Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
IEC, U.N. Foundation, and World Bank Back Rural Electrification in Developing Nations
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) recently announced that it had reached a new cooperative agreement with the World Bank Group and the United Nations Foundation, with the goal of providing essential technical documents at a discounted rate to developing countries seeking to bolster electrification in rural areas. The agreement is expected to significantly benefit rural electrification efforts, which have been linked to increased socio-cultural growth and economic development.
Under the agreement, qualified stakeholders in developing nations will be offered discounts on the IEC Technical Specification 62257 series, Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification, which provides best practices for energy access support in developing areas in connection with a variety of technologies.
For more information on the documents, visit webstore.iec.ch.
Purdue's International Center for Biometrics Research Featured on NBC's Today Show
The International Center for Biometric Research (ICBR) at ANSI member Purdue University's College of Technology was recently featured on NBC's Today Show in a segment discussing the potential use of biometrics-related data as a replacement for traditional computer passwords. The segment looked at how fingerprints, retina scans, and voice data could be used to access smartphones, web sites, and other protected products and services that currently required typed passwords.
The ICBR, led by Dr. Stephen Elliott, designs, oversees, and analyzes experiments and data collection related to a wide range of subjects associated with biometrics, including identity management, interactions between humans and biometric sensors, and usability issues. The recent establishment of the center, which builds off the work done by the university's Biometrics Standards, Performance, and Assurance Laboratory, reflects the growing importance of biometrics as a field, as well as the rising number of technologies and applications - including airport screenings and online security assurance - that depend on biometric data to effectively function.
The Today Show segment featuring the ICBR is available online.
Kavi Corporation Updates Comment Management Functionality Features
ANSI member Kavi Corporation recently announced significant updates to its Kavi Workspace service, which allows users to take part in standards activities online in a functional, secure digital environment. The changes are expected to improve the functionality of Kavi Workspace's comment management, making it easier for new users to become familiar with the system and reducing the time needed to effectively sort and resolve posted comments, among other improvements.
For more information about Kavi Workspace and its updated features, visit www.kavi.com.
PCI to Hold Free Fall Webinars
ANSI organizational member the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) has announced that it will hold a series of webinars this fall providing useful instruction related to concrete. The webinars are available free of charge and can be used to pursue continuing education credit as National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Professional Development Hours or American Institute of Architects (AIA) Learning Units.
The first webinar, Artist's Palette: The Aesthetic Versatility of Precast Concrete, will include an overview of various different finishes available with precast concrete, along with methods for achieving each finishing, and will look at ways to combine multiple finishes into a single panel, among other related topics. This webinar will be held at noon on October 22 and 24, 2013. The second webinar, The New Sound of IEQ: Indoor Comfort and Acoustic Design, will examine the basics of acoustic design in connection with the use of precast concrete, including issues related to sound transmission loss, composite wall sections, and acceptable sound criteria. This webinar will be held at noon on November 19 and 21, 2013.
For more information about the webinars, visit www.pci.org/education/webinars.