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Daily Archives: July 28, 2020

Thanks to COVID-19 everybody wants Density’s technology tracking building occupancy and use

TechCrunch: “Before the COVID-19 epidemic, Density was being used by companies like TechCrunch’s parent company, Verizon, to see how it could better use office space after the Yahoo!/Aol merger. Now, thanks to the COVID-19 epidemic everyone wants the company’s technology to track building and room occupancy and use. It’s one reason why the company managed to raise $51 million in a new round of funding led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from previous investors like Dick Costolo’s 01 Advisors and the Los Angeles-based investment firm, Upfront Ventures. “The primary driver [for demand] has been being able to reopen buildings safely and to do so without invading privacy,” says Density chief executive Andrew Farah. And while the company started out as a service for data-loving tech companies, retail stores and coffee chains, it’s now become a ubiquitous technology for needed for every business with shared space, said Farah. That means fulfillment centers, grocery stores, warehouses, meat processing plants, in addition to something like TechCrunch headquarters…

New orders for the company’s hardware and software service are pouring in, he said. And these order range from $20,000 to $50,000 pilot projects to seven-figure, thousand-unit initial deployments. “All of our customers end up tripling in size from their initial land,” he said. Density charges a one-time fee of $895 for installation of its sensors and another $800 per-sensor per-year for access to the data.

Find a Member of Congress by Address on Congress.gov

In Custodia Legis: “In June, Margaret shared that we had added district maps to member profile pages on Congress.gov. Each map on a member profile can be expanded to show a larger size version of the map. With today’s update to Congress.gov, we build upon the district maps by adding a new search box to help you… Continue Reading

Machine Learning + Libraries: A Report on the State of the Field

The LC Signal: “Digital collections in libraries are vast—and growing, as we continue to digitize cultural heritage materials and acquire new born digital collections.  At the same time, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence has grown exponentially.  At LC Labs, we explore how technology can help fulfill the Library of Congress’s vision that… Continue Reading

Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop ‘Needless’ Copyright Lawsuit and Work with Us

Publishers Weekly: “During a 30-minute Zoom press conference on July 22, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle urged the four major publishers suing over the organization’s book scanning efforts to consider settling the dispute in the boardroom rather than the courtroom. “I call on the executives of Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House to come… Continue Reading

FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol

7/27/2020 PRESS RELEASE – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol, Takes Additional Action to Address Concerning Products – “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol, Takes Additional Action to Address Concerning Products – Agency Urges Consumers, Health Care Professionals Not to Use… Continue Reading

Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs

CRS report via LC: Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs. Updated July 28, 2020. “Congress is considering the relationship of Confederate symbols to federal lands and programs. A number of federal agencies administer assets or fund activities in which references to the Civil War Confederacy, Confederate flags and artifacts, and commemorations of Confederate… Continue Reading

Charity Navigator is launching a new rating system to help better evaluate nonprofits

FastCompany: “Since March, as the pandemic has shattered the economy and the protests forced an examination of racial justice, Charity Navigator has seen a 200% year-over-year increase in donations to nonprofits made on its site. Now, as interest in giving continues to grow, the largest charity evaluator wants to make it even easier for donors… Continue Reading

KFF Health Tracking Poll – July 2020

Coronavirus: Reopening, Schools, And The Government Response – Key Findings – July 27, 2020: Amid a surging coronavirus pandemic and record numbers of new cases in many states, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds most U.S. adults feel the worst effects of the pandemic are yet to come, and seven in ten (including four… Continue Reading