Elizabeth Moseley

Broadcom Hits Dead End In Talks With SAS As Jim Goodnight Says Analytics Software Firm Is Not For Sale

July 19, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Talks between Broadcom and software company SAS Institutes have hit a dead end. According to people familiar with the development, the deal would have valued the North Carolina-based company at USD 15 billion to USD 20 billion. The person said that talks collapsed after the matter became public. The acquisition would have helped Broadcom to expand into the software industry. Broadcom Chief Executive Officer Hock Tan has been trying to make several deals in order to transform his company. The company acquired CA Technologies in the year 2018 and American software company Symantec in 2019. It won’t be wrong to say that the company is largely built through acquisition. It was on the lookout for more deals. However, it has failed to finalize any.

The focus on software is even justified as it generated 27 per cent of the total revenue of the Broadcom in the quarter that ended. These acquisitions were initially not liked by investors. However, they have now reduced the company’s dependency on semiconductors for sales. The deal to acquire SAS was aimed at reducing the dependency further. SAS was established in 1976 by Jim Goodnight and John Sall. The company is in the business of software management and analytics. Goodnight is currently on the list of the top 50 wealthiest people in the United States. According to a report, Goodnight worked as a statistics professor at North Carolina State University when he started SAS.

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, SAS was profitable for around 44 years. More than 83,000 businesses, government office,s and universities used analytic platforms provided by the company. Commenting on the deal, the SAC founder said that “the company is not for sale. In a message, sent to all the employees, Goodnight said that the company is doing great and is focused on further innovation. While Broadcom has become a powerhouse with a string of acquisitions, SAS too wants to become the leader in the field of software.

New Study Reveals The Prevalence Of COVID19 Last Year Has Been Much Higher Than Actual Number Of Cases

July 13, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

A new report has given some new insights into an unanswered question about the COVID19 pandemic that has hit the world in 2019. Scientists have said that it is uncertain how many people might have contracted the virus but have never been diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus formally. Health experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have reported that the frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the US last year during spring and summer has been much higher than the official number of cases. The new study has shown that there have been nearly 4.8 undiagnosed cases of COVID19 for every identified case. The figure shows that there have been around 16.8 million undiagnosed cases of COVID19 by July 2020. The authors of the study have said that the data show that there has been a massive spread of the virus during the first six months of the pandemic as compared to what experts have perceived. The outcomes of the new report have been released in the journal called Science Translational Medicine.

Other experts who have not been involved in the study have said that the findings do not show how many undiagnosed cases of COVID19 might be there in the US at present. As per the latest data, the total number of officially diagnosed cases of COVID19 in the US has reached 33.4 million this week. The lead author of the study, Dr. Matthew J Memoli from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has said that many people who have contracted the virus that leads to COVID19 might not have any symptoms or have mild symptoms, which is a hallmark of the pandemic. The lead author of the study has said that to count the number of all symptomatic patients of COVID19 in the US it is crucial to assert the effect of the pandemic and public health response. He has said that to have a full and clear picture of the prevalence of COVID19, it needs to count those people who are infected and have not been formally diagnosed with the disease.

The authors of the study have come up with these findings after looking at a representative sample of 8000 people who have not been formally diagnosed with COVID19. They have looked for antibodies for COVID19 in these patients. The study has come at a time when the US government is trying hard to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID19, as a new and more contagious, and deadly Delta variant is circulating in the country. Many past studies have shown that a huge number of cases remains undiagnosed in the US. An expert from Columbia University has claimed that the number of undetected people continues to be many times greater as compared to the number of people who have been diagnosed. Dr. Thomas Tsai, who is a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has said that at present there might be much higher levels of disease-induced immunity among people in the US than what experts have been expecting. Health experts have said that still, people should take the shot even if they have infection acquired immunity.

Facebook Develops New Method To Detect, Track Source Of Deepfakes Using AI-Generated Imagery

July 7, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Deepfakes have received a lot of attention from the public worldwide. It has become a powerful tool to influence perceptions. It is also used by bad actors for spreading misinformation and fake news. The technology allows the editing of videos easily. Technology is getting better every day. The doctored video content appears in a way that they are real. To crackdown on such content, social media giant Facebook has developed a new method. The method can detect and track the source of deepfakes. It also involves reverse engineering. It analyzes AI-generated imagery. This lets Facebook identify the model that created the video. Facebook said that it has signed a pact with researchers at the Michigan State University to double down on deepfakes.

Facebook said that this is the first time when such a method has been developed to detect deepfakes. It is also the first time when the source can be detected. This will be useful in curbing the spread of misinformation on the platform. Facebook has come under severe criticism in the US and different countries for not doing enough to check the spread of misinformation and fake news. The new Facebook method comes in the backdrop of viral videos of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi appeared drunk in the video. She had come down heavily on Facebook called the social media platform a shameful company.

Facebook said that deepfake software is extremely easy to customize. But the new method of image attribution can help identify videos’ generative model and trace the activity of bad actors. The company said that researchers can now obtain information about the model used for creating deepfakes using the new method. It said that the method will be useful in the real world. Facebook said that the method is a step further to deduce data about deepfakes. Earlier, Microsoft had launched a new tool to combat the spread of misinformation by spotting deepfakes. The tool identifies synthetic media that are manipulated by artificial intelligence.

Facebook Launches Clubhouse Rival Live Audio Room To Public Figures, Certain Groups In America

July 5, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Social media giant Facebook is rolling out Live Audio Room. It will allow users to host audio rooms in real-time. The Live Audio Room is, however, limited to some of the American public figures and certain groups. They can start hosting rooms via the main Facebook app on iOS. They can invite followers, verified figures, or any listeners to be a speaker in the room. Facebook said that the host of the audio room can invite speakers in advance and during the conversation as well. A total of 50 speakers can join a room. There is no cap on the number of listeners who can join the room. The new Live Audio Room is aimed at taking on rivals Clubhouse and Spotify. Facebook said that it will expand its support to the public in the coming months.

Facebook in a statement said that admins in groups will have control over moderators and group members. Both visitors and members can listen in public groups. But in private groups, only members can listen. Facebook said that it is also making podcasts available. Users can listen to podcasts via a player. Facebook said that it will provide controls to allow users to listen when the screen is off. Users can find shows on News Feed and podcast creators’ pages. The company said that it will soon introduce an automatic captioning feature. The clips feature will allow listeners to create and share clips.

Facebook said that listeners can extend support to the public figure on the Live Audio Room. The company has provided options to send stars to show appreciation. Facebook is also rolling out multiple features including a notification. A notification will be sent to the host when followers and friends join a room. A new button ‘raise a hand’ has been made available. The button will allow requesting to join the room. Besides, there is an option available to submit reactions during the chat. Meanwhile, Facebook said that it is working with creators on Soundbites. It is a short-form audio feature. Users can record short voice messages and share them on the platform.

Antarctica’s Pine Island Is Losing Its Snow-Mass Faster Than Expected, Loss Accelerated In 2017

June 28, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Global warming has been a cause of concern for scientists around the world for decades. But they are losing their sleep now because of the critical Antarctica glacier. This is because the glacier is moving towards the sea at a faster pace than expected. Analysis of satellite images shows that the ice shelf that has been holding back glaciers in Antarctica has gradually thinned. The images show that the Pine Island glacier in West Antarctica in the Southern hemisphere has been shedding snow mass at a faster than expected rate. Floating ice shelves play an important role in holding back the larger grounded mass of the glacier. But the eventual collapse of the Pine Island glaciers into the sea could happen much earlier because of the weakening of the edge. The researchers of the University of Washington and the British Antarctic Survey reached to a conclusion after analyzing satellite images. Their study has been published in the open-access journal Science Advances.

“There are chances that things could change on Pine Island quicker than expected. We may not be able to observe the change at a slow pace,” lead author Ian Joughin said. Joughin is a glaciologist at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. “Our study found that we are heading to an irreversible collapse. But we expecting this to happen at a fairly measured pace. However, things could be much more abrupt if the rest of the ice shelf melts.” According to reports, there is approximately 180 trillion tons of ice at the Pine Island glacier. If this melts, it could result in a global sea-level rise of 1.6 feet or 0.5 meters. The ice in the glacier has already contributed to the sea-level rise at Antarctica. It is causing a rise of one-sixth of a millimetre in the sea-level on a yearly basis. This is equivalent to two-thirds of an inch per century.

But researchers fear that this rate can increase. They said that sea-level could increase by several feet globally over the next few centuries if this glacier along with neighboring Thwaites Glacier melts at a faster pace. They have been the center of attraction of researchers in recent decades because of the melting of underside ice because of warmer ocean currents. Scientists found that the ice shelf of Pine Island dramatically lost one-fifth of its area from 2017 to 2020. European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites captured it. They also said that the recent changes are due to the glacier losing the outer part of the ice.

Lordstown Motors Slashes 2021 Production Goal Of Endurance Truck, Seeks Additional Capital

June 9, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Lordstown Motors Corp has said that the production of its Endurance truck will be lower than what the company was expecting, In fact, the production this year would be almost half of prior expectations of 2,200 vehicles. The company said that the number of vehicles produced this year would be just 1,000. In other words, the company is consuming more cash than expected with production numbers much below than promised. Soon after the announcement, the shares of the company fell drastically. The value of the electric startup, which was launched last year, has also fallen. Investors are apparently showing less interest in the company which last year unveiled a prototype of the all-electric pickup truck Endurance.

Lordstown Motors is an offshoot of Workhorse Group which is also owned by CEO Steve Burns. Workhorse Group is a publicly-traded company that works in the field of battery and electric transportation technology. Workhorse was founded in 1998 and has never been financially strong. It faced financially up-downs at various points. Its offshoot Lordstown Motors had announced its plan to produce 20,000 electric trucks annually. The production was expected to begin at the former GM Assembly Plant in the second half of this year. The 6.2 million-square-foot factory was acquired by Lordstown last November. The company has made capital expenditures of USD 53 million in the first quarter this year but has failed to show any output. However, the company said that it would begin production of the electric pickup truck this year.

Burns, however, is hopeful of having robust demand for electric vehicles. “We have conducted research that shows there is going to robust demand for electric pickup trucks,” Burns recently told investors during a call. “But we need to accumulate capital as the shortage can limit our ability to manufacture the required number of vehicles. We are evaluating our capital requirement constantly,” he said. The CEO said that he was in talks with an unnamed financial entity that is considering asset-backed financing. “We have a lot of assets and zero debt. We are investing a lot of money in buying parts. There are folks that are interested in financing that.”

The CDC Claims Slow Vaccine Coverage In Rural Areas Might Defer The Efforts To End The Pandemic

June 3, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that the rate of hospitalization and death due to COVID19 is much higher in rural areas of the US. The vaccine coverage in the countryside as well is lagging behind cities. The director of the CDC Rochelle Walensky has said that nearly 60 percent of people who are 18 years or above have been vaccinated at least with the first dose of the vaccine in the US. She has said that it is a landmark achievement for the country. On the other hand, health experts have said that the country requires vaccinating at least 70 to 85 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity. In such a case, rural America is far behind, said the experts. As per the report, in the first week of April, the vaccine coverage in rural areas of the US has been around 39 percent as compared to 46 percent vaccine coverage in urban areas of the US. The data has been taken from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Experts have said that COVID cases in rural counties have been quite higher as compared to urban cities in September 2020. The officials of the CDC have said that making vaccine available to people who are living in rural areas of the US is quite hard. They have said that around 80 percent of such people from rural America reside in regions that are nominated as medically underserved by the US government. Experts have said that easy access to health care is quite hard for people living in these areas.

Health experts have said that vaccine hesitancy as well is a big problem in rural counties of the US. A survey that has been done by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that there has been a persistent resistance to the COVID19 vaccine in rural areas of the US. In the survey, around 3 out of 10 people have said that they will not take the COVID19 vaccine. The percentage of vaccine hesitancy is greater in rural areas as compared to urban or suburban areas, said the experts. The officials from the agency have said that people who are living in rural areas are more susceptible to COVID19 due to lack of access to health care than people who reside in urban areas. Experts have said that people who are living in rural areas are identified with more underlying health issues as well. A handful of people living in rural counties have medical insurance. Over the last century, people have been moving from rural areas to big cities but still, around 60 million people reside in rural areas of the US. It constitutes around a fifth of the US population. Many health experts have said that if low vaccine coverage in rural areas remains like this, it will surely derail the country’s effort to put an end to the COVID19 pandemic. The report has clearly said that as people from rural areas are at a higher risk of severe COVID19 disease and death, the disparity between the vaccine coverage in urban and rural areas of the country might have a negative impact on efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

The officials from the CDC have said that public health leaders need to join forces with doctors and health influencers in rural areas to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy and equal vaccine access. It will motivate people to take the COVID19 vaccine. The CDC director Rochelle Walensky has said that the agency is committed to reaching out to every corner of the US and will work towards bridging these gaps. Walensky has said that crucial to make efforts to make vaccine coverage equal regardless of where people live in rural areas or urban areas. She has said that the government’s vaccination and testing effort in association with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama National Guard at Talladega Superspeedway is the latest example of such efforts. The senior advisor from the White House COVID19 Response Team, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith has said that such efforts are known to make a difference. Around 51 percent of people from black and other ethnic groups have been vaccinated in the past two weeks in the US. These communities account for 40 percent of the general population of the US. The Biden government has been pushing through to get more federal vaccination sites online that are run by Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and to make vaccines available in the community health centers of the federal government. With this effort, many people of color have been able to get the COVID19 vaccine.

Amazon Won’t Have To Pay USD 300 Million Tax Bill As It Wins Case Against EU Regulators

May 27, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

In a major victory for Amazon, the European Union’s second-highest court has ruled that the e-commerce giant need not to pay USD 300 million or 250 million euros in the tax bills. The General Court rejected the European Commission order that asked Amazon to pay the amount as taxes to Luxembourg. It must be noted that Amazon has its European headquarters in Luxembourg and the court is also based there. The court rejected claims made by EU regulators that the US tech giant had a selective advantage in the tax deal. “The regulator failed to prove to the requisite legal standard that US company had any illegal tax advantage,” the court concluded.

In a statement issued after the court ruling, Amazon said that the court’s decision proves their stand that they followed all applicable laws and didn’t get any special treatment. “The court’s decision is in line with our long-standing position. European subsidiary of our company abided by all the laws and received no special treatment. We are happy that the General Court has made this clear. Now we can focus on providing services to our customers across Europe.” The case dates back to 2014. The European Commission investigation had concluded that the country granted undue tax advantage to Amazon that benefited the company to the tune of USD 300 million. The case was spearheaded by European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager.

Vestager said that Amazon was allowed to pay substantially less tax than its competitors. “Because of illegal tax benefits, almost three-quarters of profits of the US company was taxed. In other words, Amazon paid four times less tax than other businesses,” Vestager had said in 2017. She then ordered Luxembourg to recover the money. Two years later, the European Commission launched a formal antitrust investigation against the company. The EU said that Amazon distorted competition rules in online retail markets. But the ruling of the General Court comes as a blow to Vestager. It must be noted that the General Court last year rejected an order that asked Apple to pay USD 15 billion in tax to Ireland.

Apple Grants Access To Private iPad Camera API To Zoom

May 25, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Popular video conferencing platform Zoom has gained a competitive advantage in the market over its rivals. It has now got access to a private iPad camera API. The access was granted by Apple at a time when Zoom-like platforms are reporting a surge in users’ pool. The permission to enter a non-public iPad digital camera API will allow Zoom to use the camera during the Split View multitasking of the iPad. Zoom has now become the only platform other than FaceTime to use multitasking. FaceTime is a videotelephony service developed by Apple. The iPad Split View multitasking feature gives Zoom an additional advantage over competitors. The feature allows users to access the notes app, Twitter, and others during a call.

To get access to API, Apple needs to give an entitlement. It is just a privilege that grants support to execute specific capabilities. The iPhone maker provides public documentation. It also provides for requesting access to entitlements. Notably, there is no public process available for now to request a specific API. Also, there is nothing available in documents by Apple in the public domain about the entitlement. It remains unclear why did Apple grant access only to Zoom for this feature. The company, however, said that it treats developers equally. Notably, Apple had initially granted Hulu access to API before it was built-in to App Store.

The latest access granted by Apple will help Zoom to be in a position to get additional benefits over rivals. This privilege was earlier reserved for the FaceTime app. It is believed that Zoom had interactions with Apple over the latest entitlement. This will permit Zoom to make most of the iPad Break up View performance. Apple had in April announced a new feature called Center Stage. This feature is, however, available on the M1 iPad Pro only. It lets video calling apps take advantage of it subject to approval from their respective developers. The Center Stage feature allows the Ultra-Wide front camera to track the movement of the user, if any, during a video conferencing and position him/her accordingly in the frame.

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Heard Humming Ahead Of Fifth Test Flight

May 21, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

The Mars helicopter has added a new chapter to human’s efforts to explore the planet. The helicopter was designed by NASA. It is named Ingenuity. The helicopter was sent to Mars along with the Perseverance rover. NASA has now released an audio clip of Ingenuity humming in the thin air of Mars. The clip was released just before Ingenuity’s fifth test flight on the planet. The low hum is coming from the spinning blades. The blades complete more than 2,500 revolutions every minute. The blades are barely audible. It only sounds like a far-away mosquito flying. The mini-helicopter has so far performed four test flights. The helicopter weighs 1.8 kg.

The low hum is because of the distance between the Perseverance rover’s microphone and the helicopter. Ingenuity was more than 260 feet far from the rover. Mars’ rumbling wind gusts also obstructed the helicopter’s sound from reaching the microphone. NASA scientists used technology to isolate the helicopter’s sound so that it can be heard. The sound of the helicopter’s blades was recorded on April 30 during Ingenuity’s fourth test flight. Ingenuity is the first helicopter by any space agency to fly in the Martian atmosphere. It arrived at the Red Planet on February 18, attached to the belly of Perseverance. Ingenuity performed the first flight on April 19. The agency named the site of its takeoff and landing as Wright Brothers Field.

NASA invested USD 85 million in developing the technology. It is the first every scientific equipment by the agency to fly in another world. NASA expected that the mission will last for not more than one month, but it extended the mission’s duration by one month. The agency will fly the helicopter multiple times to demonstrate the technology. Ingenuity’s success is will redefine the scientific approach for Mars exploration. NASA’s latest Mars probe will look for signs of microbial life on the planet. It said that Perseverance has completed the first phase. It will now start hunting for rocks on Mars with signs of microscopic life. It will collect sore samples that will return to Earth in the future.

Novavax’s Covid-19 Candidate Works Against South African Variant

May 20, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax is one of the many drugs that have raised hopes during the difficult times. The vaccine has suggested 100 percent result during the clinical trial. The drug is effective against the South African variant of the virus. Novavax is a biotechnology firm. It is based in Maryland in the US. It has developed a vaccine that is effective against the B1351 variant. The variant in the question was identified in the African continent. According to the findings of the Phase 2b trial, the vaccine protects against severe infection caused by the African variant. The placebo-controlled trial was conducted by Wits VIDA in South Africa itself. The vaccine develops immunity in healthy adults to fight against the virus.

During the initial phase, Novavax vaccine showed an overall efficacy of 49 percent. In healthy adults without HIV, its efficacy was found to be 60 percent. In the subsequent complete analysis, it showed an efficacy of 55 percent. According to the guidelines set by the WHO, vaccine that shows an efficacy rate of minimum 50 percent can be allowed for use. The drug regulators of respective countries can grant approval. At 90 days of follow-up among placebo recipients, it was found that the illness rate in seronegative participants was 8 percent. The same was found to be 5.9 percent in seropositive participants. The findings make a compelling case for using Novavax in areas where the B1351 variant is dominant. The variant is mostly found in the southern region of Africa.

Novavax’s Covid vaccine also cuts the risk of mild infection by the virus. Besides, it also guards against severe infection. Novavax’s vaccine candidate is called NVX-CoV2373. It gives protection against SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 causes Covid infection. It is a protein-based vaccine. The biotechnology firm said that NVX-CoV2373 is engineered from the genetic sequence of the first strain of the virus. It is one of two vaccines that are undergoing trials in South Africa. The company said that it will soon apply with the FDA seeking emergency use authorization in America. Meanwhile, the phase-3 trial being conducted in the UK indicated that the vaccine is 96.4 percent effective against the original Covid strain.

Vaccinated People With Previous Infection Might Be Immune To Various Variants Of COVID19 Virus

May 18, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Experts from the US have done a study to understand the efficiency of the first generation vaccines in preventing different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They have enrolled people who have been infected with the virus in the past in their study. The SARS-CoV-2 virus leads to COVID19 disease. The virus has claimed the lives of around 3.91 million people across the world. The virus continues to be a threat to global health. The team of experts has tested the levels of neutralizing antibodies against different strains of the virus before and after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in ten people who have been diagnosed with the disease before vaccination. Experts have compared neutralizing titers with the neutralizing titers of people who have not been infected with the virus before vaccination. Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland have shown that vaccination has been able to shoot up pre-existing levels of antibodies by 10 fold in people who have been infected earlier as compared to people who have not been diagnosed with the disease. The spike protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus helps it to infect host cells. The spike protein attaches to the human host cell receptor angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor-binding domain (RBD). RBD is the main target point of neutralizing antibodies that are developed after an infection or vaccination.

The study has shown that vaccination has shot up the level of neutralizing antibodies in people who have been infected earlier against the original strain and three other strains of the virus. Experts have seen that neutralizing titers in people with past infection have been five times higher against the B.1.1.7 strain that has been found in the UK for the first time. Neutralizing titers in people with past infection have been more than six times higher against the B.1.351 strain that has been found in South Africa. It has been more than four times potent against the strain that has been found in Brazil known as P.1. Since the COVID19 pandemic has started in 2019, many experts have come up with a wide range of vaccines that can protect people against the deadly virus. These vaccines have been proven to be effective in their clinical trials. These vaccines have been approved for emergency use in many countries.

With the large fraction of many communities gaining natural immunity against the virus via prior infection, the vaccination plans have raised the odds that a high level of herd immunity might be achieved soon. However, the surfacing of various strains of concern (VOCs) of the virus has created a doubt in experts’ minds. These strains have spike mutations that can shoot up the binding ability of the virus to host cells and its ability to spread. Experts have noted that there has been no major change between the post-vaccination neutralizing antibody titers against the B.1.351 variant of the virus in people who have been diagnosed with the disease earlier and those against the original strain in people who have not been infected ever. The study has shown that the first generation COVID19 vaccines have been quite effective against some deadly strains of the virus when it has been given after the first infection.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Says Chip Shortage Likely To Persist For At Least ‘Couple Of Years’

May 16, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

A wide range of industries is facing a shortage of semiconductors and the problem is likely to persist for at least a ‘couple of years’, said new Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corp. Pat Gelsinger. Looking at the concerns of the auto industry over the chip shortage, Intel is reworking some of it factories to ramp up production. In an interview with a news channel, Gelsinger said that it will take several months before the supply strain even starts to begin easing. “We will take a couple of years to catch up the surge in the demand across every aspect of the business,” the CEO said.

Demand for semiconductors increased suddenly in 2020 as consumers started looking for home gadgets during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. But chipmakers struggled to meet the increase in demand as because of shuttered plants. There are some other factors as well that have contributed to it. Several companies are of the view that the supply constraints will continue for much of 2021. The global shortage of chips has brought the manufacturers in limelight. They are on top of the political agenda as several industries are struggling to meet their demands of the semiconductor shortage. Biden administration has already stated that they are ready to extend all kinds of support to address the shortage.

Gelsinger said that Intel is the only company that manufactures high-end cutting-edge chips. The lockdown had dwindled the dominance of the United States in the industry. So much so that the manufacturing has reduced to 12 per cent from 37 per cent. The semiconductor shortage has hit a wide array of industries. One of the worst affected is auto industry that has already flagged production cuts and lost revenue. All the big auto manufactures have announced the cut. Recently, Ford said that the shortage will reduce production by 1.1 million vehicles. Apple also said that the supply constraints are impacting sales of Macs and iPads.

Super Group Agrees To Go Public Via Merger With Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corp

May 5, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Online gaming company and sports betting company Super Group have agreed to go public in a USD 4.75 million merger deal with Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corp through a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC. The management team of the SPAC is led by John Collins and Eric Grubman. The other sponsors are PJT Partners, and Timothy Goodell, Wall Street veteran Chris Shumway. As part of the deal, Super Group will purchase Digital Gaming Corp. With the acquisition, the company will get access to markets in 10 US states. These states will include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

The combined value of the companies after the merger will be around USD 4.75 billion. It will then aim at the multi-billion-dollar betting sports market of the United States. The market is only getting bigger with more and more states legalizing it. According to a forecast of Super Group, it is looking at USD 1.5 billion this year in net gaming revenue. The company is also targeting the market outside the United States. It already has a significant presence overseas with licensed in around 23 global jurisdictions. This is why John Collins once stated that the company doesn’t need to be a leader in the US market in order to stay profitable and grow at the desired rate.

“The group currently has more than 3,500 employees around the world. They are working in over a dozen offices globally. The group has a real operating scale and has a substantial market share in data science and technology. When this is combined with over 20 years of business experience, the group gets real confidence about making an impact in new markets,” Collins said. According to the company, it will be not only debt-free at closing but also have USD 200 million in cash on this balance sheet. The combined company will have Eric Grubman as the chairman and Collins will serve as a member its board.

Instagram Brings New Tool Hidden Words To Curb Abuse, Hate Speech In DMs

April 30, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Curbing the spread of hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms is a critical challenge for governments worldwide. Social media giants have introduced multiple tools to check the menace. However, there is much more required to be done to combat hate speech and abuse. Instagram has said that it is rolling out a new feature that will mainly shield people from abuse in direct messages. The popular photo-sharing app had received several complaints on abuse in DMs. The company said that the new feature comes with the ability to prevent a blocked account from contacting the victim from a new account. The Facebook-owned platform had in past reported that blocked users create new accounts to circumvent policy that prevents them from contacting another user.

Instagram in a blog post said that the new feature is specially designed to protect users from offensive or abusive DM requests. Earlier in February, Instagram brought an update to check abuse and hate speech on the platform. It added penalties for those sending abusive DMs. Instagram said that it wants nobody to experience such an experience. It, however, admitted that battling abuse and hate speech is a complex challenge. It added that although several steps are being taken to combat it, it is very difficult to eliminate it completely. DMs on Instagram are private conversations. It doesn’t look for hate speech proactively in the similar capacity it does anywhere.

Instagram said that when the new tool is turned on, it will filter DM requests automatically. The algorithm will filter requests after analyzing offensive words, phrases, and emojis in the DMs. Once filtered, users will not get to see such requests. The tool has been developed with a focus on eliminating DM requests containing hate speech and abuse. Users can turn off the tool. The new tool is called Hidden Words. Instagram has added the tool in a dedicated section under the Privacy Settings option. According to Instagram’s claim, it acted against more than 6 million hate speeches including in direct messages between July and September last year. Instagram said that it will bring more controls to combat abuse on the platform.

Google Earth’s Latest Feature Let Users See Climate Change Impact Over Past Four Decades

April 27, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Google Earth has added a new feature that allows users to have a look at the effect of climate change over the past 37 years. The latest feature, called Timelapse, provides visual evidence of impact on the earth because of climate change. Timelapse is eye-opening visual evidence that has changed static images of the platform into a dynamic 4D experience. Users can see how ice caps are melting, glaciers are receding, and the impact of urbanisation and wildfires on agriculture. 24 million satellite photos have been compiled for this Timelapse. These images are from the year 1984 to 2020.

Google said that the entire effort took two million processing hours which was spread across thousands of machines in Google Cloud. The tech giant worked in collaboration with the US space agency NASA along with several other organisations for this project. It also took support from the United States Geological Survey’s Landsat program, Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab and the European Union’s Copernicus program and its Sentinel satellites. They all joined hands to create this amazing Timelapse. Users can easily explore Timelapse in Google Earth. They simply have to type any location into the search bar. Whether it is the location close to their neighborhood or any landmark, Timelapse will show the impact of climate change over the years.

According to Google, Timelapse has been created by removing elements such as clouds and shadows from all the images since 1984. They are then computed into a single pixel for every location. The ultimate stitching resulted in a timelapse video. For example, it is possible to South Korea’s man-made beach in Busan, shifting of Cape Cod coast towards the south and even agricultural growth in the middle of Saudi Arabia’s desert. Google Earth director Rebecca Moore said that Timelapse shows what words cannot express. “Visual evidence is always better than what we say and communicate. Words cannot communicate complex issues,” Moore said in the blog post.

Experts Say Modified COVID19 Vaccines Are Required To Kill New Strains Of Coronavirus Within A Year

April 7, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

A survey that has been conducted by epidemiologists, virologists, and infectious disease experts has revealed that the first generation COVID19 vaccines might turn ineffective against new strains of coronavirus within a year or less. Therefore, there is a need for newly formulated COVID19 vaccines. Scientists have been saying that the vaccination effort across the world is required to defuse the threat of COVID19. They have said that it might be due to variations of the virus that are more contagious, lethal, and less vulnerable to vaccines. Such varied strains of the virus have been circulating across the world. People’ Vaccine Alliance that is a union of groups such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, and UNAIDS has carried out this survey.

It includes 77 scientists from 28 countries. Around one-third of the participants have said that a new vaccine might be needed within nine months or less. Nearly two-thirds of respondents from the survey have said that the first generation vaccines might be effective only for a year or less. As per the survey, around 88 percent of participants have said that vaccine-resistant mutants have been emerging due to constant low vaccine coverage in many countries. These respondents work in illustrious institutes such as John Hopkins, Yale, Imperial College, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Gregg Gonsalves, who is an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale University, has said that new mutations of the virus emerge every day. At times, they find a forte that makes them stronger than their predecessors. He has said that these strains can spread more effectively and possibly evade immune responses to past variants. Dr. Gregg Gonsalves has said that until the whole world is vaccinated, the entire playing field is left open for more and more mutations that can lead to variants, which have the capacity to evade existing COVID19 vaccines. Experts will need booster shots to deal with these variants.

The participants of the survey have said that the currently available lot of COVID19 shots that have been approved by the governments so far are a blend of new and old technologies. They have said that companies like Pfizer- BioNtech and Moderna have used mRNA technology to develop their COVID19 vaccines. These vaccines can be modified within weeks or months. However, manufacturing glitches are always a potential issue. Health experts have said that these vaccines are not accessible to poor countries as they are highly expensive. These vaccines have arduous temperature storage constraints as well.

Rich countries like the US and UK have vaccinated nearly more than a quarter of their populations with one dose of one of these vaccines. On one hand, these countries have already procured hundreds of millions of supplies of these vaccines. On the other hand, countries such as South Africa and Thailand have not been able to obtain shots for even 1 percent of their populations. Some nations have not even started vaccinating their citizens with the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine. Experts have said that Covax, which is a global vaccine initiative coalition that aims at defying so-called vaccine nationalism, has been trying to supply vaccines to at least 27 percent of the population of low-income nations in 2021.

The survey has noted that the urgency of rich countries to inoculate their citizens is not seen worldwide. Rich countries are planning to vaccinate their adult population by this summer. The head of inequality policy at Oxfam and the chairperson of People’s Vaccine Alliance, Max Lawson has said that although Covax is trying to manage vaccines for 27 percent of populations of poor countries by the end of this year, it might not be good enough. He has been requesting the manufacturers of COVID19 vaccines to openly share the technology and intellectual property of their products to increase the production of the vaccine across the world.

Therefore, poor countries as well have a sufficient supply to vaccinate their populations. Health experts have said that COVID19 vaccine developers should keep the ambitious global goal in mind. They have said that at this time, the goal seems to be lost. The respondents of the survey have said that health officials and governments should understand that limited vaccination can be quite dangerous in the future.

Health Experts Warn Against Some Strange Side Effects After COVID19 Vaccination

April 6, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

An increasing number of people are being vaccinated against COVID19 as the vaccine program is being rolled out at a rapid speed in the US. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that more than 51 million people in the US have been vaccinated with full two doses of the vaccine for COVID19. The CDC data has revealed that around 93 million people have been given the first dose of the vaccine. However, this means that more people are dealing with side effects that are linked to COVID19 vaccines. Most of these side effects are mild and fade away with time but health experts are worried about more serious adverse reactions. An adverse reaction of COVID19 vaccines is swelling that can take place in three particular areas of the body such as lips, eyes, and tongue. Experts have said that some COVID19 vaccine side effects make people feel a little low.

However, these side effects can be dealt with by resting up, staying hydrated, and using mild over-the-counter painkillers. An allergic reaction can also be seen in few small numbers of cases, said the experts. Now experts from the Mayo Clinic have warned people against some of the adverse side effects. They have said that people should be alert if they notice continuous shortness of breath or panting, redness, or swelling in parts of the body other than the limb where the shot has been given.

Experts have said that if people experience swelling on their lips, eyes, or tongue, they should immediately contact their health care provider. The CDC officials have said that it can be an adverse reaction to the vaccine. They have said that in severe cases treatment with epinephrine or hospitalization might be needed. The CDC has said that people should be monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to determine if patients have a quick reaction to the vaccine.

The agency has said that if people notice such a reaction, they should get in touch with their doctor and refrain from getting the second dose of the vaccine. If this reaction has surfaced after getting the mRNA vaccines like Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna, people should not receive either of these vaccines, said the agency. A report from the CDC has shown that an instant reaction takes place within four hours of getting the shot. It includes symptoms such as hives, swelling, and panting, which is known as respiratory distress as well.

Experts have said that after people with such reactions contact their health care provider, they might be referred to allergies and immunology specialists for more care and advice. The CDC has reported that some people who have been vaccinated against COVID19 have been found to have red, itchy swollen, or painful rashes at the injection site. Experts have informed that the rash, which has been termed as COVID arm, can surface more than a week after the vaccination. As per the reports, most of the time, the COVID arm has been seen in people who have been vaccinated with the COVID19 vaccine that is developed by Moderna, therefore many people call it the Moderna arm.

Esther Freeman, the director at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has said that people who are vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine have been having such skin reactions at least 8 days after the vaccination, which is very surprising. She has said that few people who have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine as well have developed these delayed rashes. However, the CDC officials have said that these rashes are not severe allergic reactions like the swelling of eyes, lips, and tongue. Therefore, people with these rashes should receive the second dose of the vaccine. Health experts have said that most of the people who have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines might be dealing with these side effects. They have said that these adverse reactions indicate that the body is responding to the vaccine.

These side effects show that the immune system is learning to recognize the pathogen and fight it next it tries to infect the body. As per the experts, people might suffer some usual side effects that indicate that the body is building up immunity against the virus. These side effects might impact people’s ability to do daily tasks; however, they should fade away in a few days. On the other hand, some people do not have any side effects after the vaccination. Some of the most commonly seen side effects of COVID19 vaccines are pain and rashes at the injection site, chills, fever, headache, muscle ache, tiredness, nausea, and fatigue.

State Officials Report Incidents of Rabbit Ebola For The First Time In Idaho

April 5, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

Health experts have warned that a destructive disease, which is often referred to as Rabbit Ebola has been discovered in Idaho for the first time. Idaho state officials have advised domestic rabbit owners to follow precautionary measures to keep their pets safe. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a lethal disease that easily transmits among rabbits, said the experts. However, it does not infect humans, livestock, or other species of pets. The officials have confirmed that two jackrabbits have been found dead near the Boise Airport. The animals have been found to be infected with RHD. The Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) in New York has conducted the test on dead animals. The animals have been sent for initial testing before being sent to the FADDL for verification. A veterinarian from Idaho State, Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that domestic rabbit owners need to reduce the interaction of their pets with wild rabbits, they need to disinfect their boots and coveralls and wash their hands before and after interacting with their rabbits. Experts have said that infected rabbits often show only one symptom of the disease, which is sudden death. Other common symptoms of the disease are bloody nose, dullness, and loss of appetite, said the experts.

Health officials have said that the RHD virus can live on clothing and corpses for months. The virus can easily spread via fleas, flies, and mosquitoes. Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that people should never handle a dead rabbit on their own if they find it in the wild. He has said that people should immediately call Idaho Fish & Games if they find a dead rabbit. The officials have said that if any domestic rabbit is suspected of being infected with the RHD virus, owners should immediately isolate the animal. Owners of infected domestic rabbits should directly inform their veterinary doctor and Idaho State Department of Agriculture. However, Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that if rabbits recover and survive the disease, they might be the potential carriers of the virus and can infect others as well. The animals who survive the disease are considered a potential risk for continued shedding and spread of the virus, said the experts.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has not issued any orders to euthanize the animals that are infected with the virus neither the officials have asked to cancel the rabbit show as of now. A vaccine for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is available in the US but it is not easy to get. This vaccine needs to be brought from Europe after obtaining permission from the federal regulators. Dr. Scott Leibsle has said that domestic rabbit owners who want to get their pets vaccinated should form a group, get in touch with a veterinarian, who is eager to try and import the vaccine. He has said that after this he can work with the veterinarian to obtain required permission from the authorities to import a bulk of shipment of vaccine to the state.

Democratic Party Leader Bill Nelson Nominated To Head NASA, Senate Approval Awaited

March 25, 2021 by Elizabeth Moseley Leave a Comment

NASA’s long wait for a new administrator is set to end. The agency is finally getting a new head. President Joe Biden has nominated Bill Nelson for the role. Nelson will serve as the 14th administrator of the space agency. Nelson is a former Senator. He is also a one-time astronaut. He is seen as a moderate Democrat. His nomination has invited bipartisan praise. Nelson, 78, will take charge once the nomination is confirmed in the Senate. Nelson thanked Biden for showing trust in him. The former Senator said that he was honored to be nominated for the role. He promised to lead the agency and Americans into an exciting future. White House in a statement said that no one can think of anyone other than Nelson to head the agency.

White House added that every particular of space and the science-related law has Nelson’s imprint. He served as a Senator until 2019 since 2001 from Florida. In 1986, Nelson traveled into space. He was a Payload Specialist. He flew on a Columbia space shuttle. With this, he became the second sitting Congress member to travel into space. Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine appointed Nelson to the agency’s Advisory Council in 2019. As the NASA administrator, he will succeed Bridenstine. Bridenstine resigned from the chair in January soon after Biden took over as the President. Bridenstine, a member of the Republican Party, was appointed to the post in April 2018 by then President Donald Trump.

The post of NASA administrator was lying vacant since Bridenstine’s exit. The delay in the appointment of a NASA chief had raised apprehensions over the goal of the Artemis program. Acting NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk welcomed Nelson’s nomination. He said that the agency is pleased to see that Nelson has been nominated as the 14th Administrator. Nelson is known for advancing the country’s position in the human exploration of space. Steve said that agency looks forward to working under Nelson’s leadership. NASA will carry out critical missions including the Moon missions under his guidance. Steve is confident that the Senate will approve Nelson’s nomination.