An aging population will always have needs that are specialized and unique, and there is every indication that new technologies will be developed to meet those needs in innovative new ways.  Baby Boomers were the largest population bulge up until 2016, and now their numbers are starting to dwindle, being slowly eclipsed by Millennials.  However, no matter which generation predominates, people will always be getting to that stage in life where medical assistance and intervention become a critical factor in maintaining quality of life.  In the USA, people over the age of 65 are forecasted to be 20% of the population by 2050, up from 15% today.

One of the frequent occurrences with the elderly is the deterioration and failure of important body joints, like hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and ankles.  Hip and knee joint replacements are very common today, using manufactured replacement parts, but these parts can wear out long before the patient does.  New technologies are being developed to improve the longevity of such parts, and the ideas include some interesting uses of technology already in place, such as 3D printers.  The industry calls this new kind of fabrication “additive manufacturing” facilitating the production of medical implants that perform better inside humans than anything built previously.

Additive Manufacturing is a new way to build medical implants, and replaces the traditional methods of molding or chiseling parts from solid blocks of metal, like titanium.  Using a 3D printer, metal parts can be built layer by layer, with each layer being as thin as 1/50^th of a millimeter.  This allows the part to be designed and built with very intricate internal structures, and when these internal structures are very similar to human bone structure, the implant can bond more easily to the patient’s bones.  These structured metal implants become securely fixed in place, fusing with real bone, which is known as “biological fixation”.  Currently, medical implants are often fused to bones with medical-grade cement and that cement can break down over time and cause a loosening of the part.  This will lead to another surgery to replace the replacement part that has come loose.  Better fixation with better materials design should dramatically reduce this situation from occurring.

There is a market for medical implants beyond hips and knees, especially if the parts can be precisely built for individuals and be fixed firmly in place with biological fixation.  For instance, spinal fusion implants will have to be individually tailored and not move around at all, as they will be very close to the spinal cord.  Precision and improved fixation will be the watchwords for these new technology medical implants, and there are several companies actively exploring this new technology.

Trend Disruptors has been monitoring these developments and just sent out a new recommendation to subscribers of Trend Disruptors Premium. If you would like subscribe to Trend Disruptors Premium, we are offering a special discount of $200 off the regular price, so you pay only $399.95.

In today’s world there is ample reason to want to feel secure in any environment or situation.  More each day we hear about violent acts where humans are killed and wounded.  Debates rage on about how to prevent or reduce all this mayhem by:

• limiting access to excessively dangerous weapons
• conducting careful analysis and investigation of terrorist activities
• countering the dissatisfactions and/or beliefs that fuel violence
• increasing the amount and scope of surveillance in public areas

Public areas and venues are a favourite target for extremist violence, as the perpetrators want to deliver their message in as shocking a way as possible and thus garner world news headlines.  As these events grow in number and severity, perhaps the perpetrators feel that their message is getting through to the masses.

So it is not surprising that there is a large increase in the amount of surveillance being conducted by governments and police authorities around the world.  The United Kingdom (UK) has seen a very large recent increase in video surveillance, with cameras deployed in areas around schools, hospitals, and care homes.  Current estimate is that there is now one camera for every 14 UK residents.

Other areas being more heavily watched include airports and stadiums, which have an inherent need to conduct the surveillance in both a timely and an efficient way.  Several technologies are being deployed and developed to meet the need.  The newest surveillance and security systems use technologies that can make use of Facial Recognition, 3D CT scans, and walk-through scanners.  Each technology and system has features that can be controversial:

• Facial recognition systems use software to quickly identify each person in camera range, and some systems will then track each person if the system identifies that the person has the characteristics that demand close watching. Some feel that this is an invasion of privacy that goes beyond what is required for good security.
• 3D CT scans are used primarily for scanning luggage, using multiple X-rays to detect dangerous items. We are all probably quite familiar with the scanning of checked and carry-on luggage and have come to accept its usefulness.
• Walk-through scanners are relatively new and the latest developments hold the promise of fast and efficient security. The older full-body scanners required that the subject stand still and hold a pose, while the scanner has a look at everything, to ensure that all is well.  The walk-through scanners can now do all of that without the subject having to stand still – everyone just walks through the portals.  This walk-through capability is especially desirable at stadiums, where people want to be in their seats to enjoy their entertainment without hassle or delay at the entrance gate for onerous security checks.

What these systems mostly have in common is that there are humans viewing all the images, sometimes with assistance from Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems telling them which subjects to pay more attention to.  What may be a significant improvement is to use a system that will independently analyze each scan or image, noticing any threat and reporting that threat to a human.  This could well be the way we can achieve security that is efficient and not a threat to, or invasion of, personal privacy.  Walk-through scanners have been developed that will do just that.  They will soon be set up in test locations, and we will be watching.

Trend Disruptors is monitoring these developments, and will be recommending companies to invest in that will lead to success for savvy investors.

Stay tuned!

The promises of exponentially higher speeds with 5G cell phone network technology are astounding, so now that 5G has made its first moves off the test bench into public use, we can start to see if the lofty promises might actually be real.  The expectation is that 5G will download a 2-hour movie in 3 seconds, compared to the 5 minutes it takes with older and slower networks.  Most network processes are expected to be at least 4 times faster than on 4G networks, and some processes like downloading, may be 20 times faster.  Right now there are several “live” 5G locations, and here are some of the initial observations:

– South Korea turned on the 5G network in the city of Seoul on April 5/19, coinciding with SK Telecom’s release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Smartphone, the first one with built-in 5G capability.  Initial network speed with 5G is good, with measurements coming in at about 430 Mbps, however 5G access is spotty and unreliable around the city, especially in hard to reach locations like subway stations.  The phone will revert to 4G whenever the 5G signal is too weak.  SK Telecom will ratchet up the speed over a 2 year period, and they expect about 10% of users will be on 5G by the end of 2019.

– Verizon is running tests in Minneapolis and Chicago.  The 5G network is allegedly available in many of the popular Chicago tourist hotspots, but it is proving to be hard to find, reliably.  The Chicago coverage is reported to be spotty or weak, however, when you can get a good connection the speed is impressive – – up to 630 Mbps on downloads.  You need to have 5G capable hardware to access the network, such as the Motorola MOTO Z3, plus the $200 5G MOTO MOD as an add-on.  Samsung will soon have the Galaxy S10 5G in North America, but it will likely cost more than the Motorola package.

So, three initial installations are up and running, and so far, coverage is spotty and speeds may be throttled for a while.  Consumers who want smooth running games and super fast download speeds will be at the front of the line to adopt 5G.  Verizon aims to launch 5G in 30 cities in 2019, and implementation pressure will increase when AT&T, T-Mobile, and SPRINT join in.  There will be many cell phone network apps that will also benefit with fast 5G speeds, but most of the impetus today is entertainment.

Trend Disruptors is monitoring these developments and will be recommending companies to invest in that could lead to success for savvy investors.

Note: TD Premium subscribers will be receiving another new recommendation tonight. The TD Premium portfolio is up 16.86%  with most of the recommendations less than 6 months old.  If you are not a TD Premium subscriber but would like to be, click here to subscribe at a Special Price of only $399.95, a $200 savings!

Stay tuned …

Health care costs and budgets are ballooning all around the world as we see global populations moving into higher and higher age brackets.  With so much health care research going on, doctors are challenged to keep up with new drugs and their side effects, as well as new procedures and tools that deliver more accurate and timely diagnoses and remedies.  Once in a while a new technology will emerge that has the potential to dramatically alter the status quo.  CRISPR has that potential, as it may be a way to end all disease – wow – a very BOLD statement indeed, but could it be true?

CRISPR (pronounced crisper) is a simple and powerful tool for editing genomes, allowing researchers to alter DNA sequences and modify gene function.  There have been DNA editing tools before, such as TALENS, but CRISPR is about 4 times more efficient.  The term CRISPR is the short form for describing CRISPR-Cas9, a specialized stretch of DNA.  Cas9 is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors, able to cut strands of DNA.  CRISPR itself stands for “Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palendromic Repeats.” The process was first fully described in a paper published by researchers at Kanazawa University and Tokyo University in 2017, although research reports and papers go back as far as 2007 by Danisco A/S in Denmark, 2012 in the National Institute of Health and PNAS , and 2013 (MIT and Harvard).  These studies and papers all help to pave the way forward for many possible therapeutic applications in humans.

Editing DNA has many potential applications, such as correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing disease, and improving food crops. There is of course vigorous debate about the ethics of genetic modification, in humans, in other animals, and in food.  Although the really exciting potential may be in disease eradication, there are current uses of CRISPR in the food and agriculture industries, such as the engineering of probiotic yoghurt cultures and vaccinating industrial cultures against viruses.  We currently also have in place the genetic engineering of crops to improve yield, drought tolerance, and nutritional properties, all with attendant controversy.

Another promising facet to CRISPR technology is the ability to create gene drives, which are genetic systems that increase the chance of a specific trait being spread generationally to a large population, such as increased sterilization among the female mosquitoes that carry malaria.

There are certainly many positive-sounding potential benefits for using CRISPR technology.  It’s relatively easy to get excited about eradicating a disease like cystic fibrosis, and it is hard to deny that global populations would benefit from increased food production and nutrition … but the big questions and debates centre around –  – is DNA editing safe and ethical.  Academic researchers are generally cautious and wary of proceeding too quickly, wanting to establish ethical standards, safety procedures, and eventually achieve public acceptance through long term trials.  Virtually no one wants to proceed without caution, but capitalism has a need to push hard in generating gains and profits for companies and shareholders.  DNA editing, in any organism, has great potential, but there are many perceived risks and questions, such as:

• will it be ok to eradicate disease viruses along with the animal species carrying them around?
• -will there be unintended ecological impacts, such as a gene drive trait spreading beyond its target group?
• will modifying human eggs, sperm, embryos, (known as “germline” editing) be safe, given that our knowledge of how it all really works in the long term is still somewhat limited (Are we now smart enough and ready to “play God”?)
• how do we control germline editing and prevent it from veering off into human enhancements, beyond disease eradication?
• how do we rationalize the perhaps unknown consequences for future generations without their consent?

The debate will be a struggle, and probably a long one.  In the USA the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have put together a comprehensive report with guidelines and recommendations. Meanwhile, research will continue and Trend Disruptors will monitor progress, looking for opportunities to invest in companies that we perceive to be a good bet.  As well as investment potential, our analysis of this disruptive area of health care technology must include extra large doses of other considerations, such as ethics, safety, and ecological ramifications.

Stay tuned!

There are many stories we have all heard about computer hacking, Identity Theft, and other bothersome or criminal exploits involving digital assets.  We all try to safeguard our systems and our data, but it is extremely difficult now that there is so much data and so many devices involved.  The amount of interaction and the amount of data has multiplied many times over with the introduction of Smartphones, Cellular Networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT).  Who had the foresight to realize that your refrigerator or your car might provide an easy way to hack into corporate or government networks?  We really do need to “protect” everything.  One clear illustration of how rampant computer hacks are becoming is the existence of “Collection #1”, which is a huge data folder that exposes nearly 800,000 email addresses and about 21 million passwords, all in one folder about 87 gigabytes in size.  Unlike breaches with criminal intent Collection #1 is just out there on a public hacking website for anyone to see – it is not for sale !!

Securing digital devices and data still relies on encryption, the process of recoding data using a digital “key” and unlocking that data only with the same identical “key”.  Individuals and corporations can maximize the effectiveness of encryption by using “strong” passwords, where you mix in capital letters, symbols, and numbers.  Cracking modern encryption keys is very difficult, as encryption has come a long way from the original method used by Julius Caesar of simply choosing a space offset for each letter of the alphabet eg: offset of “2” where every “A” is recoded as “C” etc.  There are only 25 possibilities for this recoding, so it is quite easy to crack a Caesarean code.  Data encryption has taken many leaps forward in the intervening years and is now considered to be quite un-hackable.  The easiest targets for hackers are written down passwords at your desk, and loose talk at the water cooler.

However, with Quantum computing now emerging, the ability to crack strong encryption keys is getting closer, simply because Quantum computers are so fast and powerful that they can try many guesses in a very short time.  This is the “brute force” hack, where given enough guesses, the correct key will eventually be found.  What currently might take 100 years of guessing with a fast, classical computer might take only 5 years with Quantum computing.

Quantum computers use the fundamentals of quantum mechanics to speed up computations, using flexible qubits instead of classical bits which can only be a ZERO or a ONE.  Qubits can be either, both, or something in between.  With quantum computing we should have the ability to design purpose built algorithms to solve specific problems, such as cracking codes, and designing un-crackable codes.  The current leaders in the Quantum computing space are IBM, Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, Intel, D-Wave Systems, and Rigetti Quantum Computing.  The race is on to see who will dominate with Quantum solutions for the broad marketplace.  In the next 10 years the number of Quantum computers will likely overtake the number of classical computers, ushering in a new era of computing, with speeds and power unimaginable just a few years ago.  This will require more stable hardware, commercial software development platforms, and large, fast, cloud computing capabilities.

Let Trend Disruptors be your guide to the future, as we continue to identify technology investment opportunities that can lead to financial success.

Stay tuned!