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☆ The upcoming solar eclipse will cause shallow, cumulus clouds to disappear. Researchers explain why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

That’s at least what scientists expect to take place in swaths of Mexico, Canada and the United States during April 8’s total solar eclipse. They discovered that cumulus clouds dissipate during eclipses because of the relationship between solar radiation and the formation processes of the clouds. Shallow cumulus clouds, in particular, serve a critical function. But what exactly shallow cumulus clouds’ role is when it comes to the rapidly warming climate remains a long-standing subject of uncertainty in the scientific community. De Roode hopes those across North America gearing up for the next solar eclipse remember to keep an eye out for any vanishing low-lying cumulus clouds.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Victor Trees, Jake Gristey, Gristey, “, Kevin Knupp, Knupp, Stephan de Roode, de Roode, ” de Roode, ’ Gristey, De Roode, Ayurella, Muller Organizations: CNN, Environment, geoscience, Delft University of Technology, cumulus, Cooperative Institute for Research, Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Alabama, Climate Locations: Mexico, Canada, United States, Netherlands, Africa, Huntsville, North America, Axios

☆ North Korea's twice-failed spy satellite is now up and running, aerospace experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean spy satellite was spotted adjusting its orbit in space, experts said. AdvertisementA North Korean spy satellite has made maneuvers in orbit that show it is very much "alive," contrary to previous assessments that suggested it was inactive, experts said on Tuesday. North Korea announced it had launched Malligyong-1 into orbit in November, after two failed attempts. The launches drew condemnation from the US, which viewed them as cover for North Korea testing missile technology. The latest findings come as South Korea warned that Pyongyang could launch a new spy satellite as soon as March, The Korea Times reported.

Persons: Marco Langbroek, —, Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Langbroek, Jonathan McDowell Organizations: Service, Delft University of Technology, Korean Defense Minister, Korea Times, Harvard - Smithsonian Center, Astrophysics, NK News, White, Pentagon, US, Guardian, The Korea Times Locations: Korean, South Korea, Leiden, Netherlands, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Self-navigating ships could change the shipping industry. Here are the companies poised to benefit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Worldwide, the autonomous ships market reached $4.13 billion in 2022, and is forecasted to grow to $10.1 billion in 2032, according to Emergen Research . Avikus said this journey marked the first time autonomous navigation successfully enabled a large vessel to complete a trip over 10,000 kilometers. HiNAS 2.0 deployed a level-three autonomous navigation system, meaning that human intervention is only deployed in an emergency situation. The success of the HiNAS 2.0 and Prism Courage journey marked a foray into greater commercialization and implementation of autonomous ship navigation technology. The company is aiming for its fully autonomous ship technology to reach full-scale commercialization by 2025.

Persons: Patrick Ryan, Covid, Courage, Avikus, Carol Schleif, Rudy Negenborn, — Ryan, Ryan, BMO's, Morgan Stanley, Ravi Shanker, Shanker, Hunt, C.H, Robinson, Negenborn Organizations: Research, American Bureau of Shipping, Hyundai, Yara International ASA, Yara, BMO Family, Delft University of Technology, Moeller, Maersk, Yara International, Mitsui, Mitsui O.S.K, Royce, Shipbuilders, Expeditors International Locations: Covid, Avikus, Freeport, of Mexico, Panama, Korea, Red, Suez, U.S, Danish, American, ADRs, Japan

☆ Considering a move abroad in 2024? These are the best countries for expats
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Blane Bachelor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

The survey, which has been running for a decade, reflects input from nearly 12,000 expats representing 177 nationalities in 181 countries or territories. John Coletti/The Image Bank Unreleased/Getty ImagesA longtime retirement destination for Americans, Mexico also has attracted more families and the digital nomad set over the past few years. Pros: Mexico ranked first in InterNations’ 2023 Expat Insider survey and has ranked among the top five countries since 2014. Cons: As is the case in Mexico and other countries with large expat communities, there’s growing backlash against the influx of foreigners, especially Americans, and especially in Lisbon. That popularity among auslanders has contributed to a housing pinch in major cities, especially Berlin, where finding accommodation is one of the most stressful aspects of a move.

Persons: It’s, Megan Frye, Frye, ”, “, We’ve, John Coletti, San Miguel de Allende, margarita, Sean Pavone, expats, Alex Ingrim, Chase, Ingrim, it’s, pollsters, they’re, it’s MVV, Arielle Tucker, that’s, auslanders, Andriy Kravchenko, “ Costa, ” David Lesperance, Costa Rica’s, “ Tico, Sebastien Lecocq, Lesperance, he’s, what’s, Emily, ” Tucker, Roth, Tucker, Carte Organizations: CNN, Invest Overseas, Braga, InterNations, Mexico, National Institute of Statistics, Human Rights Watch, Visa, USA, CNN Travel, ”, Spain, International, Travel Association, pollsters Gallup, Michelin, Changi, Cons, United, Costa Rica Costa, Central, Costa, Lesperance, Associates, Panama Panama, Miami of, Panama City, Panama Qualified Investment, Panama Golden Visa, France France Locations: Valencia, Spain, Portugal, Mazatlán, Mexico, United States, Mexico City, Michigan, Mexico Mexico, Plaza Carso, Polanco, North America, —, Oaxaca, San Miguel, Playa, Carmen, InterNations, Portugal Portugal, Porto, Douro, Europe, Lisbon, Western Europe, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Catalonia, Catalan, Netherlands, Amsterdam, Statista, Haarlem, Delft, Leiden, Maastricht, Washington, Miami , New York, San Francisco, Germany Germany, Munich, Germany, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Switzerland, Singapore Singapore, Singapore, Asia, Entre, Costa Rica, “, “ Costa Rica, Costa Rican, Panama City, Miami, Miami of Central America, Panama, North, South America, Italy, Venice, Italian, Paris, France, Lyon, Strasbourg

☆ Netherlands to allow takeover of chip startup Nowi by Chinese-owned Nexperia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The Dutch government on Monday said that, after an assessment, it won't block Chinese-owned Nexperia's acquisition of Delft-based start-up Nowi. "There are no legal objections to the acquisition of Nowi by Nexperia," Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens said in a letter to parliament. Nexperia, owned by China's Wingtech (600745.SS), bought Nowi, which has around 40 employees, for an undisclosed sum in 2022. But the Dutch government decided to vet the deal retroactively in May 2023 after it established a new office to review foreign takeovers of potentially sensitive technologies. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Micky Adriaansens, China's Wingtech, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Jan Harvey, Mark Porter Organizations: Economic, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Delft

SEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - One of the stages of North Korea's satellite launch rocket exploded after separation on Tuesday, video captured by an South Korean astronomy observatory showed, in what some analysts said may have been deliberate destruction to prevent recovery. North Korea launched its first spy satellite into orbit on Tuesday, after two previous attempts this year ended with the rockets crashing during flight. The South Korean military is seeking to find and salvage debris from the rocket, South Korea's defence ministry told parliament on Thursday. Recovering parts of the rocket could provide valuable intelligence on its capabilities and components, experts have said, and South Korea has accused Russia of providing technical aid to North Korea for this latest launch. Russia denied any military cooperation, but President Vladimir Putin in September publicly promised to help North Korea build satellites.

Persons: Byun Yong, Marco Langbroek, Langbroek, Vladimir Putin, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Korea's Yonsei University, Yonsei University, Reuters, Delft University of Technology, South, South Korean, Russia, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korean, North Korea, U.S, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Russia

The window of the British interior designer Tamsin Saunders’s childhood bedroom looked out onto the South Downs, the rolling hills that culminate abruptly in steep chalk cliffs along England’s southeast coast. The landscape’s rugged beauty instilled in her an affinity for the patterns and textures of the natural world. She spent her early years in the nearby forests, collecting fossils and gathering fragments of wood to decorate with paint. Now, at 52, Saunders is just as devoted to such foraged treasures. Home & Found, the studio she established in 2013, specializes in sensitively renovating houses — often those of artists and makers — by building on what she discovers there.

Persons: Tamsin Saunders’s, Saunders, ” Locations: British, Downs, London’s Kensington, South London, Delft

☆ How Black Nurses Were Recruited to Staten Island to Fight a Deadly Disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( John Freeman Gill | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After several years, Ms. Allen became a nurse by graduating from a city program, and before returning to the pediatric hospital in her freshly earned nurse’s whites and cape, she worked briefly in Sea View’s adult wards. The most striking ornamental aspect of these pavilions was the six-foot-high terra-cotta frieze running around each building beneath its eaves. Here, against a backdrop of golden tiles, could be found polychrome images of doctors, seashells, garlands, red crosses and white nurses. The terra-cotta images were created using the “sectile” technique introduced at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. In June, New York City Health + Hospitals agreed to allow the New York City Fire Department to occupy the old Sea View staff house for 40 years.

Persons: Allen, Almirall, Christine Jetten, Terra Cotta, ” Organizations: New, Woolworth, New York City Health, New York City Fire Department Locations: New York, New Jersey, Delft, Holland, Paris, Dutch, New York City

If Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan goes ahead, London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will become one of the world's largest to tackle air pollution, encompassing 5 million extra people in the capital's leafier and less-connected outer boroughs. London's transport authority says only one in 10 cars in outer London are not ULEZ-compliant. But Khan, who was diagnosed with asthma and wrote a book this year on air pollution and climate change, says he is determined to face down his critics. "But the further away from the city centre you go, the less you can improve air quality," Verbeek added. "It's absolutely critical that even in a cost-of-living crisis we do not kick the can of air pollution down the road and let more children grow up unhealthy and unwell," she said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sadiq Khan's, Carl Cristina, Cristina, Khan, Thomas Verbeek, Verbeek, Jemima Hartshorn, Teresa O'Neill, I've, Gavin Jones, William James, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Delft University of Technology, Thomson Locations: Marble, London, Britain, Europe, Rome, Netherlands

☆ Wingtech-owned Nexperia denied German subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, June 8 (Reuters) - Computer chip maker Nexperia, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and owned by a Chinese company, has been denied a request for a subsidy in Germany. A spokesperson for Nexperia, based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and owned by China's Wingtech (600745.SS), said the company had not been given an explanation for the rejection. Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad initially reported the news, citing a European Commission document. Nexperia has had several plans for projects in Europe disrupted by government concerns in the past year over its Chinese ownership. Nexperia is the former Standard Products division of chipmaker NXP (NXPI.O), spun off in 2016 and acquired by Wingtech in 2018.

Persons: China's Wingtech, Nexperia, chipmaker, Toby Sterling, Leslie Adler, Mark Porter Organizations: European, British, Standard Products, Wingtech, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Germany, Nijmegen , Netherlands, Europe, Delft, Newport , Wales

☆ Economy class airplane bunk beds get seal of approval as launch moves closer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now the concept’s got the industry seal of approval via a prestigious Crystal Cabin Award, presented at the 2022 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany. “Bunk-bed solution for economy class – this is something which you regularly see as a concept,” said Kaestner. “But we rarely see this level of innovation actually becoming a real product that’s flying.”Winning designsThe Skynest concept offers a lie-flat option for economy passengers. Courtesy Air New ZealandThe Crystal Cabin Awards announced its longlist earlier this year, before whittling the categories down to a shortlist. For student nominees, the Crystal Cabin Awards are “a fantastic way to get into the industry,” added Kaestner.

Persons: Skynest, Lukas Kaestner, Skynest isn’t, “ Bunk, ”, Collins, Kaestner, it’s heartening, there’s, they’ll, Alejandro Núñez Vicente, InteliSence Organizations: Germany CNN — Air, CNN Travel, New, Delft University of Technology, Delta, Air, Zealand, Thales Avionics “, Center, Safety, Teledyne, Collins Aerospace, Digital Services, University, Technical University of Delft Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Netherlands

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Palo Alto Networks, 3M, Amedisys, Target and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view of the exterior of the new Dutch head office of international technology company 3M in Delft, Netherlands, November 5, 2014. EPAM Systems — Shares of the software engineering firm tumbled 18% after it cut guidance amid further deterioration in near-term demand. Amedisys — The health care company's shares rallied 14% after it received an unsolicited buyout offer from Optum, a unit of UnitedHealth , to acquire Amedisys for $100 a share in cash. ImmunoGen — The biotechnology company's shares gained 5% after it announced results from ovarian cancer treatment Elahere showing a roughly 35% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared to chemotherapy. Dollar General — Shares fell 2.7% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the discount retailer's stock to equal weight from overweight Sunday.

Persons: Dow, Coinbase, Binance, Changpeng Zhao commingled, Robinson, Ford's David Bozeman, Morgan Stanley, KeyBanc, —, Yun Li, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Samantha Subin, Brian Evans Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Dow Jones, Dish Network, 3M, Bloomberg, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Care, Ford, Equitrans Midstream Corporation, Ford Motor Co, Citi, Spotify, Target, Apple —, Developers Conference, Apple Locations: Delft, Netherlands, Optum, Bozeman, U.S, Cupertino , California

Enlist an InsiderIf hiring a travel planner seems like some costly, rich-person indulgence, have we got a “$5 a month” deal for you. For that price, you can subscribe to Messy Nessy Chic’s Keyholder Concierge, a source of personalized counsel. The advice is witty and worldly (think: a modern-day Auntie Mame). Pile a Few TilesEver dream of bedecking a backsplash or surrounding a hearth with artisanal tiles? Inserted amid plainer tiles, a horizontal row of winsome slabs can still wow.

☆ Europe's super-wealthy took over 300,000 very short private jet flights last year — including over 1,300 between London and an airport 30 miles away — study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A study from Greenpeace analysed a database of Europe's private jet flights over the last three years. It found that 55% of them were under 466 miles long, and launched a campaign to ban private jets. Over 1,300 flights on one UK route could have taken a 35-minute train for less than $20 instead. According to the Transport and Environment campaign group, private jets are 50-times more polluting than trains. The data also shows that over 1,300 private flights went between London and Farnborough, England – a 30 mile train journey which you could travel in 35-minutes for less than $20.

☆ Heading to Amsterdam’s Blockbuster ‘Vermeer’ Exhibit? Don’t Skip This Day Trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Mary Tompkins Lewis | Photographs Samira Kafala For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TRAVELERS WORLDWIDE are converging on Amsterdam for the Rijksmuseum’s “Vermeer” retrospective, arguably 2023’s hottest art ticket. I was eagerly among them, but after touring the splendid exhibit (running through June 4), I felt compelled to dive deeper. And so I undertook a day-trip to the painter’s hometown, the small Dutch city of Delft, less than an hour away by train, to explore the place that figured so memorably in his art. On a frosty morning in early February, I walked from the train station past coffee houses bustling with locals and shops to the Oude Delft, the city’s oldest canal. Along the way, a waterside restaurant, Bij Harry, looked inviting, and I made a mental note to have drinks there if the day stretched late.

☆ Rotterdam Port to house Battolyser plant for green hydrogen production
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Havenbedrijf Rotterdam NV FollowAMSTERDAM, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Port of Rotterdam on Monday said it will help develop a 14,000 square metre factory for Battolyser Systems, a company that designs combined battery and green hydrogen production machines. "Companies in the port are already actively working on projects regarding production, imports, shipping, storage and use of green hydrogen," port CEO Allard Castelein said in a statement. "With this factory we add green hydrogen equipment manufacturing to that portfolio." The idea is that during the day, when electricity from wind and solar power is cheap and abundant, the battery will charge and convert power to hydrogen. With many Dutch companies seeking to replace natural gas with hydrogen, demand for electrolysers is expected to rise.

☆ ‘Vermeer’s Secrets’ Review: A Master Under the Microscope
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Mary Tompkins Lewis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

WashingtonThe disparate realms of art and science have often converged in attempts to explicate the rarefied and indescribably beautiful paintings of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). Revered by his fellow painters in Delft, the Dutch artist fell into obscurity after his death, in part because of the scarcity of his output. Vermeer’s rediscovery by 19th-century scholars, connoisseurs, and especially the French art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger spurred a crucial reassessment of his art, his stature in Holland’s Golden Age likened to that of Rembrandt. While only about 35 works can now be ascribed with certainty to the artist, a smattering of others—including likely copies, outright counterfeits, and paintings inspired by his own—have been considered over the years as candidates for inclusion in his prestigious oeuvre. “Vermeer’s Secrets,” a small exhibition at the National Gallery of Art that is drawn exclusively from its own holdings, navigates this contested territory with the aid of new research and imaging technology, and the results are as riveting as they are convincing (the show is a prelude to the Vermeer retrospective to be held in 2023 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam).

☆ In-wheel motors could be the future of electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mounted in the rim of an electric vehicle’s wheels, the motors increase efficiency by delivering power directly to where it’s needed most. Supercars and pickup trucksElaphe, which was founded in 2006 by Gorazd Lampič and quantum physicist Andrej Detela, has designed in-wheel motors for a range of electric vehicles. In-wheel motors are far more exposed to the elements as well as impacts and vibrations from the road. The report notes that as electric vehicles become more popular, automakers are looking towards in-wheel motors for their space-saving abilities and improved power efficiency. Another major player is Protean Electric, which was acquired by British electric vehicle maker Bedeo in 2021.

☆ There's a shortage of truckers, but TuSimple thinks it has a solution: no driver needed
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-14 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

One solution to the problem is autonomous trucks, and several companies are in a race to be the first to launch one. The journey was completed in 14 hours versus the usual 24 with a human driver, mostly because a truck doesn't need to sleep. Its plans are dependent on state legislation, however, because currently some states do not allow for testing of autonomous trucks on public roads. According to Lu, that's still cheaper than paying for a human driver. But you're saving the cost of a human driver, which based on average US wages is about $80,000 to $120,000 per year -- or 80 cents to $1.20 per mile.

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