Science & Technology
Telemedicine connects Tri-City patients to specialists
Virtual doctor’s visits becoming more widely available – not just for routine illnesses Tri-City patients are connecting with medical specialists for more types of care, thanks to the growing use of telemedicine, or telehealth, which can allow a provider to make some diagnoses of a critical patient without even being in the same room. “Telehealth…
Tech Summit to shine spotlight on tech origins, future
By Byron Martin and Ty Mulholland When asking people for a word to describe the Tri-Cities, some of the answers that you hear might be wine, water sports, Hanford, agriculture or tumbleweeds. The last thing you would expect to hear is “technology.” What most people don’t realize is that the Tri-Cities has a long and…
Put these top-rated mobile apps to work for your business
By Andrew Kirk The multitude of desktop apps to help business owners run their companies are nothing short of miraculous, but how many of those apps have good mobile versions? And how many of those “there’s an app for that” ideas are actually worth the download and time to learn? You’re not alone in wondering.…
Q&A with Steven Ashby
Number of employees you oversee: About 4,500. Brief background of your business: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy national lab proudly operated by Battelle since its inception in 1965. PNNL’s talented scientists, engineers and support professionals draw on signature capabilities in chemistry, earth sciences and data analytics to advance scientific discovery,…
Tri-Cities boasts numerous science and tech workers but few firms
By D. Patrick Jones Most everyone knows that the tech pulse is strong in the Tri-Cities. The problem is, it’s hard to find the pulse in official data. The same challenge applies for presence of the technology sector in Benton-Franklin Trends. Where in the trends site might we find some coverage? Consider data from the…
3D technology supports Hanford design work
Mission Support Alliance is using industry best practices and 3D modeling software to help design a new water treatment facility on the Hanford site. The Hanford contractor’s 3D modeling is a vital design tool, enabling timely completion of complex projects. In this approach, also known as building information modeling, or BIM, the designers “build” the…
Time is running out for Windows support
By George Hefter On Jan. 14, 2020, three widely-used Windows Operating Systems reach the end of their useful lives and will no longer receive updates and security patches from Microsoft: Windows 7, Server 2008 and Small Business Server 2011 (which is based on Server 2008). This so-called “end-of-support” doesn’t mean that systems using this software…
Benton REA’s new co-op solar program sells out in one week
By Arielle Dreher Members of the Benton Rural Electric Association bought out a new solar co-op program in just a week, despite declining incentives for the renewable energy source. Troy Berglund, community development and member relations manager at Benton REA, said he did not know how the program would be received. “I was uncertain of…
Libraries note increase in digital downloads as audiobook popularity grows
Nearly one in five Americans now listen to audiobooks. That’s because smartphones have helped usher in a new way for consumers to digest books, and audio has quickly become the fastest growing format in the publishing industry. That’s according an Audio Publishers Association’s May 2017 survey. Despite the surge in popularity of audiobooks, voiced books…
Kennewick startup develops payment transaction solution for small businesses
Small businesses face a lot of challenges. And the least of business owners’ worries should be accepting payments from customers. In the modern era of chip cards, cryptocurrencies, Apple Pay, and other emerging payment methods, processing transactions can be a tedious and frustrating part of running a business. That’s where Kennewick’s BlockChyp comes in. The…
