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Is facial recognition needed for school security?

Bambi Majumdar Education

The unfortunate increase in school shootings across the country has thrust the school security debate into the spotlight. Parents, teachers, administrators, and the government are concerned about security and safety of all present at school premises. A Seattle-based company, RealNetworks, recently made headlines in this regard. It has introduced facial recognition technology to increase security at one Seattle school as a part of a preliminary service experiment. The experiment has fueled a fierce debate about privacy concerns.

Cybersecurity steps to consider following Facebook’s reported breach

Damon Sayles Science & Technology

Some are calling it the worst Facebook hack of all time. Last month, Facebook engineers recognized unusual activity within their systems, and the company announced a network attack had exposed personal information of roughly 50 million users. As a Facebook user, there are a few steps that can be taken to keep your account safe from future attacks. And while they may seem like elementary rules of social media cybersecurity, here are three that seem to be forgotten and only remembered when a big breach takes place.

Travel2020: Of bots or brawn — The changing booking trends in travel

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

At the recent Digital Travel Summit in Las Vegas, the word of the hour was "chat bot." Those are the pesky pop-up boxes that interrupt site research with an "assistant" who is ready to help with nifty, on-the-spot answers to anything that ails. For most of us, these are an annoying inconvenience, as we know, despite friendly jargon and seemingly responsive wording, the only thing human behind the name is the programmer that created it. Yet, at the Summit, where big brands met quant companies, the challenge to replace the human was the next great space race.

Mistakes to avoid with holiday marketing emails this year

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

Fa la la la la! It’s the most wonderful time of the year: holiday marketing planning. It’s time to draft those email subject lines, finalize the copy for your social posts and decide what deals to highlight. Ah, the magic of the season! Already, 40 percent of people have started their holiday shopping, according to research from the National Retail Federation. More people will be choosing to shop online this year, as eMarketer predicts e-commerce sales will increase 15.3 percent.

As Amazon raises minimum wage, not everything is good news for its workers

Michelle R. Matisons Retail

As more pressure mounts to raise the federal minimum wage to a $15 living wage, Amazon announced on Oct. 2 that its lowest paid workers will make $15 per hour. However, Amazon’s much-scrutinized workplace practices leave people scratching their heads about its influence and long-term goals. On one hand, the embrace of the Fight for $15 goal is lauded. But the company remains embroiled in controversies like high-pressure work cultures for its white-collar employees and surveillance-style tracking of its warehouse workers.

Help your senior workers master new technology with confidence

Lisa Mulcahy Business Management, Services & Risk Management

As a manager, you no doubt greatly value the experience, talent and wisdom your senior team members bring to your organization. Yet you're probably aware that many workers in their 60s and older aren't as comfortable, or as proficient, with new technology as they might like to be. No worries, though: there are a number of simple and supportive steps that you can employ to help your senior workers learn what they need to know about using fresh technology on the job.

Justice Department sues California over brand-new net neutrality law

Michelle R. Matisons Science & Technology

"Net neutrality" is more than just a catchy phrase referencing internet accessibility; it is the principle of equal treatment of all internet data. As it stands now, companies can favor certain data, content, and websites over others, which is a violation of First Amendment free speech protections, according to net neutrality advocates. In order to avoid these data and content manipulations, states have passed laws, as California did Sept. 30. The California law, which would go into effect Jan. 1, 2019, is one of the strictest in the country. This is why it didn’t take long for the federal government to announce a lawsuit against the Golden State.

Diabetology: An emerging, but stunted, new field

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

New cases of diabetes have doubled during the last 30 years, mainly among obese people. This increase in diabetes prevalence has caused an emerging crisis in healthcare. About 14 years ago, one-year fellowship programs were created to afford primary care physicians the clinical skills to manage diabetes and its complications. Currently, there are four diabetes fellowship programs nationwide. But new research reveals that resistance among payers and other physicians may slow growth of this new specialty.

Want to hire the right people? AI can help

Linchi Kwok Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machines can now perform many jobs traditionally done by human beings. Even in the restaurant business, where many believe only real human beings can accomplish most tasks, some entrepreneurs have already begun using machines to cook and serve customers. According to a recent CNBC update, AI can help businesses manage their human capital, too. For example, AI can help companies pick the best candidates, and more.

Dream big: 4 ways AI, VR, and AR can enhance your marketing

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

A few years ago, having an Amazon Echo or Google Home was a novelty. In early 2017, only 7 percent of U.S. households had them, according to 2017 Gartner and Inside Radio research. By March 2018, that number skyrocketed, according to Voicebot.ai research, and 20 percent of U.S. adults had a smart speaker in their home. In just two years, Gartner predicts 75 percent of households will have one. That adoption and the embrace of smart speakers’ artificial intelligence (AI) will soon come to marketing and business as well.

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