Hike Messenger, aka Hike Sticker Chat, is a multifunctional Indian social media and social networking service offering instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) services that was launched on December 11, 2012, by Kavin Bharti Mittal. Hike functioned through SMS. The app registration used a standard, one-time password (OTP) based authentication process. It was estimated to be worth $1.4 billion and had more than 100 million registered users. It went defunct on January 6, 2021, as they were unable to compete with global messaging platforms. The app re-appeared on google play store and apple app store on 19 September 2025. == History == Hike Messenger was launched on December 12, 2012, by its founder, Kavin Bharti Mittal. The majority of users were from India, with 80% under the age of 25. The company purchased startups like TinyMogul and Hoppr in 2015. After buying US-based free voice calling company Zip Phones, Hike provided VoIP calling services. On March 5, 2015, Hike launched the 'Great Indian Sticker Challenge' to create more stickers. In February 2017, Hike acquired the social networking app Pulse. From version 5.0, it became the first social messaging app to start a mobile payment service in India. The timeline feature came back after multiple user requests and the introduction of a personalized digital envelope called Blue Packets for sending monetary gifts through a built-in wallet. In 2017, the acquisition of Bengaluru-based startup Creo was announced to enable third-party developers to build services on top of the Hike platform. In 2018, Hike provided 1 billion users with internet access by targeting smaller cities. In January 2019, the company discarded the previous super-app approach, and began launching specialized apps for specific use-cases. In May 2019, Hike announced a collaboration with Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D) to develop a variety of machine learning models. In April 2019, the company launched its first standalone app, Hike Sticker Chat. A separate content app Hike News & Content was also launched. In 2021, Hike shut down its messaging service and shifted focus to gaming and community platforms. It launched Rush, a real-money gaming app featuring casual titles like ludo and carrom, which scaled to over 10 million users and generated more than US$500 million in gross revenue over four years. The company also introduced Vibe, an approval-only community app, as part of its pivot away from the super-app and messaging model. In September 2025, following the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, which banned real-money gaming in India, Hike announced its complete closure. Founder Kavin Bharti Mittal stated that while the company had begun international expansion, scaling globally under the new regulatory regime would require a full reset that was not a viable use of capital or resources. On 19 September 2025, hike was relaunched on play store and app store by the name hike messenger. == Application == === Timeline of Features === On 15 April 2014, Hike introduced unlimited free SMS via a service called Hike Offline, through credits earned by users from regular chatting, as connectivity is still a major issue in many parts of India. In an attempt to appeal to its younger users, Hike introduced features that find resonance with the local market, such as Last Seen Privacy and localized sticker packs. It also introduced a two-way chat theme, allowing users to change the chat background for themselves and for their friends simultaneously. The app also started showing live Cricket scores in collaboration with Cricbuzz, as well as news, casual games, and social media feeds. Hike also added a file transfer service, allowing files less than 100MB of all formats, with a view on further increasing the size limit to 1 GB. With the launch of version 2.9.2.0 in January 2015, Hike implemented support for sending uncompressed images and a "quick upload" feature optimized for 2G speed. Later that month, Hike introduced a voice calling feature for its users. In September 2015, Hike launched free group call support with up to 100 people in a simultaneous conference call environment. In November 2016, Hike announced the launch of a feature called Stories that allows people to share real-life moments using fun live filters which automatically get deleted after 48 hours, and a new camera design with localized filters. Hike 4.0 launched on 26 August 2015 with the tagline 'Got a Gang? Get on Hike'. Hike 4.0 was an optimization-focused update, increasing the performance of the app on poor networks. It supported photo filters, doodles, and bite-sized news updates in under 100 characters. Hike launched News Feed with Hindi language support on 29 September 2015 to cater for the needs of the non-English population. Hike launched version 3.5 as the biggest update for Windows Phone 8.1 during December 2015 which changed the user interface for more simpler navigation, supported sending unlimited non-media files and documents of any format and better group admin settings. It also included ten brand new chat themes. Hike launched a microapp feature which was live for two days on 8 May 2016, as a Mother's Day special in which users could add images, quotes or messages as a token of love with customized e-cards and stickers on their timeline not only on Hike, but also on other platforms. On 26 October 2016, Hike Messenger rolled out the beta version of a video calling feature ahead of WhatsApp starting with the Android users which also lets recipients preview a video call before deciding to take it and is optimized to even work under 2G conditions. On 24 December 2016, Hike rolled out a short 20-second Video Stories feature that can be directly shared with friends or posted on a public timeline with different filters in collaboration with content creators with the same 48-hour time limit before being automatically deleted. The Stories feature continues to receive constant future updates to include and enable content, public story option, private user messaging and geo-tagging. In September 2017, Hike launched personalized sticker packs with 20,000+ graphical stickers for over 500 colleges that covered around 1,000 colleges by December 2018 across India which can be used across different geographies, and are highly customized for users with availability in 40+ local languages that support automatic sticker suggestions where the application suggests the best reply for any sticker message and also allows users to "nudge", a feature used to ping the receiver. Hike started supporting user comments on friend's posts, added a specific message reply function, a redesigned camera interface to support front flash and user mentions with the help of the @ symbol. In December, 2017, Hike launched group voting, bill splitting, checklists and event reminders for group chat that supports up to 1,000 users both on iOS and Android platform. Hike launched another feature called Hike Land, which is a virtual world with beta trial to start from March 2020, that will use Hike Moji where online users with their digital avatar can hang out with other users and will be built inside the Hike Sticker Chat application. It is mainly targeted but not restricted towards 16 to 21 years age group of people. Without unveiling much about Hike Land, a separate website has been created with option to reserve spots by giving details like name, gender and phone number that will link the user profile from the Hike Sticker Chat account though it is not a necessity. ==== Hike Direct ==== The Hike Direct feature is based on the technology known as WiFi Direct, which initially was also called WiFi P2P and got introduced to users by October 2015, which enables sharing of files such as music, apps, videos without a live internet connection within a 100-meter radius by creating a wireless network between two or more devices with a transfer speed of 100MB per minute. For privacy and security reasons, Hike didn't show the recipient's location or proximity and works only when two users are connected in the same room by adding one another into the contact list. ==== Hike Wallet ==== In June 2017, Hike announced the launch of version 5.0 with multiple new features like User Chat Themes, Night Mode and Magic Selfie. along with a built-in Wallet partnered with Yes Bank. This feature was first rolled out to Android users followed by iOS users at a later stage. Hike collaborated with Airtel Payment Bank to power its digital payment wallet by November 2017 where Hike users have access to Airtel Payments Bank's merchant & utility payment services and know your customer (KYC) infrastructure with 5 million transactions happening from services like recharge and P2P. Hike formed a partnership with Ola Cabs to bring a taxi and auto-rickshaw booking facility from 14 February 2018. With Hike Wallet facility users could now book bus tickets with 3
Anthem medical data breach
The Anthem medical data breach was a medical data breach of information held by Elevance Health, known at that time as Anthem Inc. On February 4, 2015, Anthem, Inc. disclosed that criminal hackers had broken into its servers and had potentially stolen over 37.5 million records that contain personally identifiable information from its servers. On February 24, 2015 Anthem raised the number to 78.8 million people whose personal information had been affected. According to Anthem, Inc., the data breach extended into multiple brands Anthem, Inc. uses to market its healthcare plans, including, Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Caremore, and UniCare. Healthlink says that it was also a victim. Anthem says users' medical information and financial data were not compromised. Anthem has offered free credit monitoring in the wake of the breach. Michael Daniel, chief adviser on cybersecurity for President Barack Obama, said he would be changing his own password. According to The New York Times, about 80 million company records were hacked, and there is a fear that the stolen data will be used for identity theft. The compromised information contained names, birthdays, medical IDs, social security numbers, street addresses, e-mail addresses and employment information, including income data. == Theft of the data == The data was stolen over a period of weeks the month before the data breach was discovered. Because no medical information was compromised, Anthem was not required by law to encrypt the data. However, Anthem faced several civil class-action lawsuits, which were settled in 2017 at a cost of $115 million. Anthem did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement. Data from the attack is expected to be sold on the black market. == Impact == Persons whose data was stolen could have resulting problems about identity theft for the rest of their lives. Anthem had a US$100 million insurance policy for cyber problems from American International Group. One report suggested that all of this money could be consumed by the process of notifying customers of the breach. == Responses == Anthem hired Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm, to review their security systems and advised people whose data was stolen to monitor their accounts and remain vigilant. The theft of the data raised fears generally about the theft of medical information. A writer from Harvard Law School suggested that this data breach might spark reform of security practices and government data safety regulation. An investigation conducted by several state insurance commissioners blames the breach on an attacker whose identity was withheld, and claims that the breach was likely ordered by a foreign government whose name was withheld. It also concluded that Anthem had taken reasonable measures to protect its data before the breach and that its remediation plan was effective at shutting down the breach once it was discovered. It also marks the starting date of the breach as February 18, 2014. The lead investigator was the Indiana Department of Insurance (DOI) -- Anthem's principal regulator, because Anthem is headquartered in Indiana. The Indiana DOI hired independent auditors to conduct a security assessment at Anthem, which concluded, "While deficiencies within Anthem’s cybersecurity posture were noted by the Examination Team, these deficiencies were not, in our experience, uncommon to companies comparable to Anthem in size and scope. While the pre-breach deficiencies impacted Anthem’s ability to reduce the likelihood of and quickly detect the Data Breach, the controls implemented subsequent to the Data Breach should improve Anthem’s ability to detect future breaches and enable Anthem to respond more effectively to a future attack than was the case in this instance." Federal regulators also conducted an investigation of the Anthem data breach, resulting in a $16 million settlement between Anthem and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) -- by far the largest HHS data breach settlement. An HHS Director overseeing the investigation said, "The largest health data breach in U.S. history fully merits the largest HIPAA settlement in history. Unfortunately, Anthem failed to implement appropriate measures for detecting hackers who had gained access to their system to harvest passwords and steal people's private information." The HHS settlement also required Anthem to perform a risk assessment and correct any identified deficiencies in its cybersecurity, with HHS oversight of Anthem's progress. Approximately 100 private class action lawsuits were filed against Anthem over the data breach and consolidated in California federal court, in front of Judge Koh, a respected authority in data breach litigation. After contested briefing over who should lead the litigation efforts, Judge Koh appoints Eve Cervantez of Altshuler Berzon and Andy Friedman of Cohen Milstein as co-lead counsel, and appointed Eric Gibbs of Gibbs Law Group and Michael Sobel of Lieff Cabraser to head a Plaintiffs' Steering Committee. In 2017, Anthem agreed to settle the litigation for $115 million, the largest ever data breach settlement at the time. The attorneys requested $38 million in fees for their work on the case, but Judge Koh slashed the fee request, finding that only $31 million in fees were merited.
Krzysztof Wołk
Krzysztof Wołk (born 16 August 1986) is a Polish IT researcher who specializes in artificial intelligence, machine learning, mobile applications, linguistic engineering, multimedia, NLP and graphic applications. His research works have been cited in more than 70 international research journals, books and research papers. He is member of scientific committee at the Health and Social Care Information Systems and Technologies (HCist), an international conference which brings in new ideas, new technologies, academic scientists, healthcare IT professionals, managers and solution providers from all over the world. His research in statistical machine learning has been recognized as one of the most cited researches in the world. He is the member of Scientific Committee-Reviewers at Research Conference in Technical Disciplines (RCITD), based in Slovakia, which brings together the academic scientists and researchers from all around the world. == Biography == He obtained the doctorate degree in 2016 from the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information and Technology in Warsaw, Poland. He is currently working as researcher and assistant professor at the Polish-Japanese Computer Science Academy (PJATK) in Warsaw, Poland. == Achievements == He has published three books: Biblia Windows Server 2012, Administrator's Guide, Mac OS X Server 10.8, and MAC OS X Server 10.6 and 10.7 Practical Guide has been cited by many researchers in the scholarly books, research journals and articles. His research work on the Polish-English statistical machine translation has been featured in the book New Research in Multimedia and Internet System. Similarly, his works regarding the machine translation system have been featured in the books New Perspective in Information System and Technologies Volume 1, Multimedia and Network Information System, and Recent Advances in Information Systems and Technologies, Volume 1.
Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl (Hebrew: יהודה פרל; born September 4, 1936) is an Israeli-American electrical engineer, computer scientist and philosopher, best known for championing the probabilistic approach to artificial intelligence and the development of Bayesian networks (see the article on belief propagation). He is also credited for developing a theory of causal and counterfactual inference based on structural models (see article on causality). In 2011, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) awarded Pearl with the Turing Award, the highest distinction in computer science, "for fundamental contributions to artificial intelligence through the development of a calculus for probabilistic and causal reasoning". He is the author of several books, including the technical Causality: Models, Reasoning and Inference, and The Book of Why, a book on causality aimed at the general public. Judea Pearl is the father of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan connected with Al-Qaeda and the International Islamic Front in 2002. == Biography == Judea Pearl was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate for Palestine, in 1936 to Eliezer and Tova Pearl, who were Polish Jewish immigrants, grew up in Bnei Brak. His grandfather Chaim Pearl was one of Bnei Brak's founders. He is a descendant of Menachem Mendel of Kotzk on his mother's side. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces and joining a kibbutz, Pearl decided to study engineering in 1956. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Technion 1960. That same year, he emigrated to the United States and pursued graduate studies. He received an M.S. in electrical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology) in 1961, and went on to receive an M.S. in physics from Rutgers University and a PhD in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now the New York University Tandon School of Engineering) in 1965. He worked at RCA Research Laboratories (now SRI International) in Princeton, New Jersey on superconductive parametric amplifiers and storage devices and at Electronic Memories, Inc., on advanced memory systems. When semiconductors "wiped out" Pearl's work, as he later expressed it, he joined UCLA's School of Engineering in 1970 and started work on probabilistic artificial intelligence. He is one of the founding editors of the Journal of Causal Inference. Pearl is currently a professor of computer science and statistics and director of the Cognitive Systems Laboratory at UCLA. He and his wife, Ruth, had three children. In addition, as of 2011, he is a member of the International Advisory Board of NGO Monitor. Former Israeli Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, partnered with Judea Pearl in the documentary With My Whole Broken Heart. == Murder of Daniel Pearl == In 2002, his son, Daniel Pearl, a journalist working for the Wall Street Journal was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan, leading Judea and the other members of the family and friends to create the Daniel Pearl Foundation. On the seventh anniversary of Daniel's death, Judea wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal titled Daniel Pearl and the Normalization of Evil: When will our luminaries stop making excuses for terror?. Emeritus Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks quoted Judea Pearl's beliefs in a lesson on Judaism: "I asked Judea Pearl, father of the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, why he was working for reconciliation between Jews and Muslims...he replied with heartbreaking lucidity, 'Hate killed my son. Therefore I am determined to fight hate.'" == Views == On his religious views, Pearl states that he is a "practicing disbeliever." He is very connected to Jewish traditions such as holidays and kiddush on Friday night. Pearl sits on the NGO Monitor international advisory board, a right-wing organization based in Jerusalem that reports on non-governmental organization activity from a pro-Israel perspective. == Research == Pearl is credited for "laying the foundations of modern artificial intelligence, so computer systems can process uncertainty and relate causes to effects." He is one of the pioneers of Bayesian networks and the probabilistic approach to artificial intelligence, and one of the first to mathematize causal modeling in the empirical sciences. His work is also intended as a high-level cognitive model. He is interested in the philosophy of science, knowledge representation, nonstandard logics, and learning. Pearl is described as "one of the giants in the field of artificial intelligence" by UCLA computer science professor Richard E. Korf. His work on causality has "revolutionized the understanding of causality in statistics, psychology, medicine and the social sciences" according to the Association for Computing Machinery. === Notable contributions === A summary of Pearl's scientific contributions is available in a chronological account authored by Stuart J. Russell (2012). An annotated bibliography of Pearl's contributions was compiled by the ACM in 2012. A video describing Pearl's major contributions to AI is available here. Pearl's opinion pieces, touching on Jewish identity, the war on terrorism, and the Middle East conflict can be accessed here. === Books === Heuristics, Addison-Wesley, 1984 Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems, Morgan-Kaufmann, 1988 Pearl, Judea (2000). Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference. Cambridge University Press. I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl, Jewish Lights, 2004. (Winner of a 2004 National Jewish Book Award) Causal Inference in Statistics: A Primer, (with Madelyn Glymour and Nicholas Jewell), Wiley, 2016. ISBN 978-1-119-18684-7 A previous survey: Causal inference in statistics: An overview, Statistics Surveys, 3:96–146, 2009. Pearl, Judea; Dana Mackenzie (2018). "The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect". Science. 361 (6405): 855. Bibcode:2018Sci...361..855.. doi:10.1126/science.aau9731. === Awards ===
Top 10 AI Text-to-video Tools Compared (2026)
Trying to pick the best AI text-to-video tool? An AI text-to-video tool is software that uses machine learning to help you get more done — it scales effortlessly from a single task to thousands. The best picks balance beginner-friendly simplicity with the depth power users need, and they ship updates often. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, the right AI text-to-video tool slots into your workflow and pays for itself fast. This guide breaks down the top picks, their pros and cons, and who each one is best for.
Reconstruction from projections
The problem of reconstructing a multidimensional signal from its projection is uniquely multidimensional, having no 1-D counterpart. It has applications that range from computer-aided tomography to geophysical signal processing. It is a problem which can be explored from several points of view—as a deconvolution problem, a modeling problem, an estimation problem, or an interpolation problem. == Motivation and applications == Many fields in science and engineering use reconstruction from projections, especially in imaging. It is widely applied geophysical tomography, medical imaging and industrial radiography. For example, in a CT scanner, the 3D structure of the patient’s body being scanned is measured with beams going through the tissue and hitting a detector, giving a flat projection of the body from that angle. Multiple projections are put together to get an image of the position and shape of structures inside in 3D. == Problem statement and basics == A projection is a linear mapping of an M {\displaystyle M} dimensional signal into an N {\displaystyle N} dimensional one, where N ≤ M {\displaystyle N\leq M} . And the objective of reconstruction is to restore the M {\displaystyle M} dimensional signal based on the N {\displaystyle N} dimensional signal. The following case is a 2-D signal projected into 1D signal. The signal in the original coordinate is denoted as d ( u , v ) {\displaystyle d(u,v)} . Now consider a collimated beam of radiation coming from the opposite orientation of v ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {v}}} , producing a projection along u ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {u}}} . v ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {v}}} and u ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {u}}} are normal to each other, and the angle between u {\displaystyle u} and u ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {u}}} is theta. The signal obtained along u ^ {\displaystyle {\hat {u}}} axis is defined to be p θ ( u ^ ) {\displaystyle p_{\theta }({\hat {u}})} . The relationship between the original coordinate and the rotated coordinate is given by [ u ^ v ^ ] = [ cos θ sin θ − sin θ cos θ ] [ u v ] {\displaystyle {\begin{bmatrix}{\hat {u}}\\{\hat {v}}\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}\cos \theta &\sin \theta \\-\sin \theta &\cos \theta \end{bmatrix}}{\begin{bmatrix}u\\v\end{bmatrix}}} or inversely, [ u v ] = [ cos θ − sin θ sin θ cos θ ] [ u ^ v ^ ] {\displaystyle {\begin{bmatrix}u\\v\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}\cos \theta &-\sin \theta \\\sin \theta &\cos \theta \end{bmatrix}}{\begin{bmatrix}{\hat {u}}\\{\hat {v}}\end{bmatrix}}} Then we have p θ ( u ^ ) = ∫ − ∞ ∞ d ( u , v ) d v ^ = ∫ − ∞ ∞ d ( u ^ cos ( θ ) − v ^ sin ( θ ) , u ^ sin ( θ ) + v ^ cos ( θ ) ) d v ^ {\displaystyle p_{\theta }({\hat {u}})=\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }d(u,v)\,\mathrm {d} {\hat {v}}=\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }d({\hat {u}}\cos(\theta )-{\hat {v}}\sin(\theta ),{\hat {u}}\sin(\theta )+{\hat {v}}\cos(\theta ))\,\mathrm {d} {\hat {v}}} By varying theta, a large number of projections can be obtained. Given the projection-slice theorem, D ( Ω , θ ) {\displaystyle D(\Omega ,\theta )} ,the slice of the Fourier transform of d ( u , v ) {\displaystyle d(u,v)} at angle theta, is equivalent to P θ ( Ω ) {\displaystyle P_{\theta }(\Omega )} , the Fourier Transform of the projection p θ ( u ^ ) {\displaystyle p_{\theta }({\hat {u}})} . Therefore, the unknown d ( u , v ) {\displaystyle d(u,v)} can be obtained from its Fourier transform by means of the Fourier transform inversion integral d ( u , v ) = 1 4 π 2 ∫ − ∞ ∞ ∫ − ∞ ∞ D ( Ω 1 , Ω 2 ) e j Ω 1 u e j Ω 2 v d Ω 1 , Ω 2 {\displaystyle \mathrm {d} (u,v)={\frac {1}{4\pi ^{2}}}\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }D(\Omega _{1},\Omega _{2})e^{j\Omega _{1}u}e^{j\Omega _{2}v}\,\mathrm {d} \Omega _{1},\Omega _{2}} = 1 4 π 2 ∫ 0 ∞ ∫ − π π D ( Ω , θ ) e j Ω u cos ( θ ) e j Ω v s i n θ | Ω | d Ω d θ {\displaystyle ={\frac {1}{4\pi ^{2}}}\int _{0}^{\infty }\int _{-\pi }^{\pi }D(\Omega ,\theta )e^{j\Omega u\cos(\theta )}e^{j\Omega vsin\theta }{\begin{vmatrix}\Omega \end{vmatrix}}\,\mathrm {d} \Omega \mathrm {d} \theta } = 1 4 π 2 ∫ − π π ∫ 0 ∞ P θ ( Ω ) e j Ω ( u cos θ + v sin θ ) | Ω | d Ω d θ {\displaystyle ={\frac {1}{4\pi ^{2}}}\int _{-\pi }^{\pi }\int _{0}^{\infty }P_{\theta }(\Omega )e^{j}\Omega (u\cos \theta +v\sin \theta ){\begin{vmatrix}\Omega \end{vmatrix}}\,\mathrm {d} \Omega \mathrm {d} \theta } = 1 4 π 2 ∫ 0 π ( ∫ − ∞ ∞ P θ ( Ω ) | Ω | {\displaystyle ={\frac {1}{4\pi ^{2}}}\int _{0}^{\pi }(\int _{-\infty }^{\infty }P_{\theta }(\Omega ){\begin{vmatrix}\Omega \end{vmatrix}}} e j Ω u ^ d Ω ) d θ {\displaystyle e^{j\Omega {\hat {u}}}\mathrm {d} \Omega )\mathrm {d} \theta } By taking the inverse Fourier Transform and assuming g ( u ^ ) = F − 1 ( | Ω | 2 ) {\displaystyle g({\hat {u}})={\mathcal {F}}^{-1}({{\begin{vmatrix}\Omega \end{vmatrix}}^{2}})} , we get d ( u , v ) = ∑ i △ θ i [ p θ ( u ^ ) ∗ g θ i ( u ^ ) ] {\displaystyle d(u,v)=\sum _{i}\vartriangle \theta _{i}[p_{\theta }({\hat {u}})g_{\theta i}({\hat {u}})]} == Approaches == In practice, there are a wide variety of methods that are utilized, most of which are reconstruct 3-D information (volume) from 2-D signals (image). Typically used methods are CT, MRI, PET and SPECT. And the filtered back projection based on the principles introduced above are commonly applied. === Computed Tomography (CT) === In CT, a volume is formed by stacking the axial slices. The software cuts the volume in a different plane (usually orthogonal). Commonly, slice data is generated using an X-ray source that rotates around the object. X-ray sensors are positioned on the opposite side of the circle from the X-ray source. === Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) === In MRI, energy from an oscillating magnetic field is temporarily applied to the patient at the appropriate resonance frequency. The protons (hydrogen atoms) emit a radio frequency signal which is measured by a receiving coil. The radio signal can be made to encode position information by varying the main magnetic field using gradient coils. === Positron emission tomography (PET) === The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a biologically active molecule. Three-dimensional images of tracer concentration within the body are then constructed by computer analysis. In modern PET-CT scanners, three dimensional imaging is often accomplished with the aid of a CT X-ray scan performed on the patient during the same session, in the same machine. === Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) === SPECT imaging is performed by using a gamma camera to acquire multiple 2-D images (projections) from multiple angles. Multiple projections are used to yield a 3-D data set. This data set may then be manipulated to show thin slices along any chosen axis of the body. SPECT is similar to PET in its use of radioactive tracer material and detection of gamma rays, while the tracers used in SPECT emit gamma radiation that is measured more directly.
Ginger Software
Ginger Software is an American and Israeli start-up specialized in natural language processing and AI. The main products are tools aiming to improve written communications, develop English speaking skills and boost productivity. The company was founded in 2008 by Yael Karov and Avner Zangvil. Ginger Software uses the context of complete sentences to suggest corrections. In December 2011, Ginger Software was one of nine projects approved by the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation for a funding of $8.1 million. The company also raised $3 million from private Israeli and US investors in 2009. In May, 2014 Intel acquired one of Ginger's business units and the rights to use the company's patented technology. == Founders == Before founding Ginger Software, Yael Karov had worked with Rosetta Genomics as its Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research and Development from 2003 to 2006, and with ClickSoftware Technologies as a Director of Research and Development from 1990 to 1994. Karov also founded Agentics, a company specializing in free-text classification of e-commerce product information based on natural language processing, in 1996. Avner Zangvil is the co-founder of Ginger Software. Zangvil co-founded Menta Software in 1996 with his brother Arnon Zangvil to develop a product that transforms any Windows-based application into a Web-enabled application usable from any remote computer running a Web browser. Menta was acquired by GraphOn Corporation in 2001. == Technology == Ginger Software uses patented software algorithms in the field of natural language processing. The company claims that the algorithm allows it to correct the written sentences with relatively high accuracy (eliminating up to 95 percent of writing errors), compared to standard spell checkers. Its unique algorithm allows the software to understand the context of the sentence rather than correcting based solely on a word. According to its founder, Karov, the software operates on the logic of sentence context in addition to the memory of a database of words. The company is at the heart of a growing revolution in the world of assistive technology. Ginger claims that the benefits of the software have been leveraged by native English and non-native speakers alike, and have also found value in niche markets like dyslexia management. They further claim that ESL users derive great benefit from the use of the software, as it lets them write error-free English text. Its use also extends to native English speaking business professionals and students who use it as a 'safety net' for their email edits, as well as international students writing in English. More recently, the company has focused on implementing its technology in mobile devices as an integral component of its mobile keyboard products. == Products == Ginger Software products include Ginger Page, a cross-platform writing enhancement app, and Ginger Keyboard which is available for Android devices. Ginger Writer can be used as an online service or installed on your PC or Mac. It supports MS-Word, MS-Outlook, MS-PowerPoint, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, and functions as a writing enhancement app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Its main feature is English grammar and spelling checker that runs seamlessly with the different user interfaces. It also has an advanced paraphrasing tool, contextual synonyms and definitions, translation and a text-to-speech function that enables users to hear sentences before and after correction. Ginger Keyboard for Android replaces the stock keyboard and functions as a productivity boosting keyboard app. Featuring a full set of advanced keyboard features like Stream (swipe-like) typing, adaptive word prediction, a wide variety of customizable themes and emoji, Ginger Keyboard is the only 3rd party keyboard to offer proofreading and other writing tools via one tap access to Ginger Page. == Target segment == Ginger Software started off targeting people with dyslexia. The algorithm underlying the software studies a vast pool of proper sentences in English and builds a model of proper language. The software does not analyze the text at the level of the word, but of the whole sentence. Dyslexics can have trouble choosing the right word – hence the attention to the sentence as a whole. From 2010, Ginger Software included a new target segment in its marketing outreach – users of English as a second language (ESL). Its contextual-based writing correction tool could benefit those who are not proficient in the English language. == Business model == The main business model for consumers is freemium. The free version offers contextual-based grammar and spelling checker with some limitations. Its premium features include unlimited access to Grammar Checker, the grammar and spelling checker, and Sentence Rephraser the rephrasing tool. Ginger Keyboard is free to download and use, although it does offer in-app purchases like themes and theme packs. It also disables your original spell checker. Ginger also provides a powerful Rest API which can correct full documents in one call.