Technology

Lifesteps hosts ‘Innovation in Technology’ sessions – Butler Eagle

Samantha Johnson, founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language finger-spelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle Morgan Phillips BUTLER TWP — Samantha Johnson has been working on her design for a sign language finger-spelling robot for a few […]

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Samantha Johnson, founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language finger-spelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

BUTLER TWP — Samantha Johnson has been working on her design for a sign language finger-spelling robot for a few years, but on Thursday, May 29, it was able to be demonstrated.

The robotic hand, dubbed “Tatum1,” was just one of the assistive technologies either recently released or soon-to-be released that was presented as part of Lifesteps Assistive Technology’s “Innovations in Technology” sessions.

The robot is designed with deaf-blind individuals in mind, but also has benefits for people with low vision.

“These are folks who cannot hear or see, so therefore they communicate through tactile signings,” Johnson said. “They hold on to the hand of the person they’re signing with. This is basically a computer for deaf-blind individuals, and the same way that you have a screen, they have this hand.”

She started designing the robot as her thesis in grad school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said after social distancing policies, she recognized a need for deaf-blind people to receive information, even when nobody else is available.

Since graduation, she has continued her work, and founded a business around it: Tatum Robotics.

Nearby, Johnson had a video demonstration of a deaf-blind person receiving an emergency alert using the robot. She said it also is able to sign stories, messaging, calling, news, weather and time.

“This is the way that they’re used to communicating … so the idea behind this is to make it so there’s no learning curve. They can just put their hand on it and they know what they’re doing,” Johnson said.

The robot was just one of two products yet to be released that were presented at the event.

Lyman Petrosky, co-founder of ForSight Assistive Devices, is helping to pioneer a technology that aims to give blind people a better sense of spatial awareness.

The device has two parts: a sensor worn on the body, and a set of gloves. Based on the sensor’s readings, the gloves will send tactile feedback based on proximity and direction from the user.

“If somebody walked past you, it’d be as if they were walking across the backs of your fingers,” Petrosky explained. “You can actually sense them passing by. You can even tell roughly how far away they are.”

Pete Andolina is the owner of Alpha-Sensory, a company that works with school districts, Veterans Affairs offices and organizations such as Lifesteps to distribute multiple companies’ assistive technologies.

While he offers an extensive list of products, Andolina brought a select few to show off, such as CloverBook, a portable screen magnifier; LyriQ Auto Reader with enhanced recognition using artificial intelligence; and Envision Glasses, an option for smart glasses technology.

Also in attendance was Butler Eye Care, which presented two other options for smart glasses, Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses and Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses. While both glasses were designed with the general population in mind, both offer services that could assist people with hearing or vision impairment.

“Someone who is blind has that stuff right on them,” Diana Petschauer, director of assistive technology for Lifesteps, said. “It describes for them, they’re able to ask if there’s something in my way, stuff like that.”

The event also had a Brava smart oven for display. The oven is designed to be an easier way to make meals, as it has preprogrammed recipes and cooking instructions.

Brava took a step toward accessibility in October, when a software update added an integrated mobile app that gives people with disabilities increased access to the oven. Brava reported assistive technology users quickly learned how to use the oven and became much more confident in cooking for themselves.

“So one gentleman, he’s aging, and it was his wife that always cooked,” Petschauer said. “When she passed away, he didn’t cook, and his kids were worried because he was always doing the microwave meals … So their kids got him Brava. They said he’s a Brava chef now.”

Petschauer said Lifesteps hosts demonstration sessions such as this one to show off assistive technology that might not be readily available at the center. She said she has helped assistive technology users get access to products previously demonstrated.

“Individuals with disabilities can come here not only to explore and get demonstrations, but since I’m an assistive technology professional, I can write the recommendation in a report that can help them … get the funding for it,” Petschauer said.

Lifesteps Assistive Technology plans to host more demonstrations in the future in the hopes of improving assistive technology education and access in the area.

Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a WeWalk Smart Cane during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a SightCare machine during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Pete Andolina with Alpha-Sensory demonstrates a WeWalk Smart Cane during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips
Samantha Johnson, Founder and CEO of Tatum Robotics, demonstrates a sign language fingerspelling robot during an Innovations in Technology event at Lifesteps Assistive Technology in Butler on Thursday, May 29. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

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Nvidia CEO warns that Chinese AI rivals are now ‘formidable’ – The Mercury News

By Ian King and Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said that Chinese AI rivals are filling the void left by the departure of US companies from that market, and their technology is becoming more powerful. “The Chinese competitors have evolved,” he said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Huawei […]

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By Ian King and Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg

Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said that Chinese AI rivals are filling the void left by the departure of US companies from that market, and their technology is becoming more powerful.

“The Chinese competitors have evolved,” he said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Huawei Technologies Co., a Chinese tech company blacklisted by the US government, has become “quite formidable,” he said.

RELATED: DeepSeek unveils update to R1 model

US restrictions on exports to China have effectively locked Nvidia out of the country, the largest market for chips, and as a result the company expects to lose out on $8 billion in sales this quarter alone. During a quarterly earnings call Wednesday, Huang spent much of the time arguing that the American government should ease the curbs.

Rather than keeping AI technology out of Chinese hands — the intended purpose — local companies are just finding alternatives, he said. Tencent Holdings Ltd. and other major purchasers of his products can’t be blamed for turning to Huawei because they can no longer depend on US suppliers, he said.

“Like everybody else, they are doubling, quadrupling capabilities every year,” Huang said. “And the volume is increasing substantially.”

Huang cautioned that the gap between US products and Chinese alternatives is decreasing. Huawei’s latest AI chip is similar to the performance of Nvidia’s own H200 — a component that was state-of-the-art until its replacement in recent months.

Under new rules, Nvidia isn’t able to even ship its H20 chip to China. That component is a downgraded version of the H200.

It’s not possible to degrade the product’s capabilities further, he told Bloomberg Technology. Nvidia is considering potential alternatives to the H20, but has no current chip planned, Huang said. When it does, the company will have to seek permission from Washington.

“You cannot underestimate the importance of the China market,” Huang said. “This is the home of the world’s largest population of AI researchers.”

Huang said he wants all of the world’s AI researchers and developers to be using American technology. “Irrespective of the near-term revenue success we have had, we can’t ignore the fact that the Chinese market is very important,” he said.

In the interview, Huang was also asked about the US revoking some Chinese student visas and how that might affect Nvidia.

“I believe the administration still feels very strongly about the incredible importance of immigration,” said Huang, who was born in Taiwan. “Look, I’m an immigrant. I know many immigrants that came to the US to build a great life, and many of us have contributed greatly to the technology industry in the US.”

Huang said he believed that will continue. “We would like the brightest to come here,” he said.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

Originally Published: May 29, 2025 at 6:35 AM PDT

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Tech companies slash hundreds of Bay Area jobs, hiring slump persists

Tech companies have slashed well over 400 Bay Area jobs in fresh rounds of employment cutbacks that offer an ominous warning that the industry’s downsizing has yet to run its course. All told, three tech companies have disclosed plans to chop an estimated 419 jobs in the Bay Area, according to official WARN letters the […]

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Tech companies have slashed well over 400 Bay Area jobs in fresh rounds of employment cutbacks that offer an ominous warning that the industry’s downsizing has yet to run its course.

All told, three tech companies have disclosed plans to chop an estimated 419 jobs in the Bay Area, according to official WARN letters the firms sent to the state Employment Development Department.

LinkedIn, Chegg and Hewlett Packard Enterprise have disclosed their intentions to reduce staffing in the Bay Area, the WARN notices show.

Here are some of the details of the recent disclosures of layoff plans by the tech companies:

— LinkedIn, 270 job cuts, affecting workers in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Francisco. Of these, 159 job cuts were planned for Mountain View. The layoffs occurred on May 15, the career-oriented social network stated.

— Chegg, 88 layoffs in Santa Clara. The downsizing occurred May 15, the educational tech company reported.

— Hewlett Packard Enterprise, 61 job cuts in San Jose. The reductions transpired on May 2, the information technology company disclosed.

All of the job cuts were described as permanent.

The staffing reductions come at a time when the Bay Area tech industry is struggling with its pace of hiring.

Tech companies added 100 jobs in the Bay Area in April, according to a Beacon Economics seasonally adjusted estimate of tech industry employment categories it derived from the official state EDD monthly obs report.

Employers added 1,600 tech jobs in the South Bay but slashed 1,200 tech positions in the East Bay and chopped 400 tech jobs in the San Francisco-San Mateo metro area, the Beacon estimate determined.

The puny increase in net tech hiring in the Bay Area was a reminder that rather than being the primary engine for Bay Area employment, the tech industry has begun to drag down the region’s job market.

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Judge Keeps Betting-Tech Suit On Track As Sanctions Loom

By Elaine Briseño ( May 29, 2025, 6:24 PM EDT) — A Nevada federal judge refused a sportsbook technology company’s attempt to stay briefings on a motion for sanctions in its trade secrets suit against a former collaborator, ruling the request lacks sufficient justification…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription […]

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By Elaine Briseño ( May 29, 2025, 6:24 PM EDT) — A Nevada federal judge refused a sportsbook technology company’s attempt to stay briefings on a motion for sanctions in its trade secrets suit against a former collaborator, ruling the request lacks sufficient justification….

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Energy companies drop on oil price rout — Capital Brief

The news: Energy sector stocks are leading losses on the ASX 200, tracking a decline in oil prices in anticipation of the OPEC+ cartel agreeing to ramp up supply when it meets tomorrow. The numbers: The energy sector was the worst performing sector in morning trade, down 1.08% at 11:30am AEST. The 13 largest companies […]

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The news: Energy sector stocks are leading losses on the ASX 200, tracking a decline in oil prices in anticipation of the OPEC+ cartel agreeing to ramp up supply when it meets tomorrow.

The numbers: The energy sector was the worst performing sector in morning trade, down 1.08% at 11:30am AEST.

The 13 largest companies by market cap were all lower, including Woodside (-1.3%), Santos (-1%), Yancoal (-1.2%), and Ampol (-0.8%).

Brent Crude Oil was down 0.5% to US$63.85/barrel while WTI Crude Oil was down 0.4% to US$60.68 a barrel.

The context: The faster-than-expected reinitiation of idle output capacity by OPEC — which accounts for about 40% of global oil supply — is creating oversupply fears.

OPEC+, which includes non-OPEC member oil producers, agreed on Wednesday to establish a mechanism for setting baseline oil production for 2027 and will hold talks on Saturday which could accelerate output for July.

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Iowa event welcomes more tech companies | Online Features

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