Sophia Lewis, Author at - Page 252 of 260

Apple Takes a Humble Approach to Launching Its Newest Device

21

Jan

Science and Technology

Apple Takes a Humble Approach to Launching Its Newest Device

When Apple released the Apple Watch in 2015, it was business as usual for a company whose iPhone updates had become cultural touchstones. Before the watch went on sale, Apple gave early versions of it to celebrities like Beyoncé, featured it in fashion publications like Vogue and streamed a splashy event on the internet trumpeting its features.But as Apple prepared to sell its next generation of wearable computing, the Vision Pro augmented reality device, it marched far more quietly into the consumer marketplace.The company said in a news release this month that sales of the device would begin Friday. No…

Where Textile Mills Thrived, Remnants Battle for Survival

21

Jan

By Sophia Lewis

Investments and Business

Where Textile Mills Thrived, Remnants Battle for Survival

In his 40-year career, William Lucas has seen nearly every step in the erosion of the American garment industry. As general manager of Eagle Sportswear, a company in Middlesex, N.C., that cuts, sews and assembles apparel, he hopes to keep what’s left of that industry intact.Mr. Lucas, 59, has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars training his workers to use more efficient techniques that come with financial bonuses to get employees to work faster.But he fears that his investments may be undermined by a U.S. trade rule.The rule, known as de minimis, allows foreign companies to ship goods worth less…

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Moon Lander Burns Up in Earth’s Atmosphere

19

Jan

By Sophia Lewis

Science and Technology

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Moon Lander Burns Up in Earth’s Atmosphere

Jan. 19: This article was updated to include information from a news conference the day after it was first published.A spacecraft that was headed to the surface of the moon has ended up back at Earth instead, burning up in the planet’s atmosphere on Thursday afternoon.Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh announced in a post on the social network X that it lost communication with its Peregrine moon lander at 3:50 p.m. Eastern time, which served as an indication that it entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific at around 4:04 p.m.On Friday, the United States Space Command confirmed the destruction…

The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted

19

Jan

By Sophia Lewis

Investments and Business

The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted

When Jan Sramek walked into the American Legion post in Rio Vista, Calif., for a town-hall meeting last month, everyone in the room knew that he was really just there to get yelled at.For six years a mysterious company called Flannery Associates, which Mr. Sramek controlled, had upended the town of 10,000 by spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to buy every farm in the area. Flannery made multimillionaires out of some owners and sparked feuds among others. It sued a group of holdouts who had refused its above-market offers, on the grounds that they were colluding for more.The…

Apple Says It Will Remove a Health Feature From New Apple Watches

18

Jan

By Sophia Lewis

Science and Technology

Apple Says It Will Remove a Health Feature From New Apple Watches

Apple said on Wednesday that it would begin selling its flagship smartwatches without the ability to detect people’s blood-oxygen levels.The tech giant will drop the feature starting Thursday after losing a patent case over its blood-oxygen measurement technology two months ago. The court ordered Apple to stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 devices. Rather than discontinue sales, the company sought permission to continue selling the devices after removing the infringing technology.People who buy a new watch in the United States will still see Apple’s Blood Oxygen app on the devices, the company said. But if…

A Fed Governor Reiterates That Rate Cuts Are Coming

18

Jan

By Sophia Lewis

Investments and Business

A Fed Governor Reiterates That Rate Cuts Are Coming

A prominent Federal Reserve official on Tuesday laid out a case for lowering interest rates methodically at some point this year as the economy comes into balance and inflation cools — although he acknowledged that the timing of those cuts remained uncertain.Christopher Waller, one of the Fed’s seven Washington-based officials and one of the 12 policymakers who get to vote at its meetings, said during a speech at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday that he saw a case for cutting interest rates in 2024.“The data we have received the last few months is allowing the committee to consider cutting the…