PENTAGON—United States Army announced that it will work with Microsoft on the production phase of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program as it moves from rapid prototyping to production and rapid fielding.
The IVAS headset, based on HoloLens and augmented by Microsoft Azure cloud services, delivers a platform that will keep Soldiers safer and make them more effective. The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios.
Microsoft has worked closely with the U.S. Army over the past two years, and together pioneered Soldier Centered Design to enable rapid prototyping for a product to provide Soldiers with the tools and capabilities necessary to achieve their mission.
Microsoft welcomes this new and innovative partnership with the U.S. Army, and are grateful for their continued trust in transitioning IVAS from rapid prototyping to rapid fielding. The firm announced they look forward to building on this successful partnership with the men and women of the U.S. Army Close Combat Force.
Reports by Bloomberg and CNBC point to an Army deal close to $22 billion in value.
Sources/photos: by Alex Kipman, Microsoft/BDPA-DC —Top/Cover photo: BDPA at the Microsoft Store, Pentagon City
LEMONT, IL (BDPA Chicago) — The world’s most powerful computer ever built in the United States will make its home at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and Intel announced last quarter. Aurora, the United States’ first exascale computer, combines unprecedented processing power with the growing potential of artificial intelligence (Ai) to help solve the world’s most important and complex scientific challenges. Take a quick tour viewing this video.
Argonne is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where teams of world-class researchers work alongside experts from industry, academia, and other government laboratories to address vital national challenges in clean energy, environment, technology, and national security. This engaging environment makes Argonne a great place for undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research and develop a dynamic skill set for the next stage in their careers.
STEM Outreach
To inspire students to consider pursuing a career in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field, Argonne Educational Programs supports and encourages STEM Outreach. Through facilitating competitions, sending scientists to physically or virtually visit classrooms, and showcasing Argonne research at local STEM fairs and expos for students and families, Argonne Educational Programs commits itself to broadening the impact of STEM awareness in our community.
Internships
Select here for additional outreach information and internship opportunities. DoE’s Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) offers internships to help develop our future workforce in critically important areas of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM). We invite you to help us tackle our unique and often-unprecedented scientific and technical challenges, which are engaging some of the finest scientists and engineers in the nation.
— Source and photos: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
With emergency blizzard warnings spread across the Mid-Atlantic, Winter Storm JONAS is named; classic mid-latitude vortex with confluent flows locks in enough cold air for a record-breaking weekend nor’easter
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Tens of millions of Americans are preparing as the ingredients come together for Winter Storm Jonas to evolve into a crippling snowstorm later Friday into the weekend. With Winter Storm Jonas organizing over the Southeast and moisture surging into cold air to the north, rain is changing over to snow on the northwest side of the system. Conditions will go downhill rapidly through Saturday with blizzard conditions, heavy ice accumulations, strong winds and coastal flooding developing across the East.
As of Thursday night, more than 85 million people – or roughly one in every four Americans – in at least 20 states were covered by either a blizzard watch, blizzard warning, winter storm watch, winter storm warning, winter weather advisory, or freezing rain advisory from Arkansas to the Carolinas to the New York City area.
Many of our largest BDPA Chapter cities in the Northeast – Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York – will significantly be impacted by this storm with heavy snows and very strong winds, bringing all modes of travel to a grinding halt, between Friday and Sunday morning.
The GFS model (afternoon run): 17-35 inches
GFS model snowfall forecast Friday through Sunday. (WeatherBell.com)
The GFS model ensemble mean* (afternoon run): 18-27 inches
GEFS mean snowfall forecast Friday through Sunday (StormVistaWxModels.com)
The GFS model (morning run): 15-30 inches
GFS model snow forecast Friday through Sunday (WeatherBell.com)
The GFS model ensemble mean* (morning run): 18-27 inches
GEFS mean snowfall forecast Friday through Sunday (StormVistaWxModels.com)
The European model: 5-30 inches
European model snowfall forecast Friday through Sunday (WeatherBell.com)
The European model ensemble mean*: 12-21 inches
European model ensemble mean forecast (StormVistaWxModels.com)
The Canadian model: 15-22 inches
Canadian model snowfall forecast Friday through Sunday. (WeatherBell.com)
Winter storm warnings are posted from the Carolinas to the Appalachians, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Mid-South AND as far west as central Arkansas and northeast Louisiana. Among the many cities included in warnings are Raleigh, Charlotte, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis and Little Rock.
Taken together, these blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings alone include more than 40 million Americans.
