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PHOTOS: West Philly Halloween celebrations 2019 – On top of Philly news – Billy Penn

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

From a legendary haunted porch to a top-notch tot parade.

From the weird to the wonderous, and with a healthy dose of do-it-yourself, All Hallows Eve is basically West Phillys signature celebration.

Cedar Parks Halloween Porch of Doom is legendary. More than 1,000 kids (and adults) make the annual Oct. 31 visit to the twin rowhouses Knotsquat and Cindergarden on the 4800 block of Baltimore, and this years 20th anniversary theme did not disappoint.

Neighbors from all over the area helped construct the Mars, Incorporated! set-up, which took shots at the moguls promising to make space travel a reality.

Billionaires are talking a lot about going to Mars lately, and they are trying to paint a picture of the utopia they will build there, read the official event invitation. But we know, a utopia for billionaires is us all working in their slave labor camps. [Come] visit this glorious future of progress, as defined by Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. (Boo! Hiss!)

As trick-or-treaters parted the bedsheet curtains and made the ascent to the rocketship, spiders dropped on their heads, ran a compressed air delousing station, operated a human compost-into-hamburger stand and turned the wheels on the the Eat The Rich Billionaire Mulcher that spits out candy for the kids.

There was also a section displaying faux robots dubbed fully automatic luxury space gay anarchist rebels, because of course there was.

A bit earlier and a few blocks to the northeast, a more upbeat party was going down at the Spruce Hill Community Associations 23rd annual Little Tot Halloween Parade and Party.

Replete with miniature costumes and larger musical instruments, the group wound its way from 45th and Larchwood to 42nd and Osage, where it culminated in a no-holds-barred block party.

The Little Osage neighbors didnt skimp on decorations. Inflatable dragons breathed fire from second-story roofs. Cobwebs stuck to the trees and skeleton parts peeked from the earth while dinosaurs towered over the sidewalks.

With multiple neighborhood sponsors, including local vegan dessert spot Dotties Donuts alongside corporate counterpart Dunkin, Lil Pop Shop, plus Weckerlys Ice Cream, and four local pizza places, there was no shortage of treats.

Though this parade and party is technically for kids six and under, plenty of parents in full dress enjoyed the celebration. Even the neighborhood dogs showed up in full costume to take advantage of a good time.

Scroll down for more pics from both neighborhoods.

NASA prepares to send uncrewed vessel to the Moon – Hometown News

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

BREVARD COUNTY In recent times, there has been a growing effort to focus on space exploration from not only NASA, but also private entities like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic.

Beginning next year, the NASA-sponsored Artemis Missions will focus on deep-space travel for the coming decades, with the first stop at a familiar place: the Moon.

Launch Director of NASAs Exploration Ground Systems Program Charlie Blackwell-Thompson will lead her team toward making history as the Artemis mission aims to send the first female to the Moon by 2024.

Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson has also made history herself, as she is NASAs first female to fill the position of launch director.

What I am extremely passionate about is exploration. Its very intriguing and exciting all on its own, right? said Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson. When you start to consider other deep space destinations like one day perhaps on to Mars, to me, that is a terribly exciting mission to have in front of us.

Going beyond what you currently know or understand, I feel like that is in our countrys DNA, she continued. The other piece that is a little closer to me is what a team can do when were all working together. Youre really a part of something that is bigger than all of the individual pieces.

The Artemis I mission is currently scheduled to take place a year from now from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The uncrewed mission will test NASAs Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

Already Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson and her team in Firing Room 1 are undergoing the launch countdown simulation to prepare for the first Exploration Mission launch.

There has to be a great deal of trust, especially on launch day, because youre depending on individuals who are monitoring their systems to make a call, whether the vehicle or the ground systems are go or no go, and thats based on data, Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson said.

It gives you a lot of confidence going into launch countdown that the team is going to perform and the way theyre going to work through issues when they come up or if they come up, she continued.

The Artemis II mission aims to send humans in orbit around the Moon aboard the Space Launch Systems and Orion, a first for humans in the 21st century.

The Artemis III will send the first crew to the Moon since 1972, and will include the first female to visit the Moon. The crew will land on the Moons lunar south pole by 2024.

The leap in technology compared to the last time the United States sent men to the Moon is huge. Back then, a staff of 400 employees were working in Firing Room 1 that monitored the launch countdown, according to Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson. Today, there are just under 100 employees, she added.

Going back to the Moon is important to our country for a number of reasons, Mrs. Blackwell-Thompson said. Were going back in a sustainable way. Theres a lot that we can learn from the Moon as we prepare for other deep space destinations, and other things we can learn by being in relative close proximity to our home planet.

For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis.

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NASA prepares to send uncrewed vessel to the Moon - Hometown News

10 Times 90s Sci-Fi Movies Predicted The Future | ScreenRant – Screen Rant

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

One of the best parts about science fiction is seeing how all of these stories create the future. From interstellar space travel to tiny handheld everyday products; the teams writing the stories and then working to bring the writers and directors visions to the screen helps bring us further into the world the movie is creating. Every so often that futuristic technology comes to fruition down the pipeline.

Related:10 Sci-Fi Movies To Stream On Netflix

Some movies that take place in the future are actually now in the past, and some take place so many years away that none of us reading this now will see it. In any event, for several of these movies at least for the technology - the future is now. Here are 10 Times 90s Sci-Fi Movies Predicted The Future.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger owned the late eighties and early nineties. Even when he seemed woefully miscast in a role, he was able to make it his own and churn out great movie after great movie. Total Recall is a prime example of his abilities. During the movie, he ducks into a car being driven by Johnny Cab. So far, thankfully, Elon Musk hasnt retrofitted his self-driving cars with annoying robot drivers. But he HAS gifted the world automated cars that drive themselves around.

Big Brother is always watching in The Truman Show, and Truman doesnt even realize it. In this movie, everyone in the world is watching the life of Truman - an unwanted baby that was adopted by a corporation to solely exist for being the star of his own reality show.

Related:10 Classic Science Fiction Novels That Need A Film Adaptation

While (so far) no company has ever been that maniacal, people from all over the world have no issue with their entire lives being broadcast in all kinds of reality shows, plus their own social media accounts.

To this day, no one knows for sure if Demolition Man is unintentionally hilarious, or one of the best science fiction comedies ever made. There are actually quite a few aspects of the movie that have been predicted by the film. Theres a self-driving car, theres a huge PC culture (you even get fined for not being woke). One more prediction that came true was Arnold getting into politics. The movie mentions him as president, predicting that the Austrian Oak would eventually get into politics.

After spending years on TV as a Saturday morning cartoon, everybodys favorite futuristic family, the Jetsons made it to the big screen in 1990. Along for the ride was the familys sassy fueled Rosie the robot maid. Theyre not quite sarcastic just yet, but several years ago, the iRobot mechanical vacuums started patrolling our floors to clean hardwood floors and carpets the world over.

Remember, were not talking about the quality of a movie, were talking about technology found in the movie. For that, Smart House fits the bill. If youve ever been a fan of Katey Sagal, this movie does provide a few chuckles. She plays Pat, the voice of a Smart House that Ben Cooper has won in a contest.

Related:Harry Potter: 10 Worst Things The Order Of The Phoenix Ever Did

Since Ben has recently lost his mom, he programs Pat to be maternal and shes learns how from classic shows. Hopefully, all of the Alexas and Google Homes dont learn to be as sassy as Pat.

The idea shouldnt have worked - it was just too crazy. In Face/Off, Nicolas Cage was a crazed terrorist Castor Troy and John Travolta was the FBI Agent, Sean Archer hot on his trail. He finally catches him, but Troy is knocked out in a coma. Archer has to go undercover to find a bomb Troy placed and undergoes a highly experimental procedure, involving a complete facial transplant. After extensive research, the first full facial transplant occurred in 2010, in Turkey.

In the nineties, there were several movies exploring the concept of virtual reality; living and existing within a pixelated world. The Matrix explores being imprisoned inside of a VR program and not even knowing it! Virtuosity explores the batcrap crazy idea of a VR serial killer escaping into the real world. But one of the earliest examples of the genre is The Lawnmower Man. In that cult classic, a doctor decides to experiment on a simple-minded gardener, Jobe. Jobe gains higher functioning and begins to take revenge on everyone that wronged him.

For seven years on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Geordi La Forge was blind, but was able to see with the help of a VISOR (Visual Instrument And Sight Organ Replacement). By the time First Contact rolled around, future tech had been able to fit Geordi with a pair of cybernetic ocular implants. The real-world version of this amazing piece of tech has been worked on for years and tested on rats and at NASA. A practical version for humans has yet to surface.

Related:Terminator: 5 Reasons Why The Franchise Should End (& 5 Reasons It Shouldnt)

As security concerns around the world have grown over the years, so has the technology used to try and keep anyone and everyone safe. At airports, courts, anywhere where there could be a massive safety issue involving as massive amount of people, there is usually a full body scanning machine.

A similar machine was introduced in Total Recall, albeit scanning people all the way down to their bones. TSA has this installed in the Los Angeles subway system.

Predicting Arnolds eventual run in politics, Taco Bells massive success in fast food, and self-driving cars - all part of Demolition Man. One more invention that was in the movie, and has been in several science fiction movies over the years - FaceTime. In the future of the film, San Angeles residents are able to dial any number and bring up a call on a Gia view screen. Its makes the wrong number scene all the funnier when you realize that kind of stuff can happen at any time.

Next:Star Wars: Han Solo's 5 Funniest (& 5 Saddest) Moments

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10 Times 90s Sci-Fi Movies Predicted The Future | ScreenRant - Screen Rant

Metal Foam Could be the Future of all Metals – WFMYNews2.com

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) North Carolina State University professor Dr. Afsaneh Rabiei knew during the war in Iraq she could develop a technology that would save lives.

Its something strong, but lightweight. Its porous enough to absorb a tremendous amount of energy. It took more than a decade, but Rabiei told CBS 17 WNCN how she is able to show the result of her work.

It's a type of porous metal, it's light and even performs better than regular metal. In basic terms, its almost like a bubble wrap used to protect glass, but on steroids. Its at least 70 percent lighter than the same amount of metal.

Rabiei named her invention metal foam. Its filled with tiny spheres that compress on impact to protect whats on the other side like when someone in a vehicle is hit with armor-piercing ammunition. That includes a recent test on a highly explosive incendiary that can travel at about 5,000 feet per second.

Much of the research is done at N.C. State where Rabiei teaches according to WNCN. An agreement with the US Department of Defense means the process used to make metal foam is top secret. But, it goes far beyond the military it could be used in vehicles, trains, nuclear power plants, space travel, and construction.

Click here to read Rabieis research paper on her metal foam.

Metal Foam Could be the Future of all Metals - WFMYNews2.com

Techno-Fix Futures will only Accelerate Climate Chaos Don’t Believe the Hype – Resilience

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Thanks to the efforts of climate activists, the climate and ecological emergency has never been more prominent. But acknowledging the problem is just a starting point. Now this momentum must be harnessed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reverse habitat destruction.

To accelerate this transition, we need a vision of the future and there are many out there. The problem is that some of these visions severely misunderstand and underestimate the nature of the crises we face. If we rally behind the wrong one, we may end up propelling the planet all the more quickly towards destruction.

Building a future in sync with the natural world will not be easy. Our collective imagination is bound to ideas that have delivered us to the cusp of environmental catastrophe. The ways we work, travel, eat, and even think are all locked into systems that perpetuate the use of fossil fuels, encroach on the natural world, and exploit wealth and resources from the Global South.

This means that to avoid the worst of climate breakdown, we have to transform every aspect of society as we know it. But to do this well requires deep understanding of why industries have been allowed to pollute the upper atmosphere, and how we can build economic and political infrastructure to stop emitting greenhouse gases and degrading ecosystems.

Worryingly, this understanding is sorely lacking in two of the most popular emerging visions of the future ecomodernism and left accelerationism. In a nutshell, both envisage that technological progress will allow us to address climate and ecological breakdown while also dramatically increasing production and consumption.

These imagined futures have obvious appeal to those who enjoy the luxuries of consumption and technological innovation. But the premises on which they rest are fatally flawed.

The latter is completely disengaged from sustainability sciences. Ecomodernism is more engaged, but it tends to ignore the unjust distribution of environmental benefits and burdens from climate breakdown, and downplay how our the organisation of our societies drives ecological crises. As a result, it focuses only on superficial social change. Proponents of both are often hostile to many ideas and individuals within the environmental movement. As such, they are seriously derailing momentum in tackling the climate crisis.

Wouldnt it be easier if we just lived on the ground? James Vaughan/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

The scientific evidence tells us that it is simply not possible to continue increasing consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on the current trajectory without exhausting Earths resources and crossing planetary boundaries limits to Earths biological, chemical and physical systems that represent a safe operating space for humanity. Beyond these boundaries, we run the risk of causing abrupt and irreversible environmental changes that threaten the stability of Earths systems and human civilisation.

For starters, all technology-focused future visions require wildly unrealistic increases in energy generation. This is a problem because since we have used up most of the easy to access sources, the quality of our energy resources is declining. Compared to a few decades ago, we need to input much more energy for every unit of energy we produce. While the energy cost of renewables is falling, vast increases in consumption only make the transition to renewables harder, and will put a huge additional burden on our already vulnerable energy systems.

To navigate the high resource demands of their imagined futures, ecomodernist and left accelerationist visions rely on fairy tale technologies that do not exist. For example, the future vision of Fully Automated Luxury Communism (FALC) peddles promises of asteroid mining to address resource shortages on Earth.

But we do not know if low-carbon space travel is possible. Ecological crises are happening now. We need to take action now. Searching for low-carbon space travel takes attention and resources away from social changes that we know can work.

FALCs vision has been accepted uncritically in prominent media outlets such as The New York Times and The Guardian, despite being thoroughly debunked by environmental scholars.

This distracts from the hard but necessary work of changing the energy system now. Given the risks presented by climate breakdown above 1.5 of global heating possibly just a decade or two away we cannot afford to back future visions that do not prioritise immediate and large-scale cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

More fundamentally, the ideas underlying technofix futures arguably arent far from the type of thinking that created the climate and ecological crises in the first place. They imagine luxury as heavily based in material consumption as author of FALCs manifesto Aaron Bastani says: Cartier for everyone, MontBlanc for the masses and Chloe for all.

As a result, they tend to overlook and devalue aspects of our world that are less obviously associated with luxury: the natural environment, clean air, animal life, time spent with family and friends, local communities. These things may not provide material luxury, but they do make life worth living and do not necessarily have to use up our scarce energy and material resources.

Where FALC attempts to provide for all using the notion of luxury, feminist and ecologically-oriented economists and design theorists look to alternative strategies to generate prosperity. We propose a redesign of future ways of living based on different values: the ethics of care, regenerating nature, and distributing its benefits fairly.

Cooperatives, time-banks and community-owned renewable energy systems are already putting these values into practice. These organisational models create regenerative and distributive systems supporting prosperity for all, and addressing climate breakdown at the same time.

Of course, these alternative futures will require us to fundamentally transform our culture as well as our economy. Clearly technofix futures are more attractive options for many of those who are not on the frontlines of climate chaos and who might be able to continue living high-consumption lifestyles for a decade or two more.

But nothing other than dramatic societal transformation will be sufficient to avoid catastrophic climate change for the vast majority of the worlds population and eventually, everyone. It may sound daunting, but rejecting the ecologically harmful assumptions on which our culture is currently built offers us a unique chance to build a healthier and fairer world.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Teaser photo credit: James Vaughan/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

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Techno-Fix Futures will only Accelerate Climate Chaos Don't Believe the Hype - Resilience

Tesla Is The Underdog In The Electric Car Revolution – Forbes

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Getty Images

If youre not first youre last.

You may recognize this quote from fictional racecar driver Ricky Bobby. But it could easily be straight from a business school lecture.

Many professors preach the importance of being first in business. But I have to tell you its mostly a lie.

Microsoft introduced the first tablet computer in 2000. Apple didnt unveil the iPad until a decade later.

The iPad has sold 360 million units while the few Tablet PCs Microsoft sold are buried in junkyards.

Friendster started the worlds first major social network. Facebook didnt come along until years later. Today, Facebook is the worlds 6th largest public company. Friendster shut its doors in 2018.

So much for being first. I could go on and on with examples, but heres the thing More often than not, the first movers advantage turns out to be a curse.

The most successful companies the likes of Amazon, Google, Apple that handed investors big gains were not first movers. Again and again, the second... third and fourth movers are the ones that get rich.

Tesla Is a Cursed First Mover in Electric Cars

As you probably know, Tesla pioneered electric cars.

In 2008, it released the Tesla Roadster, the worlds first highway-legal electric car.But the real breakthrough was the iconic Tesla S, its first all-electric sedan launched in 2012.

For the first time, an electric car was not just a toy but a real vehicle folks could drive every day. Tesla S has quickly become the standard of electric cars. Over 500,000 cars were sold.

Since the Tesla S release, Tesla stock shot up 670%...

Source: RiskHedge

Like all first movers, Tesla initially enjoyed little competition. Until not long ago, there was no electric car model that could compete with the Tesla S.

But everything has changed.

Car giants have woken up. They started releasing one electric car after another, quickly crowding Tesla out.

Most people dont know this, but Tesla is no longer the leader in electric cars. As Ill explain, its becoming an electric car underdog that may soon be just another failed first-mover.

This may surprise you...

Let me show you the most important chart about the electric car industry It shows the number of electric cars sold in the US, Japan, China, and the rest of the world in recent years.

Source: RiskHedge

For a long time, America dominated in electric cars, thanks to Tesla. But in 2016, Chinas push towards green energy started a massive electric car boom.

Today China makes up more than half of the global electric market.

Last year, 1.1 million electric cars were sold in China, compared to just 358,000 in the US, according to The Conversation. And get this... Chinas capital city Beijing has more electric car charging stations than the entire US.

Tesla Is a Dog in China

China has been flooded with electric car makers. And Tesla is now battling withswarmsof Chinese companies.

There were 486 electric car makers in China as of March this year. (Yes, 486. This is not a typo.) Every other day, a new electric car company is founded in China, according toSouth China Morning Post.

Unless you live in China, chances are youve never heard of the worlds biggest electric car maker, BYD

In the first half of 2019, BYD sold 145,653 electric cars in China. Thats as many as Tesla soldgloballyduring the same period.

No surprise, local car makers capture 93% of the market in China, according to Fast Company. Meanwhile, Tesla has a puny 6% share.

See the big picture?

In the worlds largest and most lucrative electric car market, Tesla is a dog. And its quickly losing whatever is left. Worse, China will slap a 25% tariff on Teslas later this year as part of the brimming trade war between China and the US.

Tesla Is a Dog in Europe, Too

Europe is the worlds second-largest electric car market.

Today, 1.3 million electric cars zip around European roads... compared to 1.1 million in America, according to HybridCars.

But Europes electric car boom has just started. With new EU rules for automakers designed to reduce carbon emissions, Europe is making a full-on shift into electric cars.

In some parts of Europe, more than 50% of new cars sold are electric, according to NPR. But with the new rules in effect, electric cars will become a common sight on most European roads.

Its estimated that the number of electric car models available in Europe will shoot up 75% by the end of 2020, according to The Driven.

Let me show you another important chart. (Viewer discretion advised for Tesla investors.) It shows the number of electric car models coming to the European market:

Source: RiskHedge

Just like China, Europe will soon be flooded with electric cars.

Today, only 4% of all electric car models in Europe are made by Tesla. In the next five years, Teslas share will shrink to a tiny 1.2%.

Please, Dont Buy the Dip in Tesla

Have you seen Tesla stock lately?

It has been beaten to death in the past year, crashing almost 30% since the end of last year. A couple of my readers asked me if its a good opportunity to buy it for cheap.

In all fairness, Elon Musk has pulled off what seemed to be impossible not so long ago. Tesla has paved the way for electric cars and will go down in history for that.

I respect his accomplishments but Tesla is a terrible investment. The stock is fueled by hope, and hope is fading.

Giant car makers are coming for Tesla and as youve seen, all signs show they have the upper hand.

My recommendation: Stay away from Tesla. There are better, safer, and higher-upside ways to earn money in the stock market.

Get my report"The Great Disruptors:3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money".These stocks will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries.Get your free copy here.

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Tesla Is The Underdog In The Electric Car Revolution - Forbes

Tesla Model S Plaid Spied Testing Aggressive Body At The Nurburgring – Motor1.com

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

The Tesla Model S Plaid continues its development at the Nrburgring. The one in this spy video appears to have some slight design tweaks in comparison to earlier ones.

7 Photos

In front, this Model S wears a black splitter that juts out from below the fascia. Presumably, it works with the rear diffuser to balance downforce between the two ends.

In this video, it also appears that the clear rear spoiler has a steeper angle of attack than the piece on other pre-production examples. The element's design would make the job easy for the engineers to alter the slant and tweak the aerodynamics.

Judging from this car's shape, Tesla appears to have a high-downforce setting for the Model S here. Since the company can apparently remove or modify the splitter and spoiler, it's possible the company is evaluating the ideal amount of downforce for the Nrburgring's many curves without too much of a detriment on straight-line speed.

Rumors suggest that theModel S Plaid uses a three-motor powertrain making slightly in excess of 800 horsepower (597 kilowatts) and use a 130-kilowatt-hour battery. Better thermal management could keep the cells running cooler by using abigger refrigeration system.

It's not yet clear when Tesla intends to send the final version of the Model S Plaid around the Nrburgring and release a lap time for the hotter model. At this stage, there isn't much question about the vehicle lapping the Nordschleife quicker than the Porsche Taycan's7:42, but there's still the mystery of how low Tesla can take the time.

Presumably, Tesla also intends to sell the Model S Plaid to the public, but we don't know when. Rumors suggest that it could be sometime in October or November of 2020. Although, Elon Musk later tweeted the timeframe could be as soon as next summer.

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Tesla Model S Plaid Spied Testing Aggressive Body At The Nurburgring - Motor1.com

Tesla will roll out a software update that will make the Model S even faster – BGR

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

For years, Tesla CEO Elon Musk lamented the fact that Tesla had no real competition in the EV space. Sure, there is no shortage of EVs on the market today, but youd be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that comes anywhere close to matching the style and performance offered by Teslas luxury Model S.

The launch of the Porsche Taycan changed all that. Years in the making, and fueled by the success Tesla saw with the Model S, the Porsche Taycan is an incredibly sleek EV with incredible performance. As Porsche executives boasted over the past few months, the Taycan isnt so much an electric vehicle as it is a Porsche that just so happens to be an EV.

With a real competitor now entering the fray, Teslas Model S at long last has some legit competition. Over the past few days, weve seen a number of videos pitting the Taycan against the Model S in a variety of race conditions. The most widely circulated video in this regard comes from Top Gear and features a $200,000+ Taycan Turbo S going up against a $100,000 Model S Performance in a quarter-mile drag race. When the dust settled, the Turbo S had a time of 10.69 seconds compared to the Model S time of 11.08 seconds.

Truth be told, these tests are beyond irrelevant and have no real bearing on the driving experience, especially given that the times arent all that far apart. Having said that, there have been subsequent reports claiming that the numbers Top Gear used were old, and thus rendering the test results suspect.

All that aside, theres no question that the Taycan has definitely had an impact on Elon Musk, with the Tesla CEO recently commenting on Twitter that the company is planning to roll out a new software update that will provide the Model S with additional 50 horsepower.

Theres a software upgrade for Model S coming out that increases peak power by 50HP, Musk said, so Model S should beat Porsche Taycan Turbo S by a wider margin in 0 to 60 & 1/4 mile races.

Again, this is largely irrelevant to most everyone, but apparently, for Musk, its a serious source of pride.

Image Source: Sessions/Future/REX/Shutterstock

Tesla will roll out a software update that will make the Model S even faster - BGR

Tesla Demonstrates The Power Of The Internet Of Things – Forbes

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

The logo of Tesla model 3 is pictured at the Auto show in Paris, France, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, ... [+] 2018. All-electric vehicles with zero local emissions are among the stars of the Paris auto show, rubbing shoulders with the fossil-fuel burning SUVs that many car buyers love. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

As evacuees lined up at gas stations to flee Florida in the weeks before Hurricane Dorian, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would boost the range of its Model 3 cars, enabling residents to travel further out of the range of the storm. The manufacturer, which has also provided free charging in the lead up to previous storms, was able to extend the range of its vehicles for a short period of time.

Tesla wasnt alone in remotely assisting those in Dorians path. General Motors provided enhanced OnStar services for customers, including those with lapsed registrations. That technology can help with directions, free calls, in-vehicle Wi-Fi and more.

In fact, Tesla and OnStars moves reflect a deeper shift. Consumer and business-facing infrastructure is growing increasingly connected in an Internet of Things, with more devices connecting each day: The Economist reports that 1 trillion internet-connected devices may be online by 2035. For some consumers, some of these IoT gadgets may seem superfluous in actually improving our lives (see Amazon's smart microwave). However, as Tesla owners have learned, IoT devices can be a lifeline.

While Teslas news applied specifically to Florida, climate change is impacting homeowners up and down the southeastern coast (and more recently in California), as a warming planet intensifies the Atlantic hurricane season and the Santa Ana winds. As storms grow stronger and more frequent, theyll not only cause more damage to seaside communities, but also the power grid that plays an increasingly vital role in our day-to-day lives.

Less discussed in the news around Tesla was how the companys PowerWalls helped to mitigate electricity loss for residents.

In the past, homeowners who had installed net-metered solar panels were stuck without power when the grid went down, even though their solar panels frequently survived the storm. In recent years, some PV solutions offered homeowners the opportunity to plug directly into an inverter that supplied direct power. While that solution allowed homeowners to temporarily power their homes during a blackout, solar power failed once the sun went down.

Homeowners seeking to power their homes around the clock turned to Teslas Powerwalls, which can include energy storage (batteries) that can power a home when power is unavailable. In tandem with rooftop PV panels, Powerwalls can power home essentials, like refrigerators, sump pumpts, lighting and air conditioning, when grid power is knocked out by high winds or falling trees.

In advance of storms, Tesla can remotely engage a software feature called Storm Watch, which fully charges the unit so that it can power customers homes for an extended period. Once the storm passes, users systems automatically return to their regular settings.

In this Oct. 27, 2016 photo, Rhonda "Honey" Phillips poses next to a Tesla Powerwall battery and ... [+] inverter connected to a solar panel array in her yard in Middletown Springs, Vt. Phillips is one of the growing number of Green Mountain Power customers using the Tesla battery to store solar energy when her panels aren't collecting it. GMP has been working to link solar energy with battery storage on both a large and small scale. (AP Photo/Dave Gram)

Tesla is not the first electric vehicle manufacturer to help its customers optimize their electricity usage in times of need. In the wake of the 2011 Thoku earthquake and tsunami, Nissan (OTCMKTS: NSANY) unveiled a function that allowed owners of its Leaf electric car to use their cars as a backup battery for their homes. This year, the company announced plans to expand the program to Australia, while rival Mitsubishi (OTCMKTS: MSBHY) unveiled a similar technology earlier this year. However, Teslas technology is unique in its ability to remotely provide additional aid to homeowners in times of crisis.

What is critical to all of these solutions is remote control and management. The power of IoT is that it provides the possibility for companies, like Tesla, to tailor services to their customers and respond in real-time to unforeseen events. And by collecting data from these devices, the companies can optimize their performance going forward.

A good example of this is GE (NYSE:GE), which has begun installing IoT sensors in its aircraft engines, allowing mechanics to remotely monitor the health of individual components and collect data on use, helping to not only prevent engine failure, but also to better monitor usage and wearing tear. Armed with data, airlines can better plan preventative maintenance, reduce downtime and more efficiently deploy their fleet of aircraft, lowering costs and reducing passenger delays.

IoT is a gamechanger in powering our lives. Coupled with cleantech, IoT is offsetting some of the impacts of climate change. While there has been much hype around the B2C applications of this technology (everything from smart refrigerators to smart doorbells), it is in the B2B infrastructure applications where there is even greater potential for IoT to positively impact our lives and meet the sustainability goals we have for the generations to come.

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Tesla Demonstrates The Power Of The Internet Of Things - Forbes

What Drove Teslas Surprise Third Quarter Profit? – Forbes

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Signage for Tesla Inc. is displayed outside one of the company's showrooms in Beijing, China, on ... [+] Friday, May 10, 2019. Beijing has vowed to retaliate after U.S. President Donald Trump followed through with his threat to raise tariffs Friday on $200 billion of Chinese imports to 25% from 10% percent. Photographer: Giulia Marchi/Bloomberg

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) posted a surprise Q3 profit, reporting an adjusted EPS of $1.86. Wall Street was projecting that the company would post another quarterly loss. While the companys revenues were slightly lower on a sequential basis due to lower average selling prices and slower delivery growth, it likely benefited from more efficient manufacturing of the Model 3 sedan, with gross margins for the auto business rising by 390 bps sequentially to 22.8%. Separately, Tesla was also able to recognize revenue of about $30 million related to the Smart Summon feature that it released in September. This cash the company collected from this software feature was previously recorded as deferred revenues in its balance sheet. The company also sold regulatory credits worth $134 million over the quarter. Below, we take a look at some of the trends that drove the companys results and what could lie ahead for Tesla.

View our interactive dashboard on What Drove Teslas Surprise Q3 Profit?

Model 3 Deliveries Grow 3% Sequentially While Model S&X See Declines

Trefis

Model 3 deliveries saw a 3% sequential improvement, with deliveries standing at 79.6k units. Although the growth is not very encouraging, considering that the company now sells variants starting at ~$40k, the numbers should pick up over Q4 as Tesla indicated that it saw record net orders over Q3, with the backlog increasing.

Model S & X deliveries continued to remain lackluster at 17.4k units, marking a 1.5% sequential decline. While Tesla recently lowered the base price and introduction of an upgraded drivetrain and suspension setup on these vehicles, it is likely that they are being impacted by saturation in the premium end of the market and cannibalization by the Model 3.

Tesla Automotive Revenues Remain Almost Flat, Amid Slower Delivery Growth

Teslas Automotive revenues remained almost flat at $5.4 billion this quarter. While deliveries have grown marginally from 95.2k units in Q2 to 97k units in Q3, average revenue per vehicle declined, from $56.5k to $55.2k due to the higher mix of Model 3s and lower starting prices.

Teslas Total Revenues For Q3

Teslas total revenues stood at about $6.3 billion for the quarter. Other revenues, which include revenues from Teslas Service operations and renewable energy segment stood at about $950 million.

Teslas Margins See An Uptick, Helping It Return To Profitability

For more details on Teslas margins and whats driving its return to profitability, view our interactive dashboard analysis.

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams|Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams More Trefis Data Like our charts? Exploreexample interactive dashboardsand create your own

What Drove Teslas Surprise Third Quarter Profit? - Forbes

Teslas Q3 profit is being scrutinized by analysts and some dont like what they see – MarketWatch

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

A week after Tesla Inc. surprised investors by reporting a quarterly profit, some on Wall Street have started to question the quality of the beat.

The latest, from analysts at Cowen, highlighted that some of the positive aspects of Teslas knockout third-quarter may not be repeated and, worse, it is setting investors up for future disappointment as Tesla sales are expected to remain sluggish in the next few quarters.

The stock has performed well on the headline (third-quarter) profitability results, but we continue to see Tesla as significantly overvalued given the challenging prospects the company is facing with its current product lineup (S/X/3) and our skepticism of the narrative shift to future growth drivers, including the Model Y, the Tesla Semi freight truck, and its solar products, the Cowen analysts, led by Jeffrey Osborne, said in a note Wednesday.

Tesla TSLA, -0.51% filed more detailed quarterly statements with regulators on Tuesday, leading to the heightened scrutiny.

Read more: Teslas stock rally is costing short sellers $1.4 billion

The third-quarter beat was low quality, the Cowen analysts said. Some of the improvements in third-quarter auto gross margins were largely around warranty accounting and a renegotiated agreement with Panasonic Corp. 6752, +6.97%, which makes Teslas battery cells, rather than operational improvements, the analysts said.

The trajectory of the stock this week seems to bear some of that questioning: The shares were on pace for their third straight loss, down 5% in the past three sessions.

They were holding well above $300, a place they hadnt been since late February, catapulted to that mark by gains of nearly 18% on Thursday, a day after the quarterly results, and of more than 9% on Friday.

See also: Tesla bull praises Picasso-like quarter, but others question whether profit can be sustained

On Tuesday, analysts at Roth also cast doubt on the quality of Teslas third-quarter beat and zeroed in on the warranty adjustments and other one-time items as the drivers of the surprise quarterly profit.

The Roth analysts knocked down their ratings on Tesla shares to sell, from their equivalent of hold, and said they remained cautious on the stock as they expect delivery growth to slow down in 2020.

Related: GM stock soars as investors look past messy outlook

Tesla shares have lost more than 6% this year, contrasting with gains of 21% and 16% for the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.97% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. DJIA, +1.11%

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Teslas Q3 profit is being scrutinized by analysts and some dont like what they see - MarketWatch

Did Tesla release an unfinished Smart Summon just to pull an accounting trick? – Digital Trends

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

On October 23, Tesla surprised investors by posting a $143 million profit for its third quarter. During the accompanying public call with investors, both CEO Elon Musk and Chief Financial Officer Zach Kirkhorn emphasized the release of its self-driving Smart Summon feature as a major contributing factor to that profit.

Tesla released Smart Summon on September 26 just before the end of its third financial quarter as part of a far-ranging software update named Software Version V10 or simply V10. The feature allows owners to beckon their car to drive to them autonomously from up to 200 feet away in a private parking lot or driveway.

However, since its release, this self-driving feature has collected an outsized amount of criticism for causing accidents and is now being looked into by federal transportation authorities for the dangers it may pose to the public at large. The controversy has some speculating that Tesla pushed it out early, before it was ready for the public, in order to show a larger profit on the companys balance sheet.

The question is, did they release it too early? Gene Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures, told Digital Trends. If you take Apple or a traditional car company as a comparison, the release was too early. But Tesla prefers to release and improve by evolution rather than revolution.

The V10 update was pushed to Tesla vehicles on September 26, and the quarter ended for the company on September 30. In other words, the company released V10 on the last weekend possible for it to record the revenue in its upcoming report to investors.

During the Q3 earnings call with investors, company leaders called out $30 million of the $143 million profit recorded was due to the release of Smart Summon on September 26. Every Tesla buyer can pay $6,000 for the ability to add self-driving to their vehicles and many did: The company has collected roughly $500 million in total from customers for self-driving features.

But because no Tesla is actually fully autonomous yet, the company cannot, under general accounting rules and practices, count all of that money as revenue. Instead, it must hold those monies in a special accounting category called deferred revenue. As portions of the self-driving functionality are released, they can release a portion of the money and count it as revenue.

Ross Gerber, president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and a Tesla investor, highlighted the timing: By releasing Smart Summon on the last weekend of the quarter, Musk was able to realize some of that deferred revenue, Gerber told Automotive News shortly after Teslas earnings report. Essentially, releasing the feature allowed them to unlock some of that Self Driving revenue and put it on their balance sheet.

Tesla has a team of certified accountants that have mapped out how much money they can recognize for each feature they complete as it relates to Auto Pilot, he told Digital Trends. This is why Elon is pushing so hard for Auto Pilot completion.

Upon the release of Smart Summon, reports began to flood Tesla forums, Reddit, and YouTube with examples of crashes, fender benders, and near misses linked to Smart Summon. Consumer Reports, Forbes, Wired, and others have all labeled the feature as not ready for public release and a possible safety hazard. I tried using it in a parking lot today and it immediately started to drive forward into the parking curb + wall is not an uncommon story. Comments like, I tested it out and it wanted to split 2 parked cars where I couldnt discern if it was going to hit anything or not, and This wasnt user error, its the software that isnt ready are common throughout Reddit and forum threads on Smart Summon.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is even looking into Smart Summon, and had this to say when reached for comment:

NHTSA is aware of reports related to Teslas Summon feature. We are in ongoing contact with the company and we continue to gather information. Safety is NHTSAs top priority and the agency will not hesitate to act if it finds evidence of a safety-related defect.

Other investors do not agree with the assertion that Smart Summon was released purely for financial gain, however. The timing has nothing to do with forcing deferred revenue recognition. said Galileo Russell, a closely watched investor and YouTuber. It was only $30M. Wouldnt have moved the needle either way. Even without recognizing it, Tesla would have crushed Wall Street estimates by a massive margin.

Tesla did not respond to our request for comment about Smart Summons release. During the Q3 investor call, the company reported that Smart Summon had already been used 1 million times. Tesla has already had to publish several updates to the Smart Summon feature since September 26, with more updates expected over the coming months.

Revenue recognition is an art, added Munster. Indeed, many accounting procedures have a logic all their own that can run counter to public expectations. What remains to be seen is if Teslas release of Smart Summon, and the subsequent accidents, will have a negative impact that outshines the revenue recorded by its release.

Will FCA-PSA Buy Tesla Batteries And Drivetrain? – InsideEVs

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

The release of FCA's Q3 earnings came amid the news of the merger with PSA. Despite our concerns with electrification under Carlos Tavares' guidance, the company promises to achieve a grand scale electrification. That is what FCA's CEOMike Manley promised analysts while discussing results. Not only that: he suggested they could do that by buying Tesla's batteries and drivetrain.

According to Business Insider, Manley said FCA could buy a skateboard platform from Tesla. That would be possible because the customer will be agnostic to batteries and drivetrain in electric vehicles.

A brands character in electric cars would be determined by tuning the suspension and handling. That way, FCA could suit them to the brands it wanted to electrify right away.

FCA has a history of rapid car development, but the fastest one we have ever seen from the company took 18 months from concept to presentation. Manley said the pooling deal with Tesla would end in 2021. Would the company be able to buy and create an EV over Tesla hardware before that? Would the end of the pooling deal interfere with the production of a car that would be sold for at least six years?

There are more questions this strategy will raise in case it goes through.

If the pooling efforts will end in 2021, that is because FCA will already have an electric vehicle of its own by that time. Maserati promised to have a fully electric version of the Alfieri in 2020, built over an aluminum spaceframe.

Wouldnt that suit other FCA vehicles right away? Why buy anything from Tesla at this point? It would only make sense if FCA and Tesla were already working on this prior to Manley saying anything, which is not unlikely.

This FCA-Tesla cooperation on new products would make perfect sense for top-end products from Chrysler, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM. But would Tesla be able to deliver the quantities required by FCA? Will Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai help with that?

Mostly focused on A and B marked segments, Fiat would be covered by the eCMP platform coming from PSA. That will be the high-volume EV solution and the grand scale electrification Manley promises, which would leave eventual Tesla-powered products as niche vehicles, even if profitable ones. Will that make sense to resort to Tesla instead of developing an in-house solution? Is buying cheaper than developing in the long term?

Again, it is still very early to know what will happen. Manley even talks about the PSA merger as a possibility, not as something sure, undoubtedly because of the many challenges it will have to get approved by regulatory bodies.

What we know at this point is that, if all goes well, FCA and PSA may talk to Tesla as a battery and drivetrain supplier. We'll keep an eye on this to see how it will end.

Source: Business Insider

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Will FCA-PSA Buy Tesla Batteries And Drivetrain? - InsideEVs

What Does The Tesla Model 3 Have In Common With A Cheap Toyota Etios? – InsideEVs

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

They both get no paint in some areas because nobody can see it. But is this ok?

You probably have never heard of the Toyota Etios. It is the cheapest Toyota car for sale in India and Brazil. With proper introductions made, we ask you: what does it have in common with the Tesla Model 3?

The pictures in this article will give you this answer but will raise many more. Especially this one: What role did paint have in reducing material costs Elon Musk referred to in the Q3 Earnings report call with analysts?

The image below came out precisely when this report first appeared. It is at the Investors Relation section of Teslas website, inside the Q32019 Update PDF. Pay attention to the front strut towers, still not covered by the frunk structure. Did you see it lacks paint?

In fact, what it misses is part of the paint job. Automotive paint itself comprises three steps: primer, base coat, and clearcoat. It comes after a series of treatments on the body panels, such as phosphate and E coat. These steps are the preparation for painting.

Despite what some still think, the Model 3s body is mostly made of steel, as we already showed in August 2017. That means it goes through the same preparation and paint stages a regular vehicle endures.

While the primer is responsible for the body-in-white protection, it usually is not visible in most cars apart from in some developing countries. That is where the Toyota Etios comes in. Check out the image below, taken by Marlos Ney Vidal, a good friend from the Brazilian website Autos Segredos. He kindly allowed us to use it in this article.

It shows the Etios engine bay, where the Tesla has its covered frunk. Did you notice how similar they are? The Etios front strut towers also lack the base coat, to be more precise. Ironically, that was something Toyota tried to hide in all ways possible in its press materials.

Check the images below. Toyota released them from the presentation until its refresh in Brazil. All shots try to hide the fact that the car does not have the base coat on the engine bay. Savvy photographers or a company request?

Apart from the combustion engine and the motors, the Model 3 differs essentially from the Etios. While the latter was meant to be affordable, the Tesla is seen as a luxury car sedan, facing the likes of BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The Model 3 hides this lack of base coat in other ways. Not only under the frunk but also beneath the fenders. This image from a recent video from the Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel demonstrates that.

Tesla released another image from the Gigafactory 3 that show more parts of the car lack base coat. See it below.

The image shows the base coat is missing in many inner body structures. That proves the cars pictured before did not have a flaw per se. They have been fully painted only where Tesla decided to do so. Like Toyota did with the original Etios.

Tesla die-hard supporters will ask: So what? They should remember paint was one of the major complaints Model 3 owners had and still have about the car. The real question should be "Now what?" in the sense that it is necessary to discover whether this sort of manufacturing decision affects the quality of the paint or not.

We have tried to interview BASF about it. The chemical company supplies paints to Tesla. BASF declined to make any comments.

We then contacted many other specialists from the US. None had replied until moments before we were to publish this article. That was when we received a message from Al Steier. He is the Director of the Benchmarking Innovation Center at Munro & Associates. And he had something we would never expect to have in such detail.

"We borrowed a coatings thickness instrument and took readings in various parts of the car including the strut tower for you. Please see attached. For your information, there is one slide where we captured the rear quarter panel. Looking at the picture, it is hard to tell as there was a lot of background reflections in it."

The PowerPoint presentation had seven slides. They deserved an entirely new gallery that you can see below. It reveals the exact points of the body that lack a base coat.

All the internal parts of the structure, the ones that receive any sort of finishing, come only with primer. Besides the strut towers, the floor pan is in the slideshow, but the pictures reveal the firewall and the internal parts of the columns also lack base coat. Primer thickness at the strut towers is 25.4m. The floor pan primer is31.8m thick. The video below measures the external body panels. The ones that receive the base coat.

As you can see, the paint presents different thickness depending on where it is measured. It goes from 69 m to 114 m and is very uneven all over the body. We have asked Steier if that is an acceptableprocedure in the automotive industry at least for developed countries. His answers will probably deserve an entirely new article.

The only person that sent us answers to generic questions on automotive paint was Marco Colosio, director and member of the Materials Commission at SAE Brasil, with more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry. According to Colosio, it is unlikely to see cars that have no base coat in any part.

The primer is a physical barrier, but you will always have base coat over it. It is very unlikely that you will only have primer in any body panel.

As Colosio states, all of them should have that paint layer but some dont, as the Etios and the Model 3.

What, then, would be the explanation for the paint defect some Tesla owners are having with their cars? This video shows a Model 3 paint being tested.

We asked Colosio how thick good quality paint should be. Heres what he had to tell us:

That depends on many test factors, but it usually has 100 m. Thickness depends on what each carmaker sets as a resistance requirement for the product considering corrosion, UV exposure, etc.

We also asked him what else could interfere with good quality paint, such as the drying process.

Baking time should not alter that, but the layers application and the surface preparation are crucial for that.

Owners affected by paint problems on the Model 3 are still trying to get Tesla to fix their cars under warranty. The Toyota Etios had no complaints regarding paint except that this lack of base coat made it look cheap(er). Toyota has apparently started to paint the cars entirely after a facelift. We can't tell for sure because the company only produces this sort of standard engine bay picture when the body color helps hide an eventual lack of pigments.

The Model 3 and the Etios have one last thing in common: a central dashboard. The Etios received a digital one after the restyling.

The first analogic one pictured above presented a terrible parallax problem. At least Toyota has corrected it. We hope Tesla decides to do the same regarding the Model 3 paint even if it does not paint parts people normally do not see. Not only for new Model 3 units in Gigafactory 3, but also for the ones that already left Fremont long ago.

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What Does The Tesla Model 3 Have In Common With A Cheap Toyota Etios? - InsideEVs

Tesla Roadster Gets The A-Team Treatment In Retro Face Car Renders – InsideEVs

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

The new Tesla Roadster has been rendered to take on the form of the Face car from the hit 80's show The A-Team. Check it out right here.

3 Photos

Yesterday, we posted on the rad Tesla Semi render seen in these images too. The Semi is envisioned as the Model A, a large electric van for The A-Team reboot (not likely to actually happen). But included with the Semi renders was a few images of this slick, retro-styled Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster is envisioned as Face's car by artist Martin Hajek on Behance. Face was one of the main characters in the 80's show The A-Team. Face always drove the fancy cars (Corvettes), while the rest of the A-Team mainly traveled in a full-size van.

What we find interesting in these renders of the Roadster as an A-Team car is the fact that the car itself lends well to a retro look, despite the fact that it's possibly one of the most advanced cars ever made.

The real-life Tesla Roadster is an insane electric machine. Here are some of its specs:

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Tesla Roadster Gets The A-Team Treatment In Retro Face Car Renders - InsideEVs

Tesla: Are the Bears Reaching to Make a Negative Case? – Market Realist

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Tesla (TSLA) bears are rearing their heads once again following the companys release of its form 10-Q on October 29. Earlier this month, the company released its third-quarter earnings results, beating market expectations. It also announced expedited project timelines, making bears and short sellers reel.

We discussed in Is the Tesla Short Burn Musk Predicted Finally Here? that on October 24, short sellers lost $1.4 billion. This short squeeze happened as TSLA surged about 29% in the two days following the release of its earnings results on October 23. On October 29, however, the stock fell about 3%, bringing its YTD (year-to-date) losses to 6.5%. Its peers Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) are still in the green with YTD gains of 11.7% and 12.5%, respectively.

In its 10-Q filing, Tesla provided additional insight as to its revenue and costs. Teslas overall revenue, for example, fell 8% YoY (year-over-year) in the third quarter. However, it reported a wide variation in revenue growth among different regions. Tesla achieved growth of 64% in its revenue in China. On the other hand, its US revenue tanked 39% YoY during the quarter. This statistic provided a lot of fodder for Tesla bears.

Roth Capital Partners downgraded Tesla stock from neutral to sell on October 29. This downgrade came after Tesla released its form 10-Q. On the day, MarketWatch reported that Roth Capital Partners saw Teslas third-quarter margins as unsustainable. Roth analysts led by Craig Irwin further stated, We expect decelerating deliveries growth in 2020 to drive multiple compression and are cautious at current levels.

While a lot of analysts have listed sustainable profitability as a cause for concern regarding Tesla, not many are worried about its deliveries. After back-to-back quarters of record deliveries, Tesla might be on its way toward another record quarter in the fourth quarter. Moreover, going forward, other drivers should lead to higher deliveries for the company.

We discussed in Tesla Model Y: Could It Be the Real ICE-Killer? that the Model Y is expected to hit a sweet spot that should drive Teslas volumes as well as its profitability. In fact, during Teslas third-quarter earnings call, Musk said, I think its quite likely to just my opinion, but I think it will outsell Model S, Model X and Model 3 combined.

Musk told Ron Baron a few months ago that everything should come together by June next year. This optimism is most likely due to the expected start of Model Y production. The company now expects production for the vehicle to start by summer 2020 compared to its previous expectation of fall. Its China Gigafactory has also progressed well so far and is expected to start production ahead of schedule.

Another bearish argument regarding Tesla is the way its treated its warranty expenses. In the second quarter, Tesla recognized $153 million, or 2.9%, of its revenue in warranty expenses, but this amount fell to 2.7% in the third quarter. Many market observers saw this accounting treatment as a way to jack up its profits. However, according to Barrons, Teslas warranty expenses compared to those of other automakers dont show any cause for concern. Barrons also reported that based on its research, the industry average, based on recent financial filings, is about 2.5%.

Analysts had expected a change not in the extent of Teslas revenue distribution but in the variation of its revenue distribution. This variation came as the company began shipping out its most popular Model 3 to international markets in 2019. Due to pent-up demand for the Model 3 in other regions, mainly China and Europe, sales soared. This might have led to the apparent revenue discrepancy between the US and the rest of the world.

Additionally, the decline in the tax credit at the beginning of the third quarter in the US was one of the drivers of Teslas higher revenue. This same driver will also be available for its US revenue in the fourth quarter. The US tax credit expires for Tesla cars at the beginning of 2020.

There are certainly concerns regarding Tesla going forward. These include the sustainability of its long-term profitability, its production timeliness, and the ramp-up of its Model Y and China Gigafactory. We believe, however, that the bears are reaching for a negative company narrative that might not exist.

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Tesla: Are the Bears Reaching to Make a Negative Case? - Market Realist

Researchers use 7T MR to create highest resolution brain scan ever – DOTmed HealthCare Business News

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have completed the highest resolution MR scan of an entire human brain to date, producing images 1,000 times more detailed than those of a standard clinical MR system.

The 100 micron resolution scan, acquired on a 7-Tesla system, is expected to provide greater insights into the structure of the brain and connections between different parts, while offering a greater understanding of the biology of neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury and Alzheimers disease. The teams hope to eventually use the approach to form ultra-high resolution imaging techniques for use in living subjects.

We envision a future in which ex vivo MR and optical images at micron-scale resolution are precisely co-registered to histopathological data and in vivo MR data, Brian L. Edlow, first author of the paper, associate director of the MGH Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR), and director of the Laboratory for NeuroImaging of Coma and Consciousness (NICC), said in a statement. This fully integrated analysis pipeline will open up a new world of opportunities to investigate the pathophysiological basis of neurological disorders, and ultimately, will usher in a new era of pharmacologic, electrophysiologic, and neuromodulatory therapies.

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The group released the actual scan of the donated brain in June, along with underlying data that points to the potential for additional applications with this type of scan information. One of the co-authors, for instance, integrated the data into a software platform called Lead DBS to enable neurologists and neurosurgeons to improve the therapeutic outcome of deep brain stimulation electrode placement for disorders such as Parkinsons disease and obsessive compulsive disorder. Another group, the Fiber Tractrography Lab at University of Pittsburgh, integrated the data with 3-D tractography data to show axonal pathways for mapping connectivity within the human brain. The information has also been integrated with a neuroanatomy atlas at Unochapec University in Brazil.

The project has been in the works for ten years, and involved the help of neuroscientists, neurologists, MR physicists, engineers, computer scientists and anatomists. It also required the construction of 32 custom radiofrequency coils to reach the maximum resolution that was possible. All were positioned securely around the brain in a way that prevented them from interfering with one another.

This unique dataset has a broad range of investigational, educational and clinical applications that will advance understanding of human brain anatomy in health and disease, said Edlow.

The findings were published in the journal, Scientific Data.

MGH did not respond for comment.

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Stryker reports third quarter 2019 operating results – BioSpace

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

Kalamazoo, Michigan, Oct. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stryker (NYSE:SYK) reported operating results for the third quarter of 2019:

Third Quarter Highlights

"We delivered another strong quarter of results, with organic sales growth of 8.6% and adjusted EPS growth of 13%," said Kevin A. Lobo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We expect this momentum to continue, which positions us well to deliver above the high end of our initial guidance range for both organic sales and adjusted EPS."

Sales Analysis

Consolidated net sales of $3.6 billion increased 10.6% in the quarter and 11.5% in constant currency. Organic net sales increased 8.6% in the quarter including 9.3% from increased unit volume partially offset by 0.7% from lower prices.

Orthopaedics net sales of $1.3 billion increased 7.8% in the quarter and 8.8% in constant currency. Organic net sales increased 8.8% in the quarter including 10.1% from increased unit volume partially offset by 1.3% from lower prices.

MedSurg net sales of $1.6 billion increased 9.2% in the quarter and 10.0% in constant currency. Organic net sales increased 8.8% in the quarter including 9.2% from increased unit volume partially offset by 0.4% from lower prices.

Neurotechnology and Spine net sales of $0.7 billion increased 19.4% in the quarter and 20.2% in constant currency. Organic net sales increased 7.6% in the quarter including 7.8% from increased unit volume partially offset by 0.2% from lower prices.

Earnings Analysis

Reported net earnings of $466 million decreased 21.0% in the quarter. Reported net earnings per diluted share of $1.23 decreased 20.6% in the quarter. Reported gross profit margin and reported operating income margin were 65.0% and 17.5% in the quarter. Adjusted gross profit margin(1) and adjusted operating income margin(1) were 65.7% and 25.4%, an improvement of 50 basis points in the quarter. Adjusted net earnings(1) of $725 million increased 12.8% in the quarter. Adjusted net earnings per diluted share(1) of $1.91 increased 13.0% in the quarter.

2019 Outlook

Based on our performance to date and anticipated strength in the remainder of the year, we now expect 2019 organic net sales growth to be toward the higher end of our previously guided range of 7.5% to 8.0% and expect adjusted net earnings per diluted share(2) to be in the range of $8.20 to $8.25. For the fourth quarter we expect adjusted net earnings per diluted share(2) to be in the range of $2.43 to $2.48. If foreign currency exchange rates hold near current levels, we expect net sales in the fourth quarter and full year will be negatively impacted by approximately 1.0%, and net earnings per diluted share will be negatively impacted by approximately $0.02 in the fourth quarter and $0.15 in the full year.

(1) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures: adjusted gross profit margin, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income margin, adjusted net earnings and adjusted net earnings per diluted share, to the most directly comparable GAAP measures: gross profit margin, operating income and operating income margin, net earnings and net earnings per diluted share, and other important information accompanies this press release.

(2) We are unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of our expected net earnings per diluted share to expected adjusted net earnings per diluted share as we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort the impact and timing of restructuring-related and other charges, acquisition-related expenses and fair value adjustments to inventory and the outcome of certain regulatory, legal and tax matters. The financial impact of these items is uncertain and is dependent on various factors, including timing, and could be material to our Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Conference Call on Tuesday, October29, 2019

As previously announced, Stryker will host a conference call on Tuesday, October29, 2019 at 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, to discuss the company's operating results for the quarter ended September30, 2019 and provide an operational update.

To participate in the conference call dial (877) 702-4565 (domestic) or (647) 689-5532 (international) and be prepared to provide conference ID number 6039299 to the operator.

A simultaneous webcast of the call will be accessible via the company's website at http://www.stryker.com. The call will be archived on the Investor Relations page of this site.

A recording of the call will also be available from 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, October29, 2019, until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. To hear this recording, you may dial (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or (416) 621-4642 (international) and enter conference ID number 6039299.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains information that includes or is based on forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: weakening of economic conditions that could adversely affect the level of demand for our products; pricing pressures generally, including cost-containment measures that could adversely affect the price of or demand for our products; changes in foreign exchange markets; legislative and regulatory actions; unanticipated issues arising in connection with clinical studies and otherwise that affect U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of new products; potential supply disruptions; changes in reimbursement levels from third-party payors; a significant increase in product liability claims; the ultimate total cost with respect to recall-related matters; the impact of investigative and legal proceedings and compliance risks; resolution of tax audits; the impact of the federal legislation to reform the United States healthcare system; costs to comply with medical device regulations; changes in financial markets; changes in the competitive environment; our ability to integrate acquisitions; and our ability to realize anticipated cost savings. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and,together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services inOrthopaedics, Medical and Surgical,and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improvepatient and hospital outcomes. More information is available atwww.stryker.com.

For investor inquiries please contact:

Katherine Owen, Vice President, Strategy & Investor Relations at 269-385-2600 or katherine.owen@stryker.com

For media inquiries please contact:

Yin Becker, Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs and Corporate Marketing at 269-385-2600 or yin.becker@stryker.com

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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION - RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

We supplement the reporting of our financial information determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) with certain non-GAAP financial measures, including: percentage sales growth; percentage sales growth in constant currency; percentage organic sales growth; adjusted gross profit; adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses; adjusted research, development and engineering expenses; adjusted operating income; adjusted effective income tax rate; adjusted net earnings; and adjusted net earnings per diluted share (Diluted EPS). We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful information to assist investors and shareholders in understanding our financial results and assessing our prospects for future performance. Management believes percentage sales growth in constant currency and the other adjusted measures described above are important indicators of our operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of or are unrelated to our core operating results and provide a baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for reviewing the operating results of reportable business segments and analyzing potential future business trends in connection with our budget process and bases certain management incentive compensation on these non-GAAP financial measures.

To measure percentage sales growth in constant currency, we remove the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates that affect the comparability and trend of sales. Percentage sales growth in constant currency is calculated by translating current and prior year results at the same foreign currency exchange rate. To measure percentage organic sales growth, we remove the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and acquisitions, which affect the comparability and trend of sales. Percentage organic sales growth is calculated by translating current year results at prior year average foreign currency exchange rates excluding the impact of acquisitions. To measure earnings performance on a consistent and comparable basis, we exclude certain items that affect the comparability of operating results and the trend of earnings.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. These adjusted financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for reported sales growth, gross profit, selling, general and administrative expenses, research, development and engineering expenses, operating income, effective income tax rate, net earnings and net earnings per diluted share, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures below, provide a more complete understanding of our business. We strongly encourage investors and shareholders to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

The following reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures discussed above with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. The weighted-average diluted shares outstanding used in the calculation of non-GAAP earnings per share are the same as those used in the calculation of reported earnings per share for the respective period.

Excerpt from:

Stryker reports third quarter 2019 operating results - BioSpace

Synaptive Progresses into the Spinal Surgery Market – Healthcare Tech Outlook

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

The Modus Vs mechanization enables surgeons to function continuously without taking their hands off from the operative field to adjust the microscope. The process, along with other features like hands-free focal depth control and automatic lighting optimization, facilitates doctors with an uncompromised view during vital moments of every delicate procedure.

FREMONT, CA: To capture patient data and deliver it when and where it matters most for clinical decision making, Synaptive Medical, a leader in automation and robotics, announced a strategic commercial development into the spinal surgery market. As part of the progression into the sector, Synaptive revealed plans for marketing collaborations with Strykers Advanced Guidance Technologies. The partnership will see the utilization of the robotically managed digital microscope, Modus V.

Synaptive Medical is a Toronto-based medical technology and device company. The enterprise designs software and hardware technologies that cross conventional barriers in hospitals and enhance patient care in and beyond the operating room. Synaptives Modus V and integrated BrightMatter solutions comprise surgical planning, visualization, navigation, and an informatics platform. They give leading healthcare systems and clinicians the information they need to ensure the best probable outcomes for patients.

Stryker is one of the globally leading medical technology companies. The organization offers innovative services and products in orthopedics, surgical, spine, and neurotechnology that help improve hospital and patient outcomes.

Synaptives first product offering, the BrightMatter suite of products, focused on enabling surgeons to perform less invasive, patient-specific approaches in complicated cranial procedures like tumors or stroke. Originally launched as part of the cranial offering, Modus V was found by surgeons to offer similar benefits for minimally invasive spinal procedures.

A high-power visualization tool, Modus Vs robotic arm, runs automatically based on the positions of tracked surgical instruments. The mechanization enables surgeons to function continuously without taking their hands off from the operative field to adjust the microscope. The process, along with other features like hands-free focal depth control and automatic lighting optimization, facilitates doctors with an uncompromised view during vital moments of every delicate procedure.

Critical to the strategic push into the spine market is the enterprises development of an existing co-marketing agreement with Stryker. Initially beamed at Synaptives surgical planning technology, BrightMatter Plan, the extension will present surgeons with more extended access to an innovative application for visualization in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) progresses in spinal procedures.

Besides Smartphones, Government Initiatives and the Retail Industry to Drive the Global Facial Recognition Market – GlobeNewswire

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Danzig

CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to study titled Facial Recognition Market by Component (Software, Tools, and Services), Application Area (Emotion Recognition, Attendance Tracking and Monitoring, Access Control, Law Enforcement), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024 by MarketsandMarkets, the global facial recognition market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.6% from an estimated value of USD 3.2 billion in 2019 to reach USD 7.0 billion by 2024. Increasing activity to combat terrorism & crime is one of the key driving factors for market growth. Moreover, the rapid adoption of technology in consumer electronics such as smartphones and home security systems to enhance consumer safety will boost the market growth.

The last two decades have witnessed an increase in terrorist activities around the world. Additionally, there has been a rise in criminal activities, including theft, cyberattacks, and human trafficking. To curb the unchecked spread of terrorism and criminal activities, there have been several initiatives undertaken by governments and affiliated bodies across the world. The Indian Government is exhibiting one such instance.

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In 2018, the Indian Government adopted facial recognition technology to identify missing children and reduce trafficking. Post its successful adoption in this initiative as well as in large-scale handling events and fighting crime in certain states, the Indian Government is planning on constructing the largest facial recognition system in the world, where the police force across the country will have access to a single, centralized database. Such initiatives are expected to open new growth avenues for the global facial recognition market in the near future.

Initiatives such as those exhibited by countries such as India are expected to play an important role in accelerating the growth of the Asia Pacific facial recognition market during the forecast period, making it the fastest-growing marketplace. Besides the large-scale government initiatives, the presence of a robust, established electronics manufacturing base in India, China, Japan, and South Korea is expected to spur the demand for facial recognition technology.

Companies such as NEC, Aware, Idemia, and Gemalto (A Thales Company) have been offering customized solutions as per the requirement of the customers, coupled with their growth strategies to achieve advance infrastructure consistently in the market. On the other hand, Daon, Animetrics, Stereovision Imaging, ID3 Technologies, Nviso, Neurotechnology, and Technobrain have been undertaking multiple partnerships and boosting their sales capabilities across regions to offer integrated solutions and services to a wide range of clients.

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Facial recognition can perform numerous functions such as emotion recognition, attendance tracking & monitoring, access control, and law enforcement, among others. Attendance tracking & monitoring segment is expected to witness the fastest growth due to its widespread implementation, especially in places where large groups of people attend an event such as colleges and churches. This functionality helps in reducing the time spent in manually tracking attendance. Checking in via apps on smartphones, laptops, and tablets, as well as tracking via live monitoring and GPS, are the latest trends in the global facial recognition market.

Besides functionality, facial recognition has evolved over the past few years, where the technology can be used not only in 2D but also in 3D and for facial analytics. 3D facial recognition was at the forefront of the market for quite a few years until companies started using this data to analyze patterns and identification. Facial analytics is helping companies redefine their approach to their clients by capturing different facial expressions, such as happiness, sadness, and anger, among others, to get to know them better.

The penetration of facial recognition was the highest in BFSI, government & defense, and retail & eCommerce. These three verticals together dominated the global facial recognition market share in 2018. The need to check a customers credibility, especially while giving loans, has resulted in banks such as Citi Bank, Barclays, and Banco National (Costa Rica) adopting the facial recognition technology. The retail & eCommerce sector holds tremendous growth potential for the global facial recognition market. The technology is increasingly being used to monitor buying patterns, routes they follow, and shops they visit. This data helps in catering to better customer service, especially for companies such as Amazon and local food apps.

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Besides Smartphones, Government Initiatives and the Retail Industry to Drive the Global Facial Recognition Market - GlobeNewswire

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