Daily Archives: June 23, 2017

Don’t Worry, KFC’s Mission to Send a Zinger Chicken Sandwich to Near Space Will Still Happen – Newsweek

Posted: June 23, 2017 at 6:33 am

Mother Nature has delayed the launch of a KFC sandwich into the stratosphere. World View Enterprises, the stratospheric exploration company that is hosting theZinger 1 Space Missiona mission to take KFCs new spicy, crispy Zinger chicken sandwich to new heightsblamed wind for the grounding of its high-altitude Stratollite balloon system.

The companywill send updates once officials have confirmed the date and time for the next launch attempt. Those who really want to know when the sammy is headed to the skiesshould tune into KFC and World View social channels. According to World Views Facebook page, the next launch attempt will likely occur on Saturday.

An artist's rendering of the KFC Zinger Stratollite. KFC

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The KFC bucket satellite will be carried into the skies for a four-day flight via a specially designed high-altitude hot air balloon. These balloons can serve other slightly more grounded purposes, such as weather monitoring and tourism. According to Space.com, the balloon will reach an altitude of 60,000 to 75,000 feet above Earth, where nearly 20,000 KFC franchises currently reside.

KFC insists the mission isnt just an attention-grabbing marketing ploy. Funding a mission to send its deep-fried sensation out into near-space will provide useful information toWorld View for future, more serious expeditions such as taking real mammals for a ride.

Animalsthe living kindare no strangers to space exploration. Since the 1950s, a variety of companions have joined human astronauts aboard critical missions. The historical list reads like a page out of the biblical tale of Noahs ark. Geckos, monkeys, dogs, mice, rats, frogs, turtles, fish, silkworms, spiders, ants, fruit flies, bees and single-celled organisms have all made their way onto missions. Sadly, many have not survived. In 1989, NASA sent chicken embryos out into the great unknown.

But sending live animals to space is sooo 20th century.

The only crew member that will be (barely) alive on this mission is crisp lettuce that accompanies the fried chicken patty, mayo and sesame bun. Unfortunately, there is limited room in the satellite, which means the potato wedges, cookie and sugar-sweetened beverage that typically comes with the Zinger will be staying home.

But fear not! The moment will not be lost since the souped (sandwiched?) up satellite comes equipped with a custom robotic selfie arm. Even a chicken fillet wants to preserve special memories. The spacecraft has other features that likely have Neil Armstrong rolling around in his grave, including a space tweet module that will broadcast tweets from fans with the hashtags #ZingerSpaceTweet and #Pickme. Theres also a trap door from which the Zinger will drop the first-ever coupons for a chicken sandwich.

And finally, in the tradition of 1970s space travel, aboard the satellite also will be a gold cassette tape to broadcast Colonel Harland Sanders waxing poeticabout his chicken. You know, just in case extraterrestrial lifeforms turn out to be listening.

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Don't Worry, KFC's Mission to Send a Zinger Chicken Sandwich to Near Space Will Still Happen - Newsweek

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Space travel from UK ports coming soon, says Government – Hereford Times

Posted: at 6:33 am

Legislation aimed at making the UK the most attractive place in Europe for commercial space flight will be introduced over the next two years, the Government has announced.

The Space Industry Bill will feature new powers to license space ports, vertically launched rockets and space planes.

This will help the UK increase its share of the global space economy from 6.5% today to 10% by 2030, according to the Government.

It is hoped that space flights will generate new business opportunities (Gareth Fuller/PA)

It is hoped that space flights will generate new business opportunities for technology and tourism in remote areas of the UK.

Several coastal aerodromes that could be converted to space ports have previously been shortlisted, including Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute; Glasgow Prestwick; Stornoway, Isle of Lewis; Newquay, Cornwall and Llanbedr, Gwynedd.

It is envisaged space planes could fly from a British space port both to place satellites in orbit and to carry fee-paying passengers on sub-orbital flights. Small satellite companies would benefit from new options for low-cost and reliable access to space under the legislation, which was featured in the Queens Speech.

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This Tech Could Charge Electric Cars While They Drive – Singularity Hub

Posted: at 6:32 am

The global auto industry is worth $2 trillion, but electric and hybrid cars currently make up less than one percent of that figure. However, experts are predicting an explosion in electric car adoption.

Financial services company UBS predicted demand for electric cars will reach an inflection point in 2018 as their cost shrinks to equal (and eventually undercut) the cost of internal combustion engine vehicles. China saw a 53 percent increase in electric car sales from 2015 to 2016, and India is aiming to sell only electric cars by 2030.

Even though theyll be affordable, and theyll keep the air cleaner, though, electric cars will still have one major limitation, and thatsthe fact that theyre electric. Electric things run on batteries, and if batteries dont get recharged every so often, they die.

Teslas Model 3 will go 200 miles on one charge, and Chevys new Bolt goes 238 miles. These are no small distances, especially when compared to the Volts 30-mile range just three years ago. Even so, once the cars batteries are drained, recharging them takes hours.

Researchers at Stanford University just took a step toward solving this problem. In a paper published last week in Nature, the team described a new technique that wirelessly transmits electricity to a moving object within close range.

Wireless power transfer works using magnetic resonance coupling. An alternating magnetic field in a transmitter coil causes electrons in a receiver coil to oscillate, with the best transfer efficiency occurring when both coils are tuned to the same frequency and positioned at a specific angle.

That makes it hard to transfer electricity while an object is moving though. To bypass the need for continuous manual tuning, the Stanford team removed the radio-frequency source in the transmitter and replaced it with a voltage amplifier and a feedback resistor.

The system calibrates itself to the required frequency for different distances. Using this system, the researchers were able to wirelessly transmit a one-milliwatt charge of electricity to a moving LED light bulb three feet away. No manual tuning was needed, and transfer efficiency remained stable.

One milliwatt is a far cry from the tens of kilowatts an electric car needs. But now that theyve established that an amplifier will do the trick, the team is working on ramping up the amount of electricity that can be transferred using this system.

Switching out the amplifier itself could make a big differencefor this test, they used a general-purpose amplifier with about ten percent efficiency, but custom-made amplifiers could likely boost efficiency to over 90 percent.

It will still be a while before electric cars can get zapped with infusions of charge while cruising down the highway, but thats the future some energy experts envision.

In theory, one could drive for an unlimited amount of time without having to stop to recharge, said Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering and senior author of the study. The hope is that youll be able to charge your electric car while youre driving down the highway. A coil in the bottom of the vehicle could receive electricity from a series of coils connected to an electric current embedded in the road.

Embedding power lines in roads would be a major infrastructure project, and it wouldnt make sense to undertake it until electric car adoption was widespreadwhen, for example, electric cars accounted for at least 50 percent of total vehicles on the road, or more. If charging was easier, though, more drivers might choose to go electric.

Tesla has already made electric car ownership a bit easier by investing heavily in its Supercharger network. There are currently 861 Supercharger stations around the world with 5,655 chargers, and hundreds more are in the works. The stations charge Tesla vehicles for free in a half hour or hourinstead of multiple hours.

Ripping up roads to embed power lines that can charge cars while theyre moving seems unnecessary as technologies like the Superchargers continue to proliferate. But as electric vehicles proliferate too, drivers will want their experiences to be as seamless as possible, and that couldinclude not having to stop to charge your car.

Despite the significant hurdles left to clear, charging moving cars is the most exciting potential of the Stanford teams wireless transfer system. But there are also smaller-scale applications like cell phones and personal medical implants, which will likely employ the technology before its used on cars. Fan even mentioned that the system may untether robotics in manufacturing.

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Inland waterways in Ascension, Livingston closed due to post-storm ‘hazards’ – The Advocate

Posted: at 6:30 am

GONZALES The Amite River and all other inland waterways in Ascension and Livingston parishes have been closed to recreational traffic, Ascension and Livingston Homeland Security officials said.

Hazards caused by Tropical Storm Cindy forced the closure, which began at 6 p.m. Thursday and will remain in place until further notice, Ascension homeland security officials said in a Facebook post.

The two parishes share the Amite, but other rivers and bayous also course throughout both parishes.

Rick Webre, director of the Ascension Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said floating debris was one factor in the decision to close the waterways but said high water in the Amite River Diversion Canal was also a major reason.

He said boat traffic through the high water in the canal is causing problems for homes and bulkheads that line portions of the waterway.

Mark Harrell, Webre's counterpart in Livingston Parish, said similar problems with wakes from boaters are being encountered on the Tickfaw River in the southeastern end of that parish.

Harrell said storm surge and wind from Cindy has swollen water levels on the river. The Tickfaw's mouth empties along the north shore of Lake Maurepas.

The order closes all boat launches in both parishes to recreational traffic.

After making landfall Thursday morning, Cindy was downgraded to a tropical depression by the National Weather Service.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Drink Doki Doki at Ascension Coffee – D Magazine

Posted: at 6:30 am

Ascension Coffee is now offering a highly caffeinated, nitro-infused cold brew called Doki Doki (the name is derived from the Japanese word that refers to the sound of a beating heart).

Here at Ascension Coffee, we aim to drive a unique and memorable coffee experience, says Ascension owner and master roaster, Russell Hayward. And are always looking for new and exciting ways to showcase our amazing coffee. We are a truly global coffee experience, and Doki Doki allows us to bring a unique Japanese technique to brewing an amazing coffee that is refreshing in the heat of the Texas summer.

The process:

Colombian coffee beans are placed into a Japanese cold brew tower. Water slowly drips (over a 12-hour period) to achieve a chocolatey and smooth cup of cold brew. After this process is complete, they nitrogenate it into kegs which gives the coffee a stout-like flavor and consistency.

So go order it. We know you want to, if only for the opportunity to say the word Doki.

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Gerry Lewis, CIO at Ascension: 2017 Technology Executives of the Year – St. Louis Business Journal

Posted: at 6:30 am

Gerry Lewis, CIO at Ascension: 2017 Technology Executives of the Year
St. Louis Business Journal
Gerry Lewis started his career as an intelligence analyst with the CIA, which, he said, is where he learned the value of information and how to use it correctly. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Subscribe to get the full ...

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Five arrested in alleged scheme to rob, beat man in Sorrento over … – The Advocate

Posted: at 6:30 am

GONZALES Five suspects wanted in a robbery that left a man beaten, knocked unconscious and locked in the trunk of his abandoned car have been arrested on attempted first-degree murder and other counts, Ascension Parish sheriff's deputies said Thursday.

Authorities on Thursday booked David Joseph Gonday, 34, of Gonzales, and Richard Allen, 54, of Sorrento, the last two of the five suspects in the robbery scheme.

The two were booked into Ascension Parish Detention Center with counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree robbery and simple kidnapping, deputies said.

St. James and Ascension parish sheriffs' deputies announced earlier this week that they were looking for Gonday and Shane Redmond, 47, 7536 Vice President Lane, Baton Rouge, in the robbery. At the time, Allen had not been named as a suspect.

Deputies said then that Redmond and Gonday had confronted the victim on Panama Road near Sorrento and robbed him ofelectronics and clothing before leaving him in the car trunk earlier this month.

With all five in custody Thursday, authorities said that three other suspects were also involved and revealed more details of the robbery scheme.

Deputies said the victim thought he was headed to Allen's home on Panama Road to buy illegal drugs, but was being set up to be beaten and robbed in retribution for some past slight.

Heather Firmin, 40, who lives with Allen at 6100 Panama Road, Sorrento, had called the victim and told him to come over, deputies said.

"We think they lured him over there," said Lt. Col. Ward Webb, Ascension Parish sheriff's chief of operations.

Allen, Gonday and Redmond and a fourth man, Dustin Eddy, 36, 41120 Cannon Road, Gonzales, beat the victim until he was unconscious sometime in the evening hours of June 10 or early morning hours of June 11, Webb said.

St. James Parish sheriffs deputies found an abandoned vehicle along La. 70 in Convent on June 11 and discovered the victim in the trunk.

Webb said it is unclear what the suspects believe the victim may have done to them in the past.

The victim is in the hospital and deputies are reviewing whether to book him when he recovers, Webb said.

Redmond turned himself in Tuesday and was booked on counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree robbery and simple kidnapping, jail records show.

Firmin and Eddy were arrested June 15 on counts of being principals to attempted first-degree murder, second-degree robbery and simple kidnapping.Firmin was also booked on counts ofcriminal conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution.Her bail was set at $100,000, jail records say.Eddy has bail of $75,000.

Allen was also picked up June 15 but was only booked on counts of drug possession and drug paraphernalia and was later released on bail of $30,000. He was arrested again Thursday and booked in the robbery scheme.

Gonday, who was also booked on a probation violation, had bail of $80,000 set. Allen and Redmond were waiting on Thursday for bail to be set, online jail booking records say.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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NASA? More like NASAI: Brainy robots ‘crucial’ to space exploration … – The Register

Posted: at 6:29 am

Autonomous space robots are going to be key to making new discoveries and exploring the furthest reaches of our Solar System and beyond, according to NASA scientists.

By making their own exploration decisions, robotic spacecraft can conduct traditional science investigations more efficiently and even achieve otherwise impossible observations, Steve Chien and Kiri Wagstaff, AI researchers working at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote in Science Robotics.

Autonomy will allow robots to respond and turn their attention to sudden, unexpected phenomena like the plumes sprouting from distant comets, instead of waiting around to execute the next command sent from Earth.

AI and machine learning has a long history at NASA. Its tough to pinpoint the exact time the technology was used, but Chien said the first time it cropped up onboard a spacecraft was 1999 with the Deep Space One (DS1) Remote Agent Experiment (RAX).

DS1 was a spacecraft that was used to perform a demo of the RAX to test how it could generate its own plans to achieve mission goals over a 48-hour flight.

More modern spacecraft orbiting Earth employ machine learning classifier algorithms to distinguish between snow, water and ice so they can detect more unusual weather events like volcanic activity, fires or floods. The same principle is also used on the Curiosity rover to capture whirling dust devils, kicked up by the Martian wind.

The idea of robots coming up with its own schedule is particularly interesting to Chien as it enables a higher level of autonomy and intelligence.

Understanding the competing objectives, and measurements you are trying to do, so that you can design software that can pack it all in, is quite a challenge. A lot of times it gets quite involved in the science - what you are trying to model, what you are trying to observe - whether it is a plume in the ocean, a the evolution of a volcanic eruption, or the geology behind how a particular site evolved, Chien told The Register.

All of the planning systems rely on modelling the spacecrafts current state and resources and use better search algorithms to decide on a schedule.

NASA is currently developing an automated scheduler for its Mars 2020 rover mission. But to go further, robots will have to be able to explore unknown environments for days, weeks or even months without human support.

There is an ongoing project exploring potential technologies for autonomous submarines to detect signs of life underwater. It is hoped that one day, such submersibles could be used to probe the oceans hidden beneath the icy exteriors on Europa, Enceladus or Pluto.

It is believed that these watery world may have hydrothermal vents that support life, like the extremophile microbes that live near similar vents in Earths oceans - a possible hotbed that could explain the origin of life.

NASA are also looking at newer areas of AI like deep learning. Its important to keep learning to achieve longer term goals, Chien said. But applying them is trickier since space missions are very expensive. We have few opportunities to launch [robots], so NASA does not want to take unnecessary risks, so most of the machine learning deployments are on the ground.

The ultimate challenge would be to visit Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Solar System - only 4.37 light years away. Last year, scientists announced that Proxima b, a possible rocky planet, was orbiting in the habitable zone around Alpha Centauri.

To traverse a distance of over 4 light years, an explorer to this system would likely endure a cruise of over 60 years. Upon arrival, the spacecraft would need to operate independently for years, even decades, exploring multiple planets in the system. Todays AI innovations are paving the way to make this kind of autonomy a reality, the paper said.

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Needle Action Activity Spotted in NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) – The Times

Posted: at 6:29 am

NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) shares are moving today onvolatility-8.37% or $-0.0022 from the open.TheOTC listed companysaw a recent bid of $0.0241 and187591shares have traded hands in the session.

Investors might be trying to figure out an investment plan that is right for them. Some may opt to go with a short-term plan, and others may choose to invest in stocks for the long haul. The thought of creating a defined plan may be overwhelming to some. Comparing the plusses and minuses of both may be a good way to start forming a strategy. Investing for the short-term may offer chances to capitalize on gains over a few weeks or months. There may be more fluctuations to deal with in the short-term, but the rewards may be greater if managed properly. One drawback of investing for the short-term is that it may involve more risk. The element of correct timing comes into play when trying to enter or exit a position, which may not be for everyone. Investing for the long-term may be a safer way to go as investors are typically looking for smaller gains over a longer period of time.

Taking a deeper look into the technical levels ofNanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK), we can see thatthe Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -79.50. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -128.72. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, NanoTech Entertainment Incs 14-day RSI is currently at 34.21, the 7-day stands at 29.58, and the 3-day is sitting at 29.44.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) is sitting at 18.72. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

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Watching the Tape Move for NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) – Clayton News

Posted: at 6:29 am

Needle moving action has been spotted in NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) as shares are moving today onvolatility10.37% or 0.0025 from the open.TheOTC listed companysaw a recent bid of 0.0266 and45000shares have traded hands in the session.

Occasionally, a certain stock may perform much higher than expectations, and it may become a much greater percentage of the portfolio. This is typically a good thing, but it may require some decisions on what to do with the portfolio allocations. If one stock is making up a high percentage of the total, it may create the risk of higher than normal average losses if the shares take an unforeseen dive lower. Even if the stock has the potential to go much higher, it can be tricky to know when to sell and find other stocks that might be a better value. Selling a winner might leave the average investor frustrated if the stock goes higher, but there may be nothing wrong with taking profits and not leaving gains on the table. As we move into the second half of the year, investors may want to compare first half gains with goals that were established at the beginning of the year. This may help narrow in on what needs to be done in order to stay in the green for the rest of the year and beyond. Setting portfolio goals may be a good way to stay the course when things get a little hairy in the markets.

Digging deeping into the NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) s technical indicators, we note that the Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -67.00. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -13.89. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) is sitting at 19.64. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, the 14-day RSI for NanoTech Entertainment Incis currently at 39.70, the 7-day stands at 42.29, and the 3-day is sitting at 56.53.

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Watching the Tape Move for NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK) - Clayton News

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