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☆ A Harvard professor is risking his reputation to search for aliens. Tech tycoons are bankrolling his quest.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Harvard professor's research is bankrolled by tech tycoons "pissed off" at academia's dogma. But this boundary-pushing is exactly why he's backed Loeb's research. AdvertisementDesch, the astrophysicist from Arizona University, posted a critique of Loeb's work on arXiv alleging "multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments." Asked whether he no longer believes in a possible technological origin for the meteor, Loeb said they need to investigate further. As he plans more extravagant expeditions to prove the origin of the interstellar meteor, Loeb likens his critics to crows pecking at the neck of an eagle.

Persons: Avi Loeb, Loeb, —, Steven Desch, they're, Loeb's, they've, Charles Hoskinson, that's, Anibal Martel, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, Lucas Jackson, Oumuamua, Desch, It's, Meech, Hoskinson, Rather, Lane Turner, James Webb, Bill Diamond, Stenzel, AARO, UAPs, Loeb hasn't, Joe Rogan's, Eugene Jhong, Galileo, ", Frank Laukien, Laukien, Charles Alcock, Seth Shostak, Stephen Wolfram, Richard Branson's, Vera, Rubin, Avi Loeb Loeb, what's, Rob McCallum, Mariana Trench, James Cameron, Avi Loeb Hoskinson, spherules, Harvard's Stein Jacobsen, Loeb didn't, Monica Grady, Patricio Gallardo, it's, Diamond, That's Avi, Adam Glanzman Organizations: Harvard, Service, Arizona State University, Netflix, Galileo, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, University of Hawaii, Boston Globe, James Webb Telescope, NASA, SETI Institute, Pew Research Center, Department of Defense, UAP Department of Defense, Jhong, Bruker Corporation, Smithsonian's, for Astrophysics, MIT, Wolfram Research, Harvard University, Survey, US Space Command, Hoskinson, UK's Open University, University of Chicago, Arizona University, U.S . Government, The Washington, Getty, Loeb, Astronomy, Astrophysics Locations: Lexington , Massachusetts, United States, Getty, Loeb's, New York, Cambridge, Massachussetts, UAPs, Colorado, Chile, Papua New Guinea, 2401.09882, IM1

☆ Apple reportedly exploring personal home robots
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple CEO Tim Cook (2nd R) greets customers as he arrives for the release of the Vision Pro headset at the Apple Store in New York City on February 2, 2024. Apple is exploring the development of personal home robots after ditching its electric vehicle project, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. In recent years, the company has also invested heavily in products and services like its Apple Watch and Vision Pro virtual reality headset. The Vision Pro, however, will likely take years to create meaningful revenue. Apple's hardware engineering division and its artificial intelligence and machine learning group are overseeing the work on personal robotics, Bloomberg reported.

Persons: Tim Cook, Read, Leswing, Annie Palmer Organizations: Apple, Bloomberg, Engineers, Group, Apple Watch, Vision, Amazon Locations: New York City

☆ A signal linked to aliens by a Harvard professor may have been caused by a passing truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYet another study is calling into question a Harvard professor's claims that metallic balls discovered under the ocean may have been made by aliens . Johns Hopkins University-led (JHU-led) research said a blip on the seismometer that Loeb used to pinpoint the crash site may simply have been caused by the vibrations of a passing truck. AdvertisementPinpointing the crash siteIn 2019, Loeb and his team searched databases for unusual meteors that were moving rapidly. The meteor, dubbed by Loeb's team IM1, was first spotted by the Department of Defense's (DoD) sensors. Loeb's team recovered 805 spherules.

Persons: —, Avi Loeb, Loeb, Ben Fernando, It's, Fernando, it's, Charles Hoskinson, Undeterred Organizations: Service, Harvard, Business, Johns Hopkins University, JHU, Department of Defense's, DoD, Planetary Science Conference, Galileo, Space Force Locations: Papua, Guinea, 2401.09882, Papua New Guinea, Houston

☆ Amazon's secret war on Android: The company has a plan to cure Alexa's addiction to Google's operating system.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon's Alexa division is cutting costs across the board, having laid off thousands of employees and reshuffled projects over the past 18 months. Vega is a "new portable operating system for consumer electronics developed by Amazon," the document explained. Tech newsletter Lowpass previously reported on some parts of the new Vega OS. Feature parity gapThe feature parity gap between Amazon's own Alexa devices and third-party voice-assistants using Alexa has long been a problem, both internally and externally, according to the people familiar. Not off Android entirelyWith the new Vega OS, Amazon is reducing its reliance on the Android-based Fire OS.

Persons: Panos Panay, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Vega, Dave Limp, Alexa, It's Organizations: Alexa, Business, Software, BI, Amazon, Amazon's, Tech, Google, Blue, Washington Post, Vega

☆ Amazon and Roomba maker call off acquisition deal, iRobot lays off staff instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Amazon and iRobot, the maker of the popular Roomba vacuum, mutually called off their estimated $1.7 billion acquisition deal Monday, citing numerous regulatory hurdles. Amazon (AMZN), which was up about 0.5% in noon trading, will pay iRobot a previously agreed-upon $94 million cancellation fee. IRobot said the restructuring plan, impacting around 350 employees, is intended to save the company up to $150 million. In November, the European Commission said the deal could hamper competition in the robot vacuum sector. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the European Commission planned to block the deal.

Persons: iRobot, Colin Angle, Glen Weinstein, IRobot, “, ” Andrew Miller, iRobot’s, ” David Zapolsky, Lina Khan, ”, Meta Organizations: CNN, European, Federal Trade, European Union, European Commission, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, Commission, Amazon . Tech, Adobe, EU, UK, Nvidia, UK’s Competition, Markets Authority, Activision Blizzard, CMA Locations: Europe

☆ 16 VCs that are funding the future of entertainment by backing generative AI and other disruptive tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementAfter a period of "wild west" investing in AI, Blank believes activity will favor AI companies that respect artists' consent and compensation. It recently co-led a $1 million seed round in Conduiit, which centralizes entertainment companies' production finance operations. Endeavor Venture InvestmentsEndeavor Venture Investments is the venture arm of entertainment and sports behemoth Endeavor. SWaN & LegendThe Virginia-based VC firm has a broad consumer portfolio that includes a number of entertainment investments. With Hollywood in contraction, SWaN has largely hit pause on new entertainment investments to get its portfolio companies on a strong footing.

Persons: Michael Blank, Blank, Jon Miller, Miller, Slack, Garnet Heraman, BDMI, Urs Cete, Michael, TMRW, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Elysian Park Ventures Jay Adya, Grant Lamos, Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, Jay Adya, Morgan, Kushaan Ahuja, Drew Glover, Glover, Alex Harris, they've, Noah Doyle, Payback India, Jed Katz, Rich Greenfield, Rich, Ilya Pozin, Jamie Seltzer, LightShed, Steve Cohen's, it's, Sri Chandrasekar, Tripp Shriner, Ishan Sinha, That's, Wondery, Ian Doody, Raine, Gordon Rubenstein, Joe Ravitch, Jeff Sine, ‐, Fred Schaufeld, SWaN, that's, Oscar, Jose, Schaufeld, Sam Wick, Alex J, Investcorp, Paul Yoo, Edgar Bronfman Jr, Daniel Leff, Waverley, Leff Organizations: Service, Creative Artists, Connect Ventures, Business, Hollywood, Veteran, TPG, Integrated Media Co, Advancit, CAA, Bertelsmann, Waverley, Octopus Ventures, Accel, Facebook, Venture, Aperture Venture, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Fremantle, Connect, CAA Connect Ventures, New Enterprises Associates, TMRW Sports, Disney, Universal, Elysian Park Ventures, Elysian, Sports, Endeavor Venture, Endeavor Venture Investments, behemoth Endeavor, Dapper Labs, Fiat Ventures, Fiat Ventures Fiat Ventures, Fiat, Payback, Rent, LightShed, Rich Greenfield Influential, LightShed Ventures, Pluto, Apple, Octopus Ventures Octopus Ventures, Investments, Corp, Etsy, Re, Point72 Ventures New York Mets, Range Media Partners, Point72 Ventures, Sri, Powerhouse, Athletic, The New York Times Co, Evolution Media, Creative Artists Agency, Astro, Rave Digital Media, Accel Entertainment, Jose Andrés Media, Berliner, UTA Talent, UTA, UTA Ventures, Ventures, VR, Amazon, PFL Locations: blockchain, —, Conduiit, fintech, London, Australia, Papercup, Los Angeles, Virginia, UTA.VC

☆ Amazon wants businesses to use its palm-scanning tech to let employees into the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon is expanding its palm-scanning technology beyond grocery stores and is rolling out a version that's designed for the business world. Companies already signed up for the biometric technology include IHG Hotels and Resorts, turnstile manufacturer Boon Edam, and Kone, an escalator and elevator provider. Amazon didn't disclose pricing for the service, which is available in preview in the U.S. starting Monday. Advocacy groups have criticized the service over privacy and security concerns, arguing it leads to increased surveillance. Earlier this month, Amazon debuted Astro for Business, a version of its household robot that it's framing as a roving security guard for businesses.

Persons: Edam, Kone, Dilip Kumar, It's Organizations: Companies, Resorts, Amazon, Foods, Sports, Business Locations: U.S

☆ ‘Travelling Telescope’ inspires children to look to the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Instead, I was inspired too.”In 2006, Murabana joined a teacher training program called Global Hands-On Universe, where she led a space education project. Here, she realized she wanted children in Africa to be as exposed to opportunities as children in the US were. Daniel Chu Owen and Susan Murabana, co-founders of Travelling Telescope. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling Telescope“There’s a satisfaction you get from going to a school, talking to the children, and seeing their reaction and their anticipation,” said Murabana. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling TelescopeBut there is also a more personal motivation for Murabana’s work — combatting the perception that astronomy is a Western science.

Persons: Susan Murabana’s, “, ”, Murabana, —, Daniel Chu Owen, Susan Murabana, ‘, Owen Organizations: CNN, Cosmos Education, James Cook University, University of California, Kenyan, Travelling Telescope, Kenya Space Agency, International, European Space Agency, Travelling Locations: Kenya, Australia, Africa, Malindi, Western, Ghana, Mali

☆ Amazon's Astro robot is now a roving security guard for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Astro for Business is aimed at retailers, manufacturers, and other industries as a security guard that can patrol for break-ins and other threats. Amazon has a new job for its Astro robot: A roving security guard in stores to detect break-ins and other threats. Astro for Business is launching only in the U.S. to start, and it comes at a steep price point of $2,349.99. Amazon is also offering a suite of security products in tandem with Astro for Business for an added fee, such as Ring Protect Pro, which can link Astro to Ring sensors and motion detectors. A virtual security guard service allows Astro to notify remote security centers of a potential threat, such as an unrecognized person, breaking glass or smoke.

Persons: Anthony Robson Organizations: Astro, Business, Amazon, Amazon Astro, National Retail Federation, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ Amazon devices unit morale wanes amid cuts, weak development pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon hopes consumers will install Alexa-enabled devices in more rooms of their homes and become accustomed to using the system throughout the day, the sources said. Amazon has said its devices and services business is not profitable, without providing figures. Amazon is set to name as successor Microsoft's Panos Panay who oversaw development of the Surface, according to Bloomberg. Alexa employees were included in rounds of layoffs beginning last year resulting in 27,000 job cuts across Amazon. For years, Amazon has said it can sell devices for close to production cost and see a profit through services offered on them.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Dave Limp, Alexa, Kinley Pearsall, Amazon, hasn’t, “, ”, Avi Greengart, Limp, Microsoft's Panos Panay, Gregg Zehr, Tom Taylor, Ken Washington, Andy Jassy, Siri, That’s, Bruno Borges, I‘m, Greg Bensinger, Ken Li, Claudia Parsons Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Alexa, Amazon, Devices, Google, Microsoft, Echo, “, Bloomberg, Astro, Medtronic, Intelligence, Amazon.com, Lightform, Thomson Locations: Amazon’s, Lab126, Alphabet’s, Vancouver, Canada

☆ MSNBC host and ex-GOP congressman Joe Scarborough blasts Tommy Tuberville over his monthslong blockade on senior military promotions: 'Hey Tommy, you're not coaching football anymore'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Joe Scarborough blasted Tommy Tuberville over the Alabama senator's blockade of military promotions. "This is about the strength of the United States military. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. "There's a rot in the GOP and Tommy Tuberville is a perfect example of it," he said. "I'm sick and tired of these Republicans tearing down the United States of America," he added.

Persons: Joe Scarborough, Tommy Tuberville, Tommy, Scarborough, Joe, Tuberville, Sen, Ole, University of Cincinnati —, I'm, We're, didn't, Roe, Wade, Biden, Noam Galai, Charles, CQ, Brown, Carlos, Del Toro, We've Organizations: Alabama, Service, GOP, Ole Miss, Auburn University , Texas Tech, University of Cincinnati, United States, Marine, Republican, Pentagon, MSNBC, Global Citizen, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Fox, Republican Party Locations: Wall, Silicon, Alabama, Scarborough, Florida, United States, Ukraine, Russian, United States of America

The run ended with a groundout against Dunning in the fifth. Houston's star second baseman homered twice in the series opener, giving him consecutive multi-homer games for the first time in his career. 9 and leadoff spots twice in the series opener with Mauricio Dubón and Altuve. DEJA VU FOR HISTORYAustin Hedges became the first position player in Texas Rangers history to pitch in consecutive games. The move came a day after Sborz allowed six runs while getting just one out in the 13-6 loss in the series opener.

Persons: — Jose Altuve, Nathan Eovaldi, Altuve, Altuve —, Dane Dunning, Martín Maldonado, Yordan Alvarez, hasn't, Dunning, Richard Hidalgo, Mauricio Dubón, Framber Valdez, José Abreu, Chas McCormick, Eovaldi hadn't, Eovaldi, HISTORY Austin Hedges, Ryne Stanek, Josh Sborz, Sborz, Cy Young, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, ___ Organizations: Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Altuve, Rangers, Astros, Rangers . Texas, AL West, Houston, AL, Tampa Bay, HISTORY Austin Locations: ARLINGTON , Texas, Texas

☆ Steve Harwell, founding lead singer of Smash Mouth, dead at 56
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Steve Harwell, the founding lead singer of the rock group Smash Mouth, died Monday, according to his manager. He died at his home in Boise, Idaho, with family and friends by his side, according Robert Hayes, the manager of Smash Mouth. “Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. This is what puts bread and butter on my table,’” Harwell told Vice of the group’s best known hits in a 2014 interview. It’s always the back door, or an open window or something, to get our stuff played.”While Smash Mouth reached peak success the late nineties, the group continued performing together and their fans stayed with them.

Persons: Steve Harwell, Harwell, Robert Hayes, “ Steve Harwell, ” Hayes, “ Steve, ” Harwell, ”, ’ ” Harwell, “, there’s, –, It’s, “ We’ve, Zach Goode Organizations: CNN, Duo, “ Locations: Boise , Idaho

☆ How Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’ Got a Second Wind From Memes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Long before it became a soundtrack nugget and an internet meme, it was just a rock band’s attempt to land a radio hit. The song took shape while the group was working on its second album, “Astro Lounge,” after its first taste of success with the song “Walkin’ on the Sun” (1997). The group submitted a batch of songs to its record company and was told: “You’re not done. Greg Camp, Smash Mouth’s guitarist and primary songwriter, said the song’s lovable-loser theme (“I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed”) emerged from fan mail. “About 85 to 90 percent of the mail was from these kids who were being bullied” for being Smash Mouth fans, he told the website Songfacts.

Persons: Steve Harwell, “, ” Robert Hayes, Stone, Greg Camp, Smash, ’ Organizations: Sun Locations: California

CNN —Steve Harwell, the 56-year-old former lead singer of the rock group Smash Mouth, is receiving hospice care at his home, the band’s manager said Sunday. “Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time,” Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes said in a statement to CNN, noting Harwell’s fiancée is also by his side. “We would hope that people would respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time,” Hayes said. Harwell was a founding member and longtime lead singer of Smash Mouth, best known for its chart-topping singles “All Star” and “I’m a Believer.”“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. It’s always the back door, or an open window or something, to get our stuff played.”Since Harwell left the band in 2021, the group has continued to perform with new lead vocalist Zach Goode.

Persons: Steve Harwell, “, Steve, Robert Hayes, fiancée, ” Hayes, Harwell, ”, ” Harwell, –, It’s, Zach Goode Organizations: CNN, Duo, “, ”

☆ Jose Altuve hits for cycle as Astros club Red Sox
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/59] Aug 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (53) makes his way to the bull pen before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsAugust 29 - Jose Altuve hit for the cycle and Yordan Alvarez added four hits and four RBIs as the visiting Houston Astros rolled to a 13-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Altuve, who went 4-for-6 and scored four runs, homered in the eighth inning to complete the first cycle by an Astro since Brandon Barnes accomplished the feat in 2013. Alvarez and Jose Abreu also went deep for Houston, which put together a six-run sixth inning en route to its third straight win. Duvall erased Houston's lead with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame that gave Boston a 4-3 lead.

Persons: Cristian Javier, David Butler II, Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Altuve, Brandon Barnes, Alvarez, Jose Abreu, Kendall Graveman, Jose Urquidy, Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall, Ceddanne Rafaela, Chris Sale, Kyle Barraclough, Javier, Casas, Abreu, Alex Verdugo, Yainer Diaz, Duvall, Diaz, Houston, Connor Wong Organizations: Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Fenway, Red Sox, Boston, Houston, Astros, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, USA, Houston

☆ Quasars reveal the early universe moved slower than it does now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Scientists have peered into the early days of the universe, when it was about 1 billion years old, and discovered that things moved in slow motion compared with now. Unlocking what happened during the early days of the universe can help scientists tackle the biggest mysteries about its origin, how it evolved and what the future holds. “This expansion of space means that our observations of the early universe should appear to be much slower than time flows today. While very bright, supernovas become much harder to observe at greater distances from Earth, which means that astronomers needed another source that would be visible deeper in the early universe. “What we have done is unravel this firework display, showing that quasars, too, can be used as standard markers of time for the early universe.”

Persons: Albert Einstein’s, ”, Geraint Lewis, Einstein, ” Lewis, Brendon Brewer Organizations: CNN —, University of Sydney’s School of Physics, Sydney Institute for Astronomy, University of Auckland

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years of fraught by development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe, Branson, Burt Rutan, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, VSS Unity, America, Galactic, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, . Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Los Angeles

The flight marks a decisive moment for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2004, as it inaugurates commercial service following several years fraught with development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. Virgin Galactic has said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate 400 flights annually. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Italy, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, VSS Unity, International Space, Air Force, America, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Italy, British, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years fraught by development setbacks. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

The flight, dubbed Galactic 01, comes two years after Branson himself rode along with five other Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) personnel for the company's first fully crewed test spaceflight of its rocket plane, VSS Unity. Back then, Virgin Galactic officials said they expected to begin regular commercial operations in 2022 following additional test flights. Virgin Galactic had projected booking its first 1,000 paying customers, charging about $250,000 per seat, by the time commercial service opened. An earlier prototype of Virgin Galactic's rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Billionaire rival Jeff Bezos, whose astro-tourist venture Blue Origin has already flown several commercial passenger flights, has disparaged Virgin Galactic as falling short of a true spaceflight experience.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe Skipper, Branson, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson's, Jeff Bezos, Virgin, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin, Unity, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc, VSS, Galactic, SpaceX, Origin, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, . Air Force, America, Corporate, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Branson, Bezos, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Nathan FrandinoMOUNTAIN VIEW, California, June 26 (Reuters) - Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) has already tried and failed to bring internet access to rural and remote areas by using high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere. But now, the company is delivering internet service to remote areas by using beams of light. It was initiated in 2016 after attempts at using stratospheric balloons to deliver internet ran into problems due to high costs, company executives said. Taara executives and Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS), one of India's largest telecommunications and internet providers, told Reuters they are now moving toward larger-scale deployment of the new laser internet technology in India. Bharti Airtel's chief technology officer, Randeep Sekhon, said Taara will also help deliver faster internet service in urban areas in developed countries.

Persons: Nathan, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Taara, Krishnaswamy, Astro Teller, moonshots, Teller, Bharti, Randeep Sekhon, Jane Lanhee Lee, Nathan Frandino, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Bharti Airtel, Reuters, Econet Group, Liquid Telecom, Bluetown, Digicel, Airtel, Sciences, Bharti Airtel's, Google, Thomson Locations: Alphabet's, View , California, U.S, California, India, Australia, Kenya, Fiji, Africa, Pacific, Osur, Chennai, Mountain View

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group (9984.T) CEO Masayoshi Son said on Wednesday that his tech investing conglomerate plans to shift its stance to "offence mode" amid excitement over advances in artificial intelligence. "The time has come to shift to offence mode," Son told shareholders at the group's annual general meeting. SoftBank reported a net loss of 970 billion yen ($6.85 billion) for the year ended March 31, cushioning losses at the Vision Fund unit by selling down its stake in Alibaba (9988.HK). SoftBank's liquid assets, which include cash, cash equivalents and an undrawn commitment line, rose to 5.1 trillion yen at March-end compared to 2.9 trillion yen a year earlier. SoftBank aims to list Arm on Nasdaq later this year and is seeking to raise between $8 billion and $10 billion, Reuters has reported.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Son, SoftBank, Yoshimitsu Goto, ChatGPT, Astro, Tezuka Osamu, Sam Nussey, Anton, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sonali Paul Organizations: SoftBank, Vision Fund, Vision, HK, Astro Boy, Nasdaq, Reuters, Intel, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Alibaba

☆ From Titanic tours to space exploration: extreme tourism is on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Kukenan (L) and Roraima mounts are seen from the Tec Camp, near Venezuela's border with Brazil January 14, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoJune 21 (Reuters) - The $250,000-a-head expedition that vanished this week en route to the deep-sea wreck of the Titanic ocean liner is just one example of extreme tourism that is becoming more commonplace for those who can afford it. Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings said last week its first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", would launch between June 27 and June 30. Before he set his sights on space, Branson was one of an elite group of extreme hot-air balloon travelers, becoming the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean in a balloon in 1991. Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Branson, Arthur Conan Doyle's, Julia Harte, Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, SPACE, Virgin Galactic Holdings, SpaceX, Heli, Thomson Locations: Roraima, Venezuela's, Brazil, Indian Kashmir, India, Pakistan, New Delhi, Mount Roraima, Venezuela

☆ UK clears Amazon's $1.7 billion deal for Roomba-maker iRobot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 16 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday cleared Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) planned $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot Corp (IRBT.O), maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had concluded that the deal would not lead to competition concerns in the UK. "We're pleased with the UK Competition and Markets Authority's decision and are committed to supporting regulatory bodies in their work," a spokesperson for Amazon said. The news sent shares in U.S-listed iRobot up 12% in pre-market trade, while Amazon's stock was marginally down. EU antitrust regulators will decide by July 6 whether to clear the deal, while the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also examining the acquisition.

Persons: We're, Colin Angle, Eva Mathews, Devika Syamnath, Jason Neely Organizations: Amazon.com, iRobot Corp, Markets Authority, Competition, Amazon, CMA, Regulators, Big Tech, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

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