VST ECS inks deal to distribute Thomas EV motorbikes in Thailand
Dec 07. 2020
By The Nation
VST ECS (Thailand) has signed a deal with Thomas Design to become the official distributor for Thomas EV Motorcycle in Thailand.
VST ECS (Thailand) is a member of VST ECS Group, a leading ICT distributor in Asia Pacific.
Under the agreement, VST ECS will be responsible for marketing and distribution through more than 5,000 company dealers throughout Thailand.
“The business cooperation has occurred because the company foresaw the direction of electric vehicle technology of the future. This is in line with the government’s policy to accelerate the change of fuel powered motorcycles at present to use electric motorcycles,” said Somsak Pejthaveeporndej, CEOof VST ECS (Thailand).
Possawat Thomas, CEO of Thomas Design, said: “Electric vehicles, especially motorcycles, are getting attention in Thailand’s market due to their affordable price and suitability for urban living. In addition, they are very economical for fleet companies. With this latent demand in the market, Thomas Group aims to be the leader in electric vehicles in Thailand’s market.
“Moreover, environmental concern is another factor boosting demand … since EV motorcycles are environmentally friendly both in terms of air and noise pollution.”
“Also, the use of electric vehicles can transform the Thai automotive industry and encourage direct investment in Thailand … in line with the government’s strategic plan to promote the use of EV and reduce EV tax policy.”
Thomas Design uses the technology from Taiwan to manufacture its electric vehicle at its two main factories in Chonburi and Nakhon Pathom, with 30 per cent local parts and 70 per cent imported from Taiwan. Next year it at aims to increase production and raise the proportion of local parts used to 70 per cent.
By The Washington Post · Laurie McGinley · NATIONAL, HEALTH, HEALTH-NEWS
For a nation ravaged by the pandemic, this week marks a pivotal moment – the final push by federal regulators to clear the first experimental coronavirus vaccine for a besieged populace.
If all goes well over the next few days, the Food and Drug Administration could give emergency authorization to the vaccine as early as week’s end, triggering the start of an unprecedented effort to inoculate enough Americans to confer individual immunity and eventually stop the virus’ spread. That next chapter, however, is filled with herculean challenges, including ramping up production to tens of millions of doses, shipping them in specially designed boxes packed with dry ice to keep them ultracold and vaccinating people in every corner of the United States.
“It’s staggering where we find ourselves,” said Robert Wachter, chairman of the department of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. “And this remarkable week will either put us on a path to getting out of this in six months, or if people lose trust in the process, put us back by months, or a year.”
The regulatory drama kicks off early Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration tips its hand to the public for the first time about its view of experimental coronavirus vaccine by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech BioNTech, when it releases its evaluation of the safety and effectiveness data. That’s in preparation for a meeting two days later of the agency’s vaccine advisory committee – independent experts who will debate that data and whether the FDA should clear the vaccine, a decision many hope will eventually change the course of the crisis.
The agency sees Thursday’s open committee meeting, which includes time for the general public to speak, as a critical part of its effort to be transparent and convince people to take the vaccine. Its commitment to holding a public session is one reason Britain managed to authorize the vaccine before the U.S., angering President Donald Trump.
“We feel it’s our responsibility to make it happen as fast as possible,” said Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. But, he added, “We want to show that we really thought this all through carefully.”
If the advisory committee gives the thumbs’ up in a formal vote on Thursday, the FDA is expected to authorize the vaccine within days, clearing the way for its almost-immediate distribution to all 50 states. Operation Warp Speed, the White House-led initiative to develop and distribute vaccines, has said it plans to begin shipping the vaccine within 24 hours of an FDA authorization. But if an unexpected problem should emerge, or the advisory panel raises concerns, the process could be slowed.
Even if all goes as hoped, a new, potentially lifesaving vaccine won’t immediately change the pandemic outlook. Vaccinating most Americans will take several months, even if the vaccine is widely accepted. And, with more than 280,000 dead, even grimmer days lay ahead, with deaths potentially rising to 3,000 or 4,000 a day, experts say.
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What happens first this week?
Public health experts hope that documents released by the FDA and Pfizer on Tuesday will provide many more details about the vaccine, as well as the agency’s opinion about it. If there are any surprises that could slow or derail an authorization, they could pop up here.
“For now, all we have is this press release with a big efficacy number,” said Jason Schwartz, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Yale School of Public Health, referring to Pfizer’s press statements that its vaccine is a remarkable 95 percent effective overall and 94 percent in people over 65. It hasn’t released information on other subgroups, and the data has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Also Tuesday, the White House is having a “Covid-19 Vaccine Summit” to tout the vaccine development effort, and inviting governors, federal officials, and executives of pharmaceutical companies and drugstore chains. The goal appears to be to give Trump, who called the FDA part of the “deep state” and accused Pfizer of trying to hurt his reelection prospects, a chance to claim credit for the vaccine.
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Can I watch the advisory committee meeting?
The all-day remote meeting on Thursday will be carried online by the FDA, YouTube and Facebook. University of Michigan epidemiologist Arnold Monto, the temporary chairman of the panel, is shoring up his spotty home WiFi. Meanwhile, teams of FDA staffers are poring over Pfizer data and the quality of the manufacturing process. Manufacturing vaccines can be notoriously difficult, and quality is paramount. In 1955, tainted polio vaccine made by Cutter Laboratories caused five deaths.
The independent panel has a core group of 15 voting members, including all-star experts on immunology, virology and infectious diseases. They include Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-developer of a rotavirus vaccine. The panel, whose official name is the Vaccine and Related Blood Products Advisory Committee, also includes a consumer representative and a nonvoting member who represents the pharmaceutical industry.
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What does the FDA want from the meeting?
Agency officials will be looking for the panel to say the Pfizer safety and efficacy data justifies an emergency use authorization for the vaccine. They are likely to consider a broad “label,” saying the vaccine should be used to prevent covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in people from ages 16 and up. Pfizer has started to test the shots in children as young as 12, but more data is needed.
Emergency authorizations are temporary approvals used to accelerate the availability of medical products during a public health emergency. They require less data than full approvals. The FDA has said, however, it will apply rigorous criteria because millions of healthy people are expected to receive the vaccine.
Panel members are sure to drill down on the safety data. In a general vaccine meeting on Oct. 22, some members said the FDA’s requirement that vaccine developers provide two months’ follow-up on half the trial participants wasn’t stringent enough.
“How much oxygen do those concerns get at this meeting?” said Schwartz. “If there are serious concerns, that would complicate the effort to assure the public that this process is every bit as rigorous as we would expect this vaccine to be.”
FDA officials and some panel members have said the two months’ standard is appropriate, given that most serious complications occur in the first six weeks after inoculation. Waiting longer can’t be justified, they said, considering the pandemic’s horrific daily toll, now up to a seven-day average of more than 2,000 deaths daily.
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What else will be discussed?
A critical issue will be the longer-term safety program the FDA and Pfizer have set up to ensure they catch any serious complications caused by the vaccine after it is on the market. “Once you roll something out to hundreds of thousands and millions of people, safety problems can emerge,” said Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown Law School.
The panel also might ask how long the vaccine’s protection will last. The information is important because once people are vaccinated, they are likely to change their behavior – eschewing masks, for example – said Walid Gellad, director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh. But officials say it’s too soon to know the duration of protection.
The committee also is likely to wrestle with the ethical issue of whether Pfizer should offer the vaccine to people in the placebo group, once the shots are cleared. The company has said that it plans to do so, but the FDA is worried such “unblinding” of the trial will make it difficult to continue to collect long-term data on safety and duration of protection.
Michael Tovar, a participant in the Pfizer trial, predicted a “mass exodus” of enrollees if the placebo group is not offered the vaccine. “For most of us, the possibility of receiving a vaccine early was one of the main reasons for joining the trial,” he said in a comment filed to the public docket on the meeting. “Were it not for the bravery and commitment of trial participants, this historic moment would not be happening.”
But if those participants are not in high-risk priority groups, they might not be able to get the vaccines outside the trial.
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What’s the most important part of the meeting?
The biggest moment will come at the end of the day – probably 5 p.m. or later – when the panel will vote on questions posed by the FDA. The key one will be on whether to authorize the vaccine.
Does the FDA have to follow the panel’s advice?
No, the advice isn’t binding. But the FDA often follows the recommendations of its advisers. And in this case, with all the controversy and political wrangling that has surrounded the vaccine, experts say it would be hard for the agency to ignore the committee, which is partly designed to boost public confidence in the shots.
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What happens then?
Marks, of the FDA, said the agency could authorize the Pfizer vaccine “within a week” of a favorable recommendation from the advisory committee. Some think the decision would be even sooner than that.
The following week, the process starts over for Moderna. On Dec. 15, the agency will post its view of the vaccine, in preparation for a Dec. 17 advisory committee.
National Zoo’s giant pandas will head to China in three years
LivingDec 07. 2020The National Zoo’s giant panda cub is shown at 8 weeks old. He is growing and crawling, zookeepers said. MUST CREDIT: Photo courtesy of National Zoo.
By The Washington Post · Michael E. Ruane · NATIONAL, WORLD, FEATURES, ASIA-PACIFIC, ANIMALS
WASHINGTON – The National Zoo said Monday that all three of its giant pandas will be going to China at the end of 2023, according to a new agreement struck with Chinese officials.
The agreement grants a three-year extension to the stay of the adult giant pandas, Mei Xiang, a female, and Tian Tian, a male, who have been at the zoo for 20 years, the zoo said.
But they and their 4-month-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji, a male, are to go to China by the end of the extension on Dec. 8, 2023.
The agreement means the zoo and the adoring public will have the popular black and white animals for three more years.
But it leaves the future of the National Zoo’s almost 50-year giant panda program unsettled.
Zoo director Steve Monfort said he was confident, despite international tensions, that Chinese officials would consider sending more giant pandas to Washington in the future.
He said he was thrilled to have Mei Xiang and Tian Tian for three more years.
The current agreement that has allowed them to stay expires Monday. Giant pandas are native to China, and it owns all giant pandas in U.S. zoos. As with earlier extensions, the zoo will pay the Chinese government $500,000 per year of the new stay, the zoo said.
“We have . . . three more years to really prepare ourselves also for saying goodbye,” Monfort said. “These animals are beloved not just by the people who work and care for them, but by millions of people.”
“It’s great to have them for a little longer but it also is a reminder that that’s ephemeral, and they will return to China,” he said. “This gives us three years to celebrate that and to get ready for it.”
“It’s going to be a heartbreak for us,” he said. Some keepers have been with the adult pandas their entire careers and will be “absolutely crushed when these animals go away. Lots of tears will flow.”
But there will also be a sense of pride at how well the zoo has cared for them, he said.
Montfort, who has been studying giant pandas for 33 years, said the zoo’s relationship with Chinese panda experts is solid.
“I went over there in January . . . to Beijing, and we had an excellent meeting with our counterparts there,” Monfort said. “It was all good, and we’ve just been having positive interactions since then.”
“We have a 48-year history with pandas, and we’d like to have another many decades of additional collaboration with Chinese colleagues,” he said.
“There’s no question that, when the time is right, we will approach them and begin discussions about the future of the program after this pair,” he said.
“It is our hope that we will have pandas for decades to come,” he said. The zoo’s relationship with its Chinese counterparts is “such a good and strong partnership that we hope that that could be made possible.”
But tensions between the United States and China are ongoing, and President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the Chinese for the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, calling the deadly malady the “Chinese virus.”
(The zoo is closed because of the virus.)
Monfort said he is not worried.
“There’s a lot of concern that people have about the relationship between our two countries, on the political side of things,” he said. “That’s all very fraught.”
“But . . . the relationships that we have with our colleagues on the ground there . . . are very strong professional relationships . . . very productive, very collegial, friendly,” he said. “On that level, everything’s really great.”
“But we can’t control politics,” he noted.
He added:
“I don’t believe there’s any sign that anyone is interested in politicizing these pandas . . . No one that I’ve talked to thinks that would be a smart idea . . . It’s a winning story . . . Why would you want to disrupt that success?”
“I don’t see any sign that anyone is interested in making a political statement via pandas,” he said. “I really don’t.”
By prior agreement with the Chinese, all giant panda cubs born in U.S. zoos must be sent to a breeding program in China by the time they turn 4. So at the end of the new three-year deal the cub, Xiao Qi Ji, would depart with the adults, Monfort said.
“It’s just going to make sense to do it all at once,” he said.
The zoo has had giant pandas almost continuously since 1972, when Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gave the United States Ling-Ling, a female, and Hsing-Hsing, a male. Both were 18 months old.
In return, the United States sent China two musk oxen, Milton and Matilda, from the San Francisco Zoo. Musk oxen are shaggy natives of the Arctic known for their strong odor.
Ling-Ling died in 1992, and Hsing-Hsing died in 1999. There was a gap of about a year between Hsing-Hsing’s death and the arrival of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian on Dec. 6, 2000.
Both Mei Xiang, 22, and Tian Tian, 23, were born at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province.
Their Washington debut was spectacular. Several hundred VIPs met their plane when it arrived. Outgoing President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton got an early audience. “They have long claws and very big teeth,” the president said afterward.
The conductor of the Washington Symphony Orchestra reportedly wrote a piece called “March of the Giant Pandas.” And zoo goers began a romance with the animals that would last more than 20 years.
The estimated life span of a giant panda is about 15 to 20 years in the wild, and about 30 years for those in human care, the zoo said. .
When Mei Xiang gave birth to Xiao Qi Ji on Aug. 21, she became the oldest giant panda to have a cub in North America.
So why does China want two aging giant pandas back?
Monfort said he thinks the Chinese believe they can best take care of older pandas. “They have many, many more pandas,” and more experience, he said.
Also, he said Chinese experts feel they have an obligation to care for their giant pandas in their declining years.
“They’re very special animals,” he said. “They’re . . . revered . . . in China, and I think they feel like it’s their responsibility to care for them at the end of their lives.”
Along with the announcement of the new agreement, the zoo said that benefactor David Rubenstein has pledged another $3 million to its giant panda research program.
Rubenstein has, with this pledge, donated a total of $12 million in support of the giant panda conservation program, the zoo said.
By The Washington Post · Taylor Telford · BUSINESS, ENTERTAINMENT, US-GLOBAL-MARKETS, RETAIL, MUSIC
Universal Music Publishing Group has acquired Bob Dylan’s entire song catalogue, the company announced Monday, in a blockbuster deal that includes more than 600 songs spanning six decades.
Universal now owns the rights to Dylan’s 39 studio albums, from 1962′s self-titled debut to this year’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” Up until now, the rock icon and Nobel laureate had retained the rights to his own work.
The terms of the deal were not made public, but Variety reported that it was worth “at least nine figures.”
“To represent the body of work of one of the greatest songwriters of all time – whose cultural importance can’t be overstated – is both a privilege and a responsibility,” UMPG’s chief executive Jody Gerson said in a news release Monday. “We look forward to working with Bob and the team in ensuring his artistry continues to reach and inspire generations of fans, recording artists and songwriters around the world.”
It’s been a devastating year for the music industry. Goldman Sachs predicted that global music business revenues would fall 25% this year and live music revenues would plunge 75 percent as the pandemic has silenced live music and taken touring off the table.
Copyrights have become big business, especially as streaming continues to dominate music and new platforms create licensing opportunities. Many musicians have taken to selling the rights to their work: Last month, DJ Calvin Harris and rock band the Killers struck deals with private equity firms for their catalogs. In recent months, TikTok signed licensing deals with the National Music Publishing Association and Sony Music to ensure popular music would still be allowed on its platform.
Universal, one of the biggest players in the global music industry, has weathered the storm well thanks to its streaming business. Despite the pandemic and second-quarter hit, Universal generated more than $1 billion in streaming revenues in the first nine months of 2020, Vivendi, its French parent company, announced in its third-quarter earnings report. After Chinese conglomerate Tencent took a 10% stake in Universal last year, the company’s value grew to more than $35 billion. Vivendi is planning to take Universal public in 2022.
The son of a Minnesota appliance-store owner, Dylan got his start as a folk singer and soon became one of the voices of political protest and cultural reshaping in the 1960s. His songs – driven by his distinctive nasal-twang vocals – are often seen as dense prose poems packed with flamboyant, surreal images. His oeuvre earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, making him the only songwriter to ever win the award.
“It’s no secret that the art of songwriting is the fundamental key to all great music, nor is it a secret that Bob is one of the very greatest practitioners of that art,” Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive of Universal Music Group, said in a news release. “Brilliant and moving, inspiring and beautiful, insightful and provocative, [Dylan’s] songs are timeless – whether they were written more than half a century ago or yesterday.”
Rolling Stone magazine once called Dylan “the most influential American musician rock-and-roll has ever produced.” His songs have been recorded more than 6,000 times by artists spanning many continents and genres. He has sold more than 125 million records throughout his career, according to a news release – not that money has ever been Dylan’s metric for success.
“What’s money?” Dylan famously said. “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”
Arts & CultureDec 07. 2020Colter Zimmer, 13, puts up Christmas lights with his mom, Julie Zimmer, at their home in Crofton, Md., on Nov. 22. MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Evelyn Hockstein
By Special To The Washington Post · Laura Daily · FEATURES, HOMEGARDEN
What’s Christmas without holiday lights? For starters . . . no worries that a hot bulb will melt your favorite plastic Snoopy ornament, or fears that adding one more string of lights will plunge your den into darkness. And maybe your heart won’t skip a beat when you receive your December utility bill.
Yes, they have a reputation for being a hassle. But holiday lights have changed. Thanks to LED technology, the nightmares of Christmases past have largely been resolved. Even Clark Griswold would approve of the more reliable, energy-efficient options available these days.
As a consumer expert, I know how to find a great deal, but I haven’t untangled a string of lights in years – since I moved to the city from a larger home in the mountains. So I asked several experts for their advice on light features, safety, storage and more. Here are our illuminating tips.
– Make a plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Mike and Jenn Onstott, whose spectacularly lit Commerce City, Colo., home attracts thousands of spectators annually, suggest asking yourself: Do I want lights everywhere or in a few select spots? A classic look or more modern? Showy or subdued? Take some measurements. Remember: A 10-foot rail may need 16 feet of lights if you plan to wrap it tightly so the lights are close together. Choose a theme or color scheme.
Frank Skinner, director of marketing for online retailer Christmas Lights, Etc, says: “If you know you like Christmas and will be decorating for years to come, build up a collection. Initially, you might buy clear lights and then add colors in subsequent years. You aren’t locked in, because you can mix and match and rearrange strings.”
– Choose your bulb. With their soft, warm glow, traditional incandescent lights evoke cozy memories for many. But the more vibrant LEDs have come a long way. LEDs use far less electricity, stay cool to the touch, last longer and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, lens styles, colors and finishes.
Over the past six years, the Onstotts have converted 90% of their 27,000 lights to LED, mostly to save on electricity, reserving the remaining incandescent lights for special displays.
Whether you opt for incandescent or LED, experts agree it’s best not to mix the two in one display. Not only will the lights visually clash, but you may also experience power issues.
– Decide how much you want to spend. Would you rather save money now or over time? A box of 50 mini-incandescent lights can cost as little as $3 in a big-box store, whereas a 50-count string of LED lights may start at $10. Outdoor-specific or commercial-grade lights will cost more. Although incandescent lights are less expensive, they use significantly more electricity and typically last one to three seasons. Though pricier, LED lights are energy-efficient, allowing you to plug more lights in to one outlet. And although most LED light manufacturers say they will last up to five seasons, Skinner says test sets lit 24/7 at his company offices are still burning bright after seven years.
– Buy with confidence. Take note if lights are rated “indoor” or “indoor/outdoor.” The latter are usually more durable. Depending on your local climate, you may want to buy commercial-grade lights that hold up to extreme heat or cold. If you are especially picky, check a sample light string if the lights are on display in the store. Major brands, such as Wintergreen or Kringle Traditions, that supply detailed specifications (such as wire style, color or plug) to manufacturers will stamp their name on the tube near the plug. That’s a clue that the product is of a higher quality.
– Try outside-the-box tricks. Substitute icicle lights (normally used outside) for traditional strings if you want a well-lit indoor tree, suggests Albie Mushaney, host of the HGTV holiday special “You’ll be Home for Christmas.” Instead of wrapping your tree 20 times, you may only need two strands and three to four wraps to achieve the same amount of coverage and light.
Jenn Onstott says to look for lights with faceted bulbs and add reflective ornaments to your tree, so you don’t need as many lights. If you have children or pets, consider erecting and decorating some sort of barricade around your lit tree. Incandescent lights do get hot to the touch, and pets that chew may find light strings tempting. The Onstotts use a baby gate. Mushaney, who has two Great Danes, built a small picket fence.
– Know your power. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The biggest difference between LED and incandescent lights is the amount of electricity used. For example, Mike Onstott redid a reindeer display at his home. The original, with 300 incandescent lights, used 122 watts; the new version, with 360 LED lights, uses three watts. “When you’re not pulling as much power, you can put up more lights without short-circuiting your home,” Jenn Onstott says. You need to determine not only what outlets are available, but also what else in your home – lamps, electronics, appliances – is being powered by that circuit. A kilowatt meter ($20 to $30) easily monitors an outlet’s power usage, so you don’t overload it and trip the breaker.
– Minimize hazards. Remember: Water and electricity do not mix. For outdoor displays, buy lights with a “sealed connection.” That means the base of each bulb has an acrylic seal to permanently affix it to the wire, keeping moisture out. To avoid standing water (or snow), Mike Onstott recommends using stakes to keep plugs above the ground. He also wraps any electrical connections in plastic bags secured by a rubber band.
And Skinner says you shouldn’t use a staple gun to hang lights. “You risk nicking or ripping off the wire coating, causing a potential electrical short.” Instead, use inexpensive clips to attach lights to your roof or gutters. As a timesaver, in lieu of clips, Mushaney rims his house and windows with small screw-in hooks and leaves them up year-round.
– Take the easy route. Sure, you could invest the time, money and effort in hand-wrapping lights around the trunks of outdoor trees or artfully decorating bushes, but you don’t have to. Manufacturers have developed reasonably priced trunk-wrap lights (essentially lights woven into netting with loop clasps) that expand and stretch around a tree trunk. Net lights can be easily draped over bushes and hedges. So he doesn’t have to run out nightly, Mushaney uses a solar switch on a timer. At sunset, his outdoor lights automatically turn on, then turn off a few hours later.
– Store lights properly. Everyone has their own preferred method for keeping their lights organized when they aren’t in use. Skinner says to simply wrap lights in a circular pattern or roll them into a ball. Then store them in a box. The Onstotts suggest looping them, but instead of using the “palm and elbow” technique commonly used to store extension cords, start by dangling the strand and make decent-size loops, as if you were spooling a cord onto a vacuum cleaner without a hook at the bottom. Use Velcro or zip ties to keep cords together. Sort lights into plastic bins, and label either by location or specific tree. Mushaney hangs outdoor lights over chairs to dry, then puts lights in plastic grocery bags – one strand per bag – with the plug hanging out. Bags go into storage tubs labeled “inside” or “outside.”
– Take advantage of post-Christmas sales. Although retailers run sales in November and December, to get the best deals, shop right after Christmas. You can often find lights and other decorations discounted by as much as 75 percent to 90 percent. Mushaney says he sets the following year’s theme based on what he scores at a discount.
– Look into recycling options. Christmas lights are made from copper, glass and plastic – valuable materials that can actually be recycled and reclaimed. Contact your city’s municipal solid waste office. Many will recycle the lights if you bring them in. They may even run collection days for old lights or point you to a drop-off spot. If you live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia or the District, you can drop off your lights at any Mom’s Organic Market.
– Get online help. You’ll find all sorts of guides for holiday lighting on topics including artfully wrapping tree trunks, safely hanging lights on gutters or calculating wattage. Christmas Lights, Etc has a collection of lighting and decorating resources on its website, christmaslightsetc.com. Serious decorators should check out the Planet Christmas Forum (planetchristmas.com) or search for fellow holiday light enthusiasts in Facebook groups.
– Make memories. No matter the design, Christmas lights brighten the holidays, and they may spread joy far beyond your front yard. “I grew up poor, and my family had to find ways to entertain us kids, so we drove around looking at holiday lights on houses,” Mushaney says. “That created wonderful memories I’ll always remember. Now, maybe my house will be one that families drive by and build memories, too.”
Dec 08. 2020In January, Department of Defense contractor Ghost Robotics will be unleashing four of its semi-autonomous robots at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. MUST CREDIT: Ghost Robotics
By The Washington Post · Dalvin Brown
Over the past five years, robotic dogs have gone viral in captivating online videos showing them opening doors, performing aerobics, hauling trucks and pulling other stunts. In the pandemic era, they’ve been used to promote social distancing and reduce risks to medical staff hospitals.
Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics was behind most of these examples. However, there is another company revolutionizing what robotic versions of man’s best friend can do, and it says its latest creation might be ready for war.
In January, Department of Defense contractor Ghost Robotics will be unleashing four of its semi-autonomous robots at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in what could be a step toward introducing robot dogs to conflict zones.
The hi-tech canines, known as Vision 60, are being touted as a security enhancement and are part of a plan to replace stationary surveillance cameras at the air force base, according to the military. However, Ghost Robotics envisions a scenario in the not-too-distant future where the machines go beyond just patrolling.
“We can see them in war zones, working with bombs, scouting, targeting, probably in 2022,” said Jiren Parikh, CEO of Ghost Robotics. “These can really become a war fighter’s best friend.” The military says the robots have the potential to be used in a “contingency, disaster or deployed environment.” On the Air Force base, the robots will enable human beings to focus on other tasks.
Founded in 2015, Philadelphia-based Ghost Robotics designed the four-legged drone alternative to “feel the world” and remain balanced when prowling through water, tall grass and other terrain. The computerized canines can operate in sub-zero temperatures and were made to move like real animals, the company says. Also referred to as “unmanned ground vehicles” or UGVs, they can climb steps, run and turn themselves upright if knocked over.
The secret sauce is motors that control the legs and adjust based on changes in ground pressure. Relying primarily on motors for navigation sets Ghost Robotics’ machines apart from Boston Dynamics’ devices, which depend on a host of sensors.
“A core design principle for our legged robots is reduced mechanical complexity when compared to other legged robots, and even traditional wheeled-tracked UGVs,” Ghost Robotics says on its website.
Semi-autonomous robots tested by the Australian army are being picked up by the U.S. Air Force. MUST CREDIT: Ghost Robotics
Boston Dynamics, a robotic dog pioneer, is a much larger company, employing up to 4,000 people across nine regional offices. Ghost Robotics has fewer than 25 employees.
Ghost Robotics’ dog-sized machines have onboard cameras and sensors to monitor for intruders along the base’s perimeter. The robots can trot along for up to seven and a half hours before needing a recharge. The machines, which are not meant to replace real military dogs, can be assembled in 15 minutes, while damaged limbs can be replaced even faster, Parikh said. The machines are equipped with Wi-Fi and 4g LTE to send live information to its operator.
Ghost Robotics has shipped over 100 of its robot dogs in 2020 and plans to send more than 250 in 2021.
The robots are part of the military’s ambition for an Advanced Battle Management System that uses a network of innovations such as artificial intelligence and robotics to detect and defend against threats.
Last month, the canines showcased their abilities during a test run at Tyndall, where they were operated using a remote control. Once they are programmed with a patrol path to follow, they will roam semi-autonomously with their handlers able to control them via virtual reality headsets when necessary, the Air Force says. The military-grade canines allow defenders that would otherwise be patrolling to focus on training, security and overall situational awareness across the base.
In September, Vision 60 robots were also used during a security exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Ghost Robotics isn’t aware of immediate plans to weaponize the robots, though there are bomb-disabling applications. There’s also a concerted Human Rights Watch effort to keep lethal autonomous robots from being deployed; the U.S., to date, has declined to sign on.
Tyndall is the first military base in the United States to integrate the robots full time; however, the move follows a collaboration between Ghost Robotics and the Australian Army. In 2019, Australia experimented to find out how the country could leverage the robots in the “future of land warfare.”
Apple preps next Mac chips with aim to outclass highest-end PCs
Dec 07. 2020
By Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Mark Gurman, Ian King · BUSINESS
Apple Inc. is planning a series of new Mac processors for introduction as early as 2021 that are aimed at outperforming Intel Corp.’s fastest.
Chip engineers at the Cupertino, California-based technology giant are working on several successors to the M1 custom chip, Apple’s first Mac main processor that debuted in November. If they live up to expectations, they will significantly outpace the performance of the latest machines running Intel chips, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the plans aren’t yet public.
Apple’s M1 chip was unveiled in a new entry-level MacBook Pro laptop, a refreshed Mac mini desktop and across the MacBook Air range. The company’s next series of chips, planned for release as early as the spring and later in the fall, are destined to be placed across upgraded versions of the MacBook Pro, both entry-level and high-end iMac desktops, and later a new Mac Pro workstation, the people said.
The road map indicates Apple’s confidence that it can differentiate its products on the strength of its own engineering and is taking decisive steps to design Intel components out of its devices. The next two lines of Apple chips are also planned to be more ambitious than some industry watchers expected for next year. The company said it expects to finish the transition away from Intel and to its own silicon in 2022.
While Intel gets less than 10% of its revenue from furnishing Apple with Mac chips, the rest of its PC business is liable to face turbulence if the iPhone maker is able to deliver demonstrably better-performing computers. It could accelerate a shake-up in an industry that has long been dependent on Intel’s pace of innovation. For Apple, the move sheds that dependency, deepens its distinction from the rest of the PC market and gives it a chance to add to its small, but growing share in PCs.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment. Chip development and production is complex with changes being common throughout the development process. Apple could still choose to hold back these chips in favor of lesser versions for next year’s Macs, the people said, but the plans nonetheless indicate Apple’s vast ambitions.
Apple’s Mac chips, like those in its iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, use technology licensed from Arm Ltd., the chip design firm whose blueprints underpin much of the mobile industry and which Nvidia Corp. is in the process of acquiring. Apple designs the chips and outsources their production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which has taken the lead from Intel in chip manufacturing.
The current M1 chip inherits a mobile-centric design built around four high-performance processing cores to accelerate tasks like video editing and four power-saving cores that can handle less intensive jobs like web browsing. For its next generation chip targeting MacBook Pro and iMac models, Apple is working on designs with as many as 16 power cores and four efficiency cores, the people said.
While that component is in development, Apple could choose to first release variations with only eight or 12 of the high-performance cores enabled depending on production, they said. Chipmakers are often forced to offer some models with lower specifications than they originally intended because of problems that emerge during fabrication.
For higher-end desktop computers, planned for later in 2021 and a new half-sized Mac Pro planned to launch by 2022, Apple is testing a chip design with as many as 32 high-performance cores.
With today’s Intel systems, Apple’s highest-end laptops offer a maximum of eight cores, a high-end iMac Pro is available with as many as 18 and the priciest Mac Pro desktop features as much as a 28-core system. Though architecturally different, Apple and Intel’s chips rely on the segmentation of workloads into smaller, serialized tasks that several processing cores can work on at once.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which has been gaining market share at Intel’s expense, offers standard desktop parts with as many as 16 cores, with some of its high-end chips for gaming PCs going as high as 64 cores.
While the M1 silicon has been well received, the Macs using it are Apple’s lower-end systems with less memory and fewer ports. The company still sells higher-end, Intel-based versions of some of the lines that received M1 updates. The M1 chip is a variation of a new iPad processor destined to be included in a new iPad Pro arriving next year.
Apple engineers are also developing more ambitious graphics processors. Today’s M1 processors are offered with a custom Apple graphics engine that comes in either 7- or 8-core variations. For its future high-end laptops and midrange desktops, Apple is testing 16-core and 32-core graphics parts.
For later in 2021 or potentially 2022, Apple is working on pricier graphics upgrades with 64 and 128 dedicated cores aimed at its highest-end machines, the people said. Those graphics chips would be several times faster than the current graphics modules Apple uses from Nvidia and AMD in its Intel-powered hardware.
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