U.S. Agency Panel To Review VLSI Patent In $2.2 Bln Intel Case Reuters
U.S. Agency Panel To Review VLSI Patent In $2.2 Bln Intel Case – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-agency-panel-to-review-vlsi-patent-in-2-2-bln-intel-case-reuters/
(Reuters) – A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal has agreed to review the validity of one of the patents behind Intel Corp’s $2.18 billion trial loss to VLSI Technology LLC, opening a potential pathway for the chipmaker to overturn part of the verdict.
USPTO director Kathi Vidal earlier this month sanctioned the company that sought the review, OpenSky Industries LLC, finding it attempted to extort both Intel and VLSI. But OpenSky’s petition was strong enough to justify Patent Trial and Appeal Board review regardless of its alleged misconduct, a three-judge PTAB panel said Friday.
Representatives for Intel, VLSI, and the PTO did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
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VLSI said in a previous statement that allowing the proceeding to continue would wrongly reward Intel, which had already lost on other board challenges to the patents.
OpenSky could not be reached for comment. Andrew Oliver of Amin Turocy & Watson, who represented the company before the board but said he did not handle the problematic settlement negotiations cited by Vidal, praised the decision.
A jury in Waco, Texas last year awarded VLSI nearly $2.2 billion from Intel, finding the company infringed two VLSI patents. The Waco jury awarded VLSI $675 million in damages for the patent at issue in the OpenSky proceeding.
Vidal announced in June that she would review board decisions to hear validity challenges to both VLSI patents from OpenSky and another company, Patent Quality Assurance LLC.
Both companies were formed after the verdict and have no apparent connection to Intel. Vidal’s review of the PQA case is still in progress.
Vidal said in an Oct. 4 order that Nevada-based OpenSky had offered to sabotage its own case if VLSI paid it off, and separately requested payment from Intel in exchange for winning.
The director banned OpenSky from participating in the proceeding. But Vidal also said the PTAB case should continue with Intel at the helm if the petition “presents a compelling, meritorious challenge.”
The board found Friday that the petition met this heightened standard. The PTAB judges said it was “highly likely” that challenged parts of the patent were invalid based on earlier patents and applications cited by OpenSky that supposedly disclosed the same innovations.
A successful challenge could eventually knock out the damages award for the parts of the patent declared invalid. VLSI can appeal an invalidity decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The case is OpenSky Industries LLC v. VLSI Technology LLC, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, IPR2021-01064.
For OpenSky in the PTAB proceeding: Andrew Oliver and Vinay Joshi of Amin Turocy & Watson
For Intel: Benjamin Fernandez, David Cavanaugh and Steven Horn of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
For VLSI: Babak Redjaian of Irell & Manella, Kenneth Weatherwax of Lowenstein & Weatherwax
Read more:
USPTO director sanctions patent challenger in $2.1 bln Intel dispute
USPTO director wades into fight over $2.1 bln Intel patent verdict
Intel loses U.S. patent trial, ordered to pay $2.18 billion to VLSI Tech
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Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Blake Brittain
Thomson Reuters
Blake Brittain reports on intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. Reach him at blake.brittain@thomsonreuters.com
MSP M&A: Syscom Business Technologies Acquires LVTC ChannelE2E
MSP M&A: Syscom Business Technologies Acquires LVTC – ChannelE2E https://collincountynewsonline.com/msp-ma-syscom-business-technologies-acquires-lvtc-channele2e/
by Ty Trumbull • Oct 17, 2022
Managed IT and cybersecurity company Syscom Business Technologies has acquired Lehigh Valley Technology Company (LVTC) for an undisclosed amount.
This is technology M&A deal number 899 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2022. See more than 2,000 technology M&A deals involving MSPs, MSSPs & IT service providers listed here.
Syscom Acquires Lehigh Valley Technology Company
Syscom, founded in 1978, is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The company has 18 employees listed on LinkedIn. Syscom’s areas of expertise include managed IT services, IT consulting, IT security service, business IT, network infrastructure, managed services, IT projects and IT services.
LVTC, founded in 2012, is based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The company has eight employees listed on LinkedIn. LVTC’s areas of expertise include computers, data backup, cloud computing, information security, Office 365, firewall, disaster recovery, business continuity, servers, network administration, data forensics, network security, managed service provider, MSP, information technology, MSP, IT, customer service, remote monitoring management, service plans, virtual CIO, HIPAA, dark web and information technology services.
LVTC will soon operate under the Syscom Business Technologies name, the company said. In addition to its newest location in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sycom has four locations across Michigan including Grand Rapids, Lansing, Traverse City and Sterling Heights as its headquarters. Syscom previously acquired Michigan Computer Solutions in November 2020.
Syscom Acquires Lehigh Valley Technology Company: Leadership Insight
Scott Huxley, managing principal, Syscom
Scott Huxley, managing principal, Syscom, commented:
“Combining Lehigh Valley Technology Company’s 17-years with Syscom’s 44-years in the IT space will provide all our clients with the technology depth and breadth needed for continued long-term success in a rapidly changing business market. We have developed a mature managed services model and structured IT support program that delivers consistent, predictable results to our clients. With this acquisition, we want everyone to know we are focused on our customers’ success and continued innovation.
“Looking at IT from a business standpoint is at the root of all that we do and how we serve our customers – which is exactly how LVTC provides services. The acquisition made sense right from the start seeing how our cultures and delivery of services aligned.”
Scott Gingold, former president of LVTC, said:
“Though I had many suitors interested in purchasing Lehigh Valley Technology Company, the decision to be acquired by Syscom was easy. Syscom shares the same values regarding staff, customers, and culture. Under Scott and Brandon Clous’s leadership, they will take Lehigh Valley Technology Company (LVTC) to a new level of technology and customer satisfaction that will serve employees and customers beyond what I might have otherwise achieved.”
Brandon Clous, CEO, Syscom, added:
“The integration of both companies will take place over the coming months but most importantly all of our clients will continue to receive the same high-quality services and solutions they have come to expect.”
H-E-B Plano Will Open On November 2 – Local Profile https://collincountynewsonline.com/h-e-b-plano-will-open-on-november-2-local-profile/
The wait is over. On November 2, H-E-B Plano will finally open, bright and early at 6 a.m. This is the second H-E-B to debut this fall.
“Customers who want to get a head start on shopping can begin to schedule orders for H-E-B Curbside pickup, starting at 1 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31,” the store announced in an official statement. “Orders can be scheduled for pickup on opening day or up to seven days in advance.”
Located at 6001 Preston Road in Plano, the store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“At 118,000 square feet, the H-E-B Plano store will showcase all the quality products and innovative services H-E-B customers have come to love and expect, including a full-service H-E-B Pharmacy with a drive-thru, Curbside and Home Delivery service, fuel station and car wash, and a True Texas BBQ restaurant with a drive-thru, which was named best barbecue chain in Texas by Texas Monthly and a top barbecue chain in the nation by Thrillist,” the official statement added.
In September, H-E-B opened its Frisco location at 4800 Main Street. At 6 a.m., when doors opened, there was a line of over 1,500 people. The line snaked around the front and side of the store.
The first person in line arrived at the store at 6 p.m. the prior evening and was presented with a special gift basket.
H-E-B broke ground on the upcoming 111,000-square feet Frisco store in June 2021. “We’re extremely excited to strengthen our commitment to the DFW Metroplex and provide the Frisco and Plano communities the best H-E-B has to offer,” said Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B Executive Vice President North West Food/Drug, said at the time. “Our H-E-B locations across North Texas continue to thrive, and this H-E-B store will allow us to answer the long-standing call for an H-E-B in this growing community.”
The Frisco location is H-E-B’s first expansion into Collin County. The Plano location is the second. H-E-B McKinney will open in 2024 and H-E-B Allen will follow later that year.
A native of North Texas, Brian Ashcraft previously lived in Japan for over two decades. He has authored six books, including the award-winning Japanese Whisky and The Japanese Sake Bible. Prior to joining… More by Brian Ashcraft
How To Prevent Burnout Through Vacation Policies At Your Business Business Insider
How To Prevent Burnout Through Vacation Policies At Your Business – Business Insider https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-to-prevent-burnout-through-vacation-policies-at-your-business-business-insider/
Unlimited vacation policies aren’t always the solution to get employees to take time off.
Without guidelines, employees might not know how much time to request.
Founders, executives, and consultants shared tips for encouraging employees to request time off.
This article is part of Talent Insider, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges.
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Unlimited vacation policies have become more common in the workplace, but some consultants and executives say that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Sophie Theen, a human-resources consultant, told Insider that a lack of parameters can become a problem for companies when employees don’t know what’s acceptable or expected of them.
“It becomes unmanageable because it is unlimited without so much of a guardrail,” she said. “That means people effectively are not taking holidays at all because you’re constantly needing to work.”
But founders and executives told Insider that company leaders can ensure their employees take the time they need by setting expectations, building trust, and leading by example.
Demystify unlimited time off and establish trust
The founders and executives said that when establishing a vacation policy, leaders should remember the company’s values.
Gilles Raymond, founder and CEO of Letsmeet, a tech startup with seven employees, said that he prioritizes his company’s value of transparency and commitment in every decision he makes.
“The value is not about what you display on the board in front of the coffee machine or at the entrance,” he said. “You have to show it on a daily basis in the way you manage.”
Companies with an unlimited vacation policy should also have guidelines to help employees use it effectively. Amy Zimmerman, chief people officer at Relay Payments, a logistics fintech company with 150 employees, said “it becomes a little murky when you do unlimited” and people aren’t sure what that means or how much is too much.
She suggested managers make it clear to employees that they trust them to make decisions. “People feel uneasy when they’re uncertain,” she said. “Use those words: ‘I trust you. I trust that you’re going to get your job done.'”
Raymond said that as long as his employees are effective, he doesn’t care what time they come to work or when they leave, nor do they owe him explanations. He added that when he trusts his team members, they don’t need to justify themselves.
“They will give you back the trust you give to them,” he said.
When founders take time off, employees follow suit
When leaders take time off — and actually disconnect from work — they set an example for their employees. “They pay closer attention to what their manager does and potentially what other team members do,” Zimmerman said.
She suggested managers disconnect from work — by deleting email and messaging apps or pausing notifications — to show employees they aren’t expected to work on vacation.
“When you’re on vacation, actually be on vacation,” she said. “Don’t continue to stay connected with people and give new assignments, because people are paying attention.”
Sam Eitzen, the cofounder and CEO of Snapbar, a photo-booth company, took six weeks off this summer to travel. “One of my biggest passions in life is traveling with my wife and my three kids,” he said. “So I prioritize that probably just as much as I prioritize work.”
Snapbar’s paid time off is based on tenure, and Eitzen said his employees average four to five weeks off per year. They also get three or four “big-picture days” throughout the year to take breaks and reset.
Eitzen said that since Snapbar has a small team of 12, it’s crucial to document everything and have contingency plans in place so employees can feel confident about taking time off, knowing that if something goes wrong it’ll be taken care of.
“I never work on vacation time and we never have,” he said. “People are signed off, and they mute all notifications.”
If you’ve noticed some employees haven’t taken too much time off, Zimmerman suggested having a conversation to ask what might be discouraging them from taking vacations. Remind them throughout the year to submit requests, then offer ways to cover their workload while they’re absent.
New Eating Disorder Manifesto And School Toolkit Launched Yahoo News
New Eating Disorder Manifesto And School Toolkit Launched – Yahoo News https://collincountynewsonline.com/new-eating-disorder-manifesto-and-school-toolkit-launched-yahoo-news/
The Daily Beast
The Nightmare COVID Variant That Beats Our Immunity Is Finally Here
Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/GettyA new subvariant of the novel-coronavirus called XBB dramatically announced itself earlier this week, in Singapore. New COVID-19 cases more than doubled in a day, from 4,700 on Monday to 11,700 on Tuesday—and XBB is almost certainly why. The same subvariant just appeared in Hong Kong, too.A highly mutated descendant of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that drove a record wave of infections starting around a year ago, XBB is in ma
MarketWatch
People who do this one thing every day have half the dementia risk that the rest of us do
The things to remember about dementia are that it is absolutely horrible for you and everyone around you; it’s a high probability; and when it comes to fighting it or avoiding it you are pretty much on your own. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are currently killing 6.5 million people in the United States and devastating the lives of many times that when you count the patients’ friends and family. The National Institutes of Health reckons this number is likely to double in the next four decades.
The Daily Beast
TikTok Star Emmanuel the Emu Sickened in Deadly Flu Outbreak
via TwitterAccidental TikTok star Emmanuel the emu is in the midst of a health crisis after avian flu swept through the Florida farm where he lives, killing off all but a few birds.Emmanuel’s caretaker, Taylor Blake, revealed his dire condition on social media on Saturday night, blaming the outbreak on wild geese that invade the farm nightly.“We lost every single chicken and duck on our farm. We lost all of our geese. We lost our 2 female black swans. We lost both of our turkeys,” Blake tweeted.
The Telegraph
The key to a healthy brain may lie in your gut
Jeremy Diskin initially attributed the stiffness in his arms to a football injury. Aged 55, he was still playing the game, and hoped physiotherapy would resolve what he assumed was a sports-related complaint. But it didn’t seem to be working, and it wasn’t just his arms: he also had stiff shoulders, a tight neck and difficulties with mobility. “I went for a scan and that showed nothing at all, so the consultant said, ‘I hate to say this but I wonder if it could be Parkinson’s’,” he recalls.
Associated Press
FDA pushes to remove pregnancy drug, company pushes back
The maker of the only U.S. drug intended to prevent premature births is making a last-ditch effort this week to keep its medication on the market, even as health regulators insist that it doesn’t work. A Food and Drug Administration meeting that opened Monday comes more than two years after the agency declared the drug ineffective and called for its removal. Drugmaker Covis Pharma has challenged the agency’s conclusion, setting up the highly unusual three-day public hearing.
ABC News
As Dr. Fauci prepares to exit, he reflects on his legacy and COVID decisions he would change
After 54 years at the National Institutes of Health and 38 years as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci will be stepping down from public service at the end of the year. “I have been driving onto that campus every single day, every single weekend for the last 54 years,” Fauci told ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an interview that aired Sunday. In an intimate interview at his home, Fauci sat down with ABC News to talk about his tenure in public service, the COVID-19 pandemic during which he became perhaps the country’s most famous doctor and the controversies that have consumed the last two and a half years — and sometimes ensnared him.
Winning Take 5 Ticket Sold In Dunkirk | News Sports Jobs Evening Observer
Winning Take 5 Ticket Sold In Dunkirk | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://collincountynewsonline.com/winning-take-5-ticket-sold-in-dunkirk-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/
A winning Take 5 ticket was sold in Dunkirk.
The New York Lottery announced on Monday the top-prize winning ticket was sold for the Sunday Take 5 evening drawing. The ticket, worth $32,559.50, was purchased at Matt’s News, located at 93 E. Third St.
Take 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket must check their numbers at nylottery.ny.gov to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing.
Take 5 numbers are drawn from a field of one through 39. The drawing is televised twice daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. A Lottery draw game prize of any amount may be claimed up to one year from the date of the drawing
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
Meta Platforms (META) Features Liverpool FC Apparel In Metaverse Zacks Investment Research
Meta Platforms (META) Features Liverpool FC Apparel In Metaverse – Zacks Investment Research https://collincountynewsonline.com/meta-platforms-meta-features-liverpool-fc-apparel-in-metaverse-zacks-investment-research/
Meta Platforms (META – Free Report) recently announced that Liverpool football club has debuted its collection of virtual apparel.
The Liverpool F.C. merchandise is currently available in Meta Avatar stores on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram. It will be available in virtual reality later this year. The recent offering of football club virtual merchandise as avatars is expected to attract sports fans around the globe to Meta’s family of apps and boost user growth. The merchandise is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Spain, Italy and the U.K.
Meta is planning to build the metaverse as an independent e-commerce platform. To do so, it is investing heavily in building its virtual reality space to give customers an immersive experience in terms of various aspects like social networking and gaming.
Meta previously collaborated with StatusPro to launch NFL PRO ERA on Meta Quest 2. Gamers can put on their virtual cleats and experience what it feels like to be part of a real game.
Meta’s recent announcement comes right after the company launched its first high-end virtual reality (VR) headset, Meta Quest Pro. The VR headset will begin shipping on Oct 25, priced at $1,499.99.
With its recent launch of a new VR headset and collaboration with big organizations, Meta is on track to build the metaverse on which the company is banking its future. To build the metaverse, Meta has also partnered with PyTorch foundation co-founder Microsoft (MSFT – Free Report) .
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella joined Mark Zuckerberg at the Meta Connect event to announce the new partnership, bringing new work and productivity tools to Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 next year. These include apps like Microsoft Windows 365 and Microsoft Teams and the ability to join a Teams meeting from inside Meta Horizons Workrooms.
Meta Investing in VR to Generate Positive ROI
META is currently facing the worst downturn in its history with its declining digital advertisement revenues.
The recent revenue fall can be attributed to geopolitical tensions like the Russia-Ukraine war, which reduced META’s monthly active users across its family of apps, namely Facebook and Instagram. Also, rising inflation weakened digital advertising revenues.
Also impacting Meta’s ad revenue growth are ad targeting-related headwinds created by Apple’s iOS changes.
The stock, which currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has tumbled 59.5% in the year-to-date period compared with the Zacks Internet – Software industry’s decline of 53.7%.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Meta’s financial plans to generate sufficient operating income from its Family of Apps business segment to fund the growth of its Reality Labs have taken a major hit. The company has been recently closing various long-term projects, which are burning a lot of cash.
In September, Meta announced that it discontinued its cryptocurrency wallet pilot project — Novi. This is a major setback for the company in developing the metaverse as an independent commercial platform as both the crypto and NFT markets crashed.
Also, intensifying competition from the likes of Snap (SNAP – Free Report) and Twitter (TWTR – Free Report) is another major headwind.
Snap is benefiting from improving user engagement, particularly in the 13-34-year-old demography, which is expanding its advertiser base. SNAP is also giving competition to META in the metaverse space. It collaborated with Vogue to feature a virtual try-on experience of select pieces from Balenciaga, Dior and Gucci, which will be available for snapchatters, globally.
Even as Meta is investing aggressively in building the metaverse, Twitter surpassed it as the first social media giant to enter the non-fungible token marketplace by launching a tool to showcase and sell NFTs on its platform.
Although Meta’s short-term revenue growth looks bleak, the company is confident about its long-term prospects. It will spend more than $3 billion in the next 10 years on VR. The company is investing heavily to develop a VR content ecosystem and expects this to generate positive ROI for the company in the long run.
Additionally, merchandise sales have been a huge revenue driver for big sporting clubs. The recent collaboration with Liverpool reflects Meta’s strategic partnership efforts to boost e-commerce positively during the pandemic period.
Amo Your Awesome With Oppo New Feature Of No Shake Camera The Tech Outlook
Amo Your Awesome With Oppo New Feature Of No Shake Camera – The Tech Outlook https://collincountynewsonline.com/amo-your-awesome-with-oppo-new-feature-of-no-shake-camera-the-tech-outlook/
Samsung’s Galaxy phone has been a huge success in the premium phone class. Samsung has the well-taken advantage of it by coming up with new models again and again for a long time. Now the premium Galaxy A series has come up with something super exciting. We would be mainly talking about the feature around the camera because that’s the main content that we would be serving in it.
Oppo camera that has never disappointed us bags something interesting and the very first thing is its no shake feature. The shake feature lets you record and capture the video without any blur. If you have been to a function or a party and have asked someone else to take your group photo it might have disappointed you because of the blurry image.
Oppo’s new camera lens moves in the opposite direction as soon as you move it. This causes the lens to be in the same place and take blur-free images and videos. But what about the unwanted person in the picture? You can’t do anything about it but now you can with a new feature of Oppo that lets you remove unwanted guests in photos. This is not the end because you can also follow the water and blowing sand because even that won’t let you down while taking some awesome shots.
Crypto News Summary: Bitstamp Integrates PayPal Dubai Police Works In Metaverse Cryptonews
Crypto News Summary: Bitstamp Integrates PayPal, Dubai Police Works In Metaverse – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/crypto-news-summary-bitstamp-integrates-paypal-dubai-police-works-in-metaverse-cryptonews/
Source: ajmanpoliceghq / Twitter
Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.
__________
Exchange news
Bitstamp announced that it has integrated PayPal “for millions of people to buy, sell and trade crypto through a secure, regulated platform. Per an announcement, users who already have a PayPal account can start making transactions on Bitstamp right away. They are able to make crypto purchases of up to 2,500 USD/EUR/GBP daily, with 0% trading fee across all coins for their first $1,000 in trading volume over the previous 30-day rolling period. Withdrawals of funds to PayPal “will not be supported for the time being, but we’re planning to introduce this feature in the future,” they added.
Bitfinex has launched a British Pound (GBP) fiat on-ramp service to enable deposit and withdrawals of GBP, working with fiat on-ramp services provider OpenPayd. In a press release shared with Cryptonews.com. Bitfinex said that it has witnessed “a significant spike” in volume in bitcoin (BTC)/GBP trading activity.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced on Twitter that he would sell off about 2% of his Coinbase holdings over the next year to fund scientific research. “For the avoidance of doubt, I intend to be CEO of Coinbase for a very long time and I remain super bullish on crypto and Coinbase,” he said.
Coinbase has hired an executive from German fintech firm Solarisbank to lead its European expansion, Bloomberg reported. Daniel Seifert serves as Vice Presidend and the Europe regional managing director. Previously, he was head of operations and customer support at Swiss investment bank UBS Partner.
Cameron Winklevoss left his spot on Gemini Europe‘s board of directors, AltFi reported, citing “a Companies House filing.” He ceased to be a director of the exchange’s European arm on October 12, while Gillian Lynch, the new head of Ireland and the EU, took the seat of the former UK managing director Blair Halliday (who moved to the Kraken exchange).
Metaverse news
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Ajman Police in Dubai became the first law enforcement agency to provide its services inside the metaverse, per a tweet by the authority. The Ajman Police General Command also participated in the Dubai Metaverse Forum with a goal to benefit from metaverse technology in the police field, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Abdullah Abu Shehab was quoted by the Khaleej Times as saying.
Payments news
Payments giant Mastercard plans to announce a program on Monday that will help financial institutions offer cryptocurrency trading, the company reportedly told CNBC. Mastercard will act as a “bridge” between Paxos (PAX), and it will handle regulatory compliance and security.
Regulation news
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) suspended the offering and distributing of three cryptocurrencies to retail investors on crypto asset manager Holon Investments for 21 days, citing non-compliant target market determinations. These are its bitcoin, ethereum (ETH), and filecoin funds.
Macau’s Executive Council (CE) has submitted a draft of a regulatory framework, a bill titled “Legal regime for the creation and issuance of currency”, to the Legislative Council for deliberation. It concerns the legal standardization of all currencies in the region, including digital currencies. If passed, “currency with legal tender in [Macau would] cover not only the traditional forms of currency, that is, banknotes and coins, but [would] also include currency in digital format, which has been granted the same status, providing that the respective regime be regulated by special legislation.”
Investment bank Société Générale’s crypto division SG Forge has received approval from French l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) to operate digital asset services in France. The registration covers the custody, purchase, sale, and exchange of digital assets.
Blockchain news
Filecoin Green, the Protocol Labs initiative to decarbonize the blockchain-based storage network Filecoin Network (FIL), announced the launch of CO2.Storage, a Web3 data storage solution to “enable transparency for comprehensive environmental attributes underlying carbon offsets.” Per a press release shared with Cryptonews.com, this free storage utility aims to address the inefficiencies of traditional storage solutions for all types of digital environmental assets.
Bank Of Americas Latest Earnings Suggest U.S. Consumers Remain Strong And Active The New York Times
Bank Of America’s Latest Earnings Suggest U.S. Consumers Remain Strong And Active – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/bank-of-americas-latest-earnings-suggest-u-s-consumers-remain-strong-and-active-the-new-york-times/
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STRADVISION Welcomes Jack Sim As New Chief Technology Officer PR Newswire
STRADVISION Welcomes Jack Sim As New Chief Technology Officer – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/stradvision-welcomes-jack-sim-as-new-chief-technology-officer-pr-newswire/
Sim brings experience from roles at Google and Waymo to his new position at STRADVISION
, /PRNewswire/ — STRADVISION, an AI-based vision perception technology company, has announced the appointment of Jack Sim as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sim will lead STRADVISION’s very talented team behind the tech while working directly with fellow executives to implement and integrate their award-winning SVNet software across various automotive OEM and Tier-1 partners.
Jack Sim, CTO at STRADVISION
With over a decade of software engineering experience, Jack Sim’s prior work has included the role of staff software engineer at Google Research and Waymo, as well as contributions to academia through various activities. During his tenure at Google, Sim led a team responsible for developing a technology that provides fine-grained object recognition capability for a large-scale image database. During his time at Waymo, Sim was responsible for a machine learning (ML) model for the company’s autonomous truck product line.
Sim is also recognized as one of the world experts in the deep-learning visual feature and its application. The public dataset (Google Landmarks), developed by Sim and his team, has also been established as one of the standard benchmarks in the large-scale visual recognition field.
Sim studied at Seoul National University and his postgraduate education resulted in a master’s degree in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
“STRADVISION has had a real impact within the autonomous vehicle space, and the company’s long-term ambitions to accelerate the innovations toward Software-defined Vehicle in automotive industry was a major draw for me to join their team,” said new STRADVISION’s CTO Jack Sim. “I look forward to being part of that vision and helping STRADVISION continue its pursuit of the highest and safest levels of perception technology.”
“STRADVISION has significantly grown in scale in the last few years, and we are at the point where it is necessary to introduce level 4 autonomous driving system to the mass production stage, in addition to developing general-purpose technology beyond the automotive area,” said STRADVISION’s CEO Junhwan Kim. “Jack’s strong track record of computer vision technology innovation and ML model development will be a great contribution to the realization of STRADVISION’s future, which is ‘Vision AI for All.'”
About STRADVISION
Founded in 2014, STRADVISION is an automotive industry pioneer in AI-based vision processing technology for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. STRADVISION’s SVNet is being deployed on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs and powers ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles worldwide and is serviced by over 300 employees in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, Friedrichshafen, and Dusseldorf. STRADVISION has been honored with the Gold Award at the 2021 and 2022 AutoSens Awards for Best-in-Class Software for Perception Systems, and the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (Software Category). In addition, STRADVISION’s software is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management System and ISO 26262 for Automotive Functional Safety.
SOURCE StradVision
US Rep. Ashley Hinson Hospitalized In Cedar Rapids With Kidney Infection Des Moines Register
US Rep. Ashley Hinson Hospitalized In Cedar Rapids With Kidney Infection – Des Moines Register https://collincountynewsonline.com/us-rep-ashley-hinson-hospitalized-in-cedar-rapids-with-kidney-infection-des-moines-register/
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson was hospitalized Sunday night in Cedar Rapids and is being treated for a kidney infection, her chief of staff said.
“Congresswoman Hinson was admitted to UnityPoint St. Luke’s Hospital yesterday evening where she is being treated for a kidney infection. She is looking forward to being back on the road soon. She appreciates all of the prayers and well wishes,” Chief of Staff Jimmy Peacock said in a statement Monday morning.
Hinson, a Republican from Marion, is running for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in northeast Iowa. She faces Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis in the Nov. 8 election.
More:What Ashley Hinson and Liz Mathis say about abortion, inflation in Iowa’s 2nd District race
The two are scheduled to debate Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on Iowa PBS.
On Saturday, Hinson was scheduled to join U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for a rally in Iowa Falls as part of his Take Back America bus tour ahead of the midterm elections.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
Zarnish Khan Pictures From Her Fun-Filled Vacation Diaries BOL News
Zarnish Khan Pictures From Her Fun-Filled Vacation Diaries – BOL News https://collincountynewsonline.com/zarnish-khan-pictures-from-her-fun-filled-vacation-diaries-bol-news/
Zarnish Khan pictures from her fun-filled vacation diaries
Zarnish Khan is a Pakistani actress with a lot of talent and beauty. She has millions of fans who look up to her. Zarnish Khan has been in a lot of successful dramas, like Sun Yara, Jo Tu Chahay, and Ishq Zahe Naseeb. Zarnish’s social media accounts are very busy places. She loves to travel, and when she goes on a trip, she tells her fans about it.
At the moment, the actress has posted pictures from her trip to Singapore. She also shared a video of her travels on Instagram while she was having fun in Lahore. She was in Lahore for a photoshoot. Other than the photoshoot, Zarnish Khan had a good time there, and she told her fans about it.
Fans always want to see Zarnish Khan and look at her amazing pictures and reels.
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Arkansas Child Poverty Rate Among Highest In Nation Arkansas Business Online
Arkansas’ Child Poverty Rate Among Highest In Nation – Arkansas Business Online https://collincountynewsonline.com/arkansas-child-poverty-rate-among-highest-in-nation-arkansas-business-online/
The poverty rate last year for Arkansas children under the age of 18 stood at 22.4%, according to the American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Nationwide, the child poverty rate was 16.9% in 2021.
The national poverty rate for all ages stood at 12.8% last year. In Arkansas, the rate for all ages was 16.3%
Woman Thankful For Cardiologist Living Life To Fullest Iredell Health System
Woman Thankful For Cardiologist, Living Life To Fullest – Iredell Health System https://collincountynewsonline.com/woman-thankful-for-cardiologist-living-life-to-fullest-iredell-health-system/
Imagine your breathing is so labored that it’s difficult for you to walk or move. Completing once-simple tasks, like cooking or even walking across the room, seem like mountainous obstacles. You are being treated for a lung condition, but feel in your heart that it is something more than that. What you didn’t feel, however, was what was actually happening inside your heart.
This was the reality for 78-year-old Statesville resident, Betsy Evans. She had always considered herself generally healthy and proactive with her medical appointments and screenings. But, as breathing became increasingly difficult for Evans, she found herself reaching for her oxygen and inhaler, prescribed for her lung condition, more and more frequently.
“I would have several episodes where I would be sitting in my chair, crawl up into a fetal position, and could not move. I told my husband, ‘We need to see a cardiologist,’” said Evans.
Evans scheduled her appointment, and soon after, in late October 2021, she visited the office of Bradley Martin, a cardiologist at Statesville Cardiovascular Clinic.
“She [Evans] was one of those people who I knew right away when I walked into the room that something was wrong. Her whole demeanor — the way she was breathing, the look on her face — you could see she was uncomfortable and in trouble. I realized this was something we were likely going to need to move quickly on,” said Martin.
After an electrocardiogram (EKG), a heart monitoring test, Martin realized Evans was in atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm.
“Dr. Martin talked with me and explained everything in terms I could understand. His last words were, ‘I’ll see you in the hospital in the morning,’” said Evans.
At this point, the full extent of Evans’ condition was not yet uncovered, but it was not solely a lung condition. It was also a heart condition.
Martin scheduled a cardioversion for Evans the very next day. A cardioversion is a procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation using quick, low-energy shocks to restore a regular heart rhythm.
When Evans arrived at Iredell Memorial Hospital the following day, she had to receive a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) before her cardioversion. A TEE is a type of test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart and its structures. In order to have a safe cardioversion, since there is a risk of stroke, a TEE is done before to make sure there are no blood clots in the heart.
“Surprisingly, on her TEE, I realized the real problem. It actually wasn’t the AFib. It was an issue with her mitral valve,” said Martin.
The mitral valve is one of the heart’s four valves. A healthy mitral valve keeps blood moving in the right direction.
Some of Evan’s tendinous cords that keep her mitral valve in place were ruptured, causing blood to leak across the valve and leading to her irregular heart rhythm.
“Dr. Martin explained to me that I had a defective valve and that I needed to stay in Iredell Memorial for five more days. After that, I would need to be transferred to a different hospital to have open heart surgery and replace the valve,” said Evans.
For five days, Martin and his team got Evans medically prepared for open heart surgery. They removed extra fluid, put her on medications to help her heart function, and performed a heart catheterization to make sure she did not have any blockages.
After leaving Iredell Memorial, Evans met with a surgeon at the hospital where she was transferred. Just six days later, on November 17, Evans had open heart surgery. Her valve was replaced with a pig valve.
She stayed in that hospital for 16 days after surgery. When discharged, Evans went to an assisted living facility in Statesville for rehabilitation, where she was for two weeks before finally going home.
“When I came home, I felt wonderful. People tell me I’ve been on a journey. But, for me, it wasn’t a journey. It was a day trip. It all happened so fast,” said Evans.
Evans felt much better and came home in time to enjoy the holidays with her family.
“I saw Evans about eight weeks postoperatively, and she was a brand new woman. She couldn’t believe how much better she felt. She had been dealing with that for a long time,” said Martin.
Later, in March 2022, Evans was at Iredell Health System’s Outpatient Rehab in Statesville completing her cardiac rehabilitation therapy. Unfortunately, while she was there, her blood pressure shot up to 190/90, and she went into AFib again.
“I went to Dr. Martin’s office immediately. I saw the PA there, and she talked me through what was going on. They did another EKG and set me up for an appointment with Dr. Martin a few days later,” said Evans.
At her appointment with Martin, he decided to schedule a cardioversion to return Evans’ heart to a normal rhythm.
And since that procedure, Evans has not had any other issues. She has been able to get back to doing the things she’s so desperately missed, like crafting and spending time at her beach house.
“I wasn’t really living before my surgery. But now, I’m excited about life going forward. I’m finally doing things I want to do. For the first time in a long time, I was able to drive to the beach by myself. I am going to live every day I can to the fullest,” she said.
Martin explains that he always finds it rewarding to see patients get back the life they’ve wanted to live.
“The first time I saw her, I don’t think she knew she would ever have the quality of life she had before. She had been sick for a while, and I don’t think she thought she was getting better. But, I knew once we saw that valve that things were going to get better fairly quickly. And, it’s not fun to have open heart surgery, but that was certainly the right thing for her, and she did great,” said Martin.
Reflecting on her experience, Evans is incredibly thankful for all the medical professionals who cared for her. She is especially grateful for Martin, who discovered the cause of all of her life-altering symptoms.
“Dr. Martin’s staff has been so wonderful. And, the main thing I want to say about Dr. Martin is that he not only cares about your heart and your physical being, he cares about your mental health, and he cares about your emotional health. He always asks how you feel, really talks to you, and cares for you,” said Evans.
Learn More
Evans’s story was shared last week during the Iredell Health Foundation’s inaugural Heart of Jazz, a fundraiser benefitting the Cardiac & Vascular Care Fund for Iredell Health System. The fund supports the life-saving efforts of cardiologists, vascular surgeons, nurses, and technicians throughout the health system, and 100 percent of funds raised remain in Iredell County. To learn more about the fund, or to make a donation, visit IredellHealthFoundation.org, or call 704-878-7669.
Dr. Bradley Martin sees patients in Statesville, Mooresville, and Taylorsville. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Martin, please call 704-873-1189.
What Channel Is Broncos Vs. Chargers On Today? Schedule Time For Monday Night Football In Week 6 Sporting News
What Channel Is Broncos Vs. Chargers On Today? Schedule, Time For ‘Monday Night Football’ In Week 6 – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/what-channel-is-broncos-vs-chargers-on-today-schedule-time-for-monday-night-football-in-week-6-sporting-news/
The Broncos and Chargers have a lot to live up to — in more ways than one.
In Week 5, the Raiders and Chiefs played a stellar game that came down to the last Vegas possession in the fourth, and resulted in the Chiefs just barely eking out a win over their AFC West rivals, 30-29.
The Broncos (2-3) and the Chargers (3-2) have an opportunity to live up to the entertainment of that game — but also have an opportunity to live up to their playoff expectations this season.
It’s been something of a nightmare start for Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett in Denver: While the team isn’t entirely underwater yet, Hackett’s uninspiring coaching decisions and Wilson’s uninspiring play haven’t done much to put Broncos country at ease so far.
The Chargers are benefitting from another great start to the season from Justin Herbert (10 touchdowns to two interceptions), but Brandon Staley is once again seemingly getting in the way of the Chargers’ success. Still, Los Angeles is in prime position to push its division rival further down the standings.
MORE: Watch Broncos vs. Chargers on ‘Monday Night Football’ with fuboTV (free trial)
Here’s how to catch the AFC West follow-up on Monday night:
What channel is Broncos vs. Chargers on today?
Game: Broncos at Chargers
Date: Monday, Oct. 17
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN+, fuboTV (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)
Broncos vs. Chargers is the “Monday Night Football” matchup for Week 6, meaning Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be in the booth and Lisa Salters will report from the sideline.
There will be no “Manningcast” featuring Peyton and Eli Manning for this game.
MORE: Manningcast schedule for 2022
Those who choose to stream “MNF” have several options. FuboTV carries the ESPN family of networks as well as CBS, Fox, NBC and NFL Network, which means they will be able to stream local games throughout the 2022 season. FuboTV also offers a free trial.
ESPN+, the network’s proprietary streaming service, will also carry Broncos vs. Chargers.
Viewers in Canada will be able to stream the game via DAZN.
What time is Broncos vs. Chargers on today?
Date: Monday, Oct. 17
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET (6:15 p.m. MT/5:15 p.m. PT)
Kickoff for Monday night is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. That’s the customary start time for “Monday Night Football” games.
The Broncos will travel to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, meaning the game will start at 5:15 p.m. local time and 6:15 p.m. in Denver.
NFL live stream for Broncos vs. Chargers
Broncos vs. Chargers will be simulcast on ESPN and ABC. That means it will be available to stream on the ESPN app, as well as ESPN+.
Cord-cutters can watch “Monday Night Football” with fuboTV, which carries ESPN and ABC and also offers a free trial. FuboTV also carries CBS, Fox, NFL Network and NBC, so users can find most locally broadcast NFL games.
Other streaming options for Broncos vs. Chargers are as follows:
Streaming option
Cable subscription needed?
Free?
Cost
Free trial?
NFL App
Yes
Yes
—
—
Yahoo! Sports App
Yes
Yes
—
—
NFL+
No
No
$9.99/month
Yes
DirecTV Stream
No
No
$49.99/month
Yes
fuboTV
No
No
$69.99/month
Yes
Hulu Plus Live TV
No
No
$69.99/month
Yes
Sling TV
No
No
$35/month
Yes
YouTube TV
No
No
$54.99/month
Yes
‘Monday Night Football’ schedule 2022
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN app, ESPN+, fuboTV
ESPN made one of the biggest splashes of the broadcasting offseason when it signed Buck and Aikman to work “Monday Night Football,” pulling them away from Fox. Buck will handle play-by-play, while Aikman will provide color commentary.
“Monday Night Football” games can be watched on the ESPN app, through ESPN+ or on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. ESPN+ will also have exclusive coverage of the Oct. 30 matchup in London between the Broncos and Jaguars, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Week
Date
Matchup
1
Sept. 12
Seattle Seahawks 17, Denver Broncos 16
2
Sept. 19
Buffalo Bills 41, Tennessee Titans 7
2
Sept. 19
Philadelphia Eagles 24, Minnesota Vikings 7
3
Sept. 26
Dallas Cowboys 23, New York Giants 16
4
Oct. 3
San Francisco 49ers 24, Los Angeles Rams 9
5
Oct. 10
Kansas City Chiefs 30, Las Vegas Raiders 29
6
Oct. 17
Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers
7
Oct. 24
Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots
8
Oct. 31
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
9
Nov. 7
Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints
10
Nov. 14
Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
11
Nov. 21
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals (at Mexico City)
12
Nov. 28
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts
13
Dec. 5
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14
Dec. 12
New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals
15
Dec. 19
Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers
16
Dec. 26
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts
17
Jan. 2
Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals
STYLY Launches METADIMENSIONS Metaverse Project – XR Today https://collincountynewsonline.com/styly-launches-metadimensions-metaverse-project-xr-today/
Last Saturday, Psychic VR Lab debuted its Real Metaverse Project via the firm’s extended reality (XR) content creation and distribution platform STYLY.
The new Metaverse experience enables global STYLY XR creators to place geotagged augmented reality (AR) art in a real-world environment.
To celebrate the new service, Psychic VR Lab launched METADIMENSIONS on 15 October at Shibuya Scramble in Japan, where visitors can view artistic AR visuals via a smartphone camera.
City × AR × NFT Project
Starting from Shibuya, Tokyo#METADIMENSIONS#AugmentedReality pic.twitter.com/TzcCTqWs3j
— METADIMENSIONS (@metadimensions_) October 15, 2022
The project does not require participants to scan a QR code to see the AR content. Instead, the service automatically displays immersive Metaverse content through STYLY geo-tagging tech.
According to the firm, tracking technology places AR assets in the real world with greater accuracy when compared to QR codes.
STYLY also enables developers to create and place AR assets that reflect the real world, like building placement and overlaying content on billboards.
STYLY allows creators to place and overlay multiple XR assets in the same real-world locations. Visitors can switch between XR layers to enjoy a site through various immersive filters.
More on METADIMENSIONS
The METADIMENSIONS project is a deep partnership with Japanese brands and artists to showcase the platform. The project lets its collaborators turn AR visualisations into NFTs to sell on STYLY’s integrated OpenSea marketplace.
The METADIMENSIONS project initially operates with BOSO TOKYO and Web3 firm MAD WORLD HONG KONG to create a unique virtual world showing sci-fi motorcycle gang culture. Users can see the AR visuals via the STYLY smartphone application for iOS and Android.
Ryohei Watanabe, the CMO of Psychic VR Lab, added,
“We will not replace the real world but rather open the metaverse to all and propose a new lifestyle that combines real and virtual to enhance the experience value of the world itself. With this first event in Shibuya, we will create an unprecedented flow of people in the city and contribute to the development of the city in the future”
In the future, the project will also employ content from NEO TOKYO PUNKS and GENERATIVE MASKS.
What is STYLY’s Geotagging Tech?
Psychic VR Lab uses ARCore from Google and Niantic’s Lightship AR software elopement kit (SDK) to enable its geotagged content. Using Google’s geospatial API, XR content creators can overlay immersive assets in indoor and outdoor spaces.
Psychic VR Lab also provides several resources to help developers create geotagged XR content using its XR Cityscape Assets platform. Currently, the service only has data models for six Japanese cities Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.
STYLY first introduced its XR urban content creation tools in December last year. The service uses accurate GPS data to place XR visuals on top of real-world urban environments.
Amazfit Falcon Goes Official With Titanium Design Dual-Band GPS And 20ATM Water Resistance Comments GSMArena.com
Amazfit Falcon Goes Official With Titanium Design, Dual-Band GPS, And 20ATM Water Resistance – Comments – GSMArena.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/amazfit-falcon-goes-official-with-titanium-design-dual-band-gps-and-20atm-water-resistance-comments-gsmarena-com/
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Anonymous
7kK
23 minutes ago
Shall this be compatible with ios or androidphones?
Reply
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Anonymous
7kK
2 hours ago
Shall this be compatible with ios or androidphones?
Reply
R
Rupam nath
gNT
2 hours ago
Very good product….
Reply
A
Anonym
Lc1
4 hours ago
Unless this crap already supports Visa/Mastercard/Amex/GPay NFC payments and can finally run user apps like a proper smartwatch, it is just a very expensive glorified Mi Band in watch format.
Reply
?
Anonymous
Xqa
10 hours ago
KungYii1994, 16 Oct 2022Amazfit suck because overprice low quality material gt3 gt4 still use aluminum and normal glas… moreStill much better than the “girly looking” pixel watch
Reply
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Anonymous
fr%
23 hours ago
fix those inaccurate sensors first!
Reply
K
KungYii1994
ibe
16 Oct 2022
Amazfit suck because overprice low quality material gt3 gt4 still use aluminum and normal glass. Now falcon use goos quality price get x2. Better off buy huawei gt3 pro instead
Reply
A
Anonymous
U@G
16 Oct 2022
HeykelHD, 15 Oct 2022This sport watch is DOA (dead on arrival). It’s just a sport watch and not a smart watch … moreThis was exactly my point after seeing the price
Reply
?
Anonymous
7vY
16 Oct 2022
A new competitor for the Apple Watch Ultra
Reply
?
Anonymous
0UU
16 Oct 2022
blue, 15 Oct 2022But Garmin is two generations ahead in terms of training planning and evaluation.behind garmind sell only brand not wqtch
Reply
?
Anonymous
0UU
16 Oct 2022
blue, 15 Oct 2022But I know a lot about sports. Really don’t care about childish toys from Amazfit.apple user meh
Reply
b
blue
0CN
15 Oct 2022
Anonymous, 15 Oct 2022You don’t know anything about watchBut I know a lot about sports. Really don’t care about childish toys from Amazfit.
Reply
p
prasad
7k4
15 Oct 2022
thatsbway too pricey…..
Reply
P
Peter
pGs
15 Oct 2022
This is the first really well made smartwatch ever, sapphire, titanium and even 20 ATM water resistance. I collected many years Breitling, Omega, Tag Heuer etc. and this is the first watch that can keep up with these in terms of looks and materials (o.k., only exception new Garmin Marq 2 Aviator but 2550 Euros!!!).
There are always features it doesn´t / can´t (because of the water resistance) have, but this watch is made for people who want a premium feeling and not plastic.
Have now a T-Rex 2 and very satisfied, only the plastic look is not really noble. And the features are well enough by far for normal people, from Garmin etc. 90% of people don’t use/need the perhaps one or other better features of them.
The entertainment value of the dials from Amazfit alone is fantastic. And now with a high-quality feeling, I can´t wait…
Reply
A
Anonymous
XSs
15 Oct 2022
blue, 15 Oct 2022If you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin.You don’t know anything about watch
Reply
V
VNGEL
XBA
15 Oct 2022
Before it reach Africa, all the tech features will disappear. Lots of gadgets doesn’t function as advertised in African countries, why ?
Reply
A
Anonymous
uI7
15 Oct 2022
blue, 15 Oct 2022If you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin.Ok
Reply
b
blue
0CN
15 Oct 2022
Anonymous , 15 Oct 2022For the specs and the price it’s not badIf you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin.
Reply
b
blue
0CN
15 Oct 2022
Anonymous, 15 Oct 2022WOW the price is on par with Garmin watch..But Garmin is two generations ahead in terms of training planning and evaluation.
Reply
B
BBart
n7e
15 Oct 2022
Screen size … 1.28″ …. ??? …
Reply
Biggest Green Crypto Token Sale Ever IMPT.io Raises $5 Million In First 2 Weeks Cryptonews
Biggest Green Crypto Token Sale Ever – IMPT.io Raises $5 Million In First 2 Weeks – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/biggest-green-crypto-token-sale-ever-impt-io-raises-5-million-in-first-2-weeks-cryptonews/
London, England, 17th October 2022 – Within two weeks of the start of its presale, the IMPT token has already attracted $5 million from ESG-conscious investors.
The online fundraising is the start of the IMPT.io mission to revolutionize the carbon credit industry through accessible carbon offsetting.
IMPT makes carbon-offsetting as easy as shopping for your favorite items
IMPT.io will make it easy for shoppers to manage carbon credits using a blockchain-based offset mechanism.
Joining the IMPT.io network in this endeavor will be many top consumer brands. The team has already signed affiliate partnership deals with retail outlets, including Amazon. That means any shopping a consumer does on Amazon via the IMPT widget will help save the planet.
Other brands IMPT.io has affiliate shopping deals with include Microsoft, Bloomingdales, GameStop, River Island, Macy’s, and Electrolux.
Each retailer will donate a proportion of the sales made through the IMPT.io widget or app. It is up to the retailer how much they wish to donate to the audited environmental, social, and governance (ESG) projects that have been selected by IMPT.io.
Consumers will be able to choose from among their favorite brands by comparing the various sales margins for green projects offered by each.
When an individual shops online with the IMPT.io widget or in-store using the app, they earn IMPT tokens that can then be exchanged for carbon credits.
Here’s how IMPT works
The project’s other core feature is to facilitate the buying, selling and ‘retiring’ of carbon credits on a blockchain marketplace. By using blockchain technology, fraud in carbon credit trading can be eliminated and transparency brought to the fore.
Each time someone buys an IMPT token they can convert it into a carbon credit, which in turn can be listed on the IMPT.io marketplace as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
In addition, the IMPT token incentivizes the retiring of carbon credits by exchanging them for collectible NFTs designed by recognized artists.
The retiring of credits is achieved by burning them – a process whereby the tokens are sent to an address on the blockchain that can only receive tokens (not send them), effectively removing them from supply.
Along with accumulating IMPT tokens when shopping, consumers can buy the IMPT token direct on the IMPT website.
Individuals can then choose to either burn the credits to offset their carbon footprint, and receive in return a collectible NFT, or list the carbon credits on the IMPT marketplace.
IMPT makes protecting the environment profitable for consumers and businesses
IMPT appeals to ESG-focused investors who want to put their money to work to stop environmental degradation by supporting green initiatives such as renewable energy and the curtailment of deforestation.
Improving our environment and being socially responsible doesn’t have to be in conflict with making a profit.
The project’s overriding strategic contribution is to show how that premise can be turned into an everyday reality for both shoppers, retailers and investors.
ESG is a $30 trillion opportunity not to be missed
Broadridge Financial Solutions estimates that ESG assets will be valued at around $30 trillion by 2030.
IMPT is thinking big because the challenges faced by humanity in tackling climate change require solutions that work at scale
The team behind the project is led by highly experienced business executive CEO Denis Creighton.
IMPT will help each of us to make our own personal beneficial impact – and together that can significantly strengthen the urgent task of protecting and improving our planet.
With IMPT, consumers become part of the solution, not the problem.
To get involved in this green revolution powered by blockchain technology, an individual or corporate entity can simply connect a crypto wallet at impt.io and buy IMPT with ETH or USDT (Tether stablecoin).
If prospective buyers don’t have ETH, they can buy using a card securely on the IMPT site, and then make their IMPT token purchase.
In this 1st stage of the presale, IMPT is priced at $0.018. In the second stage, which will begin after $10.8 million worth of tokens are sold, the price rises to $0.023.
Visit IMPT Now
Enseo Partners With Cubigo Expanding Senior Living Technology Integrations PR Newswire
Enseo Partners With Cubigo, Expanding Senior Living Technology Integrations – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/enseo-partners-with-cubigo-expanding-senior-living-technology-integrations-pr-newswire/
Senior living community residents can now engage in Cubigo-powered requests directly through the Enseo apartment TV
, /PRNewswire/ — Enseo, the premier senior living technology services provider, and Cubigo, a technology company on a mission to modernize senior living communities, have partnered to provide Cubigo’s cloud-based solution through Enseo’s platform. The integration with Cubigo enables community residents to request dining, maintenance, activities, transportation needs, and more, directly through the resident TV.
“While many aspects of community caregiving must be handled in-person through staff, technology can be used to more efficiently manage routine requests, alleviating staff for where they are needed most,” said Corey Rhodes, Enseo CEO. “We’re proud to partner with Cubigo, as residents now have more opportunities to access necessary requests, such as maintenance and transportation needs, but also in-suite food ordering and even resident chatting, making their lives easier.”
Enabled on resident smart devices, Cubigo is also now available through Enseo’s resident TV platform, which can be customized by the community to meet specific staff and resident needs. With this integration, residents can navigate Cubigo’s non-clinical service requests through the largest screen in the room.
“We want Cubigo’s applications to be hardware agnostic for the residents, so they can pick the device they like most to interact with the community and the services,” said Geert Houben, Cubigo’s Founder & CEO. “Although we see a massive uptake in mobile devices among seniors, the TV screen is always there and larger than any other device. We found a great partner in Enseo to provide the right infrastructure for Cubigo on TV.”
Providing resident TV, smart apartment solutions, and managed Wi-Fi, Enseo provides connections for communities, improving the lives of residents as well as operations for owners and management. A natural step, the integration with Cubigo enables additional resident benefits to be managed on the TV platform.
Cubigo’s solution is geared toward senior living providers, residents and their family members. With the apps built for iPad, iPhone, and now TV, communities have the opportunity to radically streamline processes at independent- and assisted-living residences, which is a huge relief for staff members. Most importantly, however, Cubigo is an easy-to-use technology that gives seniors independence over their daily activities.
To learn more, stop by Enseo’s booth #1111 and Cubigo’s booth #2919 at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting EXPO and Conference in Denver, Colorado October 16-19, or visit www.enseo.com/seniorliving.
About Enseo, LLC
Enseo is the premier technology services provider in the U.S., offering solutions in hospitality, senior living and education. Located in Plano, TX, Enseo has been engineering innovative hardware and software solutions for 22 years that deliver digital entertainment, managed WiFi, smart room automation (IoT) and energy management, and safety and staff solutions including employee emergency alert system, MadeSafe®, and touchless technology. Enseo is enjoyed by more than 85 million users annually.
Enseo has been recognized for excellence on Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, a Financial Times‘s America’s Fastest Growing Companies, one of the best Entrepreneurial Companies in America for three consecutive years by Entrepreneur Magazine‘s Entrepreneur 360 List, and consistently recognized on the Inc. 5000. For more information, please visit www.enseo.com.
About Cubigo
Founded in 2011, Cubigo is partnering with some of the world’s most influential senior living organizations to improve the wellbeing of older adults. Cubigo is a leading all-in-one software platform for senior living operators, focused on integrating non-clinical and resident-centric services like Dining, Maintenance, Activities, Transportation, Digital Signage, Visitor Management, etc. Implemented in more than 600 communities and used by 250k+ monthly active users across the US, Canada and Europe, Cubigo helps to supercharge teams and streamline communication with residents, prospects and loved ones. More than 30 API integrations connect Cubigo to all main EMR/EHR, finance platforms and other apps to create automated workflows. The company is headquartered in Belgium, with offices in San Francisco and Toronto. To learn more, visit www.cubigo.com.
SOURCE Enseo
COMMUNITY GAMING GOES CLIMATE POSITIVE WITH PARTNERS PLAY2LEARN FOUNDATION AND KLIMADAO PR Newswire
COMMUNITY GAMING GOES CLIMATE POSITIVE WITH PARTNERS PLAY2LEARN FOUNDATION AND KLIMADAO – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/community-gaming-goes-climate-positive-with-partners-play2learn-foundation-and-klimadao-pr-newswire/
New sustainability initiative will drive adoption and growth of clean crypto-carbon ecosystem
, /PRNewswire/ — Community Gaming, the premier all-in-one esports competition platform, has announced today that it has, through a collaboration with the Play2Learn Foundation and KlimaDAO, become climate positive by completely offsetting its on-chain carbon emissions, particularly through the preservation of the rainforest. With the adoption and development of initiatives focused on creating a sustainable Web3 ecosystem, this partnership has helped mitigate the carbon footprint of Community Gaming’s on-chain transactions.
COMMUNITY GAMING GOES CLIMATE POSITIVE WITH PARTNERS PLAY2LEARN FOUNDATION AND KLIMADAO
A Decentralized Autonomous Organization for Change, KlimaDAO aims to leverage Web3 technology to reduce market fragmentation and connect climate finance with global sustainability projects. Through the building blocks provided by KlimaDAO to enable high-impact and composable Web3-based carbon solutions and mass participation in the carbon markets, Community Gaming and the Play2Learn Foundation have been able to put their initiatives into effect, participating in the market through the use of the KLIMA token.
“It was important for us to not only mitigate our impact on the environment, but properly do our part to make sure we’re in a position to give back more than we take,” said Community Gaming CEO Chris Gonsalves. “We’re proud to say that we’re climate positive and that our work with the Play2Learn Foundation and KlimaDao has allowed us to make a positive impact on the environment.”
In addition to its stated goals of widening financial inclusion and improving technological literacy, the Play2Learn Foundation has prioritized education and policies focused on Web3’s environmental impact. In the course of its activities, the foundation has taken a proactive stance toward integrating sustainability into Community Gaming’s core principles.
“The Play2Learn Foundation has already offset 500 tonnes of MCO2 along with 200 tonnes of NCT, equating to about 4,200 mature trees being planted or preserved,” said David Garpenstahl, Executive Director of the Play2Learn Foundation. “This initial contribution not only pushed Community Gaming towards being CO2 negative with their on-chain emissions but laid the needed groundwork toward Community Gaming becoming more environmentally conscious and climate positive as an organization.”
David Garpenstahl and Chris Gonsalves will join the Planet of the Klimates podcast for an in-depth discussion of Community Gaming and the Play2Learn Foundation’s environmental initiatives and contributions toward a clean Web3 ecosystem.
About Community Gaming
Community Gaming is an all-in-one esports competition platform, building cutting edge infrastructure to foster the growth of Web3 gaming and esports. Through its seamless UX and efficient Ethereum and Solana-based blockchain payment technology, the platform equips players, competition organizers, and game developers with the tools they need to create, facilitate, and participate in esports tournaments. Community Gaming believes in Earnings for Everyone, offering opportunities to monetize their passion for gaming through completing Quests, a daily content engine for earnings and game discovery.
Connect with us at CommunityGaming.io, or on Twitter, Discord, Instagram, Facebook and Twitch.
About Play2Learn Foundation
The Play2Learn Foundation is a 501 c3 non-profit that provides gamers and entrepreneurs with inspiration, education and the resources they need to navigate the emerging Web3 landscape by promoting financial inclusion and technological literacy. With 1.6 billion people still without access to a bank account, the Play2Learn Foundation focuses on numerous educational initiatives and social impact programs to promote financial inclusion and technological literacy to young gamers around the globe. Connect with us at https://play2learn.foundation/
About KlimaDAO
KlimaDAO is an on-chain scaling solution for the Voluntary Carbon Market. KlimaDAO aims to open up the market to greater transparency and efficiency by combining tokenized carbon credits with a blockchain-enabled technology stack.
If you are interested in participating in KlimaDAO’s governance process, join the Forum. If you are a business looking to offset your carbon footprint, get started here.
SOURCE Community Gaming Inc
Credit Suisse Pays $495 Mln To Settle Legacy U.S. Case Reuters
Credit Suisse Pays $495 Mln To Settle Legacy U.S. Case – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/credit-suisse-pays-495-mln-to-settle-legacy-u-s-case-reuters/
Settlement ends bank’s largest outstanding RMBS case
Credit Suisse says settlement is fully covered by provisions
Bank still has five cases to resolve
Expects to resolve outstanding cases in next six months
ZURICH, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) has agreed to pay $495 million to settle a case related to mortgage-linked investments in the United States, the latest pay-out related to past blunders that have battered the Swiss bank’s reputation.
The lender has been paying out billions of dollars to resolve legal cases linked to its residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) business in the run up to the 2008 financial crisis.
The decline in mortgage payments reduced the value of the assets, leading to huge losses for investors.
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Switzerland’s second biggest bank is trying to move on from these legacy issues which have dogged its performance and cost it billions of dollars.
The bank is also trying to recover from other missteps, including losing more than $5 billion from the collapse of investment firm Archegos last year, when it also had to suspend client funds linked to defunct financier Greensill Capital.
The latest RMBS case, brought by the New Jersey Attorney General, alleged Credit Suisse had “misled investors and engaged in fraud or deceit in connection with the offer and sale of RMBS.”
The attorney general’s office had claimed more than $3 billion in damages in a case filed in 2013.
“Credit Suisse is pleased to have reached an agreement that allows the bank to resolve the only remaining RMBS matter involving claims by a regulator,” the bank said in a statement.
“The settlement, for which Credit Suisse is fully provisioned, marks another important step in the bank’s efforts to pro-actively resolve litigation and legacy issues.”
The New Jersey case was the largest of its remaining exposure on its legacy RMBS business, Credit Suisse said, with five remaining cases at various stages of litigation.
These are expected to be resolved in the next six months, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The total cost likely to be much less than $100 million, the source added.
RMBS are a debt-based securities, seen as similar to bonds, which are backed by the interest paid on home loans packaged together to sell to investors.
But poorly constructed RMBS’s contributed to the financial crisis in 2008 – when wider groups of mortgages defaulted leading to big losses.
Credit Suisse, whose share price has more than halved in the last 12 months, has already paid out huge sums to resolve claims related to the products, including a $5.3 billion deal with the Department of Justice in 2017.
It said at that time products it sold did not meet underwriting guidelines.
It also paid $600 million to MBIA Inc last year after the New York based-municipal bond insurer paid out hundreds of millions to compensate investors.
The bank, one of the largest in Europe and one of Switzerland’s global systemically important banks, is scheduled to release details of a much anticipated strategic review alongside third-quarter results on Oct. 27.
In June, the bank was convicted of failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang, while a Bermuda court ruled that a former Georgian Prime Minister and his family were due damages of more than half a billion dollars from Credit Suisse’s local life insurance arm.
The U.S. Justice Department is also investigating whether Credit Suisse continued helping U.S. clients hide assets from authorities, eight years after the Swiss bank paid a $2.6-billion tax evasion settlement.
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Reporting by John Revill and Oliver Hirt; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Mark Potter and Jane Merriman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Smaller Communities In Denton County Are Feeling The Pressure From Large Population Growth KERA News
Smaller Communities In Denton County Are Feeling The Pressure From Large Population Growth – KERA News https://collincountynewsonline.com/smaller-communities-in-denton-county-are-feeling-the-pressure-from-large-population-growth-kera-news/
Published October 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM CDT
Smaller towns in Denton County have seen some of the most dramatic growth. The population in Prosper, for example, increased by almost 163% from 2010 to 2020, according to data from the Texas Demographic Center. Celina’s population increased by almost 139%, and Aubrey’s population increased by 118%.
Earlier this year, the Census Bureau reported that four of the 10 counties with the most numeric growth in the nation were in Texas.
“There’s been a relocation of people around the country…The DFW region has been benefiting from that immensely,” said Lauren Fischer, who teaches urban planning at the University of North Texas. “We’re seeing record numbers in some of the fastest growing counties — here in Collin County and Denton County — over the past couple of years”.
Population growth is increasingly expanding out from Dallas and Fort Worth. There’s not much choice.
But it is sometimes a struggle for outlying communities to keep up with the growth.
One looming issue: Fischer says the lack of water will become even more of a problem in the future.
“We’re not an area that’s rich in water. But as we see more people move in, we really have the need for additional water to accommodate them,” said Fischer, who is the associate director of the Advanced Environmental Research Institute at UNT.
Some counties like Wise County rely heavily on private water providers. Fischer said that can be expensive — and the costs can fall back on homeowners.
As populations increase, finding housing becomes more difficult. Denton County has seen a 74 % increase in homelessness, according to a recent United Way of Denton report. Even middle-income families may have difficulty finding affordable housing.
Communities are looking at ways to address housing issues.
For example, the City of Flower Mound recently approved site plans for a project called “Flower Mound Ranch.” The 1,066-acre development would include 6,000 apartments, 3,000 single-family homes and six to eight million square feet of commercial buildings.
Developers and city planners are “thinking very creatively about how… they use the land that they have left to both accommodate the population pressures they feel within their own community, but also to capitalize on the development activity and the growth and the opportunity to diversify their tax base, “ Fischer said.
The population growth also creates a lot of pressure on existing infrastructure.
“Twenty years ago, the roads were not nearly as congested as they are now. And it’s a real struggle to try to keep up…infrastructure needs when the population is growing that quick,” Fischer said.
Many residents in outlying counties want to live in a rural environment. But it might be difficult to maintain that lifestyle.
Fischer said smaller cities can try to combat population growth and urbanization with zoning regulations – for example requiring that housing lots be least one or two acres.
That does not always work. Roads and infrastructure may be shared with more populous communities nearby.
“So even if one community wants to say, ‘we want to maintain our rural character,’ it can become very difficult to do that – when you all of a sudden have 20,000 people now driving through some of your farm roads,” Fischer said.
Got a tip? Email Mya Nicholson at mnicholson@kera.org.
Mya Nicholson reports for KERA’s government accountability team. She studies broadcast journalism at the University of North Texas.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Top Indian Destination For An internet-Free Detox Vacation Hindustan Times
Top Indian Destination For An ‘internet-Free’ Detox Vacation – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/top-indian-destination-for-an-internet-free-detox-vacation-hindustan-times/
When you take a detox vacation, you get away from the commotion, digital media, and noise of everyday life to spend some time in the quiet of nature and indulge in tasty foods and activities. People are becoming more and more aware of the value of taking a detox vacation. Even when on vacation, most people are glued to their phones and frequently lose out on the beauty of nature because they are too preoccupied with taking images that may garner attention and likes on social media. Why is it that every time someone serves us a good meal or, for that matter, whenever we witness a stunning sunrise or sunset, we feel the need to take a picture with our “smartphones” rather than genuinely experiencing it and appreciating it with our own eyes? In our rush to portray the “ideal” existence to the people around us, we are missing out on the essentials. (Also read: Top 5 places in India where you can enjoy the houseboat experience )
Here is the list of Indian destinations that are ‘internet free’ and are perfect for your detox vacation.
1. Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh
Many tourists have recently been drawn to the state of Arunachal because of its large area of pristine beauty. Many uncharted locations are still to be put on the map due to the amazing road trip that must be taken in order to reach one’s destination.
2. Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand
The Valley of Flowers, a national park, is a destination that is sure to make you feel good both literally and figuratively. Hemkund Sahib is the starting point of the hike to this wonder, which is also home to hot springs. The valley, which can be reached after a 10-kilometre hike, is home to more than 300 different kinds of alpine flowers and has a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
3. Ice Kingdom, Zanskar, J&K
The region of Jammu and Kashmir, dubbed “paradise on earth,” is covered in attractions worth seeing. But the Ice Kingdom is one such breathtaking location that is a work of nature. Network coverage is the last thing on your mind when you’re on your way to heaven.
4. Chitkul, Himachal Pradesh
Chitkul offers a view that is unlike anything else, away from the cliched tourist destinations like Shimla and Manali. It is known as the last village on the Indo-Tibetan border and is situated in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Chitkul is a must-visit destination since it is still unspoiled by mass tourism.
5. Nathang Valley, Sikkim
A valley that epitomises paradise on Earth is located in the most isolated area of East Sikkim, on the Old Silk Route of India. The Nathang Valley, at 13,500 feet above sea level, is situated in one of the highest regions of the Indian subcontinent and is completely covered with snow for nearly four months from January to April. Driving up to this location involves a zigzag path that literally takes you “above the clouds.”
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Effects Of Lifestyle Risk Behaviour Clustering On Cardiovascular Disease Among UK Adults: Latent Class Analysis With Distal Outcomes | Scientific Reports Nature.com
Effects Of Lifestyle Risk Behaviour Clustering On Cardiovascular Disease Among UK Adults: Latent Class Analysis With Distal Outcomes | Scientific Reports – Nature.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/effects-of-lifestyle-risk-behaviour-clustering-on-cardiovascular-disease-among-uk-adults-latent-class-analysis-with-distal-outcomes-scientific-reports-nature-com/
Abstract
Lifestyle risk behaviours such as smoking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet account for a considerable disease burden globally. These risk behaviours tend to cluster within an individual, which could have detrimental health effects. In this study, we aimed to examine the clustering effect of lifestyle risk behaviours on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk among adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We performed a latent class (LC) analysis with distal outcomes using the UK Biobank baseline (2006–2010) data. First, we estimated LC measurement models, followed by an auxiliary model conditional on LC variables. We reported continuous (mean difference—MD) and binary (odds ratio—OR) outcomes with 95% confidence intervals. We included 283,172 and 174,030 UK adults who had data on CVD and CVD risk, respectively. Multiple lifestyle risk behaviour clustering (physically inactive, poor fruit & vegetable intake, high alcohol intake, and prolonged sitting) had a 3.29 mean increase in CVD risk compared to high alcohol intake. In addition, adults with three risk behaviours (physically inactive, poor fruit & vegetable intake, and high alcohol intake) had 25.18 higher odds of having CVD than those with two risk behaviours (physically inactive, and poor fruit and vegetable intake). Social deprivation, gender and age were also associated with CVD. Individuals’ LC membership with two or more lifestyle risk behaviours negatively affects CVD. Interventions targeting multiple lifestyle behaviours and social circumstances should be prioritized to reduce the CVD burden.
Introduction
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 71% of all deaths worldwide1. Lifestyle risk behaviours such as smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diet increase the risk of dying from NCD1. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)1,2,3 account for most NCD deaths globally. In the UK, 11% of the population live with CVD, and CVD accounts for 25% of all deaths4. In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended seven cardiovascular health behaviours (Life’s Simple 7) to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality in the general population, including smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose5. The 2019 AHA guideline on the primary prevention of CVD recommends that people engage in a healthy lifestyle throughout their life6.
Lifestyle risk behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet and physical inactivity are major risk factors for the development of CVD7,8. Physical inactivity and increased sedentary time are important modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic disease9,10. Physical inactivity is also the fourth leading cause of disease and disability in the UK11. Sleeping too much or too little is also strongly associated with CVD12,13,14. People engaging in multiple risk behaviours tend to have poor health outcomes compared to those engaging in one risk behaviour15. Thus, identifying people with multiple risk behaviours provides insight into where policies should target to reduce inequalities in health16,17. While previous studies have investigated the clustering of lifestyle behaviours for people with CVD18,19 and the general population20, most did not include all major lifestyle behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, sitting behaviour, and sleep.
To analyse the co-occurrence of multiple health-related behaviours, different statistical approaches have been proposed in the literature21. However, these approaches are mainly focused on identifying clustering of risk behaviours and not estimating their effect on a distal outcome. Latent class (LC) analysis with a distal outcome is important for identifying how different lifestyle risk behaviours occur together among participants based on indicator variables, and to estimate the effect of LC membership on a distal outcome22,23,24. The effects of LC membership (clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours) on CVD and the risk of developing CVD have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of six lifestyle risk behaviours (smoking, poor fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol intake, physical inactivity, prolonged sitting, and poor sleep), and clustering patterns of these lifestyle risk behaviours. In addition, we aimed to identify and estimate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender), Townsend deprivation index and LC membership on CVD, and CVD risk.
Methods
UK Biobank has ethics approval from the North West Multi-centre Research Ethics Committee25. According to this approval, researchers do not require separate ethics applications. All participants provided written informed consent. This study was carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.
Study population
We analysed data from the UK Biobank study that included more than 500,000 middle-aged (38–73 years) adults recruited from 22 sites across England, Wales, and Scotland. We used baseline data collected between 2006 and 201026,27. Socio-demographic, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary intake, physical activity, sitting time and sleep duration) and medical history were collected using the touchscreen questionnaire27.
Disease categories
The UK Biobank collected self-reported medical information, such as CVD based on physician diagnosis. To define participants’ CVD status, we used data on vascular/heart problems diagnosed by a doctor (Field ID = 6150). Under this Field ID, four CVDs were reported: heart attack, angina, stroke, and high blood pressure. For this analysis, participants who were reported to have at least one of these diseases were classified as having CVD, not otherwise. A total of 283,172 participants without missing data were included.
For the 174,030 participants without CVD, we computed a 10-year CVD risk score28 using the Framingham risk score function from the CVrisk package29 in R30. The variables included in the 10-year CVD risk calculation were age, gender, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure medication, smoking and diabetes status28.
Lifestyle behaviours
This analysis used six lifestyle behaviours: smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol intake, screen and driving time, and sleep duration.
Physical activity
The UK Biobank collected data on physical activity using adapted questions from the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)31 that includes the frequency, intensity and duration of walking, moderate and vigorous activity. UK Biobank data on time spent on moderate and vigorous activity was added and converted to a metabolic equivalent of task (MET) score. Participants were classified as active if they had ≥ 750 MET min/week or inactive (� 750 MET min/week), based on the 2019 AHA guideline6.
Fruit and vegetable intake
The UK Biobank collected data on dietary intake using the Food Frequency Questionnaire32. The NHS guideline recommends every individual to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day33,34. Data on fresh fruit (pieces), dried fruit (pieces), salad/raw vegetable (heaped tablespoons) and cooked vegetable (heaped tablespoons) were combined to calculate portions. Participants consuming at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day were considered to have adequate fruit and vegetable intake.
Alcohol intake
Participants were asked for the number of pints of beer, glasses of wine, and measures of spirit consumed in the last week. Since alcoholic drinks differ in the amount of alcohol content, we converted each drink into equivalent standard units (1 unit contains 10 ml of ethyl alcohol)35. We calculated total weekly units of alcohol consumption by adding the units of beer, wine, and spirits. Based on the NHS guidelines35, we grouped participants as low-risk drinkers (≤ 14 units per week) or high-risk drinkers ( 14 units per week).
Smoking
To measure smoking status, participants were asked, “Do you smoke tobacco now?”. Response options were “Yes, on most or all days”, “Only occasionally” and “No”. Those who responded “yes” or “smoke occasionally” were coded as 1, current smoker, while those who responded as “no” were coded as 0, not a current smoker.
Prolonged sitting
Total sitting time was calculated from the sum of self-reported hours spent watching television, using the computer, and driving during a typical day. Based on the estimated total sitting time, participants were categorized as low risk sitting (� 8 h/day) or prolonged sitting (≥ 8 h/day)36,37. This was based on the evidence of greater mortality risk for each increased sitting time category compared with � 8 h/day36,37.
Sleep duration
To measure sleep duration, the UK Biobank asked participants ‘About how many hours sleep do you get in every 24 h? (please include naps)’. Sleep duration was split using predefined thresholds from the literature; � 7 h, 7–8 h and 8 h13. Based on these cut points, participants were grouped as having ‘poor sleep’ (� 7 or 8 h/night) and ‘good sleep’ (7–8 h/night).
Socio-demographic variables
Socio-demographic characteristics (age and gender), and Townsend deprivation index (TSDI) were included in the latent class analysis (LCA) model. TSDI was used to measure participants’ deprivation38. The index combines information on housing, employment, car availability and social class, with higher values indicating greater deprivation38.
Statistical analysis
Descriptive statistic...
October 17 2022 | Daily News Brief | Teacher Hit By Car At Drop-Off. Election Silliness And Candidate Forums. 37 Bus Routes. Sports News. FB Contest Eye On Annapolis Eye On Annapolis
Sensorium Registers UAE Branch As Dubai Becomes A Hub For Metaverse Companies PR Newswire
Sensorium Registers UAE Branch As Dubai Becomes A Hub For Metaverse Companies – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/sensorium-registers-uae-branch-as-dubai-becomes-a-hub-for-metaverse-companies-pr-newswire/
, /PRNewswire/ — Sensorium, the company behind the industry-leading Sensorium Galaxy metaverse, confirmed its expansion into the United Arab Emirates. The company has registered a new entity and plans to open a new office to expand its global presence further and accelerate the development of metaverse initiatives in the MENA region.
Sensorium Registers UAE Branch as Dubai Becomes a Hub for Metaverse Companies
The new office, expected to be formally inaugurated in the coming weeks, will be located at Opus tower in the Business Bay district. The iconic building complex was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. This office will operate under the entity “Sensorium Global Solutions LLC”. The branch will undertake a key role in the operational and strategic development of the Sensorium Galaxy brand and other company verticals.
With this initiative, Sensorium capitalizes on the ramping metaverse opportunities being offered by the Government of Dubai. Back in July, Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, introduced the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to add $4 billion to the UAE economy in the next 5 years. This strategy will support 40,000 new jobs and provide vast funding to foster business competitiveness. This framework promises to strengthen Sensorium’s position as a leader and speed up the accomplishment of its goals.
“Dubai is quickly becoming a global hub for companies in the Metaverse and Web3 space. By establishing a local presence in Dubai, we will be able to collaborate more closely with key players in the space, and establish long-lasting relations in the MENA region. We fully support the initiative of the Government of Dubai, which once again proves to be at the forefront of technological changes and innovation,” said Sensorium CEO Vladimir Kedrinsky.
Aside from becoming an exciting new destination for employees in the product and business development, marketing, communications and IT areas, the Sensorium office will also include a demo studio where government officials, investors, and strategic partners can experience the full range of our Sensorium Galaxy products with maximum immersiveness.
This announcement arrives on the heels of Sensorium’s unparalleled success at GITEX GLOBAL 2022, one of the world’s biggest and most reputed technology exhibitions. Sensorium was recognized as a Top Disruptor in 2022 following its participation at X-VERSE, a metaverse-dedicated pavilion. A series of interactive activities were organized for attendees to experience the Sensorium Galaxy metaverse in various ways, including one-on-one talks with AI-driven avatars, a metaverse runway show, and in-engine Empyreal Parties.
Sensorium Deputy CEO & Art Director Sasha Tityanko has participated in multiple panels at the Future Blockchain Summit, also part of GITEX, and hosted her own keynote presentation titled “The Future of Web3: Virtual Artists and Beings Take Over The AI-driven Metaverse” on October 13 at the X-VERSE Talks stage.
About Sensorium
Founded in 2018, Sensorium is a leading metaverse and web3 developer, leveraging cutting-edge XR and AI technology to deliver the next generation of virtual experiences in entertainment and beyond. The company’s award-winning Sensorium Galaxy metaverse stands as one of the first platforms introducing global users to multisensory activities across virtual reality worlds, including music concerts, meditation sessions, NFT original content creation and social networking with AI-based virtual beings.
Sensorium is leveraging its long-standing collaboration with the world’s best technology partners and chart-topping performers including David Guetta, Armin van Buuren and Steve Aoki, to shape the future of metaverse-ready events. In addition to powering high-end VR features, accessible through a wide range of interfaces, Sensorium is also pioneering blockchain and web3 solutions for institutional and private partners.
For media inquiries:
Matias Lapuschin
Head of Content, Sensorium
[email protected]
+7925 037 18 22
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1922279/Sensorium_Dubai.jpg
SOURCE Sensorium
