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Marvell Technology, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend PaymentMajor stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5 , the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks . NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path." NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore stand together for a photo June 5 as they head to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their liftoff on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. "I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun." Both astronauts lived up there before, so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September. "Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers." Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations. Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait June 13 inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise. "When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year. Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams was "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined to comment on when it might launch again. NASA also has high praise for the pair. "Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 flight engineers, make pizza Sept. 9 aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module. Items are attached to the galley using tape and Velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. On top of everything else, Williams, 59, had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms. During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise. Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well. She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt. "Hopefully I'll be home before that happens — but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston. As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college. The astronauts in the video seemed to be in good spirits with one stating, “It’s gonna be delicious.” (Scripps News) "We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods. "We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, talks to his family members as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov looks on after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two astronauts are beginning a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) In this image from video provided by NASA, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and astronaut Nick Hague travel inside a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA via AP) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, gives a thumbs up as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov leave the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Falcon 9's first stage booster returns to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Marketing Technology Leader Celebrates Four Consecutive Years of Recognition for Outstanding Growth and Innovation SAN ANTONIO , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stirista, a leader in data-driven marketing innovation, today announced it has secured the #4 position in the San Antonio Business Journal's Fast Track Awards for 2024. This marks Stirista's fourth consecutive year on the list, moving up two spots from last year's ranking and further solidifying its place as a powerhouse in the marketing technology space. The Fast Track Awards recognize the region's fastest-growing companies, celebrating innovation, success, and contributions to the local economy. Stirista's continued rise on the list highlights its sustained growth, fueled by data solutions, strategic client partnerships, and its commitment to excellence in marketing. "We are honored to be recognized for the fourth consecutive year, and moving up to the #4 spot re-affirms our dedication to exceeding expectations and the trust our clients continue to place in us," said Ajay Gupta , CEO of Stirista. "This achievement reflects our never-ending drive to push boundaries, deliver value, and make a meaningful impact in marketing technology. San Antonio has been an incredible foundation for our success, and we're excited to continue contributing to this vibrant business community." Achieving record growth of 73% (2021-2023), Stirista's upward trajectory on the Fast Track Awards is attributed to its proprietary platforms and data-driven strategies that enable marketers to connect with their audiences effectively and responsibly. Recent milestones include the incorporation of AI, high customer retention, and continued strategic acquisitions. For more information about Stirista and its marketing solutions, visit www.stirista.com . About Stirista Stirista is a data-driven marketing technology provider that combines the power of authoritative identity data with the execution of omnichannel marketing. Through its data and customer-centric approach, Stirista is helping Fortune 500 and mid-market brands increase brand loyalty and acquire new customers. Stirista's privacy compliant data insights helps clients interact with customers and prospects via digital, email and social channels. For more information, please visit http://www.stirista.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stirista-climbs-to-4-on-san-antonio-business-journals-2024-fast-track-awards-302330550.html SOURCE Stirista
Google renews push into mixed reality headgearWith Q2 earnings season having left many investors disappointed, Mihir Vora , CIO, Trust Mutual Fund , says he is not in the slowdown camp as government spending is expected to pick up sharply in the second half of year and act as a kicker to growth. In this chat with ETMarkets, the Dalal Street veteran says he is bullish on three broad themes: rising income levels, physical asset creation and technological disruption . Edited excerpts: Mutual fund inflows have been strong even when the market is falling. How much cash are you deploying in your portfolios amid the market correction? We usually do not take big cash calls. In our existing Flexicap fund, the usual cash levels are 1 to 5%. We had about 7% cash and have deployed much of it in the fall. We were however fortunate as we just collected monies in our smallcap NFO, which we substantially deployed this month. SIPs have become a counter-force to selling by FIIs . Do you think the monthly SIP flow can hit the Rs 1 lakh crore mark as soon as 4-5 years? We are at about Rs. 25,000 crore monthly run rate. I would say that at 15-20% compounded growth rate, we could reach that level in 7 to 11 years. 5 years may be too optimistic. 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Are you cautious or bullish at this stage of the market? We are at an interesting juncture in the markets. After a stellar run over the past 12 months, we have seen a healthy correction and the market stands at crucial support levels. There are global tailwinds, with expectations that the US economy will continue to grow well and that the US Federal reserve will continue to keep monetary policy benign. On the other hand, China continues to struggle with growth. Domestically, rural demand is stabilising after a prolonged post-COVID weakness, while urban demand appears to be peaking. On the positive side, primary sales seem to be picking up in the festival season. We expect government spending, which was sluggish in the first half, to pick up significantly in the second half. The key state elections are also behind us with signals of continuity for the existing regime at the centre, a positive for markets. So, the next few weeks will be important, and I am cautiously optimistic. The India growth story remains intact. Do you think FII selling is done now and the market will bounce back to lifetime peak once again by the end of the calendar year? What are the chances of a Santa rally this time? The key reason for FII outflows (from all global markets, not only India) is the US dollar strength and expectations of US corporates doing well under the Trump regime. Moreover, we also need to see the bigger picture, which is that India also received massive inflows in June to September – almost $14 billion, out of which 10 flowed out in October. In the medium term, we expect the US dollar strength to plateau, bringing foreign flows back to normalcy and markets to continue the uptrend. The other big picture fact is that while FII flows are flat now for the calendar year, domestic institutional purchases are a staggering $57 billion so far this year. The market is well supported by flows. FII activity tends to slow down in December as they're in vacation mode. Moreover, FIIs are also very short in the futures segment. As they unwind their position and if the US dollar strength plateaus, we could see a Santa rally. How has your investing strategy changed after the Q2 earnings season? And do you think we will see recovery in H1FY25? Most of the downgrades have been seen in large caps, especially segments which are global in nature like commodities and IT. The wider market has been more resilient especially sectors which are more domestic oriented. So the Nifty50 stocks have seen sharper downgrades, not so much for the broader indices like the 500 or smallcap index. So we are not in the slowdown camp. Expect government spending to pick up sharply in the second half, which should be a kicker to growth. We follow the Growth at Reasonable Valuations approach. So we usually buy stocks where there is visibility of earnings growth. Moreover, we also pay close attention to upgrades or downgrades to earnings to see that the earnings momentum is intact. We need 50-60 stocks to build the portfolio and we find that it is not that difficult to find these from a wide universe of 500-800 stocks. Which sectors are on your watchlist from a longer term perspective? And which ones are you staying away from? We are bullish on three broad themes: rising income levels, physical asset creation and technological disruption. Rising income levels means that growth rates of segments catering to premium consumption will be higher. Some examples are premium vehicles, premium real estate, jewellery, consumer durables, hotels, airlines etc. It also means that segments that cater to financial savings will grow faster – insurance, wealth management, asset management, broking, exchanges, depositories, registrars, distributors of financial services and products etc. Physical asset creation includes sectors like real estate, capital goods, construction, infrastructure, power, defence, railways. Technological disruption includes all the new-age companies in the B2B and B2C space, which use technology to create new business models or to disrupt existing traditional models. So these segments continue to remain our core picks. However, in the recent few quarters, banks, finance companies, chemicals, defence have corrected more and have underperformed. These also offer a good balance of growth and valuation. We are usually underweight on global sectors like metals, commodities, oil & gas, large-cap IT etc. We also don't usually prefer sectors with too much regulation and controlled margins. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )The nuclear energy patch is heating up and one of the names garnering attention is ( ). With a big spike in institutional ownership, Oklo stock seems like an under-the-radar stock that's worth watching. As it consolidates in a somewhat overheated space, one could reasonably expect it to hold within a range, albeit a large range. In consideration of its price-to-book ratio, if the chart drops to $15, it could be a potential addition to a portfolio. Whenever I'm thinking of things holding in a range, I lean on the trusty iron condor. As gyrations are likely to occur before the next potential rise we'll use a twist on the iron condor that will allow for wider ranges and more bullish potential. When we position with short iron condors, we attempt to collect time decay while a chart bases or settles into a new direction. As always, we assume that we don't know the direction but are able to estimate the magnitude of the move using the ATR (average true range, measured on the weekly chart). We also lean on the implied moves that market makers price in over the months ahead. , Oklo stock holds a 68 , a 7 , and a 99 for . Granted, the ratings aren't stellar but the chart and story are compelling. Let's look at a trade structure we can use for Oklo. A short iron condor consists of two spreads: a short call spread and a short put spread. Together they define a range of motion that we estimate the price action will not exceed. We'll use that same basic structure with a little twist. I'll use twice as many put spreads in this case: Why double up on the put spread? Two reasons: At this writing the credit received is $2.50 per share. This represents the maximum profit we can collect on the trade. With this kind of position, we collect a premium and as this premium erodes, we secure that revenue from the position. Risk Calculation In the current case, we are looking at a probability that the short iron condor delivers gains is more than seven times as likely. So, we make the trade on the side of probabilities, rather than the possibility of outsize gains. Because of my bullish bent, doubling up on the put spread gives me an extra $1 in premium. Yes, the risk is doubled too, but the odds are still favorable. Stock hunting using fundamental and price strength is where I firmly plant myself under the backdrop of the current economic backdrop. I use to find ideal buying opportunities in conjunction with the tools for strength seen on IBD. Now, let's identify key chart levels.CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5 , the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks . NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path." NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore stand together for a photo June 5 as they head to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their liftoff on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. "I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun." Both astronauts lived up there before, so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September. "Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers." Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations. Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait June 13 inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise. "When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year. Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams was "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined to comment on when it might launch again. NASA also has high praise for the pair. "Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 flight engineers, make pizza Sept. 9 aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module. Items are attached to the galley using tape and Velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. On top of everything else, Williams, 59, had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms. During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise. Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well. She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt. "Hopefully I'll be home before that happens — but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston. As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college. The astronauts in the video seemed to be in good spirits with one stating, “It’s gonna be delicious.” (Scripps News) "We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods. "We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, gives a thumbs up as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov leave the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, talks to his family members as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov looks on after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two astronauts are beginning a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) In this image from video provided by NASA, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and astronaut Nick Hague travel inside a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA via AP) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Falcon 9's first stage booster returns to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Get local news delivered to your inbox!
EPA Begins Public Consultation on Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative Impacts
Ravens playoff tickets go on sale Thursday. Will they have a home game?Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an Android XR operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally "Project Moohan," according to Google. The software is designed to power augmented and virtual reality experiences enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post. "With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," Izadi said. "You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device." Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks," Izadi said. More from this section "Android XR will first launch on headsets that transform how you watch, work and explore." The Android XR release was a preview for developers so they can start building games and other apps for headgear, ideally fun or useful enough to get people to buy the hardware. This is not Google's first foray into smart eyewear. Its first offering, Google Glass, debuted in 2013 only to be treated as an unflattering tech status symbol and met with privacy concerns due to camera capabilities. The market has evolved since then, with Meta investing heavily in a Quest virtual reality headgear line priced for mainstream adoption and Apple hitting the market with pricey Vision Pro "spacial reality" gear. Google plans to soon begin testing prototype Android XR-powered glasses with a small group of users. Google will also adapt popular apps such as YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Google TV for immersive experiences using Android XR, according to Izadi. Gemini AI in glasses will enable tasks like directions and language translations, he added. "It's all within your line of sight, or directly in your ear," Izadi said. gc/dw