#product engineering services in california

[synergytop]

SynergyTop is the best custom software development company in California. They provide services in eCommerce development, mobile app development, erp implementations, from product design to development and maintenance. Contact: 619-349-4911, to get the services or drop your query at info@synergytop.com.

[eov-blogs]

A basic introduction to Next.js

What is Next.js? 

Next.js is a latest and popular React framework for building full-stack web applications. You use React Components to build user interfaces, and Next.js for additional features and optimizations. Next.js also abstract and automatically configures tooling needed for React, like bundling, compiling, and more. This allows you to focus on building your application instead of spending time with configuration.     

Whether you’re an individual developer or part of a larger team, Next.js can help you build interactive, dynamic, and fast React applications. 

What are the benefits of using Next.js over React?  

Faster Initial Page Loads: Next.js supports server-side rendering (SSR), which means that the initial HTML of your pages is rendered on the server before being sent to the client. This can significantly improve the performance of your pages, especially for SEO and for users with slow internet connections.

Static site generation: Next.js also supports static site generation (SSG), which means that you can pre-render your pages at build time. This can further improve the performance of your pages, as the client will not have to wait for the pages to be rendered on the server. 

Improved SEO: Because Next.js supports SSR and SSG, search engines can easily crawl and index your content, leading to better search engine rankings compared to client-side-rendered applications. SSR also makes your pages more SEO-friendly, as search engines can index the rendered HTML. This can help your pages rank higher in search results. 

Built-in routing: Next.js comes with a file-based routing system, which makes it easy to create complex and dynamic routes without the need for additional routing libraries. In React, you’d typically need a separate routing library like React Router. 

Automatic Code Splitting: Next.js automatically splits your JavaScript code into smaller chunks that are loaded only when needed. This reduces the initial load time and helps improve performance.  

API Routes: You can create API endpoints directly within your Next.js application using the /pages/api directory, simplifying serverless API development. 

Hot Module Replacement (HMR): Next.js supports HMR, which allows you to see changes in your code without a full-page refresh during development. 

Internationalization (i18n): Next.js offers built-in support for internationalization, making it easier to create multilingual websites. 

Image Optimization: It includes automatic image optimization, where images are optimized and served in various formats (e.g., WebP) for better performance. 

What are the additional Key Features of Next.js?  

Hot Module Replacement (HMR): Next.js supports HMR, allowing for instant code changes during development without a full-page refresh. This speeds up the development process and enhances the developer experience.

Production-Ready Optimizations: Next.js includes built-in optimizations for production deployments, such as automatic code splitting, asset optimization, and serverless deployments. This ensures that your application is production-ready with minimal effort. 

Data Fetching: Next.js provides multiple methods for data fetching, including getServerSideProps, getStaticProps, and getInitialProps, making it easy to fetch data on both the server and the client side. 

Internationalization: Next.js offers built-in support for internationalization, making it easier to create multilingual applications. 

Environment Variables: You can use environment variables in Next.js to manage configuration options securely and efficiently. 

CSS Support: Next.js allows you to use various CSS solutions, including CSS Modules, styled-components, and more. It also offers automatic CSS code splitting. 

Middleware Support: You can use middleware functions to customize the behavior of the server, making it versatile for handling various scenarios and authentication. 

Error Handling: Next.js provides robust error handling capabilities, including custom error pages and error boundary components to gracefully handle errors in your application. 

Community and Ecosystem: Next.js has a thriving community, a rich ecosystem of plugins and extensions, and is backed by Vercel, a cloud platform for deploying Next.js applications, which simplifies deployment and scaling. 

Automatic Static Optimization: Next.js automatically optimizes the delivery of static assets like images, fonts, and JavaScript files to improve performance. 

Conclusion 

Next.js is a React framework that offers advantages over plain React, including server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), automatic code splitting, SEO-friendliness, and built-in features for routing, CSS, and API handling. It’s suitable for a wide range of applications, from static websites to dynamic web apps, eCommerce sites, content management systems, and more. Next.js simplifies development tasks, improves performance, and enhances SEO, making it a valuable tool in the React ecosystem. 

In our subsequent blogs, we will cover more on how we have sought help of Next.js to deliver software products to our clients. If you are looking for app development partners, feel free to contact our team now!

[reasonsforhope]

Green energy is in its heyday. 

Renewable energy sources now account for 22% of the nation’s electricity, and solar has skyrocketed eight times over in the last decade. This spring in California, wind, water, and solar power energy sources exceeded expectations, accounting for an average of 61.5 percent of the state's electricity demand across 52 days. 

But green energy has a lithium problem. Lithium batteries control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. 

That’s not just cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, and tools. Scooters, e-bikes, hybrids, and electric vehicles all rely on rechargeable lithium batteries to get going. 

Fortunately, this past week, Natron Energy launched its first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. 

“Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry,” said Colin Wessells — Natron Founder and Co-CEO — at the kick-off event in Michigan. 

The new sodium-ion batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

Wessells said that using sodium as a primary mineral alternative eliminates industry-wide issues of worker negligence, geopolitical disruption, and the “questionable environmental impacts” inextricably linked to lithium mining. 

“The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions,” Wessells said. 

Why are sodium batteries a better alternative to lithium?

The birth and death cycle of lithium is shadowed in environmental destruction. The process of extracting lithium pollutes the water, air, and soil, and when it’s eventually discarded, the flammable batteries are prone to bursting into flames and burning out in landfills. 

There’s also a human cost. Lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel are not only harder to source and procure, but their supply chains are also overwhelmingly attributed to hazardous working conditions and child labor law violations. 

Sodium, on the other hand, is estimated to be 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium. 

“Unlike lithium, sodium can be produced from an abundant material: salt,” engineer Casey Crownhart wrote ​​in the MIT Technology Review. “Because the raw ingredients are cheap and widely available, there’s potential for sodium-ion batteries to be significantly less expensive than their lithium-ion counterparts if more companies start making more of them.”

What will these batteries be used for?

Right now, Natron has its focus set on AI models and data storage centers, which consume hefty amounts of energy. In 2023, the MIT Technology Review reported that one AI model can emit more than 626,00 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

“We expect our battery solutions will be used to power the explosive growth in data centers used for Artificial Intelligence,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron. 

“With the start of commercial-scale production here in Michigan, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable battery energy storage.”

The fast-charging energy alternative also has limitless potential on a consumer level, and Natron is eying telecommunications and EV fast-charging once it begins servicing AI data storage centers in June. 

On a larger scale, sodium-ion batteries could radically change the manufacturing and production sectors — from housing energy to lower electricity costs in warehouses, to charging backup stations and powering electric vehicles, trucks, forklifts, and so on. 

“I founded Natron because we saw climate change as the defining problem of our time,” Wessells said. “We believe batteries have a role to play.”

-via GoodGoodGood, May 3, 2024

--

Note: I wanted to make sure this was legit (scientifically and in general), and I'm happy to report that it really is! x, x, x, x

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: Fly the new USAF stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 11/10/2023 - 15:14in Military

Photo: Matt Hartman

USAF's new B-21 “Raider” flying wing bomber made its first flight on Friday, the next step in the launch of a new fleet of nuclear-capable long-range stealth bombers built by Northrop Grumman.

The B-21 left the Northrop facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, at sunrise on Friday at 6:51 a.m., offering the first improvised view of the new bomber that was developed under strict security.

The aircraft went to Edwards Air Base, California, where it will continue with the flight test phase with USAF. The flight lasted about 90 minutes.

With the Cerberus callsign, the aircraft took off eastward with an F-16 companion plane after climbing about 500 feet. The landing gear was not collected, according to videos and photos that appeared on social networks.

TAP TITLE BAR TO VIEW VIDEO☝️

U.S. Air Force leaders did not disclose the first flight of the B-21, but about three dozen aviation enthusiasts and amateur photographers gathered around Plant 42 on Friday in the hope of seeing the bomber rise to the skies.

Photo: Mike Henry

The B-21, which carries the same "flying wing" format as its predecessor, the B-2, will be able to launch conventional and nuclear weapons around the world, using long-range and in-flight refueling capabilities.

The aircraft are projected to cost approximately $550 million each in 2010 dollars, or about $750 million in current inflation-adjusted dollars. However, the USAF kept other price information confidential, “which makes it difficult to validate the proposed cost,” the Congressional Research Service said in a 2021 report.

Photo: Mike Henry

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy at least 100 planes and start replacing the B-1 and B-2 bombers. The B-1 costs about US$ 60,000 per hour to operate and the B-2 costs about US$ 65,000 per hour, according to Pentagon data.

Ann Stefanek, USAF spokesperson, said: “The B-21 Raider is in flight tests. Flight tests are a critical step in the testing campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and the 412ª Combined Test Wings B-21 Test Force."

Photo: Mike Henry

Six test aircraft are being produced now. They are being built on the same line, using the tools, processes and technicians that will build the production aircraft.

Northrop defeated a team composed of Boeing and Lockheed Martin when it won the 2015 contract to manufacture the bomber. Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems and Spirit Aerosystems are among more than 400 suppliers in 40 states.

The B-21 was publicly presented in December 2022, but the expectation around its first flight had been growing for years.

In 2019, an important Air Force general suggested that the bomber could fly as early as December 2021, but the Force subsequently postponed this date to mid-2022. In early 2022, the USAF postponed even more until 2023.

The B-21 program is in the engineering and manufacturing development phase and the first aircraft will be delivered to Ellsworth Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Northrop is calling the plane a sixth-generation aircraft due to its ability to connect to other aircraft and easily integrate future weapons into its systems architecture.

The B-21 also features surface material with low observation, more durable and stealthy, which should require less maintenance and reduce operating costs and downtime.

Tags: Military AviationNorthrop Grumman B-21 RaiderUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[theserlingbucket]

Good evening 47. Your destination is the headquarters of the social media networking service known as Twitter - in San Francisco, California. The site has been under much discussion on an international scale thanks to its new chairman, and your target - Elon Musk.

Musk is known prominently as the product architect of Tesla inc. As well as his affiliation with SpaceX as its CEO, founder, and lead engineer. But as of recent, Musk’s “improvements” to Twitter, which was only recently bought by him - has stirred controversy as he has implemented limits to users who do not purchase membership to the site. On the surface this is harmless, but this monetary fueled decision has caused the website for more than half of it’s users to become obsolete in its usage. This has caused media migration of sorts within the internet’s hierarchy. This imbalance has infuriated both developers and users, who either need to increase company finances in order to compensate the increasing user bases - or leave behind a valuable and quick source of promotion and content creation.

Musk has laid off many Twitter employees since his purchase of the site, so blending in may be an increasingly difficult task- on the other hand.. the media attention both Musk and his website are receiving may be a way to slip into the cracks. Good luck 47.

[the-outer-topic]

1937 Hong Kong Clipper - Stan Stokes

The Glen L. Martin Company had a long history as a designer and manufacturer of successful flying boats. The company had developed several different flying boats for the Navy, including the PM the P3M and the XP2M. However, when the company began considering the development of a large commercial flying boat for Pan Am, there was considerable internal controversy. The Great Depression was underway and many aircraft manufacturers were going bankrupt. Glenn Martin insisted that the company proceed, and lie was highly motivated to show the world that his organization could design and produce the finest flying boat ever built. The end product of their efforts was the M-130. Credit for its design is shared with Martins Chief Engineer (L.C. Milburn), the Project Engineer (L.D. McCarthy), test pilot (WX. Ebel), and Pail Ams Chief Engineer (Andre Priester.) The first of the three MA 3 Os was the China Clipper. It made its maiden flight on December 30, 1934. The M- 130 had a wingspan of 130 feet, a gross weight of 5 1,000 pounds, and was initially powered by four Twin Wasp radials generating 830-HP each. (In 1938 more powerful engines and automatically adjustable pitch props were refitted onto all three M-130s.) The M-130 had a capacity of 32 passengers, and were equipped with 18 sleeping births. They were flown by a crew of eight professionals. The practical range of the aircraft with a normal load was about 3000-miles, which at a typical cruising speed of 130-MPH implied an endurance of almost 24 hours in the air. One unique design feature of the M-130 was the use of sponsons, or water wings, which actually helped the aircraft lift off from the water. The three M-130s were christened the China, Hawaii and Philippine Clippers by Pan Am. The China Clipper was accepted by Pan Am in October of 1935. In November this aircraft flew from Alameda, California to Manila in the Philippines; completing the 8,200 mile journey with a total flight time of 59 hours and 48 minutes. It arrived in Manila only two minutes behind its scheduled arrival time. The Philippine Clipper entered service next and was used for survey flights to map the Manila to Hong Kong route. The Hawaii Clipper entered service in October of 1936. This aircraft, unfortunately was lost during a flight in 1938 from Guarn to Manila, and its fate is unknown. The Philippine Clipper was lost in 1943 on a flight from Hawaii to San Francisco. Lost in bad weather the plane hit a mountain northwest of the city. The China Clipper was utilized by the US Navy during the War, and was returned to Pan AM in late 1943. For the next year it flew the route from Miami to Africa. On the night of January 18, 1945 the China Clipper crashed while attempting a landing in Trinidad. At the time of this tragedy the aircraft had successfully flown more than three million miles. In Stan Stokes painting the China Clipper takes off from Hong Kongs busy harbor in the late 1930s. The China Clipper may be the best known and most-loved commercial aircraft in history. It signalled the beginning of long distance commercial airline service, which by revolutionizing international passenger travel and mail delivery, made the Earth a rnuch smaller place for all of its inhabitants

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Taylor Swift ‘snubbed invite’ to appear on Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast

Reports claim Meghan wrote a personal letter asking her to appear on the Archetypes show but the singer declined through a representative

Victoria Ward 24 June 2023

Taylor Swift snubbed an invitation to appear on the Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast and the couple left Netflix and Spotify executives “underwhelmed” by their lack of productivity and ideas, it has been claimed.

The production of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast was fraught with difficulties over securing the right guests and the Duchess often asking for late changes, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In a wide-ranging analysis of the couple’s careers since settling in California, the newspaper suggested that their big dream of wowing Hollywood with their star power and royal connections had been undermined by a lack of substance.

It revealed that Archewell employees and associates had admitted the company often lacked direction, and that the royal couple “at times seem surprised by the work required to finish entertainment projects.”

It added: “Most potential initiatives, they said, follow a similar route: Big idea, subpar execution.”

It is alleged that Meghan wrote a personal letter to Taylor Swift, asking her to appear on Archetypes, but that the singer declined, through a representative.

The production of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast, which has now been dropped by Spotify was fraught with difficulties

“Harry, in particular, struggled to land on an idea,” the newspaper added of their Spotify deal.

The couple have had multiple ideas rejected by Netflix, which is said to be unlikely to renew its deal when it expires in 2025.

They were also hampered by a recent, post-pandemic downturn in the industry that has led to widespread cost-cutting and restructuring.

Spotify recently laid off 200 people, including many audio engineers, and is said to be revamping its approach to podcasting.

Other proposed projects by the Duke and Duchess are said to have included a sitcom likened to the hit show Emily in Paris, “but about a man”, and a family-friendly show about gay characters that felt similar to the popular coming-of-age drama Heartstopper. Netflix is said to have turned down both.

The couple are reportedly developing a show for Netflix called Bad Manners, based on the Miss Havisham character in Great Expectations.

The Duke and Duchess also had multiple ideas rejected by Netflix CREDIT: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

It is described as a prequel to the Charles Dickens novel that recasts the lonely spinster as a strong woman living in a patriarchal society. It is not known whether it has been commissioned by Netflix.

Despite following a path forged by Barack and Michelle Obama, who have been hugely productive and successful, the Sussexes appear to have failed to live up to the mark.

Netflix executives are said to have grumbled about Archewell’s output, fearing that their six-part Harry & Meghan documentary released in December was all they had to offer.

The couple announced earlier this month that their $20 million Spotify deal had come to a premature end, having produced just one series of Meghan’s 12-part Archetypes podcast and a short “holiday special.”

A joint statement said: “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”

A source close to the couple told the Telegraph that it was proving “tough” for the couple to move forwards with Netflix projects in development due to a Hollywood writers’ strike, which has brought much of US film and TV production to a crashing halt.

Their multi-year Netflix deal, rumoured to be worth $100 million, was announced with much fanfare in September 2020, with the streaming service predicting that the couple’s programmes would provide its “most exciting and most viewed” content the following year.

But the only show the couple have so far produced was their six-part eponymous docuseries.

Heart of Invictus, a behind-the-scenes documentary following competitors as they prepared for the 2022 Invictus Games, was announced in April 2021 and slated for release the following spring.

But that too has not yet seen the light of day, although Netflix insists it will be launched this summer.

An Archewell spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal: “New companies often make changes in their start-up phase, both with people and strategy, and we are no exception. We’re more equipped, focused and energised than ever before.”

She said the company recently hired a new head of scripted content, actress and producer Tracy Ryerson.

A Netflix spokeswoman said Harry & Meghan was its biggest documentary debut. “We’ll continue to work together on a number of projects,” she added.

[denimbex1986]

'The hype is building for Christopher Nolan’s "Oppenheimer," which premieres on July 21st. The film boasts an A-list cast and comes from the director responsible for "The Dark Knight," "Inception" and "Memento."

Based on the novel, "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer," the film follows the story of Julius Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) a theoretical physicist and director of the laboratory responsible for the development of the atomic bomb.

But for those unfamiliar with atomic history (or maybe those more familiar with the characters in the upcoming "Barbie" movie, instead), here’s what to know about the man on which the film is based, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb.”

Where was Oppenheimer born?

Oppenheimer was born in New York, in 1904 to German immigrant and wealthy textile importer, Julius Oppenheimer and painter Ella Friedman Oppenheimer, according to the National Parks Service, which described him as a quiet child, studying mineralogy and writing poetry.

Where did Oppenheimer go to college?

Oppenheimer was admitted to Harvard University but postponed his enrollment due to illness, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

After enrolling in 1922, he studied physics, chemistry, Latin, Greek and eastern philosophy at Harvard before traveling to the University of Cambridge where he studied two terms, per the school. He then transferred to the University of Göttingen where he earned a doctorate in physics, according to the nuclear museum.

He then returned to the United States to teach physics at the University of California at Berkeley and the California Institute of Technology. There he conducted research on black holes and neutron stars. He worked alongside experimental physicist and Noble Prize winner Ernest Lawrence, played by Josh Hartnett in the film.

Oppenheimer's wife, children

He married Katherine “Kitty” Puening (played by Emily Blunt in the upcoming movie) in 1940 and had two children, Peter and Toni, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

What role did Oppenheimer serve in the Manhattan Project? What was Los Alamos?

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico, a key location in the "Oppenheimer" movie, was a lab responsible for the top-secret design and production of atomic bombs. Part of the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos (or Project Y as it was known at the time) was greenlit in 1942, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It was then that General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project (played by Matt Damon), selected Oppenheimer to lead the project, and the pair began planning.

They selected a remote location surrounded by mountains to build a secret town where scientists and their families could live, according to the National Parks Service. There, hundreds of scientists and engineers developed the Gadget (the world’s first nuclear test device), Little Boy (the uranium-fueled atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan), and Fat Man (the plutonium-fueled atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan).

The Oppenheimer hearing

In 1954, during the era of McCarthyism, the Atomic Energy Commission called Oppenheimer to testify on his past involvement with communist organizations, due to fears that he was a Soviet spy.

It is unclear if Oppenheimer was ever a part of the Communist Party, but he was sympathetic to communist goals, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation's nuclear museum. He became acquainted with leftist politics through his turbulent love affair with communist and medical student Jean Tatlock (played by Florence Pugh in the film) and was fueled by anger toward the oppression his Jewish relatives were suffering in Nazi Germany. Oppenheimer’s brother, Frank Oppenheimer, joined the Communist Party in 1937.

Oppenheimer’s communist ties were scrutinized when he was selected to partake in the Manhattan Project, but he was approved with the support of General Groves, the museum notes.

Oppenheimer testified for 27 hours in 1954 to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. In the end, his security clearance was revoked.

Sixty years after his hearing, the U.S. Department of Energy released the full, declassified transcript of the hearing.

Oppenheimer: Hydrogen bombs vs. atomic bombs

After the Soviet Union successfully tested nuclear weaponry in 1949 and U.S. turned attention to advancing its nuclear arms, Oppenheimer resisted the development of fusion weapons (like the hydrogen bomb) instead of fission weapons (like the atomic bomb) for concerns that the weapons would only be used on human populations, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

J. Robert Oppenheimer death

In 1967, Oppenheimer died in Princeton, New Jersey, of throat cancer, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

What to know about other 'Oppenheimer' characters in real life

Leslie Groves Jr.: Played by Matt Damon in the film, Groves was appointed to head the Manhattan Project in 1942 and worked alongside Oppenheimer. He was reportedly known for his stubbornness, egotism, intelligence, and abrasive nature, according to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. He fiercely defended Oppenheimer during the AEC hearing.

Jean Tatlock: Played by Florence Pugh in the film, Jean Tatlock (1914-1944) was an American psychologist and Communist Party member. For several years, she maintained a relationship with Oppenheimer, who she met while studying at the Stanford University Medical School. Oppenheimer proposed to Tatlock twice, although she declined both times, according to the nuclear museum.

Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer: Played by Emily Blunt, “Kitty” Oppenheimer married J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1939. She was a trained botanist forced to put her career on hold when moving to Los Alamos with her husband. She served as an important confidant for Oppenheimer, per the museum.

Lewis Strauss: Played by Robert Downey Jr in the film, Lewis Strauss was appointed chairman of the AEC by President Truman. He led the push for the development of thermonuclear weapons after the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb. He was a vocal opponent of Oppenheimer, as the two disagreed starkly on nuclear weapons and Strauss viewed Oppenheimer as a threat to American security, the museum notes.'

[mr-inform-mate]

Elon Musk

Let’s talk about the business magnate and investor, Elon Musk. He is the founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer at SpaceX. He is the angel investor, CEO, and Product Architect of Tesla, He is also the founder of The Boring Company; and co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI. He has an estimated net worth of around $266 billion USD as of August 17, 2022.Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world according to both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes' real-time billionaires list.

Let’s go back 50 years in time

Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, where he grew up. He briefly attended the University of Pretoria before moving to Canada at age 17, where he acquired citizenship. Two years later, he studied at Queen's University and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received bachelor's degrees in Economics and Physics. He later moved to California in 1995 to attend Stanford University but decided instead to pursue a business career, co-founding the web software company, Zip2, with his brother Kimbal. The startup was acquired by a company named Compaq for $307 million in 1999. The same year, Musk co-founded online bank X.com, which merged with Confinity in 2000 to form PayPal. eBay bought PayPal in 2002, for $1.5 billion.

In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company, of which he is the CEO and Chief Engineer of. In 2004, he was an early investor in electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla Motors which is now Tesla. He became its chairman and product architect and eventually took the position of CEO in 2008. In 2006, he helped create a company called SolarCity. This was a solar energy company that was later acquired by Tesla and became Tesla Energy. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI, It is a nonprofit research company promoting friendly artificial intelligence. In 2016, he co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain–computer interfaces.In the same year, he founded The Boring Company, a tunnel construction company that prevents traffic jams. Musk has said that he will be building a hyperloop high-speed vactrain transportation system. He is the president of the Musk Foundation, which donates to scientific research and education.

Thank you,

Mr. InforMate

[lboogie1906]

Dr. James Andrew Harris (March 26, 1932 – December 12, 2000) was a nuclear chemist who was involved in the discovery of elements 104 and 105 (rutherfordium and dubnium). He is known for being the first African American to contribute to the discovery of new elements. He was drafted and served in the Army as a personnel supervisor specialist. He graduated from McClymonds High School in Oakland. He returned to Texas where he attended Huston-Tillotson College. He entered college on a music scholarship but switched to studying chemistry and received a BS. He received an MS in Public Administration at California State University, Hayward. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Huston-Tillotson College. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. His first job in chemical research was as a radiochemist at Tracerlab Inc, he worked there for five years. He left to work in the isotope division in the nuclear chemistry department of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at UC Berkeley. His work at the lab involved studying beta decay in the Beta Spectroscopy Group. He worked on a project to improve neutron activation analysis with germanium semiconducting detectors. He then joined the Heavy Isotopes Production Group on the team tasked with producing new heavy elements via atom bombardment. His job was to design and purify targets that would be used in Berkeley's Heavy Ion Linear Accelerator to discover elements 104 and 105. These targets needed minimal impurities of elements such as lead to work. He and his colleagues conducted what they called the “first aqueous chemistry of element 104”, to determine how the new element behaved and thus where it should be placed on the periodic table. He took a position with the Berkeley Lab Office of Equal Opportunity. He was promoted to Head of the Engineering and Technical Services Division. He worked with students in grade school and at the university level to encourage African American students into the sciences. This work earned him numerous awards from organizations. He married Helen Harris (1957-2000) and together the two raised five children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQLb1hL1gp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[eov-blogs]

How mobile apps can help travel businesses increase bookings

In today’s fast-paced world, mobile apps have become indispensable tool for businesses across industries. The travel sector is no exception, as travel businesses increasingly leverage mobile apps to enhance customer experiences and drive bookings. With the right features and functionalities, a well-designed mobile app can be a game-changer, revolutionizing the way travel businesses interact with customers and ultimately leading to increased bookings. In this blog, we’ll explore how the right mobile app can help travel businesses soar to new heights by boosting their bookings.

Seamless Booking Process:

The primary function of a travel app is to allow customers to easily search, browse, and book travel services. By providing a streamlined and intuitive booking process, mobile apps can remove barriers that might otherwise discourage potential travelers from completing their bookings. With a user-friendly interface, intuitive navigation, and a hassle-free payment process, customers are more likely to convert their intentions into actual bookings.

Personalization and Recommendations:

Mobile apps enable travel businesses to gather data about their customers’ preferences, behavior, and past interactions. Leveraging this data, travel businesses can offer personalized recommendations and travel itineraries. By suggesting relevant destinations, accommodations, activities, and packages, the app creates a tailored experience that resonates with the individual traveler. This personal touch can significantly influence the decision-making process, leading to increased bookings.

Real-Time Updates:

Travel plans can be unpredictable, and customers appreciate being kept informed in real-time. Mobile apps can provide timely updates on flight status, hotel availability, weather conditions, and more. By keeping travelers informed about any changes or disruptions, travel businesses can build trust and reliability, ultimately enhancing the customer experience and boosting their confidence in making bookings through the app.

Loyalty Programs and Rewards:

Travel businesses can incentivize repeat bookings by integrating loyalty programs and rewards into their mobile apps. Offering discounts, special offers, and exclusive perks to loyal customers encourages them to choose your services over competitors. Such programs can foster a sense of belonging and appreciation, further increasing customer retention and driving more bookings.

User-Generated Content:

Positive reviews, ratings, and testimonials play a pivotal role in influencing potential travelers. A well-designed mobile app can enable customers to share their experiences and leave reviews directly from their devices. Travel businesses can showcase user-generated content to build trust and authenticity, helping to attract new customers and convert them into bookings.

Location-Based Services:

Geolocation technology in mobile apps allows travel businesses to offer location-based services. For instance, the app can suggest nearby attractions, restaurants, and activities based on the traveler’s current location. This feature enhances the overall travel experience and encourages users to explore more, ultimately leading to additional bookings.

Customer Support and Engagement:

A mobile app can serve as a direct communication channel between the travel business and its customers. With in-app chat, FAQs, and customer support features, travelers can easily find answers to their queries and concerns. Prompt and effective customer support not only enhances user satisfaction but also helps resolve issues that might otherwise hinder bookings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the right mobile app can be a powerful tool for travel businesses looking to increase their bookings. By providing a seamless booking process, personalization, real-time updates, loyalty programs, user-generated content, location-based services, and robust customer support, travel businesses can enhance the overall customer experience. A well-designed mobile app doesn’t just serve as a booking platform; it becomes a travel companion that guides, assists, and enriches the traveler’s journey. Embracing mobile technology can give travel businesses a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving industry, ultimately leading to greater success and growth.

As a leading software development company, specialized in travel tech, we can certainly help you change the face of your online business game! Contact us now to know what we can do for your travel business!

[ausetkmt]

Racism Impoverishes the Whole Economy - The New York Times

Sign Up for the Education Briefing  From preschool to grad school, get the latest U.S. education news.

Discrimination hurts just about everyone, not only its direct victims.

New research shows that while the immediate targets of racism are unquestionably hurt the most, discrimination inflicts a staggering cost on the entire economy, reducing the wealth and income of millions of people, including many who do not customarily view themselves as victims.

The pernicious effects of discrimination on the wages and educational attainment of its direct targets are being freshly documented in inventive ways by scholarship. From the lost wages of African-Americans because of President Woodrow Wilson’s segregation of the Civil Service, to the losses suffered by Black and Hispanic students because of California’s ban on affirmative action, to the scarcity of Black girls in higher-level high school math courses, the scope of the toll continues to grow.

But farther-reaching effects of systemic racism may be less well understood. Economists are increasingly considering the cost of racially based misallocation of talent to everyone in the economy.

My own research demonstrates, for example, how hate-related violence can reduce the level and long-term growth of the U.S. economy. Using patents as a proxy for invention and innovation, I calculated how many were never issued because of the violence — riots, lynchings and Jim Crow laws — to which African Americans were subjected between 1870 and 1940.

The loss was considerable: The patents that African-Americans could have been expected to receive, given equal opportunity, would have roughly equaled the total for a medium-size European country during that time.

Those enormous creative losses can be expected to have had a direct effect on business investment and therefore on total economic activity and growth.

Other economists are beginning to estimate harm to the economy caused by racism in broad ways.

An important principle suggests that the person who can produce a product or service at a lower opportunity cost than his or her peers has a comparative advantage in that activity. Recent research calculates the effects of the discriminatory practice of placing highly skilled African-American workers, who might have flourished as, say, doctors, into lower-skilled occupations where they had no comparative advantage. Such practices 50 years ago — which linger, to a lesser extent, today — have cost the economy up to 40 percent of aggregate productivity and output today.

Similarly, other research estimates that aggregate economic output would have been $16 trillion higher since 2000 if racial gaps had been closed. To put that total in context, the gross domestic product of the United States in 2019 was $21.4 trillion. The researchers estimate that economic activity could be $5 trillion higher over the next five years if equal opportunity is achieved.

Right now, if more women and African-Americans were participating in the technical innovation that leads to patents, the economist Yanyan Yang and I calculate that G.D.P. per capita could be 0.6 to 4.4 percent higher. That is, it would be between $58,841 to $61,064 per person compared with $58,490 per person in 2019.

This entire line of research suggests that organizations — companies, laboratories, colleges and universities — are leaving colossal sums of money on the table by not maximizing talent and living standards for all Americans.

I have thought and written a lot about remedies. Here are a few ideas aimed at addressing discrimination in the innovation economy. First, we need more training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), like the extensive and highly successful program once sponsored by Bell Labs to encourage participation in these fields by women and underrepresented minorities

STEM fields should not be the sole target, however, because the innovation economy encompasses more than this narrow set of subjects. Two of the last three people I’ve talked to at tech firms have a B.A. in international relations and a Ph.D. in political science. Clearly, problem-solving skills matter, but these skills are not unique to the STEM majors.

Second, there is substantial evidence of systemic racism in education, which needs to be addressed. Research shows that professors are less likely to respond to email inquiries about graduate study from Black, Hispanic and female students than from people who are discernibly white and male. A system of incentives — and penalties — could hold those responsible accountable at every level of the education and training process.

At the invention stage, such as at corporate, government and university labs, my research shows that mixed-gender teams are more prolific than those whose members are all female or male. And a large body of literature has documented the positive effects of diversity in teams. Managers at each level should be held responsible for being good stewards of the resources of their companies and promoting diverse teams and behavior and, therefore, better outcomes.

When invention is commercialized and companies sell shares to the public, the wealth gaps are stark. Seven of the world’s 10 richest people on the Forbes list are associated with tech companies that commercialize inventions. Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are in the top five. None among the top 10 (or 50) is Black.

The statistics for venture capital funding are striking. In 2014, less than 1 percent of venture capital funding went to businesses founded by African-American women, and in 2015, only 2 percent of all venture capitalists were African-American.

A number of worthwhile recommendations have been made to address the lack of diversity at the commercialization stage of innovation. These include:

Enhancing mentoring opportunities through programs such as those of the Small Business Administration.

Seeking and recruiting founders to invest in places like Atlanta, and not exclusively in Silicon Valley.

Addressing systemic racism at every level of management and within venture capital firms.

Diversifying corporate boards so that senior leadership will be held accountable for diversity and workplace climate. (California has done this with women on the boards of public companies.)

The Kapor Center, a think tank that promotes participation by underrepresented minorities in tech fields and education, has proposed noteworthy remedies at many stages, including at the pre-college level.

The social compact most societies have with their governments is that standards of living will rise continually and that each successive generation will be better off than preceding ones. We are robbing countless people of higher standards of living and well-being when we allow racial discrimination to flourish from

[homanardalanlosangeles]

How To Generate Digital Leads? - A Brief By Homan Ardalan

The virtual generation has modified the manner we do commercial enterprise, says Homan Ardalan California, and it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to hold up with the needs in their potentialities with the aid of constructing a well-oiled lead technology machine.

How to Generate Leads With Your Digital Marketing?

Use Content Marketing to Establish Thought Leadership Leverage Paid Social Optimize Your Site for Local search engine marketing Segment Email Marketing

Lead technology is broken down into units of advertising and marketing that correspond with tiers of the consumer's journey, beginning with producing visitors, then changing traffic into leads, and subsequently changing the leads into clients.

Yet, Homan Ardalan says lead technology stays an actual project for maximum, in spite of the plethora of lead technology software programs available. As information indicates, 88 percent of clients study their purchases online earlier than creating a purchase. As entrepreneurs, we want to construct a virtual advertising and marketing approach that offers fees to the customer via that study process, producing now no longer simply visitors but certified leads.

If you haven`t commenced generating content material already, this ought to be one of the first steps in your lead technology approach.

Garner leads with the aid of using turning into a topic remember professional on subjects or ache factors that your service or product solves. Regularly publish blogs, news, and guidelines concerning your enterprise. Also, produce tremendous courses that traffic can download on your internet site. This permits you to gather information from humans that download your courses so that you can sign up them into lead nurture applications and hold them engaged with the aid of sharing approximately your service or product. You can also add or even flip them into clients.

Don't neglect to sell the content material. You create the usage of online advertising and marketing strategies including search engine marketing, social, and e-mail. Great content material won't make a distinction if humans can't discover it. A survey carried out with the aid of using FormStack shows that natural seek is the biggest supply of superb leads, so make sure to spend a while optimizing your content material for seek engines.

Social media may be an effective channel for lead technology. In order to achieve success in obtaining leads through social media, you ought to invest effort and time in constructing an engaged target market so that you can convert the ones, people, into leads. The first project is identifying which device is proper for your commercial enterprise.

Organic seek is arguably one of the maximum precious long-time period lead technology strategies. Yet, with over two hundred elements influencing how Google will rank your internet site inside SERPs, it's hard to recognize wherein to start. I accept as true that a heavy hitter for lead technology is spending time optimizing neighborhood search engine marketing.

Local search engine marketing will permit your commercial enterprise to faucet into the encompassing network and assist customers to discover you while you`re wished maximum. As cell phones keep dominating, neighborhood search engine marketing could make a huge distinction in driving greater clients to your front door. Start with the aid of making sure your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone) is steady on your internet site and inside listings including Yelp, Facebook, and Google My Business.

Although it could be one of the older tactics, e-mail advertising and marketing may be a totally effective device while looking to attain potential or upsell present clients. .

As you research approximately every lead, you may tailor your messaging to transport them down the funnel.

[usafphantom2]

The SR-71 Was Close to Perfect

A member of the Blackbirds’ ground crew looks back on the airplane’s flight-test beginnings to the end of the Blackbirds

This first photograph was taken of the SR-71 #972 when it was in a hangar near Dullas airport, waiting for the new Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to be open. Photo Eric long. The other two photographs were taken at Palmdale California December 21, 1989.

After a 480-mile flight from Beale Air Force Base in California, the midnight-black airplane swooped down to about 300 feet above Burbank Tower, less than 30 seconds after its scheduled arrival time of 12 noon. It made an easy half-roll, then completed two more passes. The parking garage roof where I stood reverberated with cheers, but as the Blackbird came in for its final pass, a hundred feet off the runway, and then pulled up just beyond the tower, the crowd fell silent. was December 1989, and this flyby, a gift to Lockheed employees from Ben Rich, head of Advanced Development Projects (the Skunk Works), marked the beginning of the end of the SR-71. After much debate in Congress, the Blackbirds were about to be retired. The YF-12A, the earlier, single-seat version of the SR-71, first flew in August 1963 and the Blackbird in December 1964. It was still unsurpassed when it was retired in 1990, 24 years after it officially entered service.

As I watched the SR-71 that December day, I thought back to the airplane’s flight-test beginnings in the early 1960s. I thought of Ben Rich, Ray Passon, Keith Beswick, and so many others whose lives were forever touched by this aircraft. I too was part of the Blackbird team, setting up housing, transportation, and communications—special measures due to the secrecy necessary. And above all of us was designer Kelly Johnson, who had a gift for sharing his ability to innovate and his drive to succeed. The unity of commitment we felt under leadership from Larry Bohanan in engineering and Dorsey Kammerer in production reached new intensity whenever Kelly arrived in the field. Sometimes he would good-naturedly arm-wrestle with people working there. His team members were hand-picked and fiercely loyal to him. He once offered $50 to anybody who could find an easy job to do. He got no takers. When it came to their specialties, the people working on the Blackbird were the best in the company, perhaps in the country or even the world. The last word in reconnaissance airplanes, the SR-71 was capable of flying faster than Mach 3 and above 85,000 feet. In fact, the SR-71 flew so fast that even in the cold of those rarefied heights, the friction of the air heated its titanium skin to 550 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the day the Blackbird took to the air for the first time, many of the ground crews showed up. I had worked all night, but sleep in those days seemed like nothing but a waste of time so I stayed to watch. The weather was perfect for a December day: clear and cold, with snow on the surrounding mountains. Somewhere around 8 a.m. the desert silence was shattered by the sound of the twin Buick V-8 engines used for the starters. Later, when the Blackbirds operated at their base at Beale, they had permanent start facilities in their hangars, but in the early days two highly modified 425-cubic-inch Buick Wildcats, an estimated 500 horsepower each, were used to turn a massive starter shaft that was inverted into the first one, then the other of the SR-71’s J-58 engines. One sound I shall never forgot is that of those unmuffled Buicks holding steady at better than 6,000 rpm in excess of 15 seconds at a time, all hours of the day and night. Starting the engines was no easy job.

Kelly Johnson stood by in his familiar dark blue suit and tie, smiling as he had a final word for the pilots.

Veteran crew chief standing next to me could only murmur, “Her enemies will never be natural.”( that was true. It was jealous people that were her enemy.)

Written by Jim Norris

@Habubrats71 via X

[audio-luddite]

Good Morning Audio people.

I did my usual perusal of the local equipment ads today. I noticed a relatively low priced super amp in there. It was a SUMO Andromeda. Big and black and it looked really heavy.

It was about 1/2 to 3/4 of the usual price for this type of thing, so interested I became. It reviewed well in the 90's, and gained favor in several magazines. I looked further into it. SUMO was another incarnation of James Bongiorno's businesses.

His name is either Good Morning in Italian or a homonym (or is it homophone) of that. So good morning!

He started at Marantz in the golden NY era. Then moved to New Jersey with Dynaco. Then California with SAE and then GAS, and eventually SUMO. Each step was further down the road of his quest for electronic perfection. Each stop produced notable products. A quest does not have to be linear or even successful.

I must remind you that JB was one of the three big golden age designers who gained respect even fans among the audiophile world. The other two being Nelson Pass, and Bob Carver.

Anyway back to the SUMO. The documents for this Amp, an Andromeda II, were interesting. They talked about separate power supplies and robust hardware. It was also one of the Early big FET amps. Stereophile sorta liked it in certain systems. When it was good it was very good. Both good and FET. It was priced about what I could get for my Franken-amp if I found a buyer. Wheels started to turn.

So I dig further. As per usual I looked up the circuit schematic. Holy shit! This was an electronic maze. I imagined service techs throwing themselves off of tall buildings if this showed up. It looked like each channel was made from two complete amplifiers bridged to act as one amplifier. That apparently is exactly what it was.

In the normal application many stereo amps can be bridged to act as one monophonic amp at about double the power. Good things usually happen. So why not, they thought, do that right in the box with four amps to make 2 bigger ones. Twice as many parts!

In my opinion one benefit of bridging amps is you have two completely separate devices so there is no cross talk. It is physically impossible. Putting two already bridged amps in a box would be fine if they had their own power supply like Harmon Kardon and others do. SUMO didn't do that.

They did a weird thing in having two tiers of power supply one for the low level Class A front end and a second (smaller one!) for the big output transistors. Well he was in California, he may have been smoking something. If these power supplies could be cleaved apart for each channel and the big outputs given more umph capacitors things could look good.

Hey I am not an electronic engineer. BUT things were screaming at me why did they do that!

The only cool thing they did was to have the power stages biased so that they acted as Class A up to a couple dozen Watts. 95% of your listening is at very low Wattage. So a Class A Bias is generally a good thing though it makes it run kinda warm. Cool to be warm.

It looks like he went down a "lets try this" rabbit hole. Yes MOSFETs were involved but dear me. Interesting the Mr Pass went the route of simplicity. He also moved to a mountain forest.

All these things have a voice. The Stereophile review discussed how it sounded really good with some speakers and less so with others. Interesting that made such a difference. Obviously it was reacting to the speakers impedance function. Why else would it sound different? You shove a big electrical signal down the throat of any speaker it should just put out sound. But sometimes they argue. Sometimes the amplifier does not like arguments. Maybe if the power stage had more umph behind it?

So after being intrigued I thought give it a miss. I am sure someone will buy it and like it, until it breaks.