Collin County News Online

Razer Launches The Leviathan V2 X PC Soundbar: Worth It At $100? – Tech Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/razer-launches-the-leviathan-v2-x-pc-soundbar-worth-it-at-100-tech-times/ Urian B., Tech Times 26 September 2022, 12:09 am Razer is no stranger to cool gaming accessories and although it usually launches gaming headsets, it is now selling a soundbar called the Leviathan V2 X PC Soundbar. The soundbar carries the signature Razer logo with RGB additions and more. Razer is Selling the Leviathan V2 X PC Soundbar According to the story by Bleeding Cool, Razer just recently dropped a new audio device for PC players to use. The device is called the Leviathan V2 X PC Soundbar and as its name suggests, the gadget is a soundbar with a focus on providing users a better gaming experience through sound. The particular Leviathan V2 X PC Soundbar was designed to be as compact as possible without having to lack when it comes to audio capabilities. As the images released show, the audio device has been designed to be able to fit under most PC monitors measuring just 400mm. Soundbar is Selling at $100 Through the Company Website and Official Stores In order to power the soundbar, users can use a USB Type C cable although the audio device also comes with lightning. With the help of lightning, users will be able to cue it along with other Razer gear including the Razer Chroma RGB app. The good thing about the soundbar is that it will be priced at just $100 through the company’s website and at Razer stores. The price will also stay the same through authorized retailers of Razer devices. Soundbar was Designed to Give Users a Clutter-Free Desktop The article notes that a compact PC gaming soundbar can be very beneficial for gamers. The Leviathan V2 X reportedly delivers two full-range drivers as well as two passive radiators. The soundbar is reportedly capable of delivering bold clarity and resonating depth in order to cater to all the entertainment needs of different gamers. The soundbar is reportedly just 400mm in length and gives users a clutter-free desktop. Leviathan V2 X is Capable of 90dB Maximum Volume Output The Leviathan V2 X reportedly fits perfectly under a lot of monitors and despite its small size, is still capable of delivering a room-wide soundstage. The article also notes that the USB Type C connection can be used for hassle-free connectivity. The USB Type C is also a more efficient way of powering the soundbar. With the help of the connection, the dynamic audio is capable of handling small parties with a maximum volume output of 90dB. Read Also: AYANEO to Launch GEEK & AYANEO 2 Handheld Gaming Consoles in December: Can It Play Steam Deck Games? Razer Leviathan V2 X Soundbar Comes in Options of USB Type C and Bluetooth 5.0 The soundbar will be powered by the classic Razer Chrome RGB which is known as the world’s largest lighting ecosystem created for gaming devices. The Leviathan V2 X will be packed with 14 lightning zones, dynamic in-game lightning effects, and countless patterns. Aside from the USB Type C, users will be able to use Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connection between the PC and mobile devices through the Razer Audio App. Related Article: [New Release] Logitech G Pro Direct Drive Racing Wheel: Worth It at $999? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. ⓒ 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Reversible Transactions Could Mitigate Crypto Theft — Researchers – Cointelegraph https://collincountynewsonline.com/reversible-transactions-could-mitigate-crypto-theft-researchers-cointelegraph/ Stanford University researchers have come up with a prototype for “reversible transactions” on Ethereum, arguing it could be a solution to reduce the impact of crypto theft. In a Sept. 25 tweet, Stanford University blockchain researcher Kaili Wang shared a run down of the Ethereum-based reversible token idea, noting that at this stage it is not a finished concept but more of a “proposal to provoke discussion and even better solutions from the blockchain community,” noting: “The major hacks we’ve seen are undeniably thefts with strong evidence. If there was a way to reverse those thefts under such circumstances, our ecosystem would be much safer. Our proposal allows reversals only if approved by a decentralized quorum of judges.” The proposal was put together by blockchain researchers from Stanford, including Wang, Dan Boneh, Qinchen Wang, and it outlines “opt-in token standards that are siblings to ERC-20 and ERC-721” dubbed ERC-20R and ERC-721R. Billions in crypto stolen. If we can’t stop the thefts, can we reduce the harmful effects? Over recent months, a couple other @Stanford researchers and I drew out and prototyped ERC-20R/721R to support reversible transactions on #Ethereum. See post & :https://t.co/38Hs0F9goU — kaili.eth (@kaili_jenner) September 24, 2022 However, Wang clarified that the prototype was not to replace ERC-20 tokens or make Ethereum reversible, explaining that it is an opt-in standard that “simply allows a short time window post-transaction for thefts to be contested and possibly restored.” Under the proposed token standards, if someone has their funds stolen, they can submit a freeze request on the assets to a governance contract. This will then be followed up by a decentralized court of judges that need to quickly vote “within a day or two at most” to approve or reject the request. Both sides of the transaction would also be able to provide evidence to the judges so that they have enough information, in theory, to come to a fair decision. For NFTs, the process would be relatively straightforward as the judges just need to see “who currently owns the NFT, and freeze that account.” However, the proposal admits that freezing fungible tokens is much more complicated, as the thief can split the funds among dozens of accounts, run them through an anonymity mixer or exchange them in other digital assets. To counter this, the researchers have come up with an algorithm that provides a “default freezing process for tracing and locking stolen funds.” They note that it ensures that enough funds in the thief’s account will be frozen to cover the stolen amount, and the funds will only be frozen if “there’s a direct flow of transactions from the theft.” Gonna mass-address other comments: – If you think this is an incomplete solution, you’re entirely correct. Our paper provides some pieces of the puzzle (focuses on the mechanics), but we mention many open questions surrounding decentralized gov. That space needs work. — kaili.eth (@kaili_jenner) September 25, 2022 Wang’s Twitter post generated a lot of discussion, with a mixed bag of people asking further questions, supporting the idea, refuting it or putting forward ideas of their own. Related: UK gov’t introduces bill aimed at empowering authorities’ to ‘seize, freeze and recover’ crypto Prominent Ether (ETH) bull and podcaster Anthony Sassano wasn’t a fan of the proposal, tweeting to his 224,300 followers that “I’m all for people coming up with new ideas and putting them out into the ether but I’m not here for TradFi 2.0. Thanks but no thanks” I’m all for people coming up with new ideas and putting them out into the ether but I’m not here for TradFi 2.0 Thanks but no thanks https://t.co/pdSIB5Ib05 — sassal.eth (@sassal0x) September 25, 2022 Discussing the idea further with people in the comments, Sassano explained that he thinks that reversal control and consumer protections should be placed on the “higher layers” such as exchanges, and companies rather than the base layer (blockchain or tokens), adding: “Doing it at the ERC20/721 level would basically be doing it at the “base layer” which I don’t think is right. End-user protections can be put in place at higher levels such as the front-ends.”

U.S. Warns Russia Against Nuclear Weapons Use In Ukraine – Axios https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-warns-russia-against-nuclear-weapons-use-in-ukraine-axios/ Washington has privately warned Moscow of “catastrophic” consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin instructs his military to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, top U.S. officials said in interviews broadcast Sunday. Driving the news: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan made the comments after Kremlin officials doubled down on the veiled nuclear threat Putin made in announcing the mobilization of some 300,000 reservists last week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a news conference Saturday after addressing the UN General Assembly the Kremlin has “a doctrine for nuclear security which is an open document.” What they’re saying: “We have been very clear with the Russians publicly, and, as well as privately, to stop the loose talk about nuclear weapons,” Blinken told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” “It’s very important that Moscow hear from us and know from us that the consequences would be horrific. And we’ve made that very clear,” Blinken said. Blinken added that he wouldn’t “get into what the consequences would be” for the Kremlin, but the Biden administration had a plan for such an event and he noted that “any nuclear weapons would have catastrophic effects” for the country using them and others. Meanwhile, Sullivan said during three separate interviews on Sunday that U.S. officials had warned their Moscow counterparts of “catastrophic consequences” if Putin’s forces use nuclear arms in Ukraine. Sullivan also told ABC, NBC and CBS News Sunday American officials told them the U.S. “will respond decisively.” “In private channels we have spelled out in greater detail exactly what that would mean,” he added in his interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Worth noting: Sullivan said during his interview on CBS’ “Face The Nation” that “Putin’s been waving around the nuclear card at various points through this conflict,” but stressed it’s “a matter that we have to take deadly seriously because it is a matter of paramount seriousness.” The big picture: The ramped-up nuclear rhetoric by Russian officials comes after several significant losses on the battlefield in Ukraine this month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in his nightly address Sunday “positive results in several directions” as fighting took place in Russian-controlled areas in the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia. The bottom line: Sullivan noted to ABC’s “This Week” the “sham referenda” taking place in Ukrainian areas controlled by the Russian military underscored that “Russia and Putin are struggling badly.” Blinken said during his “60 Minutes” interview that Putin has “already lost in terms of what he was trying to achieve,” given “his objective was to erase Ukraine’s identity as an independent country, that has already failed.” Go deeper: Zelensky: Putin’s mobilization is admission that Russia is struggling

Agora To Showcase Live Audio And Video Technology For Gaming In The Metaverse At Pocket Gamer Connects In Helsinki USA – English – USA – English – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/agora-to-showcase-live-audio-and-video-technology-for-gaming-in-the-metaverse-at-pocket-gamer-connects-in-helsinki-usa-english-usa-english-pr-newswire/ SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Agora, Inc. (NASDAQ: API), a pioneer and leading platform for real-time engagement APIs, today announced that it will be exhibiting at Pocket Gamer Connects in Helsinki, Finland on Sept 27th– 28th.  Pocket Gamer Connects, held at the Cable Factory, the largest cultural center in Finland, is the leading international conference series for the global games industry bringing together more than 33,000 industry professionals. To showcase the value in real-time audio and video technology, Agora will participate in two speaking sessions. On September 27th at 2:50pm on Track 2, Ali Nhari, Agora’s Head of EMEA will join the panel session Know your audience: how to choose between subscription or ad models alongside Kim Grewal from Digital Turbine, John Pryor from ShareIT and Tadgh Kelly from the Mobile Doctor.  At 11:00am on Wednesday Sept 28th on Track 2, Ben Weekes, Agora’s Senior Architect & Principal Engine will hold a session with the title Real-time Voice & Video in Games and VR. “We are excited to demonstrate how to build a fully immersive gaming experience with features like voice and video chat, live interactive streaming, spatial audio, avatars and face and voice filters. At Agora, we’re democratizing the metaverse for developers by providing them with easy-to-embed APIs, expansive SDKs and the most reliable, global low-latency network solution. Building the metaverse means scaling connectivity globally as we continue to meet the demand,” said Ali Nhari, Agora’s Head of EMEA. Agora will showcase some of their customers including Marmalade, MBC Group, Poker Stars, Bunch, Wildlife Studios, and SuperGaming. To learn more and experience Agora’s unique demonstrations at Pocket Gamer Connects, visit the team at Booth 5P.  About Agora Agora is the leading Real-time Engagement Platform as a Service (RTE PaaS) company. Agora’s mission is to make real-time engagement ubiquitous, allowing everyone to interact with anyone, in any application, anytime and anywhere. Agora’s platform provides developers with simple, flexible and powerful application programming interfaces, or APIs, to embed real-time video and voice engagement experiences into their applications. Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/240347/agora_inc_logo.jpg  SOURCE Agora

Area Death Notices – Sept. 23, 24 & 25 | Regional | Carolinacoastonline.com – Carolinacoastonline https://collincountynewsonline.com/area-death-notices-sept-23-24-25-regional-carolinacoastonline-com-carolinacoastonline/ Michael Hargett, New Bern Michael Hargett, 63, of New Bern, passed away Friday, September 23, 2022 at home. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home of Morehead City, NC. Linda Huston, Beaufort Linda Taylor Huston, 74, of Beaufort, passed away on Sunday September 25, at home peacefully surrounded by her family. The family will celebrate her life privately. She is survived by her son, Darren Yarborough and wife, Tammy of Waynesboro, VA; granddaughter, Nicole Yarborough of Beaufort, NC; three grandsons, Geoffrey Scott Yarborough of Sanford, NC; Collin Zbehlik Yarborough and wife, Emily of Denver, CO; Joshua Yarborough and wife, Melissa of San Antonio, TX. Margaret Swoyer, Maysville Margaret Elizabeth Swoyer, 84, of Maysville, passed away Saturday September 24, 2022, at home. No services are planned at this time. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noefs.net Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC. William Jerry Nelson, Sea Level William “Jerry” Nelson, 89, of Sea Level, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022 at his home. Jerry was a US Army Veteran and the Co-owner of Southern Appraisal Co. until he moved his family to Sea Level in 1979 to manage and own along with his wife the Cedar Creek Campground and Marina. He was a member of Sea Level Missionary Baptist Church where he sang in the choir and was a deacon. DAVID STEPHEN SCHROCK, Morehead City David Stephen Schrock, 66, of Morehead City, passed away on Sunday, September 25, 2022, at his home. Full obituary forthcoming. Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. in Morehead City, N.C. DANIEL “DANNY” HOBACK, Newport Daniel “Danny” Hoback, 68, of Newport, passed away on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at his home. Full obituary forthcoming. Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC. ANNETTE MERRILL LAWRENCE, Morehead City Annette Merrill Lawrence, 84, of Morehead City, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022, at her home. Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, September 29th, at First Baptist Church in Morehead City. Interment will follow at Carteret Memorial Gardens. MARTHA ECHEVERRIA, Newport Martha Echeverria, 92, of Newport, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022, at The Landings of Swansboro. Arrangements and full obituary forthcoming incomplete. Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. in Morehead City, N.C. MATTHEW PAUL RUSHING, Newport Matthew Paul Rushing, 43, of Newport, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022, at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill. Full obituary forthcoming. Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Cremations, Havelock, NC. ALLEN EUGENE GRIFFIN, Newport Allen Eugene Griffin, 70, of Newport, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022, at Carteret Health Care. Allen was born on April 17, 1952, in Tarboro, North Carolina, to the late Leon and Mamie Griffin. He is survived by his wife, Dawna G. Griffin.

How To Visit Egypt For The First Time | 2022 – A Broken Backpack https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-to-visit-egypt-for-the-first-time-2022-a-broken-backpack/ When thinking of the best travel destination to spend a vacation, Egypt always comes to mind due to the incredible history that dates back to more than 4500 years, the various natural attractions found across the beautiful cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, and do not forget the enchanting city resort of Hurghada.  Being in Egypt for the first time can be a fantastic experience, only if each traveler is fully prepared and informed about all the cultural differences, safety measures, health situations, and all the necessary steps to ensure you have the finest vacation. Exploring all the wonders of Egypt will be the time of your life where at every gaze, each traveler will witness a new miracle revealing a whole new aspect of beauty, imagination, and innovation.  Egypt is a hidden world filled with wonder and magic across several incredible attractions and delicious cuisines. Egypt is open and safe for travelers from all over the world. Hire A Travel Agency  To fully enjoy every moment of your time in Egypt for the first time, every traveler should book a trusted travel agency with a high TripAdvisor score, which will handle all the booking of the Hotels, Nile River cruise, Vehicles, and Activities plus all the minor details and logistics. Booking a tour will save a lot of time and money and navigate all travelers across all the wonders of Egypt.  The staff of every travel agency of tour guides, tour operators, drivers, and customer service. The travel agency will make everything look easy and provide the chance to board a delightful Dinner Cruise across the Nile River, Enjoy water sports within the red sea like diving, snorkeling, and surfing, a Sound and Light show in the Giza complex, and majestic hot-air balloon over Luxor, and an entertaining Super Safari across the Sahara. The travel agency will make sure will make that every moment of your Egypt tour vacation is filled with wonder and magic.  We highly recommend “Egypt Tour” the best Egypt travel agency and one of the most trusted names in Egyptian tourism, for every traveler to enjoy the most satisfying vacation across the infinite & magical wonders of Egypt. Egypt Is Safe For All  The reason that makes Egypt the safest travel destination is that the World Health Organization places Egypt at the lowest level of coronavirus spread Risk since Egypt has reported the Lowest COVID-19 Daily Death Count since the start of the Pandemic, citing the organization’s six-level categories of the epidemiological position and the risk of spreading the virus worldwide due the strong health measures that by the government and the entire public.  The Who and united nation survey of infectious diseases has ranked Egypt with the lowest number of infections at the beginning of 2021, with only 8.7 % of the total number of infections in Africa and the world, which keeps dropping. Egypt is also the leading producer of Covid vaccines in Africa. All the historical attractions across Egypt are highly cleaned and maintained by professionals.  Egypt’s crime rate is very low compared to many Western countries due to the strong military and police presence across all the important tourist spots in Egypt, including all the tourist attractions. Make Sure That You Visa Is Ready Before traveling to Egypt, every traveler should be fully prepared with his Visa and make sure he is eligible for a free Visa or a Visa on Arrival, which lasts for 30 days. To obtain a Visa on arrival, every traveler will have to pay 25$ at the Egyptian Airport plus have a valid passport with 6 months remaining before expiration. There is also the chance to apply for an E-Visa online before traveling to Egypt. It is also preferred to have your vaccination QR code document before arrival or your PCR Test before arriving in Egypt, which should be done 72 hours before landing. Vaccinations & Travel insurance It is advised that every traveler is fully vaccinated before traveling to Egypt with all needed vaccines such as the covid-19 vaccines, Hepatitis A, Batitis B, Yellow fever, Rabies, Typhoid, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (TDP), Influenza, Shingles, Chickenpox, Pneumonia, and Meningitis. Travel insurance is a great way to stay safe from sudden surprises during your tour in Egypt for very affordable prices for any sudden event like medical expenses, delays, repatriation, cancellations, plus Passport, Baggage, & personal liability coverage. Travel Insurance is a great way to stay safe during your vacation in Egypt. Every traveler can manage surprise payments like medical expenses, delays, repatriation, and cancellations, plus Passport, Baggage, & personal liability coverage.  Choose The Most Ideal Climate For You  The climate of Egypt is very pleasant all year long without the hot summers in June and July, where the average temperature is 34.7°C (94.5°F). August to March is the winter, autumn, and spring when everyone will enjoy an average temperature of 21 °C (70 °F), which is ideal for all travelers to enjoy the most enjoyable and entertaining activities. Know Your Surroundings Every traveler to Egypt should study the culture of Egypt before traveling. The culture of Egypt is liberal but remains very conservative, so make sure to dress modestly. It is also advised to know some words of the Arabic language words so you can be able to communicate with the public. Money And Shopping The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound, but the USD and EURO are also accepted in all the hotels and restaurants, plus there are also many ATMs all over the city. Tipping is also a massive part of the culture of Egypt as 5 or 10 pounds is a standard amount, and a 10% tip at restaurants is also known across town. When going shopping, every traveler should negotiate to get the best price.  Get Your Packing Right  Before traveling to Egypt, everyone should make sure that they have packed all what they need, such as any necessary medical descriptions, water bottles, toilet papers, credit or debit cards, and any essential items. To fully have fun during your vacation, every traveler should pack all the essentials such as a universal adapter, a VPN line, a power bank, glasses, a hat, a scarf, sun block, comfortable footwear, light soft fabric clothes, and more.  The gates of Egypt are always open to everyone from all over the world. Every traveler can enjoy the vacation of a lifetime across the heavenly historical and natural treasures of these holy lands.

West Hartford Business Buzz: September 26, 2022 – Http://www.we-Ha.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/west-hartford-business-buzz-september-26-2022-http-www-we-ha-com/ A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses. By Ronni Newton Wishing a happy and healthy Rosh Hashanah to all who celebrate! The month has been flying by, and I’m in the final phase (taper!) of my training for the Hartford Half Marathon, which will in part head through West Hartford on Oct. 8. Some of the people who have been running with our Fleet Feet group completed the Berlin Marathon on Sunday – and a huge congratulations to all of them! Having completed two full marathons (and gotten injured training for two more) I understand what an enormous achievement it is to train for and run a marathon, and traveling to another country multiple time zones away just adds to the challenge. I’m sticking to the half – which is challenging enough while trying to keep up with everything happening in West Hartford. We were excited to have Sam home for the weekend – and Millie was so happy to have her boy back. But every time he left the house to do something with friends, she stared at us, hedgehog in her paws, as if we were hiding him somewhere. Millie’s summer haircut is growing out! Photo credit: Ronni Newton It certainly felt like fall this week, and I will admit to turning on my car’s heated seats. I did resist (just barely) wearing mittens for my 9-mile run on Saturday morning. It was a brisk 46 degrees at the start, a few degrees below my threshold, but it did warm up enough after a few miles. Summer flowers are still blooming, however! I saw these beautiful roses along Webster Hill Boulevard on Saturday afternoon. Roses are still in bloom even though it’s fall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton It had been many months since we dined at The Russell, and Ted and I had a great dinner and some cocktails there on Saturday night! A Russeltini and passion fruit margarita at The Russell. Photo credit: Ronni Newton Ackee and salt fish at The Russell. Photo credit: Ronni Newton Curried goat at The Russell. Photo credit: Ronni Newton Brown chicken stew at The Russell. Photo credit: Ronni Newton I also had to take this photo of the egg sandwich Sam made himself rather on Sunday morning – mostly because he had an early tee time, but also he’s no longer a student so he is on a more “normal” schedule. He used to make eggs of some sort almost every morning when he still lived at home, and it’s amazing how much longer a dozen eggs lasts in our house these days. I’ve missed Sam’s egg sandwiches. His creation Sunday morning! Photo credit: Ronni Newton Commenters: Please include full names or your comments won’t be approved. We’ve gotten a number of first-name only submissions in the queue this week. I’d also love it if the few frequent commenters who are grandfathered because their initial comments were approved before we changed our policy would edit their profiles to include their full names, too. My final gripe of the week concerns people who don’t bother to read a story before making an assumption about what’s written there – or have read it and gamble on the fact that others won’t read the article so they can post it on Facebook with a completely made-up introduction regarding what it contains. My article about campaigns planning to send out unsolicited absentee ballot applications – which is legal and subject to strict protocols – was posted on the Facebook page of a candidate for statewide office with the completely false assertion in the introduction that West Hartford was sending out 42,000 ballot applications, and footing a bill of perhaps $25,000 or more at taxpayer expense – both completely false statements which anyone who read the article would know. It was clear, sadly, that those who commented, and the 15 that shared it, didn’t bother to read the article or were also being deliberately misleading. When notified through various channels the candidate’s page administrator removed the post and apologized to Town Clerk Essie Labrot, although not to me, but I’m still upset that someone would misappropriate any article so blatantly. There were 45 positive cases COVID-19 in West Hartford over the past seven days (as of Saturday), and a positivity rate of 8.2%. The numbers have gone up and down a bit over the past few weeks, but seem to be on an overall downward trend in West Hartford as well as statewide. One day I hope to be able to delete this paragraph completely, but in the meantime, please continue to have patience since not everyone has the same level of comfort, continue to look out for each other, support our local businesses – and stay safe and healthy. If you’re looking for news about West Hartford in print please note that many stories from We-Ha.com, as well as other local news, is published in the twice-monthly issues of the West Hartford Press. If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected]. ************************************************** Connecticut Physical Therapy Specialists is the sponsor of this week’s Business Buzz! Here’s this week’s Buzz: Chef Adam Greenberg, a partner in Sparrow Pizza Bar with David Boyajian, said he is preparing to open BDK (Back Door Kitchen) in the rear of the 977 Farmington Ave. restaurant, accessible through the Farmington Avenue parking lot where several spaces will be set aside for those picking up food. “BDK is realistically 3-4 weeks away from opening,” Greenberg said. “We’ll be starting with just ‘subbies’ and salads. It will be all grab-and-go or you will be able to order online through Toast. We will also do catering which should be perfect for all the offices in and around the Center. Right now a quick sandwich or salad is hard to find here and we’re going to change that,” he said. Sparrow Pizza Bar continues to add to its offerings, with more pizzas as well as bruschetta and other items on the expanding menu, and is now open for lunch daily at 11:30 a.m. Click here to read the full feature on Sparrow, which opened earlier this month. Fresh salads at Sparrow include the Panzanella. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo) Andreas Kapetanopolous, regional president of NBT Connecticut, presented a very generous donation of $10,000 to Futures Inc. on Friday in front of Good Cause Gifts at 973 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford Center. Good Cause Gifts – which also has stores in Berlin and at the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain – is a social enterprise business supporting Futures Inc., which is an ARC affiliate providing services and opportunities for people with disabilities. NBT is the title sponsor of Futures Inc’s annual fundraiser, The Fashion Show Gala, which will be held this year on Nov. 3, 2022 at the Aqua Turf in Southington. Futures Inc. is headquartered in West Hartford, and operates multiple programs including a school. If you haven’t browsed through Good Cause Gifts yet I definitely recommend it. I don’t think I have ever gone into there and NOT bought something, and Friday was no exception! NBT Connecticut Regional President Andreas Kapetanopolous (left) presents a large donation to Futures Inc. President and CEO Pamela DonAroma (second from left) and others from the organization outside Good Cause Gifts in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton Selection of some local merchandise available at Good Cause Gifts at 973 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton Congratulations to GYL Financial Synergies on the official opening of their new headquarters offices at 75 Isham Road in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square. Mayor Shari Cantor helped GYL’s CEO and Co-Founder Gerry Goldberg and President of Private Client Services and Co-Founder Jonathan Yolles cut the ribbon, at a celebration also attended by other company representatives and associates. GYL was previously located in a much smaller space in Blue Back Square, and now occupies a 9,000-square-foot headquarters, “a major milestone in the firm’s history,” GYL said in a news release. Other offices are in Westport and Parsippany, NJ. According to company information, GYL Financial Synergies, LLC is an independent registered investment advisory firm with $4.7 billion of assets under management and $3.5 billion of assets under advisement as of December 2021. GYL Financial Synergies is a part of Focus Financial Partners, a leading partnership of independently managed wealth management firms. More information about the business can be found at www.gylfinsyn.com. Mayor Shari Cantor, with GYL’s co-founders Jonathan Yelles (left) and Gerry Goldberg, helps cut the ribbon for the grand opening of GYL Financial Synergies’ new headquarters offices at 75 Isham Rd., West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton GYL Financial Synergies new headquarters in West Hartford is located at 75 Isham Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton GYL Financial Synergies new headquarters in West Hartford is located at 75 Isham Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton An official ribbon-cutting – and ribbon hammering – with the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce and town officials was held last week at Iron Shop by Superb Steel, which recently opened at 2575 Albany Ave. in Bishops Corner, where West Hartford Ornamental Iron Works had previously been located. The shop features decorative iron items such as railings and arbors, and they do custom work as well. Ribbon cutting at Iron Shop by Superb Steel. Courtesy photo We’ve got quite a few Westfarms updates this week, including the reopening of Parade of Novelties Sports on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing. “We’re excited to have them back, and just in time for the holiday season,” Westfarms spokesperson Amanda Sirica said. Parade of Novelties Sports has opened on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing at Westfarms. Photo credit: Ronni Newton A ...

Study: Women With Healthy Lifestyle Can Reduce Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes – The Siasat Daily https://collincountynewsonline.com/study-women-with-healthy-lifestyle-can-reduce-risk-of-developing-type-2-diabetes-the-siasat-daily/ Washington: Researchers found that women who have a history of diabetes during pregnancy can still reduce their risk of developing it by living a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well, quitting smoking, exercising frequently, and not being overweight. The results show that women who adhered to five key lifestyle factors – healthy weight, high-quality diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and not smoking – had a 90% lower risk of the disorder compared with women who did not adhere to any, even among those who were overweight or obese, or were at greater genetic risk of type 2 diabetes. It’s widely known that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in generally healthy middle-aged populations. But less is known about whether this also applies to high-risk women with a history of diabetes in pregnancy (gestational diabetes), and if obesity status or genetic risk of type 2 diabetes influence this association. To fill in these research gaps, researchers evaluated the associations of adherence to optimal levels of five modifiable risk factors – healthy body mass index, high-quality diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and not smoking, with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among these women at high risk. Their findings are based on data for 4,275 women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus from the Nurses’ Health Study II with repeated measurements of weight and lifestyle factors over 28 years of follow-up. The researchers also assessed whether these associations changed according to obesity status or underlying genetic susceptibility for type 2 diabetes. Over an average of 28 years of follow-up, 924 women developed type 2 diabetes. After taking into account other major diabetes risk factors, the researchers found that participants who had optimal levels of all five modifiable factors after the index pregnancy had a more than 90% lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who did not have any. Each additional optimal modifiable factor was associated with an incrementally lower risk of type 2 diabetes. For example, women with one, two, three, four, and five optimal levels of modifiable factors compared with none had a 6%, 39%, 68%, 85%, and 92% lower risk, respectively. And these beneficial associations were consistently seen, even among women who were overweight or obese or who had a higher genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. This is an observational study, so it can’t establish cause, and the researchers acknowledge that the data relied on personal reports, which may have affected accuracy. What’s more, the study included predominantly healthcare professionals of European ancestry, so the results may not apply to individuals of other racial or ethnic groups or socioeconomic groups. However, strengths include use of data from a large study with repeated measurements of health related and behavioural risk factors, which helps to better capture long term lifestyle habits and reduce measurement error and misclassification. As such, the researchers say their study “highlights the important public health opportunity for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in this high-risk population.”

Guardians Clinch AL Central Title | News, Sports, Jobs – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://collincountynewsonline.com/guardians-clinch-al-central-title-news-sports-jobs-warren-tribune-chronicle/ AP. Guardians players celebrate winning the American League Central in the locker room after defeating the Rangers on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. ARLINGTON, Texas — A sturdy pair goggles was mandatory attire Sunday in Cleveland’s clubhouse, where impromptu showers of Champagne and beer broke out inside a thick haze of cigar smoke. The Guardians, baseball’s youngest team, finished an unexpected run to the top of the AL Central. Rookie Steven Kwan hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs as the Guardians clinched a division championship no one thought possible six months ago with a 10-4 win over the Texas Rangers. When catcher Luke Maile squeezed Josh Smith’s foul pop for the final out, the Guardians began celebrating a title that actually became official 15 minutes earlier following second-place Chicago’s loss to the Detroit Tigers. Tied for first on Sept. 4, the Guardians have won seven straight and ripped off 18 wins in 21 games to open a 10-game lead and run away with the division. “This team’s good. We’re not just young. We’re pretty good,” said starter Cal Quantrill, the club leader with 14 wins. “I don’t think anybody’s excited to face us right now. We’re playing our best baseball. We’re playing baseball the right way.” This is Cleveland’s 11th Central title since the division’s inception in 1994 and its fourth in 10 years under manager Terry Francona, who battled health problems the past two seasons but has enjoyed this ride with a team that may have surprised early on but is now being viewed as a legitimate World Series threat. “For what our guys did, and when you’re doing it with people that you absolutely care about and love and respect, it means a lot,” Francona said before his statement was interrupted by a bone-chilling dousing. “I’m amazed by these guys,” said Chris Antonetti, the team’s president of baseball operations. “They came together and played the game the right way.” This season wasn’t supposed to happen. After dropping Indians as their nickname following the 2021 season, a move that rankled a sizable portion of Cleveland’s fan base, the Guardians did little to upgrade their roster in free agency as the front office decided 2022 would be devoted to seeing what it had. As it turned out, Cleveland’s kids were more than all right. Maybe no one more so than Kwan, a 25-year-old with a game way beyond his years. He made the roster in spring training and has been the Guardians’ pesky leadoff hitter from opening day, working pitchers into deep counts before slapping hits and becoming an annoyance on the base paths. It was fitting that it was Kwan who led the way to Sunday’s clinch. “Help any team I was on whether it had been Triple-A or the majors,” Kwan said of his goals this season. “I think that helped me in college, travel ball, whatever. I know if I focus on helping the team and others, then everything will fall into place.” Kwan’s slam in the eighth inning barely cleared the wall and bounced back into play. He wasn’t sure it out until signaled by first-base umpire Bruce Dreckman. He said his reaction was “black out.” With bigger games ahead, Kwan wasn’t ready to reflect on what he and his teammates have accomplished. “I definitely want to keep my head down, keep it rolling.” he said. “Maybe in a superstitious kind of way don’t want to take my eyes off anything. Keep it going forward.” The Guardians have defied the odds from the start and became the first team to win a division with at least 16 rookies making their major league debuts. The season began with low expectations everywhere but inside Cleveland’s clubhouse. Maybe is was naivete, but the Guardians believed they could be special and that’s exactly what’s happened. “From Day One, they’ve come together,” Antonetti said. “You go around the clubhouse, the tone our veteran players set like José Ramírez, Amed Rosario, Shane Bieber, Austin Hedges. ‘Tito’ (Francona) said just find a way to help the team win. “They embraced that mentality.” The Guardians have done it with an offense that puts the ball in play, solid and often spectacular defense and a lights-out bullpen anchored by closer Emmanuel Clase (a big league-best 39 saves). Cleveland strikes out less than any team in the majors and nobody goes from first to third better. Amid the clubhouse chaos, Antonetti made a point to credit the 63-year-old Francona, who won two World Series with Boston and may have had his best season after dealing with serious medial issues. “To think of what he’s overcome personally to get to this point,” Antonetti said. “This is a special moment for ‘Tito.’” UP NEXT Guardians: Bieber (12-8, 2.81 ERA) will open a three-game series on Tuesday at home against Tampa Bay in a possible preview of a first-round postseason series. Bieber will face RHP Corey Kluber (10-9, 4.30), a two-time Cy Young winner during nine seasons in Cleveland. Rangers: Play three games at Seattle beginning Tuesday. Texas hasn’t announced a starter for the opener to face LHP Robbie Ray (12-10, 3.60). Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Stolen Masterpieces With Wild Robbery Stories Now In Metaverse Gallery – BeInCrypto https://collincountynewsonline.com/stolen-masterpieces-with-wild-robbery-stories-now-in-metaverse-gallery-beincrypto/ Stolen masterpieces are no longer lost – at least not digitally, anyway. A metaverse gallery has opened its doors to art lovers. And, it is solely for the purpose of displaying masterpieces that were stolen, and never found again. These works have been missing for decades and have some wild stories attached to them. The company behind the gallery, Compass UOL said, “The Stolen Art Gallery is the first metaverse museum that displays major works of art that have been stolen or are missing. Visitors, art lovers, and critics can interact with masterpieces that disappeared decades ago in this immersive social experience hall.”  Stolen masterpieces: Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence The gallery includes Caravaggio’s Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence. On a stormy night, it was stolen from an oratory in Sicily, Italy in 1969. It is probably one of the most famous missing paintings in the world. It was completed in 1609 by the Italian painter. Caravaggio was known for painting dramatic scenes, which often depicted violent struggles, torture, and people dying. He worked fast with live models, forgoing initial drawings, and working directly onto canvas. This particular stolen work shows the biblical birth of Jesus, with saints Francis of Assisi and Lawrence surrounding Mary and the newborn. The painting is large – 2.7 meters high by two meters wide. Two thieves stole the painting by cutting the masterpiece from its frame. They then pinched a carpet and used it to roll up the painting. Amateurs or professionals? Some officials say the robbery was carried out by amateurs. The thieves supposedly saw a TV show about artifacts in Italy a few weeks before. Amazed at its value, they worked out that the building where it was displayed was only guarded by an elderly janitor. After the robbers stole it, it is thought that the Mafia learned of the theft, probably through the efforts of the thieves trying to sell it. The Mafia made the sale their business and intercepted the painting. The theft is probably the most significant art crime in the history of the art world. The FBI have declared it to be in their “Top Ten Art Crimes.” Interpol, the Italian police, and the FBI have all tried to find the painting. In legitimate markets, it is thought to be worth around $20m. However, black market resale value is known to be less, sometimes only 10% of the legit market price. Stolen masterpieces: Mafia mystery remains Investigators say that in the decades after the theft, the painting changed hands among the Sicilian Mafia. Known as Cosa Nostra by its members, this criminal society of Sicily is thought to still possess the painting. There have been many informants from the mafia who have claimed to know where it was. One said it was being used as a floor mat by boss Salvatore Riina. A different informant said Riina often showed it off at meetings. In 2005, a member of the Cosa Nostra, Francesco Marino Mannoia told police that he was involved in the theft. He said that the painting was stolen on commission. When the private buyer saw how damaged the painting was after the theft, he wept and refused to pay. Mannoia stopped short at giving to give the current location of the artwork. In other accounts, the artwork was moved from boss to boss. One purported boss was Gerlando Alberti. But, he was arrested in 1981, so he was said to have quickly buried the painting with cash and drugs. When his nephew showed police the burial spot, no painting was found. Another mafia figure, Filippo Graviano, said the painting was destroyed in the 1980s, after being given to the Pullara family in Palermo. They hid it in a barn, however, they came back to find it had been eaten by rats and pigs. Other accounts say that it was handed on to a Swiss black market dealer, who has since died. Its whereabouts might forever be unsolved. The replica A replica of the painting was commissioned in 2015 by the Sky television network, who did a documentary about the painting, its theft and its replica. The new painting was recreated using slides and photographs of the original artwork during its last restoration in 1951. The replica now hangs over the altar where the masterpiece once was for hundreds of years. Other works Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee is Rembrandt’s only seascape. It also “hangs” in the metaverse gallery. Burglars nabbed it from the Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. As far as modern history goes, this robbery was the biggest art heist ever. Once in the metaverse and looking at this painting, enthusiasts can tap their wrist. Compass UOL says, “As moonlight filters from a skylight into the darkened warehouse of the gallery and you hear the crashing storm at sea, you can tap your wrist to have a miniature bust of Rembrandt materialize.” Rembrandt says that he “included a self-portrait in the boat, the only sailor looking back at you from the painting.” If you visit the metaverse gallery, you will also see Cézanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise. This work was pinched out of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK. This happened in the early hours before the sunrise of New Year’s Day, 1999. It was a meticulously planned raid. Other works by Van Gogh and Manet also appear in the stolen gallery. The metaverse experience It is this kind of metaverse experience that market research firm Gartner says backs up their research. They claim that 25 percent of people “will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026.” Compass UOL say they have a few added extras. “You can come much closer to the painting that you would in a physical museum and notice tiny Rembrandt giving you a half smile as he grabs on to a boat amid the giant waves.” Alexis Rockenbach is the CEO of Compass UOL. “It is more about immersive social interaction than just the virtual reality environment. You can interact with your friends around the art pieces, discuss your impressions, make sketches, and share notes and information about the artist, the paintings, and their stories.” The Stolen Art Gallery is available for iOS, Android and the Oculus Quest. Got something to say about stolen masterpieces or anything else? Write to us or join the discussion in our Telegram channel. You can also catch us on Tik Tok, Facebook, or Twitter. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

This 3-In-1 Dyson Pure Cool Is $200 Off Right Now – Gizmodo Australia https://collincountynewsonline.com/this-3-in-1-dyson-pure-cool-is-200-off-right-now-gizmodo-australia/ At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting. For some, spring is signalled by an abundance of flowers and sunlight. For others, it’s marked by itchy noses and watery eyes. But what if we told you there was a Dyson device that could reduce your allergies, keep you cool in summer and warm your room once winter returns? Say hello to the Dyson HP03 Pure Hot and Cool Link Air Purifier Heater, which is currently on sale at  eBay for $599 (down from $799). If you want to learn more about what this Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Purifier Heater can do, read on. This article has been updated since its first publication. What can the Dyson Pure Hot and Cool Link do? Image: Dyson This three-in-one Dyson heater, fan and air purifier is a versatile home gadget that will keep you in full comfort all year. Those with allergies will benefit from its highly-efficient, 360-degree glass HEPA filter that can capture everything that makes your eyes water and your nose itchy as hell. You can also set it to Auto Mode, which will allow the machine to monitor your room’s air quality and turn itself on automatically if it detects any nasties such as dust, mould, pollen or bacteria. You can even inspect its air purification levels by checking the Dyson Link companion app. When the weather gets a bit colder, you’ll probably more interested in finding out how exactly this hollow Dyson heater can keep your room warm. Thanks to its jet focus control, it can easily warm an entire room – despite its small stature. It can even sense once your room has reached optimal warm temperatures and switch itself off to conserve power. The great thing is that once summer rolls around in a few months, you won’t have to pack away the Dyson Hot and Cool. Instead, you can bask in a powerful stream of purified air to cool you down. As a nice bonus, this Dyson heater-cooler is safe to leave on around young children and pets thanks to its bladeless design. It’s also quite short, so it can fit easily on your bedside table or TV cabinet. Plus, if you’re used to seeing dust accumulate on the blades or guard of your usual pedestal fan, you probably know what a pain it can be to clean. Thanks to its ring-like frame, this Dyson Pure Cool fan is easy to clean. This offer is available for both the White/Nickel and Black/Nickel colours.

Mooners And Shakers: FIFA NFT Partner Algorand And XRP Lead Top Crypto Gains; Optus Hacker Wants Monero – Stockhead https://collincountynewsonline.com/mooners-and-shakers-fifa-nft-partner-algorand-and-xrp-lead-top-crypto-gains-optus-hacker-wants-monero-stockhead/ Algorand and XRP are the crypto assets making the biggest moves over the past week. The former related to its FIFA NFT partnership, the latter still riding on court-case positivity. Meanwhile the Optus data hacker digs Monero. More on those things further below. The week is well and truly underway here in Australia, but at the time of writing Bitcoin, and the rest of the crypto market, is only just “closing” out its week elsewhere. Some folks seem a little nervous about it. What is this crypto market “close”? Isn’t crypto the financial market that never sleeps? Yep, that’s right, but for the sake of charting and technical analysis (also known as mumbo jumbo to the vast uninitiated), it’s generally accepted that the daily and weekly close occurs at midnight UTC. And it’s imminent. Bitcoin is back under US$19k and, according to Cointelegraph as well as other analytical minds, BTC’s latest weekly close looks set to be the lowest since 2020 if it remains around its present level. Trading account Crypto Yoddha expressed the week ahead’s importance for shaping the crypto market’s direction… $BTC The whole week traded within the monday range. Weekly close gonna be bearish, looking like a pin bar. Also consolidating at the range low. So need a bounce first before taking a position. Next week is gonna be important. (Q3 close + Monthly close)#Bitcoin https://t.co/rRrJlWr9wW pic.twitter.com/dwzjiTa4TX — Crypto Yoddha (,) (@CryptoYoddha) September 25, 2022 While economist Alex Krüger seems to think things could get a little worse in the short term before a pretty nice, potential bounce. If that’s an accurate assessment, then, well – enjoy the ride. Thinking lower then higher Replay of June CPI week on equities, crypto to outperform once bounce is on, as it has been showing relative strength (heavy spot buyers last two days). strong bounce =/ new multi-week upwards trend https://t.co/3bcg73OH5N — Alex Krüger (@krugermacro) September 24, 2022 Dutch trader Michaël van de Poppe, meanwhile, is looking at the continued macro/soaring inflation effects that have really found an extra gear in the past week or so. #Bitcoin on a narrow range here, which means that volatility is going to kick in during the next week. Why? – We’ve got a ton of volatility across markets as things are breaking (currencies / energy / commodities). – Euro CPI – US PCE Test of $19.5K - breakout likely. pic.twitter.com/7qZUjHihUi — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) September 25, 2022 Onto some daily price action and other happenings. Top 10 overview With the overall crypto market cap at US$963 billion and down about 1% since yesterday, here’s the current state of play among top 10 tokens – according to CoinGecko. A Bitcoin weekly close below US$18,800, then and so far a slowish bleed into the week for the crypto majors… except for XRP. The crypto industry’s most prominent currency-rail project continues to grab the headlines, the analysis and speculation, and the gains at the moment. And, judging by this tweet from an XRP community member, it continues to grab the attention of whale investors, too. I had a little spare change lying around so… — Jeremy Hogan (@attorneyjeremy1) September 25, 2022 Uppers and downers: 11–100 – Algorand and FIFA NFTs Sweeping a market-cap range of about US$7.46 billion to about US$386 million in the rest of the top 100, let’s find some of the biggest 24-hour gainers and losers at press time. (Stats accurate at time of publishing, based on CoinGecko.com data.) DAILY PUMPERS • Tokenize Xchange (TKX), (market cap: US$599 million) +8% • Maker DAO (MKR), (mc: US$638 million) +5% • ApeCoin (APE), (mc: US$1.8 billion) +5% • Algorand (ALGO), (mc: US$2.7 billion) +3% • Cosmos Hub (ATOM), (mc: US$4.1 billion) +3% • Chainlink (LINK), (mc: US$3.87 billion) +3% Algorand is a proof of Stake layer 1 blockchain and competitor to the likes of Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Polkadot, Cosmos, Avalanche and more. It may not be leading the daily price action in this category, but it’s been doing extremely well over the past week. In fact, it’s up more than 32% over seven days, at the time of writing. Why? The fact that it has an official partnership with FIFA to launch World Cup NFTs might have something to do with it! New users are coming to @Algorand as it launches the official FIFA World Cup NFTs New addresses making their first $ALGO transaction have climbed from 5k a day to 20k a day within three months pic.twitter.com/JFIpQ6ndHz — IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) September 22, 2022 The International Federation of Association Football has now launched its NFT marketplace FIFA+ Collect. And it’s built on the Algorand blockchain – a massive coup for the layer 1 project. Last week, FIFA introduced its “Genesis Drop” NFTs containing notable football highlights (in the form of art/imagery) from FIFA history. The drop was launched with 532,980 editions, with each containing three such moments. DAILY SLUMPERS • Terra Luna Classic (LUNC), (market cap: US$1.4 billion) -13% • Celsius Network (CEL), (mc: US$612 million) -8% • Ravencoin (RVN), (mc: US$446 million) -6% • Lido DAO (LDO), (mc: US$1 billion) -5% • Arweave (AR), (mc: US$470 million) -5% Around the blocks: Optus hacker wants Monero payment A selection of randomness and pertinence that stuck with us on our morning moves through the Crypto Twitterverse… As reported by Alex Turner-Cohen for news.com.au, a person “claiming to be the evil genius responsible for the Optus data breach” has demanded more than AUD $1.5 million in ransom money from the telco – to be paid in the crypto “privacy coin” Monero (XMR). Optus hacker wants $1.5m ransom to be made in @monero. “Optus if you are reading! price for us to not sale data is 1.000.000$US We give you 1 week to decide,”https://t.co/ERrLYEjMIj — Amy-Rose Goodey (@amydashrose) September 25, 2022 Why Monero? The XMR token is widely considered the leading privacy coin in crypto. These are highly decentralised and controversial assets as they use privacy-enhancing technology to obfuscate transactions and transaction history, thus achieving a level of anonymity that makes its users very difficult to trace. Needless to say, privacy coins are generally not popular with governments. Speaking of governments and things that are hugely controversial, though, it’s interesting to watch Russia’s evolving stance on cryptocurrency. RUSSIA: The largest stock exchange, Moscow Exchange, is preparing to become a cryptocurrency exchange — Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) September 25, 2022 Moscow Exchange (MOEX), the largest exchange organisation in the country, is reportedly looking to enable trading in digital financial assets (DFAs) and securities trading based on a set of bills currently being put together. The Bank of Russia has also reportedly been considering the possibility of legalising crypto for the purpose of international/cross-border payments in the near future. Meanwhile, Washington is still figuring out its stance but is “increasingly changing its perspective on crypto”, according to the Coinbase exchange’s chief policy officer Faryar Shirzad. https://t.co/1b9XdyKyEI — naiive (@naiivememe) September 25, 2022 We’re part of the solution. November 23 & 24 in Melbourne, let’s go!https://t.co/1467CE6a80 — NFT Fest Australia | 23rd & 24th November (@NFTFestAus) September 25, 2022 One day, a #BTC Bull Market will come But today is not that day#Crypto #Bitcoin — Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) September 25, 2022 Playful bear seems to dance in the forest pic.twitter.com/KJZjyinlhj — Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) September 25, 2022

United States Wins Presidents Cup For Ninth Straight Time – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/united-states-wins-presidents-cup-for-ninth-straight-time-the-washington-post/ CHARLOTTE — The Presidents Cup spent Sunday avoiding ending up as a cataclysm. It even spent a loud day at Quail Hollow presenting flickers of “Wait, could this thing really turn . . .?” The U.S. team won, 17½-12½, against an International team hamstrung by poaching from the LIV Golf circuit, but the margin wound up shy of the neighborhood of infinity — not so bad after a Friday night when the Americans led 8-2 and the forecast looked yucky. “This team is no joke,” said Trevor Immelman, the captain of the International team and the 2008 Masters champion, “and I’m sick and tired of it being spoken of as a joke. We love this event, and we love our team, and we can’t wait” for Montreal. That’s the next edition of this series, planned for 2024, that pits the Americans against the best golfers from all of the other countries outside Europe. Immelman, of South Africa, saw it as a chance to “just lay a couple more bricks in this house that we’re trying to build,” a house set amid a chronic American storm that has the United States ahead 12-1-1 lifetime and on a nine-event winning streak. He spoke of his “warriors” who inched within 12-8 shortly after 4 p.m. and pronounced himself proud especially “considering [that] when I was made captain, there was no such thing as a pandemic. There were a few other things that weren’t around as well.” One of those things would be LIV Golf, the Saudi Arabian series that has used riches from mankind’s marriage to oil to snare a bunch of players from a bunch of countries, leaving Immelman without British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia, No. 3 in the world, and two-time PGA Tour winner Joaquin Niemann of Chile, No. 21 in the world, among others. U.S. captain Davis Love III had 11 of the world’s top 20 players — Immelman had two — but the home team did not offer haughtiness. “They did everything we asked them to do,” Love said, “and they were unbelievably prepared.” None of the possible lopsidedness dented the verve of Charlotte, which will turn out if you ask it to. For an event that seemed a whisper from afar on a busy sports landscape, it was much louder up close. Droves walked the course, about 40,000 in all, even on a Sunday when it went up against various other diversions — such as the Godzilla of all U.S. sports, the NFL, which showed in person 12 miles up the road. The fans turned out in their U.S. gear, from the singlet with suspenders to the U.S. flags tucked into caps to the U.S. bandanna to the understated U.S. flag on the red cap to the overstated U.S. flags festooned on a red shirt to all else. “It was the biggest one ever,” said Love, the 1997 PGA Championship champion, “so there were a lot of big reasons to have pressure, but being the big, big, big favorite carries a little weight.” When Xander Schauffele closed it out around 5:23 p.m. with a six-foot putt he studied for a good while and then beat Corey Conners of Canada, 1 up, well, Schauffele said, “What you saw was a big sigh of relief.” His teammates went out to fete and greet him, and not long after that, he smoked a cigar from the interview dais. The results of Sunday’s 12 singles matches started coming in just after 3:30 when Jordan Spieth, the monster of the U.S. team at 5-0 (with Max Homa next at 4-0), finished his 4-and-3 win over Cameron Davis of Australia. That upped the U.S. lead to 12-7. When South Korea’s Sungjae Im finished an impressive 1-up win that dropped Justin Thomas’s record to 4-1, it stood 12-8 with 10 matches to finish even as the whole thing still tilted toward the Americans, and Immelman did wind up saying, “I don’t know about you guys, but at some point this afternoon I thought there was a chance.” There wasn’t a whole lot of one, but the Presidents Cup joined the barrage of sporting events decided decisively but not emphatically rather than joining the ones decided bad memorably. There were moments of something approaching near-intrigue, such as when Im theatrically shushed the crowd after winning a hole or when Hideki Matsuyama’s bid to win his all-square match from off the green on No. 18 struck the flagstick and came to a rest one foot off. (The Japanese star’s match with Sam Burns ended in a tie.) “I played not shying away from the moment,” said Colombia’s Sebastián Muñoz, whose 2-and-1 win over top-ranked Scottie Scheffler brought the score to 13½-9½ before Tony Finau and Schauffele got going again. At 4:50 p.m., Finau drained a 15-foot putt that clinched a 3-and-1 win over Canada’s Taylor Pendrith, bringing the U.S. total to 14½, and about a half-hour later Schauffele beat Conners to clinch matters altogether. Then it was time for Spieth, a three-time major winner by 23 who is still just 29, to remind how he got his first singles win in an international competition and to wonder whether this kind of thing might bring further confidence. “I’m really excited about the week that was this week,” he said. “I think I played some of my best golf of the year, which was really cool.” On the other side, the team spoke of “the shield,” its logo, and how it bonded around that as it brought together seven nationalities among 12 players — and how this seemed a tad less of a bummer than 2021 in Melbourne, Australia, where the United States rallied on the final day to win a 16-14 donnybrook. Instead, this team had bid for something the other way around, zooming from that 8-2 deficit after Friday to an 11-7 one after Saturday. “A big difference I’ve felt in the last couple years,” said Adam Scott of Australia, the 2013 Masters champion, “is what’s going on in our team room.” He concluded, “I think good things are really starting to happen in that environment.” He added, “A cup is coming our way soon.” That would seem less about Scott, 42, than about the young lads who got some seasoning here, including the 27-year-old Davis. “I kind of say this week is sort of the benchmark in terms of high-pressure situations” and “something we haven’t quite experienced,” he said. “I think a lot of these younger guys are trying to get as many experiences as we can and this was just a massive steppingstone.”

Technology News | ⚡Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Likely To Come With 25W Fast Charging Support – LatestLY https://collincountynewsonline.com/technology-news-%e2%9a%a1samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra-likely-to-come-with-25w-fast-charging-support-latestly/ South Korean tech giant Samsung may launch its next-generation flagship smartphone — Galaxy S23 Ultra — with 25W fast charging support.

New Festival ‘AnnaFest’ Pays Homage To Texas Heritage And Western Music – North Texas E-News https://collincountynewsonline.com/new-festival-annafest-pays-homage-to-texas-heritage-and-western-music-north-texas-e-news/ Anna, Texas  – Bring your boots and cowboy hat for a Texas-sized celebration in Anna, Texas, on Oct.1! The latest North Texas festival introduces a new spin on Texas-themed celebrations by paying homage to the old west. Attendees will be swaying to the music flowing from the main stage, featuring a blend of Western Swing, Texas-style fiddling, and guitar jazz. Families of all sizes will enjoy the evening playing western games, swing dancing, watching a live-action gun-slinging showdown, armadillo races, and photo ops with a live Texas longhorn. The flavors of the south will have your mouth watering at the food courtyard, and attendees 21 and up can wet their whistle at the watering hole beer and wine garden. In honor of Texas’s cultural heritage, the main stage will feature performances from unmistakable unique sounds of the Mariachi orchestra and beauty of the Ballet Folklórico to old-time western swing and jazz by Big Cedar Fever and The Quebe Sisters. The Quebe Sisters AnnaFest admission and parking are free. Access a map of the free parking lots. A designated zone for drop-offs and pick-ups is located on the south end of the City of Anna Municipal Complex at 7th Street. Complimentary round-trip shuttle service is offered all evening. Festival goers can park off-site at Sherley Heritage Park (101 S Sherley Rd.), First Christian Church (201 S. Sherley Ave.), and the Anna ISD Administration Building (501 S Sherley Rd.). Shuttles depart every 15 minutes. Handicap parking will be located adjacent to the Anna Municipal Complex and can be accessed by heading southbound on Riggins Street from 5th Street. A handicap placard is required to access the handicap parking lot. Additional parking within walking distance from the event will be located on the east side of Riggins Street and can be accessed by heading southbound on Riggins Street from 5th Street. AnnaFest is Saturday, Oct.1, from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For detailed information on activities and performance schedules, visit annatexas.gov/AnnaFest. This event is proudly sponsored by the Anna Community Development Corporation. About Anna Anna, Texas, is among the fastest-growing cities in North Texas, with a population of more than 18,000 and expected growth to 100,000 by 2050. Located in northern Collin County along U.S Highway 75, State Highway 5, and State Highway 121, Anna is a vibrant and emerging city that offers its neighbors an excellent quality of life and low cost of living. The combination of Anna’s strategic location along busy thoroughfares and the quantity of undeveloped land have positioned the city as an attractive location for retail and commercial establishments. Neighbors enjoy recreational opportunities, parks, trails, open spaces, easy access to the DFW and Red River corridors and a pace of living that offers a hometown feel in a thriving community. To learn more about the City of Anna, visit www.annatexas.gov.

Guest Opinion: Review, Comment On Communities In Motion Plan – Idaho Press https://collincountynewsonline.com/guest-opinion-review-comment-on-communities-in-motion-plan-idaho-press/ Do you plan for the future? I’m not talking about next week’s grocery list, or next year’s vacation, but the long-term future — 10, 20, or even 30 years out? COMPASS, the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, shoulders that task for the transportation system for the Treasure Valley. The agency, an association of local governments in Ada and Canyon Counties, plans for the transportation needs for 20 – 30 years into the future. We are now finalizing the next iteration of that long-range plan, to look to the year 2050, and are seeking your feedback. Do you LOVE local news? Get Local News Headlines in your inbox daily. Include special offer& contest announcement emails Matt Stoll is the executive director of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, an association of local governments that plans for the future of Ada and Canyon Counties.

LIVE: Yamuna Water Level In Delhi Nears Warning Mark – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/live-yamuna-water-level-in-delhi-nears-warning-mark-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Sep 26, 2022 07:35 AM IST Breaking news LIVE updates September 26, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Sep 26, 2022 07:35 AM IST Afghan Sikh refugees granted urgent visas return home “We would like to thank the Indian government to give us urgent visas and help us to reach India. Many of us still have families left behind as around 30-35 people are left stranded in Afghanistan,” reported news agency ANI, quoting Sukhbeer Singh Khalsa, an Afghan Sikh refugee. Sep 26, 2022 07:01 AM IST Apple now manufacturing iPhone 14 in India Apple’s newest phone iPhone 14 will be made in India as the global tech titan bets big on the manufacturing prowess of the world’s second-biggest smartphone market after China. Sep 26, 2022 06:33 AM IST World Bank pledges USD 2 billion in aid to flood-hit Pakistan The World bank has said that it will provide USD 2 billion in aid to Pakistan for reconstruction and rehabilitation that includes food, shelter and other urgent needs of the victims of the recent devastating floods. Sep 26, 2022 06:06 AM IST Himachal Pradesh: 7 killed, several injured after tourist vehicle rolls down a cliff Seven people were killed and ten others were injured after a tourist vehicle rolled down from a cliff at 8:30 pm on Sunday on NH-305 in Ghiyagi area of Banjar Valley in Kullu, news agency ANI reported quoting Gurdev Singh SP Kullu. Sep 26, 2022 05:35 AM IST Yamuna water level in Delhi nears warning mark, likely to breach it today The water level in the Yamuna here neared the warning mark of 204.5 metres on Sunday following heavy rain in the upper catchment areas and is expected to breach it  today, officials said. Subscribe to our best newsletters ‘Please unite them first’: BJP leader’s Bharat Jodo swipe amid Rajasthan crisis Published on Sep 26, 2022 06:53 AM IST The BJP has been criticising the Congress for Bharat Jodo Yatra and has maintained that the party should focus on resolving the internal rebellion first Union minister Bhupender Yadav last night posted a photo of Rahul Gandhi with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin pilot.(@byadavbjp) Number Theory: Four charts which explain India’s Net Zero Emission challenge Published on Sep 26, 2022 05:47 AM IST India made a five-point commitment in its pursuit of achieving net-zero emissions. By 2030, it aims to increase the non-fossil energy capacity by 500 GW, fulfil 50% of its energy demand with renewable energy, reduce 1 billion tonnes of CO2 and decrease carbon intensity to less than 45%. LIVE: Yamuna water level in Delhi nears warning mark Updated on Sep 26, 2022 07:35 AM IST Breaking news LIVE updates September 26, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Survey to assess drinking water in cities to begin in October Updated on Sep 26, 2022 05:36 AM IST As many as 485 cities covered under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) will be assessed in the survey, a ministry official said, requesting anonymity. ByRisha Chitlangia, Hindustan Times, New Delhi Cong protests LPG price hike as Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:38 AM IST After concluding the morning session of the foot march at Wadakkanchery, Gandhi took a chopper to Nilambur and paid his respects at the residence of late Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed. Gandhi said Mohammed was a pillar of the Congress and his demise was a great loss for the party Former CM SM Krishna admitted to hospital due to respiratory infection Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:31 AM IST Krishna was the state chief minister between 1999-2004, governor of Maharashtra in 2004 and later served as the minister for external affairs between 2009 and 2012. Mukul Rohatgi declines AG post as he has ‘second thoughts’ Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:27 AM IST Mukul Rohatgi said that he is grateful to the government for according him the opportunity the second time. Hindu plaintiffs divided over carbon dating of ‘shivling’ in Gyanvapi Updated on Sep 26, 2022 02:07 AM IST Rakhi Singh, one of the five women plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi complex case, on Sunday said carrying out “carbon dating of the Shivling is an anti-religion act” Two of family among four killed in road mishap Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:26 AM IST A woman and her daughter among four people were killed in an accident involving a truck, car and a motorbike on Belagavi-Bagalkot road, police said on Sunday Nitish, Lalu meet Sonia, call for Oppn unity to defeat BJP Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:25 AM IST The leaders from Bihar also said that the talks will continue and the next round of discussions would be held after the election for Congress president to include the next Congress chief in the opposition’s plans for the 2024 general election. Telangana CM KCR mum, uncertainty looms over launch of national party Updated on Sep 26, 2022 06:50 AM IST A Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader said chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) might take some more time as he was still deliberating with intellectuals and senior party leaders to prepare the constitution of the national party and the party philosophy, which is primarily based on agriculture and irrigation sectors Amid frequent attacks on BJP, RSS premises in Tamil Nadu, cops warn of NSA Updated on Sep 26, 2022 05:35 AM IST Multiple petrol bomb attacks were reported on premises of BJP, RSS leaders since Thursday — the day the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 11 PFI members, including office-bearers, as part of a nationwide operation.The attacks were reported across Coimbatore, Pollachi, Ramanathapuram, Erode and Tambaram. Story Saved New Delhi 0C Monday, September 26, 2022

Survey Reveals How People Feel About Baked Treats Amid Inflation – Tasting Table https://collincountynewsonline.com/survey-reveals-how-people-feel-about-baked-treats-amid-inflation-tasting-table/ Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock When inflation creeps into the crevices of daily life, things inevitably get trimmed down or out. High-dollar purchases get postponed or reevaluated, and splurges are reimagined into affordable alternatives. In fact, according to Bloomberg, consumers have even decreased their spending on items like detergent and diapers. With food being a necessity, grocery sales keep rolling along, albeit with more consideration for cost. However, one gastronomy component stands alone amongst inflationary trends: baked goods, according to the American Bakers Association (ABA). In a July 2022 study conducted by the ABA, more than 15,000 people weighed in on significant issues such as food inflation, health, and food production. The in-depth survey, titled “Life Through the Lens of the Bakery,” takes a look at lifestyle convictions and how they affect food choices, particularly regarding baked goods. From dietary value to food-industry sustainability commitments, it all comes out in this look at foodie passions and where the lines get drawn. Does the bakery, whether residing in home kitchens, specialty baked-good shops, or grocery stores, have a voice in how the world responds to inflation? Apparently, it does. Sweet indulgences Tatjana Baibakova/Shutterstock Let’s go ahead and set the bar here: Baked treats are not essential to life sustenance. Unless they’re the only thing keeping you from starving, bakery items like desserts and muffins are superfluous to a healthy diet. So why do 84% of ABA survey respondents embrace the idea of consuming them despite inflationary prices for groceries, restaurant meals, and gasoline? The answer lies in the phrase “affordable indulgence,” explains Food Business News. In discussing the ABA report at the International Baking Industry Exposition in Las Vegas, Anne-Marie Roerink from 210 Analytics notes that many people “have an emotional connection to baked goods.” While 64% of survey respondents still include occasional baked treats in overall living budgets, that number rises to 80%, placing a high value on baked items for holidays and special occasions. Even in times of budget restraints, consumers still feel it’s “perfectly fine” to treat themselves to cookies, donuts, cupcakes, and pie slices. The ABA additionally notes that “meal-related” bakery items are experiencing high levels of innovation amidst a turn toward healthy lifestyles, with 50% of study participants prioritizing “freshly baked” items. Younger generations incorporate flatbreads, tortillas, wraps, and pizzas into mealtimes even during inflationary periods, with 90% purchasing them in the month prior to taking the survey. In August, Supermarket News reported that indulgent snacks had a slight edge over healthier options among consumers. Sally Lyons Wyatt from research firm IRI suggested people were replacing pricy items with cheap treats to brighten their days.

NASCAR At Texas Results: Tyler Reddick Takes The Checkered Flag After A Chaotic Day, Night Of Racing – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/nascar-at-texas-results-tyler-reddick-takes-the-checkered-flag-after-a-chaotic-day-night-of-racing-sporting-news/ When Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 came to its merciful end, the finish was fairly calm. Tyler Reddick’s No. 8 car made its way over the finish line with nothing but clean air around him. It was a stark contrast to what had transpired at Texas Motor Speedway in the hours prior. The race was defined by chaos: 16 caution flags were waved on the day/night, as well as a red flag. Seven drivers were knocked out of the race, including playoff drivers Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell. And Cody Ware was taken to the infield medical care center after a scary wreck that ended with his car hitting a wall on pit road. All of this is to say, Reddick’s victory came under the most trying of circumstances. The race started shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET and didn’t wrap up until nearly six hours later. The proceedings came down mostly to the all-important final stage. The weather conditions when Stage 3 started were far different than the ones that existed during Stages 1 and 2. The track temperature was 20 degrees cooler by the final stage, making it easier for tires to maintain their grip — something that had proven particularly difficult under the beaming Texas sun earlier. That helped the likes of Reddick, Joey Logano, Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe all stay at the front of the pack as laps continued to dwindle. Ultimately, it was Reddick, with an aggressive team and a car that seemed to find life as the sun drifted down, who found a way. MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with fuboTV (free trial) With his win at Texas, Reddick now has three career Cup Series victories. He entered 2022 with none to his name. “LET’S GOOOOO!” @TylerReddick gets it done again! pic.twitter.com/Jp68ihSKGa — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 26, 2022 “That’s how we tell everybody we ain’t done yet,” Reddick said while taking his victory lap. Reddick was eliminated from the playoffs last week at Bristol. He is leaving Richard Childress Racing after the 2023 season for 23XI Racing.  The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday’s playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. Below are highlights and live results from the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500, a race that lived up to the hype. NASCAR at Texas live updates, results, highlights (All times Eastern) 9:10 p.m.: Reddick takes the checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway! Career victory No. 3 for Reddick. 9:09 p.m.: One lap left for Reddick! 9:08 p.m.: Reddick still has the edge. Four laps to go. Wonderful display by Reddick, who looks on pace for his Cup Series-high ninth top-three finish. A real rising star in racing. 9:06 p.m.: Reddick holds a 1.3 second lead over Logano. With just six laps to go, will that be enough? Logano’s among the fastest cars left on the track. 9:04 p.m.: Larson with a phenomenal save! Keselowski got tight on him and Larson just avoided the wall. His crew chief apologized for not making the proper adjustments during today’s race. Looks like Larson is hoping to stay in the top 10 and live to fight another day. 9 p.m.: Enthralling back-and-forth between Briscoe, Byron and Larson for fifth place. As of now, it’s Briscoe who has the slight edge. 8:58 p.m.: Back to green with 24 laps to go. Reddick, Logano and Justin Haley in the top three. Briscoe making a late dig for third. 8:51 p.m.: The 16th caution of the night comes out. It’s for Aric Almirola, who spun into the wall after a closely-packed race restart. 28 laps to go and it’s looking gnarly as ever. 8:43 p.m.: Yet another caution flag, this time for Austin Cindric and Stenhouse Jr. Looks like Stenhouse Jr. lost some grip on the turn, sending his car into the wall. Cindric found a way to avoid a collision with Stenhouse Jr., sliding like a ninja to get himself away from the wall. Reflexes are on point. 8:40 p.m.: Reddick leads the way with 41 laps to go. He’s got a one-second edge over Logano in second. We’ll have to see how this one finishes. 8:36 p.m.: Looks like Hamlin has vengeance on his mind. The No. 11 driver told his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, that he’ll make sure to give Byron his own form of punishment if he gets his car around where Byron is. “The man wrecks you under caution and he gets no penalty? Good grief. What are they doing?” says @CG1751@dennyhamlin chimes in, “We never touched.” @JoeGibbsRacing @TXMotorSpeedway #NASCAR — Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) September 26, 2022 8:33 p.m.: Very tight in the front. Stenhouse Jr., Reddick, Gilliland and Logano are all within a second of each other. 53 laps to go and it’s looking like it will be an absolute doozy in the final stage. 8:31 p.m.: Green flag is waved again and it’s rookie Todd Gilliland with the lead. Stenhouse Jr. in second, although the two are going back-and-forth for that race-leading position. 8:23 p.m.: Unbelievable series of events at Texas! First, Martin Truex Jr., the race leader, wrecked after suffering a front flat tire. Then, William Byron and Denny Hamlin got into it! Byron seemed to take exception with Hamlin making some contact before the caution flag was waved. Byron clipped him on the caution lap. Looked like Hamlin wanted his payback, knocking into Byron’s car shortly thereafter. That will be something to watch post-race. — NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) September 26, 2022 7:55 p.m.: With 95 laps to go, here’s how things are shaping up at the top of the leaderboard: Tyler Reddick Erik Jones Michael McDowell Kevin Harvick Brad Keselowski 7:53 p.m.: Byron is finding a lot of success with cooler track temps. He’s risen 11 places since the race restart. Now, he’s the only playoff racer to feature in the top-10 at the moment. 7:51 p.m.: Reddick takes the lead! Impressive restart by Reddick, who had dropped a lap behind earlier in the day.  7:49 p.m.: Contact between McDowell and Erik Jones! Jones doesn’t look too happy about it, but neither car suffers enough damage to knock them off the track. 7:48 p.m.: We are back in action at Texas! 7:46 p.m.: The red flag has been lifted. We are now on a caution flag. 112 laps to go, track conditions are poised to be different — Chase Briscoe’s team says the track is 20 degrees cooler than it was earlier today. 7:43 p.m.: After a lengthy delay due to rain and lightning, drivers have restarted their engines once more for Stage 3. 5:57 p.m.: Ware is headed to the infield care center, per NASCAR officials.  5:48 p.m.: Cody Ware goes into pit road! The front end of his car is in absolute tatters after a bad collision. Looks like Ware is out of his car, but medical officials are working on Ware in pit road. Scary situation for the No. 51 driver. 5:40 p.m.: Not looking great for Bell. He entered today’s race four points above the cut line and is now 24 points below it. Had a great Stage 1 run but looks like he won’t be able to continue any further. His team is still working on his car, but things are looking more and more dire for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the moment. 5:38 p.m.: Wallace and the No. 45 team has really pulled it together. After dropping as far back as last-place, Wallace has gotten himself into the top-five. He’s been looking a whole lot more consistent over the past few months. That’s got to be encouraging going forward for Wallace and 23XI Racing. 5:36 p.m.: Elliott nabs the lead after the race restart. Erik Jones and Chastain going back-and-forth for second place at the moment. This is right where you want to be if you’re in the Round of 12. 5:29 p.m.: Caution flag waved! It’s for Bell, who spins into the wall at Turn 4. Bell gets some damage to the front right and back right bumpers. That’s not ideal for a playoff driver like Bell. 5:22 p.m.: Burton has taken the lead. That will be good for the youngster, who has made a good impression in the Xfinity Series.  He’s gotten one top-five finish in his Cup Series career up to this point. Perhaps he can get No. 2 at Texas? 5:19 p.m.: Reddick is headed to pit road. Told his team that he’s experiencing some serious shakiness in the car. He’ll only be one lap down, so he still has a shot to do well here. In the front, it’s non-playoff drivers Stenhouse Jr. and Burton leading the way. Stenhouse Jr. will likely have to pit in the next 15-20 laps, but it will be nice for him to be out in front. 5:17 p.m.: Stage 2 is off the mark and it’s Stenhouse Jr. at the front. He’s followed by Reddick and Harrison Burton. 10 laps down in the second stage and things are going fairly swimmingly, although there was a little looseness from McDowell’s No. 34 a few laps earlier. 5:07 p.m.: We’re at a ferocious pace at the end of Stage 2. Larson, Hamlin, Logano, Daniel Suarez, Ross Chastain and Byron all within a second of each other. There’s contact between Larson and Hamlin at the front of the pack but Larson’s holds on to take Stage 1! What a finish! 4:59 p.m.: Alex Bowman goes into the wall! He came fast into Turn 3 and 4 and couldn’t pull it together in time, scraping the back of his whip into the wall. Bowman was running in eight place before his collision. — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 25, 2022 His team has ten minutes to get his car right or it’ll be a done day for playoff driver Bowman. 4:57 p.m.:  Larson holds a slight lead over Hamlin. Byron lost his opposition, prompting him call his team and apologize for driving poorly. 4:44 p.m.: Toyota cars having some issues. Another caution flag waved after Christopher Bell’s tire pops. Also, Cole Custer’s 41 car skidded out, something that has happened  4:39 p.m.: Elliott communicating to his team that he’s got some smoke in the car. He’s not quite able to distinguish where it’s coming from, but something to watch for in the coming few laps. 4:37 p.m.: This rac...

Calls Grow For Legal Measures To Protect Minors From Metaverse Sex Crimes – Asianews.network https://collincountynewsonline.com/calls-grow-for-legal-measures-to-protect-minors-from-metaverse-sex-crimes-asianews-network/ September 26, 2022 SEOUL – Calls for measures to counter sex crimes in the metaverse are rising with an increasing number of predators targeting teenagers. Huh Kyung-mi, a professor of police administration at Keimyung University, said that legal measures are essential to respond to sexual exploitation in the metaverse in a paper published on Sunday. According to Huh, 70 percent of metaverse service users are teenagers, and criminal attempts on the metaverse platform, especially those that target youthful avatars, has been increasing. Perpetrators lure minors with virtual items and gradually lead the minors into having inappropriate conversations or filming and sending sexual content. Some cases are not even considered illegal under the current law, such as sexual harassment against virtual avatars. In some cases, crimes within the metaverse evolve into crimes in the real world. A man in his 30s who forced 11 minors he met through Zepeto – Asia’s largest metaverse platform operated by Naver Z – to film and send sexually explicit content of themselves for about a year since April 2021 was sentenced to four years in prison on Sept. 11. Amid continuing challenges, both the industry and the government are having difficulties in getting a detailed picture of the situation, as there is no efficient system for receiving reports about such crimes. The Korea Communications Commission and the Ministry of Justice have been trying to analyze metaverse crime issues since early this year. The KCC is conducting a survey to specify the scope of actions that can be interpreted as a crime. The digital sex crime committee under the Justice Ministry commented on the limit of the current law in January, recommending that criminal acts against virtual avatars and personal accounts should be considered no less than criminal acts against real human users. Professor Huh pointed out that the core of the controversy comes from the unfamiliar concept of the metaverse. “In order to curb sex crimes in the metaverse, social consensus on the nature of the metaverse should be made first — whether it is an extension of the real world or not. Discussion on a new legal structure to restrain the metaverse should follow,” said Huh said.

20 BEST War Games On PS4 To Play In 2022 – EXputer https://collincountynewsonline.com/20-best-war-games-on-ps4-to-play-in-2022-exputer/ War games is one of the best video games genre that captivates the horrors of nations clashing with each other, destroying cities and looting whatever is left. From earlier days of PlayStation to PlayStation 4, players have had experienced war games in single player, multiplayer and other settings. While it is always interesting to see different developers and studios present their take on making some of the best PS4 War games, our guide entails the top 20 titles you should play if you’re into war games.  Before reading our listing for the best war games, consider checking out related guides as well: Single Player Xbox Series X Games Soulslike Games Need For Speed Games BEST Sega CD Games BEST Metro Games 1. Battlefield 4 battlefield 4 Developer: DICE Release Date: October 29, 2013 The kind of online combat seen in Battlefield has a timeless quality to it. When fast-paced infantry combat is combined with explosive vehicular warfare, the resulting clash is one that is high-stakes, suspenseful, and maybe most significantly, varied. It is easy to get the impression that there is no limit to the satisfying ways in which you may contribute to the war effort when you have access to weapons, gadgets, and upgrades that are specifically designed to generate a wide variety of combat roles. Since the beginning of the Battlefield series, gamers have been drawn in by the game’s emphasis on varied gameplay, and that trend continues unabated in Battlefield 4. The online multiplayer mode is a tremendous amount of fun. But these days, Battlefield is about more than just multiplayer, and the single-player narrative in Battlefield 4 also has some thrilling moments to offer players. Although the story’s protagonists and antagonists sometimes display enticing aspects of their personalities, these aspects are overshadowed by the story’s too formulaic interactions and conversation. The most exciting action takes place during large-scale battles that make full use of the 10 expansive and well planned maps. Richer color saturation makes them more pleasing to look at, whether it be the verdant alpine pastures around a big satellite dish or the flashing neon lights of a seaside city. This applies to both of these settings. It is possible to gain control of a match via naval superiority; nevertheless, mobility on the water is also a significant factor to take into account. This is something that is obvious to anybody who has ever walked across a vast empty field rather than catching a ride. Some of these incidents result in considerable change, such as the collapse of a building, while others have a more subtle effect, such as locking cell doors to close off a corridor or raising bollards to obstruct a road. For example, the destruction of a skyscraper results in a large shift. There are a ton of methods to improve your effectiveness on the battlefield and rack up the points that will enhance your rank and give you access to new content. These include customizing your vehicles and your soldiers. The single-player campaign, like everything else in the game, has its ups and downs, but unfortunately, there are more downs than there are ups. It comes in handy when you’re trying to make your way to your teammates while battling your way through a hamlet with a ragtag assortment of weapons and the occasional vehicle. Battlefield 4’s online multiplayer mode is a ton of fun across all platforms, and it is undeniably the finest incentive to either come back to this venerable series or start playing it for the first time. Even if the campaign is moving in the right way, it is still really a sideshow compared to the main event. Battlefield 4’s multiplayer mode is one of the most exciting experiences available in this or the next generation because it is both expansive and exciting, tough and powerful. 2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software Release Date: November 13, 2020 It is difficult not to relate Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War to the previous year’s installment, Modern Warfare, as is the case with any yearly gaming series. In terms of the campaign, Cold War performs far better than its predecessor from the previous year, demonstrating that Call of Duty is considerably more successful when it veers toward the fantastical. In Zombies, Cold War offers a co-op option that is far more popular than Spec Ops in Modern Warfare, despite the fact that it still need some balancing adjustments. Multiplayer, on the other hand, is where Cold War falls short; the experience is unsatisfying as a whole, and this is particularly noticeable in the shadow of Warzone. The majority of the levels provide you with various alternatives in terms of your strategy for fighting, and some of them even take into consideration mistakes that you make. Adding to this sensation are the game’s straightforward stealth mechanics. The majority of missions require some degree of stealth, which entails being unseen, depending on quiet takedowns, and then concealing a dead corpse before another player discovers it. In keeping with other aspects of the Call of Duty series, the level design has both crystal defined goals and spectacular set pieces. You will be encouraged to investigate areas like a faithful recreation of East Berlin as well as Soviet training facilities that are both ingenious and imaginative by the presence of hidden information as well as the odd optional mission. You will have lots of chances to turn up the volume, but the shooting will be just as intense as it always has been. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the gratifying thud that confirms a kill, whether I’m using a sniper rifle or the minigun on an assault helicopter. It doesn’t matter. A peculiar glimpse into actual life is provided by Ronald Reagan, who only makes a cameo appearance in a short sequence at the opening of the game and contributes a few voice lines at the game’s conclusion. notwithstanding the undeniable fact that the reproduction of his look and style of talking is very remarkable. The biggest mistake that Cold War made in terms of its story was that it didn’t make the United States suffer nearly as much as they should have for their imagined problems. Without getting into too much detail, the United States of America is ultimately to blame for the primary and wholly fictitious problem that is at the heart of the marketing for this video game. The structure of Cold War Zombies is solid, and it is possible that future upgrades may make it even better; but, the chasm that exists between its multiplayer mode and the Warzone ecosystem is too great to be closed by implementing a few balance changes. Overall, playing Zombies with friends is a fun experience, but the game’s multiplayer mode is a disappointment. As a result, the game’s excellent single-player mode takes on the most of the game’s challenges. COD series of video games have always had a unique spin to make war games when compared to the Battlefield video games. COD Black Ops Cold War is another excellent title and a great addition to our best war games on PS4 if you are little inclined towards COD games. Also, consider reading related guides: Call of Duty Tier List Best COD Cold War Guns Best Sniper in Cold War Best AR In Cold War Best AK47 Loadout Cold War Best Quickscope Class Cold War 3. Battlefield 1 Battlefield 1 Developer: DICE Release Date: October 21, 2016 The brutality of World War I is vividly shown in Battlefield 1, which does not spare any time in doing so. The grim beginning of the narrative focuses on the inevitability of passing away as its primary theme. The early 20th century is brilliantly interpreted by EA DICE as a society in the midst of a technological shift, and the cinematic snippets are well produced, even if they are based on fiction. This helps humanize the people who participated in the conflict. War Stories, the campaign for Battlefield 1, does an excellent job of conveying both the tragedies and the heroics of The Great War. When opposed to other Battlefield narrative modes, this one offers a more concentrated immersion. These new stories are presented in a style similar to that of a non-linear collection, which means that they do not required to be played in any certain sequence. The portions of War Stories that focus on vehicles provide you an overview of the first generation of tanks and fighter planes, both of which represented significant advancements in military technology during their respective eras. Even though tanks have limited room, a carrier pigeon will accompany you on the journey. This pigeon will prove to be an important passenger at one of the most emotionally moving moments of the mission. The multiplayer component of Battlefield 1 remains true to the open-space action that the franchise is known for, but it has been expertly adapted to include the weaponry, vehicles, and geography of World War 1. The core of it is called Operations, and it involves one side trying to advance while the other side tries to keep them back in battles that may last for up to an hour. The excitement of a fight comes not only from racking up the most kills or achieving the greatest kills-to-death ratio, but also from successfully adjusting to shifting conditions in the middle of a fight. This is particularly true for members of teams, who must always be looking for new ways to improve their performance and contribute more effectively. The quality of a mode is directly proportional to that of the map it is played on, and each of Battlefield 1’s maps is ingenious and engaging in its own unique way. Compared to the several near-symmetrical levels in Battlefield: Hardline, these new areas of operations seem natural and, more importantly, enticing. You may per...

Jihan Wu-Backed Crypto Miner Bitdeer Acquires ‘Singapore’s Fort Knox’ For $28.4 Million – Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://collincountynewsonline.com/jihan-wu-backed-crypto-miner-bitdeer-acquires-singapores-fort-knox-for-28-4-million-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ Sources have disclosed that the digital currency mining operation, Bitdeer Technologies, has purchased a high-security storage and display facility in Singapore called Le Freeport for $28.4 million. Bitdeer’s chairman, Jihan Wu, confirmed the vault acquisition via a text message following the reports that revealed the mining firm purchased Le Freeport. Bitdeer Purchases Maximum Security Vault Le Freeport From Yves Bouvier, DBS After the co-founder of Bitmain Technologies Jihan Wu left the company, he co-founded a firm called Matrixport and he’s also the chairman of Bitdeer Technologies. According to a report published by Bloomberg, that cites sources familiar with the matter, Bitdeer paid S$40 million ($28.4 million) for the maximum security vault known as Le Freeport. The vault was originally constructed to be similar to the high-security storage vaults located in Luxembourg and Geneva. Freeport has also been dubbed “Singapore’s Fort Knox for fine art and collectibles.” Freeport was originally built for S$100 million and the latest acquisition by Bitdeer paid off a significant amount of debt to creditors like DBS and the vaults former owner Yves Bouvier. Le Freeport Singapore interior. Photo courtesy of SGPMX. The vault has been for sale since 2017, and the high-security storage facility has had a large number of well known corporate clients. Before 2018, the luxury auction house Christie’s once rented more than a third of Freeport’s storage space. Deutsche Bank once leveraged Freeport to house more than $8.9 billion in gold bullion. Bloomberg’s Ranjeetha Pakiam, Chanyaporn Chanjaroen, and Zheping Huang detail that Bouvier and Freeport’s other shareholders “received about S$5 million from the sale.” However, the sources do not disclose what Bitdeer aims to do with the facility, but following the initial report, Jihan Wu confirmed the Freeport purchase with the Bloomberg authors via text. During the last year, Bitdeer has been making a number of business moves like investing $25 million into a facility based in Texas in May 2021. Five days later, Bitdeer announced cloud hosting, which allows “retail miners to generate revenue with 1 mining machine.” At the end of June 2021, Bitdeer revealed the company’s Antbox products and last October, the company introduced Filecoin mining services. The sources who disclosed the latest acquisition of Freeport in Singapore, also detailed that Bitdeer is researching going public through a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) deal via a blank check company. Bitdeer is not the only crypto firm to purchase a high-security vault or bunker system. Xapo’s bunker in the Swiss mountains is just as extravagant and reportedly millionaires stored their bitcoins there. Last week, reports indicated that the bitcoin mining operation Arsenal Digital Holdings (OTCMKTS: ADHI) acquired an underground data center outside Houston. Some people suspect it’s Westland Oil’s infamous two-story subterranean campus fallout bunker. Tags in this story Arsenal Digital Holdings, Bitcoin mining, BitDeer, Bitdeer Chair, Bitdeer Chairman, Bitdeer Technologies, Bitmain, Bunkers, Christie’s, crypto mining, DBS, Deutsche Bank, Freeport, Jihan Wu, Jihan Wu Bitdeer, Le Freeport, Matrixport, S$40 million, Singapore, SPAC deal, vaults, Wu Jihan, Xapo, Yves Bouvier What do you think about Bitdeer acquiring ‘Singapore’s Fort Knox’ otherwise known as Le Freeport? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Editorial photo credit: SGPMX Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Cancer Survival Rate Rises In The US – News-Medical.Net https://collincountynewsonline.com/cancer-survival-rate-rises-in-the-us-news-medical-net/ In a recent article by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the researchers highlighted basic, translational, and clinical cancer research and cancer-related population sciences in the 12th edition of its annual Cancer Progress Report. AACR Cancer Progress Report Highlights Innovative Cancer Research That Improves, Extends, and Saves Lives. Image Credit: ESB Professional / Shutterstock The extensive report covered the most recent research in cancer biology, diagnosis, early detection, treatment, and prevention, including the usage of tools like artificial intelligence (AI)-based early detection systems as well as liquid biopsies that are quickly making their way into the clinic. It also provided up-to-date cancer incidence, death rates, and survivorship statistics. The report also included the individual accounts of patients who have benefited from cutting-edge, recently licensed anticancer medicines. Additionally, it presented legislative proposals to guarantee that the United States maintained its momentum against cancer for all patients, including cancer health inequities and the physical, mental, and financial burdens endured by cancer survivors. Ongoing progress in cancer research The progress made over the 12 months covered by the report for the period between 1 August 2021 and 31 July 2022 is highlighted in the section below: More than 18 million Americans have a history of cancer as of January 2022. Yet, more people than ever are enjoying more prolonged and more fulfilling lives after receiving a cancer diagnosis. As evidenced by a decrease in cancer deaths of 2.3% each year between 2016 and 2019, the cancer mortality rate has rapidly declined in recent years. Eight new anticancer therapeutics were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including the first drug for uveal melanoma, the most prevalent adult form of eye cancer, and the first molecularly targeted therapy for cancer patients with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, which is a rare inherited genetic disorder, and the first immune checkpoint inhibitor discovered in the past eight years that attacks a novel target. In addition, the FDA authorized two novel diagnostic imaging agents and increased the use of 10 anticancer treatments. Numerous FDA approvals for AI-based tools that can assist doctors in detecting tumors earlier in their progression and providing more thorough diagnoses with possibly curative outcomes are the result of intensive research and promising advancements in the application of AI in the clinic. Challenges facing cancer research Despite the extraordinary advancements in the battle against cancer in recent years, this complicated illness still seriously threatens people’s health worldwide. In 2022, it is predicted that cancer will claim more than 600,000 lives in the United States alone. Cancer research and patient care face many problems, which are covered in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2022. Racial and ethnic minorities and other medically underserved U.S. groups bear a disproportionately greater incidence of cancer, a chronic public health issue. While some of these discrepancies have been better identified, understood, and addressed, more research and policy solutions are urgently required to achieve equitable progress against cancer. The recent Supreme Court ruling and related legislative restrictions on reproductive rights in many states will significantly negatively impact access to high-quality healthcare, including for cancer patients. Since cancer therapy might end a pregnancy, delaying or refusing to begin cancer treatment could cause the disease to advance, making it harder to treat and more likely to endanger the woman’s life. Global crises affect all facets of cancer research and patient treatment, including ongoing wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, researchers warn that, when combined with an aging global population, the burden of cancer might considerably increase globally in the ensuing decades. Conclusion Overall, the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2022 outlined explicit policy recommendations and urged Congress to adopt particular actions to address these and other issues and ensure continued progress for all patients. These suggestions include: Provision of increases in the NIH and NCI base budgets of at least $4.1 billion and $853 million, respectively, to maintain significant, ongoing, and predictable annual funding growth. Entirely financed programs permitted under the 21st Century Cures Act, such as the National Cancer Moonshot. Renew the extensive Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act and allocate at least $30 million to its execution. Funding by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cancer-related initiatives. Expand Medicaid to guarantee that all cancer patients have fair access to high-quality, reasonably-priced healthcare. Tax rules should be designed to promote charitable donations to enable nonprofit cancer research groups to continue funding high-risk, high-reward research ideas and expedite the development of novel therapies and cures. Source: AACR Cancer Progress Report Highlights Innovative Cancer Research That Improves, Extends, and Saves Lives, CancerProgressReport.org. Philadelphia: American Association for Cancer Research; ©2022. Available from https://www.CancerProgressReport.org/, https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/aacr-cancer-progress-report-highlights-innovative-cancer-research-that-improves-extends-and-saves-lives/

Apple Now Manufacturing IPhone 14 In India – Republic World https://collincountynewsonline.com/apple-now-manufacturing-iphone-14-in-india-republic-world/  Apple’s newest phone iPhone 14 will be made in India as the global tech titan bets big on the manufacturing prowess of the world’s second-biggest smartphone market after China. Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 with iPhone SE. Today, Apple manufactures some of its most advanced iPhones in the country including iPhone SE, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and, now, iPhone 14. Earlier this month, Apple Inc unveiled its latest iPhone series — the iPhone 14 models – with an improved camera, powerful sensors and satellite messaging feature to send SOS texts in emergencies. The new lineup has four models: iPhone 14, Plus, Pro and ProMax. According to sources, the Made-in-India iPhone 14 will begin to reach local customers in the next few days. Phones manufactured in India will be both for the Indian market and exports. The iPhone 14 will be shipped from Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility on the outskirts of Chennai. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and major iPhone assembler. When contacted, Apple in a statement to PTI said: “We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India.” The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities,” it said. The iPhone 14 was launched on September 7, 2022, and is available to customers in India simultaneously with the US, among other markets, since September 16, 2022. The iconic brand has a long-standing history in India that started more than 20 years ago. Apple launched its online store in the country in September 2020 and is set to deepen its commitment with the upcoming launch of Apple retail store. The recent manufacturing expansion builds on several Apple initiatives in the country, including App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru and programmes with local organisations to support renewable energy training and development for communities. India’s vibrant market is turning out to be the sweetspot for the US tech giant, as the company reported a “near doubling” of revenue in the country in the quarter ended June 2022. Apple CEO Tim Cook, during earnings call in July had said: “We set June quarter records in the Americas, in Europe and the rest of the Asia Pacific region. We also saw June quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets, with very strong double-digit growth in Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam and a near doubling of revenue in India.” A recent report by JP Morgan on `Apple Supply Chain relocation’ predicted that Apple “is likely to move about 5 per cent of iPhone 14 production to India from late 2022 and reach 25 per cent by 2025”. It is also forecast that nearly 25 per cent of all Apple products, will be manufactured outside China by 2025 as compared to five per cent at present. “US-China trade tensions kicked off the production relocation cycle and the search for a `China+1′ manufacturing approach for the Apple supply chain from late 2018,” the report said. COVID-19 put the brakes on this over the last two years, but with pandemic concerns easing, “we have seen more companies in the Apple supply chain re-accelerating supply chain relocation efforts”, the brokerage said in its report. “Supply chain risks (such as COVID-19-related lockdowns in Shanghai/Shenzhen) are likely to be a primary driving force for these moves in the next two to three years,” it added. Southeast and South Asian countries (like India, Vietnam, Thailand) have become preferable locations for geopolitical diversification away from China for Apple food chain vendors, given their lower labor costs, sufficient skilled manpower support and appealing policies and government support, according to JP Morgan analysts. While a booming market for smartphones has added to India’s sheen, New Delhi’s policy push in the electronics sector has nudged large global suppliers to expand in India, and driven new players to set up base.  After tasting success in local smartphone manufacturing, India is moving swiftly to replicate the success with other parts of electronics ecosystem, as it makes solid efforts to cut reliance on imports. The government has unveiled attractive incentives to spur local production and export of telecom and networking equipment as well as IT products, and a Rs 76,000 crore semiconductor scheme was announced late last year to boost local manufacturing of chips and display panels. To attract global giants such as Intel and TSMC, the Centre, last week, sweetened the semiconductor package further by increasing the fiscal support for new facilities (across technology nodes) to cover 50 per cent of project cost. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

Poll: More Texans Support Overturning Roe V. Wade – Longview News-Journal https://collincountynewsonline.com/poll-more-texans-support-overturning-roe-v-wade-longview-news-journal/ WASHINGTON — More Texans said they support the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a new poll that shows a 7-point jump from August. The 1,268 Texans surveyed Sept. 6-13 were split at 46% over the court’s ruling, according to a new Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll released Monday. The number of respondents reporting abortion should be illegal also rose 5 points to 49%, almost even with the number of people who believe abortion should be legal. The poll results illustrate how divided Texans are on the subject of abortion. Nationally, Democrats hope the issue will have a significant impact on midterm results. Kansas, a traditionally conservative state, voted to protect abortion access in August and had a larger than expected voter turnout. But without a referendum on the ballot, Texas activists would need Democrats to win the governor’s office, the House and the Senate, an unlikely prospect in a state where a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide office since 1994. In fact, political scientists said voters’ slight rightward tilt on abortion may have been a factor in helping Republican Gov. Greg Abbott make a 2-point gain on Democrat Beto O’Rourke in the high-stakes race for Texas governor. The gap between voters who approve or disapprove of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe has been wider in national polls. In a September poll from The New York Times/Siena College, 29% of respondents expressed some level of support for the decision while 62% disapproved. The same percentage of national respondents said abortion should be always or mostly legal. On Aug. 25, a trigger ban on abortions went into effect in Texas. While abortion was already effectively banned under Senate Bill 8 and laws on the books before the 1973 Roe decision, the new law increases penalties to the possibility of life in prison and a $100,000 fine. The only exception to the trigger law is when the procedure is needed to save the patient’s life. But voters in The Morning News/UT Tyler poll have overwhelmingly supported exceptions for rape or incest, including 77% of Republicans. Ryan Samuels, a Republican from Collin County, said he approved of the decision to overturn Roe because it allows states to determine abortion laws, but he disagrees with how far Texas has taken its ban. For example, Samuels said he supports exceptions for rape and incest. Though emergency contraception is available for victims, he said people may not have immediate access or knowledge of the pill. Gov. Greg Abbott recently drew criticism for saying victims “can access health care immediately,” and that calling police to report rape or incest will “ensure that the rapist will be arrested and prosecuted.” Still, going into the midterms Samuels said he is likely to support Abbott and other Republicans. “If you take all the factors … I think abortion by the Republicans could be done better, however, they win all the other (factors),” Samuels said, naming the economy, border security and education. Leslie Hicks, a self-described conservative Democrat from McLennan County, said she disapproves of the Supreme Court decision and feels it is a step back for women. “It is simply, mainly men, making the decision of how I should live my life,” Hicks said. “It is not the government’s job to make those decisions.” She said abortion will have a strong influence on how she votes in the November midterm elections, and she will likely vote for Democratic candidates. Respondents in The Morning News/UT Tyler poll demonstrated confusion over the parameters of the existing Texas laws. Only 35% responded “completely true” when asked if a doctor could perform an abortion if a patient’s life is threatened, while 36% said they didn’t know and 29% said it was false. In a different question, 23% of respondents said the Texas ban allows exceptions for rape and incest, which is not true; 36% said they did not know. Methodology The Morning News/UT-Tyler Poll is a statewide random sample of 1,268 registered voters conducted Sept. 6 and 13. The mixed-mode sample includes 318 registered voters surveyed over the phone by the University of Texas at Tyler with support from ReconMR and 950 registered voters randomly selected from Dynata’s panel of online respondents. The margin of error for a sample of 1,268 registered voters in Texas is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, and the more conservative margin of sampling error that includes design effects from this poll is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points for a 95% confidence interval.

Letters For Sept. 26: Norfolk Needs To Support The Arts By Fixing Its Traffic Problem – The Virginian-Pilot https://collincountynewsonline.com/letters-for-sept-26-norfolk-needs-to-support-the-arts-by-fixing-its-traffic-problem-the-virginian-pilot/ Why has parking in the Scope underground lot become such an arduous task when attending either a SevenVenues show or the symphony? I purchase reserved parking so I am guaranteed a place to park, but getting to the entrance to the lot has become a ridiculous and unnecessary anxious drive as you fight with rude drivers blocking intersections and lanes, and not giving way to those with the right-of-way. If there is a hockey game on the same night, the Norfolk police think they are more effective than the traffic signals and block the left turn lane access, creating a huge, unnecessary bottleneck. Why not only allow those with passes into the lane that accesses the parking garage, rather than waiting until you creep up to the driveway only to find the lot is full? Recently, I missed the first 30 minutes of “Wicked” because there was no traffic control at all for a subsequent event at Scope — it took 45 minutes to travel one block to the parking garage. Where were the police that night? What a loss of revenue for all the tickets that could have been handed out to the traffic violators. There is no excuse for this, and it has only gotten worse each season. I should not have to allow two hours for a 20-minute drive. This shows no support for Norfolk’s events. Take a lesson from Virginia Beach: free parking and plenty of it. Nancy Hackney, Virginia Beach Since President Joe Biden has been in office, nearly 5 million people have crossed our southern border illegally, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Stop and think about that for a minute. It’s no wonder that many Americans view what is happening at our border as an invasion. The federal government’s No. 1 responsibility is to protect the states from invasion; it is failing miserably at that. It’s not possible that this is by just incompetence; it is by design. Why would a president risk the well-being of a nation like this? And where is Rep. Elaine Luria in this? Has anyone heard her speak out about this? Nope, not a word. I have to assume she is fine with all this, just as she must be fine with Biden using U.S. Marines as political props in a highly political, partisan speech in Philadelphia. A retired naval officer should be aware of long-standing Department of Defense regulations prohibiting military personnel from being at political events in uniform. Pretty sad, I would think. It’s time so send her back to private life. Viewpoints Weekly The week’s top opinion content and an opportunity to participate in a weekly question on a topic that affects our region. Jim Herbst, Virginia Beach “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a tale is told by Hans Christian Andersen of a vain leader, so focused on his standing before the wise and competent in his court that he fell for a phony scheme where some unscrupulous weavers sold him the idea that they could make him a colorful and beautiful garment, which would only be visible to those worthy. The garment was finished, and the emperor went on a tour to show off his new suit. Everyone in his kingdom came out to see these clothes — and to curry favor claimed how magnificent the emperor looked in his new suit. Only a child spoke the truth: The emperor has nothing at all on. And others finally joined in this observation. Even though the farce was exposed, the emperor and his court doubled-down. Act as if nothing is wrong: Inflation is not real, so spend more money; crime is not a problem, so empty the jails; illegal drugs entering the country aren’t a big deal, so keep our borders porous. Gary Whiting, Newport News Here’s an idea for all the Democratic governors. Gather all the Make America Great Again election deniers and insurrection supporters in your state and fly them to Florida for a permanent vacation with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Patrick Blake, Virginia Beach

New Business Run By People With Disabilities Opens In Cadillac – Cadillac News https://collincountynewsonline.com/new-business-run-by-people-with-disabilities-opens-in-cadillac-cadillac-news/ CADILLAC — There are some new businesses coming to Cadillac, and they’re going to be owned and operated by local residents with disabilities. A partner of Community Mental Health, MI Independent Living, LLC is a health care service that assists disabled individuals with finding independence in their lives. Co-owner Christopher Thetford said he’s been providing health care for his clients for almost four years, and in that time, he’s noticed that the one thing they really want is to have extra spending money for themselves. “They get Social Security and other things,” he said. “But by the time they pay their bills, they really just don’t have any money to do anything.” Thetford and his business partner have coordinated several field trips for their clients with all expenses paid, but they wanted to find a way for their participants to make that money on their own, without having to rely on a health care service. There are other local organizations that provide jobs for people with disabilities, like the After 26 Depot, but by operating their own business, Thetford said his clients won’t have to worry about competing for additional work hours. “So I thought, why can’t we help them run their own business?” Thetford said. “Because that’s how I started was just someone helping me along and starting my own business.” Once the seed was planted, Thetford said his participants were eager to get started and were already coming up with ideas for businesses that they could run, but the first to open up is a bakery called Hearts and Crafts. Thetford recommended that the Hearts and Crafts team start with cupcakes and breads, because they’re the most affordable to make and sell well within the community. At the moment, Hearts and Crafts is operating out of the MI Independent Living building on Mitchell Street, but Thetford said as revenue starts coming in, he’s hoping to move them into their own location. A website is also in the works for Hearts and Crafts to promote their products and possibly take orders. Some of Thetford’s other participants have been in the process of starting a lawn care and snow removal service, but until the proper equipment comes in, an official LLC hasn’t been established. Thetford said other participants have brought up the idea of custom cornhole board, bird houses and other handmade items. Whether the ideas come to fruition or not, Thetford said just the opportunity to own a business has put a newfound excitement in his clients. “A lot of them live in adult foster care homes and come to our classes during the day, but $5 a month is their budget for going out and doing anything,” he said. “And so now, I’ve seen them all kind of get this fire in them.” Along with having more financial freedom, Thetford said his participants have also gained a newfound social freedom. He said many clients often experience social anxiety, and being able to interact with people in the community has built their social confidence. Thetford has been guiding the participants along in their business startups by providing any financial assistance that they need through MI Independent Living. Many of the classes taught by the organization cover the basic skills needed to run a business as well. Moving forward, Thetford is hoping to get his clients more attuned to the marketing side of owning and running a business, so that they can increase their product sales and have even more control over their company’s goings-on. Hearts and Crafts bakery is currently open for business on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is located at 1526 N. Mitchell St.

Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes Selected To Market Garden Homes’ Boutique Residential Community In Florham Park, N.J. – Real Estate Weekly https://collincountynewsonline.com/coldwell-banker-realty-new-homes-selected-to-market-garden-homes-boutique-residential-community-in-florham-park-n-j-real-estate-weekly/  Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes, a leading sales and marketing organization in the homebuilding industry, has announced its selection by Garden Homes as the MLS Listing Agent for Parc North in Florham Park, N.J. Working in partnership with Heather Bailey of Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, the Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes team will create a marketing strategy targeted at the brokerage community to support sales for the new community. Bailey will serve as the liaison to the brokerage community on behalf of Garden Homes. The assignment builds upon Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes’ successful marketing of Garden Homes’ sold-out 50-unit Cherrywood Townhomes community in River Vale. Situated in the heart of Morris County, one of the state’s most desirable locations to live, Parc North is a boutique residential community consisting of just 49 meticulously designed townhomes and carriage homes starting in the mid-$600,000s. Comprised of a diverse blend of two and three-bedroom designs ranging from 1,885 to 3,125 square feet, each residence features a custom-crafted interior with open, flowing floorplans, dramatic great rooms, chef-inspired center-island kitchens, sumptuous primary bedroom suites with sitting areas, and generous patio spaces. Set against a beautifully landscaped property, the homes at Parc North are designed for easy, everyday living as well as gracious entertaining. The thoughtful design of Parc North is further augmented by its attractive location in Florham Park, boasting one of the lowest property tax rates in Morris County. Residents can enjoy easy access to the nearby Florham Park center located only 1.3 miles away, which includes a Kings Supermarket, Trader Joe’s, CVS, Walgreens and other specialty shopping and dining options. In addition, the community is just a short drive from Life Time Fitness’ 100,000-square-foot athletic resort dedicated to the pursuit of healthy living and just six miles from all the excitement of downtown Morristown.  Parc North is close to major highways including Routes 10, 24, and 78 and is also less than a 15-minute drive to Morristown Medical Center and Summit Health Cancer Center and less than a 30-minute drive from Newark Liberty International Airport. Parc North model home tours are available by appointment only. For more information, brokers should contact Heather Bailey at (201 )274-3710.  Prospective buyers should contact Lori Dargento, Parc North’s on-site sales manager, at (973) 765-6900 or visit http://www.ParcNorthNJ.com/.  “Our ability to envision and implement creative, data-driven marketing strategies focused on driving sales velocity stands at the core of our significant track record of success,” said Dave Schoner, vice president of Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes. “We take immense pride in the relationships that our approach has enabled us to cultivate with leading companies like Garden Homes. We are excited to collaborate with them once again and help them achieve their sales goals at this property.” Powered by the Coldwell Banker brand, Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes partners with real estate developers through every step of the real estate marketing process to drive successful sales and leasing efforts at new residential properties. Through its unmatched business intelligence and data platform paired with a highly experienced team, Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes has become a trusted partner to many of the state’s premier construction and development firms. Since 1985, the Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes team has helped close over $11 billion in gross sales across over 20,000 homes in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. To learn more about Coldwell Banker Realty New Homes, visit their website at https://www.cbnewhomes.com/.

Abstract, Action/sports Winners Announced In The Lima News’ 26th Annual Amateur Photo Competition – LimaOhio.com – LimaOhio.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/abstract-action-sports-winners-announced-in-the-lima-news-26th-annual-amateur-photo-competition-limaohio-com-limaohio-com/ Abstract First place: Going up Or down, Benita Tackett, Lima ” href=”https://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/129780088_web1_1-Abstract1.JPG” Abstract First place: Going up Or down, Benita Tackett, Lima Winners of the abstract and action/sports categories are announced today in the 26th annual The Lima News Amateur Photo Competition. PHOTO EXHIBIT WHAT: The Lima News’ 26th annual Amateur Photo Competition WHEN: October at ArtSpace/Lima downtown; after that, Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center High Street Mall Gallery through end of year ONLINE: LimaOhio.com ANNOUNCING WINNERS Sunday: Best of show and landscape TODAY: Abstract and Action/sports Tuesday: Animals and Candid Wednesday: Candid kids and Flowers Thursday: Portrait and still life

Alibaba Brings Luxury Shopping Into The Metaverse – Adweek https://collincountynewsonline.com/alibaba-brings-luxury-shopping-into-the-metaverse-adweek/ Alibaba Group is introducing new metaverse features to its interactive luxury shopping platform, making the Chinese ecommerce giant the latest retailer to invest further in virtual worlds. Enjoying your content? You Have 1 Free Article Left. Register to continue reading!