Align Tech Stock Dips 25%, Profits Hurt By Slowing Braces Demand In China

The current slump in China’s economy is hurting multiple sectors everywhere, from big technology companies to manufacturing firms. Dental equipment firms have been hit now as well.

Align Technology, who is the maker of Invisalign braces, a popular brand, issued profit warnings on Wednesday night after it released its latest earnings and sales figures. Align which is based out of San Jose in California, stated that a slow demand in the Chinese region was responsible for this weak forecast.

Align’s CEO Hogan stated that the current trade ambiguity in China had caused them to take a cautious view regarding their growth in Asia Pacific locations for Q3.

Align shares fell by over 25% when this news broke out, which made this company the worst performing share listed in S&P 500 this year.

While Align has shipper fewer products that it hoped for, Hogan stated that the firm still viewed China to be a huge market opportunity. Over 40% of all 2000 doctors that the firm trained in China during the last quarter happened to be located in China, he stated.

Although the current market sentiment wasn’t in their favor, Hogan stated that he was optimistic about the company’s long-term prospects in China. Align was still making more moves in the expectation that business would pick up in China.

Hogan said the firm would be investing further in Asian training and manufacturing centers, ensuring they were operating similar to local companies. More expansion would be done in small Chinese cities, with additional investments being poured into a dentist sales team in Chian to promote the Invisalign Go aligners. Digital and TV ad spending would be increased as well, he stated.

However, at the current moment, Chinese customers aren’t buying enough Align products, which is causing apprehension among Wall Street investors.

US Govt. jacks Up Permanent Residency Investment To Almost Double

Recently, the government of America has made it costlier for immigrants to acquire permanent residence in the country. As per the rules which were published by Homeland Security of the US on Wednesday, immigrants have to shed near about $900,000 to get EB-5 visa. Previously, the cost was just $500,000. After the news, real estate sector warned that it might stop the funding which America is receiving since great recession.

The formulation of EB-5 program was done in 90s, so that it can encourage people to make investment in several distressed areas. Foreigners on the other hand started to avail the facility of the program since 2008, when the capital market of US witnessed turmoil and real estate developers had to search for alternative methods to raise fund. At present, the process generates near about $5 billion at the expense of less than 11,000 green cards every year.

Since several years the program was under the radar of legislators as they think that it might cause fraudulent activities, there were few others who objected on the idea that immigrants could be able to buy citizenship of America. Most of the American visas are based on employer sponsorship or family relationship.

Due to working of EB-5 program state can easily choose projects as well as areas for eligibility. Thus mostly, EB-5 investment is heading towards urban centers of the country. There are few lawmakers of US who are advocating that the program should also cover rural areas.

Back on Tuesday, American Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that boundary manipulation of EB-5 districts has been accomplished after combining several census tracts to link project location in order to qualify unemployment rate. One of the trade associations stated that hiking minimal investment pricing in such a dramatic manner would eventually eliminate EB-5 program altogether.

Caterpillar Feels The Pinch Of Trade War Between US And China

At present, the US and China have put a stop on their trade war, but caterpillar is still in great deal of pain. On Wednesday, one of the spokesperson of Caterpillar stated that its sale in Asia-pacific fell down to 22% since last year, since the demand of the vehicle has declined in China. Moreover, the company also missed forecasts for revenue as well as earnings.

During one of the conferences, Caterpillar stated that there is a possibility that its overall profit for the present year might be lower than expected. At present Caterpillar’s share is considered as the biggest component in Dow, as it falls by 4%.

Spokesperson of Caterpillar said that the overall manufacturing costs became high since the rise of tariff as well as labor expenses. Moreover, slow global economy is also causing a lot of pressure on Caterpillar. The company recorded slow sales in Asia along with various other regions of the world viz. Africa, Europe and Middle East. The sales of Caterpillar fell by 5% in comparison to previous year.

Contrary to this, North America is still considered as a strong point for the company as the revenue rose by 28%, this increased the sales of Caterpillar by 5%. During a press meet, Caterpillar stated that sales of oil as well as gas equipment fell by 11%. This happened as in the Permian Basin the demand of new equipment was way too low.

Permian Basin is America’s hotbed for revolution of shale gas, this is a boom in oil production which made America to become more self dependent and leave most of its dependency on OPEC. Caterpillar’s spokesperson further commented that there is a possibility that gas as well as oil business could recover by the end of the year. Since the company is reporting slump in sales around the world it doesn’t want to have any inconveniences in US.

Tesla Employees Claims They Used Electrical Tape In Production Of Model 3

Tesla might have broken its own records, producing 72,531 Model 3 cars in the quarter that concluded on June 30, 2019. But workers say in the hurry to increase up Model 3 manufacturing, they were obliged to work in unsafe, difficult conditions and cut corners. A few employees who work in open-air GA4 production of Tesla claimed to the media that they employed electrical tape to swiftly repair cracks on housings and plastic brackets. They also operated through extreme cold, heat, and wild-fire smoke.

A spokesperson of Tesla claimed to the media that the worker’s reports do not reflect our production practices and are misleading and show what it is like to operate at Tesla. The spokesperson claimed that many of the shortcuts the workers claim to have employed are not accepted and that many components employed in the Model 3 come with electrical tape from the suppliers on them. As for the operating conditions, the spokesperson claimed, “We operate hard to make a work surrounding that is as secure, fun, and fair as possible, and it is very essential to us that workers look forward every day to coming to work.”

On a related note, Tesla is still cheating with costs. And whether or not you love it relies on which electric vehicle you were searching for. The firm has once again dropped the Standard Range variants of the Model X and Model S, increasing the respective base costs to $84,990 and $79,990. The cars are now that much more out to get for some users, although users splurging on the Performance versions do receive the Ludicrous alternative at no additional cost—that’s a savings of $20,000. And Model 3 users will, for the most of the time, be smiling. The price for Standard Range Plus of the Model 3 has decreased by almost $500–38,990 in the US.

Space X demo tests Falcon 9 as it gears for cargo launch

SpaceX fired Falcon rocket at CC station on Friday, lighting up 9 Merlin engines while restraints chained it to the floor. This rocket will take off on Wednesday for resupplying the ISS. The launch will be at 2224 GMT, which will bring the CC station into the ISS’s orbital plane region. A Dagon capsule which had previously been used twice in 2015 and 2017 will be used on this launcher.

If all goes as per plan, the carrier will report at the ISS on Friday with experiments, cargo, and food. SpaceX has operated Dragon capsule thrice so far. Hans Koenigsmann of SpaceX stated that each Dragon capsule could fly 3 missions. This is the eighteenth launch by SpaceX for NASA. SpaceX has more contracts for supply deliveries, resupply missions and a contract for Crew Dragon module development, which can carry astronauts and cargo simultaneously.

SpaceX’s Falcon will return for attaching Dragon cargo. Its 1st stage will head back to CC and touchdown soon after liftoff. The firing happened on 6 PM EDT, where several issues which had limited the launch earlier were now rectified.The static firing was supposed to be held on Tuesday. However, these troubles have also delayed the mission launch to Wednesday. Its payload includes 3D BioFabrication Facility, by Techshot. Dragon will also carry one habitat with a population of forty female mice. This capsule will turn back with 30 mice after a month spent in orbit. These specimens will be studied to understand spaceflight effects.

The 3rd IDA, built by SpaceX and Boeing, was loaded onto Dragon in June. A docking adapter will also be included, used by Boeing and SpaceX commercial crew modules for linking up with ISS. IDA-3 has been built for replacing a lost unit, by Boeing. IDA-2 had been successfully delivered in 2016. The robotic arm of the ISS will extract IDA-3, placing it in the Harmony module, enabling SpaceX and Boeing modules to park simultaneously.

NASA funds help Arizona University Researchers in building cubesats

Arizona University researchers will be using $3 million in NASA funds for researching asteroid environments and providing students from minority backgrounds opportunities for operating, designing and building CubeSats.

This project was chosen through NASA’s MIRO program. UA has received over $8.2 million via cooperative agreements from MIRO. Erik Asphaigh of UA LPL stated that asteroid geophysics would now be understood better. Students would also receive the first-hand experience in these low-cost ventures. There are multiple motivations behind studying asteroids. However, it is expensive to launch missions to them, with simulating their gravity fields an almost impossible task.

Jekan Thanga of MIRO proposes building a space lab, recreating asteroid surface environments via placement of AOSATs in low-altitude orbits.

Each AOSAT can generate centrifugal forces equal to the asteroid’s surface gravity. This can’t be replicated aboard the ISS due to it being smaller than vibrations from fans and pumps which keep astronauts alive. Low-altitude orbits are cheaper for setting up laboratory spacecraft. Therefore, AOSATs will be used as test-beds for hardware that’s asteroid-bound. Thanga stated that this was a radical way to approach science.

Current students from Puerto Rico University, PCC, and UA will build 3 AOSATs, to be operated in low-altitude orbits and conduct basic research. Desiree Figueroa from Puerto Rico University stated that students were availing a rare opportunity. AOSAT will eventually evolve into semi-permanent ground located in low-altitude orbit. This would allow testing of astronaut or lander interactions with asteroid surfaces. This could evolve to create moon patches, where astronauts would adapt and train to Apollo mission lunar conditions.

Robbins of UA stated that his University’s experience made it an ideal leader for this project. Minority students were given a unique opportunity for learning space systems development and asteroid science, an incredibly rare opportunity.

Thanga stated that down the road, students and professors would be working together for flying, building, designing and conceptualizing CubeSats at Arizona University. He’s currently trying out methods to simplify this whole process.

Robert Furfaro of SSAI stated that Thanga could build CubeSats capable of viewing planets, observe debris and spacecraft and learn about objects, along with their behavior and characteristics in space, as he represented an SSA.

Waymo Tests Free WiFi, Music To Lure Potential Customers

Various amenities are being rolled out by Waymo to nudge riders towards their self-driving cars.

Now, it is providing WiFi services in its driverless taxis in Phoenix, which has been operational since December. Ad-free streaming for music has been around since April via Play Music.

Waymo has also installed car seats for children in minivans, with every car set to 72 degrees to battle Arizona’s heat. It is trying to send the message that Waymo One cars are a better alternative compared to others. Cleanliness, size, and sketchy or chatty drivers are the most common complaints among passengers. However, now passengers can get exactly what they pay for.

Chandler city has allowed staffers to claim Waymo rides as expenses, to boost worker productivity.

Waymo and its rivals are currently bleeding cash. Elimination of drivers would stop that. Providing quality and consistent services and offers like video, music or internet streaming could produce extra money as well.

Waymo is currently valued at $100 bn. Mark Boyadjis of IHS Markit stated that the winner in this sector would be someone who provided the best experiences and solutions.

Spokeswoman McGoldrick stated that riders were encouraged to make the cars their own space.

Over 1000 users are in on the trial. WiFi will be provided to these users, but they have to keep the features confidential. It is yet to be known if WiFi is an enticing offer enough.

However, passengers can now utilize their devices fully, which wasn’t possible when they were driving, as per Micah Miranda, a manager at Waymo.

Productivity gains will be measured via this trial. Waymo has declined to reveal several details about its WiFi. However, there won’t be any usage restrictions, it said.

Ad-free streaming of music is available via the van’s speakers at no additional costs. Songs can be heard as per passenger choice. They may also link Play Music and Waymo accounts for their custom playlists. While drivers are available for emergencies, they do not speak in general. A passenger from Arizona, Allison Lewis praised the car’s peaceful environment.

Apple’s New iPhone In 2020 Likely To See Surge In Demand, Thanks To 5G

iPhones launching in 2020 could provide an impetus for growth in Apple’s flagship devices, as per a JP Morgan note, released on Monday. Samik Chatterjee of JP Morgan stated that they were expecting better specifications for upcoming iPhones. It was estimated at least 4 new models next year, leading to its positive outlook.

Apple usually releases its iPhones during September, right before the holidays and then faces falling sales till new models are launched the next year. Each cycle’s success depends on factors like economic conditions and the population of people looking to upgrade. However, new features are always a selling point, with OLED displays, VR features and hi-speed modems expected from the next models.

The note stated that they were expecting the next models to have OLED displays, 5G modems, with 3D Sensing tech and VR/AR capabilities that can be utilized by applications. At the moment, iPhone XS series uses OLED screens. These have image quality and power advantages. However, these are also far more expensive compared to LCD screens, which are used on other smartphones.

New 5G tech has the capability to increase download speeds of cellular devices by far, provided carriers can develop and roll out the tech on time. Currently, front-facing 3D sensing cams are installed on Apple’s devices. Analysts predict these features for the back cameras as well.

Chatterjee increased JP Morgan’s Apple stock price target from $233 to $239, which was 19% over Monday’s closing price. JP Morgan estimates sales of around 195 million iPhones next year, higher than 2019’s tally of 180 million. Unit sales are now not disclosed, beginning in 2019.

Chatterjee expects Apple to also target a value-oriented category. This means a cheaper iPhone could be possible, without OLED displays or 5G modems. The next launch in 2019 will see Apple release 3 iPhones, however, a redesign or 5G modems are not likely to be included.

I Fully Intend Serving My Four-Year Term, Says Fed Chair Powell

A rate cut can be expected soon due to the economic turmoil across the globe, says Powell.

The trade war has caused a lot of financial upheavals which has slowed down growth in many countries. Interest rates have to be cut to save the economy, said, President Trump

The Fed Reserve is the most powerful bank in the U.S. After Janet Yellen stepped down from heading the bank, the American President appointed Powell to the post. Powell who was an investor banker succeeded Yellen in 2017.

President Trump had asked the Fed to lower interest rates to save the economy. But the Fed had increased interest rates four times in 2018. The Fed has said that interest rates were made to prevent inflation.

He had intended to raise interest rates steadily this year. But trade tensions have weighed on the economic outlook in the U.S.

On Wednesday, Powell had said that the global turmoil required a stimulus through a rate cut which is coming. The rate cut is in line with the demands of the president.

The tariffs imposed on China have been reiterated with tariff from China. This has impacted trade and investment in the U.S. and China. Countries across the globe have also been affected.

The stock market took a downturn towards the end of last year with the economic condition deteriorating in the economy.

In June, President Trump has said that he had the right to fire the Fed head and the right to demote him.

But the Fed chairman has said that he has a four-year term and he would not step down without serving the full term.

The Fed has been criticized by the president for not cutting interest rates. But on Wednesday, the Fed head had said that a rate cut is coming.

The S&P 500 has surged past 3,000 after the Fed had hinted on a rate cut.

Qualcomm Slapped With $272m Fine By EU For Overpricing Baseband Chips

An investigation that dates back to over a decade now has finally come to haunt Qualcomm. European antitrust investigation had launched a probe against Qualcomm for allegedly using abusive pricing to get its primary rival, Icera, out of the market. After years of speculations, the EU has finally decided to slap Qualcomm with €242 million, which sums up to be around 1.27 per cent of its overall global revenue for the year 2018.

It all began when Qualcomm were alleged to be using unfair pricing for its baseband chips to defeat its primary rival, the UK-based Icera. The company was alleged to have been selling batches of three of its UMTS chipsets to the forerunners in the market like Huawei and ZTE at costs below the minimum value to strategically leave Icera reeling for existence in the market. Qualcomm however has completely denied the allegations and have stated that it is a “novel theory” created by the Commission itself and it will appeal against the ruling. While the appeal is pending, Qualcomm has assured it will give a financial guarantee in lieu of paying the fine. The case officially was filed by Icera itself in the year 2015 and details out Qualcomm’s illegal practices during 2009 to 2011. The chipsets which were sold underpriced were used during those three years to help smartphones and tablets connect with cellular network for data and voice transmission. During that time, as per Commission’s findings, Icera’s chipsets were more developed and offered better data rate performance than the chipsets manufactured by Qualcomm.

Amazon, just after facing action from the Germans over an antitrust issue, now stand facing the EU over pretty much the same thing. Despite changing its policies to resolve the issues against it, Amazon will be facing an investigation over its handling of merchant data.

Study Finds, Medical Mistakes Harm One Out Of Every Twelve Patients

Rendering to a new study, nearly one out of every twelve patients all over the world undergo damage due to medical mistakes and half of the errors can be avoided. Unfortunately, these mistakes can be prevented, but leave for nearly 12% of patients they distress dead or permanently disabled. Miscalculations, errors caused by human beings, and unpredictable bad responses can never be 100% removed, but in medication, the goal is to overcome them as much as possible. But according to a study reported by University of Manchester we are far away from that yet, which recorded the information of 335,000 patients recently.

In general, accidental damages are the 3rd legal foremost source of passing in the United States, but in the year 2016, 2 experts dig too deep to argue that, the grim slot is filled by medical mistakes. Some two million to 4 million people of America die every year from the medical errors, as suggested by their estimation. An extensive range of sources, comprising the whole thing right from unexpected bad response to drugs, gross operating errors such as executing the wrong operation, is included in such mistakes. When a doctor is graduated from their medical college and receive those white coats, an oath is sworn by them to first, do not harm anyone.

We all know that, as clinicians have sworn, patients should place a big deal of faith in their medicinal care providers and physicians. But it has been found by a new research printed in the British Medical Journal, BMJ that, among 337,025 patients observed between the years 2000 to 2009, nurses and doctors have made faults when handling 20,221.5, or 6% individuals. The WHO deliberates physiological, psychological and common attributable to medicinal faults to halt on the shoulders of nurses and doctors, in adding to deaths and everlasting disabilities.

 

 

Microsoft Teams Beats Slack With 13 Million Daily Consumers

Microsoft is lastly disclosing exactly how many users are employing its Slack rival Microsoft Teams. The software manufacturer claims that over 13 Million users are employing Microsoft Teams every day, along with over 19 Million weekly active consumers. This is the first time Microsoft has disclosed an active user count, and the firm’s earlier update was that 500,000 businesses were employing the service earlier in March.

This number is on top of the more than 10 Million users who employ Slack every day. Slack disclosed its 10 million everyday active consumer count previously this year, and it employed the same number earlier in April in a fiscal filing. The media asked Slack for an update on active consumers, but the firm is in a silent mode after its IPO (initial public offering), so there are no new figures.

Either way, Microsoft is eager to allow everybody to know that it has surpassed Slack. It is surely an accomplishment after only 2 Years since Teams rolled out, but Microsoft Teams as compared to Slack is not a clear-cut rivalry. Microsoft packs Teams with its Office 365 services for businesses, while Slack is a different paid service. That offers Microsoft a clear benefit for specific kinds of businesses, but Slack is still winning the race for small startups and businesses that are pleased employing Google’s G Suite instead of depending on Excel, Word, and Outlook.

On a related note, Microsoft earlier claimed that it is aiming to make Windows 10 computers work passwords free. While the firm has been operating on eliminating passwords from its Microsoft Accounts and Windows 10 for quite a few months now, the next primary update to Windows 10 in 2020 will go one step forward. You will shortly be capable of enabling a passwordless log-in for Microsoft accounts on a Windows 10 PC.

The New Explorers Of Space Are Robots And Not Humans

We all know that, fifty years ago, when Neil Armstrong visited the moon, it was an inspirational moment for folks all over the world. But additional type of explorer is accountable for much of the modern enthusiasm for the exploration of space. According to Emily Lakdawalla, who is a self-described interplanetary specialist at the Planetary Society said that, from the times of Apollo, the highest exploits in space have been these robots, which have departed around the whole solar system. By saying these robots, she means the numerous probes of robotic, which have hovered former asteroids, moon and planets, some on looping and landing on others.

As per the reports, space is still getting explored by astronauts, the International Space Station being the remarkable part of hardware. Nearly, for 2 decades, humans have been breathing on it. But the space station being this amazing, enthusiasm regarding it is comparatively subdued. It would be inspirational to get an astronaut landing on Mars, said Lakdawalla, but in the period in-between, motivation is impending from Mars rovers of NASA. She added that, it is simple to incarnate them and envision ourselves progressing crosswise the Mars’s surface.

Around the world, millions of people have detected with liking as the 6-wheeled rovers have rolled across the surface of the Mars, taking selfies and snapping pictures. Matthew Shindell, who is planetary science maker of the museum said that, guests make a point of approaching to the planetary exhibition in a gallery inserted into the west close of the museum. A large case of glass comprising versions of all the rovers, which has been sent by NASA to Mars is a prominent feature of the galleria, right from small Sojourner rover, which landed in the year 1997 to the two-thousand-pound Curiosity rover, which arrived in the year 2002.

Falcon Heavy Fans Will Have To Wait For The Next Launch Till Late 2020

All SpaceX missions involving Falcon Heavy have been successful till date. It also has further contracts with Viasat, Inmarsat and US Air Force for further missions as well. All of them will be launched at KSC, which is equipped for Falcon Heavy.

The next mission is by the US Air Force, named AFSPC-44 and will be launched in late 2020, as per Robert Bongiovi, who works with the US Air Force. Payloads have not yet been identified. The launch will see 2 payloads enter a geosynchronous orbit at 22,000 miles above Earth’s equator.US Air Force had asked prospective launch companies to assume payload weight at 3.7 MT tons.

This mission will require long coast phases, with over 5 hours between when the upper stage of the engine burns. Complex maneuvers are required for placing mission payloads in distinct orbits. Merlin and Falcon Heavy capabilities were also amply demonstrated this way before SpaceX was entrusted with bigger tasks.

After this rocket’s first flight during last year, the US Air Force approved its eligibility for national security-related launches. Many process and technical reviews are currently underway before national security satellites of a more expensive and critical kind is handed over to SpaceX.

Bongiovi stated that the STP-2 mission’s success would improve spaceflight worthiness before the launch scheduled for 2020.The current mission will also familiarize engineers at the US Air Force with booster recovery & reuse procedures at SpaceX, thus certifying formerly used rockets as safe enough.

Another Falcon mission is coming soon in 2021. Although set for 2020 originally, it got pushed back due to delays.AFSPC-52’s mission required a 14000-pound life capacity and geostationary orbit at a range between 115-21865 miles. SpaceX has a Viasat contract for launching 3 next-gen sats. It is currently developing Boeing satellites for expansion of coverage across the world to maximum countries.

Viasat has contracts with Arianespace, ULA, and SpaceX. Inmarsat also has contracts signed with SpaceX for a future launch. Ovzone will also be working with SpaceX for launching its satellite.

Several SpaceX missions have been announced and launched in months now. The Starlink system launches are currently ongoing, with more sats crammed in as launches increase. SpaceX has finished 8 missions this year.

Mars Has An Intriguing Terrain—Observations By ESA

Mars has a form of chaotic terrain, something that is found nowhere on Earth. Named Aurorae Chaos, this feature is situated in equatorial and ancient Margartifier Terra location in Mars. This location here is quite cratered and has many fascinating features. These are considered to be related to previous water activity in the past. Aurorae Chaos’ south part, upon observation, shows eroded craters, jumbled cliffs, scarps, flat-topped mesas, mismatched peaks, and fractured rock. These features also sweep the surface, connected to outflow channels. These channels are part of the Valles Marineris, which is a big valley system that spans over 1000 km.

The canyon’s size is huge. It is 10x longer, 20x wider and about 4.5x deeper than the Grand Canyon on Earth. It was formed due to running water & fluvial erosion. Aurorae Chaos has a network of depression sitting 4 km below surrounding plains, hosting chaotic terrains. This current chaotic terrain reveals how water interacted with its planetary surface and was stored, released and transported.

Chaotic terrains are formed when martian surface chunks collapsed during dramatic events, due to materials heating, which contained water or ice containing minerals. This was caused by comet or asteroid impact, or volcanic or climatic heat source, releasing water and causing this terrain to subside.

This led to water being drained, this leaving broken and messy patterns behind, seen in areas like Aurorae Chaos that were formed 3.5 bn years ago. Apart from this evidence, Margaritifier Terra contains clay deposits and sulfates which indicate water outflows and evaporative processes.

Some may even need standing water, which means, water bodies existed here in the past. Mars Express had taken images of Mars’ chaos terrains including Ariadnes Colles and Iani Chaos using HRSC cams and will continue its study. ESA’s Roscosmos rover called Rosalind Frankin& a science platform will arrive in 2021, enhancing knowledge about the planet. Along with ExoMars TGO, it will continue to explore Mars.

Huawei Makes A Comeback After Trade Talks Between The U.S. And China

President Trump is making use of Huawei to negotiate the trade deal.

The G 20 summit held at Osaka this weekend has brought some positive news to the trade deal. In particular, Huawei has found some respite.

President Trump and President Xi met in Osaka, Japan on June 29 at the G-20 summit. However, the outcome of the meeting is still vague though it shows a positive note.

Now, Huawei the hardware maker from China can buy components and software from the U.S. tech companies. However, the U.S. has not relaxed its ban on the company. Huawei tech will not be used on its 5G network.

Moreover, there will be further easing of trade in the American marketplace, hints President Trump.

Huawei, which was considered as a national security threat is now used as a bargaining chip, which is raising concern in Washington. This issue has been raised by various lawmakers like the Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

Meanwhile, the intelligence department is also arguing against the concession provided to Huawei in the trade talk. They argue that Huawei has close ties with Beijing and should not be allowed the supply of technology infrastructure in the United States.

Robert Atkinson, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation president says that the export ban was to inflict pain on China’s economy and to put pressure on China to come to terms on the trade deal.

President Trump had brought Huawei under the blacklisted companies and had even asked other countries to cut ties with Huawei.

But now, there is reduced pressure on the telecom giant Huawei.

However, Finite State a cybersecurity firm states that the Huawei network gear has vulnerabilities that can be easily hacked by malicious spies. It is creating a backdoor to the U.S. intelligence and military officials which is the original reason why Huawei was banned.

Researchers Develop AI Powered Robotic Arm To Help In Packing

The computer scientists at Rutgers University have developed artificial intelligence which enables them to control a robotic arm that can efficiently pack boxes, thereby reducing business time and money that gets invested in these tasks.

Kostas Bekris, the study’s senior author and an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science in the School of Arts and Sciences of the University in New Brunswick, said that with the help of this new venture they aim at achieving low-cost and automated solutions that can be deployed deftly. He further says that the key to this is in coming up with nominal yet effective hardware choices, and instead concentrating their focus on resilient algorithms and software.

Abdeslam Boularias and Jingjin Yu, both assistant professors in the department, formed a team with Bekris to handle the multifaceted issues regarding the robotic packaging system. They have thought of doing so with the help of select hardware, 3D vision and vigorous motion.

This peer-assessed study of the scientists was published at the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) where it was one of the finalists for the Best Paper Award in Automation. This study has much in common with the growing tendency of using robots to conduct logistics, retail and warehouse chores. There is a steady and speedy growth in the advancement of robotics because of the machine-learning algorithms which make way for continuous experimentation.

The packaging of unarranged boxes from a pile into tightly organized products has largely been a manual task for all these years. The Rutgers scientific team says that in automating such tasks, the people can focus on more important duties which will help prosper the companies’ competitiveness.

The Rutgers scientific team’s study mainly focused on taking objects from the bin and arranging them tightly in shipping boxes. After coming up with developed algorithms and software for the robotic arm, they created a suction cup that doubles itself and functions as fingers which push the objects in place. It also uses sensor data that pulls the objects towards a targeted area and pushes them together. Real-time monitoring is used in these operations to identify and overcome potential failures.

US Air Force Secret X 37B Spacecraft Spotted By Skywatcher

Recently, Ralf Vandebergh, who is a satellite tracker and skywatcher based in Netherlands, caught a glimpse of X-37B space aircraft. This marked a very rare event as the aircraft is one of the most secretive projects of the Air Force of U.S. Vandebergh commented that he had been trying to hunt down the automated aircraft for months. His efforts finally paid off when he was able to track the location of the aircraft back in May. In the following one month, Vandebergh also managed to clock photographs of the said vehicle.

Explaining his course of actions, Vandebergh said that during his observation of the spacecraft in June, its path and time varied from predicted values. This was because it had shifted to a different orbit. He credited the network of amateur satellite watchers for having quickly located the aircraft. Images of the X-37B were taken on June 30, followed by some more on July 2. Its recent passes, according to Vandebergh, were all nearly overhead.

The aircraft X-37B is also called the OTV or Vehicle for Orbital Test. It resembles the retired NASA space shuttle, only a smaller version of it. The spacecraft is extremely small in spite of having an altitude of just 186 miles or 300 kilometers. As a result, the detail accuracy of ground-based photographs is not comparable to that of real space shuttles. However, the quality of the photographs has still exceeded Vandebergh’s expectations. A portion of the aircraft’s nose, tail and its payload bay have been spotted, along with signs of smaller details.

Vandebergh took the images using a Newtonian telescopemeasuring 10-inch F/4, with an 8 aperture, equipped with a mono CMOS Astrolumina ALccdcamera. The tracking was completely manual and was done via a 6×30 finderscope. It has been strongly suggested that the robotic aircraft is serving a dual purpose of both looking upward as well as down at the Earth.

Revolut’s Journey Towards Becoming The Amazon Of Banking -—CEO Storonsky

Financial services firm Revolut, which was set up in 2015 by former bank employees has one goal in mind and that is to become Amazon of Fin-tech industry. Startup with the vision of eliminating fees in foreign exchange transactions, the firm gained popularity and tractions as it let users spend money abroad as per actual exchange rate. Its CEO, Nik Stornonsky says that when they started the business they did not have much idea about payments but they wanted to do it for free and began their idea. As a former employee of Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse Storonsky knew that there were several middlemen in equity derivatives trading.

To manage this problem they decided to bring all relevant infrastructures within the house and then try to make the business profitable. Though the firm is not profitable as yet since its annual results showed losses of $ 19 million for 2017, its boss Storonsky has developed a strategy for the firm to make profits. He stated that main idea was to provide their product for free and then cross sell services to quickly enhance their customer base. They added several new features to their app in recent years like crypto-currency based trading and business accounts.

Revolut’s founders say their main priority is not to become profitable but to expand operations across the globe. The firm is one of several new era banks in the world that are likely to shake up the financial markets with just an app and a bank card. This phenomenon has helped push several established banks to develop new retail banking platforms which can help users manage their funds better. Revolut has doubled its total number of users that have joined its platform since last June and has amassed around $336 million in venture capital funding.  When last valued by investor it was worth $ 1.7 billion and labeled a unicorn but the path was not without challenges.

Walmart Conferred Sell Of Its Clothing Brands Modcloth And Bonobos: Vox

Walmart has completed the discussions regarding the future sale of its losing clothing brands Modcloth and Bonobos with purchasers, according to the reports by Vox this week, citing sources known with the topic. In 2017, the world’s biggest retailer bought a collection of clothing brands such as Modcloth and Bonobos. Last year, the firm also purchased another brand Eloquii to attract younger shoppers in its attempt to race with Amazon.

According to a report from Vox, all three dealings are not profitable. The firm’s latest decision to sell the brands followed its incapability to turn around its economics in the future. According to the reports, Modcloth is expected to be sold this year. However, Walmart is planning to hold Bonobos, following contemplating a sale. The report also highlighted that the firm is foretelling losses of over $1 Billion for its US e-commerce division in 2019.

On a similar note, Walmart came into the news as it announced plans to invest over a billion dollars into its Chinese business. Reportedly, this initiative by the firm is intended to compete with its regional rivals and rising online retailers. The American retailer reportedly intends to inject approximately $1.2 Billion in its Asian distribution infrastructure. This investment will be planned for the period of over upcoming 20 Years to advance its delivery abilities.

In a statement released to the media, Ryan McDaniel, who works as the firm’s head of international logistics, disclosed that the considerable investment will be employed to grow the firm’s supply-chain logistics. This move by the firm will ensure that customers are offered the freshest products possible. The retailer from Arkansas has already shown a substantial amount of investment in founding its Chinese distribution centers aimed at perishable grocery items. The firm currently has facilities situated in the south of China.

Very Low Cholesterol Might Increase Risk For Hemorrhagic Stroke

As per to current guidelines recommendation cholesterol lowering for heart disease reduces risk. The new findings suggest that if cholesterol drops too low, it might strengthen the peril of hemorrhagic stroke, according to scientists. Over a period of 9 Years, the UPenn (Pennsylvania State University) carried study for analyzing the relationship amid LWL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol—also called bad cholesterol—and hemorrhagic stroke. This kind of stroke arises when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain. The scientists found that people with LDL cholesterol levels under 70 mg/dL had a greater peril of hemorrhagic stroke. The research was published in the journal Neurology.

Xiang Gao—Associate Professor at the UPenn—said that the results might aid in refining and personalizing recommendations for ideal goal cholesterol levels. Gao said, “As is true with several things in nutrition, moderation, and balance it is important while deciding the optimal goal level of LDL cholesterol. You cannot go to an extreme level, very high or very low. And if you are at a greater risk for hemorrhagic stroke owing to family history or risk aspects such as heavy alcohol drinking and high blood pressure, you may have to be extra careful regarding LDL cholesterol levels.” As per to the investigators, low LDL cholesterol is suggested as a means to lower the peril of a heart attack or ischemic stroke, which is the latter when a brain blood vessel is blocked by a clot.

On a similar note, low cholesterol level is associated with the greater menace of bleeding stroke in women. Lowering LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol lowers the peril of stroke and heart attacks, with an ultimate value under 100 mg/dL. New research finds that women having levels of LDL cholesterol 70 mg/dL or lesser might be more than two times likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke compared to women having LDL cholesterol levels from 100–130 mg/dL. The research was published in the AAN’s (American Academy of Neurology) journal Neurology.

Osram Supports Takeover Proposal From Carlyle And Bain

The German lighting group, Osram’s managing and supervisory boards disclosed that they are backing a $3.8 Billion takeover proposal from Carlyle and Bain. The firms offered price of about 35 Euros a share. It represents a premium of almost 21% before this approach was made open, Osram proclaimed.

Osram, which was seen making the statement of backing following an evening board meeting, proclaimed that the private equity groups were loyal to its development strategy. The firm added that they had made “all-embracing commitments” regarding locations and employees. In a statement, Olaf Berlien, Chief Executive Officer, Osram, said, “Bain and Carlyle are the right partners for Osram at the right time.” Last week, Osram said that it had obtained the offer, verifying an earlier report by Reuters. Shares of the firm rose 0.8 % this week, after surging as much as 13% this week.

On a similar note, Ithaca Holdings, which is a media holding firm, came into the news as it announced that it has finalized a contract. Under this contract, Ithaca Holdings will purchase Big Machine Label Group (BMLG). Ithaca Holdings is headed by Scooter Braun, who is the founder of SB Projects, and BMLG.

The latest acquisition includes all aspects of BMLG’s business, such as its distribution deals, client roster, owned artist masters, and publishing sides. Borchetta is supposed to join the Ithaca board, buy a marginal interest in Ithaca, and remain CEO and President of BMLG. Reportedly, BMLG is supposed to continue regular operations out of Nashville. The Carlyle Group firstly showed investments in Ithaca in 2017. It is backing this transaction, besides Ithaca Holdings and Scooter Braun, via an extra equity investment through its Carlyle Partners VI fund. Carlyle is supposed to remain a marginal investor in Ithaca and continue to back the duel company’s growth strategy.

Osram Might Accept $3.8 Billion Takeover Proposal From Carlyle And Bain

Osram, a German lighting group, recently proclaimed that its supervisory board is planning to meet soon. Reportedly, the agenda of this meet will be to review a binding proposal presented by Carlyle and Bain to purchase the firm for about $3.8 Billion. Both the investors have presented the deal for about $39.49 per share, Osram proclaimed in a statement. This statement by the firm confirmed an earlier Reuters report, which cited a source known to the topic saying they had locked funding for their proposal.

In recent time, the shares in Osram were found climbing by about 11.5% to reach almost 32.25 Euros. The stock has shed more than 60% of its value since reaching a high value of about 79.58 Euros in January 2018. The latest takeover proposal from Carlyle and Bain puts an equity value on Osram of about 3.4 Billion Euros. The firm has modest debts.

On a similar note, Bain Capital came into the news as it raised about $1.5 Billion intended for its debut real estate fund. Reportedly, this fund surpassed the initial $1 Billion target, as shareholders pour huge amounts of capital into the sector.

Harvard University’s investment is said to be among the largest supporters of the fund. In an interview, Bain executives said that this fund is focused on niche areas such as senior housing & self-storage, life sciences & labs. The list of other investors includes the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association. Earlier this year, the association committed about $100 Million. Bain also contributed over a 10th of the capital raised. Daniel Cummings, Managing Director, Harvard Management Company, proclaimed that the scale of the fund was set consciously to replicate a sensible level of capital for this strategy and where the firm is in the market.

Tesla Jumps Back Bad Q1 By Setting New Record For Deliveries In Q2

After a sluggish start to the year, Tesla declared this week that it delivered and made a record number of vehicles in the Q2 of this year. The electric auto manufacturer created 87,048 cars in the quarter, and delivered “almost 95,200,” after having concluded the Q1 of the year with some 10,000 vehicles tagged as “in shipment.”

Exactly 72,531 cars of the total vehicles manufactured were Model 3s. Tesla also delivered 77,550 Model 3s in the same timeframe.

Those figures were more than the expectations of industry experts, many of whom anticipated nearer to 91,000 deliveries this last quarter. The earlier best quarter of Tesla came at the end of last year, in the middle of the firm’s mad efforts to meet its own sky-high objectives for the year.

News of quarterly performance by Tesla follows at a time where the firm lost 3 high-ranking officials in the period of a week. One of the firm’s production VPs, Peter Hochholdinger, was lately appointed away by EV startup Lucid Motors. Steve MacManus (VP of engineering) departed Tesla after 4 Years with the firm, and Jan Oehmicke (VP of Tesla Europe) also exited the firm the same week. (Executive exits have been a shocking factor for a while now for Tesla.)

On a related note, Elon Musk earlier was present at E3 next to Todd Howard (executive producer at Bethesda Studios) to declare that Fallout Shelter will be launching for Tesla cars. The broadly popular game is already accessible on just about every other system you can imagine, so a shift to the in-car entertainment systems by Tesla appears about correct. It will be joined by Beach Buggy Racing 2, together with earlier declared games comprising indie darling Cuphead and classic Atari games.

To play eclectic series of games on Tesla, consumers will have to keep their vehicle in park—which is possibly for the best for everybody.

Researchers Know How Cells Connect Together So As To Spread Of Cancer

For cancer to be victorious—from its view point, anyway—the disease has to get a way to break out further than its original foothold and distribute all over the body. Recently posted study from The University of Toledo can bring new insight into one of the first methods cancers spread.

Being an associate professor for biological sciences, Dr. Rafael Garcia-Mata lately detected a protein complex that controls how epithelial cells connect together in such tight situations.

There are over 150 different kinds of epithelial cells that conduct important functions in a wide series of tissues. Those jobs comprise producing the mucus that guards & lines our airways, making our skin resilient, and assisting with the nutrient absorption in our digestive system.

The invention, which builds on research by Garcia-Mata of how cancer cells distributes all over the body, is intriguing since it clarifies the behavior of cells that are by far the most common beginning place for cancer.

“80% percent of cancers arrive from epithelial cells and most cancers will have to disassemble the adhesion system to spread and grow,” Garcia-Mata claimed. “If we know how these adhesive frameworks are developed, we can also try to know what takes place when cancer cells disassemble them.”

On a related note, medical enhancements can come at a physical price. Often following treatment and diagnosis for cancer and other disorders, the cells and organs of the patients can stay healed but damaged from the medical situation.

In fact, one of the quickest developing medical industries is replacing or healing cells & organs already treated, yet stay damaged by cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other medical problems. The worldwide tissue engineering industry is anticipated to cross $11.5 Billion by end of 2022. That market comprises medical scientists and researchers operating to repair tissues injured by some of the most debilitating diseases and cancers in the world.

Deportation Concerns Increases Poor Sleep, Anxiety Among Youth

The advent of anti-immigration policies and rhetoric in the US after the 2016 presidential election might be taking its toll on the California’s Latinx youth health. This includes those who are citizens of the US, recommends a new research spearheaded by researchers at University of California, Berkeley.

The research tracked the physical and mental health of US-born kids of Central American and Mexican immigrants in California in the years after and before the election of 2016. It also asked about their quality of sleep and their level of concern about the personal outcomes of immigration policies in the US.

Almost 50% of the youth claimed being concerned at least sometimes about the effects of immigration policy of the US on their families. Those with more concerns also underwent poorer sleep quality and higher anxiety as compared to their peers.

When the researchers evaluated the well-being of youth after and before the election, they discovered that anxiety signs elevated more markedly amongst people who reported more concern about immigration policies.

“We are witnessing an elevation in anxiety that is associated to concern by kids about the personal effects of immigration policy in the US, and these are US-born people,” claimed Brenda Eskenazi, the Chairwoman at Brian and Jennifer Maxwell Endowed in Public Health in School of Public Health of UC Berkeley.

“In addition to this, these are children in California, a sanctuary state with extra defensive policies for immigrant people, in comparison to many other states,” Eskenazi claimed.

On a related note, conduct disorder is a highly and common impairing psychiatric diseases that normally surfaces in adolescence or childhood. It is distinguished by aggressive behavior and severe antisocial, comprising theft, physical aggression, violation of others’ rights, and property damage.

Improved diagnosis, much greater awareness, and improved treatment are all needed in order to lower the burden of the severe behavioral condition on society, as per a new research led by an LSU psychology professor.

Space X Creates History By Capturing Falling Payload

SpaceX accomplished a major reusability milestone for its rockets during the previous day’s Falcon Heavy liftoff. The company’s Ms. Tree boat, caught the rocket’s payload fairing near Florida’s coast during early morning hours of June 25, as per SpaceX reps.

This is the first time such an event has occurred. The boat has come close several times in the past but never succeeded. These payload fairings are used to protect satellites after launch and jettisoned later on. Each fairing cost about $6 million per piece and is used for the Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets, as per Elon Musk. The expensive price tag is behind the recovery efforts of this hardware. SpaceX has steering thrusters and parachutes equipped with both these fairing halves, enabling a soft landing for the gear. Ms. Tree enhances this effort by catching these fairing halves prior to them crash landing into corrosive seawater. This makes reusing these parts much more cost effective and feasible as well.

Ms. Tree was able to catch one half of the fairing before the crash, while the other fell into the ocean, as per John Insprucker of SpaceX. He said that was another major accomplishment for his team. SpaceX does reuse parts of its Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 rockets for different missions, thus saving on costs. For instance, 2 side boosters of the Falcon Heavy had already flown before. The two 1st stages finished touchdown safely as well, at a SpaceX center at CCAFS near NASA’s KSC.

The rocket’s central booster had attempted a landing on one SpaceX ship located in Atlantic Ocean, which was far off Florida’s coast. However, it missed the target by a small margin. The previous day’s launch was the 3rd flight for Falcon Heavy, which delivered over 24 satellites to multiple orbits in a mere 3 and half hours. This was called SpaceX’s most challenging mission till now and counted as its most complicated rocket launch by Elon Musk.

Space X Likely To Go Commercial With Starship In 2021

SpaceX’s Super Heavy and Starship systems will have their 1st commercial missions by 2021, stated Jonathan Hofeller of SpaceX. He said that SpaceX was talking to around 3 telecom company customers looking for launch in 2 years. Hofeller stated that Starship and Super Heavy missions could launch around twenty metric tons into geostationary orbits or over a hundred metric tons into low Earth orbits. The system was actually designed for transporting resources and crew to the Mars and moon. However, it will also be used for satellite launches. Hofeller stated that SpaceX would perform several flights prior to using this sat launch system. These flights would assuage insurer concerns over its reliability and also showcase its launch system to potential customers.

SpaceX demonstrated a hopping mechanism with its Starship prototype that launched the vehicle mere centimeters above the ground. Jonathan stated that upcoming tests would hit higher altitudes, with more tests coming this year. The aim is to achieve orbital quickly, hopefully by this year. The complete stack would be operational before next year, with customer launches in 2021. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 will eventually be replaced with these new systems. However, customers won’t be pushed to utilize next-gen vehicles. The older vehicles will be available for customers as per their demand. However, if lower prices and better products could be enabled, that was great news.

The pricing SpaceX had provided early Falcon 9 customers, is now its normal pricing. While the missions had earlier been priced at $62 million, it was now at $50 million. Prices would decline further, since Starship and Super Heavy were fully reusable, enabling lower prices and allowing various mission possibilities. Hofeller stated that a satellite could be recaptured and brought back this way. SpaceX had earlier attempted to provide full reusability abilities to Falcon 9. However, they failed. SpaceX has so far used the same Falcon 9 booster over 3 times. This has a maximum capacity of 10 launches. The same booster will be used at least 5 times before this year ends.

Pier 1 Store Closures Caused by Low Sales And Poor Margins

Pier 1 imports will be closing down 57 stores by the end of the year.

This closure number is up by 12 stores from what was estimated in April.  The chain store deals in the sale of home decor, furniture, accessories, and other home furnishings.

The Texas-based retailer is closing stores where there is no landlord participation. Further, those centers which are unable to meet goals and sales targets will be closing down, says the company.

The company intends to bring about a closure of about 15 percent of the company’s portfolio, says CEO Cheryl Bachelder. A 15 percent cut would mean that there would be a further closure of 145 stores.

According to data, Pier 1 has about 965 stores across the United States and Canada. The loss for the first quarter is at $81.7 million while in 2018 loss was at $28.5 million.

Sales have fallen from $371.9 million in 2018 to $314.3 million this year. For this quarter, total sales have fallen by 15.5 percent.

While speaking about the impact of China tariffs on sales, Bachelder says that they had proactively planned for the 25 percent increase in tariffs and included it within their financial plan.

She says that they have been actively reducing their trade exposure to China from last year. This has helped to strengthen the global sourcing teams. Price increase had also helped the company to mitigate the effects of the tariff increase, she says.

Store sales have been badly hit in recent times and several stores have gone for closures in 2018 and 2019, says Coresight Research a global marketing research firm. In 2018 about 5864 closures have taken place, says Coresight Research firm. In 2019 already 7000 stores have been marked for store closures.

Further, the research firm says that the trade war will bring in more such store closures as sales have been going down.

Sidewalk Labs Reveals Its High-Tech City Proposal For Toronto

Alphabet’s smart city subsidiary, Sidewalk Labs, launched its huge plan this week to convert a slice of Toronto’s waterfront into a high-tech dream world. Clocking in at 1,524 pages and 18 Months in the making, the plan shows Alphabet’s high-stakes, first effort to understand Larry Page’s (Alphabet CEO) long-held vision of a city inside a city to test innovations such as new health care delivery solutions, public Wi-Fi, self-driving cars, and other city planning enhancements that modern tech makes feasible.

Earlier, Sidewalk Labs dubbed it as “a neighborhood developed from the web.” But this week, Dan Doctoroff (Sidewalk Labs CEO) went a step forward to define it as “the most innovative region in the globe.”

Sidewalk Toronto’s initial pitch was to develop a high-tech society on an almost empty 12-acre space of Quayside (an industrial waterfront site). The plan comprises:

  • A plan to expand the light-rail system of the city to serve the new region
  • 10 new buildings of mixed-employment development comprising majorly of a number of new residential divisions, as well as office & retail spaces, all created from mass timber
  • Setup public Wi-Fi, apart from other sensors to gather “urban info” to better tell traffic an housing decisions, for instance
  • Renovating roads to lower car employment and promote walking and biking
  • Developing the new Canadian office for Google on the Villiers Island’s western edge
  • Plan to lower greenhouse gases by almost 89%

On a related note, Waymo signed an agreement with Renault and Nissan to bring its driverless trucks and cars to Japan and France, the firms declared this week.

The wording of the agreement is indistinct and does not hint any solid plans to roll out either delivery services or robot taxi, as Waymo has done earlier with its other automotive associates. Rather, the 3 firms will just “explore driverless mobility platforms for deliveries and passengers.”