction. If Huawei is only a Chinese company, then the US blockade may achieve isolation. However, the global supply chain network has formed an interdependent community between countries and enterprises. Huawei produces not only mobile phones or telecommunications equipment, but also objectively organizes the production of global telecommunications equipment. For a global company like Huawei, the responsibility is not only to produce goods or provide services but to build a stream of production. Just like a river, Huawei does not provide river water but manages rivers. And this is the new trend of global economic development, and it also represents the transformation of the corporate mission.

In the era of the supply chain, there is competition among enterprises, but competition is the ability to cooperate. Huawei has a 28% share of the global telecom equipment market, far exceeding Ericsson and Nokia. Huawei's 5G contract far exceeds that of other companies. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s ban appears to be a “declaration of war” against a company, but behind Huawei is a complex supply chain that is interdependent, including many American companies.

Any company like Huawei is represented by the advancement of human technology and the progress of human society. Qualcomm, Broadcom, and other companies are Huawei's suppliers, and the market of many high-tech companies in the United States is mainly concentrated in the Greater China market. When the US abuses the export ban, the board hits Huawei, but it hurts the global supply chain. Also includes American businesses. It can be said that the United States’ ban on Huawei is, in fact, an injury to the global scientific and technological community.

The driving force for technological advancement comes not only from innovation but also from market applications. High-tech companies like Huawei have integrated global innovation, design, manufacturing, marketing, and other elements to form a global chain of technological development. This powerful chain does not belong to a certain country but belongs to the whole world. This is also a structural feature of the new Sino-US relationship, which also means that the correct choice between China and the United States is cooperation.

Italy launches an anti-competition investigation on Google Android, involving car APP

2019-05-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Italy launches an anti-competition investigation on Google Android, involving car APP

The Italian antitrust agency said it has approved preliminary procedures for launching antitrust investigations against operating entities such as Google, and Google Italy (collectively "Google").

Google's Android is the world's highest market share for smartphones, tablets and mobile devices. It has been subject to antitrust investigations or huge fines in countries such as the European Union and India. According to the latest news from foreign media, the Italian government's the anti-competition agency announced on Friday that it has investigated the alleged misuse of market dominance by Google's Android operating system.

According to foreign media reports, the Italian market competition regulator said that the investigation was related to Google’s alleged misuse of its dominant position in the smart device market.

In a press release originally written in Italian, the Italian antitrust agency said it had approved preliminary procedures for launching antitrust investigations against operating entities such as Google, and Google Italy (collectively, "Google").

The agency confirmed that officials had investigated some related companies on Thursday.

In a statement, the Italian antitrust agency claimed that Google refused to integrate the "Enel X Recharge" application developed by Enel into its "Android Auto" automotive application.

"Android Car" is Google's application software platform for connected cars. It can project the relevant car-related software inside the smartphone to the car screen, which is equivalent to an Android system used by a car.

The Italian antitrust agency added that the "Android Car" platform allows Android users to easily and securely use some applications and phone functions while driving, so by eliminating the Enel X charging application, Google has reduced the usability of the platform, especially bookings and charging station.

The statement added that Google's real purpose will be to defend and strengthen the business model of its Google Maps product, which provides end users with a wide range of services, including querying the location of electric car charging stations and how to reach the driving routes of these charging stations.

The Italian anti-competition department said that the relevant investigation procedures will be completed by May 30 next year.

Just a month ago, the Italian government began a preliminary the investigation into the US e-commerce giant Amazon, accusing it of abusing the the dominant position of e-commerce and logistics services.

The reporter could not immediately contact Google for comment.

Android is Google's most influential smart device operating the system, of which Android has accounted for nearly 90% of the smartphone market. The Android system has extended to many hardware fields and has created an operating system branch or platform tool that supports connected cars, network set-top boxes, and smartwatches.

Just earlier this month, according to foreign media reports, the anti-competition department of the Indian government also launched an anti-competition investigation on Google's Android operating system. India believes that Google bundled its own application software and Internet services in the Android system, causing the market to be unfair. Competition damages the rights of other opponents.

According to reports, the Indian government's investigation will take a year, and Google executives may be summoned to India.

Prior to this, Google Android was also subject to an anti-competition investigation by the European Union's anti-competition agency, the European Commission. The “crime” was bundled with Google Apps and services, and the European Commission issued a 4.3-million-dollar ticket. Google has appealed this penalty and has begun allowing users to set up non-Google products as the default open application within Android.