Mediaboss Marketing

After introducing an all-in-one software with 15+ industry-leading features for 100% free in May 2022, Yottled received an overwhelming welcome from the fitness and wellness community. The option of waiving credit card fees is one of the hot-selling features that contributed to its rapid success.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States June 16, 2022 Yottled has successfully acquired 1,000+ service-based businesses in less than one month of launching a powerful all-in-one software for free. It includes 15+ industry-leading features built with advanced technological standards and an optional credit card fee waiver facility.

After realizing how the service businesses are looking to reduce costs, we came up with a you grow, we grow pricing model. We want to make sure small businesses in any service industry have access to the easiest technology without burning the budget, said Trevor Hough, CEO of Yottled.

Yottled is for small businesses that sell services, generally needing an online storefront, appointment booking, registration, scheduling, digital calendar for employees, gift card generator, payment processor, coupon code generator, CRM, email marketing tools, invoicing, and memberships, packages, and more.

Most of our clients are in the fitness, wellness, and beauty industry. Now, we are gaining popularity among landscapers, janitorial service providers, and more. Recently, we invited realtors to accept rent payments with our free online PoS and they are delighted with the experience. We can support 30+ different service businesses for that matter, added Mr. Hough enthusiastically.

Some big brands like Functional Aging Institute, Mindset Fitness & Yoga, and Balance Composure and Spa are using Yottled.

The unique pricing model

Yottled lets businesses use the entire software free, forever. In return, they charge a small $0.99 convenience fee to end-users i.e., customers that make a monetary transaction using Yottled. No cost to the business. Its a you grow, we grow pricing model.

A credit card fee waiver

Any business accepting online payments or using PoS is forced to pay processing fees of 2.9% + $0.3 per transaction from their own pockets. With Yottled, businesses have an option to transfer credit card fees onto customers final bills. While customers bills will see a tiny surge, businesses see a large increase in their revenue. For a business making $500k in revenue, they can expect to see $17,000 to $20,000 in revenue increase after switching to Yottled.

Media ContactCompany Name: YottledContact Person: Trevor Hough, CEOEmail: Send EmailPhone: 734.562.6002Address:847 Sumpter Rd City: 5020 Van Buren TwpState: MI 48111 Country: United StatesWebsite: http://www.yottled.com

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Yottled received a massive rush of 1000+ fitness and wellness businesses just a month after launching a free all-in-one software - Digital Journal

DraftKings has collaborated with UK-based BetBlocker to bring more awareness to responsible gambling.

BetBlocker is a free software that enables users to set restrictions on their gaming activity. It also restricts access to thousands of both regulated and unregulated gaming sites.

As detailed by the news release:

BetBlocker technology allows users to download the software anonymously without having any of their personal data stored. Consumers are empowered to use BetBlocker to manage how long or in what capacity they choose to play, including choosing a range of restriction lengths (1-5 days, 1-3 weeks, 1-6 months, 1-5 years) or using the calendar blocking functionality (e.g. blocking Saturdays, Sundays every week).

We think this partnership is a tremendous step forward in providing players with access to a wide variety of responsible gambling tools, Keith Whyte, executive director for the National Council on Problem Gambling, told PlayNY via email.

Blocking software is one important line of defense, particularly for people who are in recovery from a gambling problem. We know that preventing and treating gambling addiction requires a multi-layered approach and that tools like BetBlocker are most effective when combined with the use of limit setting and self-exclusion features on a gambling site, community-based prevention and education, therapy from a certified counselor and of course participation in self help groups to promote behavior change and sustain recovery.

Chrissy Thurmond, senior director of responsible gaming at DraftKings, praised BetBlockers contributions to safer play for customers. All while advancing responsible gaming in a comprehensive and consumer friendly way, according to the news release.

We share BetBlockers vision that technology and innovation are critical to promoting safer play, and we extend a warm welcome to BetBlocker as they build their footprint in North America, following widespread success across the pond.

There has been an increase in calls to the HOPEline since the Jan. 8 launch of legal online sports betting in New York. But state agencies like the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), New York Council on Problem Gambling(NYCPG) and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) continue to promote responsible gaming.

Signage featuring thefirst-ever Quick Response (QR) coderecently debuted at Resorts World Catskills, MGM Empire City and several other gaming facilities. The QR code enables problem gamblers to connect with locally trained professionals in real time. You simply need to point your phone camera at the code. The phone will ask if you would like to open a link to the website NYProblemGamblingHelp.org.

On May 16,Sen. Joe AddabboandAssemb. Gary Pretlowhad a roundtable discussion with OASAS and NYCPG to discuss how to properly allocate the additional$6 million in addiction fundingfrom online sports betting. That $6 million representsless than 1% ofstate tax revenuefrom NY online sports betting. NYCPG had called for 3% or about $20 million to provide proper resources for problem gamblers.

AsNYCPG Executive Director Jim Maneypreviously toldPlayNY: Were going to have to deliver services 24/7 now.

Addabbo agreed, tellingPlayNY that New York needs to reach a point where were offering 24/7 services for problem gambling.

Read the original here:
DraftKings Partners With BetBlocker To Support Responsible Gambling - Play NY

Camo, an app that lets you use an iOS, Android, or iPadOS device as a webcam for your computer, is introducing a new feature that could be very interesting for streamers and those who take every Zoom meeting very seriously. The app now includes the ability to create overlays and add them to your video stream, letting you include info such as your social media handles or name and pronouns anywhere your video appears.

Camos adding overlays at a very interesting time Apple just announced a feature called Continuity Camera, which will also let you use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac without having to install any extra software.

Reincubate, the company behind Camo, says that the feature is a part of Thursdays 1.7 update. Using the desktop app (which also manages pulling the video from your phone to your computer and adjusting settings), youll be able to select from 17 template overlays, which you can edit to fit your needs. You can also build your own overlays, adding text and graphics with a drag-and-drop interface.

The company says youll be able to switch between different overlays via keyboard shortcuts, which could be handy for people who do a lot of presentations or streaming and havent added any Stream Deck-like hardware to their setup. Camo users will also be able to export and import overlays, which could be handy for groups that all want their video feeds to look the same (like in a business or game-streaming collective).

Adding overlays to your webcam footage isnt a brand-new idea; programs like Open Broadcaster Software (commonly known as OBS) and StreamElements have let you do that for quite a while. But setting that up to work with other programs like Zoom, Teams, or Discord could be a bit of a challenge. Camo, on the other hand, boasts that using its software with most videoconferencing apps is as easy as changing the camera input.

Camos press release is quick to point out some of the advantages of its solution, even without the addition of overlays. The company says that its app goes far beyond Apples unreleased Continuity Camera functionality, with support for iPad, Windows, Android, overlays, lens selection, granular image control, AR effects, enterprise support, greater iOS & iPhone compatibility, a powerful SDK, and a host of other features.

But what it doesnt mention is that some of those features, like the ability to choose which lens your phone uses, support for portrait mode, and image adjustments, require the $40 per year Camo Pro subscription if you want to use them with your iPhone or iPad (the company does say that its Android app currently offers all available features for free). It also doesnt mention the convenience factor; Continuity Camera will work wirelessly, whereas Camo requires connecting your phone to your computer with a cable.

With that said, that little bit of effort (and, potentially, money spent) will give you way more functionality and flexibility than what Apples promising. And the overlay editor will be part of the free version of the app, according to an email to The Verge from Reincubates head of marketing, Dean Maskell, which definitely helps Camos case.

While many people who have both an iPhone and Mac will likely go with the free, built-in Continuity Camera, this update makes it seem like the Camo team is doubling down to better serve the niche of people that will appreciate the apps extra features. To me, that definitely seems like the right move.

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Camo update lets you overlay graphics and text when using your phone as a webcam - The Verge

Facial recognition technology is being used in warfare for the first time. It could be a game changer in Ukraine, where it is being used to identify the dead and reunite families. But if we fail to grapple with the ethics of this technology now, we could find ourselves in a human rights minefield.

Ukraines Ministry of Defence has been using Clearview AI facial recognition software since March 2022 to build a case for war crimes and identify the dead both Russian and Ukrainian. The Ministry of Digital Transformation in Ukraine said it is using Clearview AI technology to give Russians the chance to experience the true cost of the war, and to let families know that if they want to find their loved ones bodies, they are welcome to come to Ukraine.

Ukraine is being given free access to the software. Its also being used at checkpoints and could help reunite refugees with their families.

Last month, however, the UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) fined Clearview AI more than 7.5 million for collecting images of people in the UK and elsewhere from the web and social media. It was ordered to delete the images and stop obtaining and using the personal data of UK residents publicly available on the internet. Originally the ICO said it intended to fine Clearview AI 17 million.

According to the ICO, given the huge number of UK social media users, Clearview AIs face database is likely to contain a significant amount of images collected without consent.

A lawyer for Clearview, AI Lee Wolosky, said: While we appreciate the ICOs desire to reduce their monetary penalty on Clearview AI, we nevertheless stand by our position that the decision to impose any fine is incorrect as a matter of law. Clearview AI is not subject to the ICOs jurisdiction, and Clearview AI does no business in the UK at this time.

Clearview AI has said it wants 100 billion face images in its database by early 2023 equivalent to 14 for every person on Earth. Multiple photos of the same person improve the systems accuracy.

According to Clearview AIs website, its facial recognition technology helps law enforcement tackle crime, and enables transportation businesses, banks and other commercial companies to detect theft, prevent fraud and verify identities.

Buzzfeed reported in February 2020 that several British police forces have previously used Clearview AI. A spokeswoman for Clearview AI said police in the UK do not have access to its technology, while spokespeople for both the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan police would neither confirm nor deny use of specific tools or techniques. However, in March 2022 the College of Policing published new guidance for UK police forces on the use of live facial recognition.

The UK government plans to replace key human rights laws with a new Modern Bill of Rights which could make it difficult, if not impossible, for people to challenge decisions based on AI evidence in court, including facial recognition.

According to advocacy group Liberty , the bill is likely to have a disproportionate impact on over-policed communities, as it would create different classes of claimants based on their past behaviour.

Clearview AIs chief executive Hoan Ton-That said its facial recognition software has allowed Ukrainian law enforcement and government officials to store more than 2 billion images from VKontakte, a Russian social networking service. Hoan said the software can help Ukrainian officials identify dead soldiers more efficiently than fingerprints, and works even if a soldiers face is damaged.

But there is conflicting evidence about facial recognition softwares effectiveness. According to the US Department of Energy, decomposition of a persons face can reduce the softwares accuracy. On the other hand, recent scientific research demonstrated results relating to the identification of dead people that were similar to or better than human assessment.

Research suggests fingerprints, dental records and DNA are still the most reliable identification techniques. But they are tools for trained professionals, while facial recognition can be used by non-experts.

Another issue flagged by research is that facial recognition can mistakenly pair two images, or fail to match photos of the same person. In Ukraine, the consequences of any potential error with AI could be disastrous. An innocent civilian could be killed if they are misidentified as a Russian soldier.

In 2016 Hoan began recruiting computer science engineers to create Clearview AIs algorithm. But it was not until 2019 that the American facial recognition company started discretely providing its software to US police and law enforcement agencies.

In January 2020, The New York Times published its story: The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It. This article prompted more than 40 civil rights and tech organisations to send a letter to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and four US congressional committees, demanding the suspension of Clearview AIs facial recognition software.

In February 2020, following a data leak of Clearview AIs client list, BuzzFeed revealed that Clearview AIs facial recognition software was being used by individuals in more than 2,200 law enforcement departments, government agencies and companies across 27 different countries.

On May 9 2022, Clearview AI agreed to stop selling access to its face database to individuals and businesses in the US, after the American Civil Liberties Union launched a lawsuit accusing Clearview AI of breaching an Illinois privacy law.

Over the last two years, data protection authorities in Canada, France, Italy, Austria and Greece have all fined, investigated or banned Clearview AI from collecting images of people.

The future of Clearview AI in the UK is uncertain. The worst-case scenario for ordinary people and businesses would be if the UK government fails to take on board the concerns raised in response to its consultation on the Modern Bill of Rights. Liberty has warned of a potential human rights power grab.

The best outcome, in my opinion, would be for the UK government to scrap its plans for a Modern Bill of Rights. This would also mean that UK courts should continue to take account of cases from the European Court of Human Rights as case law.

Unless laws governing the use of facial recognition are adopted, police use of this technology risks breaching privacy rights, data protection and equality laws.

Originally posted here:
Facial recognition technology: how it's being used in Ukraine and why it's still so controversial - The Conversation Indonesia

Georges Aoude and Karl Jeanbart are co-founders of Derq, a software development company that provides cities and fleets with an AI-powered infrastructure platform for road safety and traffic management that supports the deployment of autonomous vehicles at scale.

While in-vehicle technology for autonomous vehicles gets substantial attention, service providers and municipalities are just starting to discuss the road infrastructure technology that supports AVs and provides other traffic management benefits.

With advancements in artificial intelligence and 5G network connectivity, smart-road infrastructure technologies offer the promise of improving real-time traffic analytics and tackling the most challenging road safety and traffic management problems when theyre added to roads, bridges and other transit systems across the U.S.

Two technologies at the center of this discussion are AI-enhanced cameras and lidar: light detection and ranging devices.

The U.S. has hundreds of thousands of traffic cameras millions when you also count closed-circuit TV cameras used mainly for road monitoring and basic traffic management applications, such as loop emulation. Bringing the latest AI advancements to both cameras and data management systems, these assets can immediately improve basic application performance and unlock more advanced software applications and use cases.

AI and machine learning deliver superior sensing performance over legacy cameras computer vision techniques. By using algorithms that can automatically adapt to various lighting and weather conditions, they enable more robust, flexible and accurate detection, tracking and classification of all road users distinguishing between a driver, pedestrian, and cyclist on or surrounding the road. In addition, their predictive capabilities can better model road-user movements and behaviors and improve road safety. Transportation agencies can immediately benefit from AI-enhanced cameras with applications such as road conflict detection and analysis, pedestrian crossing prediction and infrastructure sensing for AV deployments.

Lidar can provide complementary and sometimes overlapping value with cameras, but in several safety-critical edge cases, such as in heavy rain and snow or when providing more granular classification, our experience has been that cameras still provide superior results. Lidar works better in challenging light conditions and for providing localization data, but todays lidar technology remains expensive to deploy at scale due to its high unit price and limited field of view. For example, it would take multiple lidar sensors deployed in a single intersection, at a hefty investment, to provide the equivalent information of just one 360-degree AI-enhanced camera, which is a more cost-effective solution.

For many budget-focused communities, AI-enhanced cameras remain the technology of choice. Over time, as the cost of lidar technology moderates, communities should consider whether to augment their infrastructure with lidar sensors.

As the cost of lidar technology comes down, it will become a strong and viable addition to todays AI-enhanced cameras. Ultimately, the go-to approach for smart infrastructure solutions will be sensor fusion the ability to combine data from both cameras and lidar in one data management system, as is happening now in autonomous vehicles to maximize the benefits of both to improve overall traffic flow and eliminate road crashes and fatalities.

SOURCE: Derq*Assumes presence of IR or good low-light sensor**Expected to improve with time

Contributed pieces do not reflect an editorial position by Smart Cities Dive.

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AI-enabled cameras and lidar can improve traffic today and support the AVs of tomorrow - Smart Cities Dive