Archives for September 3, 2019

iOS 13 code hints Apple may be testing an AR headset

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Apple’s long-rumored AR tech may be closer to practical reality.

Apple’s long-rumored plans for an augmented reality headset appear to be taking shape. MacRumors claims to have seen documentation for an internal iOS 13 build that points to work on AR headset support. They reference a “STARTester” app that can switch to a head-mounted mode, a “StarBoard” shell (a possible parallel to iOS’ Springboard) for stereo AR apps and code references to special modes, views and scenes. It even references a codename for one device, Garta, that might be linked to the previously rumored T288 project.

Earlier stories have painted varying pictures of what Apple is working on. Rumors from 2018 suggested it could be a powerful AR/VR device with 8K displays for each eye, but more recent reports have hinted the headset could be dependent on an iPhone.

Whatever the plans may be, more than one source has claimed that the headset could be available as soon as 2020. If so, the iOS 13 references would make sense. In this time frame, Apple would have just months to solidify the design and put it into production — prototypes would be virtually necessary at this stage.

Samsung’s Galaxy A90 5G delivers specs and super-fast connectivity

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It’s a non-flagship phone with healthy specs.

Being expensive, finicky and hard to find, 5G is still the ultimate early adopter tech. Now, Samsung has brought that incredible speed potential within reach by launching the Galaxy A90 5G. Unlike models including the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G or OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, it’s one of the few non-flagship 5G phones available, so it might be actually hit a reasonable price point.

It would be a stretch, however, to call the A90 5G a mid-tier phone. It’s equipped with a Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 6.7-inch, 1080p OLED display, just like we saw from an earlier leak. It’s also got a state-of-the-art triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 5-megapixel depth info sensor and 32-megapixel selfie camera. A 4,500 mAh battery should deliver long battery life, and you’ll be able to charge it back up at 25W.

So, we’re not looking at a doggy, middling device here, especially considering the 5G internet speeds. The Galaxy A90 5G will arrive in Korea tomorrow, and make an appearance in other countries afterwards. Samsung has yet to reveal the price, but it should be a lot less than the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G.

SpaceX wouldn’t move its satellite despite European collision warning

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The ESA’s Aeolus satellite was there first.

There’s a high-stakes traffic issue in the space around our planet. The European Space Agency’s Aeolus Earth observation satellite had to perform a maneuver to prevent collision with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite 44.

ESA experts calculated there was a 1 in 1,000 chance of a collision between the two satellites occurring, as reported by Forbes. That’s a slim chance, but it was enough for the ESA to decide to intervene.

“We informed SpaceX, who replied and said that they do not plan to take action,” Holger Krag, head of the Space Debris Office at ESA, told Forbes. The SpaceX satellites should have automated collision avoidance systems, but this system was not used and it’s not clear why.

Instead, ESA’s Aeolus satellite fired its thrusters to move away from the area, half an orbit before the potential collision would have occurred. In the future, the ESA plans to automate the process of satellite collision avoidance using AI. For now though, the engineers there perform the adjustments manually.

“It is very rare to perform collision avoidance maneuvers with active satellites,” the ESA said on Twitter. “The vast majority of ESA avoidance maneuvers are the result of dead satellites or fragments from previous collisions.”

For what it’s worth, the ESA satellite occupied this particular region of space nine months before the Starlink satellite arrived. However, there are no laws about space traffic and what regions satellites can occupy. This incident highlights the need for an organized international approach to space traffic.

This is not the first controversy involving the Starlink project. Previously, astronomers complained that the launching of the satellites caused problems for telescopes. The satellites’ solar panels made them extra reflective and bright in the sky, though this was lessened once they were oriented correctly.

SpaceX also lost control of three of its Starlink satellites during the first month after launch. While these few satellites likely burned up in the atmosphere, the failure rate raised concerns about future expansions of the project. If SpaceX does launch its planned 12,000 satellites for the Starlink project, the number of lost satellites could cause problems with space debris.

HyperX’s new 7.1 headset gets even more immersive with head tracking

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Turn to the right (or left) and it gets louder.

Games these days are getting serious about their audio. It’s not just tinny MIDI tunes and beeps anymore; we’re talking realistic gunfire, explosions and stirring orchestral scores worthy of grand concert halls. So it’s only natural that gaming headsets have to step up a bit — we’ve seen companies like SteelSeries deliver sound worthy of the most high-end audio equipment, with design to match. Now HyperX is teaming up with Audezeto raise the bar even more, delivering crystal clear, immersive audio that’s responsive; turn your head and it gets louder. It’s like you’re not even wearing a headset.

HyperX Cloud Orbit S

The $330 HyperX Cloud Orbit S is sleek and black, with soft leatherette ear pads and an aluminum frame. It feels premium. Alas, it’s not wireless; you’ll need to connect directly to your computer or console. At least it connects via via USB-C, which should make users of ultra slim laptops and flagship phones happy. The package comes with a 3.5mm cord as well as USB-A, so at least you have options.

Plug it in and you’re good to go, with no messy configuration options or additional setup required. But you do need to turn it on before you use it, which is sort of a baffling design choice; since it’s not wireless, it doesn’t really need to conserve battery. It also turns off by itself, which is good for when you forget to but less so when you’re only gone for a short time and expect it to waiting for you. I’ve gotten up to use the bathroom only to come back, crank my music up and find it blasting out of my monitor speakers because the Orbit S had shut off. Not great when your boss is sitting right behind you.

Sometimes I have trouble telling the difference between my Thunderbolt monitor’s audio and the headphones, because the Orbit S is so immersive. I find myself taking the headset off often just to check that I’m not disturbing my coworkers, only to realize that the surround sound is just that good.

HyperX Cloud Orbit S

This is not to suggest that the audio quality is equal to that of a monitor, though. It’s crisp and clear with springy but not overbearing bass (almost like you could hear the speaker stretch). If you like a good thump in all of your music these will disappoint, but most people should be impressed; after testing over a dozen headsets over the past few months from companies like SteelSeries, Turtle Beach and Logitech, the difference in audio depth was vast. I tried some old standbys like The Killers and Janelle Monáe, as well as the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer from D23, and was pleased with all of it.

The big addition here, besides the 100mm planar drivers by Audeze, is head tracking from Waves Nx. The idea is that if you tilt your head in a particular direction, the music will get louder, as if you’re in a room listening to open air speakers. It’s sort of a neat idea, but ultimately it’s sort of gimmicky. I think it’s neat for about 10 seconds… then it’s just pointless. And, as my left ear appears to be weaker than my right, I don’t even notice it much when I turn my head that way.

HyperX Cloud Orbit S

However, you can at least configure it to use gesture controls, so it’s not entirely superfluous for users with limited or reduced mobility. If you don’t care about the feature at all and would like to save a few dollars, HyperX is also selling the $300 Cloud Orbit, no ‘S’ in the name. It offers the same stellar audio, just no head tracking.

The Cloud Orbit S is also very comfortable. Obviously, headsets may have all the fancy features but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t bear wearing them for too long. I will say I wore these all day at work without feeling discomfort from pressure or heat. They’re not the coolest headset cups I’ve experienced, but it’s a tolerable level of warmth that might even be a little welcome in a cold office. I’d still take a break once in a while, though. You can grab both the Cloud Orbit and Cloud Orbit S starting today.

Stocks to Watch: Weyco Gp Inc (WEYS)

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Investors may be tracking technical signals on shares of Weyco Gp Inc (WEYS). After a recent check, we have spotted the short-term moving average Hilo channel at Hold. This indicator calculates the moving average based on highs/lows rather than the closing price. The signal direction is currently Bearish. This signal indicates whether the Buy or Sell signal is getting stronger or weakening, or whether the Hold is heading towards a Buy or Sell. Looking at the reading from another indicator, the 20-day moving average vs price signal is showing Buy. This is the signal from the 20-day MA which is used to monitor changes in stock price. The current signal direction has been noted as Strengthening.

Investors have a wide range of tools at their disposal when undertaking stock research. Many investors will opt to use a combination of technical and fundamental analysis. Staying on top of the stock market is no easy task. Knowing what information is important and how to interpret that information can be the difference between substantial profits and big losses. Investors are commonly trying to find a way to achieve long lasting success in the stock market. Many investors will experience temporary success that may give them false confidence down the road. Digging into the details and learning as much as possible about how markets work can be a huge help to the investor.

Investors may be thinking about how to best approach the markets at present levels. Many investors may feel like they have missed the boat during the bull run. It may be a case of missed trades or being too conservative, but a well-planned forward thinking strategy may be just what is needed to get back on the right path. Studying various sectors may help offer some guidance on where to go from here. Investors may become very familiar and comfortable with a specific sector, and they may be losing out on opportunities from other quickly growing sectors. Investors may also need to take a long-term approach which may include creating a diversified portfolio that takes many different aspects into consideration. With the large amount of uncertainty that follows the global investing world on a daily basis, it may be useful for investors to be able to keep their emotions out of play.

Investors may be watching stock price support and resistance levels on shares of Weyco Gp Inc (WEYS). The support is simply a level where a stock may see a bounce after it has dropped. If the stock price can break through the first level of support, the attention may shift to the second level of support. The resistance is the opposite of support. As a stock rises, it may see a retreat once it reaches a certain level of resistance. After a recent look, the stock’s first resistance level is 24.78. On the end, investors are keeping an eye on the first support level of 24.35. Investors will be watching the company shares closely as we head through earnings season. Interested parties will be watching to see if the company can beat analyst estimates for the quarter, and see what kind of impact the earnings results have on the stock moving forward.

Investors may also want to take a longer-term look at Weyco Gp Inc (WEYS) shares. According to the most recent information, the stock has a 52-week high of 37.52 and a 52-week low of 22.66. Tracking longer-term price action may help provide investors with a bigger range of reference when doing stock analysis. We can also check on the current opinion signal. For today’s trading session, the signal is 88% Sell. This is the combined signal for the previous month when applying a wide array of studies based on price movement. Investors may also be interested in the strength and direction of the opinion signals. The opinion direction is currently Strengthening. This is a measurement over the past three trading sessions that provides an indication of whether the latest recent price movement is following the signal. A Buy or Sell signal with a “Strongest” direction indicates that the signal is gaining strength. The opinion strength signal is currently reading Strong.

Investors are usually striving to find that next big stock to add to the portfolio. With markets still riding high, investors will be closely watching the numbers as companies start reporting quarterly earnings results. Investors will also be keeping an eye on key economic data over the next few weeks. Many individual investors will approach the stock market from various angles. This may include following fundamental and technical information, and it may also include following analyst projections.

Stocks to Watch: Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR)

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Investors may be getting ready to review the most recent company earnings reports. Digging down into the numbers may help provide a good idea of how the company is set up for the foreseeable future. After a recent scan, we can see that the current quarter EPS consensus estimate for Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) is 2.27. This EPS estimate is using estimates provided by 3 sell-side analysts polled by Zacks Research. For the previous reporting period, the company posted a quarterly EPS of 1.35. Investors and analysts will be closely watching to see what kind of impact the earnings results have on the stock after the next report.

When trading the stock market, investors constantly have to deal with volatility. There are many different reasons why markets may see increased volatility. Whether it is political change, economic events, or even natural disasters, there is always something brewing that has the ability to disrupt the market. When a big event happens, investors might be faced with challenges and be forced to react. Overreacting to market downturns may be common, but it may also hurt the health of the stock portfolio. When the stock market gets choppy and slides, investors may be tempted to quickly pull money out. Pulling out of positions based on specific events may be the right move sometimes, but investors may find that they missed out on gains that followed after a rebound. Staying disciplined and being prepared can help the investor ride out temporary market turbulence.

Looking further at shares of Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR), we have noticed that the current consensus target price is $107.57. Wall Street analysts have the ability to create price target estimates for where they think the stock will be moving in the near-term. Because price target projections can differ from one analyst to the next, they may span a wide range of values. Many investors will closely track target prices, and they tend to pay extra close attention when analysts make revisions to those targets.

Wall Street analysts often give buy/sell/hold ratings for the companies that they track. Investors have the ability to view these sell-side ratings in order to help with their own stock research. Analyst ratings may have different interpretations. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average broker rating on shares of Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) is 1.25. This rating uses a scale between 1 and 5. Following this scale, a rating of 1 would represent a Strong Buy, and a rating of 5 would indicate a Strong Sell recommendation. Out of all these analysts offering ratings, 7 have rated the stock a Strong Buy or Buy, according to Zacks Research.

Shifting the focus to some possible support and resistance levels on shares of Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR), we note that the 52-week high is currently $113.02, and the 52-week low is currently $79.09. When shares are trading near to the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may be watching for a break through either level. Investors may also be watching historical price action. Over the past 12 weeks, the stock has moved 11.74%. Going back to the start of the year, we can see that shares have moved 31.1%. Over the last 4 weeks, shares have seen a change of 5.5%. Over the last 5 trading days, the stock has moved 1.37%. Checking in on recent session activity, we have seen that the stock has been trading near the $112.84 mark.

As any seasoned investor knows, markets can move up or down in the blink of an eye. Investors who attempt to beat the market without creating a plan may find themselves grasping at straws down the line. Building a plan that included the right level of risk may be different for every individual. Managing risk and staying on top of the stock portfolio can help investors ride out the storm when it eventually rolls in. Anybody who manages their own portfolio knows that it can be extremely challenging at times. Finding a consistent process that works when markets become volatile can be a big help to the investor. Controlling emotions and conducting the necessary research can help the investor make the difficult decisions when they crop up.