Archives for February 4, 2019

Amazon Prime Video’s X-Ray feature finally comes to Apple TV

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You can learn about a show while you’re watching it.

Believe it or not, Amazon Prime Video’s X-Ray feature hasn’t been available on Apple TV. While it hasn’t been a huge inconvenience, it’s a conspicuous omission when it has long been available on Amazon gear, consoles and other devices. At last, there’s some parity — Amazon has quietly introduced the feature to Apple’s set top box. Pause a video or swipe up and you’ll get the IMDb-powered info for any show that supports X-Ray. You can identify a familiar-looking actor, learn about the music or discover trivia about a scene.

The addition doesn’t appear to be consistently available, although some people report having success deleting the app and re-downloading it. The main limitation is simply the number of videos that support X-Ray. You can be sure it will pop up in Amazon originals like The Grand Tour or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but you might not see it if you’re watching a back catalog movie from a third party. It’s still good to see parity, though, and it beats having to keep your phone by your side in case curiosity gets the better of you.

NASA models suggest the Moon was born from Earth materials

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This is a photo of a moon at over 98% full. The image was taken one day prior to the supermoon, or a moon that appears larger due to being the closest to earth in its elliptic orbit.

Tech might help rethink our closest cosmic neighbor.

The most commonly accepted theory for the Moon’s creation involves a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body (Theia) that split off a chunk of the larger body and created an orbiting neighbor. You might have to reconsider that explanation, however. NASA researchers have developed a new model that suggests the Moon is made of the same materials as Earth, not its cosmic nemesis. The approach simulates the processes of the Moon’s formation using 14 volatile, metal-loving elements found in samples from the Apollo missions, providing a complex understanding that hasn’t been attempted before. The concentrations of those elements could speak volumes about what happened, according to the scientists.

The simulation found that there was a “strong” correlation in elements between the Earth and a Moon made out of its material, but that the same wasn’t true for a Moon made out of the Mars-scale body. There’s an explanation for those remaining five elements, too. They have substantially lower concentrations in the simulation, leading researchers to theorize that the elements didn’t re-condense after the impact and separated from the material that would become the Moon.

You won’t want to toss out your existing knowledge just yet. There’s more research necessary to understand the environment of the post-collision disk. This early work fills holes in scientific data that have existed since the 1970s, though, and it could serve as a launchpad for more research. If that work validates the early hypothesis, you might end up looking at the Moon in a very different light.

Koenigsegg aims to build a ‘CO2 neutral’ combustion supercar

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CHICHESTER, UNITED KINDOM – JULY 12: The Koenigsegg Regera, seen at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018. The Regera is sweadish company, Koenigsegg’s elite model, famous for its ‘Direct Drive’ transmission, resulting in the car only having one gear. (Photo by Martyn Lucy/Getty Images)

You wouldn’t need to go all-electric to protect the planet.

Koenigsegg doesn’t just want combustion-powered supercars to compete with EVs in terms of raw performance… it wants to compete in eco-friendliness, too. In a chat with Top Gear, company founder Christian von Koenigsegg said he was working with National Electric Vehicle Sweden to develop a €1 million ($1.15 million) hybrid supercar that was “completely CO2 neutral.” The solution, he said, was melding the automaker’s camless “freevalve” combustion engine tech with electric assistance. You could cold-start the vehicle using pure alcohol, for instance.

The result would be a “lightweight, sporty” car that would be environmentally responsible, but wouldn’t be quite so dependent on electric power. Christian predicted a shortage of battery cells when Tesla, VW and other brands want to mass-produce electric vehicles — this would help Koenigsegg avoid those shortfalls.

The executive didn’t provide too many more details, but stressed this would look “very obviously” like his brand’s iconic cars while remaining relatively affordable compared to no-holds-barred models like the Agera RS and Regera. If all goes well, it’ll be ready by 2020.

It’s an ambitious plan, and it may face plenty of challenges beyond the audacity of the technology itself. For one, Tesla’s next-gen Roadster is poised to deliver many of the thrills of supercars, including in historically weak areas for EVs like top speed and sustained performance. Koenigsegg also has to show that it can grow from delivering just 20 cars per year to the hundreds it’s expecting. Still, the company might have a realistic shot. This is the company that made the Regera, a 1,500HP supercar with no gearbox — it knows how to wring unusual abilities out of combustion engines.

WhatsApp update lets you hide chats using Face ID and Touch ID

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Keep your private conversations private.

Instagram and Messenger could soon follow WhatsApp in introducing encrypted messaging as part of Facebook’s plan to unify its app empire. In the meantime, WhatsApp is adding an extra layer of privacy on iOS with support for Touch ID and Face ID. The update (version 2.19.20) allows users to lock their messages behind their iPhone’s biometric authentication features. You can switch it on by heading in to settings, selecting Account, Privacy and “enable Lock Screen.” You’ll then be able to set a time limit immediately, after a minute, 15 minutes or 1 hour.

It’s important to note that the new feature doesn’t work on a per-chat basis and instead locks up the entire app. Notifications will still appear on the screen if you have them turned on, allowing you to quick-reply to messages. You’ll also still be able to answer calls. Touch ID is available on the iPhone 5S and beyond, while Face ID is available on the iPhone X and later.

National Bank Financial Equities Analysts Cut Revenue Estimates For Crescent Point Energy Corp (TSE:CPG)

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Crescent Point Energy Corp (TSE:CPG) (NYSE:CPG) – Investment analysts at National Bank Financial lowered their FY2018 EPS estimates for Crescent Point Energy in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, January 15th, Zacks Investment Research reports. National Bank Financial analyst T. Wood now expects that the company will earn ($0.75) per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of ($0.32). National Bank Financial currently has a “Outperform” rating and a $6.50 target price on the stock. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Crescent Point Energy’s FY2019 earnings at $0.07 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CPG. Canaccord Genuity dropped their price objective on shares of Crescent Point Energy from C$15.00 to C$13.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 16th. Raymond James dropped their price objective on shares of Crescent Point Energy from C$13.00 to C$11.00 in a report on Friday, October 5th. GMP Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Crescent Point Energy from C$10.50 to C$8.00 in a report on Thursday, December 13th. CIBC dropped their price objective on shares of Crescent Point Energy from C$11.00 to C$9.00 in a report on Thursday, November 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Crescent Point Energy from C$11.00 to C$6.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$8.77.

TSE:CPG traded down C$0.07 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$3.85. 3,462,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,324,508. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion and a PE ratio of -7.40. Crescent Point Energy has a 52-week low of C$3.70 and a 52-week high of C$11.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 46.70.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. Crescent Point Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -69.23%.

Crescent Point Energy Company Profile

Crescent Point Energy Corp. acquires, explores, develops, and produces light and medium oil and natural gas properties in Western Canada and the United States. The company’s crude oil and natural gas properties, and related assets are located in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba; and the states of North Dakota, Montana, and Utah.

Ascena Retail Group Inc’s Q2 2019 Revenue (ASNA)

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Ascena Retail Group Inc (NASDAQ:ASNA) – Equities researchers at B. Riley dropped their Q2 2019 EPS estimates for shares of Ascena Retail Group in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, January 30th. B. Riley analyst S. Anderson now forecasts that the specialty retailer will earn ($0.25) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.19). B. Riley currently has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for Ascena Retail Group’s Q3 2019 earnings at $0.04 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.00 EPS.

ASNA has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price objective on Ascena Retail Group from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 11th. BidaskClub cut Ascena Retail Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 24th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Ascena Retail Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $4.75 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 7th. Finally, ValuEngine cut Ascena Retail Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. Ascena Retail Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $3.50.

ASNA stock opened at $2.34 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $478.79 million, a P/E ratio of -117.00 and a beta of 1.60. Ascena Retail Group has a fifty-two week low of $1.79 and a fifty-two week high of $5.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 0.45.

Ascena Retail Group (NASDAQ:ASNA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, December 10th. The specialty retailer reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.04 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Ascena Retail Group had a negative return on equity of 1.70% and a negative net margin of 0.61%. The firm’s revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. LS Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ascena Retail Group by 1,572.3% in the fourth quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC now owns 82,846 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 77,892 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Ascena Retail Group by 19.8% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 518,987 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,303,000 after purchasing an additional 85,936 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ascena Retail Group by 103.9% in the fourth quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 176,232 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 89,820 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in shares of Ascena Retail Group by 67.1% in the fourth quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 96,096 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 38,601 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Ascena Retail Group by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 267,565 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $672,000 after purchasing an additional 17,085 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.65% of the company’s stock.

About Ascena Retail Group

Ascena Retail Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of apparel, shoes, and accessories for women and tween girls in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company operates through four segments: Premium Fashion, Value Fashion, Plus Fashion, and Kids Fashion. It offers a range of merchandise, including apparel, accessories, footwear, and intimates; and lifestyle products comprising cosmetics and bedroom accessories.