#Privacy Booths Singapore

[disneyprincemuke]

midnights, 3 * mv1

max just won his third championship, but the sinking feeling starts to settle in

pairings: max verstappen x fem!reader

warnings: alcohol

notes: yall i have like 3 different drafts of this, i got no idea what's up with my writer's block... i've also rewritten my fem!driver series like 3 times based on a request like what is going on

(prev) // (next)

max verstappen wouldn't give anything up for the third title he's just won. but he would turn the world upside down if it meant having you around.

the interviewer had caught him off guard earlier, congratulating him for winning on a saturday evening. and then suddenly bringing you up and noting how strange it is that you have not been around for a while.

he had to tame his shock, arguing with himself in his mind about the privacy of your relationship. on one hand, he hasn't had to talk about you openly while he's still in mourning. but on the other, everybody just assumes you're too busy to attend races and they bring you up nonchalantly.

he has to go around pretending he doesn't want to break down in tears at the mention of your name.

christian had brought the team into a nearby bar to celebrate, not forgetting to remind everybody that the main race is still tomorrow.

max knows that he misses you. he recognises it in the way his hand reaches out for nothing when he walks into the paddocks by himself and looks out for your face in the crowd when he's on stage. he just tries to push it away as much as he can.

but it hurt the most when he jumped out of his car at parc ferme after the sprint, marking his third title in 3 years. he searched desperately for your face within his team, wanting to share the championship with you.

he wants to share this with you, truthfully having you to thank for his all that he's achieved in the past 3 years. at the end of all this, he just wanted to stumble back into you and celebrate quietly.

max had been the centre of attention, taking his mind away from you for about an hour. he was singing and dancing, drinking and having fun until the sinking feeling started to eat him away.

now he's tucked away at a corner booth of the bar, his fourth glass of gin and tonic on the table. he's staring blankly at the table, the bass from the speakers thumping away in his chest.

"mate, congratulations again." he looks up to meet daniel's eyes, who is now sliding into the empty seats opposite him. daniel puts his drink down and leans back to get comfortable. "shouldn't you be celebrating?"

"already did. this is my fourth," max grins forcefully, tapping on the rim of his cup. he leans forward to rest his elbow on the table, drawing shapes on the table with the droplets of condensation from his drink. "just a little tired, that's all."

daniel doesn't answer right away. he just nods understandingly then looks around briefly. "so where's (y/n)? she's never missed a championship weekend." max's eyes trail up to meet him again.

the mention of your name forms a lump in his throat. max wishes he knew where you were, then maybe he'd have the courage to find you and take you into his arms once more.

"did you split up or something?" daniel follows up immediately, raising an eyebrow at max.

the dutchman blinks, tears quickly swelling in his eyes. realistically, only victoria knows of the split. he's more shocked that alexandra and kika have kept it so lowkey that the news hasn't flooded the media and gossip sites.

for that, he's truly thankful.

"yeah, in singapore," max shrugs. he picks up his drink, taking a big gulp to wash your name off his tongue.

daniel nods and sinks into his seat, not asking max to further elaborate. he appreciates that as well. he's not in the spot where he's ready to talk about it either.

he tried to with victoria, but it only ended with him in a sputtering mess of tears before he fell into a deep slumber. he woke up that morning on the floor by his couch with victoria not very far off.

"have you talked to her since?"

max shakes his head dejectedly, lips pouting into a genuine frown. his eyebrows furrow as his frustration starts to grow.

why hasn't he reached out? more importantly, why haven't you?

"i think she hates me, mate."

"why would you even say that?" daniel tilts his head, raising his eyebrows to encourage max to elaborate. he's quite curious on this one, truly.

daniel had never seen a love like the one you shared with max. the privacy of your relationship made whatever he witnessed all the more special and he loved watching you both grow with the relationship.

he heard of the fights from his girlfriend who was suspiciously more aware than him, but he could have sworn that you two would have made it out of the great war. he hadn't seen you since saturday night in singapore and he simply thought you'd taken a break.

his guess that you'd split up was random, but he never expected max to confirm it.

max shrugs. "we were fighting all the time. we somehow lost each other. we were too far gone to save, i think."

"you asked for the split?"

"she did," max confirms with another sigh. he presses the cold glass onto his lips, "i didn't say anything, she just walked out."

"mate, you didn't say anything?" daniel exclaims in disbelief. he drops his drink on the table, watching max calmly sipping on his gin and tonic. "why didn't you?"

"i don't know," max answers with another shrug, running a hand through his hair roughly. he tugs at the roots and drops his drink on the table with a thud. "i don't know, maybe we're better off not together."

maybe. maybe, maybe. and maybe if he'd just fought for you that night, you would be here celebrating with him.

that, or you'd still be fighting every 3 days over every little thing. he recognises the toxic cycle, but he'd honestly rather have that with you around than be in this position.

max shakes his head, finishing whatever is left of his drink. abruptly, he crawls out of the booth seat. he hears daniel scrambling after him.

max holds up a hand and turns to face daniel with a frown. "i'm heading back to the hotel. i just want to be alone. please."

taglist: @merchelsea (comment to be added)

[famsolutionspteltd]

Features of Office Pods Singapore

In today's fast-paced and open-concept work environments, finding a quiet and private space to focus, make important phone calls, or hold confidential meetings can be a challenge. This is where the innovative concept of Office Pods Singapore comes into play. These sleek and modern privacy booths offer a range of features that create a conducive environment for enhanced productivity and confidentiality. In this article, we explore the key features of Office Pods Singapore and how they can benefit your workplace.

Enhanced Privacy for Phone Calls and Meetings

Office Phone Booths are a popular solution for individuals who need to make or receive important phone calls without distractions. These enclosed spaces provide an acoustic barrier that prevents noise from entering or escaping, ensuring utmost privacy during conversations. The soundproofing technology used in Office Pods Singapore eliminates external noises, creating a peaceful oasis where employees can focus and communicate effectively.

Moreover, Privacy Booths Singapore are not limited to phone calls. They are designed to accommodate small meetings as well. With ample space for a few individuals, these pods offer a comfortable and private setting for discussions that require confidentiality. Whether it's a sensitive client meeting or a performance review, Privacy Pods Singapore provide an ideal space for uninterrupted conversations.

Customizable and Ergonomic Design

Office Pod Singapore designs are highly customizable to suit the unique needs of different workplaces. They come in various sizes and configurations, allowing you to select the most suitable layout for your office space. Additionally, the interior of these pods can be tailored to meet specific requirements, with options for integrated desks, seating, lighting, and ventilation systems. This level of customization ensures that Office Pods Singapore seamlessly blend into your existing office layout while providing a personalized and comfortable experience for users.

Enhanced Technology Integration

To further enhance productivity and connectivity, Office Pods Singapore offer advanced technology integration. These pods are equipped with power outlets, USB charging ports, and high-speed internet connectivity, enabling employees to stay connected and productive while working within the privacy of the pod. Whether it's a laptop, tablet, or mobile device, users can easily connect their devices to power up and access the necessary resources, ensuring uninterrupted workflow and seamless communication.

Aesthetic Appeal and Space Optimization

In addition to their functional benefits, Office Pods Singapore also contribute to the aesthetic appeal of the workplace. With their sleek and modern designs, these pods add a touch of sophistication to any office environment. They can be seamlessly incorporated into open floor plans, making the most efficient use of available space. Office Pod Singapore solutions are designed to be visually pleasing while providing a practical solution for privacy and productivity needs.

Conclusion

Office Pod Singapore offer a range of features that enhance privacy and productivity in the workplace. With their customizable designs, ergonomic features, and advanced technology integration, Office Pods Singapore cater to the diverse needs of modern workplaces. By incorporating these pods into your office environment, you can create a conducive atmosphere that promotes productivity and confidentiality. When it comes to Office Pods Singapore, FAM Solutions Pte Ltd stands out as a leading provider. To know more about them, refer to their website Famsolutions.com.sg.

[hamzaaslam]

FAM Solutions Introduces Innovative Meeting Booths to Redefine Modern Office Spaces

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 July 2024 – As offices adapt to the evolving needs of a post-pandemic workforce, FAM Solutions, a leading provider of innovative office furniture solutions, is proud to unveil its range of innovative meeting booths. Designed to address the growing demand for privacy and focused work environments in open-plan offices, these customisable office pods offer a…

[famsolutionssingapore]

How can you make your office space functional?

Office space is something where any kind of mess or un-organization can create a negative work environment leading to a downfall in the productivity as well as efficiency of the employees. Everyone prefers to have a clean and organized workspace so that when anything needed can be found within seconds. Managing the space smartly and flexibly, you can use the space in an innovative way while optimising the uses. Let us find some utility tools that you can embed in your environment to make your office look bigger.

Select and Set-up furniture wisely

If you want to make the most of the office space, be cautious when you are picking and implementing the office furniture. It’s important to be cosy and functional but equally crucial to not consume too much of space. If you can’t find the right kind of furniture, have it custom-built.

Organise wires and cables

While it is important to properly organize and arrange your cables and wires, try to go wireless wherever and whenever possible. This will help your office will look compact, tidier, and more structured. It will also make it look bigger. This is because cables create a cramped vibe, especially if wires are running loose around the office. Poorly organised cables can lead to a serious safety risks.

Phone Booths

In a small open office, where you do not have any separate conference room, sales, zoom meetings, Skype calls, and personal calls can be disturbing for others. Soundproof phone booths are a great addition to a modern work environment. Privacy booths Singapore can be used to create secluded area with no disturbances when needed to complete high-priority tasks such as confidential meeting, seminars, and calls. They are customised to go with the office interior quite well.

Give motion to your monitors

If you install monitor arms for your employees, you can make them feel more comfortable when working. Integrating monitor arm Singapore will allow them move their systems and provide extra work space whenever needed. You can get it in manual or motor-driven options; however the latter is more convenient.

Minimalist decoration

It’s advisable to make your office look aesthetically pleasing. If you’re tight on space, go with easy decoration so that your office feel cramped, it will look smaller than it actually is. Keep only a few decorative items just to enhance the space.

Get rid of things not needed for your office. And ask your employees to manage their desk efficiently and make it mess-free. At FAM Solutions, we can set-up a smart office with our range of customised office furniture, including sit-stand desk, CPU holders, and proficient meeting pods. We have premium quality furniture with advanced uses and functionalities, and are available at the most reasonable prices.

[joeywxy]

Media and Public Spaces (Joey Ang)

In Portable Objects in Three Global Cities: The Personalization of Urban Places, Okabe provides us with insight into mobile media as not just an medium that modifies or replaces our interpersonal relationships but a portable device that has intricately redesigned our relationship with real time, physical places as well as people. Okabe is interested in the individual’s personal or customizable experience in the real world in which media plays a secondary role of enhancing this experience rather than claiming the centre stage in attempt to take over our lives – a stance that is often portrayed by other writers on the subject of portable media. He introduces three main practices in which the individual experience and negotiates space and time in everyday life: cocooning, camping and footprinting. Cocooning refers to the confining of oneself into a personalised “bubble” via books, newspapers, magazines, or mobile phones, effectively blocking out sensory stimulation from the outside world in order to kill time. Camping is the deliberate selection of a public location to reside at for a considerable period of time for the purpose of work or recreation involving media device(s). Footprints is the metaphorical act of leaving behind our tracks as we move through spaces, referring to the disclosure of our private information such as physical locations, transactions and consumption habits to corporate entities by holding onto their member, reward, stamp or access cards. It also transforms the nature of our interpersonal exchanges to something less personable or pleasurable, and instead highly rigid, quantified, and automated.

In the Singapore context, cocooning and camping are far from uncommon. Cocooning is most frequently sighted in public transportations with the function of killing time but also for specific purposes of avoiding socially awkward exchanges. Regardless of its function, every individual has the freedom to choose his/her own unique way of cocooning. It is fascinating to observe people in the MRT, fully absorbed in their own personalised business which ranges from listening to deafening rock music on their earphones, playing Candy Crush to reading the Bible or the news on mobile apps. Each of these activities are choices which reveal a fragment of who people are, how they present themselves and how they spend their time. On the other hand, many students, including myself, regards the library as a top choice of location for study and work especially during examination periods. I personally love the chill and silence of the library as a creative workspace. On the other hand, others who would appreciate a livelier and cosier ambience would prefer a café. Once again, we see individual differences highlighted in the act of camping. The nature of camping has changed with the current pandemic, as consumers could no longer sit at the café or library for long hours. As a result, businesses and consumers have shifted their attention to work-study booths, the most popular one named Switch. One of the users, Amanda Yee, commented that it was “a refreshing change of study environment”. Another user, Loraine Yee, found the Switch booth “much more comfortable than expected, fitted with a work desk large enough for [her] to sprawl [her] notes out”. The booths also block out most of the outside noise and provided a customizable ambience via built-in Bluetooth speakers. (Lee, 2020) It seems like camping environments have important ramifications to our work productivity, mental health and personal identity especially during this period of COVID-19.

However, it is noteworthy that with the rising number of smartphone addiction amongst children in Singapore (Yangchen, L., & YK, R., 2017), some critiques of mobile media the idea of being completely absorbed into a mobile device (the act cocooning and camping) is highly problematic. Not only do mobile devices normalize and promote homogeneity, detachment from reality and self-centredness, if taken to the extreme, use of mobile media can also become associated with mental issues such as depression and anxiety or lower self-esteem (Kross et. al., 2013). This is likely caused by the obsessive and compulsive to check our mobile devices on updates (whether for work or to know about the lives of other people) every few minutes due to the irrational fear of missing out. With that, the immersive experience into the media world that cocooning, and camping provides has an equal ability to disconnect us from our immediate physical spaces as much as it has to enhancing it. Mobile media could potentially take the centre stage or supplement to our physical experience of everyday life depending on how we use them.

Footprints are even more prevalent in during this period of COVID-19 as mandated mobile applications such as Trace Together and Safe Entry track our physical locations in real time. In addition, no longer do we have to make payment using cash or card but via mobile transaction applications such as PayLah, PayNow, GrabPay, FavePay and many others. As long as internet connection is available, anything seems trackable and storable. This gives rise to a new problem on surveillance and privacy. With all our personal information about our transactions and consumption habits accessible to the corporations, we put ourselves at risk of cyberattacks such as viruses, identity theft, cyberstalking, and credit card frauds. Our private data can also become marketable by large companies for personalised advertising.

Okabe has pointed out that location tracking through membership and reward cards has increased ease of purchase but depersonalised our experience. However, loyalty cards do not seem to be the culprit of this depersonalised experience but the complete automation of the purchasing process through self-checkout machines at supermarkets and self-order machines at fast-food chains and restaurants. In fact, as mentioned before cards are almost completely outdated. Replacing them are reward points recorded on mobile applications that businesses encourage their customers to download, yet another convenient way to access a customer’s location and other private data.

References

Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D., Lin, N., . . . Ybarra, O. (2013, August 14). Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults. Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0069841

Lee, L. (2020, November 21). Working in a Switch booth can be productive, but only when people stop peering in. Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/working-switch-booth-can-be-productive-only-when-people-stop-peering

Rtanyp. (2020, September 07). Are you in control of your digital footprint? Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/are-you-in-control-of-your-digital-footprint

Yangchen, L., & YK, R. (2017, April 04). People in Singapore spend over 12 hours on gadgets daily: Survey. Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/12hr-42min-connected-for-hours

[vanguardsg]

Small Office Space Design Ideas

If you're like most people, you probably think of office spaces as being dull, sterile, and often uninspiring. But the truth is, with creativity, you can turn even the smallest space into an elegant and functional work area. The key is to focus on functionality first and aesthetics second.

You have two choices to accomplish this: you can either design your small office yourself or hire an expert in space interior design in Singapore. No matter which route you decide to take, here are a few ideas to inspire you:

1. Pods and booths

With offices reopening after the pandemic, many companies are opting for a more flexible and open floor plan. Pods and booths provide employees with their own private space to work while still being close enough to collaborate with colleagues.

Productivity sometimes comes down to how comfortable and peaceful we feel in our environment. And what could be more comfortable than your own personal pod?

Pods should have enough desk space and seating for a single worker or a small group. It is also essential that the pods have an efficient ventilation system, power module, good lighting, and anti-collision door to reduce noise pollution.

For phone booths, look for models with sound-dampening materials to ensure privacy.

2. Collaborative spaces

In addition to private pods, your office space should also include collaborative areas for team projects and meetings. These can be meeting tables, boardroom tables, meeting chairs, or any other kind of furniture that encourages interaction.

The important thing is to ensure that these areas are comfortable and inviting, with plenty of space for people to move around.

3. Minimalist but functional storage

One of the biggest challenges in small office design is finding ways to store your supplies and paperwork without taking up too much space. The solution is to use minimalist but functional storage solutions like 3-tier storage with flip-down doors, pedestal drawers with casters, bookshelves, consoles, and display shelves.

4. Light colours and natural lighting

Another way to make your office space seem bigger and more open is to use light colours on the walls and ceiling. This will reflect more light and make the space feel brighter and airier.

In addition, try to take advantage of natural lighting by placing your desk near a window. If possible, install shelves or cabinets above eye level to free up floor space.

Choosing the right office space interior design for your company's culture and values is important. A high-end space interior design in Singapore can help you create a functional and stylish office that is perfect for your business.

[batalbedodesignposts]

Commercial interior design

Are you looking for a Singapore-based commercial or office interior design? Over the years, the world has become increasingly competitive, and it now takes a systematic strategy on the part of every organization to defeat the competition and reach the top. In today's world, every area of a company must be well-managed. One of the most significant factors that can make a big difference in a variety of ways is office interior design. When it comes to workplace interior design in Singapore, it has unquestionably improved and advanced in recent years.

We thrive on turning your workplace space into a creative one that expresses your corporate values and ideals as one of Singapore's most experienced commercial interior design firms. We take pride in our expertise and experience in designing the workplace environment in which you want to work.

Why are we so special?

Another thing that sets us apart from the competition is our unwavering commitment to providing the greatest services at the most competitive prices. We've worked on a variety of difficult projects over the years, and we've handled them all with aplomb. Every assignment is an opportunity for us to make an incredible impression on the customer. You can learn more about us and our past accomplishments by visiting our website. You may contact us at any time after you are completely convinced.

Advance Workplace Strategies

Our workplace strategist will first learn about your company's demands before recommending the best solution to satisfy your current and future objectives. Our workspace solutions would be customized to meet your needs, such as property expense savings, downsizing, migrating from an existing building or unit, improving business performance, or merging companies. We don't just use industry measurements to come up with solutions. All of the following solutions are based on factual information. In this regard, we have access to the most cutting-edge Space Utilization Technologies, which we employ to collect data and then analyze it thoroughly.

The Most Important Issues in Office Interior Design

However, many Asian companies continue to use a very traditional approach to arranging the architecture and layout of their office space. Hierarchy and status are major motivators, resulting in a high ratio of cellular offices to open work areas.

The major challenge of open plan working has always been privacy – there is no doubt that open plan office designs without a variety of supporting infrastructures such as private rooms, phone booths, and other collaborative spaces simply do not work, and these facilities must therefore be incorporated into the office interior design solution.

What services are provided?

We provide multiple office services for your needs, including carpentry work, electrical work, data and telephone cabling, licensed electrical work (LEW) Endorsement, sprinkler installation/relocation, ceiling work, work on partitions, office reinstatement, paint, minor additional and alteration (MAA) certification, door access systems, flooring, blinds, and moving jobs.

[blockpaths]

Blockcast.cc Media Partner for Digital Week Online “Keeping the digital world united!”

Digital Week Online is an online Summit that unites tech entrepreneurs, authors, investors, innovators, leading corporates, and key governments. Blockcast.cc, a media and PR company based in Singapore is glad to be the official media partner for this event.

“WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF DIGITAL WEEK ONLINE AS HONG KONG IS A COUNTRY THAT IS DEAR TO OUR HEARTS. THEIR ROLE IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ERA IS IMPORTANT FOR ASIA. THIS EVENT GATHERS SOME OF THE BEST SPEAKERS AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.”

– Jenny Zheng, Cofounder, Blockcast.cc shared.

Leading international experts will be present to discuss the latest trends and issues regarding Society 5.0 – AI, Blockchain, COVID19 Impact, Smart Cities, Digital Marketing, Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity, Corporate Innovation, Gaming & Entertainment, and more.

Some of the speakers include:

Jayne Chan, Invest Hong Kong, The Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Head, StartmeupHK Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Communications of Malaysia Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for IT Development Ukraine Kiran Fernandes, Director UNESCO UK National Commission, Associate Dean Durham University Anndy Lian, Hyundai DAC Technology, Advisory Board Member Henri Arslanian, PwC, Asia FinTech Leader Shawn Dehpana, Plug and Play Tech Center, EVP, Corporate Partnership & Innovation, APAC

This event is organised and sponsored by Invest HK and Start Me Up HK. Get a chance to meet delegations from all over the world in this 7 days online event.

Book your tickets now.

About Digital Week Online:

Digital Week Online is an online global event that is uniting tech entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, corporates, and governments. Blockchain, Digital Transformation, COVID-19 Impact, Digital Marketing, Privacy & Cybersecurity, Corporate Innovation, Gaming & Entertainment, and more. AI-based networking and matchmaking platform, virtual meetings and e-booths.

About Blockcast.cc:

Blockcast.cc is a broadcasting news source for the blockchain community. Founded in Singapore. We have a network of partners in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. We have also helped global blockchain and cryptocurrency companies reach their marketing, public relations and advertising goals.

The post Blockcast.cc Media Partner for Digital Week Online “Keeping the digital world united!” appeared first on BLOCKPATHS.

source https://blockpaths.com/commentaries/blockcast-cc-media-partner-for-digital-week-online-keeping-the-digital-world-united/

[y2s2-20192020]

PHASE 3: CONSTRUCTING A VISIONARY FRAGMENT

     Currently  in Singapore domestic workers hired rate is increasing every year. During their only day off on Sunday , foreign domestic workers do their socialise on the public space, they came to hangout in different area majorly near orchard road but this informal gathering is not appreciated by everyone according to the news the local people see this event as not appropriate and unorganised.

    The mapping of active area of the gatherings along orchard road along with the collection of activity, the usage of space, how much space it take on it own, the privacy. The red is label for activity relating to domestic work, blue for locals and yellow for tourist.

     So I purpose this program that will add the system to this existing informal network. The main component of this system is people and the online network. The digital part will mediate between physical platform and the community.The digital platform helps set up the meeting choose who you meet and how much space and time you need. Then you can collect the equipment and and easily set up the inflatables.

     The structure is an inflatable bubbles that will patch up the unoccupied public spaces and cap of the city using the inflatable structure connected to reuse air conditioning air or connected to individual blower machine.

     The two main type of this inflatable structures. one is semi permanent and will be set up for the user integrated to the existing building and the other is a individual structure set up according to app users need

     From the activity collection and mapping I take out the main activity of domestic worker which are the gathering meet up, and consultation booth and the skill training and integrated this into the unused space of lucky plaza mall which will be relocated on the unoccupied space in the mall from underground floor to sixth floor

[asfeedin]

Lessons For The World On How Estonia’s Digital State Is Coping With Coronavirus

Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonia’s president. Photographer: Peti Kollanyi/Bloomberg

© 2017 Bloomberg Finance LP

“Its government is virtual, borderless, blockchained, and secure. Has this tiny post-Soviet nation found the way of the future?” So asked The New Yorker in the standfirst of its 2017 article on Estonia, the Digital Republic. If the way Estonia is governed is new to you, after reading the 7,500 or so words of Nathan Heller’s article you’ll likely conclude that it is, indeed, the future. If the digital republic isn’t new to you, you’ve very likely already concluded it is.

Coronavirus is shaking the world out of all sorts of complacencies. Governments’ capacity – or lack of it – is suddenly under the microscope, which is making the case for digital government reforms in the image of Estonia not just attractive, which they have always been, but vital.

Like all countries, Estonia is suffering. It is facing the same immediate threat as many other countries and in response is isolating itself and its inhabitants from the virus, including, most dramatically, Saaremaa, a small island off its coast, where a high percentage of the population are thought to have contracted the virus. (A volleyball tournament on 4th and 5th March involving Power Volley Milano seems to be the reason the island’s 33,000 people have been so hard hit.)

I’ve written before on why Estonia’s digital state shows the way for government reforms in the U.K. My call for these radical reforms was more in hope than expectation. There is a great deal of inertia within any government, and the U.K. doesn’t have the magic mix that made Estonia’s reforms possible; namely, a blank slate for a young set of reform-minded officials on tight budget, finally free of Soviet occupation and on a mission to improve the lives of its citizens.

I’m not the first person to take a look at how Estonia is reacting to the crisis. The New Yorker (again) makes the case for why Estonia was poised to handle how a pandemic would change everything: “Its economy is bound to tech, its government is digital, and most services in the country either are or can be provided electronically – in fact, it’s nearly impossible to overstate the extent of Estonian digitization. People vote online and use digital prescriptions; a single piece of I.D. securely stores each Estonian’s personal information, including health, tax, and police records; one can even establish residency and begin paying taxes in the country digitally—effectively immigrating online.”

It’s a good article, but it doesn’t get into the nitty gritty of how a digital state is making a practical difference to the lives of its citizens at this most challenging time.

Hack the Crisis

The most newsworthy reaction to coronavirus was ‘Hack the Crisis.’ Perhaps hackathons are a little passé, but it has been effective.

Ideas included “a platform for connecting vulnerable, at-risk people with volunteers via a call center; an online tutoring service for school children in quarantine; an add-on to smartwatches to help people check for coronavirus symptoms; an online display of what food stocks are available in local supermarkets; and an app to map the spread of coronavirus, which invites people to self-report cases.” 

Suve was also created at the event organized by Garage48 and Accelerate Estonia. She is a chatbot that’s able to answer citizens’ questions related to the crisis situation and she’s already been rolled out across government websites. Share Force One was also created in the hack. It’s a workforce sharing platform that connects B2B sides for temporary workforce exchange and is being run in partnership with Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Next up, Estonia is “teaming up with Mistletoe Singapore, the European Commission and other local and international supporters, to organize a 100-hour free online accelerator for startups with potential to have a strong impact on shaping today’s and the post-crisis world.” Salto Growth Camp: EMERGEncy includes the Estonian President, Kersti Kaljulaid, as a mentor, as well as founders from Bolt, Skype, Pipedrive, Veriff, Testlio and other Estonian high-growth startups and scaleups.

This is What State Capacity Looks Like

Hackathons and accelerators are all well and good, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. The thing that really sets Estonia apart from countries like the U.K. in dealing with coronavirus isn’t so easily replicable.

First, a note of caution though. The economic fallout will be severe for every country in the world and Estonia is as reliant on global supply chains as any country, whether in purchasing their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), ventilators, or, presumably, the vaccine, when it finally comes. And Estonia, like many countries – though worryingly not the U.K., which is opting for a centralized approach – is planning to integrate its contact tracing app with Apple and Google’s joint COVID-19 tracing tool for iOS and Android.

Priit Tohver Advisor for Digital Services Innovation in the Ministry of Social Affairs, explains: “In Estonia we are indebted to all the hard work that has already been put into developing contact tracing apps around the world. It is clear, however, that without integrating with the Apple and Google API, these solutions will never achieve their full potential. Fortunately the approach supported by the API aligns well with our privacy-preserving principles.”   

Privacy and security are front and center to the Estonia model, which ironically has been the most common objection to their digital reforms from many in other countries over the years. The criticism tends to be civil liberties objection to having ID cards, although they are no longer necessary because digital apps have effectively replaced the need for a physical card. Nevertheless, central to a capable state is the need for everyone in the country to have a digital identity, but this is infinitely more secure than the hodgepodge approach that countries like the UK take to managing and securing data. In Estonia, where and how data is collected, stored and deleted is central to every interaction and process, as well as who can access it and when.

E-Government in the Time of Coronavirus

State capacity requires a functioning government. That is proving tricky for many countries who have only ever done it in physical parliaments. Estonia has been doing e-Cabinet since the early 2000s, with government business easily conducted securely online. And while the postponement of English local elections for a year is the right decision in the circumstances, this wouldn’t have been necessary in Estonia, where i-Voting has been possible since 2005. At the last parliamentary elections in March 2019, 44% of Estonians voted online.

While i-Voting is much cheaper (���2.32 versus €20.41 per vote), the move has always struck me as something that shouldn’t be decided by just value for money. Most obviously because of the added trust people have in a system where other citizens physically count the votes, but also because of the pleasure people get from the ritual of visiting the polling booth with others. Nevertheless, coronavirus has revealed the value of at least having a backup system in place to keep democracy functioning even when we can’t easily leave the house.

Estonians have been using digital signatures in their interactions with the government since 2002. While countries like the U.K. are being forced to try to move to interactions online, Estonians are afforded a higher level of security by way of their digital identity card through the physical smart card reader, or increasingly directly through their computer and phone through apps. (Incidentally, the card can also be used as a way of confirming your identity directly with the private sector where you need to prove your identity, such as for loyalty schemes.)

Back in 2015, Estonia planned to digitalize all educational materials by 2020, which is why they were ready to swiftly launch Education Nation with Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, and make the switch to teaching and learning fully online. They have also made the resources available for free to the rest of the world.

As reported from Germany: “Teacher training in e-learning started around 10 years ago, according to the country′s deputy education minister, Marts Laidmets. Estonian educators also have access to a wide array of online tools to connect pupils, teachers and parents. Those include eKool, a school management network that has more than 200,000 active users on a normal day, and Stuudium, a suite of apps with educational materials, assessment tools and messaging. Much of Estonian schooling is already in the cloud, and 87% of schools use tools like eKool and Stuudium, whether for lesson plans, homework, absence management or recording grades.”

Estonia was also ready to keep the wheels of justice turning post-lockdown. It’s e-Justice system ensures court proceedings are both one of the cheapest to run and one of the fastest in Europe.

Here is how it works: “As soon as a citizen has securely authenticated themselves and accessed the e-justice platform, they can submit any kind of cases online. The data will be shared between institutions that are linked to the case and courts can start proceeding related documents. These interactions are based on the once-only policy which means that duplicates of information are not allowed in state databases.”

“The e-file platform also allows courts to send citizens different documents, while notifications ensure judges that all files have been successfully delivered. Every document is timestamped and contains a secure electronic signature. Furthermore, classified information can be encrypted by the courts to make sure that no third party would be able to access the data.” 

While other countries are struggling to get court systems online (and even throwing people in jail for not paying their parking fines without a functioning court system), Estonia is already using AI to solve simple disputes of small claims disputes of less than €7,000.

In a recent interview, the potential for a digital state was set out by Indrek Õnnik, Global Affairs Director at Government CIO Office, on how Estonia is dealing with coronavirus. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board sends you a message via your virtual personal assistant to inform you that your passport is expiring in 6 months. In response, you might decide to book an appointment for five months through your virtual assistant, but the personal assistant immediately alerts you that you’ll need a passport with more than 6 months’ left on it because you’ve booked a trip to Thailand that requires it. The personal assistant then applies for the passport straight away and a phone notification prompts you to take a photo on your smartphone. You take the photo, but the AI has identified that you’ve smiled in it and prompts you to take another one. You do and your passport arrives in 5 days.

In the same interview, he also posits a future scenario where the borders have to close again but you’re stuck in another country. Rather than panic, you alert the embassy online through your smartphone, which automatically organizes the safest and most efficient way for you to get home. This is Estonian’s vision of the near future.

It’s perhaps in healthcare and welfare where the weaknesses of government systems feel most acute right now. In the U.K., for example, the gaps in support aren’t being filled because of a lack of adequate data – particularly for some self-employed and company directors who’ve paid themselves in dividends. It’s not a lack of present will, but a lack of state capacity.

In terms of welfare, Estonia’s automated and (relatively) accurate registries automatically share information so people get what they’re entitled to. As President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid explains in a recent HBR podcast, unlike in many other countries, Estonian citizens who were sick with coronavirus didn’t have to report to anyone physically, which avoided it spreading that way as it did in the early stages in some countries that weren’t on top of this straight away. Instead, people were away able to immediately apply for social security online.

Digitalization, privacy and data protection are baked into the health system. Estonia already has digital prescriptions and patient files are digitized, so doctors have access to all relevant health records, including from specialists. This means that they’re better able to identify those who are at risk from coronavirus than in countries where information is siloed and reliant on paper trails.

Towards a Digital State

Estonia’s digital state would not exist without an equally competent private sector, but that’s not the blockage in countries like the U.K. As President Kaljulaid in the HBR podcast says of the remarkable efficiency of the state: “We didn’t know that the public sector was supposed to be falling behind.”

So, what next? President Kaljulaid believes, I think correctly, that the current situation will speed up the need for reforms rather than overthrow the established order: “It’s more an accelerator than a total game-changer, because all these measures that we need to take: vaccinations, social distancing, more services online which allows you social distancing, wearing protective masks, for example, on public transport. These are all things that we had before. We simply did not apply them. Nothing has emerged, which would say the world will be totally different.”

The Estonian government isn’t perfect. For example, it lags countries like the UK on innovations like Open Data which lets companies build services on the back of government data without the need for government involvement. But we could and should want to excel at both, and this pandemic has thrown into sharp relief why governments across the world need a digital upgrade.

To (probably) quote sci-fi writer William Gibson: “The future has arrived — it’s just not evenly distributed yet.“

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Tags: Coping, coronavirus, Digital, Estonias, Lessons, state, World

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[qanvast]

13 Built-Ins Different from Your Usual Carpentry

Built-ins are very popular among Singaporeans. They don’t take up much space, double up as design elements and are built to last for years. In particular, platform beds and walk-in wardrobes are two overdone solutions for smart storage. 

If you’re looking for something clever (and different), why not consider these 13 alternatives instead.

1. Wall Feature Storage Cabinet

Interior Designer: Dan's Workshop

Storage built-ins – be it house-shaped cabinets or modular, pegboard set-ups – when done creatively, double as eye-catching feature pieces that help anchor a living space.

Interior Designer: Asolidplan

2. Windowsill Bar Counters

Interior Designer: Fineline Design

Add that chill, café like atmosphere without taking up much space. With just a single slab for propping up a countertop plus some chairs, a narrow corner can be transformed into a mini study / dining area of sorts.

Interior Designer: Sky Creation Asia

3. Recessed Seating Booths

Interior Designer: Lemonfridge Studio

Recessed seat booths bring a hint of privacy and cosiness, plus massive areas for concealed storage – under-seat cabinets, drawers and shelves on its surrounding walls – the possibilities are endless!

Interior Designer: Authors Interior & Styling

4. Custom Bed Frames

Interior Designer: 82

A propped-up bed frame offers the same (and more) storage than a platform bed. How about having built-in shelving, extendable end tables, and even pull out drawers underneath?

Interior Designer: Prozfile Design

5. Archway Shelves and Cabinets

Interior Designer: AkiHAUS

Do something with all that empty, concrete wall space surrounding walkways / archways. Equip them with built-in cabinets all around to maximize storage. Or build an open shelving unit, just like this project below.

Interior Designer: Elements ID

6. Drop-Down Kitchen Shelving

Interior Designer: Third Avenue Studio

This kitchen has an additional drop-down glass shelf for placing cooking essentials and ingredients in place of backsplashes to help free up countertop space – what’s not to like?

7. Sliding Bookshelves

Interior Designer: Fuse Concept

Consider a double-layered, sliding bookshelf unit if you have a ton of books to display. They can be moved to conceal other items when not in use (like your TVs), and when filled, they work as a colourful, show-stopping feature too.

Interior Designer: Urban Habitat Design

8. Horigotatsu-Style Seating

Interior Designer: Asolidplan

Horigotatsu-style seating is a multi-functional platform with a recessed floor. In it houses a table which can be pulled up during use, or stowed away into the platform, instantly opening up the space for more walking room.

Interior Designer: Ascenders Design Studio

9. Built-In Seating

Interior Designer: The Monocot Studio

Invest in multi-purpose custom made seating pieces that not only save space, but help to add some too – through concealed shelving and storage compartments.

Interior Designer: Artmuse Interior

10. Rotating TV Consoles

Interior Designer: Flipside Design

Save on another TV unit and console with a swiveling TV frame that can be toggled back and forth between your two favourite spaces to be a couch potato – the living room and the bedroom.

11. Movable Walls

Interior Designer: Linear Space Concepts

Providing a little more flexibility without going full-on open concept, full-length sliding door panels work like ‘movable’ walls that can be rolled out to enclose certain spaces, or kept away for more room.

Interior Designer: The Design Abode

12. Platform Study

Interior Designer: Authors Interior & Styling

A spin-off from platform beds, study platforms allow you to sit, lie or settle down however you like to get work done. Incorporate a cubby, a corkboard and a pull-out drawer underneath to store your files for maximum productivity.

13. Murphy Beds

Interior Designer: Space Atelier

Murphy beds can be kept to the walls, letting you do so much more with its base (aka wall panel when propped up); the legs can double as shelves, or even a TV console unit if you’re ambitious enough.

Interior Designer: Habit

Want more clever built-in solutions?

Inspired by those ingenious designs you've seen above? That's what an experienced interior designer can do for your home - and more. Get free quotes from up to 5 reliable interior firms, based on your budget and style.

About Qanvast: Create a space you love today with Singapore’s first mobile platform. Qanvast (pronounced as ‘canvas’) connects homeowners to trusted home professionals. Browse for reviews, renovation prices and portfolios from interior designer firms in Singapore at your fingertips!

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'Making the Market Bullish': BlockShow Announces a Festival of Decentralized Technology

This post was originally published here

BlockShow, an international blockchain conference, which will take place on Nov. 14-15 at Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore, says it changed its concept, moving from being a blockchain conference to becoming a Festival of Decentralized Technology. The event will include nine conferences: Investments & Startups, Development, Business, Gaming & DApps, Money, Trading, Regulations, Privacy & Security, and Marketing & PR.

The team notes that by expanding each topic to its conference, BlockShow strives to bring more innovative thought to the surface. With an expertly curated program for each topic, it will engender an atmosphere in which everyone in the audience is on the same page — spurring discussion and allowing for more rigorous exploration to take place.

Answering the important questions

The list of guests at BlockShow Festival 2019 includes Justin Sun, founder and CEO of Tron as well as CEO of BitTorrent; Richard Wang, a venture capitalist, partner at DFJDragon Fund/DraperDragon Fund; Mike Kayamori, co-founder and CEO of Quoine; Cris Duy Tran, director of QRC Group, country head at Infinity Blockchain Ventures Malaysia; Charlie Shrem, business development advisor at Changelly, founding director at the Bitcoin Foundation; Ted Lin, chief growth officer at Binance; Xinxi Wang, co-founder and director of the Litecoin Foundation, as well as the founder and CEO of Coinut; and many others.

This year, the new format will allow top speakers to focus on each of the nine sectors and answer industry-trend questions — for instance, new, improved technologies that offer complete transparency and ensure legitimacy in everything from voting to tax regulation sounds like something that would be adopted immediately, so why is there such aversion to blockchain in public service? How do we work with legislators to push them toward blockchain adoption? And what new ways of fighting scams exist in the era of crypto-inclusivity, and can we accelerate adoption by showing that the sector is self-regulated and inhibits malicious actors?

More insights from BlockShow here

Catching the chances

Every year, BlockShow is hosting startup competitions, whose participants and winners — such as Bancor, a decentralized liquidity network; Status, a decentralized app startup; Shelf.Network, a decentralized auctioning platform; Electrify Asia, a retail electricity marketplace; and Humaniq, an Ethereum-based financial services app project — have raised more than $1 billion combined.

In 2019, in the framework of the new Festival of Decentralized Technologies, BlockShow says it will initiate a bullish boost for all startups. It will include the competition EXP20, which will have startups battle it out to impress investors, each standing the chance to win significant support — both financial and otherwise. The team notes that the participants will have an opportunity to get meetings with private investors, a stage performance, as well as tickets and exhibition booths.

Addy Crezee, founder and CEO of BlockShow, said, “With altruistic approach, by supporting each other, we can boost the blockchain industry and turn it bullish.”

Moreover, the BlockShow Festival of Decentralized Technology will announce new conferences covering other specific aspects of the blockchain industry in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer. Cointelegraph does not endorse any content or product on this page. While we aim at providing you all important information that we could obtain, readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions, nor this article can be considered as an investment advice.

#crypto #cryptocurrency #btc #xrp #litecoin #altcoin #money #currency #finance #news #alts #hodl #coindesk #cointelegraph #dollar #bitcoin View the website

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[gloriasousaus]

Smart Cities and the potential Misuse of Data

Context

During the seven weeks of the Pre-College Summer Intensive English Program at The New School, my class was divided into groups of three to work on a Capstone project. Each group received a broad theme, and our job was to narrow it down to build a presentation with a specific thesis, which was presented to an audience composed by The New School Faculty and Staff on August 3rd. We also had to write separate research papers with paraphrased academic sources.

My team got Technology as a topic. The following text consists on the final research paper I handed in, named Smart Cities and the Potential Misuse of Data.

Credits: Gabriella Ullauri 

Introduction

Smart Cities are emerging hotspots. Huge producers of Data, these are places that aim to use the personal information collected from its citizens to improve public infrastructure. Cities like Singapore, London, and New York are among the few that openly declare their attempt to adapt to this new model. In the case of NYC, this undertake exists since the year 2000: presented on September 28th of that year, at the 2nd International Life Extension Technology Workshop in Paris, the document entitled “The Vision of A Smart City” stated the early solid efforts of the city government (in consonance to Brookhaven National Laboratory) to integrate the city. According to this report, the main strategies at that point included underground utility mapping and passive structural integrity monitoring.

As written in the article "Addressing big data challenges in smart cities: a systematic literature review", the gathering and use of Big Data through new technologies increases information awareness, facilitating the policy-making process while creating many alternatives for social interaction in the city. In that sense, the data compiled enhance real-time services automation, which consequently drives city administration towards making urban management more effective. Examples of that would vary from installing intelligent traffic lights to monitoring the conditions of infrastructure in public areas, transforming urban settings into more dynamic spaces. And that is what should happen in smart cities.

But although the authors’ conclusions are true and can be extremely beneficial to society, there is an aspect that is often overlooked: A Smart City is a direct product of its government. Despite the idea and the tools to implement it, what is done to the online content is not a matter of technicality. Once carrying people’s information, the success of a Smart City is an outcome of political intention. And that can be disastrous. 

Songdo, a smart city in construction since 2004. Retrieved from https://youngining.wordpress.com/2015/08/08/smart-city-songdo-incheon-korea/

We know humanity is now experiencing an invisible revolution. At the beginning of the XXI Century, there were already 502 million internet users in the world [1]. In 2012, 67% of the internet users had social media accounts [2]. In 2013, 56% of American adults owned a smartphone [3]. What these numbers show is a fast transition to the globalized world. But the intrinsic fact is that the latest changes are not material, yet virtual. They consist on the interpretation of our personal lives, sprinkled in infinite bytes of Data.

In this scenario, Big Data is a key term, once it can be stated as the theoretic column of smart cities. Amply used in the sense of an amount of complex, coded information., it has intrigued tech enthusiasts for different reasons: The interpretation of this informational web has many uses, from knowing a target audience for a product to extracting index statistics. But while some agree that it can be a tool to address the Common Good, others argue that once addressing particular interests, it can be a weapon for controlling of the public opinion.

Retrieved from https://smartcity.org.hk/index.php/aboutus/background

This way, the conception of privacy and State’s power in smart cities rises as two big question marks in our future. As we go deeper in the Digital Age and the interconnection between different devices becomes clearer, the ethical aspect of technology must be discussed. Between the absence of concrete policies to regulate enterprises and the political apathy of the civil society, privacy becomes more and more of an abstract idea: In the realm of social media, is anything really private?  

To answer this question, our research tries to look into the way the governments operate in smart cities. More specifically, our approach to the privacy issue focuses on how Smart cities raise privacy concerns, considering the potential misuse of Data and violation of people’s basic civil rights. For that purpose, we adopted examples of various smart cities initiatives, from those in Boston and New York City to in Rio de Janeiro.

     2. Structural vulnerabilities in Smart Cities and how they afflict its inhabitants

As humans, we often don’t want to share something. Where we are going, our health records, our bank account information: These are some examples of what it’s usually considered private matters.Yet, we display so much information online without hesitating. And by doing that, we allow private companies and governmental organizations to take advantage of it by selling or incorporating (in their databases) our personal data. Still, we trust and agree to website's security policies.

In this vicious cycle, Smart cities can be extremely vulnerable places. In their article “Data Security in Smart Cities: Challenges and Solutions”, Daniela Popescul and Laura Diana Radu write about how this happens. According to the two researchers, if on one hand the use of smart objects - that is “objects connected in order to provide seamless communication and contextual services”- enables the collection, transmission, and processing of huge amounts of Data; on the other hand, it needs to be constantly protected. These devices have multiple resource-constraints, such as network requirements, hardware limitations or software restrictions, which is an obstacle to the installation of security mechanisms.  Due to these difficulties, software designers often overlook the issue of device security and prioritize other aspects of the product, such as performance and energy consumption. That seems like a way to deceive the consumer: The best-ranked tech products on the market cannot guarantee your safeness in the virtual world,  and they are sold as they could.

Another factor that weakens Smart Cities’ structure is the lack of regulations. Our Capstone group had the opportunity to interview New School’s Director of Information and online security, David Curry. When asked “how secure is our Data?”, Mr. Curry said: “ In Europe, particularly, and some would say in Latin America, [...] there are very specific laws about when you collect private Data you have to say exactly what is it used for, and you’re not allowed to use it for something you didn’t say you’re going to use it for. In the United States, that’s a little squishy. As for smart cities and that kind of thing, that is a real concern: What kind of Data is being collected by what? Who has access to it? It’s the whole notion of the Internet of Things. ”

Besides not being able to guarantee information security, the smart city system doesn’t make the city accessible to all citizens. In the November edition of Fordham Urban Law Journal,  the authors Kelsey Finch and Omer Tene argue that, despite the nature of government’s intentions, services offered by smart cities often impact individuals in a discriminatory way. According to Finch and Tene, that happens because the system automatically favors those used to technological devices. For example, when looking closely at the case of the Street Bump app, which was an initiative aimed to report to Boston’s Public Works Department the location of potholes and road castings,  it is possible to affirm that the younger and wealthier areas of the city benefited the most. By that we can infer that people who are less likely to carry smartphones, such as seniors, were indirectly excluded from the perks of such in the same manner others did.

Retrieved from https://www.bu.edu/systems/2014/12/18/boston-is-becoming-a-smart-city-with-eng-support/

This problem appears in other social and infrastructural projects. For instance, take Singapore’s regulated Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme. Once the toll booth system was installed in a single cordon area, dramatic changes in traffic happened. According to the book “Transport Economics”, within few months, the percentage of carpooling with less than four passengers dropped from 48 to 21, while the use of public transportation rose from 41 to 62 percent. Despite that, the average number of cars during rush hours also declined, but the traffic after ERP’s functional hours peaked. What these numbers show, in fact, is that those who could not afford the extra fee were indirectly prevented from accessing some parts of the city. As we can see, technology itself is not inclusive, and often perpetuate the status quo.

Retrieved from https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/roads-and-motoring/managing-traffic-and-congestion/electronic-road-pricing-erp.html

     3. Governance vulnerabilities in Smart Cities and how it affects individual liberties

The complete eradication of privacy in Smart Cities by the government is also a risk to the current democratic system. By exchanging our information for security and practicality, we allow the government to not only know about us but also to profile us and even forecast our actions. In her article, " Legislating Privacy: Technology, Social Values, and Public Policy", Priscilla M. Regan, Professor at George Mason University, writes about the implications of new technologies in Public Policy. According to Regan, while the use of digital media devices by enterprises is usually classified as an invasion of privacy, it usually makes the organization even more powerful over individuals. That is, the online information turns into a new source of mass control, once that by accessing it, they can know one's history, activities, and proclivities.

In this scenario, minorities are groups of special interest. Historically underrepresented in public matters and often the target of authoritarian measures, this part of the population is more exposed than any other. One key factor to explain this is society’s tendency to generalize. Although the United States of America Civil Rights Act states that “All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin”[4],  ethnicity, nationality, and religion continue to result in stereotypes and hate crimes. Take terrorism as an example. After the 9/11 attacks in New York, more muslims started to be selected for security checks at airports, despite the fact that most of them were peaceful individuals. Simultaneously, less of them were accepted in the U.S. as immigrants and tourists [5]. Statistically speaking, when the numbers prove that there is a profile for people that commit certain crimes, it is almost impossible to assure that there won’t be reprisals to this particular group.

Indeed, as technology makes these kinds of web intelligence acts evident, it also broadens its scope. In that sense, one concern about the interconnection of databases is shown in the forensic use of DNA. While the use of DNA samples to identify criminals boosts the efficiency of the judicial system, it also makes us question whether this measure leads to wrongful convictions. According to the article “Building a Face, and a Case, on DNA”, some researchers doubt the accuracy of the technology used in the recreation of facial images. The argument is that such techniques could stimulate racial profiling among law enforcement agencies, consequently affecting individual privacy and resulting in a violation the Fourth Amendment, which states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”[6]

Retrieved from http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/bioinformation

Another example of how good ideas can become dangerous is seen in New York City. Recently, the City Hall opened the possibility to its citizens of avoiding bureaucracy when registering to its Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program through an app called HRA Mobile. Instead of handing documents directly to a social services office, applicants can quickly upload them using the platform. According to Nina Stewart, the reporter behind the New York Times’ headline “Those Needing Food Stamps Find City App Eases the Path”, from March to June 2017, more than a million documents were posted. What is not said in the news, however, is what else these Data can be used for. From mere statistic purposes to profiling people to make use of populist measures, there are unlimited possibilities.

Unfortunately, one of the effects of Big Data usage by the government can be the perpetuation of tyranny. When it comes to an actual vigilance mechanism, the lack of privacy that is characteristic of Smart Cities becomes a dangerous threat to freedom of thought and expression. In the article “The watchers”, the author, Jonathan Shaw, argues that the mere awareness of surveillance reshapes people's behavior. This happens because, once you know you are constantly being watched, you tend to be more careful in your actions. According to the text, many governments use this kind of self-censorship to perpetuate its values. One example of this comes from China. By basing its system in 24/7 vigilance and rigorous repression, the Chinese government manages to keep its population following the rules. The understanding behind this approach is that, in the words of Bruce Schneider, one of the experts working in the cybersecurity program at Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, “if you don’t know where the line is, and the penalty for crossing it is severe, you will stay far away from it.”

In smart cities, surveillance is a vivid reality. Both New York and London have special departments to deal with the information gathered from security cameras - the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and Government Communications Headquarters (CCHQ), respectively. And even not so developed cities seem to be heading in the same direction. In the online article “The truth about smart cities: ‘In the end, they will destroy democracy'”, Steven Poole mentions Rio de Janeiro’s center of operations. In Poole’s view, “One only has to look at the hi-tech nerve center that IBM built for Rio de Janeiro to see this Nineteen Eighty-Four-style vision already alarmingly realized. It is festooned with screens like a Nasa Mission Control for the city.” The journalist also highlights what Anthony Townsend writes about the building in “Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia”: “What began as a tool to predict rain and manage flood response morphed into a high-precision control panel for the entire city.” They both make use of a quote of Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, when he affirms that “The operations center allows us to have people looking into every corner of the city, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Rio’s Center of Operatios (Centro de Operações da Prefeitura do Rio). Retrieved from http://www.metropolismag.com/cities/big-data-big-questions-data-smart-cities/

      4. Conclusion

To sum up, although Smart Cities seem to be a strong tendency for the future, they still must overcome many issues. The matter of whether technology should influence in policy-making – and more importantly, remain under the realm of already rich and powerful institutions such as governments – has to be addressed in the next years. In that sense, awareness of the population over the matter needs to increase, and is, therefore, one of the goals of this paper.

In the original online survey conducted by this Capstone group, the subjects were asked to briefly tell us about their background with social media. But we included an extra question. By the end of the form,  we simply put “What is Big Data?” as an optional part. From the 779 responses, we obtained only 65 answers to this particular inquiry. And even between these few, many included variations of “I don’t know.” The outcome of the process described was clarifying, even though it was somewhat expected. Living immerse in a technological environment, we understand that the loss of privacy often seems natural and that concepts like Big Data are not really discussed. What surprised us, however, was the unwillingness of people to find more about it. Most of the participants didn’t even try to google the term, they just jumped the question. And that is worrying.

Translated from Portuguese: “ Have you ever heard of Big Data?” In red, “no”; in blue, “yes”; and in orange, “maybe”.

So, the best way to address the privacy issue is to invest in ways to inform the population about it. Once we are all aware of the complexity of Smart Cities and understand the possible consequences of it, we can demand our governments to be more transparent and to formulate concrete online privacy policies. Anyway, the future is uncertain, but it is possible to minimize its risks.

References (in order of appearance):

Hall, E. (2000). The Vision of a Smart City. Retrieved from: https://ntl.bts.gov/lib/14000/14800/14834/DE2001773961.pdf

Chen, W. & Wellman, B. (2004). The Global Digital Divide. IT&Society (1) 19. [1]

Duggan, M. & Brenner, J. (2013).  The Demographics of Social Media Users – 2012. Pew Research Center. 2. [2]

Smith, A. (2013). Smartphone ownership – 2013 Update. Pew Research Center. 2. [3]

Chauhan, S.; et al (2016) Addressing Big Data challenges in smart cities: a systematic literature review. The Journal for Policy, Regulation and Strategy for Telecommunications, Information and Media. 2, 2-5.

Popescul, D. & Radu, L. (2016). Data Security in Smart Cities: Challenges and Solutions. Informatica Economica. 30.

Finch, K. & Tene, O. (2013). Fordham urban Law Journal. 41. 1602-1604.

Oum Hoon, T.; et al. (1999). Harwood Academic Publishers. 289.

Regan, P. (1995). Legislating Privacy: Technology, Social Values, and Public Policy. University of North Carolina Press. 74-75.

The United States Civil Rights Act (1965). Retrieved from https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=97&page=transcript [4]

Abbas (2007); Croucher & Cronn-Mills (2011); Gonzàlez, Verkuyten, Weesie, & Poppe (2008). [5]

Pollack, A. (February, 2015). Building a Face, and a Case, on DNA. New York Times: D1

Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment [6]

Stewart, N. (2017). Those Needing Food Stamps Find City App Eases the Path. The New York Times. Published on July 25th, 2017.

Shaw, J. (2017). The Watchers. Harvard Magazine. 119 (3), 56.

Poole, S. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/dec/17/truth-smart-city-destroy-democracy-urban-thinkers-buzzphrase [7].

[vinayv224]

A visitor at the booth of Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) at the 2019 Smart Expo in Hangzhou, China, on October 18, 2019. | Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

A US teen says the video-sharing platform suspended her account for criticizing China’s treatment of Muslims.

A US teenage TikTok user’s attempt to spread awareness about China’s oppression of its Uighur Muslim population has renewed questions about censorship on the China-based social media company’s platform.

Earlier this week, 17-year-old Feroza Aziz, who lives in New Jersey, posted on TikTok what was presented as a three-part tutorial on how to get longer eyelashes but quickly switched to a call-out about China’s treatment of its Muslim population. Several human rights groups have accused China of putting 1 million Muslims, mostly from the Uighur ethnic group, into concentration camps and shutting down or destroying mosques. China’s government denies this and claims that the camps are merely vocational training centers.

In her TikTok videos, Aziz begins her beauty tutorial simply enough. “The first thing you need to do is grab your lash curler, curl your lashes, obviously,” she says. Then she changes her message: “Then you’re gonna put [the curler] down and use your phone that you’re using right now to search up what’s happening in China. How they’re getting concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims in there, separating their families from each other, kidnapping them, murdering them, raping them ... this is another Holocaust.”

Aziz said she sandwiched her political commentary between eyelash improvement tips in order to circumvent censorship she anticipated from the platform. Less than two days after her first video was posted, she tweeted that she had been suspended from TikTok for a month.

I am blocked from posting on tik tok for a month. This won’t silence me.

— feroza.x (@x_feroza) November 25, 2019

In a statement, TikTok confirmed that it banned Aziz — though it denied it was because of her beauty tutorial-cum-impassioned plea on behalf of China’s Muslims. Instead, it said it only banned the phone that Aziz used to upload those videos because it was tied to her previous account, which had been banned for violating policies on terrorism-related imagery. (One of her videos briefly showed a photo of Osama bin Laden in what she has described as a joke about other people’s perceptions of the kind of men that she, as a Muslim woman, is romantically interested in.)

There is a bit of a discrepancy here: TikTok says it only permanently banned one of Aziz’s devices and that her account was otherwise left alone. But Aziz says her entire account was suspended for a month, and she tweeted an image of what she said was a message from TikTok saying as much.

TikTok said that it had removed Aziz’s videos, but only for a 50-minute time period “due to a human moderation error.” Finally, the social media company apologized to Aziz and said it would un-ban her phone so she can access her account again. Aziz tweeted that she does not believe TikTok’s stated reasons for banning her, but said she had regained access to her account.

This all comes in the middle of the app’s attempts to distance itself from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, amid concerns over how it handles user data and whether or not the Chinese government has access to it. TikTok was fined $5.7 million by the FTC earlier this year over allegations that it knowingly allowed children under 13 to sign up for its service and provide their personal information without parental consent — a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. In September, reports from the Guardian and the Washington Post claimed that TikTok was censoring politically sensitive content. Last month, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton co-authored a letter requesting that the intelligence community assess TikTok for any national security risks based on its parent company’s Chinese ties. And ByteDance’s 2017 $1 billion acquisition of Musical.ly, which was then folded into TikTok, is now being investigated by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

In response, TikTok has repeatedly insisted that all US-based user data is stored in the US and Singapore, and that the Chinese government has no access to it. The company says it does not censor content the Chinese government disapproves of, that moderation of US content is done by a US-based team, and that it does not operate in China at all (for Chinese users, ByteDance has a similar app called Douyin — which is heavily censored, like everything else on the Chinese internet). In a recent interview with the New York Times, TikTok head Alex Zhu said that TikTok did not share user data with its parent company. He also said TikTok wasn’t really a platform for politics, but for a “creative and joyful experience.”

“Today, we are lucky,” Zhu told the Times, “because users perceive TikTok as a platform for memes, for lip-syncing, for dancing, for fashion, for animals — but not so much for political discussion.”

Examples like this only cast more doubt on TikTok’s claims that free speech is alive and well in the American version of its app. Despite those censorship concerns, it remains hugely popular, especially among Gen Z. After all, Aziz didn’t walk away when her previous account was banned; she simply created another.

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[cryptobrief]

BlockShow challenge: how to make market bullish

BlockShow, an international blockchain conference, which will take place on Nov. 14-15 at Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore, says it changed its concept, moving from being a blockchain conference to becoming a Festival of Decentralized Technology. The event will include nine conferences: Investments & Startups, Development, Business, Gaming & DApps, Money, Trading, Regulations, Privacy & Security, and Marketing & PR.

The team notes that by expanding each topic to its conference, BlockShow strives to bring more innovative thought to the surface. With an expertly curated program for each topic, it will engender an atmosphere in which everyone in the audience is on the same page — spurring discussion and allowing for more rigorous exploration to take place.

Answering the important questions

The list of guests at BlockShow Festival 2019 includes Justin Sun, founder and CEO of Tron as well as CEO of BitTorrent; Richard Wang, a venture capitalist, partner at DFJDragon Fund/DraperDragon Fund; Mike Kayamori, co-founder and CEO of Quoine;

Cris Duy Tran, director of QRC Group, country head at Infinity Blockchain Ventures Malaysia; Charlie Shrem, business development advisor at Changelly, founding director at the Bitcoin Foundation; Ted Lin, chief growth officer at Binance; Xinxi Wang, co-founder and director of the Litecoin Foundation, as well as the founder and CEO of Coinut; and many others.

This year, the new format will allow top speakers to focus on each of the nine sectors and answer industry-trend questions — for instance, new, improved technologies that offer complete transparency and ensure legitimacy in everything from voting to tax regulation sounds like something that would be adopted immediately, so why is there such aversion to blockchain in public service? How do we work with legislators to push them toward blockchain adoption? And what new ways of fighting scams exist in the era of crypto-inclusivity, and can we accelerate adoption by showing that the sector is self-regulated and inhibits malicious actors?

More insights from BlockShow here

Catching the chances

Every year, BlockShow is hosting startup competitions, whose participants and winners — such as Bancor, a decentralized liquidity network; Status, a decentralized app startup; Shelf.Network, a decentralized auctioning platform; Electrify Asia, a retail electricity marketplace; and Humaniq, an Ethereum-based financial services app project — have raised more than $1 billion combined.

In 2019, in the framework of the new Festival of Decentralized Technologies, BlockShow says it will initiate a bullish boost for all startups. It will include the competition EXP20, which will have startups battle it out to impress investors, each standing the chance to win significant support — both financial and otherwise. The team notes that the participants of the Startup Boost Contest will have an opportunity to get meetings with private investors, a stage performance, as well as tickets and exhibition booths.

Addy Crezee, founder and CEO of BlockShow, said, “With altruistic approach, by supporting each other, we can boost the blockchain industry and turn it bullish.”

Moreover, the BlockShow Festival of Decentralized Technology will announce new conferences covering other specific aspects of the blockchain industry in the coming weeks.

The post Festival of Decentralized Technology and the Startup Boost appeared first on ZyCrypto.

[cryptswahili]

Festival of Decentralized Technology and the Startup Boost

BlockShow challenge: how to make market bullish

BlockShow, an international blockchain conference, which will take place on Nov. 14-15 at Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore, says it changed its concept, moving from being a blockchain conference to becoming a Festival of Decentralized Technology. The event will include nine conferences: Investments & Startups, Development, Business, Gaming & DApps, Money, Trading, Regulations, Privacy & Security, and Marketing & PR.

The team notes that by expanding each topic to its conference, BlockShow strives to bring more innovative thought to the surface. With an expertly curated program for each topic, it will engender an atmosphere in which everyone in the audience is on the same page — spurring discussion and allowing for more rigorous exploration to take place.

Answering the important questions

The list of guests at BlockShow Festival 2019 includes Justin Sun, founder and CEO of Tron as well as CEO of BitTorrent; Richard Wang, a venture capitalist, partner at DFJDragon Fund/DraperDragon Fund; Mike Kayamori, co-founder and CEO of Quoine;

Cris Duy Tran, director of QRC Group, country head at Infinity Blockchain Ventures Malaysia; Charlie Shrem, business development advisor at Changelly, founding director at the Bitcoin Foundation; Ted Lin, chief growth officer at Binance; Xinxi Wang, co-founder and director of the Litecoin Foundation, as well as the founder and CEO of Coinut; and many others.

This year, the new format will allow top speakers to focus on each of the nine sectors and answer industry-trend questions — for instance, new, improved technologies that offer complete transparency and ensure legitimacy in everything from voting to tax regulation sounds like something that would be adopted immediately, so why is there such aversion to blockchain in public service? How do we work with legislators to push them toward blockchain adoption? And what new ways of fighting scams exist in the era of crypto-inclusivity, and can we accelerate adoption by showing that the sector is self-regulated and inhibits malicious actors?

More insights from BlockShow here

Catching the chances

Every year, BlockShow is hosting startup competitions, whose participants and winners — such as Bancor, a decentralized liquidity network; Status, a decentralized app startup; Shelf.Network, a decentralized auctioning platform; Electrify Asia, a retail electricity marketplace; and Humaniq, an Ethereum-based financial services app project — have raised more than $1 billion combined.

In 2019, in the framework of the new Festival of Decentralized Technologies, BlockShow says it will initiate a bullish boost for all startups. It will include the competition EXP20, which will have startups battle it out to impress investors, each standing the chance to win significant support — both financial and otherwise. The team notes that the participants of the Startup Boost Contest will have an opportunity to get meetings with private investors, a stage performance, as well as tickets and exhibition booths.

Addy Crezee, founder and CEO of BlockShow, said, “With altruistic approach, by supporting each other, we can boost the blockchain industry and turn it bullish.”

Moreover, the BlockShow Festival of Decentralized Technology will announce new conferences covering other specific aspects of the blockchain industry in the coming weeks.

The post Festival of Decentralized Technology and the Startup Boost appeared first on ZyCrypto.

[Telegram Channel | Original Article ]