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Tesla’s CEO Takes Customer Service to a New Level

Jonathan Antonio
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Tesla’s CEO Takes Customer Service to a New Level

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk received a complaint on Twitter and six days later implemented a solution.

While some CEOs may take to Twitter to boast about their latest product, one CEO is taking comments, retweets, and hashtags seriously.

Last week, one Tesla owner tweeted the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, “The San Mateo supercharger is always full with idiots who leave their tesla for hours even if already charged.”

In a manner of a few minutes, Musk responded by saying, “You’re right, this is becoming an issue. Supercharger spots are meant for charging, not parking. Will take action.”

Tesla Charging Station
Stock Photo: BRENNER, ITALY – MAY 8, 2016: Tesla charging stations are located throughout EU to accommodate owners of the electric car. (Jag_cz / Shutterstock.com)

In less than a week, Musk responded by creating a solution to the problem. How did the CEO of Tesla fix the Twitter complaint? According to a blog post, Tesla explained that they will be introducing a “fleet-wide idle fee that aims to increase Supercharger availability.”

Tesla continued by saying that for every extra minute a car remains connected to the Supercharger, they will be charged a $0.40 idle fee. But, before you grab your phone and tweet to Elon Musk to complain about the new parking fee, Tesla explains that if the car is moved within five minutes, the fee is waived.

Elon Musk is focused on his products. On Tuesday evening, Tesla announced that they hired Chris Lattner as the vice president of their self-driving software. Lattner previously worked for Apple and was the head of the Developer Tools Department. While working at Apple, Lattner helped developed the Swift programming language – a computer language that is used and seen in nearly all of Apple’s OS applications. Tesla continued by saying, “We are very excited that Chris is joining Tesla to lead our Autopilot engineering team and accelerate the future of autonomous driving.”

Ultimately, investors are keeping their eyes on Tesla. Baird & Co. expects the stock price to increase by nearly 60% in 2017. In addition, the investment firm called the Tesla stock the top choice for 2017.

With that being said, Tesla has struggled with meeting delivery goals. In the final quarter of 2016, Tesla delivered only 22,200 cars out of the projected 25,000. In fact, Tesla was a little less than 4,000 vehicles short of the 80,000 Musk promised to deliver by 2016.

Alzheimer’s Drug Can Fill Cavities, Study Finds

Brent Edward
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Alzheimer’s Drug Can Fill Cavities, Study Finds

A new drug therapy may change the way millions of people visit the dentist. An Alzheimer’s drug was able to fill cavities without the need of visiting a dentist.

Researchers at King’s College in London, UK found that they could manipulate cells within teeth in order to build stronger teeth. Basically, King’s College researchers discovered that by inserting a drug inside a cavity the drug will activate stem cells filling in the cavity. The drug? Tidesglusib – a therapy that is currently undergoing clinical trials to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

The study was published in Scientific Reports, Victor C. M. Neves and his team of researchers explained that they see this drug can be a cost-effective treatment for cavities and tooth decay.

“This simple, rapid natural tooth repair process could thus potentially provide a new approach to clinical tooth restoration,” researchers explained in their study.

What are Cavities?

With more than 3 million cases in the US every year, dental cavities are permanent damage to parts of the teeth. Essentially, a cavity is a tiny hole caused by bacteria, sugar drinks or bad hygiene habits. Depending on the size of the cavity. Dentists treat cavities with fluoride treatments, fillings, and even crowns. With that being said, a cavity can be so bad that dentists may be forced to remove the tooth.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

While the study has revealed a possible alternative to the dentist’s office, the research would have never started if it were not for scientists searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s. In the US there are 3 million cases of Alzheimer’s. The disease begins when connections in the brain start to die and in turn destroying memories and mental functions.

At this point in time there is no cure to Alzheimer’s but, researchers have found a connection between a popular prostate cancer treatment and Alzheimer’s disease. After researcher examined thousands of health records, scientists discovered prostate cancer patients who received testosterone-lowering drugs were actually more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Study Finds Why Mothers Hold Their Baby on the Left Side

Megan Diane
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Study Finds Why Mothers Hold Their Baby on the Left Side

Have you ever noticed that mothers cradle their newborn child on their left side? It may seem like common sense and many people argue that it is because most women are right handed. In turn, mothers hold their baby on the left side since their right hand is free.

But, a new study, published in the journal of Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggests where women hold their baby may be due to a “positional bias”, which is also seen in other mammalian species. In fact, scientists say the way mothers hold their children is actually controlled by the brain due to an “ancient evolutionary origin”.

Researchers from Saint Petersburg State University in Russia discovered that positioning a baby on the left actually activates the right side of the brain, also known as the right hemisphere, which is known for processing social interactions and bonding.

Saint Petersburg State University researchers examined horses, sheeps, orcas and kangaroos and found a “positional bias” that is linked to several mammalian species. In fact, scientists discovered newborn animals tend to stay near the left side of their mother.

Recent research has found multiple connections between the mother and how kids are developed. A study published last month found children from obese parents were more likely to have developmental issues including motor and social problems.

In addition, recent research examining viruses found viruses were actually deadlier for men than for women. Scientists published a study in the journal of “Nature Communications” arguing that viruses may have evolved to be less deadly to women than men in order for a virus to be passed onto future generations.

Does being right handed or left handed actually matter? Well, that’s hard to tell. A 1991 study found that left handed people were more likely to die 9 years sooner than right handed people in California. However, a 1994 study found left handed people lived 9 years longer than right handed people in the United Kingdom.

Bumble Bees are Now Endangered

Megan Diane
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Bumble Bees are Now Endangered

For the first time in history, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has listed the North American Bumble Bee as an endangered species.

Rebecca Riley, the senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) explained that by placing bumble bees in the endangered list, the species can have the opportunity to improve in numbers as well as save the major agricultural and dietary crops in America.

“Bee populations—including thousands of species of wild bees—are in crisis across the country, and the rusty patched bumble bee is one of the most troubling examples,” Riley explained in a statement. ” Today’s decision is a critical step forward. If finalized, the endangered species protections will improve the health of our ecosystem as well as the security of our national food supply,” Riley added.

The NRDC estimates that the number of bumble bees have decreased by over 80 percent, which is troubling. In fact, the White House reports that the economic value of the bumble bees and other pollinators are estimated to be $9 billion per year in the United States alone.

What are Bumble Bees?

Bombus affinis, also known as the rusty patched bumble bee, is a type of bee found in the the east and upper Midwest of the United States.

Bumble bee’s help pollinate up to 65 different types of plants and is the primary pollinator for many agricultural crops including: apples, cranberries and plums. Consequently, the decline in numbers could have a detrimental affect on the ecosystem as many animals and birds feed off of the agriculture the Bombus Affinis helps pollinates. In addition, crops sustained by the bumble bee’s pollination process can also be damaged putting apple, cranberry and plum crops at risk.

Why are Bumble Bees endangered?

A 2008 study published in the journal of “Biodiversity and Conservation” found three major reasons why bumble bee numbers had decreased. Sheila R. Colla and Laurence Packer, the lead researchers in the study found pesticides, loss of habitat and commercially-produced bumblebees spread pathogens to bumble bees, which in turn affected bumble bee populations.

 

Scientists Discover Asteroid Just Two Days Before Flying Between Earth and the Moon

Megan Diane
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Scientists Discover Asteroid Just Two Days Before Flying Between Earth and the Moon

Researchers discovered on Saturday that an asteroid was headed towards Earth on Monday.

While millions of Americans around were getting ready for work, school, and essentially getting out of bed, an asteroid slipped right between Earth and moon. And scientists barely saw it coming.

Asteroid 2017 AG13 traveled between the Earth and the moon on Monday morning. What’s surprising is that researchers at the University of Arizona’s Catalina Sky Survey discovered 2017 AG13 on Saturday, just two days earlier. While the asteroid was relatively small, about 110 feet tall, the asteroid was only discovered a few days before heading towards earth.

While this news is pretty disturbing, the White House is already working on a way to prevent an asteroid from hitting earth. For example, this news comes after NASA researchers called for more measures to be implemented to protect humanity from an extinction level asteroid or comet collision. In response, the White House launched the ‘National Near Earth Object Preparedness Strategy’. The program will prevent “Near Earth Objects” such as asteroids and comets from colliding into planet Earth. In addition, the new preparedness strategy will provide triennial updates regarding plans on how to prepare, prevent and stop asteroids from crashing into the planet.

In addition, earlier this month NASA is planning on two asteroid missions in the near future. The first mission is called “Lucy” which will explore a set of asteroids that have existed for over 10 million years. The second mission is “Psyche” and NASA will investigate an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. Ultimately, the goal of the NASA space mission is to get an inside looking at the physical properties of the solar system’s earliest heavenly bodies. But, it may take a little while before the results of the asteroid study are published. In all honesty, we will not have data on the asteroid missions for at least another ten years.

Pentagon Reveals Their Autonomous Micro-Drone Program

Jonathan Antonio
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Pentagon Reveals Their Autonomous Micro-Drone Program

The Department of Defense has announced that they have completed a successful micro-drone demonstration with a 103 Perdix drones.

The test, which appeared on Sunday’s CBS News program ’60 Minutes’, featured over a hundred Perdix micro-drones launched from three F/A Super Hornets. The Department of Defense said  the micro-drones displayed “advanced swarm behaviors such as collective decision-making, adaptive formation flying, and self-healing.”

Developed by researchers at MIT in 2013, Perdix drones have the capability of being dropped out of the sky at high speeds and withstanding cold temperatures. Not to mention, the micro-drones are relatively inexpensive.

Named after the Greek mythology story of the student saved by the God Athena who transformed him into a small bird, Perdix weighs only 290g and is less than a foot wide. The devices are essentially controlled by an operator whose job is to predict the behavior of the swarm of drones, without ever having to manage each and every Perdix drone.

The first Perdix drone tests were completed in 2014 after being dropped from F-16 flare containers at Edwards Air Force Base. Then in 2015, 90 Perdix missions were flown in Alaska. These missions included ground and maritime surveillance missions as well as swarms containing 20 drones at a time.

The Secretary Defense Ash Carter explained that “This is the kind of cutting-edge innovation that will keep us a step ahead of our adversaries. This demonstration will advance our development of autonomous systems.”

The Department of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office’s director William Roper asserted that because combat is constantly changing, micro-drones technology allows a large group of drones to move in the form of a “collective organism” sharing one brain.

Roper added that the microdrones are not led by a single leader and they can easily adapt to the environment.

“Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix, the swarm has no leader and can gracefully adapt to drones entering or exiting the team,” Roper explained.

A previous Washington Post report revealed that the micro-drone project was part of a $20 million Pentagon program to reinvent the military drone program. The Pentagon points out in their report that the military plans on producing micro-drones at a groups of up to 1,000.

This news comes after the Department of Defense implemented a new organization called the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx). The DIUx has offices in both Silicon Valley and Boston. According to their website, DIUx is the link between those in the U.S. military and companies innovating new technology.

Backpage Shuts Down ‘Adult’ Section, After Senate Investigation

Jonathan Antonio
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Backpage Shuts Down ‘Adult’ Section, After Senate Investigation

Hours after the Senate subcommittee on Investigations released their report on Backpage.com, the classified ad listing platform has shut down their Adult section.

Senate Backpage.com Investigation

On Tuesday, the US government released their investigative report into Backpage.com. Led by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the US Senate titled their report “Backpage.com’s Knowing Facilitation of Online Sex Trafficking”.

Inside the 53 page report, the Senate committee reveals that 73% of all child-trafficking reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) were found on the website. In addition, the report goes on to call Backpage the center of “human trafficking, especially the trafficking of minors.”

The report goes on to assert that the company began editing “adult” ads on the website, deleting incriminating words, and coaching users how to post “clean” ads for illegal business transactions. The US Senate subcommittee also argues that the company knew that the website facilitated child sex trafficking.

Following the report, the website has shut down their “Adult” ad section for users in the United States. In addition, the platform has placed the word “CENSORED” over adult section saying the ads were removed due to “unconstitutional government censorship.”

Launched in 2004, Backpage is similar to Craigslist as the website offers classified listings featuring jobs, real estate and other services. By 2011, the website was the 2nd largest classified advertisement listing company in the US following Craigslist.

Then in 2016, the company’s Dallas headquarters were raided and Backpage’s CEO, Carl Ferrer, was arrested on felony charges of pimping conspiracy, pimping a minor and attempted pimping of a minor. This came after a three year investigation by the California Department of Justice. California’s attorney general explained that most of the company’s profit came from users who posted ads in the “Adult” section.

It’s important to point out that child sex trafficking is on the rise. As the the Senate report highlights, the NMEC reported an 846% increase from 2010 to 2015 in the number of suspected child sex trafficking reports. The NMEC goes on to say that child sex traffickers are increasingly using the the Internet to sell children for sex.

Pokemon Go is Not Heading to China Any Time Soon

Jonathan Antonio
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Pokemon Go is Not Heading to China Any Time Soon

Pokemon fans in China will not be able to play the hit Pokemon Go any time soon. Following an investigation by the Chinese government, Pokemon Go will not be allowed in the country over security and safety concerns.

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that allows for users to capture and train virtual Pokemon. The game works by using Google Maps technology, which is currently blocked in China.

Initially, Reuters reports that the Chinese government said the game would not be licensed until the app was evalated and measured for potential security and safety risks. Some of the risks included a potential threat to government information and the safety of Pokemon Go users.

But, the reasoning over safety concerns may be warranted. There have been several reports of Pokemon Go users getting targeted by robbers. For instance, last July, criminals lured Pokemon Go players using the app’s geolocation features. Consequently, four people in O’Fallon, Missouri were robbed. Then in Arizona a family abandoned their child to play Pokemon Go. Not to mention, several men fell off an ocean cliff in California after trying to catch a Pokemon.

Despite being banned in China, Pokemon Go was a hit in the US. In fact, Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go, in the app’s first month the company earned $200 million in app sales.

Pikachu Pokemon Go
Stock Photo: Bangkok, Thailand – December 17, 2016 : woman playing pokemon go on his iphone -holiday pikachu for christmas event (enchanted_fairy / Shutterstock.com)

However, Niantic has struggled to keep users interested. A Forbes report found that nearly 80% of the paying players have since quit the game. In order to keep fans absorbed into the app the company has introduced themed driven events and it appears to be paying off. For example, a recent Halloween-themed event increased the company’s revenue by over 100%.

It’s interesting to point out that other apps such as Candy Crush Saga have done extremely well in China. In fact, a recent study found that 7.3% of Candy Crush players in China were actually addicted to the mobile game.

 

 

Yahoo Sheds Light on Company’s Future

Reginald Edward
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Yahoo Sheds Light on Company’s Future

On Tuesday, regulatory disclosures from Yahoo shed some light on the company’s future following the planned sale to Verizon. The revelations were made during a routine disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and they pointed to a name change the exit of embattled CEO, Marissa Mayer.

While many of the planned changes are pending the finalization of a nearly $5 billion sale of the internet company’s core assets to Verizon, the exit of Ms. Mayer would be welcomed by many shareholders.

These shareholders view Ms. Mayer’s time as CEO of the once dominant search engine as largely ineffective. Even though Yahoo was heading towards irrelevance long before Ms. Mayer took over, her time as CEO has done little to change the company’s fortunes.

Alibaba Group
Stock Photo:
New York City, USA – November 11, 2015: Sign at the New York Stock Exchange as the e commerce company the Alibaba Group records blockbuster Single’s Day sales in New York City. (Christopher Penler / Shutterstock.com)

In fact, the only positive highlight of her tenure was the Alibaba IPO – though the company has been hard pressed to reinvest the proceeds in a worthwhile effort.

Beyond that, most of the recent news about Yahoo has been less than positive.  This includes confirmation of two data breaches.  The most recent report came in December when the company acknowledged that the records of close to 1 billion users were compromised.

This incident was so bad Verizon is reportedly reconsidering its planned acquisition of Yahoo.  While some version of the deal is likely, most analysts believe Verizon is seeking to negotiate a sizable discount for the company.

Even if the sale does go through, Yahoo’s board needs to map out a long-term strategy for the company’s remaining assets. The SEC disclosure helps to shed some light on the board’s plans as it notes that the new company will change its name to Altaba and will focus on its remaining stake in Alibaba and Yahoo’s partnership in Japan.

Another change would be the exit of four current members of the Board including Ms. Mayer and Yahoo co-founder David Filo, and current Chairman Maynard Webb.  While the disclosure document notes that Ms. Mayer’s exit is not due to any disagreement with the board, observers believe the move creates the opportunity to reinvigorate the company’s management.

The newly christened Altaba will look nothing like the current Yahoo. However, this could be a big plus for the company with a pile of cash and the enviable position of being one of Alibaba’s largest shareholders. The company could also be able to aid Alibaba’s move into the U.S. market – one which founder Jack Ma has talked up in recent days.

However, these plans are very much dependent on the sale of Yahoo’s core operations to Verizon.  If the sale does not go through, then Yahoo would be in a very tough position.  Some industry observers noted the only option might be delisting and then selling parts of Yahoo’s operations to various players.

Potential suitors in this scenario could include Disney, Microsoft, and even Verizon.  But most analysts believe the windfall for investors would be significantly less than the current deal on the table from Verizon.

Yahoo is Changing Their Name. Here’s Why.

Reginald Edward
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Yahoo is Changing Their Name. Here’s Why.

Say goodbye to Yahoo as you know it. The company will be renamed Altaba, inc after their $4.8 billion merger with Verizon.

Along with changing their name, Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer will be stepping down from the company once the company completes their merger with Verizon.

According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Yahoo is going to undergo significant changes once the company merges with Verizon. In fact, Yahoo’s cofounder David Filo and several other board members will step down.

Who is Marissa Mayer?

Marissa Mayer
Stock Photo: Marissa Mayer attends the Costume Institute benefit gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York. (JStone / Shutterstock.com)

Marissa Mayer was appointed President and CEO of Yahoo in 2012 after working as a spokesperson for Google for several years. Under Mayer’s guidance, Yahoo acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion. However, by 2016 Yahoo revealed the value of Tumblr had decreased by over $200 million. In addition, reports surfaced that Mayer would lay off over a thousand employees to focus on their search engine system and email service. But, another problem was around the corner for Yahoo.

Yahoo Hack

Yahoo Hack
Stock Photo: MONTREAL, CANADA – DECEMBER 15, 2016 : Yahoo Notice of newly discovered data breach under magnifying glass. (dennizn / Shutterstock.com)

Late last year, Yahoo revealed that the company became victim to what became the world’s biggest security hack. Over 1 billion accounts were compromised in a cyberattack.

Yahoo’s Bob Lord explained explained that their cyber forensic experts found an unauthorized third party gained access to over a billion accounts in 2013. Since then, Yahoo has prompted their users to change their personal passwords, security questions and other information. In addition, the former social engine giant suggested users to review their accounts to see if there is any suspicious activity.

While there were reports that Verizon would back out of their deal with Yahoo, it appears as though the telecommunications giant is moving forward.

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