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Mevlude Markasjh Markashi Home Health Consulting LLC

Embracing Technology and Transforming Homecare | Mevlude Markashi

The healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, catalyzed by unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic not only shook the foundations of healthcare delivery but also accelerated the shift towards technological integration—highlighting the critical need for agility and resilience in the face of crisis. Mevlude “Mev” Markashi RN, CHFP, CSBI, whose career path exemplifies the essence of flexibility and foresight in healthcare, is at the vanguard of this transformation.

google

Google To Potentially Invest Hundreds Of Millions Into Character.AI Startup 

Google is currently in conversation to invest in Character.AI, an artificial intelligence chatbot platform startup. According to CTech News, Character.AI was created by Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, two former employees of Google Brain. 

Google is prepared to invest “hundreds of millions of dollars” into Character.AI as it continues to train chatbot models to talk to users, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. 

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Character.AI and Google already have a standing relationship in which they use Google’s cloud services and Tensor Processing Units to train its chatbot models, so this investment would deepen that partnership. 

Character.AI allows users to log in and choose from a variety of celebrities, movie characters, creatures, etc. to chat with. Users can even create their own character chatbot to speak with. Subscription models cost $9.99 a month, but the platform is also free to use. 

According to data from Similarweb, reported by CalTech, “Character.AI’s chatbots, with various roles and tones to choose from, have appealed to users ages 18 to 24, who contributed about 60% of its website traffic. 

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The demographic is helping the company position itself as the purveyor of more fun personal AI companions, compared to other AI chatbots from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.”

Within the first six months of launching, Character.AI saw about 100 million visits every month. 

Reuters wrote that “The startup is also in talks to raise equity funding from venture capital investors, which could value the company at over $5 billion.

In March, it raised $150 million in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz at $1 billion valuation.

Google has been investing in AI startups, including $2 billion for model maker Anthropic in the form of convertible notes, on top of its earlier equity investment.”

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Meta, Instagram-Parent Company, Sued By Multiple States Over ‘Addictive’ Features And Negative Mental Health Impacts On Youths

Dozens of states are suing Meta, the parent-company of Instagram, accusing the major tech company of harming young users’ mental health through addictive features, such as infinite news feeds and frequent notifications that demand users’ attention.

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President Biden Issues Executive Order for AI Oversight

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order covering a wide range of topics related to artificial intelligence, paving the way for new government regulations and funding.

The 111-page order covers multiple facets of AI and areas of concern or development, including civil rights, cybersecurity, discrimination, global competition, and a push for establishing federal AI jobs.

A senior White House official, who wished to remain anonymous, reportedly told NBC News that the potential uses of AI are so vast that effective regulations must cover a lot of ground. He also underscored the need for “significant bipartisan legislation.”

“AI policy is like running into a decathlon, and there’s 10 different events here, and we don’t have the luxury of just picking ‘we’re just going to do safety’ or ‘we’re just going to do equity’ or ‘we’re just going to do privacy.’ You have to do all of these things.”

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The order expands on a July nonbinding agreement between seven of the most prominent U.S. technology companies developing AI. The agreement required the companies to hire outside experts to identify weaknesses in their systems. The government can legally require companies to disclose the results of those safety tests under the Defense Production Act.

The Department of Commerce will also be required to develop guidelines for properly “watermarking” AI content, such as “deepfake” videos and ChatGPT-generated essays.

In an interview with NBC News, the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence co-director Fei-Fei Li stressed the importance of government funding for AI to solve society’s pressing issues.

“The public sector holds a unique opportunity in terms of data and interdisciplinary talent to cure cancer, cure rare diseases, to map out biodiversity at a global scale, to understand and predict wildfires, to find climate solutions, to supercharge our teachers. There’s so much the public sector can do, but all of this is right now starved because we are severely lacking in resources.”

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Some of the other topics covered in the order are geared toward anticipating and mitigating real-world problems that may arise from the widespread implementation of AI.

For instance, it asks the Department of Labor to address the potential for AI to cause job losses; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development to address how AI may exacerbate discrimination in banking and housing sectors; and the Office of Management and Budget, and others, to determine how the government can use AI without jeopardizing privacy rights.

The AI Now Institute managing director, Sarah Myers West, praised President Biden for including ethical concerns in the executive order. The nonprofit focuses on the societal implications of artificial intelligence use.

“It’s great to see the White House set the tone on the issues that matter most to the public: labor, civil rights, protecting privacy, promoting competition. This underscores you can’t deal with the future risks of AI without adequately dealing with the present. The key to looking forward will be to ensure strong enforcement as companies attempt to set a self-regulatory tone: industry cannot be left to lead the conversation on how to adequately address the effects of AI on the broader public.”

google

Google To Replace Passwords With Passkeys In New Update 

On Tuesday, Google announced an update to the way they plan to enforce cybersecurity: by replacing passwords with passkeys instead. According to Gizmodo Magazine, Google claimed it’s planning to “make passwords a rarity, and eventually obsolete.” 

Passkeys have been around for a little while now. A passkey is defined as any sort of short form method of unlocking your devices or accounts, for example, using your fingerprint or pin code to unlock your phone. 

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The biggest advantage of these types of cybersecurity systems is that hackers will need your entire device, not just your password, to gain access to your accounts; as most passkeys only work on the single device they’re implemented on. 

According to Google, passkeys are 40% faster than passwords as well, and are popular among consumers due to the fact that they don’t need to memorize long randomized passwords full of various letters, numbers, and symbols.

According to Gizmodo, technology experts have been predicting for the past decade that the use of passwords for cybersecurity would likely become obsolete, however, every year that sentiment has been proven wrong, especially with the rise of new streaming services and social media platforms in the past five years alone. 

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Google, however, is the platform that has the best chance at being the catalyst for this transition. As one of the biggest tech companies in the world, Google has the potential to set a new precedent when it comes to how the average person protects their presence online. 

Google has stated that when a user logs into their account, a new prompt will appear asking if the user wants to create and use passkeys, allowing them to “skip passwords when possible” if you go into the settings of your Google account, and use other features. 

With these new changes, it’s still not likely that passwords will go away anytime soon. 

“The tech industry has a lot of work to tackle before you can forget all your passwords, but that impossible dream is now a massive step closer to reality,” wrote Thomas Germain.

brain

Software Program Powered by Artificial Intelligence May Revolutionize Treatment of Aneurysms

A medical software program powered by artificial intelligence called PreSize can potentially revolutionize the treatment of brain aneurysms. Scientists found that PreSize outperformed experienced neurosurgeons at predicting where to place a treatment stent in a patient’s brain.

Weakness in an artery wall typically causes aneurysms, which, if discovered before rupturing, can be medically monitored or surgically closed with a tiny metal clip. Brain aneurysms are more common in people over the age of 40 but can occur at any age.

Alternatively, a flexible mesh tube of metal called a stent can be implanted inside the artery via catheter insertion guided by X-ray imaging. These stents typically utilize shape memory alloys, which spring open upon being unsheathed.

Researchers analyzed data from previous brain aneurysm operations, during which a “multitude” of different stents were used, to better understand the devices’ behavior under different conditions.

Dr Katerina Spranger, founder and chief executive of the company that developed the software, Oxford Heartbeat, told the UK’s PA news agency that the placement of the device is critical during treatment.

“It’s extremely important to get the device correct, in terms of the correct size and also correct implantation. Currently, the way they do it, there is a lot of guesswork involved.”

According to Dr. Spranger, there is a high risk of complications from these complex devices, the most common of which are blood clots, which can lead to strokes.

“If the device is, for example, undersized, it can detach from the blood vessels and start traveling around the circulatory system of the body, which is huge complication. Or if it’s oversized, it can almost rupture the vessel.”

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PreSize provides doctors with a reconstructed image of a patient’s brain and a catalog of digital device replicas that mimic the behavior of various stents.

“This is another key to the complexity of the problem because all those devices are very different. Each manufacturer has their own proprietary technology. In the virtual environment, the algorithms put the two together – the complex anatomy of the patient and mechanics of the device. It can predict what’s going to happen if you put a particular device into a particular location.”

The PreSize platform allows clinicians to load a patient’s scan and test out different devices right inside the operating room to determine which will be most effective.

“We do a lot of research, a lot of experiments, to make sure that the digital twins actually correspond to the actual device’s behavior. We designed it so that it’s extremely intuitive and extremely accurate. Fit for a high-stress surgical environment because the patient is usually already on the table.”

According to Dr. Spranger, the best device can be determined in just three minutes using PreSize instead of the usual 10-15 minutes.

“A fraction of a millimeter can make or break a surgery. We knew that for a software to be successful in such a high-stress environment, it has to be super easy. We designed it so that it can be used without even any training. They get real-time feedback. For example, if they want to try another device, reposition the device, elongate the device, choose another – it immediately reacts and immediately tells them ‘this is how it’s going to look.’”

Dr. Spranger predicts that the use of software in the medical field will soon become a “standard of care” due to its high accuracy, marking it as “a medical device of a new generation.”

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According to The Independent, 375 people have had procedures using PreSize. Seven hospitals across England, Scotland, Germany, Finland, and Ukraine have been taking advantage of the new technology.

PreSize was found to be more accurate than human clinicians at predicting where a stent will “land” in the brain, according to research published in the BMJ Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

In the study, eight neurointerventionalists were given 3D images and data showing a stent’s initial landing location for 51 cases.

The medics were given the stent’s origin and instructed to plot its course as they usually would, using the information provided and the stent’s dimensions to make an educated guess as to where it would ultimately land.

PreSize could predict its final landing location with a 95% accuracy rate, while the neurointerventionalists had an 81% accuracy rate.

England’s healthcare system is currently using AI to help clinicians read scans and X-rays to speed up diagnoses and decision-making on treatments. However, Dr. Spranger recommends “rigorous testing” before deploying new systems.

“AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but before we adopt it, we must rigorously test new systems. Medical device software companies like ours should be held to account to address any distrust about AI.”

iphone

Apple Addresses Reports of iPhone 15 Overheating

Apple acknowledged user reports of overheating on some of its new iPhone 15 models, stating that a software glitch and certain apps are to blame.

The latest iPhone hit the shelves on September 22. Shortly after, users voiced their concerns about the device becoming uncomfortable to hold after limited use, sometimes reaching temperatures of more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).

In a statement to CNN, Apple shared that it has “identified a few conditions which can cause an iPhone to run warmer than expected.”

Overheating can occur with the use of some recently updated third-party apps. The device may also run hot due to “increased background activity” the first few days after setup or a system reset.

According to Apple, the overheating problems currently affecting some iPhone models do not pose a safety risk and will not have any effect on the devices’ long-term performance. Apple also highlighted the fact that iPhones have thermal protections built in to help with overheating.

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The company is working with the developers of third-party apps whose recent updates were running in ways “causing them to overload the system.” Instagram, ridesharing service Uber, and racing game Asphalt 9 are just a few examples.

“We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.”

Last week, Meta updated its Instagram app for the newest version of iOS to fix an issue where the app would cause the iPhone to overheat.

In addition, Apple acknowledged a bug in iOS 17 that could be affecting some users. It plans to release a software update to fix the problem, but no date has been set for the update’s release.

On Apple’s support page, users are cautioned that their devices may overheat when performing tasks such as restoring from a backup, using apps with heavy graphics processing, streaming high-quality video, and charging wirelessly.

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“These conditions are normal, and your device will return to a regular temperature when the process is complete or when you finish your activity. If your device doesn’t display a temperature warning, you can keep using your device.”

Despite the recent complaints, consumer demand for the iPhone 15 appears strong. Analysts reported that iPhone 15 pre-orders were doing better than initially expected in the days leading up to the release date, with robust demand also for the premium iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In August, Apple reported that sales had dropped for a third consecutive quarter, totaling around $39.7 billion, shortly before the release of the new iPhones. The figure represents a decrease of about 2% in revenue from the previous year as fewer people upgrade their devices.

About 250 million iPhones, according to estimates, have not been updated in more than four years. A shift to a USB-C charging port and improvements to the processor and camera may incentivize users to upgrade this year.

The iPhone 15 Pro prices begin at $1,099, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max begins at $1,199. The base-level iPhone 15 goes for $799, while the Plus version, the iPhone 15 X, costs $899.

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France To Allow Apple To Sell iPhone 12s Again After Meeting Radiation Standards

France may now allow Apple to sell their 12th generation iPhone model after weeks of the nation citing the device’s alleged high levels of electromagnetic radiation. Now, Apple has apparently met France’s electromagnetic radiation standards, allowing the company to start selling the phone again. 

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France’s L’Agence Nationale des Fréquences, or ANFR, confirmed this week that the iPhone 12 met the standards after Apple issued a new software patch for the phone.

According to Gizmodo, the agency stated they tested the phone’s specific radiation absorption rate, which measures the level of radio waves emitted by the device, and found that the iPhone 12 was back in compliance with the nation’s standards after the patch. 

Once Apple patches all iPhone 12s, they will be able to sell the devices in France again. 

It was about two weeks ago that France initially put a stop to the sales of iPhone 12s throughout the country after the ANFR claimed the device didn’t meet radiation standards. Other nations such as Belgium and Germany followed suit and began testing the devices themselves as well. 

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Apple has consistently claimed that the issue isn’t actually with their phones, but instead with France’s, and the EU in general’s, testing standards. They stated that the new software patch simply “accommodates” the testing protocols. 

According to Gizmodo, “The ANFR said the tests were performed by an accredited laboratory and found the SAR was 3.94 W/kg (watt per kilogram) after the update compared to 5.74 W/kg before the update. The measurements were taken when phones are kept close to the body, such as inside a user’s pocket.”

“France and other EU countries have placed limits on the amount of electromagnetic radiation that can be absorbed by a body. According to the French regulatory agency, the country monitors all waves between 100 kHz and 10 GHz,” the publication explained

According to the World Health Organization, there isn’t any definitive science that proves there are major health consequences to exposure from low-level electromagnetic fields and waves. However, the recent wave of 5G conspiracy theories spreading online hasn’t helped when it comes to people worrying about radiation in their personal devices. 

ai

Amazon Invests up to $4 Billion in OpenAI Rival Anthropic in Exchange for Minority Stake

On Monday, Amazon announced it will invest up to $4 billion into the artificial intelligence company Anthropic. In exchange, Amazon will gain partial ownership, and Anthropic will use the company’s cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS), more widely.

The growing relationship between the two firms is an example of how some large tech companies with extensive cloud computing resources are using those assets to strengthen their position in the artificial intelligence industry.

According to a statement released by Amazon, Anthropic will use AWS as its primary cloud provider, using the cloud platform to do most of its AI model development and research into AI safety. Anthropic will also have access to Amazon’s suite of in-house AI chips.

“AWS will become Anthropic’s primary cloud provider for mission-critical workloads, including safety research and future foundation model development. Anthropic plans to run the majority of its workloads on AWS, further providing Anthropic with the advanced technology of the world’s leading cloud provider.”

In addition, Anthropic has committed to making its AI models available to AWS users long-term, providing them with early access to features, including the ability to customize Anthropic models for their own purposes.

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“With today’s announcement, customers will have early access to features for customizing Anthropic models, using their own proprietary data to create their own private models, and will be able to utilize fine-tuning capabilities via a self-service feature.”

Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers already have access to Anthropic’s AI models through Amazon Bedrock, the tech giant’s storefront for AI goods. Bedrock not only supports Amazon’s own models but also those from third-party developers such as  Stability AI and AI21 Labs.

In a press release, the co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, said that his company is “excited to use AWS’s Trainium chips to develop future foundation models.”

“Since announcing our support of Amazon Bedrock in April, Claude has seen significant organic adoption from AWS customers. By significantly expanding our partnership, we can unlock new possibilities for organizations of all sizes as they deploy Anthropic’s safe, state-of-the-art AI systems together with AWS’s leading cloud technology.”

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Anthropic stated that Amazon’s minority stake would not alter the company’s corporate governance structure or its dedication to the ethical advancement of artificial intelligence.

“Our corporate governance structure remains unchanged, with the Long Term Benefit Trust continuing to guide Anthropic in accordance with our Responsible Scaling Policy. As outlined in this policy, we will conduct pre-deployment tests of new models to help us manage the risks of increasingly capable AI systems.”

Several cloud market leaders, like Microsoft and now Amazon, have made investments into artificial intelligence technology. OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, received $1 billion from Microsoft in 2019. Microsoft recently also invested $10 billion in OpenAI and is striving to integrate OpenAI’s technology into consumer-facing Microsoft products such as Bing.

This deal is Amazon’s most recent push into the artificial intelligence space to compete with industry leaders like Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google.

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Apple Officially Retires Lighting Charger for iPhones To Adopt USB-C Charging

With the announcement of the iPhone 15 at Apple’s annual keynote conference, the company announced that they are officially retiring the iPhone’s lightning charger to adopt the USB-C charging technology that it has for its other devices.