The handelot times issue 18 02. Intro THE HANDELOT TIMES- The Online B2B Magazine for Electronics Wholesalers The tech industry is changing quickly and we want to keep you up to date with the latest news. We are developing ourselves by opening up to new innovations in IT. We are growing and keeping a reliable source of B2B information from all over the world. With The Handelot Times, we will bring you more information about market trends, share cutting-edge ideas, and bring our world together with yours. Handelot.com- 12 years on the market 3 Lines of business: Platform, Magazine and Events The Handelot Times: Design: Adam Mieloszynski Copywriter: Melania Romanelli Copywriter: Miciah Jefferson Copywriter: Kazi Najib Ashraf Copywriter: The Old Hand Associates of the organisation: Taha Tuzuner – Business Consultant Team Leader Dima Malovanyi – Business Consultant Team Leader Alicja Gogola – Business Consultant Omar Benabdellah – Business Consultant Koushik Deka – Business Consultant Trang Nguyen – Business Consultant Jon Rodriguez – Business Consultant Venktesh Prasad – Business Consultant Jack Serdak – Business Consultant Victoria Chen – Business Consultant Iryna Mats – Administrative Manager Basak Senturk – Partner Coordinator Team Lead Aleksandra Rządkowska – Partner Coordinator Katarzyna Mroczkowska – Partner Coordinator Paulina Franikowska – Partner Coordinator Svitlana Shaposhnikova – Graphic designer Khrystyna Terletska – Administration Tetiana Handziuk – Administration Agnieszka Pulawska – CFO Valentyn Petruchek – Head of Development Alexander Golovnya – Development Cesar Gonzalez Patryk Skowron Advertising: For quotes please email times@handelot.com or call us at +48717152600. Quick Hits AirPods Pro Lite, the third generation is coming? This is the name of Apple's new wireless headphones, according to the latest rumors: however, no further details are known. Apple would already be working on a new model of wireless headphones, the AirPods Pro Lite. The indiscretion, taken up by MacRumors, comes from DigiTimes which, in a report, explains how the Californian company is facing the production problems in China, caused by the Coronavirus: the idea is to strengthen ties with partners in Taiwan to Ensure the release of new generation devices on the market. And the AirPods Pro Lite also appear in the list of these devices, together with Apple Watch, iPad and iMac. The detail on the document - This is the text to which reference is made: 'Apple, while maintaining partnerships with Chinese suppliers, could make the Taiwanese partners manage the greater production load of the new devices - iPad, Apple Watch, AirPod Pro Lite and iMac -'. Note how DigiTimes, write AirPod (s), without the final S: difficult to understand if it is just a typo or a possible change of name chosen by Apple. It is not the only difficulty, because in the report there are no further details regarding the new wireless headphones and this leaves much room for hypotheses. The model Cupertino would be working on, in fact, could be a cheaper version of the AirPods Pro, which therefore may lack some of the features, such as active noise cancellation or adaptive equalization. If it were really so, however, it is not clear how this model can fit into Apple's current lineup. AirPods Pro Lite or third generation AirPods? The second generation AirPods, in fact, came out on the market in March 2019 and can already be considered the economic version, considering that the most expensive model, with the wireless charging case, is sold for 229 euros, therefore 50 euros less than the AirPods Pro (279 euros). It is probably easier to speculate that the AirPods Pro Lite, while taking the name of the flagship headphones, are actually the third generation that will replace those released in March 2019. At the moment, however, precisely due to the lack of details, it is not easy to identify what the improvements may be: all that remains is to wait for new rumors to find out the specifications and any release times on the market. Tesler, the computer father of 'copy and paste' is dead A long career between Xerox, Apple, Amazon and Yahoo. Silicon Valley mourns Larry Tesler, the computer scientist who invented the 'cut', 'copy' and 'paste' commands in the seventies, still in use on computers, smartphones and tablets. Lawrence Gordon Tesler, this is the full name, died at the age of 74, but the news only became public after a while, to respect the family. 'The inventor of cut, copy and paste, find and replace, and more was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler. Your workday is easier thanks to his revolutionary ideas,' tweeted Xerox, the company In which the IT began his long career, then continued in Apple, Amazon and Yahoo. Graduated from Stanford University, Tesler specialized in human-computer interaction. Its 'cut, copy and paste' was popularized by Apple, which in 1983 adopted it on the compure Lisa and in 1984 on the first Macintosh. ‘Tesler created the idea of ​​cutting, copying and pasting, and combined IT training with the countercultural idea that computers should be suitable for everyone,' the Silicon Valley Computer History Museum wrote on Twitter. Wiko launches View4, 3 days of autonomy. Even in the Lite version, it has a triple rear camera Wiko unveils the new View4 and View4 Lite smartphones, which have one of the strengths in the long-lasting battery, together with the low price that characterizes the French brand. The View4 shows a 6.52-inch screen. The 8 megapixel front camera is enclosed in a small teardrop notch. On the back there is a triple camera with a 13 mp main sensor flanked by an ultra-wide angle 5 mp sensor and a 2 mp depth sensor. The smartphone is equipped with Mediatek's A25 octa-core processor, 3 GB of Ram, 64 GB of internal memory and a 5 thousand mAh battery that promises 3 days of autonomy. Among the peculiarities, the button dedicated to Google Assistant. It is available immediately in the blue, green and gold finishes for 160 euros. The View4 Lite has the same display and the same rear cameras, while the front sensor is 5 megapixel. The processor is also the same as that of its older brother, but the Ram drops to 2 GB and the internal memory to 32 GB. The battery is also smaller, going from 5 thousand to 4 thousand mAh. As a consequence, the autonomy drops from 3 days to 2 days. It will be available in late March, always in blue, green and gold, for 130 euros. The gym for robots and smart vehicles opens Exoskeletons that lift objects. Wheelchairs that move by themselves. Smart cuddly toys that get excited by a hug. Surgical robots that operate 3D printed kidneys. Driver assistance systems that study the pilot's pupil. And more drones, augmented reality viewers, collaborative robots for industry. Everything under one roof. It happens in the new space of the Leonardo Robotics Labs and Movelab, inaugurated at the Milan Polytechnic: 500 square meters of the historic Carlo Erba building transformed into a 'gym' where robots, artificial intelligence systems and autonomous vehicles will take shape and train under the supervision of Over a hundred researchers. It is a dream come true for the vice-rector Donatella Sciuto, recalling the long gestation and the renovation works that led to the realization of this project born in 2013. The new infrastructure brings together four existing laboratories: Airlab, dedicated to artificial intelligence and robotics; Merlin, specialized in mechatronics, industrial robotics and motion control; Nearlab, which develops hi-tech solutions for rehabilitation and assistance to disabled and frail patients; Movelab, which does research in the field of intelligent vehicles and smart mobility. They are different laboratories, but united by transversal skills and technologies: by joining forces the laboratory will have more efficiency, more operational and impact capacity, according to Gianantonio Magnani, who together with Stefano Tubaro directs the Department of electronics, information and bioengineering (Deib) of the 'university. This reunification, which brings experts from different sectors to work side by side, in fact is already giving significant results in terms of collaboration, exchange and new research activities. Google Launches The Next Android 11 Developer On March, 18, Google announced the second developer preview of Android 11. Just like the first preview, this one is only meant for developers and isn’t available as an over-the-air update. Instead, developers have to manually download and flash their supported devices, which are currently limited to Pixel 2, 3, 3a or 4. The second release doesn’t feature any revolutionary new features, as it mostly continues the work left with the Preview 1. These are new APIs and other developer features. New features in the second preview include a 5G state API, to see if a user is currently on a 5G network. As an example, developers can activate experiences that necessitate a 5G network. There is better functioning support for foldable devices with a new API. It can read data from a hinge-angle sensor. Apps can adapt to the angle of the hinge. New APIs for screening robocalls and support for variable refresh rates. Android 11 includes a new “hard swish-op” function that enables faster and more accurate training for on-device models. Developers who use neural networks in their apps, this is a necessity. When an Android 11 device reboots after an overnight over-the-air update, it does what is called “resume on boot”, which immediately accesses the Credential Encrypted storage. You’ll start receiving messages right away. In current versions, the phone would mostly lie dormant until you logged in with your credentials. It’s still early in the building stages, but you can start to see how it’s enabling new experiences in this release. You can expect to hear more about user-facing updates in some of the next releases. Google: Android Go and Camera Go Application for budget phones Google took a step in the right direction for those who operate on a budget. Android Go, a lightweight mobile operating system designed for less-powerful phones, has been installed on more than 100 million devices. This news recently happened on March 19, stated by Google. In addition to its new milestone, Google introduced its new Camera Go app. Camera Go is simply Google's attempt to ease the processing burden often carried by sluggish and memory-intensive camera apps. t’s clean and simple interface design makes it cooperative for first-time users of smartphones. Camera Go tracks how many photos and video storage space you have left. This feature helps you clear up extra space for more beauty-shots, so you never miss a photogenic moment." There’s no exact date for release. Google stated the Camera Go app will be available on Nokia 1.3 and more Android Go devices in the near future. Companies Like GM and TeslaTo Make Ventilators As Coronavirus Causes a Shortage U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co, and Tesla Inc are given the green light to produce ventilators as result of a shortage. Other items needed during the coronavirus outbreak are to be produced also. The finger friendly President sent out a tweet, "Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go-ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema Go for it auto execs, let’s see how good you are?" Nobody is sure what the go-ahead meaning is behind Trump. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is up to take on Tesla’s Elon Musk offer to make ventilators, due to its shortage. Hospitals are currently bracing shortages due to the coronavirus outbreak. Tesla as a whole is stepping up to the plate to deliver during the massive outbreak of Covid-19. All of this is a result of a magic tweet sent out after a Twitter follower asked that he repurpose his factory to do so. Elon Musk replied with that thing like this has to be approached from an ideal frame. The results sought out will need more time dedicated. A user named @suhaylabbas tweeted Elon Musk “Please repurpose your factory to make ventilators which are needed ASAP. I am a Tesla owner and love the company. You have to stop being an idiot about this. This is a massive disaster. Ask the doctors in the field.” Tusk replied to the comment with this statement, “We will make ventilators if there is a shortage.” This tweet got an alarming 15.4K people are talking about this On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump went to Twitter to personally thank Tesla, General Motors and Ford for help in making ventilators. iPhone 12 Release Date Isn't Affected By Covid-19 The outlook for the iPhone 12, Apple’s next flagship smartphone, is on the negative side though. Even though production hasn't started yet, the upcoming glamorous iPhone 12 Won’t be affected by the Covid-19 as news reports via online claims. Regardless of the widespread complications, the show must go on for the technology industry big contender. It seems that the main effect of coronavirus on Apple's products was the reduced number of units of iPhone 11 devices. Apple's supply chain is currently being affected by the coronavirus. Apple’s repositories are located in China where the outbreak started. Of course, they have abroad production factories in other countries. iPhone 12 units and the anticipated 5G iPhone aren't ready to be manufactured until May. It may be that production in China and in other markets are on halt and are scheduled to be resumed by then, although that's uncertain. With the production of any sort being at an all-time low right now, iPhones like the iPhone 11 series were harder to come by in some stores. Get excited all my fellow iPhone users. This is something to mark as an urgency. Although, there's always a chance that the timeline offered can endure changes if the virus continues to spread and delay any work. As an issue as such is out of the company’s reach. Time will be the healer in a crisis like this. Chinese manufacturing may be resuming production on Apple devices though. This is just a rumor and not factual. Just because there’s a halt in production, that doesn’t mean you should sit around and wait for the 12 to be released. In related news, the new iPad Pro 2020 models and new MacBook Air laptops were unveiled days ago before this report. These devices were most likely manufactured in its early stages around January before the China lockdown took over the universe. Apple also talked about one of the upcoming iPhone 12 features. The LiDAR feature currently on the newest iPad Pro is set to be installed in the 12. A “Breakthrough LiDAR Scanner” which can measure the distance to surrounding objects up to five meters away. It can work both indoors and outdoors conditions. It operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds to 3D map the environment and unleashes scenarios never before possible. Apple is out to label the new iOS-powered smartphone as the most powerful iPhone ever. We've started to hear rumors on what the next iPhone 12 series will be like, but with a launch event expected sometime in September 2020, based on Apple's annual schedule, these are likely still a long way off. E-Trade, from online trading to the Wall Street temple It's all true: Morgan Stanley will acquire for 13 billion dollars one of the most famous online trading platforms on Wall Street and beyond: E-Trade. In addition to shaking American stock exchange, the financial transaction initiated by Morgan Stanley is already history: it is the largest acquisition since the financial crisis that broke out in the United States due to subprime mortgages. Pursued since 2002, as Morgan Stanley's top management pointed out, the merger with E-Trade has a specific goal for the American bank founded in 1935: to accelerate and complete the transformation of the group into a leader in the management of funds on behalf of small Investors and savers. Details of the transaction between Morgan Stanley and E-Trade Going into the details of the transaction, the acquisition of E-Trade launched by Morgan Stanley is a transaction orchestrated entirely in shares. In summary, a public exchange offer that will allow investors of the online broker to receive 1.0432 shares of Morgan Stanley for each of those of E-Trade in their possession, or approximately $ 58.74, with a premium of 30% compared At the closing on Wednesday. As revealed by the two leading companies, the acquisition is expected to end in the fourth quarter of 2020 (therefore at the end of the year), and will allow Morgan Stanley to acquire 5 million customers, an online bank and $ 360 billion in assets, which add up to the Its portfolio of 3 million customers and $ 2.7 trillion of customer assets. Consequently, once the merger is complete, Morgan Stanley's wealth management operations will have a total of over eight million users and assets under management estimated at 3,100 billion. But that is not all. According to calculations made by the bank itself and by analysts, Morgan Stanley with the acquisition of E-Trade should save up to about $ 400 million in costs and create synergies for about $ 150 million. Why was the E-Trade and Morgan Stanley operation born? When an acquisition of this economic relevance, and not only that, takes place, the reasons and implications are obviously different and innumerable. From a strategic point of view, it is certainly a response to the merger between the American bank Charles Schwab and the online broker TD Ameritrade. Precisely for this reason, the acquisition by Morgan Stanley is a real rescue anchor for E-Trade, which following the merger of Schwab and TD Ameritrade had seen its prices substantially decrease. For the American bank, on the other hand, it represents an additional opportunity in terms of and above all the services offered. In fact, in addition to having a group of 15,500 advisers dedicated to serving customers with millionaire assets, last year it launched an online service aimed at non-wealthy savers. Now, therefore, thanks to the power and hunger of E-Trade, it will be able to expand and strengthen all this. In managing shares on behalf of employees, the future Morgan Stanley will in fact be able to leverage over 4,000 corporate customers. Stock market reaction Given the importance of the operation, the reaction on the stock exchange of the securities of the two companies was quite evident, both positively and negatively. Indeed, the sentiment of Morgan Stanley and E-Trade investors was completely opposite. The former were not very convinced of the decision taken, so much so that in following sessions the stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange sold 4.55%, with the shares that went from $ 56.51 per share to 53 , $ 75 per share. On the other hand, the reaction of E-Trade investors is totally contrary. Listed on the Nasdaq, the stock of the online trading platform has experienced a positive rally of 21.81%, with shares that have flown from $ 44.93 per share and $ 54.73 per share. Coronavirus is slowing down the rush of technology From the smartphone market to the development of 5G, the epidemic is paralyzing the production and distribution of hi-tech products. The analysis firm TrendForce took into consideration the loss of working days, the lack of materials and the difficulties in transport to trace the situation. Which is not comforting. The alarm launched by Apple on revenues in the second quarter due to the reduction in iPhone supplies and the demand in China due to the epidemic is not the only one to sound in the hi-tech world these days. From smartphones to solar panels, from smartwatches to 5G, the coronavirus poses serious risks for the Chinese economy with companies struggling and restarting production after the lunar New Year break prolonged due to the epidemic. TrendForce, the analysis agency in the world of technology, gave an overview of the sectors that will be most affected by the consequences of the epidemic Consumer electronics and cars 1. Wearables The assembly of smart brands, smart watches and Bluetooth headsets is mainly done in Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Despite the expected date of resumption of work in mid-February, work stoppages, labor shortages and material shortages may cause a drop in production volume in the first quarter of 2020, with deferred deliveries of new products initially scheduled for the first half. But overall, the peak sales season for wearable devices takes place in the second half of the year, during which devices from leading companies such as Apple Watch will be presented and this leads to a cautious optimism about the shipment of wearable devices of this All over the world. In terms of the Chinese market, Chinese brand wearables are mainly intended for domestic sales and therefore should suffer greater losses in the first half of the year compared to international brands. In particular, generic brands at competitive prices and new brands could be even more affected by the epidemic as component suppliers and production capacities have the priority to fulfill the orders of established brands first and consumers will have a lesser willingness to buy at Short term. 2. Smartphones The epidemic had a relatively high impact on the smartphone sector because the supply chain is particularly complex. Production is expected to decline 12% in the first quarter year-on-year, making it the lowest-performing quarter in the past five years. Also affected by the delays in deliveries of important parts of smartphones, such as cameras, which could continue in the second quarter if the epidemic will not be contained by the end of February. If the outbreak were to intensify, TrendForce believes that only Chinese GDP, but also the global global economy, would be damaged, leading to a reduction in consumer purchasing power and subsequently presenting a difficult challenge for the entire smartphone sector. Smartphone production is expected to reach 1.381 billion units this year, down 1.3% year-on-year and lowest production since 2016. And that's an optimistic forecast. 3. Notebooks, LCDs monitors and LCD TVs The brands downstream of the supply chain are undoubtedly the most affected by the epidemic: precious working days have been lost after the prolongation of the holidays and the resumption of production, overall, the rate is low. Furthermore, materials and components are missing. For TV and monitors, deliveries are expected to drop from 48.8 to 46.6 million units in the first quarter. The pandemic not only adversely affected the supply chain of production, but also harms the confidence of Chinese consumers and reduces demand in the short and long term. 4. Video game consoles Most of the assembly of the console takes place in China, with only a few processes carried out abroad. As a result, domestic labor and a shortage of materials seriously affected the production of consoles. However, most sales are made in the fourth quarter, which means that peak season production for the console supply chain will take place in the second half. Assuming that the overall industrial impact of the COVID-19 epidemic can be resolved by the end of March, supply chain losses can be offset in the second quarter of 2020, thereby limiting the impact. 2019 sales of Sony PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One plummeted due to consumer anticipation of next-year console versions of the end of the year. Reducing demand means that the outbreak is less likely to cause stock shortages. At the same time, production of next generation consoles will not begin until the second quarter. Therefore, the new consoles will be presented on schedule, unless the epidemic persists. Ultimately, the impact of COVID-19 video game industry in 2020 is, at best, slight. 5. Smart speakers The supply chain of intelligent speaker assembly is widespread throughout Chongqing, Jiangzhe, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, which are all currently closed; staff entering and leaving the areas are closely monitored. Under closed management and despite the resumption of work by some producers on February 10, neither staff nor goods and services can be freely transported. Therefore, smart speaker manufacturers see a significantly reduced rate and degree of capacity recovery. Labor and material shortages are expected to extend the traditionally weak season due to reduced production during the Chinese New Year, in turn weakening the number of deliveries. 6. Cars The COVID-19 epidemic has resulted in a reduction in supply and demand in the Chinese auto market, while work stoppages in Chinese factories have caused shortages of material for car manufacturers abroad. The two main difficulties facing suppliers in the Chinese automotive market are job stoppages and uncertainty about recovery dates. These problems are, however, eclipsed by reduced demand. Since the process of purchasing the car is long and requires many trips to and from the dealer, once buyers are unwilling to visit dealers in person, sales will become virtually impossible. First quarter auto sales in the Chinese market are expected to decline 25-30% year-on-year. The potential unavailability of materials remains the main risk factor that directly affects the automotive industry. Although automakers can compensate for material shortages through foreign factories, the process of expanding capacity and shipping goods should still create gaps in the overall production process. TrendForce believes that the shortage of supply of car manufacturers abroad will have a short impact on market demand; However, after taking into account all market segments, TrendForce expects the global auto market to decline 14% year-on-year in the first quarter, the largest drop in recent years. Telecommunications 1. Optical fibers The largest concentration of the optical fiber supply chain is located in Wuhan, home of Fiberhome, YOFC and Accelink, among other companies, which together represent 25% of the global production capacity of optical fibers. The base stations for 5G pose a greater demand both in the quantity and in the quality of the fiber optic cables, with a demand for 5G optical fiber estimated at double that of 4G. Since the supply of fiber optics is interrupted by the recent quarantine in Wuhan and the consequent stop of production, the 5G development program in China could suffer serious consequences. 2. IoT The supply of IoT products remains unchanged in the short term because the main Chinese manufacturers, such as Huawei, have already resumed operations and because each link in the IoT supply chain is highly replaceable. But if the outbreak persists, parts of the sector will still remain affected. For example, research and development activities at Xiaomi and Mediatek have been suspended, causing a delay in the release of new products. Video surveillance companies Hikvision and Dahua Technology are moving more production capacity into temperature detectors. 3. 5G Most Chinese telecommunications offerings, including 5G infrastructure construction and application test purchase agreements, have been postponed. On the other hand, suppliers of key components for 5G base stations, such as fiber optics, are mainly based in Wuhan and other regions of Hubei; Given that Wuhan is the epicenter of COVID-19, the outbreak is expected to have some negative impact on the 5G supply chain. The delay in building the 5G infrastructure, the limited demand for replacement of smartphones and the postponement in the resumption of production will collectively reduce the shipment of Chinese 5G smartphones. Sustainability 1. LED The number of LED manufacturers in the areas affected by the coronavirus is limited and only a few manufacturers are affected. LED manufacturers in other parts of China have been limited by the slow pace of the resumption of work and may not be able to return to full short-term production. Overall, the LED industry has been overloaded since 2019 and there have been inventories on sale, so the short-term impact will be reduced. In the medium to long term it will depend on the conditions of resumption of work. In addition, the LED packaging industry chain is mainly distributed in Guangdong province and Jiangxi province. Although they are not at the center of the epidemic, as their demand for labor is high and most employees are from the expatriate population across China, if the medium and long-term problem of labor shortages is not resolved, the Impact will be more serious. As for the demand side, various operators started to supply orders in advance and to increase stocks. 3. Photovoltaic According to TrendForce, the supply of key equipment such as modules and inverters will suffer the most damage from the coronavirus epidemic. Many raw materials involved in the production of modules, namely silicon wafers and other auxiliary materials, such as EVA, aluminum and glass frames, come from the Chinese supply chain, which is now constrained by logistical problems and delays in resuming work. Commodity stocks of Taiwanese producers are expected to last until the end of February, at best. While some manufacturers can rely on their factories in Southeast Asia for the production of modules and inverters, manufacturers without this option need to look for other means of production and adapt to market situations accordingly. Link: https://press.trendforce.com/press/20200210-3330.html 13. Novaphone - Mobile Phones 1 The Startle of Coronavirus May Be Prevented By High-Quality Masks The startle of the year has stopped the production of products. It went as far as to helping all spenders stop their excruciating habit with spending. Although, the internet is still up for grabs so that point is out the door. What do we know about the virus that can potentially take over Manhattan? For firsts, the Coronavirus carries certain flu-like symptoms. Although it's not the flu, it’s symptoms include runny nose, cough, sore throat, and high temperature. It can also lead to pneumonia, an infection where the lungs fill up with fluid and can lead to death by ‘drowning’. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced earlier this week, loosened its minimum requirements for how personal protective equipment should be used in times of shortages. They suggested that certain items be used only in risky procedures, or for more extended periods of time. As a last resort, the CDC stated that bandannas can be used as a replacement for masks. All non-essential travel is being canceled due to the Coronavirus. Many obey the rules, while others maintain their liveliness by moving forward with fun expectations. Businesses such as pubs, restaurants, and shopping districts are at a halt because of the coronavirus outbreak. This virus led to drastic moves like employees working from home wherever possible. But how concerned should the public be about contracting the airborne illness is the question. Things such as washing your hands and participating in regular cleaning habits will do the trick. But wearing a face mask will greatly reduce your risk and upgrade your hygiene. Surgical masks were introduced first into hospitals in late 1700. The Spanish flu breakout in 1919 transitioned the move into public use. Those masks are purposely designed for use in a clinical setting like a hospital where they are primarily meant for preventing splashes of fluid. N95, 3ply, 3m, and 3m N99are high-quality masks. You may also know these as pollution masks or dust masks. Their usefulness is demonstrated by keeping airborne illnesses from your lungs. They all do the same thing, protect you from viruses and airborne pollutants by filtering out the air you breathe. Humans breathe in about 8 liters of air every day. There’s a chance of all sorts of unwanted airborne particles entering our bodies every day. Health officials in Chicago confirmed the first US case of human-to-human transmission that is the Coronavirus. Buying a face mask isn’t a cakewalk. It takes special research due to the huge variety of options from a number of brands to the consumers all claiming one brand is the best at what they do. They may not be all equally effective in filtering out the bad air before you breathe it. This is simply a case of it can help more than it can hurt. Some studies have shown that using a surgical mask can help prevent influenza. Using a surgical mask and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer was shown to reduce the number of influenza-like illnesses more than using a surgical mask single handedly alone. The Atlanta Healthcare Cambridge Admiral N99, developed by the UK based Cambridge Mask Co., is available in three variants. There is no valve for regular activity outdoors. One valve for light exercises outdoors and two valves intensive activity including outdoors. As for standard daily use, a no-valve option should suffice. The single and dual valve options reduce moisture build-up inside the mask during heavily intensive activity. These masks use military-grade filtration technology for protection from dust and fuel-based contaminants containing particulate matter. This mask will prevent infectious pathogens. Its activated carbon filter layer developed by the UK’s Ministry of Defense is designed to absorb gaseous molecules. Members of the small, medium, large, and XL families are welcomed with multiple colors and patterns. This is an important element for those who embrace their fashion sense and want to remain healthy all at once. The rush to buy masks in China led to 3M running out of stocks at its factories and flagship stores. Even supplies such as rubber gloves, hand sanitizers, and thermometers are at a low supply at the majority of their stores. Say you’re looking for a product designed to protect children at will from viruses. Honeywell PM2.5 anti-pollution kids masks are made for this type of case. Honeywell has these available in icy blue and white color options. KN95 masks, these are the masks that are very light to wear. They’re made out of paper. And after some days of use, they are in need of disposal. There is a 3-layer filtration process, a practical ideal for someone who needs protection against the dust and fumes for non-strenuous activity outdoors. Honeywell sells these in the icy blue and white color options. Chaos in the Coronavirus pandemic is increasing profitably for third-party sellers on Amazon’s marketplace. N95 mask listings on Amazon were flooded with fake reviews. Sellers are instilling bogus reviews to sell fake N95 masks to panicked people. Amazon has taken appropriate steps to ban products that claim to cure or treat the coronavirus. Although, that still doesn’t stop the retailer from being flooded with third-party sellers. The Vogmask N99 is available in micro-fiber and organic cotton variants. They offer up to multiple layers of filtration. Besides the N99 filter, there is also the coconut shell derived carbon. This was designed to filter particles as small as 0.3-microns and is also available as a single valve or dual valve option. The White House’s Vice President Pence asked construction companies to donate N95 respirator masks to local hospitals. Home Depot is one of the first companies to set up a safety net for America. The home improvement department store will donate thousands of several N95 face masks to the City of Miami Fire-Rescue. The masks are expected to be delivered early next week. This demand comes up short in the middle of a major outage. N95 respirators are often used by construction workers on sites where there is a lot of concrete dust. These kinds of masks are able to block at least 95% of 0.3-micron particles. The U.S. government asking companies to donate N95 masks shows how irresponsible this nation is in a detrimental chain of events such as the Coronavirus. What the U.S. Government order in construction companies to forgo is undiplomatic. Under Defining the elements at stake and at play. In efforts to drain the fire with water, Fashion designer Christian Siriano even offered a helping hand to make free face masks in an effort to reduce the coronavirus outbreak in New York. Siriano on March 20 stated in a tweet “If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help.” This will add some designer relief to the equation after Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo spoke out about a possibility that there may not be enough masks for medical workers. A conversation between Siriano and the Governor announced that they are in communication. This virus has gone so far into social media as the demand in China for surgical face masks has risen to over 200 million masks in a day. Images shown on social media display a vast amount of people wearing them in areas such as public crowds, airports and train stations. YouTube has been filled with educational tutorial videos showing people how to make their own masks for the past months. In order for masks to be used effectively, they must be changed frequently, worn safety and disposed of safely. This combined with good hygiene will work. If they are worn loose fitting, bacteria can snuggle through the nose and mouth. Frequently wash your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap, cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing. Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or a cough. Being an exception to the rules is costly during this time. 16-17. Yukatel - Mobile Phones2 18-21. VIP Gold + services mobility 0048 CZ s.r.o. Czech Republic Praha AMC Elektronik Vertriebs GmbH Germany Bonn Amir Group United Arab Emirates Dubai AT7 GmbH Germany Wuppertal AVR GROUP DOO Serbia Beograd Bluefin Century s.r.o. Slovakia Bratislava Bluepoint Corporation Ltd United Kingdom Milton Keynes BM ELEctronics FZCO United Arab Emirates Dubai BOSS ENTERPRISE LTD China Hong Kong Cell-Tel MIDDLE EAST LLC United Arab Emirates Dubai Central point Europe s.r.o. Slovakia Pezinok Domo Trading Limited Malta Msida Dotson IT Asset Management Corp United States Dallas Erregame S.p.A. Italy Milano Euromedia Investment Group, S.L. Spain Torrent Eurostar Global Electronics Ltd United Kingdom Newcastle-under-Lyme GEETEX PTE LTD Singapore singapore Globomatik Informatica, S.L. Spain Almeria Guan Sheng Electronics Mobile Trading Co., LTD China Hong Kong HTP France Villeneuve-le-Garenne Intrade d.o.o. Slovenia Maribor JEET UK LIMITED United Kingdom MIDDLESEX JP Teck BV Netherlands Beverwijk Jupiter GSM FZCO United Arab Emirates Dubai Kamkwat Limited China Hong Kong KANSKY a.s. Slovakia Bratislava Komputronik S.A. Poland Poznan Krishna Wireless United States Doral KROWN MOBILES TRADING LLC United Arab Emirates Dubai LANDOTECH MOBILE SP Z.O.O Poland Kraków LFE distribution, LLC United States Miami LMD GROUP GOLD LTD Israel Ramat Gan Mardin Gsm LLC United States Doral MMM-Agramservis d.o.o. Croatia Zagreb NET WIRELESS INC United States New York NOVAPHONE sp. z.o.o S.K Poland Warsaw P.C.Distribution SPA Italy Napoli Pantheon Distribution GmbH Austria Klosterneuburg Parktel sp. z o.o. Poland Wroclaw PHF GmbH Germany Paderborn PINES Sp. z o.o. Poland Wroclaw PPA International AG Germany Schönefeld Prestige Group Srl Italy Bari Q-CONN GmbH Austria Vienna Rainbow International Distribution Romania Bucharest RS GLOBAL LTD United Kingdom London SELTE SPA Italy MILANO SG SPA Italy MIlano SGM Socher Inc United States New York SK & ASSOCIATES LTD United Kingdom Cheshire Smalltronic.pl Sp. z o.o. Sp. K. Poland Wyszków Smart Telecomm LLC United States Scottsdale SmartCell Solutions United States Austin Sound Business France Paris SPK Telecom FZCO United Arab Emirates Dubai Swift Telecom FZCO United Arab Emirates Dubai Tekpoint GmbH Austria Vienna TelePart GmbH Germany Holzmaden TELPUR SRL Romania Bucuresti TPC Technology FZCO United Arab Emirates Dubai uv phone ltd Israel haifa Vtech Electronics Tecnology Limited China Hong Kong XTG S.A. Poland Wroclaw Yonida International Trading Corp. United States New York Yukatel GmbH Germany Offenbach am Main INHOME AC Electronic Limited China Hong Kong AT7 GmbH Germany Wuppertal BOSS ENTERPRISE LTD China Hong Kong Click Europe Limited United Kingdom London Domo Trading Limited Malta Msida Dotson IT Asset Management Corp United States Dallas Erregame S.p.A. Italy Milano GEETEX PTE LTD Singapore singapore GLOBAX Sp. z o.o. Sp. K. Poland Poznań Globomatik Informatica, S.L. Spain Almeria Intrade d.o.o. Slovenia Maribor Krishna Wireless United States Doral KROWN MOBILES TRADING LLC United Arab Emirates Dubai MMM-Agramservis d.o.o. Croatia Zagreb NET WIRELESS INC United States New York P.C.Distribution SPA Italy Napoli Pantheon Distribution GmbH Austria Klosterneuburg Rainbow International Distribution Romania Bucharest RS GLOBAL LTD United Kingdom London SELTE SPA Italy MILANO SG SPA Italy MIlano SGM Socher Inc United States New York Shenzhen New Way Technology Co., Ltd. China shenzhen Smart Telecomm LLC United States Scottsdale TECH DREAM D.O.O. Croatia Zabreb XTG S.A. Poland Wroclaw Yukatel GmbH Germany Offenbach am Main IT AT7 GmbH Germany Wuppertal GEETEX PTE LTD Singapore singapore Globomatik Informatica, S.L. Spain Almeria Krishna Wireless United States Doral P.C.Distribution SPA Italy Napoli Pantheon Distribution GmbH Austria Klosterneuburg SGM Socher Inc United States New York Smart Telecomm LLC United States Scottsdale XTG S.A. Poland Wroclaw Yukatel GmbH Germany Offenbach am Main 22-23. Coronavirus_boosts_sales_of_Plague_2 Coronavirus boosts sales of Plague, the video game that simulates pandemics The digital simulation of global epidemics has reached a record high in China. It is the second hit after ebola. Exorcise the fear of coronavirus by playing. As the virus spreads a video game, Plague Inc., is setting a record for sales in China. Born eight years ago, it simulates the spread of a pandemic and calls on the player to propagate pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and other infections before a cure is found. Like in a war, infectious armies are deployed, improving their characteristics. We can increase the means of dissemination, enhance drug resistance and intensify the symptoms to make life more difficult for scientists and governments trying to save lives. A success of 120 million copies On the one hand then Plague Inc. allows you to fight the fear of the coronavirus, on the other hand to understand how it works. Impersonating a pathogen, realizing how difficult it is to spread it and infecting people seems to have a calming effect. From 2012 to today, the video game has totaled over 120 million copies but it is no coincidence that the peak of sales, before the coronavirus, had arrived in 2014, when it had appeared Ebola. Remember it's a game On the second front, players, media and experts are using Plague Inc. to understand what an epidemic is. People try to find out more about how diseases spread and understand the complexities of them, said the developers of Ndemic Creations. After all, the simulation is so realistic that it has received the approval of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the US body that monitors the progress of infections and epidemics, and other important medical organizations in the world. However, it must be remembered that it is still a video game. The creators have developed it to be realistic and informative, avoiding making serious and real problems spectacular. But the company stresses: 'Please remember that Plague Inc. is a game, not a scientific model and that the current epidemic of Coronavirus is a very real situation that is affecting a huge number of people. We always recommend players to inquire through local and global health authorities.’ Table pandemics The fight against diseases has long attracted players and in addition to video games, board games have also exploited this theme. The best known is certainly Pandemic (ed. Asmodee), a 2008 title that sees one to four participants collaborating with each other to stem the spread of a global epidemic. To date, it is one of the most loved titles ever, so much so that it has created a line that brings pathogens to the Iberian peninsula in the mid-nineteenth century, transforms them into barbarians ready to attack Rome and into terrifying creatures of the universe of Cthulhu. There is also a version, titled Contagion, which is just like Plague Inc: opponents impersonate diseases ready to attack humanity. And whether it's analogue or digital entertainment, it doesn't matter. As a Chinese user wrote on the Asian social network Weibo, ‘The best way to eliminate fear is to look it directly in the face’. What do you think? 24-27. Najibs Corner Design in Mobile 4 The Poetry in Mobile Phone Design Lorinada Mamo of Gama Palawan fame said that “Every great design begins with even a better story”. That a good design is a visual symphony for the enlightened. Although beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, there’s a universal pattern of appreciation that persists in every good definition of artistic formulation. From clothing, jewellery and other apparel, humans have been accustomed to carrying objects that signified their positions in society. One in an enviable position in possession of wealth, such as owning a mansion and a supercar. But once one i s away from these possessions, there’s still a need to fill the void again with their needed ornaments. This makes one feel and stand apart from the crowd. Writing and time instruments took a long time to create. Thanks to the love, dedication and attention the tools were given. Another opportunity arises to give the ordinary day to day instruments a higher chain position of power. Those same instruments were utilized to create masterpieces from Rolex, Chopard, BVLGARI, Montblanc and many more. I am personally attracted to either watches or pens. For writing, I prefer to go straight to the laptop and use the mobile to track time. But there are aspects of design that always excites my creative genes. Architecture and Auto design has always inspired me and helped me understand the unlimited boundaries that exist within the human domain. For me, the “Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai” and the “Land Rover Defender – Old Design” have been the hallmark of simplicity and practicality and a legend for beauty. But then again, it’s me and once again, I can always disagree. Moving along, humans suddenly found a new item for the extension of their exuberance when mobile phones became commonplace in the early 1990’s. A display, antenna, keypad and materials were all there to play with. Designers experimented with the thickness and size of the devices. The fascinating ideas that realmed from fantasy later became a reality. By the late 2000’s, the smartphone had already made its entry to the world. Mobile had already become flat. Now almost 10 years later with the introduction of flexible display technology, a new opportunity has been provided to the young breed of engineers to go back in time and adapt the great designs of the masters. Samsung Z Flip, Motorola razr and the Huawei Mate XS are all examples of innovations in the smart phone arena with larger displays as well as a differentiator to the standard flat design. This brings me back to the icons that defined the mobile phone industry and created designs that still reverberate with the masses who had encountered these gems. Here is a list of my personal favourites of all times. Siemens SL10 1999 The first ever slider phone with a 3-colour display was a trailblazer in the world of communications. The product could be charged only on a cradle and had challenging battery life. It was a fashion must and was a true winner. Company executives stated that the mobile would be used by a person with a chauffeur driven car so there is no need for a car charger! Well, every design comes with its flaws, but it was an absolute masterpiece that prompted many competitors to follow suit. Nokia 6310 2002 Embracing simplicity, beauty, performance, size, ergonomics, every aspect of engineering and design with a visual superstar all in one. The Nokia 6310 was the continuation of the famous 6110 that had shot Nokia to the global number 1 position, overtaking the domination of Ericsson and Motorola. The first lead that they had was kept for 10 years. Almost every luxury car had a Nokia 6310. All together with its car kit, it was a collector item to show off. A true statement that’s needed socially. Motorola RAZR V3 2004 I don’t think that any mobile phone design has created this euphoria like the “Ridgeless” keypad sensation, the V3. Motorola’s market share shot to 30% from obscurity and saved the soon to be doomed company. Nokia felt the heat and launched a copy and so did BenQ Siemens, but no one could stand up to the heat created by this design behemoth. From Pink to D&G, the V3 was everywhere together with the shouts of Hello Moto. The famous Motorola VOD, Voyage of Discovery cruise made sure to keep the orders coming in. Alas, Motorola couldn’t escape from the design story and the company was doomed and left to the elements soon after. Strangely, the new owners are still clinging on to the same logo, slogans and stories. The secret of V3’s thin design was the antenna, it was smartly placed by the engineers under the keypad, at the bottom. A blasphemy that won. Nokia E90 2007 There is no denying that Nokia had been the boss in all its segments and this was their answer to the initial rollout of the smartphones. This was the third generation of the Communicator, packing the latest Tech in a craft-fully encased jewel. By 2007, the technology and communication speeds were also improving so the device came in handy as an out of office device. The display placements that we observe in smartphones today have their basis in the communicator. Plus, it introduced its owners as smart, business and tech savvy without even uttering a word. Quite smart. Samsung SGH 600 1999 This was Samsung’s way of saying, “Hello world, get ready for a new world leader in communications technology”, and hello did they say. A sturdy, simple piece of technology with an unparalleled quality when breakdowns even for top manufacturers were commonplace. Samsung bulldozed its way to the market with a small master, superb battery life, medium sized display and a price to get its competitors to run for cover. The rest is history. These are my favourites from the past. Look forward to innovations coming our way soon. Please contact me for more info at kazi.najib@playtorium.com 28-29. PPA - Mobile Phones 2 30. Apple removes Applications Used to Share Coronavirus Information in China1 Apple removes Applications Used to Share Coronavirus Information in China Apple has removed apps from its China app store in the past for containing ”illegal content.” Apple has cooperated with the Chinese government on multiple occasions to takedown apps as requested. The quest to remove VPNs has been taken into serious procedures. Software used to track police activity related to Hong Kong protests, a virus-related game, and apps on various other topics. This is much of the chaos that is happening within Apple’s territory. The company has a public stance that privacy is a human right and its promises to protect user privacy through strong on-device encryption. This is not obvious is not an obsession now. It has been widely criticized for bowing to Chinese pressure to enable government surveillance and storage of user data — a decision that has enabled it to continue manufacturing and selling devices within the country. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen and spread elsewhere in the world. On the positive side of life, reports from initially afflicted China have improved seemingly thanks to a coordinated medical response. But this is possible because of a government censorship campaign. Once again, and gratefully again, Apple finds itself in the middle of a Chinese censorship controversy, this time for pulling app citizens were using to share coronavirus news within the country. Although this is still available outside of China, Huiyu Wang has an application called Boom. This is a text encryption keyboard app specifically designed to encrypt text messages, chats, and articles where you can decrypt received texts. It employs tricks such as emoji replacement and word jumbles that people can understand despite errors. Users discovered that Boom enabled content to avoid Chinese government filters that screen data for specific keywords as it passes through the network, thus preventing the free flow of information about COVID-19. Boom arrived in the iOS App Store on February 15, as COVID-19 infections raged in mainland China, but it was pulled from distribution in the country this week, Wang said in a tweet, with Apple explaining in an email that it included “content that is illegal in China.” Wang told Quartz that the app likely attracted government attention when it was used to share a COVID-19-related interview Chinese censors were attempting to delete from the internet. The New York-based Chinese developer multiple social media accounts have been removed, as well as an unrelated wallpaper app he developed, seemingly as a punitive measure. Boom encrypts text, both in Chinese and English, by turning them into emoji or Japanese or Korean characters, as well as rearranging lines of text in random order. The app is still available in other regions, including Hong Kong. The receivers of such messages can decrypt them by copying the emoji or characters using the app, with the original text then displayed automatically on the keyboard’s interface. As China’s blanket online censorship relies heavily on the detection of keywords or even pictures containing sensitive words, apps like Boom can help users avoid such scrutiny. While most apps that enable encrypted messages and communications have long been banned in China, Boom drew the attention of authorities because of the way Chinese internet users quickly moved to preserve a particular coronavirus-linked article from being scrubbed by censors recently. Apple has been repeatedly accused of bowing to China by removing apps, such as a Hong Kong live map app that allowed protesters to crowdsource police movements during last year’s protests in the city. Another app developed by Wang, which offered animated wallpapers featuring political figures including former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, was also removed from Apple’s mainland China app store on the same day as Boom. 31. Drones Used As A Safety Precaution In Response To The Coronavirus 1 Drones Used As A Safety Precaution In Response To The Coronavirus France is not taking procedures taken by the public lightly. More so the virus that is going around the world. In the days of the world wide predicament, France has taken matters into its own hands in a unique fashion. France introduced drones to its country to enforce lockdown measurements after the mayor is worried residents aren’t going to be taking its containment measures seriously. According to France’s national aviation authority, the French Civil Aviation Authority, flying a drone is legal in France. France is being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations so there are no errors done on their part. The town go-doers of the United States are taking procedures seriously to the effect of robbing its own local shopping stores the luxury of wiping their bottom with grace at lavish pricing. While the brave and bold continue their life in their own fashion, taking measures into their own hands. Hopefully, they are clean. In February, a spike of videos flooded the internet. Reportedly, drones flying over Chinese cities happened. Orders about citizens staying in-doors were given to residents. The drones were used as a mechanism to enforce lockdown measures. Coronavirus is a major threat for pedestrians, as the spread of the coronavirus disease is handled with extreme resorts for protection. After the pandemic spread to Europe, countries such as Spain and France have been put on lockdown. Loudspeaker drones were enforced, as they urged local people to stay safe. Safe distance monitoring of one’s self has to be conducted when leaving outside of their house. Travel is discouraged at this time across the world. One of France's biggest cities, Paris, has now followed suit after containment measures were seen taken far too lightly in the public’s eye. China, the first country where the disease was spread, called for a state of emergency after it was hit hard by the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic. A month later, several European countries declared public health emergencies and started implementing lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. After Spain began to employ manned loudspeaker drones on March 15, France has been quick to follow. On Thursday, March 19, a drone was seen flying over Nice's city center and its main roads around 2:30 pm in the evening. Guiding and urging people to comply with containment measures. Each drone weighed in at about 1.7 lbs and measures up to about a foot in diameter The devices are currently being trialed in Nice and will then be tested in other towns around the region. Authorities in the region Nice is situated, Alpes-Maritimes, suggest that lockdown measures have been taken far too lightly in the area. The use of drones, with applied law enforcement, implement lockdown measures to become more stringent in the upcoming days to explore. Access to the beaches around in the region will also be restricted and prohibited from the public according to a regional announcement made by the Mayor of Nice on Thursday, March 19. It’s own Mayor is even considering throwing in a few curfew measures. 32-33 The Industry Inside the Stock Market to Consider2 The Industry Inside the Stock Market to Consider Add an airline stock as a must buy while the coronavirus is moving. “Why might you say that? It hasn't fallen as much as many other airline stocks over the past month”. True statement, but it does have a low-cost structure, industry-leading balance sheet, and strong record of producing free cash flow. Air travel is a factor being stopped to a halt in the U.S. and many other countries. Due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the world is in quarantine. This has been the message blaring out for the past month. U.S. airlines have been sounding the alarm all this month. The COVID-19 pandemic will certainly put stress on Southwest's balance sheet, but the airline has the financial strength to weather the storm. There are no sure things in investing. Investors and employees are warned that revenue is plunging toward zero. This will lead to a period of deep losses and rapid cash burn. As an outcome, airline stocks have since crushed over the past month. The Arca Airline Index is plummeting 64% over for this period. Low-fare airline giant Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) has fared better than most of its peers, with its shares falling low to 47% this past month. During March, the company has drawn down the $1 billion available through its revolving credit facility and arranged an additional short-term $1 billion term loan. Thanks to this additional financing, Southwest Airlines had a massive cash stockpile of $6.2 billion as of earlier this week. Although Southwest Airlines’ stock hasn’t taken a plummet as much as most other airline stocks, it still seems like a possible opportunity for investors to profit from the recent sell-off. Southwest has an industry-leading entity attached to the company. Southwest Airlines owns more than 500 unencumbered aircraft accumulated to be worth approximately $10 billion. It’s low costs and strong portfolio is a lead-way for generating free cash flow. Your cash invested in airlines should enable it to survive the current crisis and potentially gain a market share in the aftermath. New information is being pushed out daily, so it's virtually impossible to know how much money airlines will lose due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most likely, the number is predicted to be small when you compare it to nearly $14 billion that was knocked off of Southwest's market cap over the past month. Southwest Airlines is known within the industry as having the strongest balance sheet of any major airline. If you didn’t know, the company had $4.1 billion of cash and short-term investments; counterbalanced by $4 billion of debt and lease liabilities within 2019. As a result, it has solid investment-grade credit ratings from all three major rating agencies. If we want to look further into the situation, the Covid-19 pandemic could very well lead to newer opportunities. As we know, Southwest's competitors have a weaker balance sheet than the on-demand airline. The competition in 2020 is going to be met with some bloated debt loads. The demand for sold out airline tickets and packed airports aren’t very likely to bounce back immediately like its 2019 all over again. Some people are going to delay their travel plans until the spread of the virus has come to a halt. Until the pandemic is stomped out, businesses that took the tidal hit hard may very well slash its travel funds in order to save money. $6.2 billion of cash may not be enough to see Southwest through this crisis. Components such as capital, the length of Covid-19, and the booking activity are at risk. Some of their planes could be sold or used as collateral for additional borrowings if needed. This will give management plenty of levers to pay the bills. March 5, Southwest Airlines chopped its first-quarter unit revenue outlook by 5 percentage points at the midpoint of the guidance range. A ballpark figure of 2 percentage points of reduction is likely to be offset by lower unit costs. Even with this guidance cut, Southwest's updated forecast still implied solidly positive net income in Q1. Southwest Airlines are unlikely to take a loss in funds this quarter. Last week, Southwest noticed that booking trends had declined harshly early since March. It said that load factor averaged 67% in the first half of the month, 85% is more typical, and had fallen toward 50% by mid-March. The company pulled its last guidance, If we view the contrast, demand is likely to be lowered during the second quarter. In the same period a year ago, Southwest's operating expenses totaled $4.94 billion. Southwest Airlines said to cut at least 20% of its capacity from April 14 through June 5 in order to compensate for the plunging demand. Viewed upon recent reports, an acceleration in the cuts began this weekend and deepened them to a schedule reduction of 25%. Between these capacity cuts, a more than 50% plunge in fuel prices, and discretionary expense reductions, Southwest can probably slash its quarterly spending to under $4 billion -- even without unpalatable mass furloughs. Even if revenue plunges to $1 billion next quarter, down more than 80% year over year, that would still imply a quarterly operating loss of less than $3 billion. While it's impossible to be certain, losses are likely to slow significantly in the second half of the year. The delicate pandemic should start to see a decline within a few months from now. Southwest will have to cut costs and eliminate workers if the opposite happens. As a result, weaker airlines will have to devote all of their effort to maximizing near-term free cash flow in order to pay down debt. That could force them to shrink by pulling out of underperforming markets, opening up long-term growth opportunities for Southwest. American Airlines has the worst balance sheet and weak profitability in the industry. This has been for years. Let your mind ponder and wonder why Southwest's streak of profitability lasted for 47 consecutive years. Your mind will question whether it will be broken in 2020. It’s a solid question to predict future projections upon. The company's losses should be manageable, in the context it has a rock-solid balance sheet. Southwest's financial strength will allow room for a fast recovery, leading to a gain in market share as the rest of the industry conserves. 34-35. The old Hand Covid 19_2 Covid-19 I’m sure you guys, like me, have never lived long enough to see a world crisis of the magnitude we are experiencing at this time. Whilst the Covid-19 virus makes its progress through our fickle and unstable world I am astounded every day by yet another news article from a different part of the world that once again changes the dynamics of this International crisis. For the better of mankind we are been herded into our homes and quarantined for a period of time, not truly knowing what that period will be or indeed the outcome of the virus. Whilst I am not complaining about the safety measures and precautions that are been put in place by the powers that be. I do have a knot in my guts, which keeps pulling at me and telling me that there is so much more about Covid-19 that we don’t know. Fear is an incredibly powerful emotion. It has been used to manipulate and control people for centuries, especially by the ruling powers. Fear is normally initiated by uncertainty and creates instability. Currently there hangs a lot of uncertainty around Covid-19. I am not for a second saying that our controlling governments are deliberately using this crisis to initiate fear and control people. But by default, unfortunately that is exactly what is taking place. I must say that during the course of my life I have had little, if any trust in politicians and their actions. Their actions are normally derived for complete self-gratification. I would hope that within this situation they are able to appreciate the magnitude of distress this Pandemic is causing humanity and ultimately will cause to Billions of people globally. They must apply their wisdom with compassion. We must all take a responsible position in these extraordinary times. Panic does not resolve anything. Panic creates stress and stress breeds fear and negativity. We must remain calm and analytical, understanding as much as we are able, applying that knowledge in a responsible way and dealing with the situation with a calm approach accompanied with compassion. We are by the nature of our chosen profession warriors. Every day we go to fight with the intent of winning the battle and bringing home the dollar. We are like Vikings going out on a crusade to gather trophys. During our lives we have developed skill sets that are not present in everyone. We have intuition and tenacity accompanied with resilience and perseverance. We have the ability to think on our feet without emotion and in a split second make a major decision. We must now use all our given and learned skills to help others that are around us to get through this time of heightened emotion. The Covid-19 Pandemic will end and the sooner the better. Currently and from where I am sitting I can’t see many companies operating in full capacity and as the days move on more and more will close down. Remember this is for a short period in your life. It might not seem short at the moment, but it is. It will disappear and things will get back to normal. We just have to ride the storm. We have all ridden many storms in our lives. Perhaps not one this big but nevertheless we have ridden many storms. We have all already been through many processes, some of us many times. This is but another process that we must endure. For sure we will come out off it much stronger and much wiser than we entered it. When we are done with Covid-19 we will potentially have at least 6 months to catch up on. This is when the industry will be on fire. The ruling powers have already pledged Billions of dollars to prop up the world economies. Off course there will be winners and there will be losers but that’s the way it has always been. Often that’s the way we make our loot. Just make sure you are on the winning side! Whenever there is an up there is always a down and whenever there is a down there is always an up. Out of all the professionals I know, a trader is aware of this the most. Be prepared for the up. It will surely come. When people have been isolated for so long and they are released their mission will be to spend money. We live in a consumer driven society and spending money is a leisure pastime that we are all accustomed to. So get ready for the surge because people will have a lot of catching up to do. I read an article yesterday that referred to people profiteering in the trade of Clinical Face Masks and Clinical Hand Gels. This article suggested that during this pandemic this practice was deemed to be unethical by some people. This confused me somewhat, we have created and live in a capitalist society. Within that society exists a demand for a product and as traders we fill that demand and make a profit by doing so. I’m not sure there is anything unethical about that. There are many Pharmaceutical companies in the world that operate in the exact same manner and have done for decades. Without profit they cannot and do not exist. Without the intervention of a trader then these goods would never get distributed. In these times it is crucial that this type of product gets to the streets and as quickly as is possible. We all know that if you want something to move fast through a supply chain then ask a trader to move it. It is likely that we will soon be aware of someone who contracts Covid-19 and we may even have a family member that we loose from the virus. Our business and our livelihoods will suffer dramatically, as will everyone’s in the world we live in. It will come to pass and it will be made clearer in the coming months but we all have to remain steadfast and strong within ourselves. We have to maintain compassion, common sense and dignity at all times. Keep The Faith The Old Hand. 36-39. Most Played Video Games in 2020_4 Most Played Video Games in 2020 10. Grand Theft Auto V – 191,000 Somehow, seven years after its launch on the previous console generation, Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V is still among the world’s most-played games. It’s a seemingly unstoppable force that regularly finds itself among the top 10 best-selling games each month. Within the past 12 months its seen peak concurrent players exceeding 190,000, which is just incredible considering its not a competitive PvP experience, which we’d typically associate with high concurrent player numbers. Apparently, GTAV is a mandatory purchase for new console and PC players, and with so much content having been added since launch, we’re expecting the game to continue posting impressive numbers throughout 2020. 9. Destiny 2 – 292,000 Destiny 2’s concurrent numbers over the past twelve months are actually far higher than what we’ve got listed here if you were to count its performance across consoles as well as PC. Our 292,000 figure is purely based on Steam numbers, but we’d wager the number would at least treble with the platforms added to the mix. Sadly, we don’t have that data, but it’s fair to say that developer Bungie’s shooter/RPG hybrid is likely to continue dominating the genre for years to come. Particularly so, given that Bungie now has the final say on the direction of content moving forward now that it has split with Activision. Free from the shackles of its publishing overlords, there’s a renewed sense of enthusiasm among the community and we get the sense that Bungie is determined to deliver on its vision to realize a plethora of content for Destiny 2 moving forward. 8. Counter-Strike: GO – 764,468 Counter-Strike: GO’s spot on this list slightly betrays just how impressive its popularity is. While over 750,000 concurrent players is nothing to sniff at, it’s the fact that CS: GO has been cranking out this sort of performance for eight years. A strong esports presence and the brand-power of a franchise that’s been around since the late 1990s has kept CS: GO ahead of newer releases with blockbuster budgets. It wouldn’t surprise us if CS: GO breaks new records over the next 12 months. 7. Dota 2 – 1,033,925 A sentiment that’s long been taken for granted is that the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre is dying. But while it’s true that MOBA games aren’t seeing growth like they once were, don’t for a second think that they aren’t still incredibly popular. DOTA 2, the sequel to the genre’s founding father, still eclipses most of the competition. Over the past 12 months, it’s regularly nearing a million concurrent players, and sometimes exceeding that total, despite having been around for nearly a decade. Like CS: GO, it’s esports presence has nurtured a passionate community of players that aren’t in any hurry to move onto a new IP. DOTA 2 is also a big noise in the east, particularly in China, which accounts for a substantial percentage of its player base. 6. PUBG – 1,091,897 The game that kicked off a frenzy that saw the entire multiplayer gaming landscape reshaped over the past few years, PUBG still commands a huge audience despite the battle royale genre becoming flooded with copycat titles. Most notably, of course, it was copied by and then superseded by Epic Games’ Fortnite. PUBG’s premium model and its tardiness in arriving on consoles saw it fall behind rather quickly once Fortnite began gathering steam. But while PUBG may no longer rule the battle royale roost, it still offers a tactical military-sim experience that isn’t matched by other games in the genre. This, and the fact that its mobile version is also extremely popular (numbers not included in above stat), should see PUBG’s community soldier on throughout 2020. 5. Apex Legends – 2 Million Respawn’s Apex Legends stealth dropped out of nowhere and then proceeded to take the battle royale genre by storm. It proved the perfect recipe of compelling gameplay, AAA production quality, and a free-to-play business model that saw it succeed in temporarily dethroning Fortnite and PUBG as most-played and most-watched multiplayer games. The numbers have definitely dipped since its opening month saw a record 2 million concurrent players, but despite the occasional bump along the way, its community has remained pretty sizeable. It’s safe to say that Apex has muscled its way into the genre and secured its place for the foreseeable future. 4. Minecraft – 1.4 Million+ Minecraft is a juggernaut that just keeps on steamrolling, but we’ll acknowledge that we’re slightly cheating with our listed stat here. Technically, our data should place Minecraft below Apex Legends. The thing is, while we only have data from 2015, we know for certain that Minecraft has only increased its player base exponentially over the past four years. You only have to look at its monthly active users (MAU) for proof. For comparison and to provide some context as to we’ve bumped Minecraft up without a more recent concurrent stat, DOTA 2 had an estimated MAU of 11.9 million at the start of 2019. Minecraft has ten times that number. Our 1.4 million concurrent stat is taken from a Polygon article back in 2015 when Minecraft’s MAU was estimated at below 40 million. It wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility that Minecraft now sees over three times that concurrent number on occasion. 3. Crossfire – 8 Million It’s likely that up until only fairly recently the majority of our readers wouldn’t have heard of one of the world’s most-played video games. Crossfire, a Counter-Strike clone, is an absolute beast over in Korea, and it’s set to make its mark over in the west soon. Korean developer Smilegate Entertainment has recently struck a deal with Microsoft that’ll see a new version of the game called Crossfire X come to Microsoft platforms exclusively in 2020. Quite whether that sequel will see the same concurrent figures, though, we’re not sure. It really would depend on whether the next iteration of the game sees a worldwide launch or whether it’s something being prepared specifically for the western market. It’s certainly got a lot to live up to if it’s going to match Smilegate’s claims of 8 million concurrent players. That’s a stat that we should note has been touted for a number of years, though, so it’s actually slightly unclear as to the game’s current community size. 2. League of Legends – 8 Million Earlier in this list, we cited DOTA 2’s continued popularity as proof that the MOBA genre is far from dead, but League of Legends’ numbers completely blow those out of the water. According to Riot Games, almost each and every single day, League of Legends is played by around 8 million people. That is totally bonkers, and probably should see it top this list based purely on consistency, but we’ve set the metric as peak concurrent so we’ll resist the temptation… Once again, a strong esports scene has helped League of Legends to hold onto its community, which routinely turn up in the millions to watch competitive tournaments online. The League of Legends World Championships 2019 broke Twitch’s concurrent viewership records with 1.7 million watching FunPlus Phoenix crush G2 Esports. 1. Fortnite – 10 Million Love or hate Fortnite, it surely has to go down as among the most important video games ever made. Epic Games’ battle royale game has totally recalibrated what it means to build and support a successful ‘live' service-style video game. Fortnite is a constantly shifting entity, remolding itself with different features and gimmicks as new trends emerge. It’s essentially a new game every month thanks to its battle pass content, and it’s also managed to embed itself into pop-culture by collaborating with musicians and celebrity figureheads to stay relevant. In fact, it was during one of these collaborations that Fortnite set a 10 million concurrent player peak, as players flocked to watch the Marshmellow Music in-game concert. 40-43. Amazon launches the new Echo Show 8 smart speaker3 Amazon launches the new Echo Show 8 smart speaker Halfway between tablet and smart device, Amazon's Echo Show line has brought new features to smart speakers. Not just the 'controller' of the smart home or the 'adviser' of the family who gives information on request. The screen allows you to turn it into a mini-TV to watch a video on Youtube or a streaming TV series, as well as to browse your photos or browse online. The Echo Show to arrive in Europe dates back to February 2019. An important price - 230 euros - for large dimensions: the screen measures 10 inches. A year later, Amazon decided to bring its slightly reduced version, the Echo Show 8, to our countries. Attention to privacy Eight stands for the 8-inch screen size. Where to use the over 400 skills that Italian developers have already put on the market optimized precisely for these devices. To ensure privacy, a mechanical camera cover has been added as well as a button for deactivating both the lens and the microphones. Features that had already been introduced on the Echo Show 5, the younger brother of the family, smaller but also cheaper, launched last June. What are the main functions of Echo Show 8 Echo Show 8 offers its users a long series of very useful features. First of all, it must be remembered that this is an arrangement that can be easily controlled by means of a convenient system based on voice control, with the possibility of activating each option even from a certain distance. Here are some of the main functions of a product that can be truly surprising. The ability to view multimedia content and perform many tasks The first aspect that catches the eye of Echo Show 8 corresponds precisely to the 8-inch screen, with maximum resolution in HD. With such a base, you can view multimedia content with ease, listening to it with the aid of Amazon Music and a stereo with excellent power. From movies to TV series, passing through music videos and the best of Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music, the visible films are truly numerous. At the same time, the program allows you to take a look at your favorite images at any time of the day, to monitor traffic and weather, to receive all the main updates on the latest news. The opportunity to always stay in touch What else can be done thanks to Echo Show 8? For sure, you can stay in touch with others thanks to a simple and convenient video call. The service is valid for contacts who have the Alexa app or an Echo device with a screen. At the same time, voice messages can be sent to rooms with compatible devices, or calls can be made via the Drop In service from one place to another. Attention is paid to safeguarding privacy. In fact, simply press a simple button to close the camera and microphones at any time, or use a special camera cover. Each voice recording can be listened to or removed to your complete liking, with the chance to always have full control of each specific situation. Control of each device remotely Those who intend to have a smart home at their disposal can certainly avail themselves of the help of Echo Show 8. This program allows you to properly manage different appliances with a simple remote control, or via a comfortable interactive screen with an intuitive interface. Just a voice request to monitor video surveillance, adjust the temperature of your boiler, turn on or off switches and much more. Small technical tricks are enough to facilitate daily life, better manage your schedule of commitments, receive news of all sorts, view sports results or film previews, set a timer, create a list of articles. Prices and availability Echo Show 8 is available in two colors - anthracite black and light gray - at a cost of 129.99 €. How to configure and customize Echo Show 8 The configuration of Echo Show 8 is extremely simple and satisfactory. First of all, you need to connect the appliance to a classic power outlet. Then, the procedure continues with the Internet connection, after which you only need to enter the voice command and wait for the device to answer quickly to any type of question. At a later time, you can customize the app by inserting a long series of Skills, capable of making it even more exciting. 44. H-asia - Mobile Phones 1 45-46. The Current Impact of the Virus on Global Trade2 Covid-19 (Coronavirus): The Impact On Global Trade Around 3,000 deaths, 81,000 cases and 6 continents infected. The pandemic nation scare has invested into goods left at sea for sure. A virus that halts more than just the economy. Most economic predictors projected for the virus to harm at the bare minimum. As the supply chains around the world are being disrupted from a once robust market. The safety of bonds is investors’ best friend. For a few weeks, there has been an odd divergence among those trying to predict what the coronavirus might mean for financial markets and the world economy. Global commerces big and tiny were warned of substantial disruptions to their businesses. The disease could possibly circulate far beyond Wuhan of China. Like always, investors, financial markets and most economic forecasters did not consider the virus to be a major threat to corporate earnings, despite the clear evidence of China’s economy taking a rough hit — at the least, nothing that an interest-rate cut or two from the Federal Reserve couldn’t fix. The S&P 500 hit a new luxurious high last week on Wednesday. Since that newfound high last Wednesday, the S&P is down more than 7 percent. The 10-year United States Treasury bonds dropped down to their lowest levels on record. Investors should expect a significant economic deterioration while accompanying Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts. Still, the pondering thoughts leaves a huge uncertainty about how widely the virus will spread and how much potential damage it will possess. Events are different from last year’s trade war between the United States and China. This virus can do major damage all around, more specifically standees participants for economies. Global asset prices are skyrocketing upward regardless of the trade war and other problems that took over financial tabs. Meanwhile, chinese importers are not taking in some of the commodity cargos left at bay. LNG importers are declaring a force majeure. Markets accustomed to optimism may be all the more vulnerable if the virus becomes a global pandemic that causes meaningful pullback of commerce across major economies. Even after the sell-off this week, financial markets remain richly valued by historical standards. Moreover, while tariffs might put sand in the gears of global commerce, that has different implications than gears that stop entirely. Companies had many options for dealing with the trade war, whether sourcing goods from elsewhere or simply paying more for them. The economic effects of the coronavirus act as a supply shock. Downgrading the productive ability of affected nations for reasons unrelated to the forces that traditionally shape economic results like monetary policy or fiscal policy. Lower interest rates won’t make an unhappy person happy. Better yet, get the ”Ok signal” from public health authorities to reopen businesses. Inflation is hitting because China is not selling and underestimating the global trade. Devaluation made its currency weaker all while making China's imports costlier. Now let’s see how quickly companies are going to walk right out of bounds quickly. Growing concern could trigger rerouting supply chains, trade relations and financial transactions, robbing China of its future growth. Data from the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai show nearly half of its surveyed companies had seen their supplies interrupted by the viral outbreak. It's not the first time or the last to be expected. As the U.S.’s potential is limited by China’s reserved aura. Increased revenues are at a halt because of China’s standpoint on global trading. China is being squeezed as people are having a rough start for the first quarter of the year. For now, there’s not when, where, or how when they can go back to work. 47-48. Drones,_robots_and_facial_recognition_2 Drones, robots and facial recognition: this is how China uses coronavirus technology Coronavirus is a human drama but also a great technological challenge for governments and companies that must find new ways to contain the damage. The control of the people who have been in the Hubei area touches the boundaries of science fiction. A resident of Nanjing - who had been in Wehan without telling anyone - received a visit from the police at home inviting him to measure his fever and then be subjected to quarantine. A technological cocktail of data management, artificial intelligence and geolocation identified the 'offender' and punished him. In the Guandong region, on the other hand, robots have sprung up in the streets that 'scold' passers-by who do not wear masks, after having identified them through video cameras. Meanwhile, drones have been flying in the skies of Beijing and Shanghai for days, using the speakers shouting 'directives' to passers-by: courteous but firm messages on how to deal with the unprecedented epidemic, while other drones are working in the Wuhan area , the one with the highest number of patients, the distribution of drugs and masks, which unfortunately are not enough for the large number of patients. The major telephone operators from China Mobile have sent their users a text message that generates a list of provinces they have visited recently. Health workers placed at checkpoints outside infected areas ask citizens to show their smartphone to check their latest movements. Coronavirus has become a collegial challenge since the government called all Chinese people to the fight. Large technology groups such as Baidu, the Chinese Google, which has made available to society a fast and sophisticated technology to measure body temperature for travelers at Qinghe station, one of the hubs in Beijing where hundreds of passengers pass through, cannot escape this mission. Thousands of people a day. With this system they manage to 'measure' the temperature of 200 people in transit per minute, thanks to technologies such as facial and infrared recognition. Then there is the case of Megvii - a company specialized in artificial intelligence that the US government has blacklisted - who built a system similar to that of Baidu to measure the temperature to citizens by involving 100 engineers who are working in the project Remotely. And this mode opens another chapter in the book of technological challenges. Many Chinese and multinational companies are accelerating with the formula of teleworking to prevent workers from moving from one place to another, increasing the danger of spreading. Analysts already estimate the damage from this dramatic 'gap' in Asia's raging production that will bring China's GDP to below 4% growth. 49-50. GOG_and_30_day_refunds__will2 GOG and 30-day refunds: will they allow thieves to play for free or will they help developers? GOG's new policy, with thirty-day unconditional reimbursements, has raised many criticisms of the CD Projekt store: help for thieves or developers? GOG has launched a new refund policy designed to favor its customers, in its case PC players: the only requirement to get a game refund is to do it within thirty days of purchase, giving a sensible motivation to technical support. As already reported, this policy will apply to everyone indiscriminately, even for those who have purchased a game and have played it. It will be enough to stay within 30 days. GOG, of course, will monitor that there are no abuses by the players, but they will be only ad hoc and individual interventions, born with the emergence of certain situations. GOG.com, in fact, demands respect for developers and all those who work and work in this industry. ' Obviously there was no lack of controversy. According to many developers, this is an absurd refund policy, because it leaves everything to the good heart of gamers. In thirty days, in fact, most of the games on the market can be finished, even several times. GOG as a shop does not monitor the activities of the players in any way (all the titles in its catalog are DRM-free and can be installed without resorting to the use of a client), therefore when faced with a refund request it is blind compared to what It is communicated to him. The accusation is clear: it is an invitation to theft that will give thieves a legal way to play what they want without spending anything. There are few voices out of the choir regarding the topic and some indie developers are already considering whether to publish their games on GOG again because they fear being defrauded of their work. However, there are also those who have chosen to approach the issue from a completely opposite point of view, perhaps more naive and optimistic, but still worthy of mention. We are talking in particular of the developer David Szymanski (Dusk) who wrote his thoughts on the subject in a series of tweets. Even if he is not sure, GOG's policy will not be abused by users, because many are happy to spend money on what they love and, above all, to support the developers they appreciate. Thieves can safely continue to steal through piracy, as they have always done, which is a much easier way to buy on GOG and ask for a refund. On the other hand, according to Szymanski, with a similar refund policy, players will feel more protected and will more willingly spend their money, knowing that they can easily retrace their steps in case of problems. Who is right? Never as in this case only time can tell us. GOG of his promised that he will review the system in case the abuse multiplies. We'll see. 51-52. Samsung_Galaxy_S20_does_three2 Samsung Galaxy S20 triples and a new folding arrives Samsung does three, or rather four. In an event organized in San Francisco, with safety measures for participants due to the coronavirus, the South Korean company has launched three versions of the Galaxy S20, the direct competitor of the iPhone, and a new folding phone. 'We have just entered a new decade and 5G will completely change the way we communicate and live the world around us,' says TM Roh, Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics to present the new phones all equipped with 5G connectivity and Of 'an incredible camera with artificial intelligence’. The Z flip innovation The foldable phone is called Z Flip and is the evolution of the Galaxy Fold launched last year and not immediately lucky because of some design problems. The display is made of flexible glass: open it measures 6.7 inches, closed it fits in the palm of a hand. The Galaxy Z Flip will be available from February 14 in two color variations, at a price of 1520 euros. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a smartphone with an Android operating system that we could define as high-end. The 6.7-inch screen of this smartphone is Dynamic AMOLED and has a resolution of FHD + / 1080 x 2520 pixels. The 12 megapixel main camera is equipped with Single flash and stabilizer, for clearer photos and less blur. Videos can be recorded at 4K - 3840 x 2160 pixels and the front camera has a resolution of 10 megapixels. The device has dual SIM support and supports mobile networks up to LTE, while Wi-Fi is a / b / g / n / ac type and Bluetooth is 5.0. GPS and the NFC chip are not missing. Instead, the FM radio and the infrared port are missing. The processor of this device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ octa with 64-bit support that works at the frequency of 2.96 GHz and has an Adreno 640 graphics processor. We then have 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of non-expandable memory. Inside the device we find a non-removable 3300 mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy S20 The Samsung Galaxy S20, however, arrives in the basic variant, Plus and Ultra. It mounts a Quad HD + Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, flat and almost unframed and extended over the entire front surface, and with a different concentration of pixels depending on the models. The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch display (the 8 GB + 128 GB 4G version with 1TB expandable memory costs 929 euros; the 12 GB 5 GB + 128 GB 1029 euros version). The Plus version has a 6.7-inch display (the 8G + 128GB 4G version and 1TB expandable memory costs 1029 euros, the 12GB + 128 GB 5G version and 1TB expandable memory costs 1129 euros, the 12GB + 512 5G one GB and 1TB expandable memory costs 1279 euros). Finally, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is only 5G, has a 6.9-inch display, 12 GB + 128 GB and 1TB expandable memory and costs 1379 euros. The center of everything is the photographic sector capable of an extremely high resolution (108 MP for Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, 64 MP for Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 +), to clearly highlight the details. Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G takes a further step forward at the sensor level by combining nine pixels in one. In addition, thanks to the 'Space Zoom' technology the new Samsung are able to capture the most distant subjects with a higher resolution. And, thanks to artificial intelligence, with Galaxy S20 you can shoot a short video to automatically get a series of photos and videos in different formats to choose from. It also allows 8K video footage that can be uploaded directly to YouTube. As for music, there is also the integration between the assistant Bixby and Spotify for 'a personalized soundtrack'. Galaxy S20, S20 + and S20 Ultra 5G can be booked from 11 February. By booking Galaxy S20 + or S20 Ultra 5G between 11 February and 8 March and purchasing it between 13 and 31 March, users will receive the new Galaxy Buds + earphones. The devices will be available in physical and online stores starting March 13. 53-54. Smart telecom 2 pages 55-56. What's_in_the_new_digital_plan2 What's in the new digital plan for the European Union Digital technology is changing people's lives. This is why the European Union, aware of the socio-economic impact of this transition, has presented a strategy on the digital future with the aim of being able to have benefits on all levels: from citizens to businesses, up to the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050. The plan, which was presented by the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen - and studied in detail by the Executive Vice-President of the EU Commission Margrethe Vestager and the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton - is based on three main actions: • how to shape the European digital future; • confidence and excellence in artificial intelligence; • a European data strategy. Shaping Europe's digital future This point, which in fact represents the basis of the other two, is based in turn on three main pillars, each with specific objectives: a technology that works for people; a fair and competitive digital economy and the creation of an open, democratic and sustainable society. The first pillar aims to enhance citizens' digital skills, protect them from cyber threats and strengthen broadband and innovation capacities in areas such as medicine, transport and the environment. From an economic point of view, all this must translate into a lively community of innovative and fast growing startups. For this, a law is needed to strengthen the responsibility of online platforms and clarify the rules for online services. The beacon of the digital future, however, is the third pillar, declined in all three meanings: a sustainable society, i.e. using technology to help Europe become climate neutral by 2050 (this is why we aim to reduce Carbon emissions from the digital sector); And a democratic and open society, allowing citizens better control and protection of their data and fighting online disinformation by promoting different and reliable multimedia content. White paper on artificial intelligence In detail, the goal is to attract 20 billion euros of investment in the European Union in this sector. According to Von der Leyen - who called himself 'optimistic' towards technology - artificial intelligence is a great opportunity for Europe, especially in terms of improving the daily lives of all citizens. For this reason, a white paper was presented with the aim of implementing its European excellence and fostering renewed confidence in the AI. A double track that aims to solidify and multiply the results - over 25 percent of industrial robots, for example, is produced within the EU's borders - and to build a healthy relationship between man and machine. To do this, we read, requires new legislation that includes risks and does not limit innovation. High-risk artificial intelligence systems, such as facial recognition, will have to be transparent, traceable and guarantee human control in sensitive areas such as health, police and transport, warns Margart Vestager. ‘Artificial intelligence must serve people and not interfere with people's rights,' recalled Von Der Leyen. A European data strategy Data is at the heart of digital transformation, as it shapes the way we produce, consume and live. Access to the ever-growing volume of data and the ability to use it therefore prove essential for innovation and growth. Datasets are also the basis of artificial intelligence: the more we have, the better the algorithms work. The European novelty is the choice to allocate and share them, creating a single market for data based on fair, clear and shared access rules. European standards such as privacy, Gdpr and the right to competition will obviously be applied in this space. The big data business is set to grow enormously, so not using those of the 27 member states ‘would be wasted potential' according to Von der Leyen. By starting this path, the EU will become a data market with attractive power and two fundamental characteristics: security and dynamism. Europe has everything it needs to lead the race for big data and preserve its technological sovereignty, its industrial leadership and its economic competitiveness for the benefit of European consumers. 57-58. Xperia 1 II Sony here is the new top of the range phone2 Xperia 1 II Sony: here is the new top of the range phone Sony, Realme, Honor and Huawei take to the YouTube virtual stage to launch their products. A choice made after the deletion in mid-February of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona following the coronavirus emergency. Let’s start with Sony. In a presentation streamed the president of Sony Mobile Communications, Mitsuya Kishida, showed the new top of the range, the Xperia 1 II, which is the first of the Japanese house compatible with the new 5G networks. The phone relies heavily on cameras, leveraging Sony's experience in the camera sector, starting with Zeiss optics and continuous shooting up to 20 frames per second, the first seen on a smartphone. The Xperia 1 II has a 6.5-inch OLED screen at 90 Hz and a 5G Snapddragon 865 processor, Qualcomm's most powerful, with 8 GB of Ram and 256 Gb of internal memory. The triple rear camera consists of three 12 megapixel sensors (wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto), plus an iTof 3D sensor. The front camera is 8 megapixel. Resistant to water and dust, with headphone jack and 4 thousand mAh battery, it will arrive in European stores in the spring. At the same time Sony showed the Xperia Pro, a professional 5G smartphone - not yet completed - with an Hdmi input to connect it to video cameras and cameras, which will be marketed only in Japan. The company has not presented the Xperia 10 II, which however will arrive on the shelves in the spring. It is a mid-range device, with a 6-inch OLED display, Snapdragon 665 processor, 4 GB of Ram and 128 GB of internal memory. Three rear cameras; 12 megapixel main sensor flanked by ultra-wide angle and telephoto both 8 megapixel, as well as the front sensor. Snapdragon 865 on board and 4K screen The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is the main engine of this Xperia 1 II, a terminal that is accompanied by a configuration of 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. At the screen level it is repeated with 4K, HDR and OLED technology, all for a diagonal of 6.5 inches. Sony here tells us that its Motion Blur technology, which transmits a screen experience equivalent to 90Hz. The Xperia 1 II has a 4,000mAh battery, a quantum leap compared to the amperage seen last generation. In addition, it has 21W fast charging At the battery level we find a remarkable improvement over the scarce 3,300mAh of the last generation. This 2020 Sony is committed to 4,000mAh, accompanied by fast and wireless charging. In terms of connectivity, the 5G and NFC could not be missing. In addition, the terminal has a double stereo speaker, Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res sound technology, in addition to keeping the headphone jack, being one of the few high-end terminals with this feature to its credit. 'All in' by the photographic section This year Sony wanted to bet everything on the photographic section. At the specification level we have four sensors: a 12-megapixel main equivalent to 24mm, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens equivalent to 70mm (not very usual figure, since mobile telephoto lenses usually equal 50mm) and a 12-megapixel sensor Ultra wide angle equivalent to 16mm. And the room? A 3D ToF that, in this case, is mainly used for autofocus. Sony has collaborated with its Alpha division to create the camera of this Xperia 1 II. In addition, ZEISS is responsible for signing your optics Beyond the figures, Sony has redesigned the camera application to be similar to that of its professional cameras (alpha range), and its main objective is to convey that this Xperia 1 II is aimed at a more professional photographic use. It is also committed to a collaboration with ZEISS (as in the case of Nokia) for optics that, according to Sony, have been calibrated by the German company. They will remain to see the final results of the cameras, but without doubt the bet of Sony this year is ambitious. 59-61. Realme unveils the X50 Pro 5G smartphone3 Realme unveils the X50 Pro 5G smartphone Live streaming from Madrid, after the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​Realme unveils its new high-end smartphone. The company born from a rib of the Chinese Oppo shows the X50 Pro 5G, a phone that focuses on the quadruple rear camera and a battery with a very fast charge. On stage, the Spanish country manager, Emilio Alvarez Rodriguez, underlines that Realme is the fastest growing smartphone brand. In 2019 - he highlights - the company sold 25 million smartphones, equal to a 500% increase over 2018, with strong performances from India to Spain, passing through Egypt. The X50 Pro 5G comes with a 6.44-inch Super Amoled screen, produced by Samsung, with a 90Hz refresh rate and integrated fingerprint reader. The processor is the Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm's top of the range, with 8 or 12 GB Ram and 128 or 256 GB internal memory. The quad rear camera has a 64 megapixel main sensor, flanked by a 12 mp telephoto lens, an 8 mp ultra-wide angle and a black and white sensor for portraits. On the front there is a dual camera (32 megapixel main sensor plus 8 megapixel ultra-wide angle) inserted in a hole in the screen. Among other peculiarities, the 4,200 mAh double cell battery with very fast 65W recharge: promises to fully recharge the phone in 35 minutes, and just 3 minutes of connection to the electrical outlet to have enough autonomy to watch 100 minutes of movies, listen 40 songs or make 4 hours of phone calls. In two particular finishes - moss green and rust red - Realme's smartphone will be available in April with prices starting at around 600 euros. A familiar design and bored screen We start, as always, reviewing the aesthetic section, and the Realme X50 Pro 5G comes in two colors: rustic red and moss green, both in matt finish. On the back, covered with glass, we have the module with the four lenses next to the LED flash and, on the bottom, the brand name. It is a thick (9.36 mm) and heavy (207 grams) terminal. If we turn it over, the device offers us a 6.55-inch Super AMOLED screen with FullHD + resolution (2,400 x 1,800 pixels) whose refresh rate is 90 Hz. It is not the highest in the market, since there are terminals with 120 Hz, but it is higher than the average of current smartphones, which remain at 60 Hz. There are no notch or retractable mechanisms, but the two front cameras have been placed in a perforation in the upper left corner. We haven't mentioned the fingerprint reader when we talk about the back for a reason: it has moved under the screen. It is an element already characteristic of the high range and Realme has also implemented it. Finally, note that it has USB Type-C port, headphone minijack and that the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The latest from Qualcomm's latest under the hood Known outside, we know the device inside. The Realme X50 Pro 5G, at least on paper, will not be low on power, because its engine is made up of a seven-nanometer Snapdragon 865 processor with eight cores at up to 2.84 GHz, the Adreno 650 GPU and eight or 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Next to it, 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage, depending on the version. All this gives life to a 4,200 mAh battery with fast charging of 65W and Android 10 with Realme UI, the Realme customization layer. Nothing is missing in terms of connectivity, since it has WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, Dual GPS (L1 + L5), NFC for mobile payments and, of course, 5G. In fact, the terminal is compatible with 5G NSA and SA, that is, with both phases of the 5G deployment, so it can be used with both current and final networks. From Realme they explain that inside the terminal there are 13 antennas, that eight of them are dedicated to 4G and 5G and that it has a mode called Smart 5G that analyzes the available signals and user operations and connects to a network or another depending on the context. Four cameras with 64 megapixels We ended up talking about the photographic section, where Realme is still betting on a main 64 megapixel sensor. The complete sensor batch consists of an ultra-wide eight megapixel angle with f / 2.3 aperture, a normal 64 megapixel f / 1.8 angle capable of making 20x hybrid zoom, a 12 megapixel f / 2.5 telephoto and a monochromatic lens For portraits with aperture f / 2.4. The 64-megapixel sensor is the Samsung GW1, so it uses pixel binning technology to join four pixels in one and take effective 16-megapixel photos. The company highlights that you can record video with the wide angle and that Nightscape 3.0 has been implemented, which is now compatible with tripods. Thus, by placing the mobile on a support, we can take photos with an exposure of up to 50 seconds. As far as the selfie is concerned, the Realme X50 Pro 5G mounts two front lenses: an 80º wide angle with a 32 megapixel sensor and an ultra wide angle 105º eight megapixel lens. Highlights include slow motion recording (120 FPS) and video recording with portrait mode. Versions and price of Realme X50 Pro 5G The Realme X50 Pro 5G will arrive in rustic red and moss green in different versions depending on the RAM and internal storage. The most powerful version will be 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory, but below we break down all the possibilities with their respective prices. The terminal will go on sale from April. Realme X50 Pro 5G 8/128 GB: 599 euros. Realme X50 Pro 5G 8 / + 256 GB: 669 euros. Realme X50 Pro 5G 12 + 256 GB: 749 euros. Apple iPad Pro Exists As A Premium Laptop_ What A Feeling2 The Apple iPad Pro Exists As A Premium Laptop: What A Feeling They're not chilling out and no, they're not resting. Still putting out stuff in a bit of a different way. They didn't have any events, so there was no big fanfare. Of course, it’s because of the current state of planet Earth. So they did it virtually. It makes sense to the tech gurus that is Apple. Executed from a distance, they did a no guest announcement. With the newest iPad Pro, you’ll see a similar design to the previous version. Put on some new accessories and call it the most advanced mobile display of all time. There are some improvements, making it a faster unit. Apple holds three to four events yearly. Usually rolling out a spring event in March, perhaps the 31st. The Coronavirus delayed Apple’s plans and that’ll be on hold for some time. Apple could still introduce new products via press release at the end of March. It’s not clear how the coronavirus has impacted production. There is a big possibility that some of their devices will be ready for launch later this year. To convince people this is the all-time future of computing that is not your laptop, they went ahead and put on a new camera system in there. As they added ultra-glide, they put a lidar scanner in there. This solidifies the fact that Apple wants this new pad to be an AR machine. If you want to imagine your room full form polished with furniture, use the AR mode included. Interior designers are the targeted personnel in this design. The improvements are seen instantaneously. Whenever you use AR on an iPad, you’ll have to scan the room. This can typically take a minute. Thanks to the Lidar camera, AR objects can be dropped in an instant. Apple’s Measure app can calculate someone's height. It's more accurate when measuring objects. You’ll be able to see the improvements the camera brings as new reviews roll out for the newest iPad. Like others, the most exciting feature is the new keyboard. Called the magic keyboard, it's equipped with real legit trackpad support for the iPad. Believe it or not, the pad can be charged from the keyboard case. This product is more like what Microsoft is doing with its surface products. Microsoft may have blurred the line more than Apple as far as what is considered a laptop and what constitutes a tablet. Apple is playing a little bit of catch-up work from this particular case. To blur that line even further although, you would think they've learned a long time ago with these titles “Your next computer is not a computer”. “This is not a computer, this is a computer, just the only computer…” and so forth. Constantly saying the word computer doesn’t make this a computer. A faster processor chip, studio-quality microphones, and a breakthrough LiDAR Scanner to enable 3D scanning of objects. The best part about the new iPad is it’s optional Magic Keyboard. Along with its installed trackpad, the laptop-style cursor and mouse perpetuates the illusion of an upgraded version of the Macbook. Aimed with the company’s long term goal from pushing the iPad beyond a tablet, into something more affiliated to a super-portable productivity device. Turning a once simple pad into a mobilized computer. It’s graduating turning into a computer-pad, potentially making the laptop obsolete in the near future? The iPad Pro has a dual-camera system similar to the newest iPhone 11. The main camera has an ultrawide camera. There's a new Lidar sensor on the right. It uses infrared light beams to measure distance. It can sense depths of up to five meters. The same technology is being used in self-driving cars. The iPad Pro is for improved AR performance. For those who consider themselves an unorthodox shopper, by not playing by the traditional rules and upgrading for a hefty fee. Owning the newest piece of tech gadget history does not have to come at a cost. The Magic Keyboard is coming to most iPads released in the last few years. “That’s cool and all, but it’s the iPadOS and not MacOS”. Not to worry, Apple is taking a different approach to the familiar desktop cursor model. The trackpad support has been completely reimagined for the iPad. Users move their fingers across the trackpad, the pointer elegantly transforms to highlight user interface elements. Multi-Touch gestures on the trackpad make it fast and easy to navigate the entire system without users ever lifting their hands. These sorts of updates must have been a forking between iOS and iPadOS. The iPad increasingly seeks to blaze its own path in the nebulous territory between mobile and desktop. A touchscreen Mac is the only thing in the near future that could beat out the newly invented Apple Pro. This tablet is the primary computing device, making the transition easier for laptop lovers. The new iPro is available now for purchase. The Magic Keyboard will be unveiled in May for separate purchase. The forthcoming iPadOS 13.4 will be available for usage on the new Pro. The update will make the system compatible with the latest version of Apple’s Magic Mouse and trackpad, along with third-party Bluetooth mice. The iPad Pro starts at $800. The fourth-generation iPad Pro was announced on Apple’s press release on Wednesday morning, March 18. It’s set to be released on March, 25. 64-65. Samsung Redefining Components to Create a Solid-State Battery2 Companies Like Samsung Redefining Components to Create a Solid-State Battery Batteries can be considered the motherboard of a vehicle. Solid-state batteries are seen as the next major step in performance for electric cars. Electric vehicles can deliver greater range and safety over current liquid-type batteries like lithium-ion units. This technology isn't exactly new. Solid-state batteries remain difficult to manufacture on a mass scale. They aren’t customarily built, for instance, longevity. That’s required for automotive applications where frequent charging at high energy rates is not usual. Certain veteran carmakers such as Porsche are holding off on electrifying their entire line-ups because current battery technology is too heavy. While others are waiting, Samsung is not. The South Korean multinational electronics company Samsung, along with its Advanced Institute of Technology and Samsung R&D Institute Japan research divisions, jointly developed a new type of solid-state battery. The new battery is improved with a greater life span and safety compared to current designs. Samsung can add its hand in the breakthrough pot. Samsung can not only deliver phone technology, but it also can adapt to the field of solid-state batteries. The goal of Samsung is to refine the solid-state battery, taking EV battery innovation to its next level. The prototype uses a newly developed anode that can potentially offer a lifespan of more than 1000 full charges, meaning a battery with an 800km range should last around 800,000km. This newfound power locked in a battery is aimed to be around 50 percent smaller than the batteries powering EVs currently on sale while offering a range of up to 800km between charges. This may change depending on the application, as you have to factor in a car's weight and body design. Both of these elements can impact efficiency. Problems occur in any field that involves improvement for the future. One problem in the area of longevity is the growth of crystals on the lithium anodes of solid-state batteries during charging. This reduces the battery lifespan. It can also cause them to overheat. For Samsung to tackle this problem and prevent mistakes from occurring in the future, they must have some dedicated researchers on their side. Samsung’s researchers developed a prototype battery featuring a silver-carbon (Ag-C) composite layer as the anode. After trial and error conducted from research, this prototype battery was improved with quality life and safety. Also, the battery was provided with more capacity. A thought that seems to come at first glance is “this is just a prototype”. Very reasonable and realistic. By the time the solid-state battery reaches full production, the range it claims to provide should increase sometime in the future. As a side thought, the liberal use of DC fast chargers can reduce a batteries capacity faster than using slower charge points. This is true for both li-ion-based batteries and solid-state packs as it seems. Eliminating the liquid electrolyte not only allows for much more dense and compact batteries with much higher capacity by volume, but it also deals with heat much better. Solid-state batteries will thus require less heat evacuation equipment, meaning even less weight and bulk for an electric car to carry around, and a longer lifespan. They also don't explode or catch fire, which is a rare but deal-breaking issue with current technology. Where current-gen lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes, in which lithium ions float back and forth between the cathode and anode every time you charge or discharge the battery, solid-state batteries use a congealed solid that passes charges back and forth. Other companies in the field like Volkswagen Group and Toyota have taken more of a serious approach to their prototypes by providing the earliest date yet to date. The competitors ban together to release in 2025. Gather around the campfire and get ready for an impactful future for the transportation that is vehicles. As other companies set the tone for automotive battery operations, we should be seeing others vowing on separate terms to better solidify the solid-state of batteries. 66-68. TCL Here is the phone with removable screen3 TCL Here is the phone with removable screen After the folding smartphones, the smartphone comes with a removable screen. The idea came from Tcl, a Chinese company also known for licensing the Alcatel and BlackBerry brands. The company would develop a smartphone that manages to make itself a tablet - doubling its size - not opening in two like Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei's Mate X, but extending through a sort of sliding mechanism. The indiscretion comes from the Cnet site, which publishes the images exclusively. According to the American website, Tcl should have shown a prototype of the device at the Mobile World Congress, the hi-tech fair in Barcelona which, however, was canceled due to the risks related to the coronavirus. The images suggest that the additional part of the screen comes out of the smartphone as a sort of sliding door, or an extendable table, doubling the size of the device. There is currently no other information on the smartphone, which however is a concept phone, therefore presumably not close to a commercial launch. TCL: the pull-out screen looks awesome. But how does it work? What the images that CNET has been able to acquire skillfully do not reveal is, however, how this removable screen works. Probably, even MWC TCL would not have been entirely exhaustive, given that it is a prototype, and not a smartphone ready for marketing. But there are many doubts. From the image, the screen looks unique, and one thinks that a part folds back on itself when the phone is in 'smartphone mode'. But doesn't this risk marking the screen too much when it comes to the size of a tablet? Furthermore, the design would seem to suggest that half of the device is hollow when it is in 'tablet mode': how does this impact a possible fall? How did TLC work to make sure your device didn't break the first time it slipped out of your pocket? More information is likely to arrive in the coming days. But it seems that TCL has not finished experimenting with this new form factory. What we can take home, for now, is a confirmation of the fact that the folding screens are only at the beginning, and every bet from the builders is good. At the moment, companies are trying to understand which innovation works, and which does not, without seeking an immediate economic return. The market will be really ready when we all see converging towards one type of device. 69. 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