Latest news with #ACR
Business Wire
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
LG Ad Solutions Partners with Akkio to Unlock Real-Time Intelligence from ACR Data
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LG Ad Solutions, a global leader in advanced advertising for Connected TV and cross-screen devices, today announced a strategic partnership with Akkio, the AI-first platform built for media companies, to radically modernize how its customers interact with LG Ad Solutions industry-leading ACR (automatic content recognition) data—enabling faster, deeper insights into real consumer behavior at scale. ACR data, captured directly from LG's Smart TV glass, provides one of the most powerful views into genuine human behavior in media. ACR is commonly acknowledged as one of the most important datasets for the future of television. It reflects what viewers are actually watching, skipping, or engaging with—moment by moment. However, the size and complexity of ACR data has historically made it difficult to access and interpret quickly. With Akkio, that barrier disappears. LG Ad Solutions clients can now process 1.45 terabytes of ACR data in minutes, not days—transforming what used to be a manual, time-intensive process into a real-time intelligence layer accessible to all. 'We built this partnership around a core belief: that what happens at the glass is a real-time window into consumer behavior—and ACR is our conduit to that,' said Julian Zilberbrand, Global Head of Data Solutions at LG Ad Solutions. 'But with a dataset this massive, it's not just about having access—it's about making it usable. Akkio allows our customers to ask questions of the data in natural, intuitive ways and get immediate answers. It's how we modernize access to one of the richest behavioral datasets in the media.' Akkio's AI infrastructure allows advertisers to chat across all of LG Ad Solutions' vast consumer data sets instantly, in an intuitive, conversational way—shifting the dynamic from tactical reporting to strategic insight. This evolution delivers tailored client instances for each brand, built on cloud infrastructure with enterprise-grade privacy and security. It empowers brands to make real-time, data-driven decisions, optimize campaigns with greater agility, and drive performance on the largest screen in the home. "This partnership isn't just about making data easier to access–we're fundamentally changing who gets to participate in data-driven decision making," said Jon Reilly, Co-Founder and CEO of Akkio. "We've designed Akkio so that anyone can have a natural conversation with massive datasets and get actionable answers in minutes, not days. This is more than a technology integration; by combining deep, insightful data with consumer-grade ease of access, we're enabling LG clients to move at the speed of business." Akkio's AI-first platform enables LG Ads Solutions customers to explore data conversationally without any technical expertise, prompt engineering, or AI knowledge. This democratization transforms entire teams and organizations, allowing anyone to gain strategic insights from AI-enabled data regardless of their technical background. This partnership is not just a leap in processing speed—it's a fundamental shift in how ACR data is experienced, understood, and applied. About LG Ad Solutions LG Ad Solutions is a global leader in Connected TV and cross-screen advertising, helping brands reach millions of viewers with engaging, data-driven campaigns on the largest screen in the home. Powered by LG's award-winning Smart TVs and proprietary ACR data, LG Ad Solutions enables advertisers to target, measure, and optimize their efforts with precision, creativity, and scale. About Akkio Akkio is the AI platform that empowers media companies to lead the market with AI. By partnering with cutting-edge AI agents, media teams streamline the entire campaign lifecycle, delivering tailored results for every brand. Built on an AI-first foundation with an intuitive interface, Akkio equips every team member with powerful intelligence, helping companies grow, teams thrive, and brands win.
India Gazette
11-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
SC seeks HC's response on lady judge's plea over 'demoralising' remarks in performance report after CCL request
New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Jharkhand High Court and the State government, seeking their responses to a plea filed by a lady judge who sought removal of certain remarks made in her annual performance report. The petitioner, a single parent and a District and Additional Sessions Judge in Dumka, Jharkhand alleged that following her request for 194 days of Child Care Leave (CCL), certain 'painful and demoralising' remarks were made in her Annual Confidential Report (ACR) for the assessment year 2023-2024 issued by the Vigilance Registrar of the High Court. After hearing the matter today, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan directed the respondent HC and the State, to file their responses to the lady judge's plea within four weeks time and listed the matter for further hearing in the first week of August. The judge had initially approached the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected her CCL request seeking 194 days of leave. The apex court then directed the High Court to reconsider the matter, following which she was granted 94 days of leave, by the High Court. During the hearing on Wednesday, the Supreme Court was informed of a fresh grievance with regard to certain negative remarks made in her ACR. In her application, the judge submitted that while the remarks were stated to be 'suggestive' and non-adverse, they were demoralising and have caused her mental agony. As per the lady judge's plea she has had an impeccable career record of having disposed of huge number of cases. Thus, she sought that the said remarks in her ACR report be expunged. After hearing submissions, the top-court directed the High Court and the State government to file their responses within four weeks and posted the matter to be heard next in the first week of August. Advocate Anup Kumar is representing the petitioner judge. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC push nudges Jharkhand HC to grant child care leave to woman judge
The Supreme Court on Wednesday noted that the Jharkhand High Court has allowed a 92-day child care leave (CCL) to a senior woman judicial officer -- a single parent, after the top court's firm nudge last week. However, the case took a fresh turn as the officer alleged that the high court sought to tarnish her annual confidential report (ACR) in retaliation for her petition seeking leave. A bench of justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, while taking note of the high court's affidavit allowing part of the officer's requested leave, issued notice to the high court on the judicial officer's additional plea seeking expunging of adverse ACR remarks. The matter will be heard in four weeks. 'In deference to this court's June 6 order, we have taken a decision granting her 92-day leave,' senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for the Jharkhand High Court, submitted before the bench. Also Read: SC stays Madras HC order, allows toll collection on NH38 However, he added that allowing eight months of continuous leave for an officer heading the district judiciary at Hazaribagh would set an undesirable precedent. 'She has asked for 194 days. Her child has exams in 2026. This kind of stretch leave is not advisable,' Sinha said. Representing the woman officer, advocate Anup Kumar said she had applied for CCL between June 10 and December 20, 2025, to assist her son in preparing for his Class XII board and engineering entrance examinations. He also pointed out that her ACR had been adversely commented upon in a May 23 communication after she moved the Supreme Court. The communication stated that her 'conduct has not been good.' The woman officer's lawyer contended that adverse comments in her ACR dated May 23 appeared part of a retaliatory act by the administration. At this, the bench observed, 'You proceed on leave for 92 days, and we will see later,' before recording the fresh plea regarding her ACR and issuing notice. On June 6, the top court had asked the Jharkhand high court to revisit its decision rejecting the woman judge's CCL application, making it clear that if the matter was not resolved by June 12, it would intervene. The officer, a Scheduled Caste (SC) judicial officer serving since 2002, was transferred in April from Hazaribagh, where her son studies, to Dumka, despite having sought a transfer to Ranchi or Bokaro where better coaching facilities are available. Her request for CCL, soon after, was summarily rejected by the high court on May 10 without assigning reasons. In her plea, the officer pointed out that another judicial officer had recently been granted three months of CCL by the high court and alleged that her case had been treated differently, amounting to discrimination in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The petition cited Rule 43-C of the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, which entitles eligible female government employees to 730 days of CCL during their service tenure, with full pay for the first 365 days and 80% for the remaining period. A March 2024 resolution of the Jharkhand government and an August 2024 circular by the Registrar General of the Jharkhand High Court reinforced this entitlement, specifically in the context of children's exams, illness, or care requirements. However, the state objected to her petition, with advocate Vishnu Sharma arguing before the court last week that granting such leave would 'open a Pandora's box.' The Supreme Court, on June 6, dismissed the state's apprehensions, clarifying that the matter lay squarely between the high court and its officer. 'There is enough power with the high court unless you think someone is not acting bonafide,' the bench had then remarked.
Medscape
05-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
ACR Releases New Guideline for Lupus Treatment
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released a summary of a guideline with updated recommendations for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The previous guideline for managing SLE in adults was published in 1999, said Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, who led the project. Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD At that time, 'the recommended management for severe disease was high-dose steroid (eg, prednisone) plus an immunosuppressive agent, usually azathioprine or cyclophosphamide,' she told Medscape Medical News . 'Since then, the spectrum of available therapies for SLE treatment has broadened considerably, and there have been important changes in our understanding of optimal use of rheumatology therapies, both new and old.' This new guideline, applicable to both adults and children, focuses on reaching and maintaining remission or lower disease activity and minimizing treatment-related toxicities. The guideline summary was posted last month on the ACR website, and the full manuscript will be published later this year. The document is divided into medication guidance, general treatment strategies, and organ-specific manifestations, including hematologic, neuropsychiatric, cutaneous, and musculoskeletal conditions attributed to SLE. The three strong recommendations highlighted in the document include universal use of hydroxychloroquine (unless there is a contraindication), minimizing steroid use, and earlier introduction of conventional or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Patients with controlled SLE symptoms on prednisone above 5 mg should aim to taper to 5 mg or lower (and ideally zero) within 6 months of starting steroids, according to the guideline summary. 'The goal is to limit people's exposure to long-term, high-dose steroids due to the many associated side effects. Starting at a moderate or high dose is often necessary for a flare, but we encourage a fairly rapid taper — ie, over 6 months. Usually that means adding a steroid-sparing medicine like mycophenolate or one of the other immunosuppressive medicines we have available,' Sammaritano said. Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH Commenting on the guidelines for Medscape Medical News , Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, director of the Lupus Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, said these three recommendations align with modern lupus treatment. 'I think we all want to get people with lupus on the lowest dose possible of prednisone as quickly as possible,' she explained, although disease severity plays an important role. While patients with milder cases can likely taper to 5 mg or lower daily within this 6-month range, for more severe cases, 'it's a lofty goal,' she said. Limitations of available evidence affected the strength of the recommendations, Sammaritano explained. 'Many of our recommendations are conditional, requiring shared decision-making, and do not specify one particular immunosuppressive agent or class of agent due to the limited available evidence, the variations in treatment approach and preference among voting panel members, and the high value the patient panelists placed on each therapy's side effects and tolerability,' she said. This summary of the guidance is preliminary, Costenbader said, and the full text will provide more details on the evidence informing these recommendations. However, the high number of conditional statements — 32 of the summary's 35 recommendations — 'highlights a lot of gaps in our knowledge and where we need much more evidence,' she said. A separate guideline on the screening, treatment, and management of lupus nephritis in both adults and children was presented at the ACR 2025 Annual Meeting and was published last month in Arthritis Care & Research .
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Smart homes, silent spies: 6 ways to safeguard your privacy
Did you know the number of smart devices worldwide has surged from 10 billion in 2019 to nearly 18.8 billion by the end of 2024! Now, with this rapid growth in smart device usage, there's a fair chance we all have at least one smart home device in our home, starting from robot vacuum cleaners to security cameras, AI refrigerators, smart cooking appliances and more. While these gadgets bring incredible convenience, they also come with a hidden risk of exposing your personal data. Here's how some most common smart home devices store the data Robot vacuum cleaners Robot vacuums are equipped with advanced mapping technology. They use cameras and sensors to scan your home's layout, every corner, furniture placement, and obstacles that are digitally recorded. While this helps with cleaning efficiency, much of that data is stored in the cloud and shared with third parties to improve AI or form partnerships, raising privacy concerns. Smart TVs Remember how you watch a TV show or a movie, and it starts suggesting similar content? Smart TVs track your viewing habits through Automated Content Recognition (ACR), identifying everything from live TV to streaming. This data is sent to manufacturers and often sold to advertisers to create detailed viewer profiles for personalised recommendations. Voice Assistants Alexa, 'how's the weather today?' Makes your life easier, doesn't it? Devices like Amazon Echo, Google Nest, or Apple HomePod are designed to listen for wake words like "Alexa" or "Hey Google." But privacy researchers warn that these assistants can sometimes misinterpret background noises or conversations, inadvertently recording audio clips. These snippets are stored on cloud servers, and in many cases, reviewed by human contractors for quality control, raising serious concerns about what private moments are being overheard and stored. Security cameras Perhaps the most privacy-invasive of them all, smart security cameras often operate on continuous recording modes. For both indoor cameras and video doorbells, footage is typically stored on company servers, and in some cases, accessible to law enforcement upon request. Smart home appliances AI-powered refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers track how often and when you use them. Some appliances even send alerts when you're low on items or suggest recipes, all based on your usage behaviour. This means your lifestyle habits are being constantly analysed and monetised. 1. Secure your Wi-Fi network: Use strong, unique passwords for your Wi-Fi and enable WPA3 encryption. 2. Use strong, unique passwords for devices: Make sure to change the default passwords set by the brand when you purchased them and set strong, unique passwords for each smart device. 3. Regularly update device firmware: Keep all your smart devices updated with the latest firmware and software patches. 4. Limit data sharing settings: Adjust and restrict unnecessary data collection. Disable features like voice recordings, storage or location tracking when not essential. 5. Disable unused features and voice activation: Turn off features you don't use, especially always-on listening modes or remote access. 6. Choose trusted brands: Opt for reputable brands with a strong security track record. They're more likely to offer regular updates and robust data protection.
