Small and midsize Biotech companies do not have the financial resources that their larger pharmaceutical counterparts have. This means that they must be even smarter in how they spend. Larger firms have deeper pockets for their projects while Biotech startups and medium sized firms must find investors if they do not have enough in the R&D budget. Thus, due to budget limitations, the small to midsize Biotech companies must find creative methods to use their limited resources while growing their business. The most effective way for them to do this is to make sure that the company they are hiring is a great long term match. When looking for an Information Technology firm to hire, Biotech companies should look for seven major signs.

An Information Technology consulting company that truly understands and embraces their Biotech clients’ needs should be experienced and knowledgeable in serving the Biotech industry. We believe there are seven traits that a successful IT partner should have:

1. They should have an understanding of the biotechnology industry and specific needs that may come up such as regulatory requirements, clinical trial needs, GMP standards, HIPAA (in some cases), FDA compliance, ISO certifications, trade secret protections, vendor relations with proprietary lab equipment manufacturers etc.

2. They should have a leadership background and many years of experience in the industry (over 10 is a good number). They should be able to work with C-level executives as well as line workers so they know the needs at the front line as … Read more

There is no written evidence which can tell us exactly who has coined the phrase educational technology. Different educationists, scientists and philosophers at different time intervals have put forwarded different definitions of Educational Technology. Educational technology is a multifaceted and integrated process involving people, procedure, ideas, devices, and organization, where technology from different fields of science is borrowed as per the need and requirement of education for implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions to those problems involved in all aspects of human learning.

Educational technology, broadly speaking, has passed through five stages.

The first stage of educational technology is coupled with the use of aids like charts, maps, symbols, models, specimens and concrete materials. The term educational technology was used as synonyms to audio-visual aids.

The second stage of educational technology is associated with the ‘electronic revolution’ with the introduction and establishment of sophisticated hardware and software. Use of various audio-visual aids like projector, magic lanterns, tape-recorder, radio and television brought a revolutionary change in the educational scenario. Accordingly, educational technology concept was taken in terms of these sophisticated instruments and equipments for effective presentation of instructional materials.

The third stage of educational technology is linked with the development of mass media which in turn led to ‘communication revolution’ for instructional purposes. Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI) used for education since 1950s also became popular during this era.

The fourth stage of educational technology is discernible by the individualized process of instruction. The invention of programmed learning and programmed instruction provided a … Read more

Product developers know that they need to engage in a close exchange with the producers at all times for prototypes of their PCBs to ensure that they are producible as planned. Exotic or highly innovative requirements quickly reach the limits of feasibility, since the production lines are not designed for certain prototypes or demands. Becker & Müller Schaltungsdruck GmbH from Kinzigtal in the Black Forest know this, of course. Prototype production is one of the focuses in this company. Therefore, an amazing 6-digit total has been put into modernisation of the production lines in the recent past there, in order to offer the latest technology at all times.

Becker & Müller were busy during the production-free time between Christmas and Epiphany. They focused on modernising their plants. Of course, it had all been planned with the corresponding lead time. The calmer time around the change of the year had been reserved for implementation.

Changing and new requirements from the clients that kept growing more and more demanding had made this step necessary. Anything that is doable at some point, in some manner, will be done by someone – and production must be ready for it. However, these investments are often impossible to calculate in advance from a business management point of view. It is impossible to tell if the technologies currently demanded will prevail on the market in the long run as well. Investments in the right direction can only be made with a confident sense of which developments will … Read more

The 2TB G-Technology G-Drive eSATA external hard drive is the latest drive by G-Technology, who is part of the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies family. It has a striking appearance, but is it a home run or one for the bench? Read our G-Drive review to find out…

Design and Build

The design and build of the 2TB G-Technology G-Drive eSATA external hard drive is both beautiful and top quality. Its sensual yet sturdy metal case is slightly elevated and cleverly hides a heat sink. The 2TB G-Technology G-Drive eSATA external hard drive almost looks like a small and elegant baby rhinoceros, who will charge like lightning when the need arises. And boy does it ever.

The 2TB G-Technology G-Drive eSATA external hard drive has a rugged and stylish aluminium casing that wraps around the drive itself. The casing is very hard to scratch and protects the drive; it has hundreds of small ventilation holes that allow this tiny rhino breathe effortlessly and keep the temperature down. The sturdy nature of the drive makes it ideal for stacking it under other devices or objects, and it must be said that it looks fantastic next to an iMac.

On the front face you will find a stylish big “G” with a single white light underneath. This light is used to show drive activity, but unlike most other hard drives, this light does not blink – instead it gets brighter when the drive is busy working. This is a nice twist to the … Read more

Broadly speaking, the term ‘communications technology’ can refer to any technology that allows its users to communicate with one another. Using this (admittedly loose) definition, two-way radios and mobile phones fall into the category of ‘communications technology’.

The term also refers to computers and computer-related work. Here in the UK, schoolchildren study a subject called ‘ICT’ this stands for ‘Information and Technology’ (although when this rapidly ageing writer was at school, it was known simply as ‘IT’ or, ‘Information Technology’).

As the Internet has become a more and more prevalent part of our society, communications over longer distances have become significantly easier. In fact, these types of communications are easier now than at any other time in Human history. Ergo, it stands to reason that computers should be considered as a prime form of communications technology.

Basic, everyday acts such as checking your emails, updating your Facebook or Twitter feed, answering the phone, or taking Skype calls are all a part of ‘communications technology’ as are the two-way radios used by public transport, security firms and the emergency services.

A person who makes a living by working with ‘comms tech’ is likely involved in the designing, creating, implementing or maintaining of communicational systems. Such systems can include radio networks, mobile phone providers, telephone companies, even television. It is a broad and ever-expanding field, which makes it difficult to ascertain exactly what a person actually does if they list it as their job title.

When somebody tells you that they are … Read more

Ethical Technology Advocates are going to be mankind ‘s go betweens with a wave of robots and artificial intelligence programs which will be helping to operate our complex and connected community by 2025.

Certainly one of their crucial tasks is to negotiate the delicate relationship of ours with the robots by setting up the ethical and moral regulations to which the devices – as well as the makers of theirs – operate simply exist.

The role of theirs is going to be essential in making sure that not one of the nightmares of ours about robot world domination by chance come true. As Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, claims,’ The many critical next step in our goal of AI would be to agree on an empathic and ethical framework for its design.’

This can be 1 of our most pressing concerns as the robot revolution unfolds, says roboticist as well as artist Alexander Reben – who has developed the very first robot that could decide whether or not to inflict pain on a man.

‘I’ve demonstrated that a dangerous robot is able to really exist,’ he says.’ So we are going to need folks who can confront the fears of ours about AI getting out of control.’

Other Ethical Technology Advocates are going to work as coaches to robots, indicating their machine pupils how to recognize the subtle nuances of daily speech as well as behaviour which will enable them to have interaction reliably – and easily – with their … Read more