California State University Moves Fall Classes Online Because of The Coronavirus

California State University Moves Fall Classes Online Because of The Coronavirus
Mutodi Clashes With Retired Army General Sibusiso Moyo Over Coronavirus Tweet to John Magufuli
Voice Controlled Tech from Amazon and Google to Grow as People Seek ‘No Touch’ Choices

Posted: 14 May 2020 08:12 AM PDT

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - California State University Chancellor Timothy White announced that it will move online all fall season classes because of the coronavirus.

"Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus," he said.

The announcement came on the same day U.S. health experts warned that reopening the country too soon could result in suffering, death, and harm to the economy.

As the largest university system in the United States, it has 23 campuses and nearly 500,000 students. It is the first major university to tell students that they will not return to campus when the new school year begins.

Some colleges, including University of Pennsylvania and University of California at Berkeley, say some or all teaching for the fall may be provided online. Others, like Stanford, Princeton and the University of Chicago, are waiting for more information before making decisions.

The Chronicle of Higher Education magazine is keeping a list of colleges' plans for reopening. It says the large majority of American colleges, 70 percent, say they are planning for in-person classes when the new school year begins.

Christina Paxson is the president of Brown University in Rhode Island. She wrote in The New York Times newspaper that the "reopening of college and university campuses in the fall should be a national priority."

Paxson said colleges should develop plans to control the spread of infections through testing, tracing and physical distancing to bring students back on campus.

Paxon also noted that higher education employs three million people and contributes $600 billion to the nation's economy.

Many colleges are already worried that large numbers of students will not return for online classes. There is widespread fear that the troubled economy will leave many Americans unable to pay for college. And international students will not attend because of travel restrictions during the coronavirus crisis.

Several universities, including Ohio State and Nebraska, have returned money to students for housing and meals after in-person classes were cancelled. Students across the U.S. are also taking legal action against universities. The students say they did not getthe quality of education they were promised.

In a legal action against Drexel University, Grainger Rickenbaker, a 21-year-old student from South Carolina, said the online classes were poor substitutes for classroom learning. He told The Associated Press that some classes were being taught almost entirely through recorded videos, with no class discussion possible.

On Tuesday night, Chancellor White told the Cal State's Board of Trustees that the university "is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity with each other on a daily basis." He noted that is not possible now.

The university leader listed several possible exceptions for in-person classes, including those in nursing, science, and art. (VOA)

Mutodi Clashes With Retired Army General Sibusiso Moyo Over Coronavirus Tweet to John Magufuli

Posted: 14 May 2020 08:00 AM PDT

HARARE, LELEMUKU.COM - Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi claims that he is living in fear following his public rebuke by Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister, who distanced the government from statements he made on Twitter, suggesting that Tanzanian president John Magufuli is struggling to contain the coronavirus crisis in his country.

In a tweet, Mutodi said, "Living in fear of the Chris Mutsvangwa-SB Moyo coalition. I hope it won't resort to wartime tactics. Appealing for prayers."

His tweet set social media on fire with some political commentators and other people suggesting that there is a fallout between Mutodi and presidential adviser Mutsvangwa and his wife Monica Mutsvangwa, and Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo.

In a tweet recently, Mutodi said, "HE John Pombe Magafuli's Tanzania now has 630 COVID-19 cases with prayers but without a lockdown while His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa's Zimbabwe only got 31 cases with a lockdown & masks. An insight into how managers can be game changers."

Responding to the tweet, Moyo said Mutodi's remarks did not represent the views of the Zimbabwean government. Moyo's statement was made soon after Mutodi also claimed that Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa was abusing the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation by issuing remarks that advanced the political ambitions of her husband and their associates.

In the latest clash of the ministers, Mutodi wrote a letter to Moyo urging him to stop attacking him, noting that the two were running different ministries.

He said, "I wish to remind you that our two ministries operate on a divergent yet complimentary role, with your Foreign Affairs Ministry outward looking while my Information Ministry is inward looking. While our ministry is worried about the public perception on the national leadership, its image, electability and the public approval ratings of the president, your ministry focuses on foreign cooperation and diplomatic engagement, otherwise our two ministries should have been merged if they served the same purpose."

Mutodi went on to take a swipe at Moyo saying his utterances were uncalled for as they have puzzled Zimbabweans.

"…Your public statement which could have been sufficiently dealt with by a diplomatic correspondence to the Tanzanian embassy if it mattered, has divided public opinion first on the definition and meaning of government and whether you had become its Prime Minister in charge of the two ministries."

Moyo has not yet responded to Mutodi's latest remarks amid fears of a fallout between government ministers, who once teamed up to unseat the late former president Robert Mugabe in a defacto military coup.

Efforts to contact Moyo were unsuccessful as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.

Zanu PF Central Committee member, Joseph Tshuma, said it was unlikely that Mutodi was being used by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to attack The Mutsvangwas and Moyo.

"I don't think the president who is the appointing authority in terms of hiring ministers can do that because he has the power to dismiss those that he believes are not doing well or working with him in government." (VOA)

Voice Controlled Tech from Amazon and Google to Grow as People Seek ‘No Touch’ Choices

Posted: 14 May 2020 07:56 AM PDT

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - Governments around the world are turning to scientific research and technology to fight the coronavirus.

Experts on technology have begun thinking about what life will be like after the virus is defeated. Some are predicting an increase in demand for voice-controlled systems to perform tasks without the need for human touch.

Voice-activated systems such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have already experienced strong growth in recent years. Experts say the coronavirus crisis could drive even more growth as many people seek technology to replace physical touch.

Health officials have suggested one way to reduce the risk of the virus spreading is to clean and disinfect surfaces that people touch.

Jonathan Collins is research director for ABI Research, a service that helps organizations face technology issues. He says voice-activated systems in homes "can mean avoiding commonly touched surfaces" to control smartphones, televisions, lighting, doors and heating systems.

Collins said the coronavirus crisis is likely to drive "additional motivation and incentive" for home voice controllers. The French news agency AFP reported his comments.

ABI estimates that shipments for voice control devices for 'smart' home use hit 141 million worldwide last year. It predicts that number could grow by about 30 percent in 2020.

An estimate by Juniper Research showed the number of voice assistants in use for all purposes reached 4.2 billion devices this year. Juniper estimates the number could grow to 8 billion by 2023.

Avi Greengart is a technology expert with market research company Techsponential. He told AFP he expects a wider choice of business uses for voice technologies as companies now face new health and safety concerns.

"Looking forward, office spaces will need to move towards more touch-free controls," Greengart said.

Voice-activated systems can be one solution, along with motion sensors to control lighting, he added. "I do expect smart speakers - along with an emailed list of commands - to be a common feature at hotels and other rental properties. The fewer touch points, the better," Greengart added.

Julian Issa follows technology for Futuresource Consulting. He notes there had already been rising use of voice assistants since the coronavirus crisis began. But he said most of the increase is likely not driven by people trying to avoid touching surfaces. Instead, more people are using the assistants because they are spending far more time with their devices while staying at home.

British-based Voxly Digital develops voice apps for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It reported last month that 48 percent of people in Britain said they were using voice assistants more since being home because of the coronavirus.

About one-fourth of British homes own a smart speaker. Twenty-one percent of users in the study said they had used voice assistants twice as much, or more, since the pandemic began. Voxly Digital also reported that 40 percent of users predicted they would continue to use voice apps more once the crisis is over.

British advertising industry group IAB UK published research showing large increases in online listenership during April, the website Voicebot.ai reported. In the United States, the Nielsen company reported radio listening was up among nearly a third of the population, including 10 percent more people listening on smart speakers.

Experts say they expect other growth areas for voice assistants to be in industries that deal with large numbers of people every day. These include health care centers, large retail businessesand entertainment companies.

One example is a medical tool already in use at the world famous Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The tool uses Amazon Alexa to give people information about signs of the virus and related information.

Veton Kepuska is a computer engineering professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. He specializes in speech recognition technologies. He told AFP he is seeking to develop voice-activated robots that could take over many tasks from doctors or nurses from a safe distance.

Kepuska explained, "The pandemic has created a situation where we need to think about how to deliver services to people who need our help without putting ourselves in danger." (VOA)