company

UK-Based DNA Company With Russian Link Vanishes With Highly-Sensitive Data

Atlas Biomed's website is no longer active and the phone number listed is dead as well.




company

Microsoft buys conversational AI company Semantic Machines for an undisclosed sum

Microsoft announced it has acquired Semantic Machines, a conversational AI startup providing chatbots and AI chat apps founded in 2014 having $20.9 million in funding from investors. The acquisition will help Microsoft catch up with Amazon Alexa, though the latter is more focused on enabling consumer applications of conversational AI.

Microsoft will use Semantic Machine’s acquisition to establish a conversational AI center of excellence in Berkeley to help it innovate in natural language interfaces.

Microsoft has been stepping up its products in conversational AI. It launched the digital assistant Cortana in 2015, as well as social chatbots like XiaoIce. The latest acquisition can help Microsoft beef up its ‘enterprise AI’ offerings.

As the use of NLP (natural language processing) increases in IoT products and services, more startups are getting traction from investors and established players. In June last year, Josh.ai, avoice-controlled home automation software has raised $8M.

Followed by it was SparkCognition that raised $32.5M Series B for its NLP-based threat intelligence platform.

It appears Microsoft’s acquisition of Semantic Machines was motivated by the latter’s strong AI team. The team includes technology entrepreneur Daniel Roth who sold his previous startups Voice Signal Technologies and Shaser BioScience for $300M and $100M respectively. Other team members include Stanford AI Professor Percy Liang, developer of Google Assistant Core AI technology and former Apple chief speech scientist Larry Gillick.

“Combining Semantic Machines' technology with Microsoft's own AI advances, we aim to deliver powerful, natural and more productive user experiences that will take conversational computing to a new level." David Ku, chief technology officer of Microsoft AI & Research.






company

Siemens to acquire smart lighting control company Enlighted Inc. for an undisclosed sum

Siemens Building Technologies division announced it will acquire Enlighted Inc., a smart IoT building technology provider. The transaction is expected to close in Q3’18.

Enlighted Inc.’s core element is an advanced lighting control application. It is based on a patented, software-defined smart sensor that collects and monitors real-time occupancy, light levels, temperatures and energy usage.

The sensor can gauge temperature, light level, motion, energy, and has Bluetooth connectivity.

The Enlighted Micro Sensor

The Enlighted system works by collecting temperature, light and motion data via its smart sensors. A gateway device carries the information to Energy Manager, a secure browser-based interface to create profiles and adjust settings of the entire Enlighted Advanced Lighting Control System. The Energy manager operates as an analytics device.

The whole system consists of multi-function sensors, distributed computing, a network, and software applications run by Enlighted Inc.

“With Siemens as a global partner, we will both accelerate innovation and market adoption of our smart building technologies on an international scale.”Joe Costello, Chairman, and CEO of Enlighted Inc

Enlighted Inc.’s main target market is commercial real estate. Key use cases of its intelligent Lighting Control System are energy efficiency, controlling heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and building utilization reports.

Use the Postscapes 'Connected Products Framework' to understand the smart home and buildings eco-system.




company

Smart lock company LockState closes $5.8M Series A to fast track sales & partnerships

Smart Lock Company LockState raised $5.8M Series A in new investment to fund its aggressive sales and marketing and partner development plan. The company previously raised $740K seed round and $1M in a round led by angel investors. The lead investor in latest round was Iron Gate Capital. Other investors include Kozo Keikaku Engineering Inc, Nelnet and Service Provider Capital.

Access Control Dashboard and WiFi Smart Locks

The company’s Wi-Fi-enabled RemoteLock is used by 1000s of Airbnb and other vacation rental hosts. It helps hosts remotely provide access to guests. Locking/unlocking codes can be generated via a host’s computer or smartphone.

RemoteLock’s prices start at $299 which is its algorithmic ResortLock. The most pricey lock by LockState is its ‘RemoteLock 7i Black WiFi Commercial Smart Lock’ which costs $479.

Another core product of LockState is its cloud-based remote access platform for internet-enabled locks. It implies users can remotely manage their (internet-enabled) locks via LockState’s cloud platform.

Unlike smartphones and watches, customers don’t look forward to upgrading their smart locks or buying one when new models are launched. Thus, smart lock companies offset this disadvantage by partnering with property management and short-term rental companies to get new customers.

LockState has partnered with vacation rental brands like Airbnb, HomeAway, and other listing partners to automate guest access.

“We are expanding our footprint and moving into a new warehouse office that is more than twice the size of our current office. We’re also staffing up our sales and marketing teams. We’ve accomplished a lot without investing heavily in marketing so we’ll support that area to keep our momentum going. We intend to expand into new business-to-business and enterprise verticals where we’re seeing the market grow. We are also dedicating budget toward development.” Nolan Mondrow, CEO of LockState in a statement released to news site Venture Beat

Igloohome a Singapore-based smart lock company also raised an investment of $4M in April this year.




company

Former Company Director to Appear in Court for Allegedly Defrauding a Pensioner

[SAPS] - A former company Director (57) is expected to appear in the Thabamoopo Magistrates Court in Lebowakgomo on 11 November 2024 for allegedly defrauding a pensioner an amount of R378 000.00 in the name of business.




company

Italian company plans tribute to the Maserati Shamal

Maserati Shamal restomod project in the works Restomod will use Biturbo Coupe body and Ghibli S twin-turbocharged V-6 Production to be limited to 33 units The Maserati Shamal launched in 1990 didn't see much success, despite featuring a body penned by the legendary Marcello Gandini, and a twin-turbocharged V-8 under the hood. It was devised when...




company

Israel’s IAI enters into JV with Australian mining services company

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has entered into a joint venture with Australia’s Bis to launch Auto-mate, a new company that will provide autonomous systems to the mining industry.




company

‘Every Industry, Every Company, Every Country Must Produce a New Industrial Revolution,’ Says NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at AI Summit Japan

The next technology revolution is here, and Japan is poised to be a major part of it. At NVIDIA’s AI Summit Japan on Wednesday, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son shared a sweeping vision for Japan’s role in the AI revolution. Speaking in Tokyo, Huang underscored that AI Read Article




company

Australian gold company confirms arrest of CEO, 2 executives in Mali

Dakar, Senagal — The CEO and two executives of Australian gold mine Resolute in Mali have been arrested while in Bamako to discuss ongoing disputes with authorities, the company confirmed Sunday. CEO Terence Holohan and his two colleagues "were in Bamako to discuss with mining and tax authorities the company's business practices in Mali generally and to make progress on ongoing claims against Resolute, which continues to claim they are unfounded," Resolute said in a statement posted on its website. "Unexpectedly, the three employees were arrested after the end of these meetings on Friday," she reported. The three executives were taken the same day to the unit specializing in the fight against corruption and economic and financial delinquency — and were placed in police custody in a case of alleged forgery and damage to public property, AFP learned Saturday from a judicial and industrial source. Four employees of the Canadian company Barrick Gold, also in dispute with the Malian authorities, were detained for several days at the end of September, then released. Foreign mining companies are subject to increased pressure from the junta that came to power by force in 2020 and pays particular attention to the juicy revenues of the mining industry. "Resolute is working to reach an agreement with the Malian government that secures the long-term future of the Syama gold mine; at the same time its top priority remains the safety and well-being of its employees," the company said. The executives benefit from the support of the embassies and consulates of the United Kingdom and other countries present in Mali, she said. Resolute holds 80% of the shares in the subsidiary that owns the Syama mine, with the remaining 20% in the hands of the Malian state, according to the company's website. The Malian authorities have made the fight against corruption and the restoration of national sovereignty over natural resources their mantras. Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, faces jihadis and a multidimensional crisis, and is also one of the leading gold producers in Africa. Gold contributes to a quarter of the national budget and three quarters of export revenues. The increased pressure on foreign companies coincided with the junta's strategic pivot toward Russia.




company

Company falls victim to fraudsters, but must pay debt




company

Construction company seeks €35m over scrapped Paphos-Polis road contract

Construction company Aktor (formerly Intrakat) is now seeking over €35 million in damages through the courts after the public works department terminated the contract with regarding the Paphos-Polis road project, according to its CEO Alexandros Exarchou, who spoke at an online press conference. “We are compelled to pursue our legal rights in Cyprus and, if […]




company

De-extinction company claims it has nearly complete thylacine genome

Colossal, a US firm that is aiming to revive lost species such as the woolly mammoth, says it now has a near-complete genome of the extinct thylacine




company

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company Seeking Injunction and Damages from Pocketpair

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in September filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair. 

At the time Nintendo did not share which patents Palworld infringed on, however, Pocketpair has now revealed what patents Nintendo are claiming were infringed on.

"As announced on September 19, 2024, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo Co Ltd (hereinafter referred to as the Plaintiffs) have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against us," said Pocketpair. "We have received inquiries from various media outlets regarding the status of the lawsuit, and we would like to report the details and current status of this case as follows.

"The Plaintiffs claim that Palworld, released by us on January 19, 2024, infringes upon the following three patents held by the Plaintiffs, and are seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit."

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are each seeking an injunction and damages of five million yen plus late payment damages.

Pocketpair added, "We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings. Please note that we will refrain from responding individually to inquiries regarding this case. If any matters arise that require public notice, we will announce them on our website, etc."

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463022/nintendo-and-the-pokemon-company-seeking-injunction-and-damages-from-pocketpair/




company

Here are the patents Nintendo and the Pokémon Company are suing Palworld about, according to Pocketpair

Palworld developers Pocketpair have finally revealed which patents Nintendo and the Pokémon Company are suing them about. It looks like they're focusing on the act of throwing capsular items to catch or release monsters, together with the usage of monsters as mounts.

If you've somehow yet to encounter Palworld, it's a bestselling survival game that takes hefty - some would say, scandalous - inspiration from Pokémon, with players poaching Pokésque critters using magic spheres, and deploying them as soldiers and minions.

Read more




company

‘Company of Heroes’ Mobile Multiplayer Beta Announced for Next Week on Android, Full Update Coming to iOS and Switch As Well

Back in October last year, Feral Interactive announced that cross platform multiplayer was in the works for Company of Heroes …





company

Surfwear company cuts 40 jobs

THE soap opera continues for SurfStitch as the surfwear brand sheds 40 jobs in a bid to return to profit.




company

Via Rail's performance has gone from bad to worse — and it's costing the company millions

Via Rail's service standards have eroded substantially over the last decade, with many more trains arriving late.




company

Canada Post workers give 72-hour notice to strike as company warns of financial impact

The union representing Canada Post workers said it will be in a legal strike position on Friday, exactly one year after talks on a new contract began. But the union is holding back on deciding whether a job action will take place immediately.




company

204652: US. "boots on the ground" were to accompany Pakistan Frontier Corps for a joint operation, but were "denied deployment" at the last minute








company

GST applicable on Car facility extended to employees when the amount of car lease incurred by the company is recovered from employees

The AAAR, Tamil Nadu in the case of M/s Faiveley Transport Rail Technologies India (P.) Ltd., In Re [A.R. Appeal No. 03/2024 AAAR dated July 10, 2024] upheld the ruling passed by AAR Tamil Nadu wherein it was ruled that GST would be applicable on Car facility extended to employees when the amount of




company

Voice Actor David Wald Leaves Role as Gajeel in Fairy Tail, Will Not Return to Crunchyroll Following Claims Company Opened His Mail, Gave Away Contents

David Wald claims Crunchyroll opened his private mail, threw away letters, gave away contents to staff




company

After being denied a raise, employee resigns and accepts job at rival company, boss rejects the resignation and offers a 50% raise instead: ‘I couldn't refuse’

When you know you are a valued employee, one your company cannot afford to lose, you have a lot of leverage when negotiating benefits and pay. The problem is, unless you actually threaten to quit, companies will not be in a rush to give you more than they think you deserve, which is usually much less than what you do deserve. 

So employees threaten to quit, and some manage to get what they want from their current company, and some end up actually quitting and getting a better deal somewhere else.

The employee in this Reddit story (OP, original poster) got the best of both worlds, since they already had another job lining up when they handed in their resignation letter. Their boss, who previously refused to give OP a raise, decided to reject the resignation and offer OP exactly what they wanted, which meant OP now had two offers, and a big decision to make.

Scroll down to read how the story ends. After you are done, click here for a story of a food company that refused to listen to their QAs' advice, and launched a terrible new sauce nobody wanted.




company

'His hand pauses in midair': Front desk attendant gets scolded for using his phone at work, instead he maliciously complies with company policy by wasting other precious office resources

No personal cell phones? Okay. This employee took his malicious compliance to the next level after getting scolded one too many times for using his cell phone on the job. 

I get it… It doesn't look good for a hotel receptionist to scroll memes while the line at the concierge starts to grow. Smacking your gum, rolling your eyes, and scrolling endlessly really isn't something you're supposed to be doing at work, but as many of us forget, our phones are actually super useful little tools. We've grown accustomed to traveling around all day with a tiny computer in our pocket that it's easy to let slip their more convenient functions. The front desk reception guy in our next tale knew all the ways his phone could help out clients, but after his manager got on his back about using his personal device on the clock, he decided to use the second language translating tool at his disposal. 

Keep scrolling to read how an employee turned a spiteful MC into a memorable guest experience when a traveler needed help with a quick translation.




company

'Boss claims that me quitting will result in the business closing': Worker gives 2-week-notice after basically running the company they work for for their boss, prompting boss's total meltdown

It is truly mind-boggling how some employers will treat the workers who are essential to the success and operation of their business. They gamble that they can pay them below market rates and keep them exactly where they are and that their workers will continue to be milked like the cash cow that they are… After taking on increasing responsibility in their boss's small business, this worker knew it was time to move on to greener pastures. They did what they thought was the right thing and gave their boss their two-week notice, prompting a meltdown that they could not have anticipated. 

As commenters in the original thread noted, this begs so many questions. Like, if they were so important to the business why didn't their boss recognize that and reward them for it? Surely, there were chances and opportunities for their boss to give them a promotion or even a partnership in the business that they were so essential to. Still, their boss's general laissez-faire attitude and seeming reluctance to lift a finger to support their own business has spelled their own doom. It seems that they were totally complacent and happy to let the employee do all the work while they raked in all the profits.




company

‘I got extra pay, a box of chocolates, [and] an apology': Karen gets fired after screaming for 40 minutes at a customer service rep because they refuse to break company policy

Is it really so difficult to be kind to the customer service person trying to troubleshoot your problem over the phone? I get it, everything's falling to pieces on your end, but it doesn't make any logical sense to be unsavory to the one person who can actually help you.  

This Karen in our next story proved that being aggressive over the phone doesn't get you everything you want, and sometimes it can get you fired…. Or maybe even investigated by the Feds. 

Imagine, this customer service employee was about 15 seconds from clocking out for the day–it was Friday at 4:59:45 PM and they were grabbing their coats on their way out and the blasted phone rang. Seeing that the number was from an internal caller, as in, someone within their company, the employee thought this would be a simple thing to solve and that they could make quick work of their coworker's problem. Except, the woman on the other end of the line wasn't looking for solutions, she was looking for a customer service rep to break the rules for her. 

Keep scrolling to see how a 40-minute IT support call turned into an apology letter, a box of chocolates, and an immediate, dishonorable resignation. 




company

'I am not allowed to do anything': Retail worker faces down angry parents after colleague sells parents the wrong computer for kid's gaming ambitions, prevented from helping them by silly company policy

Working retail is a hectic and endless stream of customer interactions that balance on a knife's edge, with any one of them threatening to teeter off into a full-blown customer meltdown with possibly little to no cause. It's a way of living that leaves you emotionally drained and completely exasperated, while weekends end up giving you just enough time to self-isolate and prepare for your next shift.

Meanwhile, despite claiming to have the customer's best interest at heart, upper management makes decisions that only serve to maximize their own bonuses and profit, putting you directly in the firing line for even more hostile interactions with customers. They'll enact some broad-sweeping policy that flies in the face of logical reason and expect you to follow it to the letter, vaguely implying serious consequences should you not blindly obey and refuse to listen to the insistence of everyone that their plan is a bad one. Then, acting like it's the worker's fault when they receive customer complaints about their policy. That's what this retail worker shared experiencing when they recounted this story from their days in retail, facing down belligerent customers whilst handling bizarre directives from their superiors.




company

Tax-News.com: Belgium Opens Tax Portal For Company Filings

Belgium's Federal Public Service Finance has announced that businesses may now submit returns through the Belcotax-on-web portal.




company

Tax-News.com: COVID-19: Ireland Eases Close Company Surcharge Rules

The Irish Revenue has announced the implementation of temporary measures in relation to the close company surcharge regime, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.




company

Tax-News.com: Singapore Updates Tax Rules For Company Liquidations

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has updated its guidance on the tax requirements for companies being liquidated and those under receivership.




company

Himalaya Wellness Company Marks Milestone With One Million Trees Planted

medlinkHimalaya/medlink Wellness Company, a prominent wellness brand in India, proudly announces its landmark achievement of planting over one million trees across the country.




company

Abbott 2009 Global Citizenship Report Highlights Company's Progress in 'Redefining Responsibility'

Abbott 2009 Global Citizenship Report Highlights Company's Progress in 'Redefining Responsibility'




company

Cord Blood America CEO Discusses Company Strategy in Interview

Cord Blood America CEO Discusses Company Strategy in Interview




company

STAAR Surgical to Present at The Benchmark Company Investor Conference

STAAR Surgical to Present at The Benchmark Company Investor Conference




company

California-Based Company to Roll Out World's First Stem Cell Therapy On Parkinson's Disease

A California-based company has received approval for trying out the world's first stem therapy on patients affected with mild to severe Parkinson's disease.




company

Australian Company Spray-on-Skin Treatment for Burns Closer to Receive FDA Approval

Avita Medical has gained popularity by developing a medical device called "Spray-on-skin" which helps in treating burns on the skin.The device was first




company

Indian Biotech Company Develops First 3D Printed Artificial Liver Tissue

Bengaluru-based biotech firm, Pandorum Technologies, has announced that it has developed artificial living tissue using 3D printing which performs the function of a human liver.




company

Genome Sequencing Company Plans to Develop Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Detection

As many companies are trying to develop liquid biopsy for diagnosing and preventing cancer development, the San Diego-based genome sequencing company Illumina has also joined this group.




company

US Drug Company Recalls Children's Cough Syrup in Fear of Overdose

A US pharmaceutical company has recalled its two products due to concerns regarding incorrect markings on the dosage cups.Perrigo Company is voluntarily




company

Olympus Company Develops Improved Duodenoscopes to Avoid the Spread of Superbugs

After receiving several reports regarding deadly patient infections due to contaminated duodenoscopes, Japan-based Olympus company has announced that




company

Pharmaceutical Company Pfizer Stops Selling Corex in India

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has stopped making and selling cough syrup Corex in India with immediate effect after the government prohibited fixed dose




company

Small Company Employees Less Likely to Get Screened for Cancer

Small time business employees can be less likely to get screened for cancers when compared to big companies with over 500 employees found a new study published in i Preventive Medicine/i journal.




company

Nvidia surpasses Apple to become world's largest company in AI era

Graphics chip giant Nvidia has become the world's largest company by market capitalisation, surpassing Apple, in the artificial intelligence (AI) era.




company

Wiz CEO says company was targeted with deepfake attack that used his voice

Even cybersecurity companies aren’t safe from deepfake attacks. Speaking onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, Wiz’s CEO and co-founder Assaf Rappaport, who recently turned down a $23 billion acquisition offer from Google, noted that his employees had been targeted by a deepfake attack just two weeks ago. “Dozens of my employees got a voice […]

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DJI sues Department of Defense over listing as a Chinese military company

Drone-maker DJI filed a lawsuit Friday against the U.S. Department of Defense over its inclusion on a DoD list of “Chinese military companies.” A DJI spokesperson said the company filed the suit after “attempting to engage with the DoD for more than sixteen months” and deciding “it had no alternative other than to seek relief […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.