Archives for March 9, 2020

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra is surprisingly sturdy

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You don’t have to baby your $1,400 phone… too much.

If you’re going to drop $1,400 on a top-of-the-line smartphone like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, you’d expect it to be tough enough to survive the abuses of daily life, wouldn’t you? Thankfully, that appears to be the case. Both JerryRigEverything (aka Zack Nelson) and PhoneBuff have conducted durability tests for the S20 Ultra that suggest that it can handle a lot of abuse… though not all of it. JRE noted that the Gorilla Glass 6 screen doesn’t scratch until level 6 on the Mohs scale (don’t even worry about your fingernails) and was extremely resistant to bending. You might not want to leave it unprotected alongside your house keys, but this is much tougher than the fragile Galaxy Z Flip.

PhoneBuff, meanwhile, conducted a drop test showing that the S20 Ultra’s front and rear glass survived multiple falls with less damage than an iPhone 11 Pro Max, although Apple’s hardware fared better with side impacts (owing to the use of stainless steel versus the S20 Ultra’s aluminum) and maintaining functionality under heavy abuse.

These are synthetic tests, and you won’t mistake this phone for a rugged device like Samsung’s own Xcover Pro. You’ll still have to treat it with respect. Nonetheless, it’s good to know that you don’t have to baby your very expensive phone to keep it looking good and working well — just don’t tempt fate by being reckless.

New York power plant mines Bitcoin using excess energy

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It might only work for energy sources like natural gas, however.

A natural gas power plant can’t always send excess energy into the grid, frequently leading to waste as the gas is flared or vented away. However, a plant in Dresden, New York thinks it has a solution: use that surplus to generate some digital cash. Greenidge Generation has revealed that it’s using “behind-the-meter” energy at the facility to mine Bitcoin, with 7,000 mining systems producing up to 5.5BTC (about $45,000 as of this writing) per day.

The facility and its mining partner, Atlas Holdings, characterized this as a win for both the plant and the community. In theory, this helps the facility turn a profit while creating more jobs and tax revenue. It’s a logical fit, at least, as cryptocurrency mining often depends on large amounts of energy — something that won’t be a problem at a power plant.

There are limitations. This mining may work for natural gas, but it might not be a great idea for renewable energy systems where it’d make more sense to store the energy for later. Long-term viability might be an issue, too. Greenidge’s mining may be profitable right now, but it could lose much of its allure as demand at the plant grows. There’s also the nature of Bitcoin itself to consider. It gets more and more difficult to generate bitcoin over time, so the windfalls you see today might not be possible in the years ahead. If this proves successful enough, though, you might see other natural gas plants follow suit.

Apple Watch might detect your blood oxygen levels

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It could warn you of the potential for heart attacks in some cases.

In the future, your Apple Watch might detect more health trouble than an irregular heartbeat. Tipsters talking to 9to5Mac claim that Apple is working on the ability to detect blood oxygen levels through its wristwear. If your blood’s oxygen saturation fell below a certain threshold, you’d receive a notification much like you do now for unusual heart rates. It’s not certain if this will require new hardware or a software update, although our money’s on the former at the moment when Fitbit’s approach uses a mix of red and infrared sensors to detect oxygen variation.

The company is also said to be working on an improved ECG function that could properly deliver results in between 100 and 120 beats per minute.

There’s no guarantee the new features will appear with the next generation of Apple Watch hardware, let alone through a software update. Apple hasn’t been shy about wanting the Watch to serve as a vital health tool, however, and this could be more important than usual — low blood oxygen levels can increase the risk of heart and lung attacks. Add rumors of further features, like sleep tracking, and it may be more a question of when Apple adds more health functions than “if.”

Google Maps borrows Lens tech to highlight popular restaurant dishes

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A virtual overlay show plate descriptions and pricing.

Google introduced big changes to Lens at its I/O conference last year by turning your phone’s camera into a powerful search tool. With one of the key features, you could point your camera at a restaurant menu and it would highlight the most popular dishes and even translate menu items. Now, Google has made that feature much more useful in Google Maps by cleverly sourcing menu photos taken by restaurant customers, 9to5Google reported.

For instance, if you search for “restaurants” in Maps, Google will present a list of them in your neighborhood, along with the usual “menu” overlay. When you tap on that, it’ll bring up photos taken by customers (if available), along with a suggestion chip labeled “explore dishes.” Tapping on that brings up Google lens, which shows a list of highlighted, starred dishes gleaned from reviews.

Tapping on a given item will show the dish, along with pictures also taken by customers. You can then choose to search for that dish to see what it is, or use Google Translate to display it in your native language.

The feature shows how Google is starting to connect multiple features and apps to improve the user experience. It lets you leap from a restaurant search in Maps over to Lens, which in turn draws on user photos and review information from Maps. It can then automatically open Translate if need be. The “explore dishes” feature started rolling out to Android yesterday evening, so it should arrive to your own smartphone in due time.

Wealthsource Partners LLC Takes $214,000 Position in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

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Wealthsource Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 2,811 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $214,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Homrich & Berg grew its position in Emerson Electric by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Homrich & Berg now owns 3,252 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $217,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 5,782 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Coastline Trust Co boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Coastline Trust Co now owns 34,235 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,611,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Marble Harbor Investment Counsel LLC boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Marble Harbor Investment Counsel LLC now owns 45,336 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,031,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. now owns 6,890 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $525,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.21% of the company’s stock.

In related news, insider Robert T. Sharp sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.13, for a total value of $532,910.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 131,315 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,997,010.95. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on EMR shares. Deutsche Bank cut their price objective on shares of Emerson Electric from $82.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Emerson Electric from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $74.00 price objective on shares of Emerson Electric in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Emerson Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $86.00 price objective on shares of Emerson Electric in a report on Monday, December 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $77.08.

Shares of NYSE:EMR traded down $2.59 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $62.14. The company had a trading volume of 7,721,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,621,024. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $72.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market cap of $39.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.38. Emerson Electric Co. has a 52-week low of $55.98 and a 52-week high of $78.38.

Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.67. The company had revenue of $4.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.16 billion. Emerson Electric had a net margin of 11.79% and a return on equity of 25.55%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.74 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Emerson Electric Co. will post 3.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 13th. Emerson Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 54.20%.

About Emerson Electric

Emerson Electric Co, a technology and engineering company, provides various solutions to industrial, commercial, and consumer markets worldwide. The company’s Automation Solutions segment offers products and integrated solutions, including measurement and analytical instrumentation; valves, actuators, and regulators; industrial solutions; and process control systems and solutions.

Rutabaga Capital Management LLC MA Increases Stake in Manitex International Inc (NASDAQ:MNTX)

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Rutabaga Capital Management LLC MA raised its stake in shares of Manitex International Inc (NASDAQ:MNTX) by 16.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 929,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 134,142 shares during the period. Manitex International makes up about 2.1% of Rutabaga Capital Management LLC MA’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Rutabaga Capital Management LLC MA’s holdings in Manitex International were worth $5,531,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Manitex International by 229.0% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,760 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,617 shares in the last quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Manitex International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Manitex International by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Keeley Teton Advisors LLC now owns 22,500 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $150,000 after buying an additional 2,500 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Manitex International by 39.2% during the 4th quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 194,440 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,157,000 after buying an additional 54,803 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Essex Investment Management Co. LLC grew its holdings in Manitex International by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 224,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,335,000 after buying an additional 10,296 shares in the last quarter. 50.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Shares of NASDAQ MNTX traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $5.89. 27,816 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 19,689. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $113.62 million, a PE ratio of -6.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.38. Manitex International Inc has a one year low of $4.80 and a one year high of $8.72. The company’s 50 day moving average is $5.66 and its 200 day moving average is $5.75.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MNTX. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Manitex International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. TheStreet lowered shares of Manitex International from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $6.75.

Manitex International Profile

Manitex International, Inc provides engineered lifting solutions worldwide. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes products that are used in various industries. It also offers boom trucks and crane products primarily for use in industrial projects, energy exploration, and infrastructure development comprising roads, bridges, and commercial construction.