By Andrea Keckley ( February 14, 2025, 11:01 PM EST) — The U.S. International Trade Commission has issued a limited order banning certain power converter modules and computing systems from being imported into the U.S., in a final decision that upheld most of an administrative law judge’s findings in the dispute over patents held by electronics company Vicor Corp…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Colleen McClain, Olivia Sidoti and Monica Anderson contributed to this chapter. For many Americans, life in the early days of COVID-19 was lived on screens. Schools pivoted to virtual learning and businesses shuttered or moved online as in-person contact risked spreading the virus. Not everyone could – or wanted to – avoid in-person interaction. And some did not have the resources or skills to navigate this technological shift. But for others, relying more on technology was the “new normal.” Some of these changes are still with us: 48% of Americans say the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way they now use technology, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2024. This includes 18% who say the pandemic changed their current technology use in a major way. Like Americans’ pandemic experiences, these changes – and their impacts – are far from one-size-fits-all. By age Younger adults stand out – 62% of adults under 30 say the pandemic changed how they now use technology. Still, some older adults say this too: 51% of those ages 30 to 49 42% of those 50 to 64 36% of those 65 and older By race and ethnicity About six-in-ten Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans say their technology use is different now due to the pandemic. This compares with about four-in-ten White adults. Urban adults are most likely to say their technology use is now different, followed by their suburban counterparts. Rural Americans are least likely to say this. By household income There are only modest differences by income. About half of those in lower-income and upper-income households say the pandemic changed their technology use. A slightly smaller share of those in middle-income households say this. How changing technology use impacted Americans’ lives Asked how these changes have impacted their lives now, people report a mix of good and bad. Among those who say COVID-19 changed the way they now use technology: 48% say these changes made their life a mix of both easier and harder 24% say they’ve made life mostly easier 11% say they’ve made life mostly harder 16% say they haven’t had much impact either way By household income Those living in upper-income households are most likely to say that these changes have made their life easier. People in lower-income households, by comparison, are most likely to report hardship – though relatively few in each income group say this. The largest shares across income levels say these changes have had mixed effects – that is, they’ve made life both easier and harder. By age Among those who report change, adults ages 65 and older (29%) are more likely than those 50 to 64 (16%) or under 50 (13%) to say these changes didn’t have much impact on them. Looking back over the pandemic Our findings reflect the complex – and sometimes challenging – realities of how Americans used technology as the pandemic unfolded. In the sections below, we walk through some of what we’ve learned over the past five years. Jump to read about the role of the internet in Americans’ lives during the pandemic: The importance of the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic Jump to read about the digital divides the pandemic shone a spotlight on, including: Affordability | Digital literacy Jump to read about key stories of tech and daily life during the pandemic: Virtual learning | The “homework gap” | Screen time | Virtual connections and “Zoom fatigue” | Tech and relationships The importance of the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic As many daily activities shifted online, Americans’ reliance on the internet ticked up over the first year of the pandemic. By April 2021, 58% of Americans said it had been essential to them during the outbreak, up slightly from 53% a year prior. The share saying the internet was essential rose for younger and older adults alike. The share of adults under 30 saying it was essential rose from 62% to 72%. Among those 65 and older, it rose from 31% to 38%. The shares of Americans ages 30 to 64 who said the internet had been essential remained stable over that same period. All told, 90% of Americans acknowledged at least some importance of the internet in their lives at the pandemic’s one-year mark. (That includes 33% who said it was important, but not essential.) Digital divides and the pandemic Not everyone faced this shift with the same resources and skills. COVID-19 thrust long-standing digital divides into the spotlight, from gaps in internet access by age and income to struggles with reliable connections. Americans saw clear disadvantages for those without internet access during the pandemic. In 2021, majorities of Americans said those who didn’t have high-speed internet were at a major disadvantage for schoolwork and job searching. About half said the same about getting medical care. Even for those with access, the pandemic thrust issues of affordability and digital literacy into the spotlight. Some groups were more likely to struggle in these areas than others. Affordability Broadband costs have long been an issue for some Americans and are among the main reasons people don’t subscribe. As the pandemic hit Americans’ pocketbooks, subscribers struggled with costs too. About three-in-ten U.S. home broadband subscribers were at least somewhat worried about being able to pay their internet bills in our April 2020 survey.  By household income Lower-income households were hit especially hard: 52% of home broadband subscribers with lower incomes said in April 2020 they worried at least some about paying their internet bills over the next few months. And as the pandemic continued, the government stepped in to help people pay. Today, affordability remains a concern as inflation looms large. Our fall 2024 survey shows 34% of broadband subscribers worry a lot or some about paying their internet bills. By income, this is: 56% of subscribers in lower-income households 31% in middle-income households 12% in upper-income households Digital literacy One of the major narratives from the pandemic centered around whether Americans – especially older Americans – had

AI is a highly effective, multifaceted tool that can not only improve worker productivity for simple tasks, but can also dramatically transform customer service, cybersecurity, and even business strategy. Content that is augmented and shaped by AI – intelligent content – greatly increases the efficiency of human work. When AI is used effectively, people are not replaced but enabled to work smarter so they can focus on higher-value tasks and strategic decision-making.  A recent study by Foundry finds that because content and data are at the center of business processes, an inability to properly store, manage, integrate, and access that knowledge has a drastic impact on productivity: 84% of organizations indicate information silos have a noticeable impact on employee productivity and operational efficiency; 66% report their organizations have lost business opportunities due to an inability to access data in a timely manner; 54% estimate they spend two or more hours per day just searching for information they need to do their jobs.[i] AI spending and productivity are increasing Kieran Gilmurray, Chief AI Innovator at Technology Transformation Group, says automating tasks with the help of AI allows employees to increase their value to an organization through creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. “Business leaders should use AI to streamline repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher value, strategic work. In addition, AI can provide real-time insights and data analysis, empowering employees to make faster, more informed decisions which can help companies reach new heights of competitive performance.” When it comes to productivity, finding the right data is consistently the number one pain point hindering employees’ performance, according to Peter Nichol, Data & Analytics Leader for North America at Nestlé Health Science. “Data surrounds employees every day. Companies realize that intelligent content management, the classification and tagging of large volumes of unstructured data (images, spreadsheets, and emails), boosts employee efficiency. AI can be leveraged to automatically classify, tag, and index documents. Natural language processing (NLP) is a great example of using AI to analyze content contextually and automatically categorize documents, saving employees time when searching for information.” Chris Selland, Partner at TechCXO, agrees that automating repetitive tasks should be a basic application of AI but stresses that such low-hanging fruit is just the beginning. According to Selland, AI should also:   Enhance decision-making: By analyzing vast amounts of data quickly, AI can provide insights that help leaders and employees make more informed decisions faster. This is particularly valuable in areas like market analysis, risk assessment, and resource allocation. Personalize customer experiences: AI-powered tools can help us deliver more tailored and personalized services and products, improving customer satisfaction without increasing the workload on our teams. Streamline operations: From supply chain optimization to internal alignment to predictive maintenance, AI can help us identify inefficiencies and streamline processes across the organization. Augment human capabilities: AI isn’t about replacing humans but about enhancing what our teams can do. For example, AI writing assistants can help employees draft reports more quickly, or AI-powered analytics tools can help salespeople identify the best leads. Customer service Gene de Libero, Principal at Digital Mindshare LLC, stresses the value of AI in improving customer experience, both in personalizing customer interactions and in analyzing them. “Marketing leaders can use AI to streamline digital experience content creation by automating tasks like generating personalized messages, drafting reports, and curating content based on audience preferences. AI also enhances customer experience by analyzing interactions in real-time, enabling faster responses and personalized recommendations.” Tom Allen, Founder of the AI Journal, asserts the insurance industry is a ripe field for increasing the value of customer interactions. “Insurance companies whether commercial or retail are prime examples of where AI is useful. It can speed up claims processing, which can have a big impact on customer satisfaction. When employees don’t have to spend nearly as much time deciphering the nuances of an entire claim, they can spend more time with the customer, thanks to accurate AI.” Cybersecurity Kayne McGladrey, Field CISO at Hyperproof and Senior IEEE Member, says cybersecurity is also fertile ground for AI. “CISOs are looking at AI and automation solutions that handle common cybersecurity tasks. These include collecting evidence of control operations for the internal audit team, testing that evidence automatically, and producing regular reports on such things as false-positive cybersecurity events. These tasks help overworked cybersecurity analysts and engineers to focus on the parts of the job that they love without burdening them with excessive paperwork.” How to drive AI adoption It is fine to talk about the myriad benefits of AI, but none will be realized until AI is implemented. Doing so requires cultural change, contends Isaac Sacolick, President of StarCIO and author of Digital Trailblazer. “Organizations should promote a culture of continuous improvement, experimentation, and empowerment. Leaders should articulate the business drivers and illustrate how gen AI-enabled platforms benefit employees, customers, and the organization as a whole.” Scott Gnau, Head of Data Platforms at InterSystems, says the best way to design AI applications is to think holistically. “AI can’t be siloed in just one department or role. A single employee can touch multiple pieces of the business. Teams should build models that incorporate data streams originating from across the business. They should create AI agents that employees can turn to as a single source capable of fulfilling all their needs.” Digital friction and the future of work Lindsay Sterrett, VP of Product Marketing at OpenText, notes that the Foundry research reveals 97% of organizations are impacted by digital friction—the unnecessary effort an employee must use to complete daily tasks, leading to inefficiency, frustration, and missed business opportunities. “By combining AI tools with cloud content management, organizations can reduce digital friction and deliver a huge impact on daily user experiences and organizational efficiency,” says Sterrett. “Intelligent content is critical to eliminating productivity barriers. By removing information siloes, surfacing valuable insights, and connecting content within the context of business processes, AI productivity tools transform business data into actionable knowledge. Very simply, AI productivity is the future

（相左起）香港證券及期貨事務監察委員會中介機構部執行董事葉志強博士、亞洲證券業與金融市場協會首席執行官Peter Stein。 亞洲證券業與金融市場協會（ASIFMA）每年也會舉辦年會，「亞洲證券業及金融市場協會2025年年會」昨天在香港麗思卡爾頓酒店盛大舉行，邀請的演講嘉賓粒粒皆星，當中，香港特別行政區政府財經事務及庫務局局長許正宇，及香港金融管理局總裁余偉文，分別作出主題演講；亞洲證券業與金融市場協會首席執行官Peter Stein作出開幕致詞，以及香港證券及期貨事務監察委員會中介機構部執行董事葉志強博士。 今年，大會圍繞「探索亞太地區新增長走廊」這一中心主題，深入探討從印度和中東到東南亞、韓國和中國等地區金融市場格局的新變化，希望與業界頂尖專家共同探討這些市場的新發展，以及亞太地區如何適應全球連結性的變化。 其他討論包括以下內容： 印度正成為該地區投資者和市場參與者的重點熱點，他們都在關注這個快速成長的經濟體所提供的機會。根據ASIFMA的年度資本市場調查，印度是該地區最具成長潛力的市場： – 印度資本市場將如何利用該國快速的經濟發展和積極投資者的看法？ – 關鍵的成長機會在哪裡？ – GIFT City 的角色－是國際投資者的補充工具還是管道？ – 市場參與者在印度擴大業務時遇到的主要挑戰和障礙是什麼？ 隨著中東致力於實現經濟和石油生產收入多元化，中東與亞洲（尤其是香港與中國）之間的貿易和金融關係已從機會主義發展為戰略性關係： – 支撐這一發展的趨勢。 – 香港、中國和中東在發展新的商業和金融流通管道方面有哪些機會？ – 國際基礎設施連結如何為投資者提供跨國投資和流動性管道。 加密貨幣市場的演進格局 – TradFi 參與加密貨幣市場 – 機構投資人的興趣如何？ – 探討 Native Web3 與 TradFi 之間的關係 – 檢視該地區加密資產的當前監管環境 – 評估宏觀變化對加密貨幣市場的影響 高度多元化的東南亞市場如何吸引全球投資？從新加坡、泰國、印尼到越南，每個國家都在推行自己的策略。有哪些成功案例以及還需要做些什麼？ LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

By Pete Brush ( February 14, 2025, 11:22 AM EST) — A Manhattan federal judge left in place temporary curbs on sweeping powers handed by President Donald Trump to Elon Musk’s government-slashing U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, after 19 states challenged the organization’s access to U.S. Treasury payment systems…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

By Tom Zanki ( February 13, 2025, 10:28 AM EST) — Private equity-backed cybersecurity firm SailPoint began trading Thursday following an upsized $1.38 billion initial public offering that priced at the top of its range, represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and underwriters’ counsel Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, marking its return to public markets three years after being taken private…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

By Ivan Moreno ( February 14, 2025, 5:35 PM EST) — Brands have unleashed a torrent of lawsuits across the U.S. that group dozens of online sellers into a single complaint for allegedly peddling counterfeit products, with Chicago emerging as the preferred venue for the litigation and inspiring a local federal judge to declare it has become “Illinois vs. The Internet.”… Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

At LEAP 2025, Huawei Cloud demonstrated its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s AI leadership, showcasing its Riyadh Region as a pivotal hub for AI development in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. The company highlighted how its sophisticated infrastructure and AI capabilities are empowering the Kingdom to build locally relevant AI solutions while maintaining data sovereignty. Launched in September 2023, the Huawei Cloud Riyadh Region serves over 1,000 customers and 300 partners across government, finance, media, and e-commerce sectors. Its 3AZ architecture delivers low latency rates, boasting 25ms within Saudi Arabia and 100ms across the region. Huawei Cloud has solidified its position by obtaining a Class C license from Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) and entering the National Framework Agreement (NFA V2.0), enabling direct cloud service procurement by government entities. Alan Qi, President of Huawei Cloud Middle East and Central Asia, stated that Huawei Cloud is transforming how enterprises harness AI. He emphasized that the Riyadh Region provides the foundation for Saudi Arabia to develop AI solutions aligned with its unique needs and values. Huawei Cloud showcased its “AI for industries” approach, highlighting its Pangu model series and DataArts platform at LEAP. The company emphasizes its focus on Arabic language models and localized AI solutions to ensure the technology is accessible and relevant to the Saudi market. source

My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health. source

By Craig Clough ( February 13, 2025, 9:51 PM EST) — A Minnesota federal judge Thursday allowed Medicare Advantage patients and the estates of deceased enrollees to pursue breach of contract claims against UnitedHealth over its alleged use of AI to override physician recommendations, finding they are not preempted by the Medicare Act, but tossed others by holding they are preempted…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source