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All coaches are control freaks to some degree.

So what happens when they lose a portion of that control?

Its an issue coaches across the country in multiple sports are grappling with during the coronavirus pandemic. Virtual coaching, via Zoom or other video-chat apps, has replaced in-person teaching and hands-on training.

In college football, the spring schedule has been thrown out of whack. Teams that began spring practice werent able to finish it. Many never even got started.

Coaches as old as Arizona States Herm Edwards (66) and as young as Oregon States Jonathan Smith (41) have had to adjust to a new, unforeseen reality. Along with UCLAs Chip Kelly, they discussed some of those challenges Wednesday afternoon during the third of four Pac-12 webinars with league coaches.

It was jarring to hear the sage Edwards and the cocksure Kelly defer to higher authorities regarding college footballs return and other pressing matters, but they have no choice. As Kelly regularly emphasizes to his staff and players, you control the controllables. The coaches have no control over state-government stay-at-home orders or when training camp might start. Theyre just striving to be ready when the light turns green.

We dont know what we dont know, Kelly said.

He then did his best impression of Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The virus will tell us when were going to be able to come back, when its under control and when they have the proper testing and whatnot in place, Kelly said. Until that time, were just going to keep planning like we have a season coming up. No one has told us that were not playing. No one has told us that we are definitely playing. We dont want to be surprised.

Coaches dont like surprises. For example: Kelly this week had to deal with the news that the Cal State University system is moving to mostly online instruction for the fall semester. Kelly had to explain to members of his own staff that UCLA is actually part of the University of California system, which has yet to make such a declaration (although its considered likely).

Kelly did note that UCLA is scheduled to face San Diego State, which is a Cal State school.

Would that affect that? I really dont know, Kelly said. But it goes back to what we said earlier: I dont think anybody knows.

You just have to be very agile in terms of how youre handling this whole situation and adjust to whatever happens. On a daily basis, things change. Nothing that was said in the last 24-48 hours directly impacts us playing games in September.

Well just continue to monitor it and let the experts and the medical people determine whether its safe for our players to come back and play.

As Kelly also noted, unless you happened to endure the flu pandemic of 1918, youve never gone through this before. So there is no game plan.

Coaches dont like that either. But they at least have experience altering their plans, albeit under less serious circumstances.

We live in a world as coaches that the unexpected is always about to happen, Edwards said. Its how you deal with that, right?

Its like being a football coach. You make all the decisions. But once they walk on the field, you have no control. You have no control (over) how the players are gonna play. You assume how theyre gonna play.

A plan that cant be changed is a bad plan.

Every state seems to have a different one as the country tries to figure out how and when to reopen. Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that pro sports could resume in Arizona, without fans, starting this weekend. Edwards, a former NFL player and coach, was quick to point out that pro sports are a whole different animal.

In our situation, Edwards said, its always about the safety of the players. These are student-athletes.

Given that, Edwards added, the decision whether to come back and play isnt wholly up to them. And it certainly isnt up to the coaches.

Parents are involved in these decisions too, Edwards said. We cant lose sight of that.

They want to make sure their son is safe. We as coaches want to make sure their sons safe, the environment that we create is safe.

In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown announced last week that large gatherings such as sporting events would need to be canceled or modified through September. Oregon State is scheduled to play three home games from Sept. 12-26.

This game means a lot to me, to Oregonians, Oregon State fans, Smith said. Theres no question itd be disappointing for this season to be affected. Theres a chance its gonna look different. We dont know.

Smith then followed the lead of his fellow coaches: He deferred.

Weve got some great people in this conference and leadership at Oregon State, Smith said. Theyll be the decision-makers as we continue to move forward, in unison with health officials and our government leaders. Im just confident that were going to do what is best.

Although he has no definitive answers to offer, Smith remains in regular contact with his players and their families. Theyre all learning as they go.

Theres gonna be a light at the end of the tunnel, Smith tells them. We dont know exactly how long this tunnel is that were in.

If that sounds unsettling, it undoubtedly is. Kelly attempted to lighten the mood.

Before the webinar began, Kelly poked fun at Smith for having a fully stocked bookshelf behind him. Kelly appeared on the video chat in front of an unadorned gray brick wall. So Kelly left briefly to retrieve a book Edwards You Play to Win the Game.

The title comes from the ASU coachs most famous saying. One couldnt help but wonder, though: How do you play to win games when no one knows when or if theyll take place?

Its not my role to figure that one out, Edwards said. When they decide for us to play, well play.

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Pac-12 football coaches grapple with loss of control during time when 'there is no game plan' - Star Local Media

Lexington, S.C. - Lexington County has released a guide for its businesses and business allies as the economy begins to reopen after the shutdown due to the coronavirus. It offers resources asthe perils of COVID-19 still have the potential to disrupt theirorganizations health and operations. The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) has developed ahandbookto aid as businessesreturn to work. Protocols and procedures for monitoring employees, disinfecting the workplace and social distancing within the operation are all covered in the SCMEPReturn to Workguide.

AccelerateSC, the state of South Carolinas coordinated COVID-19 economic revitalization advisory team, also has outlined guidance for protection as employees start back to work and businesses reopen. Found on the main website page underneath the Protection segment, AccelerateSCprovidesrecommendations for restaurants, health care, manufacturing, child care, golf courses, first responders and other close contact businesses. Also found within this section is content on business reopening guidelines from the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), as well as OSHA worker safety information.

As new information for business reopening guidelines and virus mitigation protocols is madeavailable Lexington Countywill be sure to distribute those. They will do so in various ways and in partnership with the area's media outlets.

If your business hasany questions or specific needs, please do not hesitate to reach out tothe County of Lexington Department of Economic Development. You can reach them by phone or Email at 803-785-6818 oredinfo@lex-co.com.

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Lexington County releases guide for its businesses and business allies as they work to reopen after COVID-19 - swlexledger.com

The Future of Voice Technology

Voice is quickly becoming the next user interface, replacing touch screens and tactile displays, changing the way people interact with their smart devices.

Hands-free Smartphones and TV Remotes Rank Highest Priority,As Consumers Opt for Voice Interfaces in Hopes of Reducing Exposure

Backed by Amazon, Bosch, Intel and Microsoft,Syntiant Sees Enormous Growth Potential in the Always-On Voice Market

IRVINE, Calif., May 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As consumers find new ways to connect with family, friends and colleagues during COVID-19, a majority of Americans are opting to use their voices to control a variety of smart devices, rather than using touch screens and other tactile interfaces, according to results from a national CARAVAN survey conducted on behalf of Syntiant, a deep learning tech company providing always-on voice solutions for edge devices.

At-a-Glance:

Voice Control in Smart and IoT Devices

Consumers rank smartphones (61 percent) and smart TVs/remotes (45 percent) among the most important devices to include voice control. Additionally, 27 percent of survey respondents select smart home appliances (thermostats, doorbells, microwaves, etc.) to round off their top three choices, primarily driven by Generation X and Baby Boomers. Generation Z and Millennials, in turn, prefer their gaming devices and smartwatches to have voice control (28 percent and 18 percent, respectively).

Voice is quickly becoming the next user interface, said Kurt Busch, CEO of Syntiant. Our survey found that more than two thirds of Americans are using voice to control their devices, which is indicative of our own customer growth, and the growing market opportunity for our hands-free, always-on voice solution. Whether its using customized multi-lingual wake words, or speech commands, such as volume up or volume down, our Neural Decision Processors deliver voice technology that is creating rewarding experiences at the edge, empowering consumers to use speech to seamlessly command their smart products.

SYNTIANT VOICE SURVEY/2

Voice Control in the Future

As the world embraces the fallout of COVID-19, lasting effects from the pandemic indicate consumers will opt for voice user experiences and hands-free interfaces, with Gen Z being most likely to increase speech control usage (60 percent) in smart devices, followed by Millennials (56 percent), Gen X (54 percent) and finally, Baby Boomers (43 percent).

Not surprising with any new technology, concerns remain, as more consumers switch from tactile interfaces, such as touch screens, to hands-free functionality. While 15 percent of Americans say they do not have any concerns with voice control, 27 percent say privacy tops the list, followed by security (23 percent), functionality (19 percent) and ease of use (15 percent).

Its clear that the current pandemic is driving demand for voice control, as people refrain from touching their devices in hopes of reducing health risks, added Busch. Further adoption of voice user experiences will continue to grow among various demographics as AI technology becomes more pervasive at the local level. Advances in voice technology result in enhanced privacy in smart devices by not requiring a cloud connection and power consumption levels that are orders of magnitude lower than ever before. Syntiants solution puts deep learning into almost any edge device, with highly accurate wake word and command control, enabling consumers to use their devices with speech that is secure and private.

About the Survey The online omnibus survey was conducted April 22-24, 2020 by Engine Insights among a statistically viable population of adults 18 years of age and older, weighted by age, gender, geographic region, race and education. Generations defined as: Generation Z (ages 18-23), Millennials (ages 24-39), Generation X (ages 40-55) and Baby Boomers (ages 56-74).

About SyntiantFounded in 2017 and headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Syntiant Corp. is moving artificial intelligence and machine learning from the cloud to edge devices. Syntiants advanced chip solutions merge deep learning with semiconductor design to produce ultra-low-power, high performance, deep neural network processors for always-on applications in battery-powered devices, such as hearing aids, earbuds, smart speakers, mobile phones and laptops. The company is backed by some of the worlds strongest strategic investors, including Intel Capital, Microsoft M12, Bosch Ventures and the Amazon Alexa Fund. More information on the company can be found by visiting http://www.syntiant.com or by following Syntiant on Twitter @Syntiantcorp.

Media Contact:

George Medici PondelWilkinson Inc.gmedici@pondel.com310.279.5968

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More than Half of Americans, Including Majority of Young Adults, Feel Voice Control Is Essential in Smart Devices Post COVID-19, Survey Reveals -...

Written by Neha Banka, Edited by Explained Desk | Kolkata | Updated: May 14, 2020 8:41:40 pm Islamist militant groups in the Sahel and West Africa are also known to target schools, forcing the institutions to close. (Source: Wikipedia)

Africas Sahel, a region running across the breadth of the continent, between the Sahara in the north and the Sudanian Savanna in the south, has become the latest battleground in the ongoing war between the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Just like the other conflicts that the two terrorist groups have been engaged in over the past few years, this latest battle is also for more influence, access to resources and potential recruits.

The tussle between IS and al-Qaeda is not just a battle for influence, resources and recruits in the context of the Jihadist movement in various parts of the world. The two terrorist groups are ideologically different and they also have differing perceptions of whom they see as their enemies and their operational tactics.

The ideology of al-Qaeda is to overthrow and replace what it considered corrupt regimes in the Middle East who have engaged in apostasy, straying away from al-Qaedas interpretation of Islam. The al-Qaeda wants to replace these existing governments with those who conform to the groups beliefs. The groups operations are founded in eradicating the presence and influence of the United States in the region, a country that it considers to be the cause of instability and continued conflict in the Middle East, because of the diplomatic, military and economic operations that the US has engaged in, in the Middle East.

In contrast, the IS focuses on domestic enemies, a long list that includes religious minorities as well as competing jihadi groups. This list includes the Iraqi Shias, Hezbollah, the Yazidis in Iraqi-Kurdistan, Kurds elsewhere in Iraq and Syria, and other jihadi groups it considers to be its rivals. The Islamic State hopes to build just what its name suggests a state with a government where Muslims can live under the ISs interpretation of the religion and law.

While the al-Qaedas operations and tactics have been more to shock the world with its terrorist activities, the IS which developed as a result of the civil wars in Syria and Iraq use terrorism to force civillians and territories into submission by using tactics such as rape, violence against women, public beheadings, kidnappings, torture, mass executions and destruction of private, public and heritage property. To achieve its goals, the IS uses tactics that it picked up through operations during the civil wars, and uses heavy artillery, large ground forces to invade and occupy new territory.

On May 7, in its weekly newspaper al-Naba, the IS accused al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the Sahel of initiating conflict and mobilising large forces to attack IS positions in the West African countries of Mali and Burkina Faso, according to a BBC report.

Months earlier, reports began circulating claiming that IS and al-Qaeda had started cooperating with each other in the Sahel. The statement in al-Naba sought to dispel those rumours by criticising attacks on IS forces by al-Qaeda militants. IS claimed the JNIM had been increasing its forces on the ground to target the opposing terrorist group and was blocking fuel supplies from reaching IS in the region. Already facing an onslaught by the militaries of various African nations, along with French soldiers, the IS said the JNIM had been using the opportunity to target its opponents.

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However, regarding the statement published in al-Naba, Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think-tank, which focuses on global Salafi and Jihadi movements and counterterrorism, said: It does not necessarily contradict the previous assessments that the two groups had been coordinating in the Sahel and data still supports that assessment. Actions speak louder than words, so the absence of media discussing their operations is not proof it wasnt happening.

New territory for more recruits, influence and access to resources is not the only reason the African Sahel has become the latest battleground. Research on the operations of terrorist groups shows illegal armed groups intentionally seek out countries where there are high rates of poverty, corruption and religious and ethnic conflict. They also look for governments that are unable to curb the development and growth of illegal armed groups, such as these two terrorist organisations. Countries in the African Sahel have been battling their own challenges with high rates of poverty, corruption and ethnic conflict, making them vulnerable hunting grounds for groups like the IS and al-Qaeda.

This January, France president Emmanuel Macron met with leaders from the Sahel countries to discuss operations against the growing threat of Islamist miltants in West Africa. Despite the presence of troops from the Sahel nations as well as France, violence by Islamist militants against civilians and armies deployed in region have only increased. According to a BBC report, 2019 recorded the highest annual death toll due to armed conflict in the region in eight years. But the presence of Islamist militants have been recorded in the West African region for at least a decade. There are also concerns that the armed conflict and the influence of Islamist militant groups could spread to other parts of the continent if left uncontrolled.

The main armed groups in the Sahel are the Jamaa Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, the Islamic State Group in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), the Ansarul Islam, a militant Islamist group based in Burkina Faso and Mali, along with other armed groups with various political affiliations.

Dont miss from Explained | Aarogya Setu: Who all can access your data, and when?

The presence of these militant Islamist groups have exacerbated the situation for civillians in the Sahel who had already been dealing with growing ethnic conflict and the chain reaction of climate change that has been hitting the pastoral communities the hardest. The conflict has also caused mass displacement of people and observers believe that the situation may only deteriorate in the coming years. In 2019 alone, the United Nations said that 5,60,000 people had been displaced in Burkina Faso, followed by approximately 2,00,000 in Mali and 1,86,000 in Niger.

Islamist militant groups in the Sahel and West Africa are also known to target schools, forcing the institutions to close. Many affected children are then used by these militant groups who engage them in forced labour, sexual exploitation and force them into joining these armed militant groups as child soldiers.

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Explained: Why IS and al-Qaeda are battling for control in Africas Sahel - The Indian Express

Berkeley Lab staff (from left) David Richardson, Rosanne Boudreau, and James Singzon are making it possible for scientists to conduct research related to COVID-19. (Credit: Berkeley Lab)

David Richardsons job is literally to make sure the light stays on. But its not just any light its a very special X-ray light that could play a crucial role in an eventual treatment for COVID-19.

Richardson is an operator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratorys synchrotron light source facility, the Advanced Light Source (ALS), and is one of a handful of workers providing essential services to scientists working on COVID-19-related research. Scientists have always relied on these staff members the technicians, computing specialists, facilities managers, and others who make research possible but their work has taken on a new sense of urgency these days. And as the Bay Area continues to shelter in place, these workers are among the few who are even allowed onto the Berkeley Lab site.

With COVID-19, there is an awareness that work done at the ALS in the coming weeks may save thousands and thousands of lives in the immediate future, Richardson said.When treatments, a vaccine, or a cure for this disease are found, theres a very good chance that the light sources of the world will have contributed to that victory. This adds a new dimension of meaning to the work we do at ALS.

Berkeley Lab, a multidisciplinary national lab under the Department of Energy (DOE), has not only launched a number of its own research efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also set aside dedicated time at its science facilities for researchers from other institutions to use. Those facilities include the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU), for testing manufacturing of bioproducts; the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a supercomputing center; the Molecular Foundry, for nanoscale science; and the ALS. (None of the facilities is working with live virus.)

David Richardson is an operator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratorys synchrotron light source facility, the Advanced Light Source (ALS). (Courtesy David Richardson)

The ALS is a synchrotron facility operated by Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. It normally gets about 2,000 scientific users a year from around the world, whose experiments are awarded beam time if they pass a peer-review proposal process. The ALS uses a particle accelerator to produce extremely bright beams of infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray light that allow researchers to examine matter such as proteins at the molecular and atomic level.

Normally, the ALS would be performing 40 simultaneous experiments spanning fields from physics and chemistry to materials science and biology. Now, only a handful of biology experiments are being performed on behalf of academic researchers as well as scientists from a number of pharmaceutical companies. (Read this article for more information.)

Richardsons job is to make sure those researchers have access to the beams of light they need. Theres a lot of work that goes into making sure the beam stays stable and reliable, he said. There are many control systems and feedback loops involved. One thing were doing in the control room is responding to any alarms that go off and adjusting to any irregularities that arise. In case the beam is lost, which happens about once every 40 hours, we have to find the fault, correct it, and return the beam to our experimenters.

The ALS typically operates 24/7 with two or three operators per shift, but to comply with shelter-in-place orders, the ALS is providing light only a few days a week with just one operator and one electronics technologist per shift. We have a lot of shared keyboards and mice, so after each shift we carefully disinfect those with alcohol, Richardson said, then added, Its an honor to be part of this global effort!

Rosanne Boudreau is the safety coordinator for Berkeley Labs Biosciences Area. (Courtesy Rosanne Boudreau)

Rosanne Boudreaus job, as the safety coordinator for Berkeley Labs Biosciences Area at its satellite site in Emeryville, California, is to make sure all experiments and research are conducted safely. Before any experiment starts, she will look at all the possible hazards and help implement any controls that should be put into place to mitigate those hazards.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, as scientists undertake new projects related to COVID-19, she has also worried about how to make sure they can maintain six feet of distance apart from each other while doing their work. Some measures that she has implemented for keeping researchers and staff safe in light of social distancing guidelines involveadjusting work schedules, re-arranging work benches, and hanging knock before entering signs. She provides support and oversight for areas such as chemical management and the appropriate handling of biological samples at the facility, which is rated biosafety level 2.

Its my job to worry, she said. But if it keeps everyone safe and working productively then Im happy to be the office worry wart.

Boudreau and the site operations team continue to work to address safety in light of emerginginformation about virus transmission.

James Singzon is a site reliability engineer at NERSC, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center. (Courtesy James Singzon)

For James Singzon, a site reliability engineer at NERSC, remote users and light staffing are old hat. Singzon works night and weekend shifts at Berkeley Labs renowned computing center, where he keeps the machines running smoothly so that scientists from across the globe can process their complex data. Before the shelter-in-place began, Singzon was either solo or one of two people on-site during his shifts, but he looked forward to the camaraderie of catching up with the group of morning shift workers when they arrived to take over.

I miss the cheery hellos and smiling faces as they checked in with me, he said, explaining that the staffing schedule was modified so that only one person comes on-site per shift, and the rest of the team work remotely. With minimal staffing on-site, I no longer have that opportunity to interact in person, however, my group has implemented what we call the otg-kitchen, [for operations technology group] where staff can talk on Zoom as I prepare to leave in the morning.

NERSC, which has remained fully operational from the early days of the shelter-in-place through the present thanks to its existing remote operating features, is now participating in the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium a public-private agreement among federal government, industry, and academic teams to volunteer free computing time and resources on their world-class machines. NERSC has initially set aside up to 1.25 million node hours on its Cori supercomputer capable of performing nearly 30 quadrillion calculations per second in support of COVID-19-related research.

According to Singzon, keeping advanced machinery like Cori operating at peak capacity for its 7,000-plus international users has always been a 24/7 job, and one he is proud to do. Yet the task has taken on even more meaning in the face of the current crisis.

I have a little sister who is a nurse in Pennsylvania, a half-sister who is a doctor administering COVID-19 tests in San Francisco, and my father is an ER doctor at Mercy Medical Center Merced, he said. I am beyond proud of people in the trenches helping those who are sick with this disease and the researchers who are searching to find a vaccine or a cure; to support them by ensuring NERSC computational resources are available is an honor and allows my work to be a small part of the solution.

NERSC and the ALS are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

# # #

Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Labs facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory,managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science.

DOEs Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

Media contact:

Laurel Kellner, [emailprotected], 510-590-8034

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Masks On, Ready to Work: Meet the People Supporting COVID-19 Science - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory