United Technologies is getting close to a deal to purchase Rockwell Collins, a corporate acquisition that looks set to combine two of the world's largest manufacturers of airplane equipment, per the WSJ.
By the numbers: United Technologies — worth about $92 billion — looks set to purchase Rockwell for about $140 per-share, which would make the deal worth more than $20 billion.
Why it matters: It'd be the biggest aerospace/defense acquisition deal in history, according to a Reuters analysis. It shouldn't spark any antitrust concerns — United Technologies makes jets, wheels, and landing gear while Rockwell focuses on displays and communications tech — but it might spook Boeing and Airbus somewhat to see their suppliers merging, especially as they both plan to expand further into the aftermarket space for parts.
Amateur radio operators, or ham radio operators, have stepped up after electricity and cell towers in Hurricane Harvey's path shut off.
What they're doing: These radio enthusiasts have been using their hobby and expertise to help emergency responders, hospitals, and shelters communicate by sending important data about barometric pressure, damages, wind speed, and wind direction to help response efforts.
"The saying for Ham radio is that when all else fails you have to rely on amateur radio," — John Newman, Ham Radio Operator, told EastTexasMatters.com.
Why it matters: 320, or 4%, of the 7,804 cell sites in the region are out of service, the WSJ reports. And although most cell towers have backup batteries, they only last about 8 hours, and if they're flooded or their equipment is blown away, they're toast.
Tech companies are kicking into gear to help residents dealing with Harvey to make communication easier. Here's what they're doing:
Comcast opened about 53,000 Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots around Houston to help people keep connected online even if they're not customers.
The four national wireless carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) are offering free calls and sometimes data for those in the path of Harvey.
Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature to allow affected users to check in with their networks.
Google has deployed a Google map focused on road closures, traffic incidents, and shelters in the area.
Uber is offering free rides to/from shelters in affected areas.
Users on Snapchat have been posting and learning from one another about updates on power outages. Snap told Fast Company it saw an uptick in usage over the weekend.
Donation efforts…Amazon and Whole Foods are matching donations made through Amazon to the Red Cross, up to $1 million.Microsoft announced it is giving an "initial" $100,000 grant to the Red Cross.Facebook is now matching every dollar raised on Facebook up to $1 million for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund, which supports local recovery and rebuilding efforts.Apple has a button on iTunes allowing users to make donations to Red Cross.Red Cross is and short codes to help make donating easier.
The rainfall brought on by Harvey has set a new record for the continental United States, dumping more than 50 inches of rain on parts of Houston. That has resulted in catastrophic flooding, evidenced by river gauges in the city reporting severe flood levels and a nearby levee failing under intense pressure.
Before it ends its mission to Saturn by intentionally hurling itself into the planet's atmosphere on Sept. 15, the Cassini spacecraft will complete a series of measurements announced today by NASA.
Sept. 11: Flyby of Saturn's moon Titan that will put the spacecraft into its final plunge.
Sept. 13 and 14: Final photos taken (including of Earth and the very last will be of the propellers) and transmitted to Earth.
Sept. 14 and 15: Eight onboard instruments will be sampling the upper atmosphere of Saturn during the final plunge.
Early morning Sept. 15: Loss of signal about 950 miles above Saturn's cloud tops. Seconds later it will melt from temperatures of 200 - 500°C.
Since Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, there has been a constant stream of reports of people helping one another. A news team helped save a truck driver stuck in his cab, NPR reports two women saved tied-up dogs, another man brought his boat to "save some lives."
Here are some other groups sending aid and collecting donations:
President Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump will be on the ground in Texas today for five hours, with stops in Corpus Christi and Austin for briefings on Harvey relief and response. Your quick catch-up on one of the landmark human and economic tragedies of our lifetimes:
AP latest: "[O]fficials acknowledge the grim reality that fatalities linked to Harvey could soar once the devastating floodwaters recede from one of America's most sprawling metropolitan centers."
The scale — N.Y. Times: "Local, state and federal officials conceded that the scale of the crisis was so vast that they were nowhere near being able to measure it, much less fully address it ... just the start of a disaster that would take years to overcome."
The remnants of Hurricane Harvey continue to pound the Texas coast, with the Houston metropolitan area already recording up to 25 inches of rainfall with the possibility of another 15 to 25 inches throughout the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
The human toll, by the numbers: The death toll rose to 8 on Monday, and is expected to rise further, and Houston police announced today that they'd rescued more than 2,000 people from the floodwaters so far. FEMA announced this morning that 30,000 evacuees had been placed in shelters with 450,000 expected to apply for federal disaster assistance. Expect those numbers to rise as the rain continues to fall.
President Trump is heading to Texas tomorrow, but he'll stay away from Houston to avoid interfering in rescue operations, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Marsha Blackburn, the Republican chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's tech subcommittee, has been critical of Silicon Valley's default position on net neutrality and its privacy practices.
But she says she found common ground during a recent visit to tech companies on the West Coast: ""I think with a broad brush that it is fair to say that when it comes to broadband expansion they are all incredibly interested about how we're going to do and what we're going to do," she told Axios on Friday.
