Archives for August 26, 2019

Papercraft-inspired math turns any sheet into any shape

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Algorithms would just have to determine when to make the right cuts.

You might not need exotic manufacturing techniques to produce custom-shaped objects. If Harvard scientists have their way, you could start with little more than a sheet and some math. They’ve created a math framework that borrows from the Japanese papercraft technique of kirigami (which uses strategic cuts to produce art) to transform any sheet into any shape. Effectively, it involves designing backwards — the intended shape is the last part of the process.

The team started by establishing the constraints on lengths and angles that need to be met for producing any given cut pattern, and then use a numerical optimization approach to determine the generic patterns themselves (such as their orientation, number and size). From there, it’s a matter of using mechanical analysis to manage the deployment path and its stability. The researchers crafted 2D and 3D models to verify that the method worked.

The result is pretty, as you might imagine, but it could also be highly practical once put into use. You could produce clothes, vehicle surfaces or other objects using just a sheet. This wouldn’t always work due to the nature of kirigami (you don’t really want a poncho full of holes), but it’s also just the beginning. The Harvard group hopes to bring origami into the mix, allowing even more complicated objects that would only need the right algorithm to come to life.

Volvo’s Polestar engineered XC60 is fast, but still reserved

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The company put 415 horsepower in an SUV.

The Banff area in Canada is spellbinding. The mountains, the lakes, the spires of rock formations jutting towards the heavens don’t seem real. But also, no human could create something this beautiful. It’s also the best and worst place to drive the Volvo XC60 T8 E-AWD Polestar midsize SUV.

On one hand, the vehicle’s cargo area, its ability to seat five (and a combination of Swedish luxury and performance) make it a great companion for a trek into the forest. But, the rather low Canadian speed limits and my concern about wildlife leaping into the road make pushing the vehicle to its potential impossible. Fortunately, after some performance driving exercises at a small airport runway, the XC60 with its plug-in hybrid drive and turbocharger feels like a winner.

The XC60 gets the Polestar performance treatment in its powertrain and suspension. The vehicle outputs 415 horsepower and 494 pounds-foot of torque. It’ll do zero to 60 in 4.9 seconds, according to the automaker. Those numbers are pushed up by the vehicles combined use of a turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0-liter up front and an electric motor in the back. The 11.6kWh battery pack helps the vehicle during spirited driving but should also deliver improved mileage numbers once the EPA has finalized their test.

Behind the wheel, that extra power offers up a more exciting experience for the XC60. Volvo is positioning the SUV against the Audi SQ5 in the US market. The Polestar XC60’s acceleration is solid, unless you stomp the pedal all the way to the floor, as there’s a very slight delay before the car takes off. I’m told that the optimal way to get the car up to speed is to deliver a consistent but deliberate motion to the gas pedal. I do so, and the Polestar engineered XC60 reacts the way I expected it to.

Volvo XC60 T8 E-AWD Polestar Engineered

While I’m testing the acceleration of the vehicle I’m also given a chance to run it through a slalom where it performs impressively. The body roll is less than expected and hard braking from 155 km/h results in far less diving of the front end than I anticipated. These impressive body dynamics are thanks to Volvo’s use of Öhlins adjustable suspension.

During calmer driving situations (which is essentially all Canadian roads), the XC60’s drivers assistance features are on par with other luxury brands. The adaptive cruise control tracked vehicles without issue and handled cut-ins with grace. The Lane-keep assistance system was impressive tracking corners as well as Mercedes’ system. Only the sharpest of highway curves tripped it up.

Inside the XC60 is the minimalistic Swedish design we’ve come to expect from Volvo. While the powertrain is new, the interior has pretty much remained unchanged for the past few years. Everything is where you would expect it to be. While the climate controls are in the infotainment system, Volvo still uses a physical knob for volume control which is always a plus.

The Sensus infotainment system remains one of my favorites. In the XC60 there was very little latency when I put the system through its paces. The layout isn’t typical with four features stacked vertically in the portrait-orientated display. One of the benefits of this layout is that CarPlay and Android Auto don’t take over the entire touchscreen when enabled.

The rest of the interior is spacious and comfortable. Even though the vehicle is built for the performance enthusiast, the seats are comfortable enough for a long day on the road. The SUV has enough room for five and with the second row folded down, the XC60 offers 68.7 square feet of cargo space.

Volvo continues to be the sleeper of the auto industry. Its vehicles are on par with larger luxury automakers and it keeps up without sacrificing its own design and dedication to safety. Throw in some Polestar engineering and that automaker’s XC60 plug-in hybrid should appease the fans of performance, comfort, and minimalist design.

Sony and Yamaha are making a self-driving cart for theme parks

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It’s smarter, more comfortable and longer-lasting than its ancestors.

Remember how we said Sony’s self-driving SC-1 concept would make for a great party bus? Apparently, Sony had the same idea. The company is partnering with Yamaha on the SC-1 Sociable Cart, an expansion of the concept designed for entertainment purposes like theme parks, golf courses and “commercial facilities.” The new version seats five people instead of three (and in greater comfort), lasts longer through replaceable batteries and uses additional image sensors to improve its situational awareness.

As before, Sony feels the sensors eliminate the need for windows. A 49-inch 4K monitor on the inside provides a mixed reality view of the world, while four 55-inch 4K displays bombard passers-by with ads and other material. It will even use AI to optimize promos for outside people based on factors like age and gender — not quite Minority Report levels of eerily accurate ad targeting, but getting there.

The two companies expect to use the Sociable Cart for services in Japan sometime in fiscal 2019 (that is, before the end of March 2020). It won’t, however, be available for sale. Not that you’d really want one given its glacial 11.8MPH top speed. This is strictly for fun on closed circuits, not your next pub crawl.

FAA: Please don’t weaponize your drone

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You’d think it wouldn’t need a warning, but…

You’re probably fully aware that arming your drone is a bad idea, but it appears that some people didn’t get the memo. The FAA has issued a warning against weaponizing drones, noting that it’s a violation of the agency’s rules on top of any federal or state offenses you might commit in the process. For that matter, the FAA contended that it’s simply not bright to arm your drone. It can bring “significant harm to a person and to your bank account,” the FAA said alluding to the $25,000 maximum fine.

It’s not certain what prompted the FAA’s stern talking-to on the subject, but it’s no secret that Americans have been arming drones with guns, flamethrowers and other implements for years, whether it’s out of curiosity or a less-than-innocent purpose. If you want proof, you just have to see that one viral video of someone allegedly using a drone to shoot fireworks at loud party-goers. The regulator may have felt obligated to say its piece simply to reduce the chances of a serious incident — it doesn’t want drone pilots setting houses on fire or hurting people out of an urge to experiment with airborne destruction.

Stocks to Watch: FlexShopper, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FPAY) Holding Above The Trend Line

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FlexShopper, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FPAY)’ stock is holding above their moving averages, indicating a postitive uptrend for Financial company.

Successfully tackling the equity markets may involve owning a wide range of stocks. Some investors may prefer growth stocks while others may opt for value stocks. Having a good mix of both types may help build of solid foundation for the portfolio. Investors may choose stocks in a specific industry that is gaining strength. If the industry is on the rise, the portfolio may be more likely to succeed. Finding companies that are considered leaders in their field may also be on the investor checklist. A company that has a large presence may help ease investor worry, especially in a down market climate. Finding the perfect stocks to add to the portfolio may not always be easy, and in fact it may be quite difficult. Investors may have to lay out goals to help keep things on track for both the short-term and the long haul.

In order to tell which way a stock is trending, the stock’s share price should be compared to its moving average. The stock will be uptrending if it is being traded above its moving averages and downtrending if it is being traded below. The stock stands 18.27% away from its 50-day simple moving average and 74.54% away from the 200-day average. The price currently stands at $1.71.

Investors may be searching high and low for the secret to attaining success in the markets. Knowing when to sell can be just as important as deciding which stocks to buy. Holding on to a loser for too long may leave a sour taste in the mouth. Investors may have unrealistic expectations about a particular name. Knowing when to cut and run can be a gigantic savior for overall portfolio health. Of course if investors end up selling winners too early, they will most likely be leaving too much profit on the table. Finding a good balance and knowing overall market conditions can help with the decision if the time has come. Closely tracking fundamentals and technicals can help give some insight into stock price behavior. Making sure company earnings are in line may also be a wise choice when investing in a recently researched stock.

Returns & Recommendation

The consensus analysts recommendation at this point stands at 2.00 on this stock. This is based on a 1-5 scale where 1 indicates a Strong Buy and 5 a Strong Sell. The Street has a 3.00 target price on the shares for the next 12-18 months.

RSI

The RSI (Relative Strength Index), an indicator that shows price strength by comparing upward and downward close-to-close movements is 54.86 for FlexShopper, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FPAY).

Recent Performance

Let’s take a look at how the stock has been performing recently. Over the past twelve months, FlexShopper, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FPAY)‘s stock was 124.44%. 84.21% over the last quarter, and 113.06% for the past six months.

As we move into the second half of the year, investors will be keeping a close watch on their portfolios. There are plenty of financial gurus who are predicting the end of the bull market run, and there are plenty on the other side who believe that stocks are bound for greater heights. Whichever way the markets go, investors will need to watch which companies are hitting their marks on the earnings front. Investors may closely follow sell-side analyst estimates. It is important to remember that analyst projections are just that, projections. Following analyst expectations can provide a good glimpse into company actions, but strictly following what the analysts are saying may lead to difficulty in the future. Doing careful and extensive individual stock research may provide the investor with a more robust scope with which to successfully trade the market.

Over the past 50 days, FlexShopper, Inc. stock was -18.61% off of the high and 83.85% removed from the low. Their 52-Week High and Low are noted here. -49.85% (High), 159.09%, (Low).

Stocks to Watch: Watching the Numbers for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX)

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Taking a quick look at some possible support and resistance levels on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX), we can see that the 52-week high is currently 6.27, and the 52-week low is currently 1.92. When shares are trading close to the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may be watching for a move through either level. Checking in on recent action, we note that the stock has been trading near the $5.99 level. Investors may also want to keep an eye on historical price activity. During the past 12 weeks, the stock has moved 76.18%. Looking further back to the start of the calendar year, we can see that shares have moved 211.98%. Over the past 4 weeks, shares have seen a change of 26.64%. Over the last 5 trading days, the stock has moved 11.75%. Investors will be monitoring stock activity over the next few sessions to try and decipher which way the momentum is leaning.

Investors might be looking at their stock holdings and trying to gauge which ones will break out to new highs. Many investors will keep a close eye on stocks that are trading near popular marks such as the 52-week high. Stocks trading near 52-week lows also tend to garner additional attention. When a stock is flirting with a new 52-week high, investors may have to decide whether to cash in to lock in profits or wait to see if a breakthrough is going to happen. Companies that are teetering near the 52-week low may be worth taking a look at. Studying the fundamentals may show that the stock should be performing better than it is. This might be the time to think about purchasing shares that for whatever reason may have fallen out of favor with investors. Crunching the numbers and doing full analysis of stocks that have been trending down may help lead to some discoveries that could turn out to be highly valuable if and when the momentum shifts to the upside.

Analysts have set a target price on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX). The current consensus price target is $9.33. Wall Street analysts often provide price target projections on stocks that they cover. Price target projections can be created using a wide variety of methods. Many investors will closely track stock target prices, especially when analysts make updates. A thorough research report will generally offer detailed reasoning for a certain target projection. Some investors may watch sell-side targets very closely and use the information to help with their own stock research.

Sell-side analysts have the capability of providing stock ratings for companies that they cover. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average broker rating on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) is 1. This average rating includes analysts who have offered Sell, Buy and Hold ratings on the stock. This rating falls on a numeric scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 would indicate a Buy recommendation, and a score of 5 would represent a Sell recommendation. Out of all the analysts offering ratings, 6 have pegged the stock a Strong Buy or Buy, based on data provided by Zacks Research.

Tracking the current quarter consensus EPS estimate for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX), we have noted that the number is currently .11. This estimate is using 5 contributing analysts polled by Zacks Research. For the last quarter, the company posted a quarterly EPS of .1. Sell-side Wall Street analysts study companies and provide their opinions of where the stock might be going in the future. A lot of weight is given to analyst estimates, and earnings beats or misses revolve around these predictions. Sometimes these estimates are very close to the actual, and other times they are not. When a company announces actual earnings results, a large surprise factor can result in increased volatility. If a company beats estimates and posts a positive earnings surprise, the stock may see a near-term bump in price. On the flip side, a negative surprise may move the stock lower. Based on the unknown, many investors may choose to trade with caution around earnings releases.

Investing in the stock market can be highly unpredictable. Veteran investors may have spent many years studying the market. At some point along the way, many investors may have had to make some tough decisions. Making the tough stock portfolio decisions can seem like a daunting task, especially if some wrong calls have been made in the past. Investors who are able to quickly learn from previous mistakes may be much better situated if they are able to keep from repeating those mistakes. When just starting out, investors may want to go slow and steady in order to focus on the simpler investing ideas first.