Latest news with #AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Don't point your smartphone camera at Volvo EV90. Here's why
Volvo EX90 comes with an ADAS suite that uses lidar systems to measure the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles or objects. Notify me With the increasing penetration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in modern passenger vehicles, cars have been receiving a wide range of advanced technology-aided features. One of them is a lidar system, which is a key technology for ADAS. Volvo EX90 comes with this technology, and a viral video is circulating on the internet showing the luxury electric SUV's lidar system ruining the smartphone filming it. The video shows the laser emitted by the lidar system of the Volvo EV frying some of the individual pixels in the smartphone camera's CMOS sensor. It is very common for automobile enthusiasts to capture photographs and videos of nw and exciting vehicles using their smartphones . However, the viral video is something that tells you might want to think carefully before taking picture or video of the Volvo EX90's ADAS system. Check the video here. The video raking IP thousands of views online shows the user filming the roof-mounted lidar system of the Volvo EX90 electric SUV. Imediately after pointing the smartphone's camera at the lidar system of the EX90, the equipment destroys the expensive smartphone camera's sensor. As the image closes in on the lidar's beam, which pulses to measure distances, it begins to leave a trail of lights on the phone's screen, which are the result of the laser burning some of the individual pixels on the phone camera's sensor. Is lidar safe for human eyes? The latest video has raised concerns about the lidar's impact on human body. According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the intensity of lidar beams is tightly regulated and lidar systems on vehicles meet Class One standards, which means they are safe for human eyes. This comes as a relief for many as there is no need to panic. The lidar system of the Volvo EX90 or any other vehicle that comes equipped with this technology will not damage your eye. However, remember that it can wreck havoc on your pricey phone's camera. Volvo EX90: When will it launch in India? Volvo Cars started production of the EX90 electric SUV in 2024 and deliveries of the EV have started last year in some international markets. The luxury electric SUV is slated to launch in India in 2025. Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India. First Published Date: 19 May 2025, 10:06 AM IST
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Industry Leaders Reveal How Standards Transformed Their Business in New ANSI Video Series
NEW YORK, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Could standards participation be the advantage your business needs to thrive? Showcasing how standards support long-term economic advancement, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has expanded its Standards Boost Business web resource with new video testimonials—demonstrating the business value of standards, and the various benefits of participating in their development. Standards Boost Business outlines the benefits of participating in standards development for C-suite executives and decision-makers across industry, government, and more. The online platform demonstrates how standards directly strengthen the economy by: Accelerating market growth : Case studies demonstrate the economic impacts of standards across multiple sectors. Increasing competitiveness and innovation : Customizable elevator pitches help executives understand the business advantages of standards participation. Supporting a framework for business success: White papers and economic research show how standards reduce barriers to trade, improve sustainability, reduce costs, and assure safety. In the new video collection, industry professionals reveal how standards participation brought measurable results and other advantages for growth and innovation: Standards Boost Business is housed in ANSI's Impact of Standards page on alongside additional resources including "Standards are Everywhere" graphics and "Standards Behind the Headlines" articles. Questions or comments on Standards Boost Business can be directed to webteam@ About ANSI The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
Rhode Island state crime lab faces full accreditation review amid forensic errors
SOUTH KINGSTOWN - A state laboratory that examines and analyzes gun-related evidence in Rhode Island criminal cases is scheduled for its own full-blown examination by an accrediting board this weekend. Last year, the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory suspended certain in-house forensic work after it became clear that employees in its facility had linked spent bullet shells from the scene of a 2021 Pawtucket homicide to the wrong gun. Since then, the lab has relied on mutual aid from other New England states and private contractors for certain work that involves identifying connections between bullets and the guns that fire them. The lab has also learned about another case of misidentification, akin to the Pawtucket case, that also dates back to 2021, said Dennis Hilliard, the lab's director. Two examiners from a private contracting company will help at the lab during the upcoming accreditation assessment on the weekend of March 17, Hilliard said. Those same outside examiners, Hilliard said, have helped with the lab's workload following the departure of three employees who were involved in the "misidentification" in the Pawtucket case. The ANSI National Accreditation Board, which is a subsidiary of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is expected to carry out the accreditation assessment next month. ANAB assesses forensic laboratories, forensic services and police crime units for compliance with internationally recognized standards. The Rhode Island lab, which went through a full assessment in 2023, was due for a partial assessment this year. But due to the recent issues, the accreditation board is providing another full assessment, Hilliard said. Some work performed in Connecticut, Hilliard added, brought attention to another previous misidentification by Rhode Island's in-house analysts. Like the situation in Pawtucket, the misidentification involved a shooting that took place in 2021, Hilliard said. He declined to identify the particular shooting case. The office of Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has been notified of the misidentification, Hilliard added. The particular work initially handled by some other state facilities received priority status due to the court schedule. It involved 17 cases, Hilliard said. Massachusetts' state police lab handled 13 of the cases, New Hampshire's state police lab handled one and a lab administered by Connecticut's state Department of Public Safety handled three, Hilliard said. The previous lab work that has drawn scrutiny falls into a discipline known as toolmark analysis. A bullet is a projectile. But before its discharge through the barrel of a gun, it's part of an assembly known as a cartridge, which includes not only the bullet but other components, such as the propellant, and the case that holds it all together. Many people casually refer to such cases as bullet cases, but experts scrupulously refer to them as cartridge cases. When someone fires a bullet, different components within the gun, such as the firing pin, leave distinctive marks on the case, which typically falls on the ground. Then, if the shooting itself is a crime, investigators are likely to collect the cases as evidence at the scene. The mark left by the firing pin is like a fingerprint. If detectives recover a suspected gun, analysis at a crime lab with microscopes can often determine, very authoritatively, if the firing pin of that particular gun, and only that gun, created the toolmark on the case. Due to its reliance on contractors right now, the lab is not positioned to do as much work with microscopes, Hilliard said. In general, a full examination with the scopes is not happening in non-homicide investigations when investigators haven't identified a suspect or they haven't seized a gun as evidence, he said. The lab is open to making an exception in a special circumstance, he said. The lab continues to process evidence into a system maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network catalogues images of the marks on cartridge cases. The system detects similarities in the images. It can tip off investigators if a particular gun is responsible for cases discarded at a particular crime scene or at multiple crime scenes. The work handled by counterpart labs in other states was part of an overall caseload of about 30 pending cases, involving 36 defendants, which the lab focused on last year after suspending its in-house firearms examinations and analysis. Most of the firearms-related work is complete although some of it awaits verification or technical review or administrative review, Hilliard said. The presence of outside examiners represents a deliberate strategy to shift away from certain firearms-related lab assistance that the counterpart-labs in other states provided to Rhode Island last year without charging for it on a mutual aid basis. The only expense to Rhode Island taxpayers stemmed from shipping the firearms or other types of evidence, Hilliard said, adding that Rhode Island must cover any travel costs for out-of-state examiners who appear in local court. But Hilliard didn't want to abuse the good intentions of such mutual-aid support. The lab has taken steps to rely more heavily on private contractors and to pay for that it has tapped money that became available after the departure of three in-house staffers. New York-based Stria Consulting Group has supplied the two examiners working under a six-month contract. The lab, which has a budget of $1.7 million, in the fiscal year that ends June 30, continues to seek qualified candidates for jobs requiring firearms examination and analysis. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fallout of forensic errors: RI crime lab faces accreditation review
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California county legalizes living in tiny homes on wheels — which can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars
Officials in one California county are hoping a tiny change can help address the area's housing crisis. In most of the state, permanently living in a tiny home on wheels is illegal. But that's no longer the case in Nevada County thanks to a new ordinance. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Home prices in America could fly through the roof in 2025 — here's the big reason why and how to take full advantage (with as little as $10) "It does provide an option for folks to come up with a home for the elderly or college-aged kids to get into pretty quickly," Nevada County principal planner Tyler Barrington told CBS News Sacramento in a story published Feb. 5. "It's another option in the toolbox, if you will, to address the housing crisis." The change, which went into effect Feb. 13, was made to help address the local housing situation, however, officials warn there are still regulations such tiny home owners would need to follow. So, what do potential buyers need to know, and how much would a tiny home cost? Nevada County officials communicated to CBS News Sacramento that owners of tiny homes on wheels must apply for yearly DMV registration and the homes must pass certain inspections. Because these homes are on wheels, however, it changes who performs the inspections. "A regular tiny home would be subject to California building code and require [a] permanent foundation. A tiny home on wheels is inspected by either the American National Standards Institute or the National Fire Protection Agency," Barrington said. These rules are designed to ensure a tiny home's safety despite it not being a permanent structure. Tiny homes on wheels might be a viable alternative for those struggling to get into real estate. "We have a huge portion of low- to middle-class people that can't afford to buy the average home in the community, myself included," Travis Duckworth, owner of tiny home company Sol Tiny, told CBS News Sacramento. "But they can afford this." Read more: Jamie Dimon issues a warning about the US stock market — says prices are 'kind of inflated.' Crashproof your portfolio with these 3 rock-solid strategies The average value of a home in Nevada County is just over $600,000, according to Zillow, which is higher than the national average of $355,000. Tiny homes are typically more affordable and can be built quickly. Duckworth's company, for example, sells housing shells (starting at $35,000) and do-it-yourself kits (starting at $60,000). Custom builds can also be constructed starting at $75,000. Duckworth suggested to CBS News Sacramento a 300- or 400-square-foot home could cost $100,000 to $200,000. But any cost savings could come with some trade-offs. If you're considering tiny home living, here are a few things to keep in mind: You may need creative solutions for water and sewage. Depending on where you place your tiny home, consider a composting toilet and water tanks. If you're moving from a larger space, you'll need to downsize a lot. Try getting rid of all clutter and using vertical space to your advantage. While tiny homes may cost less, you may need to pay to rent land, hook up utilities or deal with parking fees. Make sure to factor in these potential costs. Zoning laws can impact where you live. Even if tiny homes are allowed, local zoning laws may restrict where you can park your home. Research the rules before investing in a tiny house. Always make sure you understand all of the pros and cons before purchasing a tiny home. Is your savings account struggling to keep up with soaring grocery prices? Here's how 2 minutes can earn you 9X the US national average — with no monthly fees This self-made $500M real estate mogul reveals his 'essential' US portfolio that he says Amazon 'can't hurt' — here's how everyday investors can copy his secret formula These 5 money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2025 — and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
