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Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market Emerging Trends, Business Opportunities, Segmentation, Production Values, Supply-Demand, Brand Shares and…

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Global Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market

The research report on the Global Virtual Reality in Healthcare market is an extensive survey and analysis of the market. The report studies the current market scenario and growth opportunities existing in the market during the forecast period. The report also includes reliable information about regional and global consumption to help readers understand the market dynamics. The report gives a detailed assessment of the the product portfolio, costs, sales, production capacities, and market players. Raw materials, demand analysis, product flow, and distribution channels have been studied and surveyed extensively in this research report.

The latest report covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market. The pandemic has dynamically affected all aspects of life on a global scale, along with drastic changes in the economy and market conditions. The report covers the currently fluctuating market scenario along with present and future assessment of the COVID-19 impact. The report encompasses the historical data, company overview, financial standing, and necessary information about the new and key players of the market.

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The major companies profiled in the Smart Glove Marketinclude:

Google, Mindmaze, DAQRI, Psious, CAE Healthcare, Medical Realities, Atheer, Augmedix , Oculus VR, Firsthand Technology, Siemens Healthineers, Philips Healthcare, 3D Systems , VirtaMed , Virtually Better.

The research report concentrates on:

Market segmentation of Global Virtual Reality in Healthcare market

Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

End user Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

Device type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

Regional Outlook (2016-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)

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Following points are covered in the Global Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market Report:

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To summarize, the Global Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market report is a dependable and authentic source for attaining crucial information and market insights to advance and boost your business significantly. The report covers all important aspects such as present and future economic scenarios, beneficial opportunities, limitations, drivers and constraints, market growth rate, and risks. The statistical survey is carried out by applying advanced analytical tools such as SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis.

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Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market Emerging Trends, Business Opportunities, Segmentation, Production Values, Supply-Demand, Brand Shares and...

Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Analysis by SWOT, Investment, Future Growth and Major Key Players 2020 to 2025 – Owned

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming (COVID-19) Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)

The Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, the impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations.

>>>Download Sample PDF (including COVID19 Impact Analysis, full TOC, Tables and Figures) of Tablet PC (COVID-19) Market: https://industrystatsreport.com/Request/Sample?ResearchPostId=679&RequestType=Sample

The detailed market intelligence report on the Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market applies the most effective of each primary and secondary analysis to weighs upon the competitive landscape and also the outstanding market players expected to dominate Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market place for the forecast 2019 2025.

Scope Of The Report:

Report evaluates the growth rate and the Market value based on Market dynamics, growth inducing factors. The complete knowledge is based on latest industry news, opportunities and trends. The report contains a comprehensive Market analysis and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.

Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, revenue (Million USD) The geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa) focusing on key countries in each region. It also covers market drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and key issues in Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market.

Key Benefits for Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Reports

Global market report covers in-depth historical and forecast analysis.

Global market research report provides detail information about Market Introduction, Market Summary, Global market Revenue (Revenue USD), Market Drivers, Market Restraints, Market Opportunities, Competitive Analysis, Regional and Country Level.

Global market report helps to identify opportunities in market place.

Global market report covers extensive analysis of emerging trends and competitive landscape.

Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Segmentation:

By Type

Hardware

Software

By Device Type

Smartphone

Gaming Console

Laptop/Desktop

By Region

North America

o U.S.

o Canada

o Mexico

Europe

o UK

o France

o Germany

o Russia

o Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

o China

o South Korea

o India

o Japan

o Rest of Asia-Pacific

LAMEA

o Latin America

o Middle East

o Africa

Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Key Players:

Microsoft Corporation

Sony Corporation

Electronic Arts

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

Linden Labs

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Facebook (Oculus)

HTC Corporation

Google Inc.

Telsa Studios

Other

This comprehensive report will provide:

Enhance your strategic decision making

Assist with your research, presentations and business plans

Show which emerging market opportunities to focus on

Increase your industry knowledge

Keep you up-to-date with crucial market developments

Allow you to develop informed growth strategies

Build your technical insight

Illustrate trends to exploit

Strengthen your analysis of competitors

Provide risk analysis, helping you avoid the pitfalls other companies could make

Ultimately, help you to maximize profitability for your company.

Our Market Research Solution Provides You Answer to Below Mentioned Question:

Which are the driving factors responsible for the growth of market?

Which are the roadblock factors of this market?

What are the new opportunities, by which market will grow in coming years?

What are the trends of this market?

Which are main factors responsible for new product launch?

How big is the global & regional market in terms of revenue, sales and production?

How far will the market grow in forecast period in terms of revenue, sales and production?

Which region is dominating the global market and what are the market shares of each region in the overall market in 2017?

How will each segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these segment account for in 2025?

Which region has more opportunities?

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We publish market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students.

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Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Analysis by SWOT, Investment, Future Growth and Major Key Players 2020 to 2025 - Owned

Panaya & Worksoft Partner to Deliver Change Intelligence with Smart Automation for SAP Customers – Yahoo Finance

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

The new, deeper end-to-end solution enables faster and safer transformational SAP S/4 HANA migration.

HACKENSACK, N.J., July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Panaya, the leader in SaaS-based Change Intelligence for SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce, today announced a new partnership with Worksoft providing SAP IT organizationswith a best in class Change Intelligence solution that enables SAP ECC users to migrate or optimize their system risk-free.

The partnership creates the perfect solution for Change Intelligence with smart test automation for SAP customers, and is ideal for both technical and business users, ensuring control and visibility into ERP projects. With Panaya and Worksoft's joint solution, any development, business, and test automation stakeholder can proactively manage and accelerate SAP change projects.

Thanks to the new partnership, Panaya's powerful impact analysis, and automatic code corrections are now also powered by the Worksoft Test Execution suite, resulting in cutting edge automation scoping. The joint solution enables customers to effectively manage S/4HANA system conversion, S/4HANA greenfield implementation, and ECC Optimization projects, always one step ahead with foresight into what to fix, what to test and what to automate.

"For our customers, this partnership enables a new level of continuous, automated quality assurance for SAP S/4HANA Brownfield and Greenfield migrations as well as ECC optimization. customers can work seamlessly from Panaya's platform, as a single source of truth where they can plan, execute and monitor manual and automated tests with the quality standards they have come to expect using Panaya," said David Binny, Panaya CEO. "With so many unknowns in today's climate amid an increasing number of pivots and tightening IT budgets, ensuring zero defects during critical business process change while optimizing on cost and quality is a huge challenge for our SAP customers. With Worksoft, we're giving strained IT teams the power to do more with less, reducing the time, cost, and risk of any S/4HANA system conversion, new implementation, or ECC optimization project by up to 50 percent.

The solution is a continuation of both Panaya and Worksoft's commitment to helping SAP customers in their transition to S/4HANA. By combining Panaya's Impact Analysis solutions and test management capabilities with Worksoft's continuous test automation platform, the deeper partnership provides the safest and most cost-effective way for your organization to maximize ROI on its current SAP system, or prepare for the next step in its ERP evolution.

"Panaya's Change Intelligence is now fully integrated with Worksoft's Connective Automation platform, offering customers unparalleled process understanding, automation and industry-leading change impact analysis," said Tony Sumpster, CEO at Worksoft. "The integrated platform is already providing value to leading fortune 50 customers, driving 614% ROI in less than six months for complex S/4HANA projects. "This powerful integration is a game changer across the SAP ecosystem, combining Panaya's Change Intelligence and Certify test automation to enable customers to deploy faster and reduce risk in major S/4 transformations."

About PanayaPanaya enables organizations to accelerate application change and continuously deliver innovation with its Change Intelligence Platform. Panaya provides cloud-based application delivery and testing solutions that ensure collaboration between Business and IT. Enabling enterprise agility with faster release velocity and uncompromising quality, Panaya delivers an optimized user experience with end-to-end visibility of the application lifecycle. Since 2008, 3,000 companies in 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have been using Panaya to deliver quick quality change to enterprise applications.

Press ContactMeghana ShendrikarAllison+Partners for Panayapanaya@allisonpr.com

About Worksoft Inc.Worksoft provides Connective Automation for the world's largest organizations, automating the full lifecycle of a business process from discovery to testing to RPA. Our codeless automation empowers QA teams and global leaders to deliver flawless applications faster and more efficiently with the ability to repurpose automation for RPA in production for maximum scalability. This enables Fortune 1000 companies to accelerate delivery for their mission-critical business applications like SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Workday, SuccessFactors, ServiceNow, and more. Chosen by SAP IT to test SAP applications and recognized by leading Global System Integrators, Worksoft automation is embedded into their ERP practices to support their Agile, DevOps, and SAFe methodologies and accelerate digital transformations.

Press ContactElizabeth BlackmanO | 972-993-0400info@worksoft.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panaya--worksoft-partner-to-deliver-change-intelligence-with-smart-automation-for-sap-customers-301102329.html

SOURCE Panaya

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Panaya & Worksoft Partner to Deliver Change Intelligence with Smart Automation for SAP Customers - Yahoo Finance

To Escape from the Effects of COVID-19, Mid-sized US Firms Turn to Automation – Nearshore Americas

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

The mid-sized enterprises in the United States are set to automate their business process in a bid to remain agile, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the economy.

In a survey commissioned by Inference Solutions, 64% of respondents stated that they would increase investment in automation technologies in the coming year. More than a quarter of organizations will increase their investment by 10% or higher, says the report.

When asked which automation technology will increase their resilience, 69% of respondents selected customer service automation, 54% chose employee service automation,39% named supply chain automation, and 37% flagged robotic process automation (RPA).

Many entrepreneurs appeared to be keener on increasing efficiency and productivity rather than reducing costs. Therefore, analysts say, tools that allow businesses to build and manage applications on their own will grow in demand over the coming months.

However, the companies eager to adopt automation are facing three major hurdles: reliance on professional services, cost, and development times.

Cloud-based, self-managed platforms that give businesses more control of their customer-and employee-facing self-service applications will be key to overcoming the barriers to adoption flagged in our research, saidCallan Schebella, Inference Solutions CEO.

More than 500 US IT decision-makers took part in the survey, which was conducted the last week of May this year.

Latest Study explores the Laboratory Robotics and Automation Market Witness High – GroundAlerts.com

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

The ' Laboratory Robotics and Automation market' research report now available with Market Study Report, LLC, is a compilation of pivotal insights pertaining to market size, competitive spectrum, geographical outlook, contender share, and consumption trends of this industry. The report also highlights the key drivers and challenges influencing the revenue graph of this vertical along with strategies adopted by distinguished players to enhance their footprints in the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market.

The Laboratory Robotics and Automation market report entails a comprehensive database on the future projections of the pivotal aspects of this industry vertical including market trends, current revenue, market size, and profit estimates. The research provides an outline of how the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market will perform by highlighting the key factors influencing the market dynamics and growth rate of the industry over the forecast period. Furthermore, challenges deterring the market growth as well as the growth opportunities across regional terrains are elucidated in the report. Additionally, the study encapsulates details pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market size.

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Key pointers from the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market report:

Addressing the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market with respect to the regional terrain

Laboratory Robotics and Automation Market categorization: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America

An overview of the details highlighted in the report with respect to the regional markets:

A comprehensive understanding of the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market in terms of the product and application spectrums:

Product landscape:

Product types: Low-Cost Laboratory Robotics, Biological Laboratory Robotics and Pharmaceutical Laboratory Robotics

Key insights offered in the report:

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Application landscape:

Application segmentation: Clinical Laboratories and Research Laboratories

Specifics covered in the report:

Other inferences from the report:

A gist of competitive terrain of the Laboratory Robotics and Automation market:

Major participants: Tecan Group, Aerotech, Yaskawa Electric, Protedyne (LabCorp), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Universal Robots, Hamilton Robotics, Anton Paar, Aurora Biomed, HighRes Biosolutions and Cleveland Automation Engineering

Key parameters that govern the competitive dynamics:

Significant Key Features Highlights of The Reports:

For More Details On this Report: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-laboratory-robotics-and-automation-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2020-2025

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Latest Study explores the Laboratory Robotics and Automation Market Witness High - GroundAlerts.com

Sonrai Security Introduces Automation Engine for Identity and Data Governance in the Cloud – Business Wire

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sonrai Security, a leader in identity and data governance, today announced the Governance Automation Engine for Sonrai Dig, re-inventing how customers ensure security in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Kubernetes by automatically eliminating identity risks and reducing unwanted access to data. This enables enterprise companies to achieve and maintain least privilege, enforce separation of duties, eliminate complex identity risks and lock down critical data. Workflow and role-based swimlanes route alerts and recommend actions to cloud, security, audit or DevOps teams, or deploy remediation bots to address security issues.

The new Governance Automation Engine helps enterprises address critical pain points including security breaches caused by identity policy misconfiguration and data risks that go beyond S3 buckets. It extends to include databases like Amazon RDS, DynamoDB, CosmosDB and many others, addressing disconnects among cloud, security, audit and DevOps teams with widely disparate cloud security toolsets.

The acceleration of migrations from on-prem datacenters to the cloud presents an entirely new set of challenges for global enterprises that cannot be fully addressed by the security approaches of the past, said Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst, IT-Harvest. Security for public clouds must center on effective governance and security of three critical control points -- identities, data and platform -- to understand, monitor and minimize risk. Effective solutions will be those that go well beyond simply presenting dashboards of cloud provider tools and bring entirely new identity and data analytics to the mix.

Cloud Security Complexity

For enterprise organizations, public cloud expansion quickly leads to hundreds of cloud accounts, thousands of data stores and tens of thousands of ephemeral pieces of compute involving multitudes of development teams. Improperly set up, this growing array of interdependencies and inheritances can open up many security risks such as over-permissioned identities, separation of duties risks and excessive access paths to critical data. Legacy cloud security tools have failed to address identity and data complexity and either miss critical vulnerabilities or send continuous alarms, creating high levels of noise that overwhelm security teams resources and lead to inaction.

Sonrai Dig

The Sonrai Dig platform builds a comprehensive graph detailing every relationship between identities (people and non-people) and data that exist within cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP and Kubernetes. Analytics provided atop that graph allows users to understand risk, eliminate risk and monitor it continuously. Swimlane workflows enable escalations, certifications and risk-exception handling and provide role-based access control for workloads, teams and cloud platforms to ensure adherence to policy.

New Automation Capabilities

The Governance Automation Engine for Sonrai Dig automatically dispatches prevention and remediation bots and provides safeguards in the form of code promotion blocks. Helping to ensure end-to-end security in public cloud platforms, Sonrai Dig also fosters excellence in the application lifecycle and in DevOps by preventing users from promoting code to the next stage of the development cycle if public cloud security requirements are unmet.

Extensive Integration Ecosystem

Sonrai Dig and its growing integration ecosystem have worked closely to ensure cross-platform compatibility through API integrations including:

Enterprise companies explosive expansion of cloud-native development creates a dizzying number of ways people and non-people identities access corporate data, creating unacceptable risk, said Brendan Hannigan, CEO, Sonrai Security. Sonrai provides unique technology to find and eliminate all of these risks, in a way that aligns with how applications are developed in todays world. Our swimlanes, workflow and remediation capabilities are integrated seamlessly to automatically de-risk complex environments and represent an entirely new and effective approach to security.

About Sonrai Security

Sonrai Security delivers an enterprise identity and data governance platform for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Kubernetes. The Sonrai Dig platform is built on a sophisticated graph that identifies and monitors every possible relationship between identities and data that exists inside an organizations public cloud. Digs Governance Automation Engine automates workflow, remediation, and prevention capabilities across cloud and security teams to ensure end-to-end security. The company has offices in New York and New Brunswick, Canada and is backed by Polaris Partners and TenEleven Ventures. For more information, visit https://sonraisecurity.com/

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Sonrai Security Introduces Automation Engine for Identity and Data Governance in the Cloud - Business Wire

Automation enables Mai Dubai to meet soaring demand for bottled… – Construction Business News

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

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Mai Dubai, a bottled water company fully owned by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), revealed that it has been able to successfully address more than 15 per cent increase in demand for bottled water, thanks to the companys advanced technological capabilities and a fully automated production unit. With eight fully automated production lines that are seamlessly integrated to two high bay warehouses, one for raw material and the other for finished goods, Mai Dubai has taken the lead step in technology adoption in the bottled water industry.

The operations of the facility are fully automated, starting from the arrival of raw material in the warehouses till the very end, contributing to 100 per cent hands-free operations. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) platforms are smartly integrated to ensure smart and smooth intra-logistics. Digitally operated crane systems, lifts, monorails and conveyors receive the packaging material and store them in high bay warehouse to be issued to the production lines when demanded by the ERP. The finished goods are then collected from the production lines and stacked in high bay warehouse.

Alexander van t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai, said: We have been able to effortlessly address the increasing demand for our products with highest efficiencies, optimized transactions, improved productivity and highly streamlined operations, thanks to our commitment to technology adoption. We are currently witnessing a flight to quality as consumers prefer a trusted brand, like Mai Dubai during challenging times such as this. The advanced, flexible technical robotic solutions that we use give us a competitive advantage, helping us achieve fast turnaround times, full traceability and error free transactions.

Artificial Intelligence-enabled and powered with smart data, our facility continues to run at a production capacity of over 1.5 million units per day. Whats more, the fully automated facility eliminates the need for human touch, from the receipt of packing materials all the way to the issuance of product to the sales vehicles, he concluded.

The Mai Dubai plant is powered with an 18.1 MW capacity roof top solar system, which is the highest solar capacity used in the global beverage industry. The company strives to provide innovative, safe, and efficient products and services while remaining socially and environmentally responsible.

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Automation enables Mai Dubai to meet soaring demand for bottled... - Construction Business News

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Will Carry First Spacesuit Materials to Mars – NASA Mars Exploration

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

In a Q&A, spacesuit designer Amy Ross explains how five samples, including a piece of helmet visor, will be tested aboard the rover, which is targeting a July 30 launch.

NASA is preparing to send the first woman and next man to the Moon, part of a larger strategy to send the first astronauts to the surface of Mars. But before they get there, they'll be faced with a critical question: What should they wear on Mars, where the thin atmosphere allows more radiation from the Sun and cosmic rays to reach the ground?

Amy Ross is looking for answers. An advanced spacesuit designer at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, she's developing new suits for the Moon and Mars. So Ross is eagerly awaiting this summer's launch of the Perseverance Mars rover, which will carry the first samples of spacesuit material ever sent to the Red Planet.

While the rover explores Jezero Crater, collecting rock and soil samples for future return to Earth, five small pieces of spacesuit material will be studied by an instrument aboard Perseverance called SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals). The materials, including a piece of helmet visor, are embedded alongside a fragment of a Martian meteorite in SHERLOC's calibration target. That's what scientists use to make sure an instrument's settings are correct, comparing readings on Mars to base-level readings they got on Earth.

Read on as Ross shares insights into the materials chosen and the differences between suits designed for the Moon and those for Mars. More information about SHERLOC and the rover's science can be found here.

Why were these particular materials on SHERLOC's calibration target selected?

Ross: The materials we're poking at the most are meant to be on the outer layer of a suit, since these will be exposed to the most radiation. There's ortho-fabric, something we have a lot of experience using on the outside of spacesuits. That's three materials in one: It includes Nomex, a flame-resistant material found in firefighter outfits; Gore-Tex, which is waterproof but breathable; and Kevlar, which has been used in bulletproof vests.

We are also testing a sample of Vectran on its own, which we currently use for the palms of spacesuit gloves. It's cut-resistant, which is useful on the International Space Station: Micrometeoroids strike handrails outside the station, creating pits with sharp edges that can cut gloves.

We included a sample of Teflon, which we've used in spacesuits for a long time as part of astronaut glove gauntlets and the backs of gloves. Just like a nonstick pan, it's slippery, and it's harder to catch and tear a fabric if it's slick. We also included a sample of Teflon with a dust-resistant coating.

Finally, there's a piece of polycarbonate, which we use for helmet bubbles and visors because it helps reduce ultraviolet light. A nice thing about it is it doesn't shatter. If impacted, it bends rather than breaks and still has good optical properties.

How will SHERLOC check the samples?

Ross: On Mars, radiation will break down the chemical composition of the materials, weakening their tensile strength. We want to figure out how long these materials will last. Do we need to develop new materials, or will these hang in there?

SHERLOC can get the spectra, or composition, of rocks the mission's scientists want to study. It can do the same thing for these spacesuit materials. We've already tested them on Earth, bathing samples in radiation and then analyzing their spectra. The results of those tests, conducted in ultraviolet vacuum chambers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, will be compared to what we see on Mars.

Will Martian dust be a challenge?

Ross: Sure, it's an engineering challenge, but there's no reason we can't design things to operate in dust. We're already developing things like seals that keep dust out of our bearings. Spacesuits have bearings at the shoulders, wrists, hip, upper thighs, and ankles. They all give an astronaut mobility for walking, kneeling, and other movements you'd need to get up close to rocks or maintain a habitat.

Remember, our suits inflate to over 4 pounds per square inch of pressure. That's not a crazy amount of pressure, but it's pretty stiff. When you put a human inside a balloon and ask them to move, they'll have trouble. It's as tight as the head of a drum. So we need to seal off the bearings so dust doesn't gunk them up.

We are looking for other ways to protect the suit from Martian dust over a long-duration mission. We know that a coated or film material will be better than a woven material that has space between the woven yarns. The two Teflon samples let us look at that as well as the performance of the dust-resistant coating.

How much would spacesuit design differ between the space station, the Moon, and Mars?

Ross: Spacesuit design depends on where you're going and what you're doing. The ISS suit is designed specifically for microgravity. If you go on a spacewalk, you're not really walking; you use your hands everywhere. Your lower torso is just used as a stable platform for your upper body. The suit is also exposed to two environmental sources of degradation: solar radiation and atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen is different from the oxygen we breathe. It's very reactive and can degrade spacesuit materials.

The Moon doesn't have the atomic oxygen problem but is worse than Mars in terms of radiation. You're pretty close to the Sun and have no atmosphere to scatter the ultraviolet radiation like you do on Mars. The Moon is a big testbed for the Artemis program. The environments of the Moon and Mars aren't exactly the same, but the durability challenges materials exposed over long periods of time at low pressures in a dusty environment are similar.

On Mars, you're farther from the Sun, and you have at least a little atmosphere to scatter the UV. But that's when the duration of exposure starts to get you. You have to plan on being exposed on the surface most of the time. Mars spacesuits will be more like ones we use for the Moon and less like those for the ISS. I'm trying to make the Moon suit as much like the Mars suit as possible.

Perseverance is a robotic scientist that weighs just under 2,300 pounds (1,043 kilograms). The rover's astrobiology mission will search for signs of past microbial life. It will characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. No matter what day Perseverance launches during its July 30-Aug. 15 launch window, it will land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

A division of Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. The mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans.

Rayhan’s arrest violates free speech rights: HRW – United News of Bangladesh

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Criticising Bangladeshi migrant worker Mohammad Rayhan Kabirs arrest by the Malaysian authorities, Human Rights Watch on Wednesday said the authorities should immediately release him and reinstate his work permit.

The Malaysian authorities arrest of Rayhan who was featured in an Al Jazeera documentary was clear retaliation for his criticism of government policies towards migrants, said a HRW statement published in its website.

The authorities arrested Kabir on July 24, 2020 and ordered his detention for 14 days for investigation.

The director-general of immigration announced that Kabir will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever. It is not clear whether he will also face criminal charges.

The Malaysian authorities actions against Kabir send a chilling message to all migrant workers that speaking out about rights abuses risks arbitrary arrest, deportation, and blacklisting, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director.

The arrest of a source in a documentary adds to the devastating assault on free speech and media freedom in Malaysia.

Kabir was featured in an Al Jazeera documentary that aired on July 3 about the treatment of migrant workers in Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

The government targeted both Kabir and Al Jazeera, with the news agency now facing potential charges of sedition, defamation, and violation of the Communications and Multimedia Act. Al Jazeera is also facing charges that it failed to obtain a license to make the film in an unprecedented use of Malaysias outdated National Film Development Corporation Act.

On the day of his arrest, Kabir wrote to a journalist saying, I did not commit any crime. I did not lie. I have only talked about discrimination against the migrants. I want the dignity of migrants and my country ensured. I believe all migrants and Bangladesh will stand with me.

Kabirs treatment by the authorities has raised important due process concerns, Human Rights Watch said.

After the documentary aired, the authorities widely circulated a search notice that included his photo, name, and address, putting him at risk in an environment increasingly hostile to migrants.

A few days later, the inspector-general of police announced to the media that the immigration department had revoked Kabirs work permit.

This, along with the announcement that he would be deported and blacklisted, was made without Kabir receiving notice or having an opportunity to be heard.

The governments public attacks on Kabir, at a time of rising xenophobia in Malaysia, serve to fan the flames of intolerance, Human Rights Watch said.

International human rights protections normally apply to non-nationals as well as citizens, including the rights to freedom of expression and due process.

The arrest of Kabir and investigation of Al Jazeera are part of a larger crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom in the country, with numerous journalists, civil society activists, and ordinary citizens facing investigation and prosecution for speech critical of the government.

Speaking to the media about the treatment of migrant workers is not a crime, nor is reporting on such abuses, Robertson said.

The Malaysian government should release Kabir and engage with the criticism to improve respect for human rights in the country.

Excerpt from:

Rayhan's arrest violates free speech rights: HRW - United News of Bangladesh

Behind Teslas Profits – Forbes

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

A shopper sits on a mobility scooter outside the Tesla Motors Inc. store at Westfield Stratford City ... [+] retail complex in London, U.K., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. Tesla, the electric-car maker led by Musk, had its first quarterly profits this year with a boost from selling California pollution credits. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

[7/23/2020] Soaring Emission Credit Sales Drive Teslas Q2 Beat

Tesla published Q2 2020 results on Wednesday, posting a net income of $104 million - well ahead of consensus estimates that projected a small loss. So how did Tesla manage to beat expectations by such a wide margin? Soaring regulatory credit sales were the primary reason.

The sale of regulatory credits rose to around $428 million in Q2, up from about $354 million in Q1 and just $111 million in Q2 2019. As these credits are almost pure profit (Tesla probably incurs no direct expenses to earn them), the company would very likely have reported a loss on a GAAP basis, if it didnt recognize these revenues. Moreover, we estimate that Teslas Automotive Gross Margins would have been lower by over 600 basis points (6%) in Q2 2020, if not for these sales.

Trefis

So why are Teslas emission credits sales soaring, when its automotive deliveries grew by just 3% sequentially and are down by about 5% year-over-year? Firstly, revenue recognition for these credits is quite lumpy and Tesla could sell vehicles in a quarter and recognize revenue from related credits in future quarters. Secondly, stronger demand for credits might also be driving up the price. The European Union introduced more stringent emission norms this year, requiring average Carbon Dioxide emissions per kilometre to drop to 95 grams from an average of over 120 grams in 2018 for passenger cars. Considering this, automakers need to buy credits from clean vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla in order to avoid large fines for breaking these new emissions rules. Fiat Chrysler is a large customer for Teslas credits - agreeing to buy credits worth roughly $2 billion over 2020 and 2021. [1]

To be sure, this cash cow wont last for too long. In the medium- to long-term, mainstream automotive companies will scale up their zero-emission vehicle sales, reducing the need to buy credits from Tesla.

However, Tesla should continue to improve its margins and profits via higher software sales and battery improvements (related: A Detailed Look At How Teslas Battery Costs Impact Its Gross Margins). Teslas self-driving software upgrades, which cost about $8,000 per vehicle currently, are highly lucrative and we estimate that they contributed about 400 basis points (4%) to Teslas Automotive Gross Margins of 21% in 2019. (See our analysis: How Do Teslas Software Upgrades Impact Its Margins?)

[5/1/2020] How Emission Credit Sales Helped Teslas Q1 2020 Results

Tesla posted a stronger than expected set of Q1 2020 results, despite the coronavirus pandemic, with revenues growing by ~32% year-over-year and adjusted profits coming in at $227 million, versus a loss of about $494 million a year ago. While the company benefited from strong deliveries of the Model 3 and a production ramp at its Shanghai factory, much of the improved profitability came from higher sales of emission credits which soared to about $354 million from an average of about $150 million over the last four quarters. If not for the spike in regulatory credit sales, Tesla would likely have barely broken even. Below, we take a look at how sales of regulatory credits have helped Tesla and why we believe the near-term outlook for the company looks quite challenging.

For more details on the outlook for Teslas revenues, view our dashboard analysis Tesla Revenues: How Does TSLA TSLA Make Money?

What Are Regulatory Credits And How Do They Help Tesla?

Several U.S. states and countries have Zero Emissions Vehicle regulations that require that clean vehicles account for a certain mix of auto manufacturers sales each year. If automotive companies, which still largely sell internal combustion engine-based vehicles, dont meet these standards, they can buy credits from the likes of Tesla that earn credits, as they only sell electric vehicles. Although the revenues from these credits are quite volatile they are very lucrative for Tesla, as it likely incurs no direct costs to earn them. The bump in these regulatory credit sales is likely to be partly responsible for the companys automotive gross margins expanding 300 bps sequentially to 25.5%. While its possible that such credits could become more valuable in the medium term, as new emissions regulations come into play in Europe and states in the U.S. look to enforce stricter norms, the current collapse in global auto sales could hurt revenues from ZEV credits in the near-term for Tesla.

Outlook Remains Tough For Tesla In The Near-term

Tesla is likely to face significant near-term revenue pressure and the company has put its 2020 guidance on hold, due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the broader economic recovery. There is little reason for people to buy expensive cars right now and Teslas production at its Fremont facility, which accounts for about three-quarters of its annual capacity, remains suspended and theres no clarity as to when it could resume.

However, despite significant near-term headwinds, the companys stock has continued to rally, almost doubling year-to-date. The company trades at a P/S multiple of about 6x, compared to GM which trades at about 0.3x, based on trailing revenues. This means that the stock has significant valuation risk, making it react more strongly to negative news compared to its peers.

Our theme Autos Fight COVID-19 contrasts the performance of Tesla stock, which is up almost 90% YTD, with mainstream automakers, who have seen their stocks fall by about 40%.

See allTrefis Price EstimatesandDownloadTrefis Datahere

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams |Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams

Behind Teslas Profits - Forbes

The 400% Tesla Rally Was Only The Beginning Of The EV Boom – OilPrice.com

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

The fate of the $2-trillion auto industry is now sealed: In this double disruption thats defying the global pandemic, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has gained over 433%, sailing past a $1,500 share price and a $300-billion valuation.

And absolutely everyone tied to this industry is catching the tailwinds.

EV startup Fisker opted to go public right at this time, seeing the industry writing on the wall.

Blink Charging (NASDAQ:BLNK) has gained 257% since June and is still climbing.

But investors eyeing more--and less obvious ways--to profit from the EV surge is this tie-in: The company that upstaged giant Uber and Lyft on the ESG Investing scene to bring the world the first-ever ride-hailing platform with an EV angle.

The next in line that could benefit from the massive EV surge is Facedrive (TSXV:FD,OTC:FDVRF), the startup leading the Canadian evolution of shared mobility--from EV and carbon-offset ride-sharing to acquisition-hungry food delivery, healthcare services, even COVID tracing tech--and much more.

There were EVs before Tesla. But no one wanted to drive them. Elon Musk changed that.

In the same way, there was ride-hailing before Facedrive. But it had no impact investing appeal. Facedrive is changing that.

Big money is no longer willing to risk it all on high-growth prospects with no ESG angle. Thats because ESG, or environmental, social and governance investing has become synonymous with risk mitigation, whether its related to climate change, human rights or simply good governance.

Facedrive has the new business model designed to lure in this big money.

Its sharp, sleek, ultra-high-tech, eco-friendly and comes with a complete ESG value chain of services.

Its the first to offer riders a choice of EVs and hybrids, and to plant trees to offset its carbon footprint.

Its the first to bring cities and communities on as stakeholders, and to treat its drivers as people who deserve living wages.

Its the first to truly view ride-sharing as one part of a much bigger ESG shared mobility picture that all hinges on the most advanced technology.

Now, its starting to go international, and even giant Amazon (NASDAQ::AMZN) has taken notice.

A series of smart acquisitions, new service launches and FAANG-level and Tier-1 corporate partnerships have positioned it to be a key challenger to the shared mobility throne.

The news flow has been fast and furious even beyond acquisitions, with corporate tie-ins to Amazon and Canadas Telus telecoms giant and even government endorsement for its high-tech COVID tracing and its planned to start flowing even faster.

Here are 6 Reasons to keep a close eye on this space:

#1 Facedrive: The New ESG Poster Child

ESG Investing isnt just a trend--its a megatrend. And it isnt just a megatrend, even. It hit that status in 2018 at the $30-billion mark.

Now its a craze thats tied sustainability directly to risk mitigation instead of morals. In other words, its where the big money is flowing, and where the big money is to be made.

Just ask BlackRock, which has now replaced Goldman Sachs to become the King of Wall Street.

Facedrive (TSXV:FD,OTC:FDVRF) is about sustainability across its entire chain of ESG-focused services and revenue streams.

Thats because it saw the trend coming in advance--way back in 2016.

It saw where things would go wrong for Uber, the first ride-sharing giant that completely ignored sustainability--not to mention profit--with studies showing that ride-hailing results in nearly 70% more pollution than whatever transportation it displaced.

Thats where Facedrive launched its ESG coup: Offering customers a choice theyve never had in ride-hailing. Facedrive customers can choose from EVs, hybrids or conventional cars, and then rest assured that part of the CO2 footprint they might leave behind is offset by Facedrive tree-planting. Globally each year, plants remove about 25% of the carbon emissions produced by human activities

And this premium environmentally-friendly service doesnt come at a cost premium, nor do drivers lose out on fares for the green initiative.

That puts Facedrive at the lucrative crossroads of two megatrends: The disruption of the global transportation service industry heading towards $7.5 trillion in 2023 and the ESG investing trend that has far more demand than supply right now.

And while green ride-sharing will be pinging the radar of ESG-hungry investors on Wall Street, Facedrive has a major lineup of other services that all tick the rider-relationship revenue box and all play into the sustainability trend ...

#2 Partnership Deals With Corporate Giants

When Facedrive officially launched its Corporate Partnership Program on June 30th, to anyone paying attention, it was a huge deal because it included giant Amazon--just for starters.

Both global e-commerce giant Amazon and Canadian Tier-1 telecoms giant Telus jumped in on Facedrives corporate partnership program. And that news flew right under the radar because it wasnt officially announced and was revealed only after Facedrive released its Q2 earnings report.

That means both giants will be Corporate partners of Facedrive and that their employees will receive preferred rates on Facedrive products and services.

And they wont just be using Facedrive in Canada, theyll be helping it expand its technology infrastructure around the world as Facedrive branches out internationally.

With Amazon and Telus on board, more companies are likely to join.

What theyre following is the ESG trend on a very large portfolio of sustainable services that all take advantage of wider potential of rider-platform relationships.

Theyre also following what has become a clear challenge not only to giant Uber, but to the entire food delivery industry, too.

#3 Storming the Food Delivery War Zone

Facedrive (TSXV:FD,OTC:FDVRF) is pursuing aggressive expansion in this space--but is not prepared to pay premium prices like Uber has been.

On July 10th, Facedrive finalized a deal to acquire the assets of Foodora Canada, a subsidiary of giant Delivery Hero--the $20-billion multinational food delivery service operating food delivery services in 40 countries and services over 500,000 restaurants. And its a brand that doesnt have the negative reputational baggage of Uber Eats or DoorDash.

Facedrives acquisition of the Foodora Canada food delivery business gives it hundreds of thousands of user contacts and over 5,500 new restaurant partners, making the launch of Facedrive Foods a major power play in Canada.

The deal comes at a time when the food delivery segment is undergoing a global war thats even more intense than the streaming wars. Its also a war that is likely to result in premium-price rival takeovers. After all, by 2027, the global food delivery business is expected to be closing in on $100 billion.

Overnight, Facedrive is set to position itself into the top echelon of Canadian food delivery services. The next move is international expansion.

#4 Government Endorsement of Proprietary COVID Tracing Tech

Facedrive engineered a major coup at the height of the COVID pandemic, launching TraceSCAN, a homegrown Canadian COVID-19 tracing solution and the only well-known viable application that features Bluetooth wearable tech integration.

Its also got one of the biggest labor unions in the world on board, and more recently--official endorsement from the Government of Ontario.

Facedrive has now partnered with LiUNA--one of the largest labor unions in the world--to help protect the health and safety of its 130,000 members and their families in Canada.

Now, Facedrive is the definitive leader in this space in Canada.

The government isnt just endorsing the tech, its supporting its deployment--far and wide. Its the only tech that can effectively help trace coronavirus infections, and it will be crucial to contact tracing on everything from Parliament Hills major renovation project in Ottawa, to corporate offices, sporting events, healthcare facilities, long-term care facilities and outdoor venues.

That is a major proprietary coup for a shared mobility company that is disrupting multiple industry segments with the notion that this is about far more than getting from Point A to Point B. Its an entire ecosystem of sustainability revenues.

Another important development is that its social distancing app now has 500,000 downloads within one month of launching.

#5 The Right Kind of Branding for Mass Appeal

Millennials have changed the future of investing, and that means branding has to pay attention to where all the money is coming from. Branded correctly, shared mobility can reach into countless revenue streams to tap into the rider relationship.

Facedrive isnt just creating multiple services. Its creating a lifestyle.

And the company leaves few stones unturned here, including its own line of exclusive, celebrity-branded clothing.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were the first to jump on board, attracted by the ESG portfolio and the Facedrive people and planet first motto.

Now, Will Smith has co-branded an entire line of exclusive clothing with Facedrive with his Bel Air Athletics clothing brand.

And his company with Jada Pinkett Smith, WestBrook Inc., is partnering with this rideshare startup that is now expanding internationally to challenge Uber for the throne.

Over 1,000 new products co-branded by Bel Air and Facedrive have launched on the Facedrive marketplace website and the demand has been great.

As always, sustainability is the name of the game, with Bel Air and Facedrive pursuing 100% sustainably sourced materials by next year.

#6 The Name of the Game Is Ultimate Impact

Initiatives that have the capacity for widespread impact are drawing investors in flocks. And with the socially conscious millennial generation launching itself into the market and 30-some-odd years from retirement, this trend is beyond mega. Big money has latched onto it firmly now.

And Facedrive (TSXV:FD,OTC:FDVRF) is adding impact to everything from ride-sharing and food delivery to COVID tracing and exclusive clothing for a solid line-up of ESG services in a single shared mobility company.

So, welcome to the conscientious revolution, led in part by Facedrive.

But pay attention to the numbers because Stakeholder capitalism is a trending term, embraced even by mainstream organizations, and its what Facedrive is all about.

And the high-speed news flow

Facedrive only publicly launched in Q3 2019, and the list of deals and developments has been hard to keep up with:

Its rare to see a new company moving this fast to take advantage of multiple opportunities provided by everything from giant Ubers missteps to a global pandemic and the march of big capital toward sustainable investing.

Its on the right side of history: In lock-step with Teslas EVs and BlackRocks impact investing takeover of Wall Street ... and the tailwinds are ferocious.

Conclusion

The dramatic rise of all things green in the stock market has been a boon for companies like Facedrive, Tesla, and Blink Charging.

COVID-19 should have put the brakes on the the EV industry boom because of a pandemic lull in driving in Q2--but it didnt.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has been tearing it up, with its stock price skyrocketing this year. Not only is Teslas auto business booming, its even taken a dive into the solar sector, creating rooftop solar panels that are cheaper and more efficient than traditional sources.

Smashing Wall Street consensus left and right, there seems to be no stopping Tesla, and its taking the rest of the industry along for a ride in its wake.

Teslas rise has even helped propel Blink Charging into the spotlight.

Blink (NASDAQ:BLNK), an electric vehicle charging company, has risen by 319% in just three months, and its showing no signs of slowing. A flurry of new deals, including a collaboration with EnerSys have created some support for the relative newcomer.

Michael D. Farkas, Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman of Blink noted, This is an exciting collaboration with EnerSys because it combines the industry-leading technologies of our two companies to provide user-friendly, high powered, next-generation charging alternatives. We are continuously innovating our product offerings to provide more efficient and convenient charging options to the growing community of EV drivers.

Another high-profile deal between Blink and Envoy Technologies to deploy electric vehicoes and charging stations adds further support.

Aric Ohana, CEO of Envoy noted, Were excited to work with Blink on the deployment of their fast Level 2 charging stations as part of our exclusive electric car-sharing service. The vision of our two companies is aligned: to advance the adoption of electric vehicles. To continue to drive the growth and success across our expanding locations, we have to ensure that our clients have easy and efficient access to high-quality, reliable charging equipment. Blink has an established reputation as an innovator in the EV market, and we are thrilled to add them as a preferred partner.

While millennial Robinhood traders might be leading the charge, its clear that theres a demand for eco-friendly alternatives.

Blackrock (NYSE:BLK) makes this trend all too clear. The worlds largest asset manager has played a key role in fueling the hype. Its planning to more than 10x that number over time though, aiming to boost that number to over $1 trillion by 2030.

This should serve as a massive wake-up call for investors everywhere, as BlackRock - the $84 billion hedge fund - has replaced Goldman Sachs as the most important banking company in the world.

Thats also the reason its gone beyond banking, even reaching 4th branch of government status.

Its not alone though. Many across Wall Street and beyond have been vocal about the direction ESG investing is heading.

Even Amazons Jeff Bezos is on board. In addition to his $10 billion green fund, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is investing big on the transportation of tomorrow too leading a $700 million investment round in EV startup Rivian before acquiring robo-taxi startup Zoox for over $1 billion.

But its not just limited to transportation. Earlier in July, Perpetual Limited, an Australian asset manager, acquired sustainable investment firm Trillium Asset Management, for a massive $3.3 billion!

The money involved in this global shift toward sustainability is staggering.

And Uber (NASDAQ:UBER) still hasnt seem to have gotten the message.

Though it has been incredibly successful in disrupting the entire transportation market in just a few short years, Uber is still struggling with debt, and its public image is dwindling as it fails to meet the new standard of sustainability.

Ubers ex- CEO Travis Kalanick once said, "A city that welcomes Uber onto its roads will be a city where people spend less time stuck in traffic or looking for a parking space," adding, "It will be a cleaner city, where fewer cars on the road will mean less carbon pollutionespecially since more and more Uber vehicles are low-emission hybrid vehicles."

But the reality couldnt be further from the truth. In fact, in many studies, it has been revealed that Uber actually increases emissions in these cities. And thats why the world so desperately needs an alternative.

This is where Facedrive has stepped up, offering users are choice to pick a greener ride and even if they dont, the company actively offsets emissions a win-win for customers.

Canadian companies are getting on board, as well.

Telus Corporation (TSE:T)

Telus long-standing commitment to putting its customers first fuels every aspect of its business, has had it a definitive leader in Canada. In fact, Telus Health is one of the countrys biggest healthcare IT providers. And its done so with sustainability in focus.

Driven by its goal to connect all Canadians for good, it has contributed over $55 in community giving, reduced emissions by 31% and has four consecutive years on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

Shopify Inc (TSX:SH)

Shopify is a rapidly-expanding tech giant in the e-commerce sector. Its already got over 1 million businesses using its platform, including Budweiser, Tesla and Red Bull. Shopify has revolutionized the e-commerce world, allowing anyone, even if they do not know how to code, build and deploy an e-commerce website. And its not without its ethical grounding, either. Shopify is pushing towards sustainability in a major way. It has started its own sustainability fund, which it adds $5 million to each year to help tackle the looming climate crisis.

Shaw Communications Inc (TSE:SJR.B)

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The 400% Tesla Rally Was Only The Beginning Of The EV Boom - OilPrice.com

Tesla could reap benefits of truly exciting glassy metal battery research – The Driven

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

A rare glassy lithium metal observed by battery researchers, including Shirley Meng, the research partner for the Maxwell Technologies business acquired by Tesla in 2019, could lead to faster charging, higher capacity EV batteries.

This is truly exciting!!! Glassy lithium might be the answer to the quest for fast charging lithium metal batteries, said Meng in the tweet on Tuesday (Australian time).

Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has previously flagged Maxwells dry cell technologies as key to its planned electric Cybertruck.

It is not outside the realms of possibility that if the new research leads to commercially viable and significant battery improvements it will also be utilised by Tesla.

This is truly exciting!!! Glassy lithium might be the answer to the quest for fast charging lithium metal #batteries Thank our partners at @INL and @PNNLab Battery500 consortium continues to make progress @LESC_Public @UCSDJacobs @NANO_UCSD https://t.co/Mw4fwCvuT9

Ying Shirley Meng (@YingShirleyMen1) July 27, 2020

According to a release published by INL, the researchers found that by slowly charging lithium atoms at a very low rate produced a new glassy lithium material that has never been observed before and which can improve charging behaviour.

As The Driven has noted previously, lithium metal offers great potential for electric car batteries in its ability to store more energy and because it is lighter than graphite which is traditionally used for anodes.

However, it has inherent stability issues because the lithium atoms deposit in varying crystalline form onto an anode when a cell is being made.

Because cracks appear in polycrystalline batteries every time they are charged and discharged, this means batteries using lithium metal are currently not considered rechargeable.

The INL and UCSD researchers were seeking to better understand the nucleation process (when lithium atoms first come together) in the belief that improving regularity of the first early atom deposits could greatly improve cell performance.

That initial nucleation may affect your battery performance, safety and reliability, said Gorakh Pawar, an INL staff scientist and one of the papers two lead authors in a statement.

It is critical to comprehend the underlying mechanism of lithium depositionespecially in the very early stage of nucleation, they wrote.

The researchers were surprised to find that in certain conditions, instead of the usual crystalline form created during nucleation, that an amorphous, or glassy, form was taken.

Compared to crystalline lithium, glassy lithium outperforms in electrochemical reversibility and is a desired structure for high-energy rechargeable batteries, the authors wrote.

According to Meng, the discovery was made by using a powerful electron microscope to see the creation of the lithium metal embryos, after which computer simulations helped explain what they saw.

The power of cryogenic imaging to discover new phenomena in materials science is showcased in this work, said Shirley Meng, who led UC San Diegos pioneering cryo-microscopy work.

Meng said that because imaging and spectroscopic data observed are often complicated, It is true teamwork that enabled us to interpret the experimental data with confidence because the computational modeling helped decipher the complexity.

EVen more exciting is that the researchers believe the amorphous nucleation structure could be retained throughout the anode structure growth.

We can make amorphous metal in very mild conditions at a very slow charging rate, said Boryann Liaw, an INL directorate fellow and INL lead on the work. Its quite surprising.

Next steps are for the research to be applied to high-capacity batteries, which the researchers hope could be help meet the goals of the Battery500 consortium, a US department of energy initiative that aims to develop commercially viable electric vehicle batteries with a cell level specific energy of 500Wh/kg.

Citation:Glassy Li metal anode for high-performance rechargeable Li batteriesWang, X., Pawar, G., Li, Y. et al. Glassy Li metal anode for high-performance rechargeable Li batteries.Nat. Mater. (2020).https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-0729-1

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology and has been writing about electric vehicles for two years. She has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum.

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Tesla could reap benefits of truly exciting glassy metal battery research - The Driven

Jamie Foxx Uses All the Swears in a Tesla Test Drive – Autoweek

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Renaissance man Jamie Foxx got what looks to be his first taste of electric torque in a Tesla Model 3 Performance this week on his YouTube channel. The comedian, songwriter and actor says his friends have been hounding him to drive one, and he does his best imitation of a car reviewer, which isnt very good. Thats OK, the impressively ripped Foxx has other talents, like playing Mike Tyson in an upcoming biopic.

Ive only been in a few Teslas during my tenure here at Autoweek. Circumstances seemed to always be against me. The first one was stuck at the bosss house with a charger issue; the second died after half a track day. But do I remember a similar string of expletives coming out of my mouth the first time I was riding shotgun and went from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds.

Foxx does what he does best, crack jokes to the camera, while driving. He floors it a few times, letting out a string of swear words each time. He also slips into a Dwayne Johnson impression for a moment, which is not surprisingly great. His cohorts film it all from the passenger seat.

He swaps into semi-autonomous mode for few minutes and does a little dance, having to be reminded that the driver needs to touch the wheel periodically. He then pretends to take a nap, which I want to say is not funny, but almost anything Foxx does IS funny. Dont do that, people. Dont try to take a nap in your Tesla.

Foxx finishes off the video with the old, step-out-of-the-car-and-give-your-final-thoughts bit, but of course he just cracks jokes. Wed expect nothing less.

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Jamie Foxx Uses All the Swears in a Tesla Test Drive - Autoweek

Opinion: Tesla is defying the laws of brand-building – AdAge.com

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Elon Musk is commonly compared to comic-book heroesthe brainy, scientific kind like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne, grappling with huge problems and inventing technologies to save the planet.

One of his lesser-known superpowers, however, has been his ability to defy the laws of brand building, establishing Tesla as the cool, aspirational brand of the decade without advertising of any kind. Tesla sits in a sector that spends big on advertising; Toyota Motor Corp spent $4.4 billion in 2018. But in July, Musks operation became the most valuable car company in the world, zooming ahead of Toyota without spending a dollar on ad campaigns. Even Apple and Amazon advertise.

How is Tesla doing it?

Musk does not lack marketing smarts. He once saidBrand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time. Sometimes it will be ahead, other times it will be behind. But brand is simply a collective impression some have about a product.

Musk knows the foundations of branding and, presumably, how advertising has contributed to the growth of household names including McDonalds or Chevrolet. But he wants to generate positive perception for Tesla without spending those ad dollars. One of his core values is that hed rather go all-in on the product.

Musk has followed this mantra in bringing the companys mission, to accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy, to life. For Tesla, this isnt just a brand statement that lives on the website or in its Impact Report. It is a filter the company has used since its inception to inform everything it says, builds and doescreating consistency that is matched by few, and flexibility to grow and evolve.

Teslas adherence to its mission has accelerated the transformation of a scrappy American sports car manufacturer into a cutting-edge energy ecosystem provider that operates around the globe.

When Tesla was founded in 2003, electric vehicles were widely perceived as undesirable:ugly, inadequate and expensive. Instead of tiptoeing around these barriers, Tesla took on all of them.

From a product viewpoint, Musk has made the right plays with a high-end aspirational model that pushes the category forward in terms of performance and design, while gradually introducing more affordable entry points that benefit from the brands halo effect. And Teslas high standards dont stop with the vehicle. The entire user journey has been upended by the business.

Hosting product events that rival the likes of Apple and Google. Choosing to have no dealerships. Building charging networks across markets. Delivering vehicles directly to customers and servicing them in their driveways. Evolving performance with over-the-air software updates. There isno shortage of examples of how Tesla is rethinking the way people experience the brand.

By focusing on disrupting the details, Tesla quickly overtook traditional auto manufacturers and set its sights on comparison with other exemplary brands, most notably the tech giants.

Musk knows better than anyone the value of a charismatic, rebellious CEO to establish a strong positioning. He is synonymous with the Tesla brand, bringing along the Silicon Valley swagger of a tech company founder/CEO who moves in influential and celebrity circles, guaranteeing mainstream coverage along the way.

Tesla has also shunned theclich that innovative companies must be shrouded in secrecy. Instead, he has adopted an unparalleled open and conversational approach. Musk is truly only a tweet away, bouncing from answering technical queries to debating critics. When the Cybertruck was involved in a window-smashing foul-up, Musk didnt hesitate to take to Twitter and give an explanation of what happened.

Being visible and joining conversations builds rhythm and momentum around brand activity, maintaining interest from reveal to development to release. It also manages expectations, sharing progress early and often to lessen the focus on meeting specific deadlines. Lastly, it creates transparency and a sense of ownership, allowing many people to feel like they are a part of Teslas journey and become the brands loudest ambassadors.

Circumstances and market goals change. There is a motion about advertising on the table for the shareholder meeting in September. Tesla cannot be defined as a challenger brand anymore, given its market valuation. If the company is to become a mass market marque, selling the forthcoming Model Y SUV and its other cars to millions a year, it will have to pay up for advertising at some point. Doing so will be key to attracting elusive customers and strengthening price points.

If Tesla's advertising invokes its sustainable-energy mantra as well as high-end aspirations for performance and design, itsmedia plan and execution could leaverivals in the dust.

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Opinion: Tesla is defying the laws of brand-building - AdAge.com

Here are the biggest analyst calls of the day: Shopify, Tesla, Alphabet & more – CNBC

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Harley Finkelstein, COO, Shopify

Scott Mlyn | CNBC

(This story is for CNBC PRO subscribers only.)

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Tuesday:

Seaport initiated Mondelez and Kellogg as buy and said it was focused on companies that will come through stronger after the coronavirus crisis passes.

"We are initiating coverage of seven food companies, including ADM, K, MDLZ, and SMPL with a Buy rating; and ANDE, BGS, and TSN with a Neutral rating. The food industry landscape changed dramatically with COVID-19 last March, and there is no recent historical period to even begin comparing how the industry may fare over the next 1-2 years. Therefore, we are focused on companies where earnings projections may appear either significantly under or overstated, and companies that should come through the back end of COVID-19 as stronger entities."

Raymond James said in its initiation of thepharmaceutical company that Bristol Myers has several clininal trial updates coming later this year which could improve the "current growth story."

"Our analysis of the drug portfolio suggests that clinical updates during 2H 2020 could improve sentiment around the current growth story, but may not resolve structural questions regarding long-term growth. Our thesis is predicated on the following key points: 1) pivotal read-out for BMS-986165 in psoriasis during 2H 2020 could set a positive outlook for the potential of the TYK2 franchise to differentiate against the JAK class;"

Here are the biggest analyst calls of the day: Shopify, Tesla, Alphabet & more - CNBC

Audi CEO: Tesla is ‘two years ahead’ of the curve – CarAdvice

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Audi hopes to develop an all-new autonomous electric car by 2024, but its boss admits they're already behind.

Audi's new CEO believes Tesla has a major head-start on the rest of the automotive industry, admitting his company has some catching up to do in the electric car space.

Markus Duesmann, who took the helm at Audi on April 1, 2020, said Elon Musk's company is "two years ahead" of Audi when it comes to the development of in-car software, autonomous capabilities and battery technology.

Currently, Tesla has larger batteries because their cars are built around the batteries," Mr Duesmann said in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt,

"Tesla is two years ahead in terms of computing and software architecture, and in autonomous driving as well."

Mr Duesmann said the newly established 'Artemis' project a research program overseen by a team of automotive and technology experts was seeking to address this discrepancy by fast-tracking the development of an all-new autonomous, electrified Audi car by 2024.

"In Artemis we bring together all specialists who work on the most modern technologies," Duesmann said. "It will be a centre of excellence that we have never had before."

According to Reuters, he also revealed Audi is targeting 40,000 sales of its E-Tron badged electric cars globally by the end of 2020, after selling more than 17,000 units in the first six months of the year an increase of 86.8 percent on 2019.

According to recent sales figures from Audi, the E-Tron SUV is the top-selling fully electric SUV in Europe, beating out competitors like Tesla's Model X, the Mercedes-Benz EQC and the Jaguar I-Pace.

However, the Audi boss also acknowledged the coronavirus pandemic had created challenges he believes the automotive industry is unlikely to recover from until at least 2022 or even 2023.

We certainly expect the coronavirus crisis to have longer-term effects, Mr Duesmann said.

MORE: Everything AudiMORE: Everything Tesla

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Audi CEO: Tesla is 'two years ahead' of the curve - CarAdvice

Check Out This Tesla-Powered Electric Van Project: Behind The Scenes – InsideEVs

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

If you've been following the electric vehicle space for some time, there's a good chance you're familiar with EV West. The store, located in California, specializes in electric car parts and components. More importantly, they're a major player when it comes to EV conversions.

EV West's work attracts the attention of EV advocates and YouTube influencers, so you may have seen projects like its electrified Volkswagen bus, as well as others. More recently, EV West reached our toBen Sullinswith a picture of a plain and simple all-electric van. Sullins took a trip out to EV West to check out the project.

As it turns out, the vehicle is an electric van made in Europe by a company named Modec. It entered the U.S. under the name eStar. This van was the only vehicle the company ever made, though it was available as a cab with a chassis, a box van, and a drop-side van. It has a weak motor and a small lead-acid battery, which only offer about 100 miles of range and a 50 mph top speed.

In the end, the company was failing and ended up merging with Navistar International. Despite the merger, the company eventually failed. EV West got ahold of an old Modec box van and is currently upgrading it to achieve better performance and 200 miles of range. Once complete, it could be used as a work van, converted to a passenger van, or even an EV or camper. The potential here is limitless.

Check out the video for all the details. Then let us know what you think of this project. What would you do with this electric van? We'll keep you posted on how the project turns out.

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Check Out This Tesla-Powered Electric Van Project: Behind The Scenes - InsideEVs

Thinking Outside the Classroom: Astronomical phenomena you can see during the day – Summit Daily News

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

At Keystone Science School, we highlight and celebrate the celestial events that happen in our ever-changing night sky to teach about Earth and space science. We dont just teach facts about the night sky but want you to experience it.

And did you know there are astronomical phenomena you can see during the day? Here are a few you very likely will see while you are basking in the Summit County summer sunshine.

Sundogs

Also called a mock sun, it is an optical phenomenon occurring in the atmosphere consisting of a subtly bright-colored spot or patch to one or both sides of the sun and are seen usually after sunrise and near sunset.

Sundogs are created when sunlight is refracted by horizontal ice crystals in the atmosphere.Think of the ice crystal having the shape of a dinner plate on a table.A sundogs patch is at the same altitude as the sun, and as the sun move closer to the horizon, the patches move closer to the sun.

The moon and planets

How many of you were unaware the full moon can be seen in the daytime sky?In general, the moon is always below the horizon while the sun is above the horizon on the date of a full moon. Yet when the conditions are just right, you might be able to see a full moon very close to the horizon and directly opposite the sun during daylight.For the rest of the month, the best time to see a daytime moon is when it is at a 90-degree angle with the sun, and the moon is in its first or last quarter phase.

Another factor that makes the moon visible during the day is its brightness. As the moon reflects sunlight back to Earth, it appears brighter against the scattered blue light background of the sky.This is why you can see the planets of Venus and Jupiter and even exceptionally bright stars during day. Look for them, too.

Glories

Glories are formed when sunlight is scattered back to the observer (backscattering) because small water droplets, mist or clouds in the atmosphere are acting similar to a prism resulting in an optical phenomenon of concentric colored circles.(Think of a saints halo.)

Glories are always opposite the sun (antisolar) and below the horizon, expect at sunrise and sunset.For glories to happen, the sun must be directly behind the observer and might appear as a shadow around the head of the individual, a halo.

Glories are frequently seen by airplane passengers looking down at the airplanes shadow below them.Here in Summit County, glories are most often seen standing at or near a mountains summit and on hillsides.Look for one during your next hike.

Circumzenithal arcs

This phenomenon is said to be a smile in the sky with an observers first impression being that of an upside-down rainbow.Similar to sundogs, the arc is formed by the same plate-shaped hexagonal ice crystals acting as prisms and also when the sun is low near the horizon.When you see a sundog, its a safe bet there is a circumzenithal arc overhead.

To see the arc, youll want to look straight up to the point in the sky that is directly overhead.This point is called the zenith.The curved edge of the arc will be extending down toward the sun. When you find the arc, look to discriminate the variation in colors with violet on top and red at the bottom.Unlike rainbows, circumzenithal arc colors are purer with crisp definition because there is less overlap in their formation.

Anticrepuscular rays

These rays appear as parallel shafts of light and are also called antisolar rays because they seem to converge at the point opposite the sun toward a vanishing point just like a long, straight road appears to converge to the distance horizon.You will see these rays oftentimes just after sunrise or just before sunset.Be aware the cloud structure can influence whether the sunlight can be seen as beams.

Like glories, these anticrepuscular rays are caused by the same backscattering of light and are frequently seen during mountain hikes.The rays will appear triangular, no matter the shape of the mountain, with the peak of the mountain acting as the antisolar vanishing point.

Challenge yourself, your friends and family to find each of these daytime astronomical wonders while you while away the dog days of summer.So go outside, look up, be curious and wonder.

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Thinking Outside the Classroom: Astronomical phenomena you can see during the day - Summit Daily News

To Mars! Perseverance rover all set to launch on Thursday 30 July – SYFY WIRE

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

Tomorrow, NASA plans to launch the Perseverance rover (and its helicopter, Ingenuity) to Mars. The launch window opens at 11:50 UTC (07:50 Eastern US time) and is about two hours long.

First things first: If you want to watch it live, you can always rely on NASA's livestream, and/or their YouTube and Twitch channels. Also, The Planetary Society is hosting a virtual launch party starting at 11:30 UTC (07:30 ET) with guests and information; it's free but you need to register to join in.

The launch will be using an Atlas V rocket, which should put on a good show. It's a big rocket, and will give the mission a push hard enough to get it to arrive at Mars on 18 February 2021.

So what's this mission about? In a word: Life. In two words: Martian life. In slightly more words: Looking for direct evidence of ancient life of Mars, looking for conditions that could've supported life then or still possibly can now, as well as seeing if it's possible for humans to explore Mars.

In many ways Perseverance is like the previous rover Curiosity; they use the same chassis and overall architecture both in the rover as well as the landing system (remember the Seven Minutes of Terror?). But there are big differences. One main one is that Perseverance has a drill that will allow it to get core samples of interesting rocks, and then store the samples in containers that it will leave behind on the surface to be picked up later by a future mission (TBD).

Also, there's a helicopter. A helicopter! Ingenuity is mounted under Perseverance, and will be placed on the ground to do a series of short flights over the next 30 days. It has a mass of less than two kilos, but the twin counter-rotating rotors are over a meter across; the air on Mars is less than 1% as thick as on Earth at sea level, so it needs big props. It's basically a technology tester, to see if such flight is not only possible but also beneficial in exploring Mars.

I was surprised that it can fly only generating 350 Watts of power. Those blades will spin at 2000+ RPM! It's a marvel of engineering, and a standout in a mission that's already pretty exciting.

Perseverance is also equipped with two microphones, to literally listen to Mars. This is an idea that was first proposed long ago, but has run into many difficulties over time. One microphone will listen during descent and landing that should be very cool and the other will listen when the SuperCam instrument uses its laser to zap rocks in order to identify their constituent minerals. That should be very nifty as well.

Perseverance will land in Jezero Crater, an impact feature roughly 50 km across. It has evidence of having been a lake long ago, and has clay deposits that are not only evidence of water (clays get laid down by water) but also a good place to look for anything wee ancient beasties might have left behind.

Of course, there's a lot more going on with the rover; for a more complete rundown, as always I urge you to seek out The Planetary Society site which has quite a bit of info, and, of course, the NASA page for the mission.

If for some reason the launch tomorrow is delayed, there are many more opportunities to get it off the ground, with the overall launch opportunity closing on 15 August. The date range is due to the positions of Mars and Earth in their orbits, and the time each day is when the tilt and rotation of the Earth put the Florida launch site in the correct spot to maximize the force on the rocket (the Earth spinning acts like a centrifuge, adding extra velocity to the spacecraft).

Let's hope we get a nominal countdown and launch, and another pair of robots have a clean getaway from Earth and head for the Red Planet.

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To Mars! Perseverance rover all set to launch on Thursday 30 July - SYFY WIRE

NATO Defense Ministers Discuss Alliance’s COVID-19 …

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Danzig

NATO defense ministers have reviewed the alliance's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed upon the next steps to take, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg held a virtual news conference in Brussels today after an online meeting of alliance defense ministers. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper attended the defense ministers meeting from his Pentagon office.

Alliance members are cooperating in reacting to the pandemic just as if an enemy had attacked a NATO member, the secretary general said. "COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge to our nations," he added. "It has a profound impact on our people and our economies, and it is imposing historic shocks on the international system, which could have long-term consequences."

Allied officials planned against the pandemic and looked to the lessons that can be taken from the reaction to the viral plague, Stoltenberg said. He noted that in each country, the military is playing a key role in support of civilian efforts against the pandemic. "And using NATO mechanisms, allies have been helping each other to save lives," he added.

The NATO command led by the supreme allied commander for Europe, Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters was tasked with coordinating military support among the 30 allies. The general briefed the defense ministers on the NATO response.

"Military forces from across the Alliance have flown more than 100 missions to transport medical personnel, supplies and treatment capabilities, facilitated the construction of 25 field hospitals, added more than 25,000 treatment beds and deployed over 4,000 military medical personnel in support of civilian efforts," Stoltenberg said. "Today, I encouraged all allies to make their capabilities available so General Wolters can coordinate further support."

He said the pandemic is in different stages of infection in different NATO nations. This means that effectively coordinating resources makes a real difference, he said.

The pandemic is not the only concern for the NATO leaders, as missions of deterrence and defense must continue, Stoltenberg said.

"The bottom line is that security challenges have not diminished because of COVID-19," he said. "On the contrary, potential adversaries will look to exploit the situation to further their own interests. Terrorist groups could be emboldened."

The security situations in Afghanistan and Iraq remain fragile, and Russia continues its pace and threats, Stoltenberg noted.

"We must maintain our deterrence and defense because our core mission remains the same: to ensure peace and stability," the secretary general said. "While we continue to take all the necessary measures to protect our armed forces, our operational readiness remains undiminished, and our forces remain ready, vigilant and prepared to respond to any threat."

The alliance also is actively guarding against state and nonstate disinformation stemming from the pandemic. U.S. officials said that Russia has been using the crisis to its own ends and wants the United States to abandon NATO and weaken the alliance.

"We are countering these false narratives with facts and with concrete actions," Stoltenberg said. "We are also working even closer with allies and the European Union to identify, monitor and expose disinformation, and to respond robustly."

The defense ministers also looked at the long-term implications of the coronavirus, as the geopolitical effects of the pandemic could be significant, Stoltenberg said.

"Some may seek to use the economic downturn as an opening to invest in our critical industries and infrastructure, which in turn may affect our long-term security and our ability to deal with the next crisis when it comes," he said.

It is still early to draw conclusions from these long-term discussions, Stoltenberg said, and discussions about them will continue. The defense ministers did agree, however, on a set of recommendations to strengthen the alliance's resilience.

Alliance members will update existing baseline requirements for civil preparedness, based on the lessons from the crisis. They also pledged to work even closer with international partners, Stoltenberg said.

NATO has adapted to change throughout its history and will continue to do so, Stoltenberg said. NATO was laser-focused on countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but adapted to the change once that threat dissolved. It changed again in response to the Balkan crisis and to the attack on the United States by terrorists in 2001. It changed yet again when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and continues to wage war in eastern Ukraine.

The pandemic is another enemy, he said, and the alliance will adapt. But that doesn't mean the alliance will be the first responder for the crisis.

"We should support the civilian efforts to fight this health crisis," the secretary general said. "We see around the whole world and across all NATO allies that military personnel are playing a key role in the fight."

Military airlift has been essential in the fight against the coronavirus, and military personnel are doing everything from disinfecting public spaces to controlling border crossings. NATO is helping to mobilize and coordinate support to NATO allied countries.

The main lesson so far is "a close link between the civilian efforts to fight the health crisis and the ability of the military to support those efforts," the secretary general said. "That's exactly what we also have to look into how we can do even better when the next crisis hits us," he added.

NATO cannot change its core responsibility to defend member states, but there are good reasons to look into how to further strengthen the cooperation between the civilian society combating a health crisis and military capabilities providing support to those civilian efforts, he said.

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