Markets & Economy: Stocks Rally on Rate Cut Hopes Global markets surged in mid-August as investors bet on imminent central bank easing. In the U.S., the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit new record closing highs on August 13, buoyed by growing confidence that the Federal Reserve was nearing a rate-cut cycle reuters.com. The Dow Jones…
Read more
Research Breakthroughs & Self-Improving AI Meta’s AI Shows Signs of Self-Learning: Facebook parent Meta revealed that its latest AI systems “are beginning to improve themselves without human intervention,” a development CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed as “the first step towards achieving artificial superintelligence” uz.kursiv.media. In a policy memo, Zuckerberg noted “glimpses” of self-improvement – “slow for…
Read more
Which 8-inch Dobsonian reigns supreme? In the world of amateur astronomy, an 8″ f/6 Dobsonian reflector is often hailed as the ultimate beginner’s telescope – big enough to wow you with deep-sky views, yet manageable and affordable. Three popular contenders dominate this category: the StellaLyra 8″ f/6, the Apertura AD8, and the Orion SkyQuest XT8.…
Read more
Finance & Global Markets Global stock markets edged higher toward record territory as the week began. Europe’s STOXX 600 rose 0.3% and MSCI’s world equity index climbed within 0.2% of its all-time high reuters.com. Wall Street’s S&P 500 and Nasdaq are hovering near record levels, buoyed by a strong U.S. earnings season and improving sentiment…
Read more
StellaLyra 8″ vs Apertura AD8 vs Vaonis Vespera II: Which 8-Inch Telescope Reigns Supreme? What’s the better way to explore the night sky – a classic 8-inch Dobsonian or a cutting-edge smart telescope? In this in-depth comparison, we pit two highly-regarded 8″ Dobsonian reflectors – the StellaLyra 8″ f/6 Dobsonian and the Apertura AD8 8″…
Read more
Comprehensive Comparison of the Most Popular Telescopes in 2025 Choosing a telescope in 2025 can be daunting given the explosion of new technology and models. From classic mirror-based “light buckets” to cutting-edge smart telescopes, there’s something for every star enthusiast this year. In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll pit the most popular telescopes of 2025 against each other.…
Read more
Global Market Movements Stocks & Equities Wall Street Rally: U.S. stock markets extended their summer rally. The Nasdaq Composite notched a record high for the second day in a row on Friday, driven by booming tech shares (Apple and peers) and optimism about potential interest rate cuts reuters.com reuters.com. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and…
Read more
Finance & Markets – Stocks Waver as Tariffs Bite and Rate Cuts Loom Equities: Global stocks seesawed amid trade and geopolitical crosswinds. On Aug 7, Wall Street’s Dow Jones and S&P 500 slipped (-0.5% and -0.1% respectively) as pharma giant Eli Lilly plunged 14% on disappointing weight-loss drug data reuters.com reuters.com. The Nasdaq Composite inched…
Read more
Overview: A New Breed of AI Assistants The generative AI boom has moved far beyond OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In 2025, three new platforms are making headlines and challenging the status quo: Grok (Elon Musk’s entrant via xAI), DeepSeek (a Chinese upstart turned phenomenon), and Perplexity AI (the innovative answer engine). Each takes a distinct approach –…
Read more
Consumer Electronics: Apple’s Big Bet and Sony’s Upswing Apple Doubles Down on US Manufacturing: Apple announced an additional $100 billion investment in US manufacturing to stave off tariff threats theverge.com theverge.com. The new “American Manufacturing Program” expands Apple’s partnership with Corning to make “100 percent” of iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky, and teams…
Read more
