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☆ How the unlikely partnership between a VR startup cofounded by the former head of DreamWorks and Arizona State University has led to a mind-blowing student learning experience
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dreamscape Learn developed immersive, VR learning experiences for Arizona State University. Students learn STEM coursework using the VR experience, which has seen tremendous results. The company had been building immersive VR experiences, one of which was called the "Alien Zoo." Now, Dreamscape Learn has raised a $20 million in Series A funding to expand its curriculum offering and branch outside of ASU. An ASU student in the Dreamscape Learn pod interacts with the virtual lab.

☆ Rocket builder ABL's inaugural launch fails shortly after liftoff, damages launch pad
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company's RS1 rocket lifts off on its inaugural launch attempt from Kodiak, Alaska on Jan. 10, 2023. The first mission by ABL Space got off the ground on Tuesday, but the company's RS1 rocket suffered an issue early in the flight that caused it to fail shortly after lifting off. ABL President Dan Piemont told CNBC that the RS1 rocket stayed within the predefined "acceptable flight corridor" during the short launch, but after the rocket's engines shut down the vehicle "impacted directly on the launch pad," causing damage. ABL's RS1 rocket stands about 90 feet tall, and is designed to launch as much as 1,350 kilograms (or nearly 1.5 tons) of payload to low Earth orbit — at a cost of $12 million per launch. That puts RS1 in the middle of the commercial launch market, between Rocket Lab's smaller Electron and SpaceX's heavy class Falcon 9.

☆ Here's how the US government is developing 5G for underwater Navy sensors and bomb disposal on land
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Clara Mcmichael | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US government is working to integrate 5G into technology that addresses environmental hazards. The Navy is working with an Energy Department subsidiary on 5G tech meant to detect marine life. This article is part of "How 5G Is Changing Everything," a series about transformational 5G tech across industries. The lab collaborates with other government agencies to weave the latest 5G technology into their operations and has worked on projects ranging from underwater sensors to land-based bomb-disposal robots. The Navy is particularly interested in working on 5G underwater, where it could enable faster data collection and analysis, more efficient environmental monitoring, and better communication with the Navy's underwater assets.

☆ An ex-Adidas designer who helped launch Yeezy's is trying to make it easy for anyone to start a sneaker brand
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fctry Lab also will help smaller brands get products to market through consulting and possibly investments. Industry experts said Fctry Lab will give young sneaker companies easier access to the tools and expertise needed to get sneakers to market. "The alternative (to Fctry Lab) is get on a plane, go to China, and figure it out." Eventually, Fctry Lab could be turning out small batches of shoes and serving as a sort of music studio for sneaker-makers. The $6 million, which Fctry Lab considers a seed round, will be used to grow the business.

☆ How Big Law fumbled its own Rooney rule on diversity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Elizabeth Olson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Several law firms adopted the Mansfield rule in 2017, which aims to increase diversity in leadership. It's effectively the NFL's two-decade-old Rooney rule: a requirement that nonwhite candidates be considered when teams hire for coaching and front-office jobs. Law firms followed professional football in 2017 with its version of the Rooney rule, called the Mansfield rule. At first, the Rooney rule seemed to catch on when teams started to hire more coaches of color and a dozen general managers of color when that position was added to the Rooney rule. "For the Rooney rule to work," he said, "there has to be a true commitment from the owners.

☆ Lensa AI's owner says the company's face-changing tech can be tricked into generating NSFW images — but some users are saying it happened to them without even trying
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Lensa app creates face-changing effects using machine learning and photos uploaded by users. Some users have received images of themselves portrayed in the nude thanks to AI-generated edits. The company says Lensa can be tricked into making nudes but some users say they didn't upload NSFW images. "Lensa users: Did you receive a highly sexualized image in your avatar package?" We also abstain from using such images in our promotional materials," Usoltsev told TechCrunch.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried was the poster boy for 'effective altruism.' Now, its followers are heartbroken and critics are questioning its 'weird' funding setup.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Sam Bankman-Fried was a proponent of effective altruism: earning as much as possible to give your wealth away. He had a huge influence on the effective-altruism movement, which counts Silicon Valley tech workers and Oxford University academics among its fans. 'Devastated'Bankman-Fried was the main funder of Future Fund, a charitable project run by the FTX Foundation. "We joined the Future Fund to support incredible people and projects," they said, "and this outcome is heartbreaking to us." Science groups that had received money from the Future Fund told the magazine Science in mid-November that they were unsure of their funding's future.

☆ Trolls, propaganda & fear stoke Bukele's media machine in El Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

In examining Bukele’s media operation, Reuters interviewed more than 70 people, including former media operatives and social media researchers. It showed Bukele with an 86% approval rating in El Salvador, making him the most popular leader in the region. “The threat in El Salvador used to be from the gangs, now it's from the state,” said Angelica Carcamo, the organization's president. “I found a lot more manipulation in El Salvador than in Mexico,” Escorcia said. A native of Guatemala, Torres has been critical of the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for creating conditions that spur migration.

☆ Stories of trauma, resilience spotlighted at Palestinian film festival
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Thousands attend ninth annual Palestinian film festivalEvent headlined by Oscar-nominated 'Mediterranean Fever'RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The fate of a Palestinian girl forced into exile during the 1948 war of Israel's creation remains unknown. But her story took on new life in a film about her experience that captured the big screen at this year's Palestine Cinema Days festival. "This is a very special moment for all of us, to have the film screened in Palestine to a Palestinian audience," said Deema Azar, one of the film's producers, told Reuters. The festival, now in its ninth year, was organised by Film Lab: Palestine, which cultivates cinema culture and supports Palestinian filmmakers. "The Flag" follows an elderly man who must prove to Israeli soldiers that he isn't the one planting the Palestinian flag that continues to mysteriously appear on his roof.

☆ 10 U.S. cities that are growing the fastest — and New York City isn't one of them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tech jobs are in flux, tourism is at an all-time high, and the population across major U.S. cities is shifting. An October report by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, a business policy think tank, ranked the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. And the final list is a good indication of where young people want to live and work and of what they value. The city is moving forward with plans to enact new initiatives for cleaner buildings, according to the city's mayor, Bruce Harrell. Seattle also topped the list of cities where college students want to live after graduation, according to Axios and The Generation Lab's 2022 Next Cities Index.

☆ Rocket Lab reports record quarterly revenue, with added contract wins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An Electron rocket launches from the company's New Zealand facility on Nov. 4, 2022. Rocket Lab delivered quarterly results on Wednesday that boasted record revenue, with the space company tacking on additional contract wins across its business. Rocket Lab stock is down 61% this year as of Wednesday's close of $4.74 a share. Additionally, Rocket Lab signed a research agreement with the Pentagon's United States Transport Command to "explore cargo transport use" with its rockets. Rocket Lab has begun production of the hardware for its forthcoming, larger Neutron rocket.

☆ Meta announced it's laying off more than 11,000 staff. It also said it anticipated making further big losses on metaverse projects.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta has announced plans to lay off more than 11,000 employees, around 13% of the company's staff. The Reality Labs division, comprising Meta's metaverse and VR businesses, has lost $30.7 billion. Meta said it anticipated that Reality Lab's operating losses in 2023 would grow significantly. From the start of 2019 to September 30, 2022, Meta invested $36 billion into Reality Labs, an Insider analysis found. Insider's Kali Hays previously reported that employees in the Reality Labs division had been expecting layoffs.

☆ Bank of America names 2 space stocks to buy on the dip — sees one tripling in value
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bank of America named two space pure-plays as top picks in the evolving sector, seeing opportunities for investors in Rocket Lab and Terran Orbital . The firm sees Rocket Lab as having the "best overall portfolio" among space pure-plays, having executed successfully on its expansion-by-acquisition strategy. Bank of America has a $12 price target on Rocket Lab's stock, which is 132% above the current share price. Rocket Lab stock is down 58% so far this year. Bank of America has a $700 price target on Northrop Grumman's stock, or 34% above the current share price.

☆ Ukraine looks to technology to help rebuild its economy amid Russia’s onslaught
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

An attendee passes by the Ukraine stand at the Web Summit 2022 tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Ukraine had a notable presence at Web Summit, where it sought support from the global tech community to bolster its fight against Russia. In 2021, Ukraine had a small booth at Web Summit, Krasovsky said. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (right) and First Lady Olena Zelenska (center) attend the Ukraine booth at Web Summit 2022. SID Venture Partners, a venture fund set up by Sigma and fellow Ukrainian tech firms Ideasoft and Datrics, has so far invested in 10 startups with Ukrainian founders, Krasovsky said.

☆ Rocket Lab launches mission, but calls off attempt to catch Electron booster with a helicopter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Space company Rocket Lab called off its latest attempt at catching one of its Electron boosters with a helicopter, as the venture pursues reusability of its rockets. The company launched the "Catch Me If You Can" mission from its private facility in New Zealand on Friday. The primary goal of Rocket Lab's mission, its ninth Electron launch this year, is delivering a research satellite to orbit for the Swedish National Space Agency. Rocket Lab said on its webcast that the helicopter's pilots called off the catch. We'll bring you updates on that ocean operation in the hours to come," Rocket Lab spokesperson Murille Baker said.

☆ Rocket Lab's attempt to catch rocket booster falls short
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Rocket Lab, a start-up building small orbital rockets, kicked off another successful mission on Friday — but it failed in its efforts to recapture its rocket booster as it tumbled down toward Earth. Rocket Lab positioned a modified Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to intercept it mid-descent, aiming to snag the booster by its strings. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck has noted that it’s preferable to catch the rocket midair to keep it dry. A lot remains unclear about how Rocket Lab will ultimately reuse its rockets. Beck cited the company as a model for how Rocket Lab would proceed.

That means vineyards - which have for centuries transplanted cuttings to ensure robust and flavourful fruit - are now looking for grape types that are more resistant to climate change. It has determined that vines aged 35 years and older appear to cope better with climate change because they are more genetically diverse. The lab's ultimate goal is to ensure winemakers plant specific vines proven to be "more adaptable to climate change conditions", said Carbonell. "We are very worried about climate change," said Iñigo Torres, director of Grupo Rioja, an association representing 60 wineries that together account for 80% of sales. The grapevines were transplanted after being carefully selected from another vineyard where RODA studies the behaviour of old vines - some up to 110 years old.

☆ This new athletic shoe stock could double as its brand becomes a breakout hit globally, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Swiss footwear maker On can roughly double from here as its brand becomes a breakout hit globally, according to UBS. Analyst Jay Sole said his buy rating conviction in the stock increased after reviewing the results from a UBS global athletic survey that suggested On could outperform in a crowded market. "UBS Evidence Lab's 2022 Global Athletic Survey reveals the On brand is gaining traction with global consumers. According to a UBS survey, On ranks fifth globally among consumers as a brand that is "good for doing sports," a characteristic the analyst expects is "key to its future success." UBS surveyed 5,500 representative consumers from the US, China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, according to the note.

The space company was valued at more than $1 billion when private equity firm AE Industrial Partners became its controlling shareholder in March. A FireFly spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the fundraising, as did a spokesperson for AE Industrial Partners. It is among a handful of U.S. space companies vying to launch small satellites into space. SpaceX's bigger Falcon 9 rocket costs $62 million and Rocket Lab's smaller Electron rocket costs $7 million. Venture capital investments in space companies fell 44% from a year earlier, according to a quarterly report from VC firm Space Capital.

☆ Investing in Space: Rockets are only the beginning
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. But the CEOs of these companies will tell you that tapping into the global launch market isn't enough. "The big space companies of the future are not just a launch company on its own or a spacecraft manufacturer on its own. Breaking into the launch market may seem hard (and expensive) enough on its own. Virgin Orbit is similarly developing a satellite business, which CEO Dan Hart told CNBC he hopes can "unlock" space-based services.

☆ Australia pathology data stolen as hacking epidemic widens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - One of Australia's largest pathology providers said hackers stole medical data of thousands of patients, the country's second such breach in two weeks, deepening fears about how companies collect sensitive customer information. 1 health insurer Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX) said criminals took data of all 4 million of its customers. [ read more read moreACL said it first knew of unauthorised access to the IT system of its pathology unit, Medlab, in February and received advice that no information was compromised. 1 grocery chain Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW.AX) then revealed that the data of millions of customers using its bargain shopping website had been compromised. Australia has said it plans to fine companies up to A$50 million ($32 million) for failing to prevent data breaches, but Christie said damages awarded for thefts of medical data were typically higher than for other personal data because of non-economic harm like mental health repercussions.

☆ Corporate Australia suffers fourth major hack since September
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Australian Clinical Labs (ACL.AX) said on Thursday its Medlab Pathology business suffered a data breach that affected about 223,000 accounts, marking corporate Australia's fourth major hack since September. "Given the highly complex and unstructured nature of the data-set being investigated, it has taken the forensic analysts and experts until now to determine the individuals and the nature of their information involved," ACL said. The ACSC also notified the company in June that Medlab's information had been posted on the dark web, which ACL subsequently sought to find and permanently remove. "We apologise sincerely and deeply regret that this incident occurred... We want to assure all individuals involved that ACL is committed to providing every reasonable support to them," ACL Chief Executive Officer Melinda McGrath said. Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Dick's, Sunrun, Nike & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Amazon as a top pick Morgan Stanley said shipping and fulfillment remain "key profit drivers" heading into the e-commerce giant's earnings next week. Headwinds from the interest rate spike on financing costs and valuation are tough to ignore despite strong demand growth from IRA and rising utility rates. UBS reiterates McDonald's as buy UBS said the fast food chain is "defensive." UBS reiterates Nike as buy UBS said its recent survey checks give the firm "increased" conviction in the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said Tesla's earnings report on Wednesday was strong but that the outlook for 2023 is still "at risk."

☆ UAE sovereign wealth fund ADIA to launch new data lab
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the largest sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), plans to open an advanced data research centre, an independent entity within the fund with goals not linked to investment applications. ADIA Lab will formally launch on Dec. 2 and is part of moves across the government to promote digitalisation and advanced technological applications. It will be headed by Simon Horst as director, who was previously at Berkeley Lab and at the U.S. Department of Energy. The UAE is trying to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons and investing in increasing the contribution of digital innovation and advanced technology to overall economic growth. It is also seeking to attract high skilled professionals globally in these and other data science-led sectors.

☆ Mexican opposition lawmaker says he was target of Pegasus spyware
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Daina Beth Solomon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Federal lawmaker Basave from the center-left Citizens' Movement in the wealthy northern city of Monterrey said an analysis from leading cyber watchdog Citizen Lab found Pegasus on his phone in September 2021. Pegasus belongs to Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, which typically only sells the software to governments or law enforcement. When asked about Basave's case, NSO Group said Citizen Lab investigations are not able to differentiate between NSO tools and other cyber intelligence software. Citizen Lab said it rejects that assertion. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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