Latest news with #lasers
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This Laser Breakthrough Can Read Text on a Page From a Mile Away
Your eyesight might be good enough to confidently read the tiny text at the optometrist from a few meters away. But you're left in the dust by a new device recently demoed by researchers, which was able to scan tiny individual characters of text from a distance of 1.36 kilometers (about 0.85 miles). Intensity interferometry takes a different approach to imaging than conventional cameras: rather than measuring light waves directly, these devices measure the way light reflects and interferes with itself, then compiles an image from that data. A new study, led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, tested an instrument that emits eight infrared laser beams fired across to a specific point in the distance. Then, two telescopes were used to capture the intensity of the light reflections. Through a careful calibration of the eight laser beams lighting up the target, the image can be reconstructed by comparing variations between the readings from the two telescopes. "Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimeter-scale targets located at 1.36 km away, achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope," write the researchers in their published paper. Long range cameras like this have uses everywhere from space telescopes to remote sensors, and the method used here can handle atmospheric turbulence and better manage imperfections in the camera setup. Through the setup described in their new study, the researchers were able to accurately read letters at a resolution of 3 mm. Using just one of the telescopes deployed here on its own, at the same distance, would've resulted in a resolution of 42 mm. That's a big upgrade, and shows the potential of intensity interferometry. First used in space observatories, we're now seeing the tech being used in a variety of ways on Earth, notably in advanced physics experiments. Previously, the approach has been used to spot very bright distant stars, or closer objects that are lit up by a nearby source – so this is a new development. "The application of long-baseline active intensity interferometry holds promise for advancing high-resolution optical imaging and sensing," write the researchers. The way that photons of light bunch together and can be interpreted through this tech is actually a quantum effect that wouldn't be predicted by normal physics, and that's one of the crucial parts of the high resolution here. Further improvements are possible, the researchers say, in the way the infrared laser lights are controlled. There's also scope for adding AI algorithms to the system, to interpret specific text and shapes more accurately. "The new work represents a significant technical advancement in imaging distant objects that do not emit their own light," optics researcher Shaurya Aarav from Sorbonne University in France, who wasn't involved in the research, told Michael Schirber at Physics Magazine. The research has been published in Physical Review Letters. Revolutionary Contact Lenses Let Human Eyes See Invisible Light New AI Weather Tool Outperforms Global Forecasting Centers A Revolutionary New Algorithm Picks Your Biological Age From a Photo
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
nLIGHT (NASDAQ:LASR) Surprises With Strong Q1, Stock Jumps 16.3%
Laser company nLIGHT (NASDAQ:LASR) reported Q1 CY2025 results exceeding the market's revenue expectations , with sales up 16% year on year to $51.67 million. On top of that, next quarter's revenue guidance ($56 million at the midpoint) was surprisingly good and 11.7% above what analysts were expecting. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.04 per share was 78.7% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy nLIGHT? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $51.67 million vs analyst estimates of $47.34 million (16% year-on-year growth, 9.1% beat) Adjusted EPS: -$0.04 vs analyst estimates of -$0.19 (78.7% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $116,000 vs analyst estimates of -$5.14 million (0.2% margin, significant beat) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $56 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $50.15 million EBITDA guidance for the full year is -$1.5 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of -$11.98 million Operating Margin: -18.6%, up from -33.1% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$2.30 million, down from $9.82 million in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $425.7 million Founded by a former CEO and Harvard-educated entrepreneur Scott Keeneyn, nLIGHT (NASDAQ:LASR) offers semiconductor and fiber lasers to the industrial, aerospace & defense, and medical sectors. A company's long-term performance is an indicator of its overall quality. Any business can have short-term success, but a top-tier one grows for years. Unfortunately, nLIGHT's 2.9% annualized revenue growth over the last five years was sluggish. This fell short of our benchmarks and is a rough starting point for our analysis. Long-term growth is the most important, but within industrials, a half-decade historical view may miss new industry trends or demand cycles. nLIGHT's performance shows it grew in the past but relinquished its gains over the last two years, as its revenue fell by 5.8% annually. nLIGHT isn't alone in its struggles as the Electronic Components industry experienced a cyclical downturn, with many similar businesses observing lower sales at this time. We can better understand the company's revenue dynamics by analyzing its most important segments, Laser Products and Advanced Developments, which are 69.1% and 30.9% of revenue. Over the last two years, nLIGHT's Laser Products revenue (lasers, amplifiers, and directed energy products) averaged 10.4% year-on-year declines. On the other hand, its Advanced Developments revenue (R&D contracts) averaged 13.4% growth. This quarter, nLIGHT reported year-on-year revenue growth of 16%, and its $51.67 million of revenue exceeded Wall Street's estimates by 9.1%. Company management is currently guiding for a 10.9% year-on-year increase in sales next quarter. Looking further ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 4.3% over the next 12 months. While this projection implies its newer products and services will catalyze better top-line performance, it is still below average for the sector. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. Operating margin is one of the best measures of profitability because it tells us how much money a company takes home after procuring and manufacturing its products, marketing and selling those products, and most importantly, keeping them relevant through research and development. nLIGHT's high expenses have contributed to an average operating margin of negative 19.2% over the last five years. Unprofitable industrials companies require extra attention because they could get caught swimming naked when the tide goes out. It's hard to trust that the business can endure a full cycle. Analyzing the trend in its profitability, nLIGHT's operating margin decreased by 21.1 percentage points over the last five years. This raises questions about the company's expense base because its revenue growth should have given it leverage on its fixed costs, resulting in better economies of scale and profitability. nLIGHT's performance was poor no matter how you look at it - it shows that costs were rising and it couldn't pass them onto its customers. This quarter, nLIGHT generated a negative 18.6% operating margin. The company's consistent lack of profits raise a flag. We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) for the same reason as long-term revenue growth. Compared to revenue, however, EPS highlights whether a company's growth is profitable. nLIGHT's earnings losses deepened over the last five years as its EPS dropped 46.6% annually. We tend to steer our readers away from companies with falling EPS, where diminishing earnings could imply changing secular trends and preferences. If the tide turns unexpectedly, nLIGHT's low margin of safety could leave its stock price susceptible to large downswings. Like with revenue, we analyze EPS over a shorter period to see if we are missing a change in the business. For nLIGHT, its two-year annual EPS declines of 1.1% show it's still underperforming. These results were bad no matter how you slice the data. In Q1, nLIGHT reported EPS at negative $0.04, up from negative $0.17 in the same quarter last year. This print easily cleared analysts' estimates, and shareholders should be content with the results. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street is optimistic. Analysts forecast nLIGHT's full-year EPS of negative $0.51 will reach break even. We were impressed by how significantly nLIGHT blew past analysts' EPS expectations this quarter. We were also excited its EBITDA outperformed Wall Street's estimates by a wide margin. Zooming out, we think this was a good print with some key areas of upside. The stock traded up 16.3% to $10 immediately after reporting. nLIGHT had an encouraging quarter, but one earnings result doesn't necessarily make the stock a buy. Let's see if this is a good investment. The latest quarter does matter, but not nearly as much as longer-term fundamentals and valuation, when deciding if the stock is a buy. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
FBI offers $10K reward for laser strikes on SEA Airport planes
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief The FBI has been monitoring an increase in incidents involving lasers at Washington airports. Laser strikes have been reported at both Seattle-area and Spokane airports. Now, the agency is offering a reward for information to stop the people doing it. SEATTLE - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now offering a reward of up to $10,000 in the face of laser incidents at Washington airports. FBI officials previously launched an investigation on lasers interfering at Seattle and Spokane airports. The reward will go to people able to offer information that leads to the arrest of those using the lasers in Washington. Laser seen from a helicopter in the Spokane Valley. (Spokane County Sheriff's Office) The reward comes as the FBI ramps up their efforts to quell the threat of lasers. The light can not only complicate landings by reflecting off cockpit windows, but also damage pilot's eyes during potentially crucial moments of flight. Laser strikes aimed at aircraft, including airline planes, surged 41% last year to a record high, according to federal officials. (FAA) How you can help protect the skies The FBI encourages the public to report suspicious laser activity by calling 1-800-225-5324 or visiting It's important to educate minors about the dangers of misusing laser pointers to prevent potential legal consequences and ensure aviation safety. "If we can prevent one catastrophe, prevent one pilot from being blinded, that makes it worth it," said Melissa Ventresca, supervisory special agent at FBI San Antonio. The Source Information for this story came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE Inmate escapes police at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Jamie Tompkins claims Seattle police scandal was a setup. Here's why 3 small WA businesses voted most worth a 1-hour drive 2 new trails connect Redmond transit station to King County park WA joins lawsuit against RFK Jr., Trump administration for dismantling HHS Seattle nightclub stabbing leaves 2 men injured in Pioneer Square To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
