News Summary – Karma https://karmaimpact.com Advancing people, planet and profit. Thu, 09 Jul 2020 22:17:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.5 Robots Steadying Surgeons’ Hands Are Permitting Previously Impossible ‘Supermicrosurgery’ /robots-steadying-surgeons-hands-are-permitting-previously-impossible-supermicrosurgery/ /robots-steadying-surgeons-hands-are-permitting-previously-impossible-supermicrosurgery/#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2020 23:22:42 +0000 /?p=14922 Robot technology has found a new use: steadying the hands of surgeons and permitting previously impossible operations. Doctors in the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands used a new robot for the first time to perform a delicate operation on 10 breast cancer patients. The patients had a condition called lymphedema, which affects about […]

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]]> /robots-steadying-surgeons-hands-are-permitting-previously-impossible-supermicrosurgery/feed/ 0 Gravity, Not Batteries, Might Be Solar and Wind Energy Storage Solution /gravity-not-batteries-might-be-solar-and-wind-energy-storage-solution/ /gravity-not-batteries-might-be-solar-and-wind-energy-storage-solution/#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2020 22:22:53 +0000 /?p=14915 While billions of dollars have been spent on developing batteries to store solar and wind energy, some startups are betting that gravity is a better option. The adoption of renewable energy is hindered by solar and wind being unavailable when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind dies. The search for a cheap, dependable way […]

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]]> /gravity-not-batteries-might-be-solar-and-wind-energy-storage-solution/feed/ 0 Dark Side of Microloans: Poor Kenyans Defaulting Under Sky-High Rates, Report Says /dark-side-of-microloans-poor-kenyans-defaulting-under-sky-high-rates-report-says/ /dark-side-of-microloans-poor-kenyans-defaulting-under-sky-high-rates-report-says/#respond Thu, 13 Feb 2020 23:12:16 +0000 /?p=14894 The dark side of making microloans to the poor is on display in Kenya, where small borrowers are defaulting on loans from Tala, a U.S. fintech firm that claims to lift customers with a dream out of poverty, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. Tala makes loans of $10 to $500 using a smartphone app that instantly offers […]

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]]> /dark-side-of-microloans-poor-kenyans-defaulting-under-sky-high-rates-report-says/feed/ 0 Investment Dollars Flow Into Circular Economy As Concerns Over Plastic Trash Grow /investment-dollars-flow-into-circular-economy-as-concerns-over-plastic-trash-grow/ /investment-dollars-flow-into-circular-economy-as-concerns-over-plastic-trash-grow/#respond Wed, 12 Feb 2020 22:44:33 +0000 /?p=14869 Just as money moves around in a financial system, seeding companies and wealth, investors are seeking startups that give trash a few extra spins through the economy. Money is pouring into the so-called circular economy, as businesses and investors seek to profit from keeping trash out of landfills and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. More […]

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]]> /investment-dollars-flow-into-circular-economy-as-concerns-over-plastic-trash-grow/feed/ 0 Trump Wants Billions for AI Research as U.S. Seeks to Keep Edge Over China /trump-wants-billions-for-ai-research-as-u-s-seeks-to-keep-edge-over-china/ /trump-wants-billions-for-ai-research-as-u-s-seeks-to-keep-edge-over-china/#respond Wed, 12 Feb 2020 02:29:58 +0000 /?p=14863 President Trump is seeking to bring his “America First” posture to artificial intelligence, as the White House seeks billions in federal money to defend the country’s No. 1 position in the field from global competitors including China. The president’s proposed budget for the coming year includes $1.03 billion in non-defense spending for AI research and […]

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]]> /trump-wants-billions-for-ai-research-as-u-s-seeks-to-keep-edge-over-china/feed/ 0 Robot Invasion’s Surge Slowed in U.S. Last Year as Manufacturing Lagged /robot-invasions-surge-slowed-in-u-s-last-year-as-manufacturing-lagged/ /robot-invasions-surge-slowed-in-u-s-last-year-as-manufacturing-lagged/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 20:29:00 +0000 /?p=14860 Robots are still coming — though their advance has lost a bit of steam. The number of robots installed by companies in the U.S. dropped last year for the time since 2015, according to data from the Association for Advancing Automation that was seen by Reuters. Fewer robots were bought as American manufacturing slowed, a […]

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]]> /robot-invasions-surge-slowed-in-u-s-last-year-as-manufacturing-lagged/feed/ 0 Lead-Footed Drivers, Watch Out: Your Insurance Company May Be Tweaking Premiums as You Go /lead-footed-drivers-watch-out-your-insurance-company-may-be-tweaking-premiums-as-you-go/ /lead-footed-drivers-watch-out-your-insurance-company-may-be-tweaking-premiums-as-you-go/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 20:21:33 +0000 /?p=14856 Speeding or slamming on the brakes when you drive may bump up your insurance rates if Allstate rolls out a program it’s testing in Arizona. The insurer is trying out a phone app that monitors how safely a motorist drives. Premiums may vary weekly based on the results — going down in the weeks in […]

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]]> /lead-footed-drivers-watch-out-your-insurance-company-may-be-tweaking-premiums-as-you-go/feed/ 0 Bring Me His Head: JPMorgan Activist Shareholders Want Former Exxon CEO Booted From Board /bring-me-his-head-jpmorgan-activist-shareholders-want-former-exxon-ceo-booted-from-board/ /bring-me-his-head-jpmorgan-activist-shareholders-want-former-exxon-ceo-booted-from-board/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:52:33 +0000 /?p=14852 Climate wars are heating up at JPMorgan Chase, with activist shareholders pushing to oust former Exxon Mobil Chairman Lee Raymond from the top position on the bank’s board. The largest U.S. bank already is under fire for lending billions to the fossil-fuel industry. Now a group called Majority Action is mobilizing shareholders in an effort […]

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]]> /bring-me-his-head-jpmorgan-activist-shareholders-want-former-exxon-ceo-booted-from-board/feed/ 0 Softbank-Owned Arm’s New Chips Focus on AI Tasks With Less Reliance on Cloud, Data Centers /softbank-owned-arms-new-chips-focus-on-ai-tasks-with-less-reliance-on-cloud-data-centers/ /softbank-owned-arms-new-chips-focus-on-ai-tasks-with-less-reliance-on-cloud-data-centers/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:44:37 +0000 /?p=14847 New chip designs that handle more artificial intelligence tasks on tiny devices like sensors and cameras are promising faster speed and more privacy — and may help the world cut down on the increasing need for energy-gorging data centers. Softbank-owned Arm Holdings said its two new designs can improve processing on devices by as much […]

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]]> /softbank-owned-arms-new-chips-focus-on-ai-tasks-with-less-reliance-on-cloud-data-centers/feed/ 0 ESG Investors May Be Surprised by Tech Giants Hulking in Their Sustainability Funds /esg-investors-may-be-surprised-by-tech-giants-hulking-in-their-sustainability-funds/ /esg-investors-may-be-surprised-by-tech-giants-hulking-in-their-sustainability-funds/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:33:32 +0000 /?p=14837 Investors who want their money to go to companies committed to environmental, social or governance principles may be surprised to find tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet and Apple taking up most of the space in their ESG-focused funds. Those expecting solar panel makers and firms with the most diverse boards to be the biggest recipients of […]

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