Chemical Market Reports

Jeffrey Herrera

Experts Reveal Pregnant Women Might Not Receive The COVID19 Vaccine On Time

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Many past studies have found that pregnant women from racial and ethnic minorities might be at a greater risk of severe side effects due to COVID19 infection. They are at a higher risk of death as well due to COVID19. Since many companies have come up with their vaccines, people have thought it will be the end of the pandemic. However, now we hear that pregnant women have not been included in the most prioritized populations who will be getting the first dose of the vaccines in upcoming weeks. Health authorities have said that pregnant women have not been included in the list of most prioritized people as they have not been a part of the clinical trials of these vaccines. Health officials have said that pregnant women or those who are trying to conceive need to take extra precautions to keep themselves safe, as they will not be vaccinated until it is clear which vaccine candidates are safe and effective for them and their babies.

A study done by experts from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that expecting moms are at a higher risk of being admitted to the intensive care unit after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The SARS-CoV-2 virus leads to COVID19 disease. The study has said that pregnant women are at an increased risk of death as well due to the disease. Racial disparity in access to care aggravated the problem further said the experts. As per the report, pregnant Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with COVID19. At the same time, Black women who have been diagnosed with the disease are at a higher risk of severe side effects of COVID19 irrespective of being pregnant or not being pregnant as compared to the general population. Hispanic women as well are more likely to lose their life due to COVID19 infection as compared to white women regardless of their pregnancy status. Despite being in the high-risk category, these people have not been included in the list of most prioritized people to get the vaccines first.

The CDC officials have said that healthcare workers and nursing home residents are on priority when it comes to vaccine distribution. Vulnerable people like elderly citizens and people with underlying conditions will fall second in line and young adults and children who are considered to be in the low-risk category will be last to get the vaccines. Health experts have said that they are unsure how the vaccine will affect the future babies of pregnant women, as such women have not been a part of clinical trials of any vaccine candidates. In the past, pregnant women have not been included in clinical trials of flu vaccines as well. However, the flu vaccine has been considered safe after years of analysis of those pregnant women who have received the vaccine without knowing their pregnancy status. Experts have said that it can be carried out in the case of the COVID19 vaccine as well. The data can be gathered from the women who have participated in the clinical trials of the vaccines without knowing their pregnancy status or when they have received the vaccine as a part of a prioritized group. A report has found that women contribute to 75 percent of the healthcare worker population. At the same time around 330000 women, healthcare workers are currently pregnant. Considering the statistics, most of the healthcare workers will not be able to get the shot despite being in the prioritized group.

Google Announces Stadia Coming To iPhone, iPad Soon Through Web App

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Google’s cloud gaming service Stadia is expanding its footprint. The search engine giant has announced that Stadia will be extended to iPhone and iPad soon. Google said that Stadia will be available through an upcoming web app. The company said that it has made significant growth in building Stadia’s web app version. It will run in the mobile version of Safari. Safari is a web browser developed by the iPhone maker. Stadia was launched in November 2019 with access being limited to Pixel smartphones and Chromecast TV dongle. Google could not launch Stadia on iOS devices because of Apple’s restrictions. The company in the last year has added over 80 games and taken multiple measures to meet the competition.

Earlier in August, Apple said that cloud gaming services were permitted on the App Store. The Cupertino-based tech giant said that each game must face a review by the App Store team. Google said that its team will soon begin in-house testing of Stadia’s web app version and then go for public testing to iron out the issues. It is believed that the web app will be similar to Microsoft turning to the mobile web to launch its xCloud service on iOS. xCloud could become a reality on iOS sometime next year. Launching a web app version will help companies to circumvent the App Store’s restrictions.

Google is competing with Microsoft and other players in launching its services on iOS. Another American multinational company Nvidia has also announced to stream GeForce NOW Cloud gaming on the iOS. The company has brought a web app version of its cloud gaming service. It has already launched the beta version and is working on the stable version. Nvidia said that it will soon begin to offer Fortnite. The popular game was shunted out from the App Store following a dispute with Apple. In another related development, Amazon said that it is also developing a web app version of Amazon Luna to launch its services on iOS devices.

Asteroid Apophis Orbit Disrupted Due Sunlight, To Make Close Approach To Earth In 2029

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The orbit of asteroid Apophis has been disrupted. The disruption is believed to be caused due to the rising heat. Astronomers have termed the phenomenon as the Yarkovsky effect. It can change the path of an asteroid through space. The asteroid absorbs heat from the Sun and this results in the change of its trajectory. According to the latest calculations, the said asteroid’s orbit change is approximately 557 feet. The orbit shifts every year. Apophis was discovered in 2004. Astronomers said that the celestial object is since then moving away from its original orbit. They said that Apophis’ warmer hemisphere pushes harder than the colder hemisphere. This causes the asteroid to change its orbit.

It was previously predicted to pass very close to Earth in 2068. Astronomers said that Apophis’ chance of an impact on Earth is very dim. They discovered a shift in the asteroid’s orbit calculating the 2068 threat. They measured the solar push. They explained that asteroid radiates heat. This heat causes a drift in the orbit. Astronomers at the University of Hawaii studied the asteroid’s orbital data. The data was collected since 2004. This helped them to arrive at the conclusion. They said that it is necessary to track Apophis carefully.

The asteroid is will make a close approach to Earth in 2029. This will open a window for scientists to get a more detailed look at its shape, size, and surface. Astronomers said that it will pose no threat to humans. The distance will be approximately 31,000 kilometers from Earth. The asteroid is predicted to be equivalent to the size of three football grounds. It will be visible from the naked eye in 2029. Astronomers said that the space rock will become as bright as Cor Caroli. It is a binary star and located at a distance of 114.2 light-years from Earth. A close scrutiny of Apophis when it makes a close-up approach in 2029 will allow astronomers to predict the future impact on Earth.

Climate Change Will Give Rise To Cancer Cases, Predicted To Be Leading Cause Of Death In 21st Century

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A new study has revealed that the impact of climate change on the health of humans could be more severe than expected. The study said that global warming could result in the rise of cancer rates. Researchers said that the change in temperature, deteriorating air quality, and wildfires could give rise to lung, skin, and gastrointestinal cancer cases. They said that people are exposed more to environmental toxins, ultraviolet radiation, and infectious particles. This, they said, will ultimately result in disruptions of food and water supply. This will affect the lifestyle of people. The study said that the impact will be so harsh that global warming will extract an acute toll worldwide.

The study noted the rising cases of cancer could potentially disrupt the health care systems. The ultimate challenge will come when the world will face a shortage of means for diagnosis of the disease and its subsequent treatment. The authors said that the international community’s climate change battle is not on track. They added that the current efforts won’t slow down emissions of greenhouses gases. While cancer is predicted to be the leading cause of death in the current century, climate change will also contribute to higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Besides, the change in patterns of rains will also increase the risk of vector-borne diseases.

The study said that the biggest cancer threats are likely to be from poor quality of air. Air pollution is a major cause of concern for many countries today. Another factor that will contribute to cancer cases is exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This will increase the risk of lung cancer and other related diseases. Lung cancer is already the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Air pollution is responsible for at least 15 percent of new lung cancer cases. It said that climate change will claim more than half a million lives worldwide by 2050. The authors called for policy solutions to check climate change and save human lives.

Three Consecutive Studies Show Tocilizumab Does Not Increase The Survival Rate Among COVID19 Patients

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A rheumatoid arthritis drug called tocilizumab, which is being used for the treatment of severe COVID19 patients, has fallen short as an effective treatment. Once it has been considered a promising cure for hospitalized patients with coronavirus by the experts. However, now three consecutive trials have proved that it is unable to increase the rate of survival among the patients. Although a fourth study has found it to be effective in increasing the chances of survival the findings of the study are less reliable as it is an observational study. The results of these reports have left the doctors confused about the usage of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID19. Initial three studies have been published in the journal of the American Medical Association. The fourth one has been released in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Experts have said that the drug cannot be taken as a magic bullet, which should be used for all the patients with severe COVID19 infection. However, there is room for the use of this drug for a specific group of patients. Health officials have said that upcoming studies on the drug might help in identifying the patients who might benefit from it. Tocilizumab is being sold under the brand name of Acetmra. The medicine treats rheumatoid arthritis by blocking interleukin -6. It is a molecule, which causes inflammation. In the first wave of the pandemic, it has been used extensively in the US after the news has started floating from China and Europe that the drug is quite helpful in treating seriously ill people with COVID19. Nevertheless, these reports have been based on observational studies only. Scientists have examined only existing data without designing a trial to identify the efficacy of the drug.

The first one out of three studies has found that COVID19 patients in Italy, who have not been admitted to the intensive care and treated with tocilizumab, have not done any better than those who have received standard care. Another study in France has revealed that tocilizumab has shown a minor improvement by the 14th day as compared to standard care; however, there has been no difference in the rate of survival between both groups of patients by the 28th day. Although the third study has found that, the risk of in-hospital death has been 30 percent less among the patients who have received the drug as part of the treatment as compared to those who have not been given this drug. However, again it has been an observational trial. The fourth study has been done on 243 COVID19 patients from Seven Boston area hospitals. All the participants of this study have been hospitalized at the peak of the surge in the area. The lead author of the study Dr. John H Stone has said that the findings of the study do not support the use of tocilizumab in moderately ill patients. He has claimed that the rate of intubation or death has been in both groups of patients who have been treated with tocilizumab and those who have not been treated with the medicine.

Almost A Century-Old Roosevelt Hotel In Midtown Manhattan To Close Due To Losses

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An iconic landmark of Midtown Manhattan, The Roosevelt Hotel will close this month amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown and restrictions because of the pandemic have resulted in huge losses following which the hotel has decided to shut down. The 96-year-old hotel will reportedly close its doors at the end of October. The hotel covers an entire city block and is extremely famous or interiors that include enormous vases, old-school chandeliers, and a grand lobby. A statement issued by the hotel said that the difficult decision by the owners of The Roosevelt Hotel has been taken considering the continued uncertain impact of the coronavirus. According to the statement, the associates of the hotel have been notified about the decision this week.

The hotel has informed employees about the decision on social, reports said. According to the Hotel Trades Council, a union that represents workers, the hotel owners have violated the 60-day notice to inform workers that they are going close. A spokesperson of the hotel has not responded to queries in the regard. Earlier in March, the hotel had issued furloughs. At that time there were around 500 people employed with the hotel. The 16-story structure, which is located on West 45th Street near Madison Avenue, is also famous for its subterranean tunnel. The tunnel connected to nearby Grand Central Terminal and offered a link to guests of the hotel heading out for a night on the town. However, the tunnel was sealed in 2015.

The decision to close Roosevelt Hotel came soon after similar announcements were made by hotels like the Courtyard by Marriott, Times Square Hilton, and the W Hotel. The hotel has also been immortalized as it featured in several Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Men In Black 3, Wall Street, and Malcolm X. It has been named after former President Theodore Roosevelt. He died in the year 1919. Opened in 1924, the hotel was just a few years from celebrating 100 years in business.

Google Introduces New Logo For Gmail, Other Services; Rebrands GSuite Into Workspace

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Search engine giant Google has introduced a new logo for a number of its products. Google’s hugely popular mailing service Gmail has also got a new logo. It has replaced Gmail’s envelope logo with an ‘M’ sign. The new logo, however, features the company’s four core brand colors — red, yellow, green, and blue. The new logo is said to be more in sync with the design of the company’s numerous products. Google has also overhauled the logo of its Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Meet. Google’s decision to bring new icons for its services is a part of the company rebranding.

According to Google, it is working to bring all the services and apps under one umbrella. The company said that it is also renaming GSuite to Google Workspace. All the apps will come under the ambit of Google Workplace. Google believes that bringing its services on a single platform will enhance productivity and collaboration. It noted that people want to collaborate on one platform and communicate. The company said that Google Workspace is the right step towards giving people a familiar and a fully integrated experience. It said that Google Workspace will offer the company’s core tools like chat, email, and content management among others.

Google said that with this integration, users will be able to preview the linked content in a single file. They don’t require leaving the original document. It will save their switching time. Besides, it will allow them more time to get the work done. When users mention a topic or someone in a document, Google said that a popup will appear with details. It will suggest actions like sharing the document. This way, users can dynamically create and collaborate on a file. This will help reduce complexity and make sure that everyone in the team can see the relevant information. According to Google, more than 2.6 billion consumers every month opt for its collaboration apps. It has nearly 6 million business customers who pay for Google Workspace.

Google Meet To End Unlimited Video Meetings On Free Versions Post-September

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Tech giant Google has announced a key change to its Google Meet services. The company said that it will no longer provide unlimited video meet through Google Meet. The company had in April allowed unlimited video meet because of the pandemic. The company said that video chat on the free versions of Google Meet will be restricted to 60 minutes. The decision will come into effect after September 30. The company had way back in April announced that the unlimited video chat on the free versions was a temporary decision and it will be seized after September. There will be no extension in the unlimited services, meaning Google Meet users won’t be able to create free meetings.

During the five months window, Google Meet allowed users to create free meetings with up to 100 people. There was no restriction on the duration of the meetings. Besides, Google had also permitted all G Suite customers to access Meet’s advanced features for free. This will also be discontinued after September. The company will also block access to advanced features for G Suite and G Suite for Education customers after September. The company allowed meetings of up to 250 people and live-streams of up to 100,000 people in a single domain. Users were able to save recordings of meetings to the Google drive.

Google charges for providing these features to anyone. It offers these services to customers on the G Suite enterprise tier. The monthly charge per user is approximately USD 25. This was the first time Google was providing access to the service to personal Google accounts. According to Google, Google Meet grew manifold since early this year. It saw 100 million users accessing its services. Google in 2017 developed its video-communication service Google Meet. It was brought by the search engine giant as a replacement for Google Hangouts. Google has just launched a new feature in the Google Meet app, allowing users to chat with 49 people at the same time.

Experts Say Shiny And Smooth Skin On A Certain Body Part Might Be The Symptom Of High Blood Sugar

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The Charity Diabetes UK has revealed that people with type 2 diabetes can slowly develop the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Experts from the charity have said that symptoms of this condition surface slowly among the patients. They have said that people might not even notice in the first place when they will start having symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when people start experiencing frequent urination during the night time when they are trying to sleep. People with type 2 diabetes start to lose weight drastically and feel thirsty frequently and tired more often. People, who are dealing with type 2 diabetes, might feel unusual bouts of thrush and genital itching. All these symptoms can also lead to blurred vision and wounds and cuts will take more time to heal. However, experts have said their body might be struggling with high blood sugar if they spot shiny and smooth skin on a certain body part.

Experts have revealed that in the case of lengthy periods of high blood sugar, which is known as Hyperglycemia as well, can lead to serious foot problems. They warned people saying that if they spot shiny and smooth skin on a certain body part, they should immediately consult their health care provider. Other symptoms of this condition are burning pain, numbness, and loss of feeling in the feet and legs. Experts from the Charity Diabetes UK have come out with a list of symptoms for people to see the signs of type 1 diabetes. A foul smell coming from a wound, blisters and cuts, which are visible but cannot be felt, hair loss on feet and legs, and swollen feet, are some visible signs of chronic diabetes.

High blood sugar levels can harm the nerve cells, which causes the numbness in the feet, said the experts. In severe cases, it can result in amputation of the feet, so people need to consult a health professional at the earliest possible if they see any of these signs. High levels of blood sugar hamper the blood circulation in the body as well, that is the reason, cut and wounds take a long time to heal. Such a condition also increases the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Experts claim that people with uncontrolled diabetes might be at a higher risk of kidney ailments as well.

54-Year-Old Man Dies From Over Eating Black Licorice Every Day For A Few Weeks

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A construction worker in Massachusetts lost his life because of his love for black licorice. The man ate a bag and a half of black licorice every day for more than a week. According to doctors, that threw his nutrients out of whack and led to cardiac arrest causing death. Dr. Neel Butala, the cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, has described the case in the New England Journal of Medicine and said that even a small amount of licorice can increase your blood pressure to some extent. Glycyrrhizic acid is the active ingredient in black licorice and many other dietary supplements and foods containing root extract of licorice. According to Dr. Neel, it can cause imbalances in mineral like electrolytes and dangerously low potassium.

The doctor said that glycyrrhizic acid can cause renal failure, hypokalemia, hypertension, metabolic alkalosis, and fatal arrhythmias. All these were seen in the 54-year-old patient. U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that consumption of as little as 2 ounces of black licorice every day for just two weeks could result in a heart rhythm problem. The man had changed to black licorice version from red, fruit-flavored twists just a few weeks before his death. He suffered a heart attack while having lunch at a fast food restaurant. According to doctors, heart related problems were caused because of the dangerously low level of potassium.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits only up to 3.1 per cent of a food’s content to have glycyrrhizic acid. But many licorice products including candies don’t reveal the quantity of it present in per ounce. Doctors have reported this case with the federal agency with the hope that it will raise some awareness about the issue. Commenting on the development, a spokesperson of the Hershey Company said that all of their products are made following the FDA regulations and are safe to eat.

The CDC Recognizes The Spread Of The COVID19 Through Air In Its Updated Guidelines

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The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated its guidelines on its website. The CDC has acknowledged the spread of COVID19 infection through aerosols in the updated guidelines. The agency has stated that the infection can spread through respiratory droplets and particles. Such droplets and particles are produced while breathing. Now, the CDC has stated on its website that airborne viruses including COVID19 are among the most infectious ones and can easily spread. Earlier, the CDC has stated in its guidelines that COVID19 mainly spreads among people in close contact through respiratory droplets when a person sneezes or coughs. Now it categorically states that the virus can spread through respiratory droplets and small particles, which are present in aerosols when a person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or breathes.

The federal agency has confirmed on its website that these particles can cause infection in the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs. This is considered the main way the infection spreads. The authority has said that there is enough evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain deferred in the air, which can be breathed by others. The CDC guidelines say that the virus can travel a distance beyond 6 feet as well. It has acknowledged that there is a high risk involved in an indoor environment without proper ventilation. The agency has advised that people should maintain social distancing of 6 feet, cover their mouth, and nose with the mask. People need to practice good hand hygiene and keep disinfecting surfaces.

The updated guidelines mention that people should stay at home as much as possible and isolate themselves whenever they feel sick. The authority has suggested that people should use air purifiers to reduce airborne germs in indoor spaces. The updated regulation of the agency has said that a mask should not overwhelm other preventive measures. There have been many studies, which have shown the possibility of air transmission of coronavirus. A panel of scientists has suggested that the virus can cause infection through talking and breathing as well. The findings of different studies are quite consistent with the aerosolization of the virus by normal breathing.

Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques Resigns Over Destruction Of 46,000 Aboriginal Cave

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Rio Tinto chief executive officer Jean-Sebastien Jacques has resigned over the destruction of a very ancient cave in Pilbara, Western Australia. Jacques was under extreme pressure from investors after the company went ahead with the blowing up of a 46,000-year-old sacred Indigenous site. The decision to destroy the Aboriginal cave in order to expand an iron ore mine. The company drew widespread condemnation from the public as well as from shareholders. The company said that Jacques would remain at the top post until his successor is chosen or at the end of next March, whichever date comes first. Two other senior executives will also leave the company at the end of 2020.

Simone Niven, group executive for corporate relations, and Chris Salisbury, head of the iron ore business are the two executives who will leave the company. While Niven will exit the company at the end of this year, Salisbury is immediately stepping down from his position but will stay with the company at the end of December. Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said, ‘What happened at Juukan was wrong.’ He was referring to the cave that was destroyed. The cave was a heritage site and there were artifacts of tens of thousands of years with huge cultural and archeological significance.

Simon Thompson said that the company will ensure that no such incident takes place at a Rio Tinto operation. Three top executives have been penalized a combined USD 5 million in cut bonuses. They will however still receive some salary as part of the terms of their contracts. The cave was destroyed on May 24 despite strong opposition from local custodians of the land. The battle with the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people went for around seven years. The company had accepted the fault and said that it failed to meet some of its own standards. But it drew strong criticism from investors group for not firing any executives. The announcement that the chief executive officer has stepped down has been welcomed by some advocacy groups in Australia.

A New Study Says Acetaminophen Drives People To Take More Risks

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People have heard many strange things about acetaminophen in recent times, which is an active ingredient in Tylenol. Tylenol is generally used as a pain reliever and it treats mild fever as well. However, a new study says that it not just treats the fever and relieves the pain but it also makes people prone to take more risks in life. Experts have said that people who take acetaminophen feel less negative emotions while considering any risky activities. The co-author of the study Dr. Baldwin Way has said that acetaminophen refrains people from feeling scared or less confident. This study has been published in the journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

Scientists have included around 189 college students in the study. Participants have been given 1000 mg of acetaminophen. This dose of acetaminophen is advisable for headaches. Some participants have been given a placebo as well, which looks like a Tylenol. All the participants have been asked to rate a set of activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, starting a new career in their 30s, and walking on an unsafe street alone according to the amount of risk they involve. Participants have rated these activities on a scale of one to seven. The study has found that people who have been given acetaminophen have rated these activities less risky than those who have been given a placebo. Experts have revealed that risk-taking effects after taking acetaminophen have been observed in other experimental studies as well. Such experimental studies have involved around 545 students.

In the experimental studies, participants have been asked to inflate balloons with a click of a button on their computer screen. As per the experiment, every individual is supposed to get virtual money with each balloon pump on screen. With every pump, the size of the balloon gets bigger and in the end, it bursts, and the virtual money is lost with it. Here people need to decide whether they keep pumping in order to make more money or lose it all when the balloon bursts off. Studies show that people who have taken acetaminophen have ended up bursting more balloons than the placebo group. Experts say that taking acetaminophen more than often can have serious implications on daily life activities, which demand risk assessment like driving. Considering the COVID19 pandemic across the world, many people have been taking acetaminophen to subside the symptoms of the virus. Experts claim that the findings of the study can affect the initiatives to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Japan Developing Super Hi-Vision Camera To Capture 8K Photos Of Mars And Its Moons

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Japan is developing a Super Hi-Vision camera. The camera will click high definition pictures of the Martian moons. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation are together working to develop the camera. Japan wants to study the Martian moons to understand its evolution. Mars is next to Earth and the fourth from Sun. It is also the second-smallest planet. The new camera will be used in JAXA’s Martian Moons exploration mission. It will be an unmanned mission. The mission is slated for launch in 2024. The camera will click 8K ultra high definition photos. The pictures will be the first of its kind for any space agency in the world.

The Japanese spacecraft carrying the new camera will cover the distance between Earth and Mars in almost a year. It will reach the Mars orbit to explore its moons. The red planet has two natural satellites. They are Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is larger than Deimos in size, but both are irregular in shape. The two are among the smallest moons in the entire solar system. According to the JAXA, the capsule will also go into a quasi-satellite orbit around the larger moon. It will observe Phobos and land on its surface to collect samples. If all goes as per the plan, the probe will return to Earth five years later in 2029.

The agency’s decision to develop an 8K camera is significant as it can shed light on the theory of the evolution of the moon system. The outcomes will be crucial in designing future missions which include sending astronauts deep into space. Besides, it will help scientists understand the new technologies in determining the success rate of planetary missions. The International Space Station currently has the technology to stream 4K videos. Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission was also a high-definition. The Super Hi-Vision camera will partially be able to send 4K and 8K images back to Earth because of the heavy file sizes. The full-size pictures will be available only after the probe’s return to Earth.

Microsoft Rebranding Web Search Engine Bing For Better Results

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Tech giant Microsoft is mulling to leap in making it faster and easier for searching online. The company said that its engineers are now working to rebrand web search engine Bing. Bing is owned and operated by the American multinational. Microsoft didn’t make any official announcement about its plan but the developer community has claimed to witness visible changes in the functioning of Bing. Also, the software maker has not announced a date about introducing changes or branding of Bing. It is believed that the company has made some changes to the brand and logo. The new brand and logo Microsoft Bing appear to have made their way to the homepage of Bing.

Previously, the old logo featured on the homepage and Microsoft logo and Microsoft Bing used to feature on secondary Bing pages. While others remain usual, the new brand and logo have clearly made their way to the Bing homepage. Notably, the software maker has emphasized its sub-brands in the past. It has already rechristened Office 365 to Microsoft 365. Besides, it has also rebranded Windows Defender to Microsoft Defender. The Washington headquartered company has also updated the Outlook for the Android app. It has added Bing search integration to the long-press menu. Microsoft Outlook Android app users now get to see a new to perform a Bing search while selecting text.

Although Microsoft is one of the most respected and trusted brands in the world, Google currently has strong dominance in the search engine market. The changes by Microsoft are seen as a bid to increase its leg in online searching. Earlier in June, Google accounted for almost 84 percent market share while Bing had settled with just six percent. Microsoft’s rebranding Bing also assumes significance as the company’s search advertising revenue saw a sharp dip of 18 percent in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020 from the corresponding period last fiscal. The company understands that introducing changes at the appropriate time to enhance users’ experience can help fill the gap in both audience and revenue.

Google To Bring Google Duo Services To Android TV, To Launch Native App Soon

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Google has announced that Google Duo services will soon come to Android TV. The search engine giant said that services will be available in beta in the form of a native app. This means users will soon be able to make video calls directly from tv sets using Google Duo services. The company has promised to release a beta of Google Duo for Android TV in the coming weeks to make this happen. Those having built-in camera tv sets, don’t require any additional accessory. Users who have a tv set that has no built-in camera set up will also be able to make calls. They only require plugging in a USB camera to dial anyone from their contact list.

Google has already added support for Chromecast on Google Meet. Google Meet is designed in a way that it handles video calls with over 100 members. It is mostly used to meet professional needs. Google Meet was also launched by the company on Nest Hub Max a few months ago. The latest decision to bring Google Duo services on Android TV is a part of Google’s larger push to introduce its video communication apps to bigger screens. The company in a blog post said that big screens are not only meant for professional meetings but for connecting with family and friends as well. It said that users will have an option to launch both one-on-one and group calls with the app which is in the making.

The enhanced services with new features will surely make video calling fun during the pandemic as communicating virtually is becoming a new normal. The video calling app is available on the Android and iOS platforms. Google Duo was first announced by Google at the developer conference in 2016 and was launched worldwide in the same year. The app allows users to make video calls in high definition. The app is based on phone numbers and therefore a separate list of contacts is not required for making calls. Users can make calls to anyone from their saved contact list in the handset.

First-Ever Case Of COVID19 Reinfection Surfaces In The United States

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Scientists in the US have come up with a scary report related to COVID19 recently. Experts in the Nevada lab have confirmed a case of COVID19 reinfection in a young adult. It would be the first documented case of a person who recovered from coronavirus and got infected again. It is the first case of reinfection among around 6 million COVID19 cases so far in the United States. Scientists say that although reinfection is possible, however, it is quite a rare incident. The most important factor to notice here is how quickly a person can be reinfected after the recovery. Dr. Mark Pandori from Nevada lad has said that it is a very dangerous that we still know everything about this virus. There is no proof that your immune system will protect you against the virus if you have been infected and recovered in the past.

A 25-year-old adult had developed some classic symptoms of COVID19 in Marchs after testing positive he went under treatment and started to feel better. He came up with two consecutive negative tests in May. However, after a couple of weeks, he started to feel ill again and later tested positive for COVID19. This time, he was admitted to the hospital with more serious symptoms. Researchers have been analyzing whether the virus has been mutating in his body all these while to make him infected with COVID19 again. Well, experts have discarded this theory saying that two virus are very diverse to change and mutate that fast in his body. They have now come up with a conclusion that he has been reinfected with a different version of the COVID19 virus.

Researchers have said that everyone is vulnerable to the virus even if you have been infected in the past or will be immunized in the future. This finding has scared many of experts who have been working round the clock to discover an effective vaccine for coronavirus and those who have been waiting for it. Scientists have been claiming that after being infected with the COVID19 once, people might develop immunity against it; however, it is so uncertain that how long that immunity will last. The world’s first documented case of COVID19 has been reported in Hong Kong. Well, some experts argue that the reinfection case in the US is entirely different from the one, which has been reported in Hong Kong, as the prior infection of the US patient has not been any help to fight off the virus.

Fed Governor Says US Economy Might Get In Bad Situation Because Of Rising Number Of Cases

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Many states in the USA are currently thinking of putting a stop on reopening decisions after seeing a massive spike in the number of coronavirus cases. Now president of federal reserves Eric Rosengren said the current situation might put economy again in a bad situation. Fed’s president says he has doubts about the current situation through which the US is going. Currently, every state follows the orders of reopening, but they are losing the long term benefits. As of now, most of the states that reopened the economy are on the opposite side of this decision. The number of cases in the USA are increasing at a very high rate.

This doubt had been raised earlier also by the Central Bank’s president Jeremy Powell. He said the virus is going to affect the viability of full economic rebound for a long time. People suffer the most because of coconuts, which causes lots of trouble for states economically. Rosengren said that as long as the virus is here in this country, we will not recover the economy like it was before entirely. This threat is going to affect the process of economic recovery, and the government will have to consider this fact.

People are still not following the required precautions, like wearing masks and other things. Things are escalating from the government’s hands quickly, which is getting problematic for the whole nation. The labor department’s data shows that new jobs created were just 1.8 million for July compared to 4.8 million in June. The Labor Department report shows half of the people who lost their jobs during a pandemic situation have recovered it, but the rate is getting slower every week. Considering the situation, the Fed’s chairman is having doubts about the full recovery of the economy.

Google Is Slowly Bringing Windows Applications To Chromebook

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Even though the big business rivalry between Google and Microsoft stops them from getting together, sometimes they have to forget the big competition and join hands. The current repairs might not clearly say how google and Microsoft are going to work, but for Chromebooks users, there is good news. Google is thinking of bringing Windows applications to Chromebook with the help of Parallels. Google’s product manager Cyrus Mistry said along with Chrome OS, they are going to introduce windows applications also on the Chromebooks. Parallels will provide the boot copy of Windows on Chromebook so that users can run Windows OS too.

Parallels have already developed such boot copy for macOS in which users have an option to run windows on MacBook. Parallels coherence feature allowed MacOS users to run both the operating systems without any problem, and now Google is going to use the same for Chromebook. People usually think that big tech companies can’t come together because of the rivalry. But, since the market is evolving, Google’s decision is going to be helpful for Chromebook users. Mistry talked about making this possible by working parallels since they have already done this for macOS, Linux, so it’s going to work for Google.

Users can enjoy both operating systems in one Chromebook, and that’s fantastic from their point of view. Google is trying to make the market more sustainable, and that’s why they are bringing windows OS on Chromebook also. The reports say Parallels desktop will be made available by the end of this year. So far, the response to Chromebook has been good, but users still want to see more features. Chromebook already recorded double the number of sales in the last year, so now they are trying to increase more customer base than they ever had.

Jeff Bezos Invested In The UK Based Digital Supply Chain Startup Beacon

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A UK based startup named Beacon received millions of dollars of funding from Jeff Bezos and other angel investors. Beacon, a digital freight forwarder is also a supply chain finance firm which gathers the real-time cargo delivery data and traces it. It’s been used as a marketplace for global shipping cost and delivery chargers mainly targeting small, and big businesses. Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of tech giant company Amazon is famous for investing very ambitious projects. This investment round was quite an excellent achievement for Beacon because other than Bezos the startup received the funding from 8VC venture firm.

The startup received in total $15 million of financing from series A investment which includes big investors. The company was formed by two former Uber technology executives a few years ago, and it has support from Uber’s former founder Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. Also, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has given support. Since the world is becoming more and more digital, the traditional way of freight forwarding is also going to need change. The CEO of Beacon Fraser Robinson said the future of conventional freight forward is more precarious than ever before.

Amazon is famous for making investments into the logistic, and related fields since the tech giant company Amazon is looking forward to dominating the e-commerce field. Amazon has already started its own delivery system by investing a considerable amount of money. Since the reliance on USPS and other third party delivery sources isn’t benefiting the company, this new investment in Beacon is also from the point of view that it would help the tech giant company in future. Beacon, the logistic service provider has air and truck freight, and this new funding the company said to be invested in acquiring technology and market expansion.

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