Beta Bytes: Week of January 9th, 2021
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Snippets of breaking news calibrated to science, technology, and engineering topics as well as our clients’ interests.
Early details Emerge About the New U.K. Coronavirus Variant
Researchers recently identified a new variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom that appears to be behind a recent spike in local COVID-19 and might be linked to a faster spread of disease.
The new variant is called B.1.1.7 and does not seem to affect disease severity.
And for now, experts expect vaccines should still protect against this version of the COVID-19 virus.
From Science News
General Electric’s Monster Wind Turbine is Upending an Industry
GE's test model for a new series of giant offshore wind turbines is about a third more powerful than the largest in commercial service and changing business calculations.
The model is called Haliade-X and has turning diameter is longer than two football fields, making it the largest wind turbine ever built.
It gives a competitive advantage by producing more electricity at a reduced the cost of building and maintaining the turbine, making it attractive to wind farm developers who are compete for contracts to supply countries with wind energy at the lowest price.
From The Business Times
New York Times Lists Their Tech Predictions for 2021
Policy challenges for technology companies will probably grow - Biden’s administrative choices to lead the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department will most likely continue to pursue the antitrust cases against Facebook and Google, with lawsuits against other big tech companies also possible.
Our fancy gadgets won’t be where the action is - We are going to see an even bigger emphasis on software and internet services that help us live through screens, and a reduced focus on gadgets since our phones, laptops, and other devices are already very capable.
Digital remittances will most likely soar in 2021 - the pandemic made immigrants more receptive to smartphone apps such as Remitly and TransferWise to send money back home and there may be no going back to more traditional remittance payments.
From The New York Times
Samsung to Launch New Galaxy Smartphones Next Week
Samsung announced Monday a virtual event called “Unpacked 2021” in which the electronics giant is expected to launch the newest versions of its Galaxy smartphones a month ahead of schedule.
If you are interested in attending, you can do so from Samsung's website at 10 a.m. EST on January 14, 2021.
Samsung may be launching earlier than expected to try to grab market share from Huawei and fend off competition from tech giant Apple.
From Business Insider
Information provided in this report is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, investment, legal, or tax advice; and does not constitute an offer, or a solicitation of any offer, to buy or sell any security, investment, or other product.