Every country wants a covid-19 vaccine. Who will get it first?

The Chinese company Sinovac Biotech developed an experimental vaccine for SARS back in 2004. That disease went away after killing just 800 people, and the project was shelved. But it meant that when the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, exploded in China last January, the company had a road map for what to do next. Four months later, it published evidence that it could protect monkeys against the disease using a simple vaccine made from killed virus.

By then, though, China had a different problem: not enough covid-19. Its draconian lockdown measures had quashed the virus at home so effectively that doctors couldn’t find patients to fully test their vaccine on. The US had plenty of infections, but tensions between the countries meant no Chinese vaccine for covid-19 will ever be tested on US soil. 

So in June Sinovac struck a deal with a Brazilian vaccine center, the Butantan Institute in São

… Read more Read More
by ASNF

G Suite: Mail, Chat, Rooms and Meet come together in new Gmail experience

The revamped Gmail experience combines popular G Suite services within the Gmail app, simplifying collaboration and multitasking.

Google has started rolling out its new integrated Gmail experience for G Suite customers that brings together Chat, Mail, Rooms and Meet in a single interface.

SEE: 
TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download

 (TechRepublic Premium)

The update,
first announced by Google in July,

is currently on its way to Gmail on the web and for Android users, and sees Gmail overhauled with four distinct tabs for Google’s chat, messaging and email services. The idea is that G Suite customers can access all of the platform’s core communication components from one place, cutting out the hassle of having to regularly switch between different Google apps and making it easier to collaborate with fellow G Suite colleagues.

The experience will largely be familiar to anyone who has used Google

… Read more Read More
by ASNF

66% of hotels and hospitality enterprises considering SaaS models in COVID-19 response

According to a new survey, 38% of IT leaders plan to increase their investment in cloud-based networking.

Image: ipopba, Getty Images/iStockphoto

A new survey from Hewlett Packard’s wireless networking giant Aruba found that IT departments are now making pivotal business decisions in light of the drastic changes forced on all organizations by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

More than seven months into the crisis, enterprises are getting a better understanding of what it will take to move forward and adjust to the new workplace realities, according to the 2,400 IT decision-makers interviewed by market research company Vanson Bourne. 

SEE: Return to work: What the new normal will look like post-pandemic (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Nearly 40% of IT leaders said they plan to increase their investment in cloud-based networking, while another 35% reported looking into artificial intelligence (AI)-based networking. The report, titled Preparing for the post pandemic workplace: How IT decision-makers are responding

… Read more Read More
by ASNF

Russia says it has a covid vaccine called “Sputnik-V”

Russia has cleared a vaccine against covid-19 for emergency use on health-care workers this fall.

Fast advance:  Russian president Vladimir Putin said during a meeting on Tuesday that the newly registered vaccine “has passed all the necessary tests” and that one of his daughters had received the inoculation.  

“She has taken part in the experiment,” Putin said, according to the Associated Press.

Vaccination program: The Russian vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow. Although it has been tested on some volunteers, Russia has not finished the larger type of study needed to prove it is sae or protects recipients against infection by the coronavirus.

According to reports, doctors, nurses, and teachers will be given the shot first when enough supplies of the vaccine are ready in October, and it could reach the general public by January.

The Russian vaccine uses an

… Read more Read More
by ASNF

Digital classroom app, Kami, announces new integrations for the fall

The company says it will now work with Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and Google Classroom on iPad, and that it has bolstered Schoology capabilities.

Image: iStock/piyaset

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizations and institutions around the globe have been forced to transition from traditional in-person operations to a host of virtual platforms. Schools and universities, in particular, have been tasked with transforming on-site education into immersive distance learning experiences on short notice. In the spring, educational organizations around the country curated nontraditional instruction courses in a matter of weeks.

Needless to say, this initial attempt at remote learning concluded with mixed results for students and educators alike. School districts around the country are planning to continue e-learning in some capacity in the coming weeks as the coronavirus continues to spread around the globe. To assist, digital classroom application, Kami, has announced a host of integrations to enhance collaboration as students return

… Read more Read More
by ASNF

You May Missed