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Soak In The Seaside Charm Of Shanklin, On The Isle Of Wight – TheTravel https://collincountynewsonline.com/soak-in-the-seaside-charm-of-shanklin-on-the-isle-of-wight-thetravel/ Many say The Isle of Wight transcends the living. Shanklin seems to be a charming town that checks all the boxes for a family vacation that involves getting sand on the clothes. It has a long stretch of golden sandy shore surrounded by a boardwalk on the upper edge of the waterfront that is lined with seafood eateries, fantastic golf resorts, arcade games, and ice cream stalls. But Shanklin is much more than simply a beach town, as visitors to the town will find out. This coastal valley is covered in exotic mosses and plants and has drawn famous Georgian visitors, including John Keats and Jane Austen. The historic Shanklin town looks like something out of a gift box featuring rustic homes and tiny handmade goods stores. So let’s peek at what this quaint town on the Isle of Wight offers visitors apart from one of the beautiful beaches of England. Places Worth Checking Out In Shanklin The Shanklin Beach The Isle of Wight is famous for its beaches, and one of them is here. Shanklin Beach boasts a mile of golden, smooth sand, being among the finest beaches on the Isle. There are a lot of shallow areas for smaller surfers to splash around in because the beach slopes gently towards the ocean. Behind them is a high shoreline with a boardwalk on top, complete with all the amenities visitors might want for an exciting or peaceful day. Moving southwards, visitors can see a pretty line of colored beach cottages where everything becomes a little calmer. The Shanklin Cline For over two centuries, Shanklin Chine has been a tourist magnet. It is a seaside valley that cuts through the floppy sandstone rocks. There is a historical facility offering information on the natural and cultural past of the ravine, in addition to trails and bridges carved out of the ravine’s slopes for finer glimpses of the lush foliage and rapids. The 400-meter-long chine, featuring a 32-meter plunge, hasn’t changed significantly. Visitors can travel at night during the summer months to Chine Lumiere, where magical illuminations highlight the walkways, waterfalls, and lush gorge sides. The Shanklin Old Village In the quaint Old Village, which is home to several of the Isle’s earliest homes, on the way to Shanklin Chine, visitors will have a glimpse of Shanklin before tourists arrive. The ancient village is filled with thatched homes, snug taverns, tearooms, and eateries. A cute small mews boasting six art galleries and a store that sells giftable souvenirs is located up the alley next to the Village Inn tavern. The Vernon Chalet Gift Shop, also serving as Shanklin’s visitor center, is located in the heart of the Old Town. The Rylstone Gardens A gorgeous park located atop the rock at the southern edge of Shanklin Beach and is also a part of the Rylstone Mansion estate. When people visit Rylstone Gardens, they could play a game of pitching and short par golf and then relax in the teahouse while enjoying a protected view of the golf resort. An alfresco platform in the park hosts midday and evening performances throughout the summer. The Pirates Cove & Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf The two crazy golf resorts in Shanklin are created with great ingenuity and precision and are a favorite among families. The Pirates Bay Entertainment Park has all the newest outdoor entertainment trends, including bumper rafts, trampolines, swing sets, zorbing balls, and small go-karts. A model, pirate vessel, fountains, a grotto, coconut palms, and other landscaping features decorate the circuit with a pirate motif. The Jurassic Beach range is set amid tropical flora and has realistic dinosaurs figurines. The Devil’s Chimney In Undercliff, which is fairly close to Shanklin, there is a peculiar natural feature. Visitors could climb down to the Bonchurch Landslips by navigating a steep and extremely narrow crack in the higher rock. Although the walk is short, it is on a steep hill and is occasionally damp, so people may want to wear sturdy shoes. There is a legend that pirates previously hauled cargo from the ocean via this passage to the sea. Well, after an exhausting trek back up the slope, visitors can rest in Smugglers Cove Tea Gardens at the trail’s summit. Lodging In Shanklin Channel View Hotel The Channel View Hotel provides lodging with a tavern, a communal lounge, complimentary parking, and dining. This three-star hotel provides complimentary internet access, concierge services, and a baggage locker. Reception service and an infinity pool are also available. Every room comes with a television, a closet, and an ensuite bathroom. Some of the accommodations at the hotel also have ocean views. The lodging offers a variety of breakfast selections each morning, including transatlantic, Irish, and Full English. Luccombe Manor Hotel The Luccombe Manor Hotel provides accommodations with private bathrooms and expansive overlooks of Shanklin Beach. There are several leisure amenities available to visitors, such as a thermal spa bath and outdoor hot pool. The restaurant, featuring French doors looking out onto the lawns, is where breakfast is offered. High tea and refreshments are also offered seasonally. Medehamstede Hotel The Medehamstede Hotel has limited complimentary parking and is surrounded by well-maintained lawns. The hotel’s rooms have a television, a beverage maker, and a private bathroom. The dining has a substantial, diverse menu and could accommodate vegans or vegetarians. The pub area has various leisure activities, including bingo and classic pub trivia. Visitors can enjoy a pleasant breath of fresh air from the big metropolis in the picturesque small village of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. It is undoubtedly a location that every traveler should visit.

How LinkedIn Became A Place To Overshare – Deccan Herald https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-linkedin-became-a-place-to-overshare-deccan-herald/ About three years ago, Joel Lalgee started posting on LinkedIn. He works in recruiting, so naturally, he spent a lot of time on the site, where people list their work experience and job seekers look for their next gig. But he didn’t just write about work. He wrote about his personal life: the mental health challenges he faced as a teenager, and his life since. “Being able to share my story, I saw it as a way to connect with people and show you’re not alone,” he said. Something else happened, too. “Six months in, I started seeing a big increase in engagement, followers, inbound business leads,” said Lalgee, 35. He now has more than 140,000 followers on LinkedIn, up from the 9,000 he had before he started posting. “The way you can go viral is to be really vulnerable,” he said, adding, “Old school LinkedIn was definitely not like this.” Read | LinkedIn and UN Women join hands to create employment LinkedIn, which was started in 2003, was first known primarily as a place to share résumés and connect with co-workers. It later added a newsfeed and introduced ways for users to post text and videos. The site now has more than 830 million users who generate about 8 million posts and comments daily. Since the start of the pandemic, as office workers missed in-person interactions with colleagues, many people turned to LinkedIn to help make up for what they had lost. They started talking about more than just work. The boundaries between office and home lives became blurrier than ever. As personal circumstances bled into workdays, people felt emboldened to share with their professional peers — and found interested audiences both in and beyond their networks. Users, including some who had left Facebook or felt guilty about using it during work, found they could scroll through LinkedIn and still feel that they were working. And for those hoping to make a splash and build an audience, LinkedIn proved an easier place to get noticed than more saturated sites. Karen Shafrir Vladeck, a recruiter in Austin, Texas, who posts frequently on LinkedIn, said the site was “low-hanging fruit” compared with crowded platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Read | Bill Gates encourages jobseekers by sharing 48-year-old resume on LinkedIn During the pandemic, many people also wanted to post about social justice topics that, while far from the historically staid fare of the site, affected their work lives: In 2020, Black LinkedIn took off with posts about systemic racism. “After the murder of George Floyd, a lot of folks were like, ‘I know this is unusual LinkedIn talk, but I’m going to talk about race,’” said Lily Zheng, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant. This summer, after the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, some women posted their own abortion stories. Now, users find on a typical day that between job listings and “I’m happy to announce” posts are viral selfies of people crying, announcements about weddings and long reflections about overcoming illnesses. Not all are happy about the changes. Some said they find they cannot use the site in the same way. A newsfeed crowded with personal posts, they said, can distract from the information they seek on LinkedIn. “Early in the pandemic, we started seeing content we really hadn’t seen before,” said Daniel Roth, a vice president and the editor-in-chief of LinkedIn. He said he noticed people posting about mental health, burnout and stress. “These were unusual posts for people where they were being much more vulnerable on LinkedIn,” he said. It wasn’t as if no one had broached those topics on the site before but, Roth said, it was “nothing like the volume” that LinkedIn started seeing in the spring of 2020, and continued seeing over the next two years. LinkedIn is not encouraging, or discouraging, the intimate posts. “In terms of the personal content, I wouldn’t say that we got too involved there,” Roth said. But it is encouraging influencers to join the site in the hope that they will post about topics such as leadership. The company walks a fine line, as it tries to encourage engagement on the site while protecting the professional context that it says its users expect. Roth said posts about skills and work accomplishments — more classic office fare — have seen increased engagement in the past year. In a survey of about 2,000 employed adults this year, LinkedIn found that 60 per cent said their definition of “professional” had changed since the start of the pandemic. “LinkedIn’s purpose for existing is changing,” said Zheng, who uses they/them pronouns. As is true in a workplace, sharing personal information on LinkedIn can foster a sense of belonging — but it can also lead to regrets. Zheng, who has more than 100,000 followers on LinkedIn, said companies are asking, “How much disclosure is allowed under this changing definition of professionalism? It’s not an answer that exists yet.” “There is a tension here. On the one hand, we want to support workers’ self-expression and self-disclosure,” Zheng said. But, at the same time, they added, workers should feel free to maintain boundaries between their personal and work lives, including on LinkedIn. Over the past couple years, LinkedIn has been trying to encourage content that will keep users engaged on the site: Last year, LinkedIn started a creator accelerator program to recruit influencers. A spokesperson for LinkedIn, Suzi Owens, said it was rolling out new tools and formats for posting. In the past, LinkedIn influencers were often “thought leaders,” including business pundits or executives who post advice to millions of followers. More recently, content creators from TikTok and YouTube, including stars such as Mr. Beast, have also joined LinkedIn. Although LinkedIn is recruiting influencers, Roth said, “there shouldn’t be that much content that goes viral.” He added that most posts should only reach people’s own networks. A full-time content creator who participated in LinkedIn’s creator accelerator program recently posted something that went well beyond her own network — and saw how far a more personal tone could reach. “I had a post that went absolutely viral on LinkedIn,” said the influencer, who uses the name Natalie Rose in her work. The post, a crying selfie with a caption about anxiety and the reality of being an influencer, got more than 2.7 million impressions. “That led to me having some business opportunities with anxiety apps, things like that,” she said. “I got a lot of connections and followers from it, all because I chose to be vulnerable in a post.” Rose, 26, said she used to think of LinkedIn as an online résumé. “In my understanding, it was kind of used for old people,” she said. But her thinking has changed. “I 100 per cent view it as a social media platform now.” She added that she found commenters more positive and mature than audiences on TikTok, where she has 2.7 million followers. Roth said he does not see LinkedIn as a social media platform in the vein of TikTok or Facebook — although some users see parallels and don’t like it. They frequently, grumpily comment that “this isn’t Facebook” on personal LinkedIn posts. Sofía Martín Jiménez, 30, used to be a LinkedIn power user. She used it all the time for a previous job in recruiting and often scrolled through her newsfeed to seek book recommendations and keep up with articles about her field. Since the pandemic began, Jiménez, who lives in Madrid, said her feed has become so cluttered with people’s deeply personal updates — stories of coping with a loved one’s death or overcoming an illness — that it is nearly unusable for professional tasks. “Now the feed is an obstacle,” she said. “I had to change my way of working on LinkedIn.” She now uses keywords to directly search for people’s profiles and avoids the homepage. Last year, Lalgee started to feel ambivalent about the attention he got from his personal posts. He wondered whether the hope of reaching a wide audience was leading people to share more than they should, or even to post emotional stories for attention. “It creates almost a false sense of vulnerability,” he said. “And then it becomes really hard to know, is this person genuine, or are they just doing it to go viral?” Owens said the company plans to continue rolling out product changes to ensure that people see relevant content in their feeds. “What’s unique about LinkedIn is that it’s not creation for the sake of entertainment — it’s about creation for economic opportunity,” she said. For those who want to see their life updates reach a wide audience, there is a cottage industry of consultants — and even a parody viral LinkedIn post generator — to help. John Nemo, a consultant who specializes in generating business leads for clients on LinkedIn, said he coaches people to follow a formula: “personal story + business lesson = the content.” He demonstrated his formula with news about the death of a hypothetical dog named Ralph. “Personal story is Ralph died,” he said. “What’s the business lesson in this?” He suggested starting the post with the update: “I lost my best friend yesterday, Ralph the dog, and here’s a photo of us.” Then add an observation about making deals: “One thing I’ve learned in sales is you’re constantly losing, you’re constantly getting rejected, you’re constantly having people abandon you.” Link it back to the dog: “One thing I love about Ralph, as any dog owner knows, is that they’ll never abandon you.” Sprinkle in some business advice: “You can’t get your validation from your sales calls because people reject you all day. You’ve gotta find your validation and self-esteem from loved ones or pets or whatever, religion.” Finally, prompt your followers: “Share a picture of your dog in the comments.” “The more personal it is, the more dramatic it is,...

Outdoor Fitness Court May Soon Come To Union Township – The Morning Sun https://collincountynewsonline.com/outdoor-fitness-court-may-soon-come-to-union-township-the-morning-sun/ The Union Township Board of Trustees recently approved a new business item related to putting an outdoor fitness court at one of the local parks. The decision occurred to at a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 14. One of the items included the adoption of a Resolution of Intent to participate in the National Fitness Campaign’s outdoor fitness court initiative in Michigan. The approval of the initiative would authorize a FY2022 appropriation of up to $168,000 for the purchase of an outdoor fitness court facility for McDonald Park, using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds received by the Township. Amending the FY2022 budget to reflect this action is also included in this new business item. This outdoor fitness court initiative is sponsored by Priority Health and intends expand access high quality workouts as way to further promote healthy living. “The Priority Health sponsored initiative in Michigan has resulted in the construction of a number of outdoor fitness courts across the Lower Peninsula over the past several years, with more in planning stages (see map at right),” an action request form from Township Manager Mark Stuhldreher said. “Priority Health has a goal of working with local municipalities, schools, and other institutions to develop 15 more outdoor fitness courts in easily accessible public spaces by 2024. The Charter Township of Union has been identified by Priority Health and the National Fitness Campaign as a desirable location for a new outdoor fitness court location.” The fitness courts offer structures for bodyweight circuit training in seven core movements (core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility, and bend). The court is designed with no moving pieces except for the cables holding the rings. “As designed, the footprint of the National Fitness Campaign’s outdoor fitness court is a 38-foot square space,” the action request form said. “It is barrier-free accessible, with multiple stations designed for persons of all ability levels that are 14 years of age and older.” The Board’s authorization of this would allow staff to submit the Township’s application to participate in the 2022 Fitness Court program and to apply for the $30,000 grant opportunity. “The National Fitness Campaign representative has indicated to staff that the grant would be awarded in the Fall of 2022, the action request form said. “The outdoor fitness court equipment would be purchased, and received by the Township in 2022, with installation and set-up anticipated to take place in the Spring of 2023.” Six members of the Board of Trustees approved this business, though one board member voted against the business item due to wanting more time to fully consider the initiative. For more information, visit uniontownshipmi.com.

Kentucky Vs. Youngstown State Live Updates Score, Results, Highlights, For Saturday’s NCAA Football Game – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/kentucky-vs-youngstown-state-live-updates-score-results-highlights-for-saturdays-ncaa-football-game-cbs-sports/ The Kentucky Wildcats will be playing at home against the Youngstown State Penguins at noon ET on Saturday. UK is out to stop a three-game streak of losses at home. The Wildcats had a touchdown and change to spare in a 26-16 win over the Florida Gators last week. No one had a standout game offensively for UK, but they got scores from WR Dane Key and DB Keidron Smith. One of the most thrilling moments was Key’s 55-yard TD reception in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Youngstown State took their contest against the Dayton Flyers last week by a conclusive 49-16 score. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Youngstown State had established a 35-10 advantage. Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 2-0. Watch the matchup and check back on CBS Sports to find out who keeps up the positive energy and who hits a stumbling block. Season Leaders passing D. Crenshaw384 YD, 5 TDS D. Crenshaw384 YD, 5 TDS W. Levis505 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTSW. Levis505 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTS rushing J. McLaughlin33 ATT, 332 YD, 4 TDSJ. McLaughlin33 ATT, 332 YD, 4 TDS K. Smoke21 ATT, 112 YDK. Smoke21 ATT, 112 YD receiving M. Tomczak5 REC, 148 YD, 1 TDM. Tomczak5 REC, 148 YD, 1 TD D. Key7 REC, 136 YD, 2 TDSD. Key7 REC, 136 YD, 2 TDS See New Posts Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned Pinned

What Are Meebits? Metaverse-Ready NFTs From The Creator Of CryptoPunks – Decrypt https://collincountynewsonline.com/what-are-meebits-metaverse-ready-nfts-from-the-creator-of-cryptopunks-decrypt/ Launched in 2017, CryptoPunks were one of the earliest examples of an NFT crypto collectible; a series of 10,000 pixel-art profile pictures (PFPs) with randomized traits. They proved to be a runaway success, with NFT enthusiasts paying tens of millions of dollars for the 24×24 pixel images of apes, aliens and zombies. But for CryptoPunks’ creators Larva Labs, that was only the beginning. In May 2021, Larva Labs returned with Meebits, another Ethereum-based PFP NFT project with double the supply and an additional dimension.  What are Meebits? Like CryptoPunks, Meebits are a series of NFT characters with randomly-generated traits. There are some differences, though; unlike their two-dimensional precursors, Meebits are 3D characters rendered in voxels (so-called because they’re pixels with volume), and there are 20,000 Meebits in total.  Of the 20,000 Meebits, 18,881 are humans, 711 are pigs, 256 are elephants, 72 are robots, 57 are skeletons, 18 are visitors and 5 are dissected (think humans without skins). Visually, Meebits resemble characters from games such as Minecraft or Roblox—and therein lies the key selling point. Meebits and the metaverse Larva Labs is gambling that the 3D models that comprise its Meebits will play a crucial role in the burgeoning metaverse, a persistent, shared virtual world where users interact using avatars.  While some big tech firms are building centralized metaverses where they control all the virtual assets on the platform, Larva Labs and other Web3 pioneers hope to build a truly decentralized metaverse, where users own virtual assets in the form of NFTs—which can be migrated between different metaverse platforms. As such, the ability to own a 3D model of your very own virtual avatar is a compelling prospect – at least, one compelling enough to shoot the project to total all-time sales of $515 million and a floor price of 4.4 ETH as of August 2022, according to data from CryptoSlam.  If you buy a 3D model of one of its blocky voxel characters, you will also receive the entire 3D model and high-definition render of your Meebit. You can port this directly into any metaverse project that supports it – although currently, few do. Although the Meebits look diverse, they have one thing in common: they are, invariably, expensive. That said, some Meebits, particularly the rarer ones, are more expensive than others. Meebit #6337, an algorithmically generated 3D skeleton in a suit, sold for about half a million dollars at a Christie’s auction in September 2021. The 3D NFTs trade as Ethereum ERC-721 tokens on a proprietary marketplace without any fees, but you can also trade them on any Ethereum-based NFT marketplace, such as OpenSea. Meebits and Yuga Labs In March 2022, Yuga Labs, the creator of the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT project, bought from Larva Labs the intellectual property rights for CryptoPunks and Meebits. “This means that we now own the brands, copyright in the art, and other IP rights for both collections, along with 423 CryptoPunks and 1711 Meebits,” said Yuga Labs in a blog post. Some big news to share today: Yuga has acquired the CryptoPunks and Meebits collections from @LarvaLabs, and the first thing we’re doing is giving full commercial rights to the NFT holders. Just like we did for BAYC and MAYC owners. pic.twitter.com/lAIKKvoEDj — Yuga Labs (@yugalabs) March 11, 2022 Yuga Labs’ first step was to grant holders of Meebits the same commercial property rights as holders of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. This license lets anyone who has held the NFT use the images contained therein for commercial purposes. Aside from this, Yuga Labs functions as the steward of the Meebit brand, and will encourage its development. Yuga also bought 1,711 Meebits. In July 2022, Yuga added a 5% royalty on secondary sales of Meebits, such as those on OpenSea and LooksRare, to “help keep this Meeb party going (and going and going).”  Yuga did not disclose what else it is building for the project but said its vision “centers around embracing the currents already core to the community—play, DIY experimentation, tech minimalism, and interoperability—and dialing them way up.” How to buy a Meebit Nobody is saying you should buy a Meebit—but if you have a spare few thousand dollars, here’s how.  To take advantage of the gas-free exchange on the Meebits site, the first thing to do is to head to the Meebits site. You can also use a secondary marketplace, such as OpenSea, to buy your Meebits. The difference is that Meebits doesn’t charge fees for trading on its marketplace for transactions of up to 100 Meebits. Either way, check which ones are on sale and connect a Web3 wallet, such as MetaMask, to the site. Right now, for instance, a pig sporting a fetching pair of headphones (Meebit #5979) is selling for just under $95,000 on OpenSea.  You can’t bid for the NFT against other OpenSea bidders on the Meebits marketplace—you’ll have to head to OpenSea for that—but you can trade it for ETH or another Meebit in the Meebit trading terminal. There, you can set an expiration date for your deal and send it off to the owner, to see if they’ll bite. If they do, you’ll lose whatever you forsake in your trade and receive the Meebit in your wallet. Once the Meebit is in your wallet, you can do whatever you like. You could, for instance, set it as your Twitter profile picture. As of August 2022, Meebits aren’t supported by any major Web3 games, but the voxel animation file is yours to play with. Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

Oluminate OlumiRing LED Smartphone Light Clips To A Phone, Desktop Computer, Laptop & More – Gadget Flow https://collincountynewsonline.com/oluminate-olumiring-led-smartphone-light-clips-to-a-phone-desktop-computer-laptop-more-gadget-flow/ This item is eligible for 40% OFF Discount Use the Oluminate OlumiRing LED smartphone light to improve pretty much any content creation task. Whether you’re on your laptop, smartphone, camera, or desktop computer, it’ll easily clip to your gadget. Made with a soft silicone internal lining, it keeps your devices safe. Not only that, but the portable design also makes it a breeze to take with you on the go. Moreover, use its dimming feature to get just the right lighting for your situation. Take better selfies and TikTok videos than ever before or use it to improve your virtual learning setup as a teacher. Additionally, it’s great for putting on your makeup thanks to its softening diffuser and 3 light modes. Furthermore, the rechargeable battery gives you at least an hour of continuous use. Finally, the 40 ultra-bright efficient LEDs include 20 in a cool white and 20 in a soothing warm white. Oluminate OlumiRing LED smartphone light clips to a phone, desktop computer, laptop & more Share it Gadget Flow Rating 8.8/10 Discovered on Sep 17, 2022, 10:30 am EDT What is Gadget Flow? Gadget Flow is the original product discovery platform that keeps you up to date with the latest tech, gear, and most incredible crowdfunding campaigns. Reaching over 31 million people per month, we also have iOS and Android apps that support AR and VR for next-level product exploration. Why Use Gadget Flow? We keep you updated with the latest tech product announcements for everything from the newest drones to obscure gaming gadgets. Our team discovers unique products and covers the latest crowdfunding campaigns. Save gadgets to your private or public wish lists, check out our team’s expert reviews, and purchase products directly from trusted sellers. Meet the Team Gadget Flow is headquartered in New York City, and most of our team works remotely from the US and Europe. We are tech enthusiasts who love to learn about new technologies and the latest innovations. Talented individuals who are passionate about the future, we work tirelessly and love to excite you and teach you about advancements in our field. Join Gadget Flow Today Explore the world of Gadget Flow so you know when any new tech launches—anywhere. Create your account using your email or any of our supported third-party logins, such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. 1 Create Wish Lists Sign up to create private and public wish lists that you can share with family and friends. It’s also easy to organize your favorite gadgets into different collections, like gift guides, smart home products you love, and more. 2 Get Product Notifications What do you do when you find a product that you love but aren’t ready to buy? Simply create a notification! Click the three little dots by the buy now button and select Add Reminder to get notified. Receive a reminder when it’s discounted, Black Friday, the next season, or any date you choose. 3 Discover with Watch Now you can discover new products through our video feed. With Gadget Flow Watch, browse through your favorite categories and create playlists. Our endless selection of videos will have you discovering gadgets for hours. See all of our features: Collections Create public or private collections My Feed Create your custom product feed AR/VR/3D Discover our products in VR, AR, and 3D Exlusive Deals New Discounts and deals, daily Watch Find new products through video Brand Pages Follow your favorite brands Notify Me Product reminders or sale reminders Multiple Currencies Browse using your local currency Tech News Stay updated with the latest tech news Our Mission: Help You Find the Best Gadgets We simplify product discovery. This means you can find all the greatest gadgets in record time. As a technology company, our mission since 2012 has been to make it easy for you to discover quality products and stay updated with the latest trends. What Is a Gadget? It’s the gear you can’t live without: the smartphone you constantly check, the camera that goes on every vacation, and the TV for binge-watching and gaming. All the coolest gadgets owe their existence to a new technology that changed it all. What Are the Types of Gadgets? Gadgets include everything from phones like iPhone and VR headsets like Oculus to gaming consoles like PlayStation 5 and robots like Roomba. What Gadgets Are Trending Today? What Are the Top New Tech Trends? Technology evolves every day, and some of the most popular tech trends include AI, robotic process automation, edge computing, quantum computing, virtual reality, blockchain, IoT, 5G, augmented reality, self-driving, big data, machine learning, and voice search.

Turning Point For The Crypto Community? Where Bitcoin Goes From Here – CNBC https://collincountynewsonline.com/turning-point-for-the-crypto-community-where-bitcoin-goes-from-here-cnbc/ It’s been a strenuous year for the crypto business. After hitting a high of more than $68,000 in November 2021, bitcoin has plunged to hover around $20,000. But for long-term ETF investors, some experts advise to take crypto’s comedown in stride. “If you’re going to do this right, then what’s been happening in the past nine months is totally irrelevant,” Ric Edelman, founder of Edelman Financial Services, told Bob Pisani on CNBC’s “ETF Edge” on Monday. “If you’re investing for the next five to 10 years, this is just an ordinary blip in the marketplace, and you ignore it,” he added. But with bitcoin coming off a nearly two-year low, the short-term temperaments are being met with a mix of positive and negative factors that are guiding where the crypto community goes from here. “It’s a really dynamic moment in the market,” Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management, told Pisani on Monday. A massive technical upgrade in ethereum is a constructive force for the future of the world’s second-largest blockchain, Hougan said. A wave of institutional investors coming into the market, and an influx of venture capital activity are also forward-looking indicators for crypto’s future. On the flipside, regulatory pressures from the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission are working against it. “That’s creating this volatile market where crypto is going up and down and can’t quite figure out which way to go,” Hougan said. “And I think we’re probably stuck there, at least through September.” Edelman explained that for institutional investors to engage with Wall Street firms, endowments and pension funds, regulatory and legislative rules need to be in place. “The adults in the room recognize that regulation is a good thing,” Edelman said. “Right now, we have 1% engaging in crypto. You’re not going to get the other 99% until they have clarity on what the rules of the road are. “We’re seeing new rules coming out from the Treasury, IRS, FINRA and from the Fed,” he said. “And from the SEC and CFTC. We’ve got over 50 bills in Congress right now. And all of this is very healthy.” SEC Chair Gary Gensler has said the agency should have a major enforcement role in crypto, particularly for tokens. In a speech this month, Gensler sounded a warning signal to organizations he believes are violating existing securities laws, asking staff to possibly “fine-tune compliance for crypto security tokens and intermediaries.” “I think there was a pretty direct threat against crypto trading venues – large-scale entities like Coinbase,” Hougan said. “They’re clearly on his horizon.” In July, shares of the crypto firm tumbled after it was announced that it was facing an SEC probe into whether the platform offered unregistered securities. “I’m happy to say it again and again: we are confident that our rigorous diligence process — a process the SEC has already reviewed — keeps securities off our platform,” said Coinbase’s chief legal officer Paul Grewal on Twitter. Proposals for more SEC oversight of the crypto community are likely to be met with hostility from the community itself, although the agency has already taken steps to enforce its regulatory agenda. In February, the SEC charged BlockFi Lending with failing to register the offer and sale of its retail crypto lending product. The firm agreed to settle the charges, paying a $50 million penalty and ceasing unregistered offers and sales of the lending product.  “A year from now, the large trading venues will be in the process of registering with the SEC,” Hougan said. “I think individual tokens, it’s a much longer term.” Although the speculative assets have a challenging path forward, Edelman said the number of people who own cryptocurrencies continues to be a steadily rising figure. “What’s interesting is that, despite the fact that [Coinbase is] down 70% from its high, the number of people who own it is unchanged,” he said. “Which means that those who wanted are not fazed by this.” Beyond the crypto community, rates of adoption from large investment firms demonstrate that digital currencies are being embraced by Wall Street, Hougan said. “Blackrock and Schwab coming in reinforces to everyday investor that bitcoin is not going away,” Hougan said. “I think that’s now been settled. It’s now how big is that future.”

‘A Crisis Coming’: The Twin Threats To American Democracy – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/a-crisis-coming-the-twin-threats-to-american-democracy-the-new-york-times/ Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

Will Today’s Tech Giants Reach A Century? It’s All About The Quality Of The Product – The Guardian https://collincountynewsonline.com/will-todays-tech-giants-reach-a-century-its-all-about-the-quality-of-the-product-the-guardian/ A question: what’s the average lifespan of an American company? Not any old company, mind, but one big enough to figure in Standard and Poor’s index of the 500 largest. The answer is surprising: the seven-year rolling average stands at 19.9 years. Way back in 1965 it was 32 years and the projections are that the downward trend will continue. Remember that we’re talking averages here. The trend doesn’t mean that no companies currently extant will get to their first century. Some almost certainly will, as some have in the past: AT&T, for example, is 137 years old; General Electric is 130; Ford is 119; IBM is 111; and General Motors is 106. But most companies wither or are gobbled up long before they qualify for a telegram from the president. With that thought in mind, let us examine the giant tech corporations that now straddle the globe and overawe our legislators. Apple is 46 years old; Amazon is 28; Microsoft is 47; Google is 24; Meta (née Facebook) just 18. Which of these, if any, is most likely to make it into three figures? The answer depends on two things: which ones are providing goods or services that the world really needs and which are most vulnerable to shifts in public opinion and political attitudes towards their activities and business models. Viewed through that lens, Microsoft and Amazon look like sure bets. In the western world at least, every big organisation – public or private – runs on Microsoft software and operating systems. (In the NHS alone, there are probably more than a million PCs and laptops running Windows.) For its part, Amazon has already established itself as part of the logistical infrastructure of western societies. And between them, Amazon and Microsoft cloud-computing services host an increasing number of critical services. Apple has grown to be the world’s most valuable company by making beautiful kit, flogging it at high margins, building a closed hardware-software ecosystem and leveraging that to build an increasingly profitable services business. It’s not a racing certainty to reach 100, but worth a punt. Which leaves us with Google and Facebook. Both have the same business model – to use close surveillance of their users to facilitate targeted advertising. Of the two, Google looks more secure, because at the core of its business is dominance of something that every internet user needs: a powerful search engine. In a sense, the company has built a prosthetic memory for the planet and although other search engines are available, none has come close to challenging it for dominance. The world would miss Google if it didn’t exist. Is the same true of Meta/Facebook, though? Its business model is basically the same as Google’s – facilitating targeted advertising using the kind of close surveillance that the search engine giant initially pioneered. As well as Facebook, Meta owns Instagram and WhatsApp, with a contingent rats’ nest of challenges, caused by toxic user-generated content, which it seems unable to manage effectively. In what is being spun as a bold strategic gambit (but looks awfully like an attempt to exit from the resulting stink), the company’s boss has bet the corporate ranch on building a “metaverse”. If he thought that with that one bound he would be free, however, he was mistaken. Instagram was originally a playground for the legions of young people fleeing Facebook and for a time worked nicely in that role. But then came TikTok, a Chinese-owned platform for people to upload short, funky videos, which has proved irresistible to those aforesaid youngsters and is driving Meta executives wild. Their first response was to create a copycat product called Reels to enable Instagram users to create TikTok-type videos. Strangely, it hasn’t worked. Or, rather, it has worked – but perversely. It turns out that a significant proportion of Instagram Reels actually originated as TikTok videos! If imitation is, as the adage goes, the sincerest form of flattery, TikTok executives are doubtless delighted. But, as an internal company report that was leaked to the Wall Street Journal reveals, Meta bosses are anything but. It turns out that Instagram users are spending 17.6m hours a day watching Reels, which is less than a tenth of the 197.8m hours TikTok users spend each day on that platform. It’s strange to see a huge company flailing ineffectually like an elephant being tormented by a wasp, but that’s what’s happening at Meta. In addition, the metaverse project is burning money like it was going out of fashion, which possibly explains why the company is hiring 30% fewer engineers than it had originally intended this year. A survey by the Hustle newsletter found that the number of open job listings under augmented reality (AR) shows that Apple now has more vacancies than Meta in that critical field. Looming over all this, though, is the realisation that if liberal democracies are to survive, they will eventually realise that surveillance capitalism is such a danger to democracy that it will have to be outlawed. If that happens, then the chances of Meta (and possibly also Google) being around in 2122 are, well, vanishingly small. Sic transit gloria and all that. What I’ve been reading Antisocial media What the Truth Social Flop Says About Trump is a lovely Politico column by Jack Shafer on Trump’s attempt to create his own Twitter. The words have eyes What Does GPT-3 “Know” About Me? is an interesting article by Melissa Heikkilä on what she discovered when she started asking an AI questions about herself. Lost connections The Chaos Machine is a useful review by Tamsin Shaw of Max Fisher’s new book on how social media has rewired our minds.

Best Gaming Subscription Services For PC – TheWindowsClub https://collincountynewsonline.com/best-gaming-subscription-services-for-pc-thewindowsclub/ PC gaming is not known for subscription services because most gamers have been spoiled by Steam for decades. All the key features on Steam are free to use, but that doesn’t mean competing platforms aren’t able to woo gamers with features via subscriptions. Currently, there are several gaming subscription services for PC that are, in our eyes, quite good. All you have to do is pay a monthly or yearly cost, and you can go ahead and enjoy all they have to offer. Best PC Gaming subscription services The list below consists of the best gaming subscription services for PC gamers: Xbox Game Pass for PC Humble Choice EA Play Prime Gaming Ubisoft+ Utomik Google Stadia Pro 1] Xbox Game Pass for PC By now, we suspect most folks have heard about Xbox Game Pass. It was first brought to the forefront via the Xbox One video game console, then after that, Microsoft decided to bring the service to PC. With this service, gamers have the ability to play all Microsoft-published titles on the day of release at no extra charge. You will also gain access to titles from other publishers, but these will not be available forever. It also comes packed with EA Play support, so all the titles available on that service can be played without issues. Xbox Game Pass begins at $9.99 for the basic option. If you want EA Play, Ubisoft+, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, then prepare to shell out $14.99 per month for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. From our point of view, the fee is worth it, so if you’re in good financial standing, then subscribe. 2] Humble Choice Not many PC gamers have heard about Humble Choice, a really good gaming subscription service from our point of view. You see, other services will remove games at some point, and you won’t be able to play them again unless the title is purchased outright. This is not the case with Humble Choice at all. Once you are subscribed to the service, you can proceed to download the games you wish to play. The great thing here is that any game downloaded to your system is yours forever. Now, the catch is, that you cannot choose individual games. Humble Choice provides eight games every month from both mainstream and indie developers. The cost for this service is a cool $11.99 per month, so interested parties can run along right now to take advantage of everything it has to offer. 3] EA Play One of the biggest video game publishers is no other than Electronic Arts or EA for short. This company has published several major titles over a lifetime spanning decades, so when an EA-based subscription service is released in the form of EA Play, one has to take notice. The cost of the service begins at $4.99 every month and can go up to as much as $14.99 for EA Play Pro. Now, bear in mind that with EA Play, you will only have access to games published by EA. 4] Prime Gaming Amazon is getting its hands involved in everything these days, so the arrival of Prime Gaming should surprise no one. If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, then understand that Prime Gaming has already been included as part of the overall package. So, what does Prime Gaming offer? Well, players can get loot each month from selected developers. Not only that, but Amazon brings to the table a rotating list of free games every month as well. Furthermore, gamers will have access to Amazon’s cloud gaming service, Luna. 5] Ubisoft+ If you’re a huge fan of Ubisoft games, then this is the subscription service for you. You’ll gain access to all available titles from this popular publisher. Games such as Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, The Division, and more, are ready to be downloaded and to be played. The price for Ubisoft+ begins at $14.99 per month. However, if you want support for Luna and Stadia, then prepare to spend a whopping $17.99 each month. 6] Utomik If we look back into history, then it would become apparent that Utomik is one of the first gaming-related subscription services to come on the scene. It first came to market back in 2014, and since then, the company has garnered a decent following. Yes, we are aware that Utomik is not as large as Xbox Game Pass in terms of subscribers, but at the time of writing, it has over 1,385 games with more added each week. When it comes down to cost, potential users must prepare to spend €6.99 every month for the Personal Plan, and €9.99 for the Family Plan. Both offer a 14-day free trial, so take advantage of that before taking the plunge. 7] Google Stadia Pro Finally, we want to take a look at what Google has to offer in the sphere of gaming. You see, the search giant is not new to gaming due to the popularity of the Google Play Store on Android. With that in mind, the company launched Google Stadia, though things did not go according to plan at first. These days, Stadia is doing OK for itself, and we expect it to compete directly with Microsoft and Sony in the years to come. Now, outside of regular Stadia, there is a subscription service known as Stadia Pro where gamers can play a list of titles from the crowd throughout the duration of the subscription. This can be done via a computer, smartphone, tablet, or over Chromecast Ultra device. The cost is an affordable $9.99 each month, so not as expensive when compared to some on this list. Read: Xbox Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus: Which is better? Does Steam have a subscription service? At the moment, Steam does not have a subscription service that is similar to that of Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, Utomik, and the rest. This might change in the future, but for now, if you are a fan of Steam, you will have to do without or take advantage of what the competition has to offer. Which is the best game subscription service? If you are curious about which game subscription service is the best on PC, then have a look at the list below. Xbox PC Game Pass. EA Play. Ubisoft+ Humble Choice. Prime Gaming. Stadia Pro. Utomik. What is the biggest streaming platform for gaming? At the moment, there are several streaming platforms for PC gaming, but only Twitch reigns supreme. Yes, it is possible to use YouTube as an alternative, but it pales in comparison to what Twitch can bring to the table in terms of viewers and features.

When And How To Watch Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral From Dallas – CultureMap Dallas https://collincountynewsonline.com/when-and-how-to-watch-queen-elizabeth-iis-state-funeral-from-dallas-culturemap-dallas/ This roundup of Dallas dining news has a surprising number of openings, either in the works or already here. There’s also a slew of new menu items coming online, some of which are pumpkin in theme. There are some exciting new chefs in town. Here’s what’s happening in Dallas restaurant news: Brass Ram is the new restaurant from chef Nick Badovinus, set to open the first week in October in the newly renovated East Quarter in downtown Dallas. A help wanted ad calls it “the brother to Town Hearth,” Badovinus’ steak-centric restaurant in Dallas’ Design District, with variations of prime rib, big prime cuts, wagyu offerings, lobster, and prime seafood to pair an award-winning wine list. Brass Ram, which could not have a more masculine name if you tried, will be located on the second floor of the Magnolia Flat Iron building, right on top of Badovinus’ National Anthem restaurant. The Water Ice Box is a new Italian ice spot in Mesquite located at 911 E Davis #B, where they’re serving incredibly velvety Italian ice in flavors such as peach, watermelon, and strawberry shortcake. Matt’s Rancho Martinez is closing its restaurant in Garland and opening a restaurant in Allen. This is not their first crack at Allen; they opened a location there in 2011 but closed it in 2014 due to lease issues. A spokesperson says, “We are sad to leave Garland, we have had many good years and met some pretty amazing guests and team members along the way. We unfortunately do not own the Garland building and we have been blessed with the opportunity to purchase our very own stand-alone building in Allen, a 12-minute drive from the current location. The majority of our employees are coming along with us.” Taco Bell has reopened its location at 15208 Montfort Dr. utilizing the chain’s “Endeavor” design, which brings to life the social experience of food in a distinctively Taco Bell way. The restaurant has free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and comfortable seating, and a drive-thru featuring an easy-to-navigate menu board with an electronic ordering system so that orders are made quickly and accurately. Coolgreens, the healthy chain, will open its first Irving location at 5910 N. MacArthur Blvd. #139, one mile away from the Irving Convention Center. Construction has just begun; they’ll open in early 2023. Carte Blanche, the acclaimed restaurant on Greenville Avenue, has launched a new espresso program in response to customer demand. It’ll enhance their award-winning morning bakery program by providing beverages if customers want to sit down and eat their croissants, fig pastries, doughnuts, and other treats onsite. Jose, the Mexican restaurant in the Park Cities, has a new mushroom huarache topped with Lion’s Mane that chef AQ says will have you thinking you’re eating shredded chicken. Restaurant Beatrice in Oak Cliff has added a covered patio with fans and an outdoor kitchen with seafood boils. The restaurant now offers two different ways to enjoy Cajun food culture: fine dining and casual patio service. Akira Back Dallas, the modern Japanese restaurant in The Colony from jetsetter chef Akira Back, has added weekend brunch on Sundays from 11 am-3 pm, with DJs and an exclusive brunch menu, what is on that menu, they do not say. Kona Grill, the upscale grill at NorthPark, has a brunch menu with ricotta cheese fritters, macadamia French toast, spicy lobster avocado toast, plus a Bloody Mary and mimosa station. Elm Street Cask & Kitchen has added new brunch items available Saturday-Sunday from 7 am-2 pm including Mac & Cheese Pancake, with a corn cake, sausage, mac & cheese, and a cheddar-parmesan crust; Cowboy Omelet with beef, onion, tomato, bacon, and cheddar cheese; and Texas Taters with onion jam, cheese sauce, bacon, scallions, and pickled jalapenos. Maple Leaf Diner, the Canadian-style diner in North Dallas, has a new Frito Pie Poutine with fries, cheese curds, chili, fritos, cheddar, sour cream and green onions, available through September. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has a new menu for fall featuring buffalo chicken pizza with chicken, gorgonzola, and celery; wedge salad with Romaine, cucumber, red onion, tomato, bacon, and gorgonzola; banana cheesecake with an Oreo crust; and pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon sugar cookie crust. Haute Sweets Patisserie has brought back their Pumpkin Spiced Cakes for the season. Each cake is topped with cream cheese icing and candied pecans. Empire Baking Co. has a new seasonal spiced sandwich cookie, featuring two soft gingerbready cookies held together with a cream filling. Online ordering is also open on their website for the High Holy Days with round challah bread in plain or raisin, honey cake, Nutella babka, Apple cinnamon walnut bread, and rugulah in raspberry or chocolate. Grand Lux Cafe has a seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake in a graham cracker crust, available through Thanksgiving by the slice or as a whole cake. Schlotzsky’s has a new “Bare Naked Pizza,” consisting of a one-of-a-kind sourdough pizza crust, served without toppings, cheese, or sauce, available for a limited time. It’s part of a new lunch and dinner pizza menu with three flavors: Four Cheese White Pizza with garlic butter, Meaty, and Supreme, baked in-house on that same sourdough crust. Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar has a tribute to tacos & tequila running through September 30, featuring Street Corn Dip with chips, Chicken Tinga Tostada, birria-style brisket tacos, Baja style fish tacos, and veggie tacos with Mexican lager battered avocado. Margaritas include peach, pineapple, and the Tres A’s with Anejo, Amaretto, Amaro Montenegro, and chocolate bitters. Freebirds World Burrito is marking “National Chicken Month” with a new Texas-inspired Fajita White Chicken recipe available for any entrée, burrito, bowl, or salad. An even better way to mark National Chicken Month would be to join Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown, an organization dedicated to ending a cruel procedure used by factory farms to “culling” chickens and other animals sickened by avian flu. Chick-fil-A has two new items for fall: Autumn Spice Milkshake with cinnamon and crunchy bits of brown sugar cookies, their first new milkshake flavor available nationwide in four years; and Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich, on a toasted multigrain bun with Colby-Jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato, first introduced as a seasonal item in 2021. They’re available through November 12. Cicis has added new Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls to its buffets nationwide. The dessert is their regular cinnamon rolls but topped with Cicis’ first-ever flavored icing with notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. It’ll be available for pick-up and delivery until October 30. Pizza Inn has launched a cheese-filled pretzel crust at its buffets. A melted cheese sauce oozes out of a soft pretzel crust that is topped with flaked salt. McDonald’s has a new Cheese Danish, a flaky pastry with a sweet cream cheese filling, topped with buttery streusel and vanilla drizzle, available all day, joining an all-star roster of McCafé Bakery items including the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll. The McCafé Bakery lineup was introduced in November 2020. Chipotle Mexican Grill introduced a new Garlic Guajillo Steak seasoned with garlic and guajillo peppers. They say it’s available for a limited time, but how long that time is, they do not say. Dunkin’ has a new Blood Orange Refresher with blood orange and cranberry, served over ice with green tea or coconut milk. Haagen Dazs has brought back its Pumpkin Spice Shake, made with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, pumpkin spices, and pumpkin puree. It’s available through November 14. Sheraton Dallas has a new executive chef: Pierre Daval, who will oversee all aspects of the hotel’s food operations, including banquets plus four outlets: Open Palette, Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, Open Mkt. Grab ‘n Go, and The Parlor. Daval has worked at Marriott Tan-Tar-A Resort in Missouri, the Chicago Marriott O’Hare, the Chicago Marriott Downtown, and the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort in Illinois where he managed an apiary and a two-acre farm. Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas has appointed Chris Dikovics as the new Chef de Cuisine. He’s previously worked with notable chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Thomas Keller, and Major Food Group’s Carbone.

10 Crested Butte Vrbo Rentals In The Mountains – TravelAwaits https://collincountynewsonline.com/10-crested-butte-vrbo-rentals-in-the-mountains-travelawaits/ Colorado is dotted with lovely towns from which to take in the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. Though each season brings with it different sources of wonder and memorable activities, the high country is an excellent destination year-round. And when it comes to beauty and fun, few places match the quiet town of Crested Butte. Skiers love the Butte for its excellent snow and dearth of crowds (because it’s much further from the state’s population centers, much fewer people make it up). However you feel about skiing, you’ll enjoy the small resort town charm, luxurious spas, decadent restaurants, and wealth of things to do. Summer visitors will appreciate the miles upon miles of hiking and cycling trails (which are often the site of wondrous wildflower explosions), fishing, and a regular stream of festivals and events. In autumn, the mountains are seemingly set ablaze as yellow Aspen leaves glimmer in the sun (an underappreciated example of fall foliage seen only in the West). And that leads back to winter and spring where the glorious snow speaks for itself. To discover why knowledgeable skiers and those seeking quieter mountain scenery choose Crested Butte, book your trip today. What follows is a list of 10 Vrbo rentals in Crested Butte to help you find your way to a perfect holiday. Grand Secluded Home Just Outside Town Rent Now$1,577/avg nightly An extraordinary home in an equally remarkable location, this large home — known by some as “The Ashram” — is a recipe for delight. Though a walk to town will take up merely 5 minutes of your time, the home feels like a world to itself. The 35-acre property includes a small-level clearing surrounded by steep mountain slopes. About 10 minutes from the ski area, the home also offers easy access to hundreds of miles of hiking trails. On top of that, summer visitors will enjoy angling for rainbow trout in the backyard pond. Even without speaking of the home’s interiors (they’re gorgeous), it should already be clear that this home is your ticket to an unforgettable mountain vacation. Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 8 Sleeps: 18 Mountaintop Mansion On 52 Acres Rent Now$1,141/avg nightly Privacy, beauty, and luxury are the stuff that dream vacations are made of. All are to be found in generous portions at this magnificent home near Crested Butte. Walk around the property and you will find that the views range from grand to jaw-dropping. Given the exquisite furnishings, this is almost as true inside the home as it is without. The home’s decor is distinctly antique but by no means unfashionable. Beyond the usual mountain home accouterments, the house has a fabulous home theater, an arcade room, a telescope, and a notable collection of artwork. The town of Crested Butte is about 10 minutes down the road, the ski area a little further distant. Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Sleeps: 14 Glamorous Living At Goldlink Rent Now$449/avg nightly There is sufficient reason to propose this luxurious Crested Butte rental be used as a demonstration of how a mountain home ought to be. It has the right look (with unvarnished timber frames, wooden fixtures, big leather sofas), the right amenities (sauna, tubs in each full bathroom, a wood-burning fireplace), and, best of all, it’s in the right location (there are mountain views, you can ski to the front door, and the Goldlink lift is 200 yards away). The two king bedrooms are very well separated from the two queen rooms, so there is plenty of privacy. On top of all that, the home has two living rooms and even an office for those who need to get some work done in the fresh mountain air. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Sleeps: 8 Log Cabin At Lee’s Summit Rent Now$578/avg nightly Be it winter or summer, this fine log cabin is ready to accommodate groups yearning for a spell in the mountains. Winter visitors will appreciate the convenience of walking to the lifts (the distance is short and takes between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on your speed), as well as the hot tub, and steam room. Summertime travelers will love the outdoor spaces and proximity to both the town and trails. Everyone will revel in the rustic design and elegant furnishings which make this home the very picture of romantic mountain living.  Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Sleeps: 10 Alpine Edge Retreat Rent Now$606/avg nightly Whether you’re out for winter fun or summer sun, this home above the trails is an excellent way to get the most out of Crested Butte’s natural treasures. It is a 10-minute drive from the ski area, sitting just above Meridian Lake, a curious relic of the glacial age and a great place to hike. The trailhead for the scenic route up Snodgrass Mountain likewise begins at your doorstep. Inside, the home is spacious and the area quiet (though probably less so if you plan to fill the bunk room with four young ones). The house has two queen bedrooms with deck access and a lovely master suite with a Jacuzzi bath and king-sized bed.  Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Sleeps: 10 Big Beautiful Home In The Butte Rent Now$617/avg nightly Whether seen from the chairlift, the bike trail, or the vaulted great room of this wonderful home, the mountains around Crested Butte are a moving sight. Of course, the possibilities extend far beyond simply seeing the mountains when you stay at this home. Tackle them in the way that suits you then return home to the comforts afforded by a hot tub, two beautiful living areas, and a home-cooked meal enjoyed in the spacious kitchen. The bedrooms (there are five of them) are spacious as well, something everyone in a large family will appreciate.  Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Sleeps: 16 Ski-In/Ski-Out In Prospect Rent Now$1,190/avg nightly Another grand ski-in/ski-out property served by the Gold Link lift, this 5,000-square-foot home is an outdoorsman’s dream. Though the master suite is certainly the most extravagant bedroom, the three queen rooms are not without charm, filled with decor reminiscent of a grand old hotel and amenities such as steam showers. With so many games and places to play both indoors and out, children will surely not mind staying in the humbler bunk or double twin rooms (the latter of which can be converted into a king). Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Sleeps: 16 Plush And Pet-Friendly Home On The Hill Rent Now$700/avg nightly Everyone joining you on your Crested Butte trip will doubtless thank you for the invite, but few people will ever be as grateful as your dogs should you stay at this large home near the base. It’s a 2-minute drive from the base of the ski area, but your dog will surely appreciate walking down when you visit one of the town’s many dog-friendly restaurants. Given its size, the house is great for large groups. Up to 14 people can spread out across five bedrooms. Also notable is the large deck which comes with a grill as well as stunning mountain views. Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Sleeps: 14 The Outside Inn Rent Now$1,517/avg nightly Downtown Crested Butte is full of spas, restaurants, shops, and venues, so it’s no surprise that many people prefer to stay in the heart of town rather than at the base of the ski lift or surrounding mountains. This family home just off Elk Street is the best way to explore the town. Every establishment on Crested Butte’s main drag is just a short walk away and the bus to the ski area stops right across the street. Smartly furnished and built for skiers, the home can comfortably host 14 guests across seven bedrooms. Bedrooms: 7 Bathrooms: 4 Sleeps: 16 Grandpa’s Cabin Rent Now$360/avg nightly The rustic nature of this cabin above Meridian Lake is one reason it earned its name. But grandpa settled here for good reason. This out-of-the-way corner of Crested Butte was an excellent place to make a home and remains a great spot to take your trip. Single-track bike trails, hiking routes, and epic four-wheel-drive roads abound in the immediate vicinity. Adventure awaits down both paths of every fork in every trail. Not the home for those looking for a modern experience, it is nonetheless charming. There are three queen bedrooms and a loft with six beds. Be sure to invite the whole family. Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Sleeps: 13 To discover even more things to do in and around Crested Butte, check out: Crested Butte, Colorado: 8 Things To Do Besides Skiing 9 Fantastic Experiences In Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

AP Business SummaryBrief At 9:05 A.m. EDT – Federal News Network https://collincountynewsonline.com/ap-business-summarybrief-at-905-a-m-edt-federal-news-network/ Royal fans give London tourism a bump amid UK economic woes LONDON (AP) — Hotels, restaurants and shops are packed as royal fans pour into the heart of London to experience the flag-lined roads, pomp-filled processions and brave a mileslong line for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bid adieu to Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors crowding into central London from as far away as the U.S. and India for the historic moment are giving a boost to… READ MORE Royal fans give London tourism a bump amid UK economic woes LONDON (AP) — Hotels, restaurants and shops are packed as royal fans pour into the heart of London to experience the flag-lined roads, pomp-filled processions and brave a mileslong line for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bid adieu to Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors crowding into central London from as far away as the U.S. and India for the historic moment are giving a boost to businesses at a time when the British economy is facing a cost-of-living crisis fueled by the highest inflation in four decades and predictions of a looming recession. The overall economic boost might be limited because Monday has been declared a public holiday for the queen’s funeral. But experts said renewed interest in the royal family could sustain tourism demand. Queen’s death triggers media bonanza in works for decades NEW YORK (AP) — Plans by news organizations that have been in place for years — even decades — to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II were triggered and tested when the event took place. London has been inundated with journalists, with more headed to the city for the funeral services on Monday. A giant audience is expected for the culmination of all the ceremonies, which one expert called “catnip” for television networks. For many journalists, plans have gone smoothly. There were some issues on Thursday with restrictions placed by the palace on use of video from inside Westminster Hall, where the queen’s body was lying in state. Treasury recommends exploring creation of a digital dollar WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is moving one step closer to developing a central bank digital currency, known as the digital dollar. Administration officials say it’d help reinforce the U.S. role as a leader in the world financial system. The White House said Friday that after President Joe Biden issued an executive order in March calling on agencies to look at ways to regulate digital assets, the agencies came up with nine reports. One Treasury recommendation is the U.S. “advance policy and technical work on a potential central bank digital currency.” The Atlantic Council nonpartisan think tank says many other countries already are exploring or have created a central bank digital currency. Serious breach at Uber spotlights hacker social deception The ride-hailing service Uber says all its services are operational following what security professionals are calling a major data breach. It says there is no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data. But the breach, apparently by a lone hacker, put the spotlight on an increasingly effective and polished break-in routine: The hacker appears to have gained access by tricking an Uber employee into surrendering their credentials. Screenshots the hacker shared with security researchers indicate they obtained full access to the cloud-based systems where Uber stores sensitive customer and financial data. It is not known how much data the hacker took. DOJ to use ‘carrot and stick’ approach on corporate crime WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Justice Department official has announced new incentives for companies that cooperate with corporate criminal investigations and a $250 million Congressional budget request to expand its work. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Thursday there has been a decline in the number of corporate criminal prosecutions over the last decade. To help address that, she is directing every division that prosecutes corporate crime to develop programs that incentivize companies to report misconduct.  In some cases, no one will have to plead guilty to criminal charges if the violation was self-reported and the company fixed it. Companies will also be required to come forward more quickly with evidence of suspected misdeeds to get leniency. China’s consumer, factory activity improve but still weak BEIJING (AP) — Chinese official data show consumer spending and factory output improved in August but were still weak. Forecasters warned the world’s second-largest economy is vulnerable to disruption from repeated shutdowns of cities to fight virus outbreaks. Housing sales plummeted while prices edged lower. That adds to a slide in real estate activity under pressure from a government campaign to control debt that set off an economic slump in mid-2021. Chinese leaders are trying to prop up economic growth that sank to 2.5% over a year earlier in the first six months of 2022, less than half the official 5.5% target. Q&A: Craig Newmark aims to defend democracy via philanthropy NEW YORK (AP) — Craig Newmark twists a “Batman” quote to jokingly refer to himself as “not the nerd you want, but maybe, now and then, I’m the nerd you need.” Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, has since retired from the pioneering website that made him a billionaire, according to Forbes, but the 69-year-old says he is now busier than ever with his philanthropy. Newmark sees the bulk of his philanthropic work as a way to help protect democracy – a cause that has already claimed more than $250 million of his donations, including the Newmark Civic Life Series of Recanati-Kaplan Talks, which runs through Oct. 11 in New York City. Poland opens new sea waterway to cut dependence from Russia WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s top leaders celebrated the opening of a new canal that they say will mean ships no longer must secure Russia’s permission to sail from the Baltic Sea to Vistula Lagoon ports. The event on Saturday was timed to mark 83 years since the Soviet invasion of Poland during World War II and symbolically cut the long regional dependence. The canal cost almost 2 billion zlotys ($420 million). It was designed to allow ships to sail from the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Gdansk to Polish ports in the lagoon, without obtaining authorization to travel through Russia’s Strait of Pilawa. However, cargo ships can’t use the passage until the approach to the port of Elblag is deepened. Oktoberfest is back but inflation hits brewers, cost of beer MUNICH (AP) — Oktoberfest is on tap again in Germany after two years of pandemic cancellations. The beer will be just as cold and the roast pork knuckle just as crispy. Mayor Dieter Reiter says the return of the city’s hallmark tourist event on Saturday is “beautiful.” But brewers and visitors are under pressure from inflation in ways they could hardly imagine in 2019. Energy, barley, hops, even paper and glue for labels, cardboard for cases and steel barrels have all gone up in price as record inflation has taken hold across Europe. The price of one of the hefty mugs that revelers will hoist has gone up by 15%, with the brewing industry under pressure from rising costs. Wall Street falls as FedEx warning adds to market woes Stocks fell broadly on Wall Street, leaving the market with another week of sizable losses, as a stark warning from FedEx about rapidly worsening trends in the economy gave investors more to worry about. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% Friday. The Nasdaq lost almost 1% and the Dow lost almost half a percent. FedEx had its biggest loss on record after saying a sharp dropoff in its business had worsened in recent weeks. Markets were already on edge because of stubbornly high inflation as well as the higher interest rates being used to fight it, which will slow the economy. Copyright © 2022 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

‘It Is Not Something You Can Control’ : People With Obesity Face Both Stigma And Health Fears – Irish Examiner https://collincountynewsonline.com/it-is-not-something-you-can-control-people-with-obesity-face-both-stigma-and-health-fears-irish-examiner/ Just 170 patients underwent weight-loss surgery in the public system in Ireland in 2021, with people who are living with obesity waiting up to 10 years for operations. Others find their mental health impacted — and a small number die. Catherine O’Sullivan, 57, from Gorey in Co Wexford, delivered the mail for 20 years and enjoyed being on the move, chatting to people all day.  However, arising out of poor health, she had to retire from the job she loves and is awaiting bariatric surgery. ‘Just in the system’ She needs a hysterectomy and a knee replacement, neither of which she can have unless she goes under a certain weight.  She has tried all of the slimming clubs and had been on diets “practically every week”. Ms O’Sullivan first started gaining weight during her teenage years. She did a lot of walking in her job as a postal operative, but her weight was always a problem. Since her loss of mobility, she has found her weight gain to be unmanageable. “Once my mobility became bad, then the excess weight gain continued,” she said. “I was already heavy as it was, but now I am living with obesity and my quality of life is really bad. I am not even on the list for surgery. I am just in the system.” People who undergo the surgery have to reach strict criteria, and it is not an operation that is undergone without considerable assessment. Dangers of obesity According to the World Health Organization European Regional Obesity Report published earlier this year, Ireland ranks ninth of 53 European countries for obesity in adults, and 11th for overweight and obesity. Being overweight or living with obesity is the fourth-most common risk factor for non-infectious disease, after high blood pressure, diet, and tobacco, and it is the leading risk factor for disability.  Sleep apnoea and endometrial cancer also have quite a high prevalence among people living with obesity. Ms O’Sullivan said that it is understandable that priority is given to people who also have other conditions such as diabetes and depression.  She is grateful not to suffer from either, but fears the development of complications if she has to wait too long for surgery. For now, she feels she has to “grin and bear it”. “And just knowing that there is help there at the end of the road,” she said. “Hopefully it will go my way.” Ms O’Sullivan attends weekly Zoom classes with the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ICPO) which is a group that aims to support, educate, and raise awareness that obesity is a complex chronic disease. She said finding ICPO was the best thing to ever happen to her in relation to coping with her feelings about her body. “To know that there are so many out there living the same way as we are,” she said. “It just makes a difference.” Bariatric operations abroad Meanwhile, the lead of ICPO, Susie Birney, 47, from Dublin, said the long waiting list for bariatric operations has driven many patients to private overseas clinics. Susie Birney. Photograph: Abbie Trayler-Smith. She said surgery overseas works well for patients who have good communication with their GP back home who can provide aftercare. However, many times the knowledge about surgery aftercare is not present among doctors. “GPs will sometimes say: ‘I am not equipped.’  But if you have been waiting 10 years on a waiting list and your quality of life is poor, well then would you blame somebody for looking at those options abroad?” Ms Birney never had any problem with weight gain in her childhood, and was very sporty. However, she lived with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder from an early age and once she reached puberty, her weight started to rise. “I couldn’t eat vegetables,” she said. “I couldn’t eat fruit. So it was always a battle from the start.  “I got to my teens. I fully believed that my food disorder was the only reason that my health started getting worse. “At 19-20, everything was changing around that time so it was very hard to pinpoint. I had a serious knee injury and I also had mild depression coming into the winter. It would have been a case of putting on two or three stone, losing a stone. That continued that way right up to my 30s where I gained more than I lost each time. “The stigma was always awful. Which wasn’t intentional but was awful. Criticism like ‘what are you doing about your weight? ‘ I was swimming four or five days a week but I reached 25 stone.” In one year, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and sciatica. Her feelings of depression increased and her quality of life deteriorated completely. At the age of 35, she started attending the Weight Management Service in Loughlinstown in Dublin and she had also been referred to Beaumont Hospital for her diabetes.  Ms Birney also attended a separate clinic for her polycystic ovarian syndrome. Susie Birney. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith. “So completely different directions,” she said. “Back then, I would have thought there was no link between them. “I had my appointments at the Weight Management Service and didn’t really understand what it was about. At the time I just felt complete shame about being there.  “How did I land here? How did I need this? I was fully fixated on fixing the food disorder.” Support groups Ms Birney joined a patient support group, which was a “defining moment” in her life as she was with people who were experiencing similar issues to her. “And we started coming up with ideas like family walks, healthy lunches, and so we were doing what most people don’t expect people living with obesity to do,” she said. We were trying to help ourselves. Most people think we don’t.” At one point, Ms Birney was about 110th on the list for bariatric surgery with just 30 operations having been completed in Ireland the previous year. She was about three or four years away from surgery when she began to suffer major secondary complications. “With diabetes, I had been diagnosed with retinopathy, which is in the eyes,” she said.  “You go through different stages with that, and you could actually end up blind.” Susie decided to find out what she was entitled to on her private health scheme. Her private health insurers said they would pay for half of her bariatric surgery if she opted to go private. “I had had two hernia operations at this stage as well,” she said.  My stomach wall was weak. My quality of life was poor. I wasn’t working full time. I couldn’t afford the surgery. “I wrote letters. I got the surgeon in Loughlinstown. I got the physiotherapist. I got my GP all to write to my health insurer to say my health was spiralling despite being on medication. I needed treatment.” Her surgery was approved, and Susie had her bariatric operation in 2015.  Surgery ‘pays for itself’ Susie says the day she had the surgery she went off all of her diabetes medications. She insists that the surgery pays for itself and she cannot understand why it is so under-resourced.  She said: “Being off all long-term illness medications for the last seven years — how much would that be? That would pay for the surgery in just a couple of years. It doesn’t make sense that the Government isn’t ploughing more services into treating obesity because of what it saves.” Susie warns that it is common for people to regain some weight after they have bariatric surgery, and they still face lifelong issues with weight. “I still have a team that is so important for anybody’s treatment,” she said. “I think everybody needs a team approach if you are dealing with obesity. “The team has helped me. I am on another treatment, so I am back down some of the weight I regained. It is this realisation that this is something that is for life. “Not all treatments work for life. And when one isn’t working, you have to find out what is the next best treatment that you can use.” Understanding obesity She says that people think that the reason for obesity is simply overeating. “But overeating in most cases comes from some other reason,” she said.  And that can be from the medication you are on. That can just be your genetics. Your hormones.” She feels that people living with obesity often feel immense shame when they cannot overcome immense cravings. “Science now shows that someone who lives with the genetics of obesity, as soon as you try to restrict yourself, you have intense cravings you can’t control,” she said. “People think that weight is under voluntary control. It is not. “It is not something you can control. Your body will fight against you for many different reasons. “I think slimming groups work fantastically for those whose weight doesn’t impact their health directly. But if you are somebody living with the chronic disease of obesity and are living with probably gaining or losing three, four, or five stone at a time, slimming groups can help, but they aren’t the only option. You need treatment.” Susie stresses that the majority of people they speak to in support groups do not want to live this sort of life. “They have tried and tested so many diets over the years and for a lot of them that lifestyle isn’t sustainable,” she said.  “Many will say that they have a healthier lifestyle than their partners do, but their partners don’t live with obesity. They get so tired of being stigmatised.” She says that obesity is a chronic disease for those who have it. “If society was to be a bit more understanding and not just look at it as a visual,” she said.  “When you visually look at someone with this disease, you assume their lifestyle choices. “But if somebody has Type 2 diabetes and that is uncontrolled because they weren’t taking their medication, you wouldn’t judge them. Jus...

Wolves Vs. Man City Result, Highlights & Analysis As Grealish And Haaland Strike To Send Champions Top – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/wolves-vs-man-city-result-highlights-analysis-as-grealish-and-haaland-strike-to-send-champions-top-sporting-news/ Erling Haaland rewrote another chapter of the Premier League record books with his latest goal as Manchester City opened up a 3-0 lead at Wolves. Jack Grealish was retained in the starting line-up at Molineux despite a listless showing in City’s midweek UEFA Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund. The England playmaker almost instantly repaid Pep Guardiola’s faith by converting Kevin De Bruyne’s cross after 55 seconds. Haaland then became the first player in Premier League history to score in each of his first four away games, punishing a backpedalling Max Kilman by clipping into the bottom corner with a right-footed shot from outside the box. An X-rated lunge into Grealish’s stomach from Nathan Collins saw the Republic of Ireland defender deservedly sent off, although Wolves went about their task with gusto after halftime despite the numerical disadvantage. As such, it came against the run of play when De Bruyne matched Steven Gerrard’s Premier League tally of 92 assists, crossing for Foden to finish. Wolves vs. Man City final score   1H 2H Final WOL 0 0 — MCI 2 1 — Goals: MCI — Jack Grealish (Kevin De Bruyne) — 1st min MCI — Erling Haaland (Bernardo Silva) — 16th min MCI — Phil Foden (Kevin De Bruyne) — 69th min — Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) September 17, 2022 Those two combined similarly to set up Grealish on City’s first attack, with Foden drawing Rayan Ait-Nouri towards him and finding an overlapping De Bruyne. Grealish then made the sort of penetrative run he has made too infrequently in his City career and was rewarded with a tap-in. Wolves responded well, as Daniel Podence forced Ederson to beat a shot behind at his near post, but Collins was drawn out of position, leaving Kilman ill-equipped to shut down a rampaging Haaland, whose scuffed attempt got past Jose Sa. It turned out that was nowhere near Collins’ biggest misjudgement of the half. In the 33rd minute, he approached a bouncing ball that Joao Cancelo sent towards Grealish down the left and caught the England playmaker with a high, dangerous challenge. Referee Antony Taylor was left with no choice, although Wolves then opted not to collapse. They had the better of the opening exchanges in the second half, with recent arrival Matheus Nunes probing intelligently from midfield and Podence, Pedro Neto and Goncalo Guedes all asking questions of the City back four. If Guedes had made clean contact with Ait-Nouri’s dangerous cross before the hour, things might have become really interesting. Instead, City ended the argument when De Bruyne went outside Haaland for a return pass and Foden found a deft finish. MORE: The Cruyff wondergoal that Haaland recreated to spark Guardiola’s Ibrahimovic comparison Wolves vs. Man City live updates, highlights from the Premier League Fulltime: Haaland has one more raid down the Wolves right. His pass doesn’t find Alvarez but it doesn’t matter. He got another goal, De Bruyne got two more assists and City got three more points to go top of the league. There was also a confidence, boosting opener for Jack Grealish, who later found himself on the receiving end of Nathan Collins’ horror challenge. Wolves deserve a fair bit of credit for how they acquitted themselves with reduced numbers for the best part of an hour and can take positives from what they produced today. 90th minute+2: Cancelo picks out Palmer at the back post and the youngster’s eyes light up. His volley lands somewhere near Walsall. 90th minute: We’ll get the customary, bog-standard three minutes of additional time. 89th minute: Promising position for City but Haaland can’t get his feet right and it peters out. Why do they bother with this guy? 82nd minute: Semedo replaces Ait-Nouri, who has been a fine attacking outlet for Wolves during the second half. Sergio Gomez is on for Rodri for City and Neto runs at him straight away to win a corner. Ederson tips away. 80th minute: Haaland in almost onto a clipped Mahrez pass from the right wing but he can’t get it fully under control. 79th minute: Neves nearly turns a City corner into his own net. Nunes heads the next one clear with far less kerfuffle. 77th minute: Grealish departs, making way for Cole Palmer and lapping up the boos from the Molineux crowd after one of his best afternoons in quite a while. 76th minute: Sa gets out sharply to get to lofted through-ball before Mahrez, but these fresh legs look like wretched news for Wolves. 72nd minute: Triple change for City. Foden, De Bruyne and Silva head into cold storage as Gundogan, Alvarez and Mahrez come on. 69th minute: GOOOALLLL!!!! Foden!!!! Man CIty have a third at Molineux! Phil Foden gets in on the goals with a superbly delicate finish Kevin De Bruyne with another assistant pic.twitter.com/NF76znn59C — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 17, 2022 That should be that. A beautifully worked goal, very similar to City’s first. Haaland pulls out to the right wing and sends a return pass around the corner for De Bruyne. The Belgian hasn’t had his best game but that’s his second assist as Foden applies a deft finish. 67th minute: Haaland comes deep to retrieve possession from a rampaging Grealish. Sa saves his bouncing shot and Kilman gets a brilliant block in on Foden’s attempt on the rebound. He won’t be to disappointed to get no credit for that as a goalkick is given. 66th minute: Nunes is booked for a late challenge on Grealish. Neves is also carded for dissent. Wolves are fired up and playing admirably but that wasn’t helpful. 64th minute: Nunes plays a ball down the right for Podence to cross. A sliding Dias stops in cleanly and handball claims are rightly waved away. 62nd minute: For what feels like the first time this half, City enjoy a sustained spell of possession to take the sting out of things. Grealish switches play to De Bruyne who wins a corner. The ball is worked to Cancelo who blasts well over from range. 59th minute: Big chance for Wolves but Guedes snatches at it and doesn’t get anything like clean contact on Ait-Nouri’s cross. 58th minute: Nunes slips Podence into that City box and it needed more good defending from Akanji to clear behind for a corner. The resulting intricate delivery was ill-advised. 56th minute: This is really ragged from City as De Bruyne coughs up a needless foul. Wolves’ 10 men are playing with plenty of ambition and no little inventiveness. 54th minute: Grealish glides through a couple of challenges in the City half to release De Bruyne. Uncharacteristically, the Belgian misjudged the situation, letting Haaland run offside and then passing behind Foden. Possession moves to Cancelo but Foden can’t get on the end of his chipped cross. 52nd minute: Neto dances past a couple of challenges down the City left before Cancelo tackles him with the outside of his foot, which feels very on-brand. The corner is a dangerous one into the thick of the six-yard box but the visitors clear. 50th minute: Wolves still going for this, and why not? Guedes checks back on Stones and forced Rodri to boot his ball into the box clear. 46th minute: We’re back underway. No changes for either side, which is perhaps more surprising from Wolves, given their predicament. Former City midfield enforcer Nigel de Jong has had his say on the Collins challenge on Grealish, as you might expect. City in Cruise control. Would love to see more crosses on the big man on top. You can sense his frustration. Nathan Collins gotta stop watching my YouTube videos! #WOLMCI — Nigel de Jong (@NDJ_Official) September 17, 2022 Halftime: Cancelo looks for Haaland as he just did in midweek. This time, the City striker tries to control it on his chest rather than finish taekwondo style and the chance is gone. Perhaps wise, given Collins’ earlier dabble with martial arts. That’s halftime and it’s been an entertaining game. Saying Wolves have played well apart from conceding two avoidable goals and gifting City a stupid red card sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it’s also sort of true. See you back here in a short while. 45th minute+1: We’re into three minutes of added time. De Bruyne takes the ball down on his chest, it sits up invitingly but he drags the shot wide of Sa’s right-hand post from 25 yards. 42nd minute: For those concerned that the game’s gone – you just can’t stud a man in the bread basket and get away with it nowadays – Akanji has just executed a perfect “sit yourself down!” shoulder charge on Jonny. 39th minute: If Wolves are going down here, they’re going down swinging (no, Nathan, not like that – that’s not allowed either). Neto cuts inside Stones and sends a shot skimming just wide of Ederson’s near post. 37th minute: Grealish now getting roundly booed by the Wolves fans and called rude names for… checks notes… getting kung-fu kicked in the abdomen. Splendid. 33rd minute: RED CARD FOR COLLINS! Oh dear, oh dear. This is an unenviable task for the remaining Wolves players on the field. Grealish went to collect a bouncing ball from Cancelo down the left and Collins has – at best – horribly misjudged that and plunged his studs into the England international’s stomach. Grealish is receiving treatment and the referee had absolutely no option there, I’m afraid. 28th minute: Silva finds Grealish, who curls over from 25 yards. Not a brilliant effort by all accounts, but further evidence of some of the old swagger returning. — Manchester City (@ManCity) September 17, 2022 26th minute: The Portugal midfielder – hardly a defining feature, there are loads of them out there today – duly blooters it over the bar. 25th minute: Akanji bundles Guedes over and this is another handily placed free-kic...

Going Incognito: How We Can Protect Our Privacy In The Metaverse – VentureBeat https://collincountynewsonline.com/going-incognito-how-we-can-protect-our-privacy-in-the-metaverse-venturebeat/ September 17, 2022 6:40 AM Were you unable to attend Transform 2022? Check out all of the summit sessions in our on-demand library now! Watch here. The image below shows me standing in a “Virtual Escape Room” that was created by academic researchers at U.C. Berkeley’s Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence. The simulated world requires me to complete a series of tasks, each one unlocking a door. My goal is to move from virtual room to virtual room, unlocking doors by solving puzzles that involve creative thinking, memory skills and physical movements, all naturally integrated into the experience.   Louis Rosenberg inside a Virtual Escape Room created by researchers at U.C. Berkeley (2022) I am proud to say I made it out of the virtual labyrinth and back to reality. Of course, this was created by a research lab, so you might expect the experience was more than it seems. And you’d be right — it was designed to demonstrate the significant privacy concerns in the metaverse. It turns out that while I was solving the puzzles, moving from room to room, the researchers were using my actions and reactions to determine a wide range of information about me. I’m talking about deeply personal data that any third party could have ascertained from my participation in a simple virtual application.  As I have been involved in virtual and augmented reality for decades and have been warning about the hidden dangers for many years, you’d think the data collected would not have surprised me. But you’d be wrong. It’s one thing to warn about the risks in the abstract; it’s something else to experience the privacy issues firsthand. It was quite shocking, actually.   That said, let’s get into the personal data they were able to glean from my short experience in the escape room. First, they were able to triangulate my location. As described in a recent paper about this research, metaverse applications generally ping multiple servers, which here enabled the researchers to quickly predict my location using a process called multilateration. Even if I had been using a VPN to hide my IP address, this technique would still have found where I was. This isn’t shocking, as most people expect their location is known when they connect online, but it is a privacy concern nonetheless.   Going deeper, the researchers were able to use my interactions in the escape room to predict my height, the length of my arms (wingspan), my handedness, my age, my gender, and basic parameters about my physical fitness level, including how low I could crouch down and how quickly I could react to stimuli. They were also able to determine my visual acuity, whether I was colorblind, and the size of the room that I was interacting with, and to make basic assessments of my cognitive acuity. The researchers could have even predicted whether I had certain disabilities.   It’s important to point out that the researchers used standard hardware and software to implement this series of tests, emulating the capabilities that a typical application developer could employ when building a virtual experience in the metaverse. It’s also important to point out that consumers currently have no way to defend against this — there is no “incognito mode” in the metaverse that conceals this information and protects the user against this type of evaluation.   Well, there wasn’t any protection until the researchers began building one — a software tool they call “MetaGuard” that can be installed on standard VR systems. As described in a recent paper by lead researchers Vivek Nair and Gonzalo Garrido of U.C. Berkeley, the tool can mask many of the parameters that were used to profile my physical characteristics in the metaverse. It works by cleverly injecting randomized offsets into the data stream, hiding physical parameters such as my height, wingspan and physical mobility, which otherwise could be used to predict age, gender and health characteristics.   MetaGuard Image from Nair and Garrido The free software tool also enables users to mask their handedness, the frequency range of their voice, and their physical fitness level and conceal their geospatial location by disrupting triangulation techniques. Of course, MetaGuard is just a first step in helping users protect their privacy in immersive worlds, but it’s an important demonstration, showing that consumer-level defenses could easily be deployed.   At the same time, policymakers should consider protecting basic immersive rights for users around the globe, guarding against invasive tracking and profiling. For example, Meta recently announced that its next VR headset will include face and eye tracking. While these new capabilities are likely to unlock very useful features in the metaverse, for example enabling avatars to express more realistic facial expressions, the same data could also be used to track and profile user emotions. This could enable platforms to build predictive models that anticipate how individual users will react to a wide range of circumstances, even enabling adaptive advertisements that are optimized for persuasion.  Personally, I believe the metaverse has the potential to be a deeply humanizing technology that presents digital content in the form most natural to our perceptual system — as immersive experiences. At the same time, the extensive data collected in virtual and augmented worlds is a significant concern and likely requires a range of solutions, from protective software tools like MetaGuard to thoughtful metaverse regulation. For those interested in pushing for a safe metaverse, I point you towards an international community effort called Metaverse Safety Week that is happening in December.   Louis Rosenberg, PhD is an early pioneer in the fields of virtual and augmented reality. His work began over 30 years ago in labs at Stanford and NASA. In 1992 he developed the first interactive augmented reality system at Air Force Research Laboratory. In 1993 he founded the early VR company Immersion Corporation (public on Nasdaq). In 2004 he founded the early AR company Outland Research. He earned his PhD from Stanford, has been awarded over 300 patents for VR, AR, and AI technologies and was a professor at California State University. DataDecisionMakers Welcome to the VentureBeat community! DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation. If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers. You might even consider contributing an article of your own! Read More From DataDecisionMakers

Spy Kids: Why Robert Rodriguez’s Family Film Became So Popular – MovieWeb https://collincountynewsonline.com/spy-kids-why-robert-rodriguezs-family-film-became-so-popular-movieweb/ Spy Kids is a 2001 family movie directed by Robert Rodriguez. It focuses on young siblings Juni (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen Cortez (Alexa PenaVega), whose parents, Ingrid and Gregorio (played by Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas), are retired spies. After their parents are kidnapped, Juni and Carmen learn the truth about their family, and decide they must become spies like their parents in order to save them. At the time, Rodriguez was known for making more adult-centered action films, and seemed an odd choice for a family movie. However, he brought his unique perspective to the movie, which was a massive success and made nearly five times its small, $35 million budget at the box office. It also received positive critical reviews, and led to three sequel movies, with a reboot currently in the works. Here’s why the fun family movie became so popular with audiences. The Best Spies in Movies, Ranked It’s Perfect for its Desired Audience – But is Entertaining for Adults Too Dimension Films Spy Kids was a different kind of kids’ movie when it came out, and directly appealed to a younger audience. At the time of its release, most kids’ movies were animated, and the main spy movies were the James Bond films. While it was possible for a younger audience to enjoy them, they definitely were not geared towards kids. Spy Kids took all the coolness and gadgets of being a spy and addressed it directly to kids, making it fun and exciting. In addition, Carmen and Juni are normal kids; they don’t have any magical powers, and they aren’t royalty, like many characters in kids’ movies. Instead, they’re two average kids who get to become super spies, and it lets other kids feel like they were also super spies, saving the day. While the movie is definitely meant to be enjoyed by kids, older audiences can still find some excitement in it. It has an absurd sense of humor, with sly adult jokes and clever ways of sneaking in swearing (like shiitake mushrooms) that adults will find enjoyable. It also has many actors that appeal to adults. Along with Gugino and Banderas, Alan Cumming is delightfully over-the-top as the villainous TV host Fegan Floop, who kidnaps Ingrid and Gregorio. In addition, all the movies feature cameos from major stars, with the first movie featuring Danny Trejo as Carmen and Juni’s uncle, and George Clooney as spy chief Devlin. The movie is still aimed at kids, and will delight them. But there’s enough enjoyment for adults as well, making it an accessible movie. It Boasts Real Wonder and Imagination Dimension Films A main feature of Spy Kids is how imaginative it is, especially in its visuals. A lot of the movie’s settings and designs look, as Looper says, like “a kid made a kid’s movie.” The OSS, which is the spy agency headquarters, is actually shaped like the agency letters, with the kids’ section built like a playground. Floop’s henchmen are called Thumb Thumbs, and really have thumbs for all their limbs, including their heads. Even the gadgets are colorful and kid-friendly, looking more like toys than the serious equipment found in adult spy films. It’s a unique take on the typical spy movie settings that really feels like a kid designed it, and will delight viewers. All the details really establish the world of the movie, and let you fully enjoy all the imagination running free. The fun and interesting visuals, from the OSS building to the cool designs of Floop’s castle, make you view everything like a kid again. This fun world of color and action is not the world of a gritty, realistic spy movie, and it doesn’t need to be. Spy Kids really feels like it’s made by and for kids, and this imagination and wonder are part of what makes it so appealing and popular. Best Robert Rodriguez Movies, Ranked It Has Great Family Dynamics Dimension Films Spy Kids has always been a family project for Rodriguez. The movie was inspired by his uncle’s work in the FBI, and he wanted to pay tribute to his family and celebrate their ancestry. Most notably, according to Indie Wire, Rodriguez fought to keep the Cortezes as a Latin family, even when studio executives were against it. The studio wanted a typical American family, and Rodrgiuez said that his family was American, and that Spy Kids would still be a universal family story. This is completely true, and the Cortezes’ Latin background is prominent, important representation, while still showing them as a typical family. In addition, they have a great family dynamic. Carmen and Juni have a realistic sibling relationship, bickering and teasing but still coming together when they need to. They feel like real kids, making jokes and delighting in all the spy gadgets. Ingrid and Gregorio are strong and loving parents who have a healthy relationship with each other, and truly care about their kids. The Cortezes are the heart of the movie; a lovable family you want to watch as heroic spies. It’s easy to see the love the family has for each other, and they’re characters everyone can enjoy and relate to. It’s been 20 years since the first Spy Kids movie was released, and the franchise still remains well-loved. The first movie establishes the most important parts of the franchise, and showed that this fun, family take on a spy movie could be a success. Its all-ages appeal, fun designs, and a strong family at its heart make Spy Kids immensely popular and enjoyable. It’s a memorable family movie that continues to delight all ages.

Trade $COV (Covesting) On KuCoin And Win A Share Of The $50,000 Prize Pool – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/trade-cov-covesting-on-kucoin-and-win-a-share-of-the-50000-prize-pool-cryptonews/ Disclaimer: The following article is part of Cryptonews Deals Series and was written as a promotional article in collaboration with the sponsor of this offer. If your company has an exclusive promotion that you would like to share with our readers, we invite you to reach out to us. Let’s build together. Covesting, PrimeXBT’s copy-trading module, is partnering with KuCoin to give the community a chance to win a cool $50,000! This is a trading competition that will end on September 21, 2022.  Covesting : copy-trading module First, a word about Covesting: In 2020, PrimeXBT launched Covesting, its copy trading module. Soon after, the platform integrated its utility token, the $COV.  Covesting is a module that allows copy trading, that is, the possibility for users of the site, especially less experienced traders, to literally copy the trading strategies of professional or very experienced traders.  It should be noted that with this system, everyone can benefit. On the one hand, novice users can learn by mimicking the winning strategies of the most successful traders and thus generate profits. On the other hand, the traders with the best results earn a share of the commissions of those who follow them and adopt the trading strategies they have developed. The $COV: the indispensable utility token  The COV token is an ERC-20 token built on Ethereum blockchain (ETH) smart contracts. It was explicitly designed for use via the Covesting copy trading module.  In particular, strategy managers can reduce their trading costs by up to 25% per month by paying a fixed amount of COV tokens. Please note that the rate reduction and the activation fee may change, so it is important to check the latest information on the offers listed in the Covesting module’s COV token dashboard on PrimeXBT. Another benefit of owning COV is that the token is regularly burned, which reduces the overall supply and therefore increases its value over the long term.  Three ways to win big There’s a lot to gain from this joint promotional campaign. Here are three ways to earn COV in three activities. There’s a lot to gain from this joint promotional campaign. Here are three ways to earn VOC in three activities. Activity #1: KuCoin will hold a draw for users whose transaction amounts (purchases + sales) reach 500 COV or more. No less than 500 lucky users will share the $5,000 COV prize pool. Each winning user will receive $10 in COV. Activity #2: During the campaign period, the first 100 accounts with the highest volume of COV trading (purchases + sales) on KuCoin will win a share of a COV prize pool worth $35,000. Activity #3: Users who reach 800 COV transactions (purchases + sales) and add COV/USDT, COV/BTC and COV/ETH trading pairs to their favourites list will share equally in a COV prize pool worth $10,000! You will find all the details of the offer on this page.  Good luck! This article is promotional content and does not constitute investment advice. Do your own research and only invest money you can afford to lose.

The U.S. Safety Net Was Built For Cold Winters. Hot Summers Threaten It. – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-u-s-safety-net-was-built-for-cold-winters-hot-summers-threaten-it-the-washington-post/ For decades, the federal government has helped the poor with energy costs during chilly winters. Now sweltering summers are straining the social safety net. September 17, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Melissa Besong, 40, outside the NeedLink Nashville offices after filling out an applications to keep her electricity from being cut off. (William DeShazer for The Washington Post) NASHVILLE — The moment NeedLink Nashville opened its doors just after Labor Day weekend, Melissa Besong entered the nonprofit’s office holding her overdue electric bill. Four months after losing her job as a home health aide, she didn’t want to miss out on a chance to keep her power running. “Hopefully,” she said, shut-off warning in hand, “they’ll help me out before it’s time.” More than 40 years ago, Congress established a critical safety net, the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, to help people financially survive frigid winters and the costs of run heat. But sweltering summers are now creating a huge new financial burden for Americans whose air conditioners run up energy bills for longer periods of time. The new financial toll of summer shows how government is struggling to keep up with the ways that climate change — during the hottest months of the year — threatens the financial livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable Americans. This year offers a vivid example. Thanks to pandemic-related funds, the Biden administration was able to more than double the $3.8 billion dollar federal energy assistance program. Administration officials said it marked the largest one-year investment in the program since it began in 1981. But advocates said about 85 percent has already gone to winter heating bills, which have also soared as global energy prices surged. This left little for people enduring another sweltering summer. By the time the administration instructed states in July to use the additional funding to subsidize summer cooling costs and build community cooling centers, many states had already used the stimulus money to pay off the huge debts that accumulated during the pandemic, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association. Some states had run out of money. Others, like Colorado and Pennsylvania, which focus their spending on heating costs, had closed their energy assistance programs for the summer. “The dilemma is, we don’t have enough funding to cover both heating and cooling,” Wolfe said. “This is a very serious problem.” From the Southeast to the Mountain West, leaders of private aid groups and state-run energy assistance programs said they have been flooded with requests for help with electric bills this summer. People who have never asked for assistance before are calling, emailing and showing up at their offices with overdue bills that are double or even triple the amount these groups typically see. As with rent and food price spikes, the burden of higher electricity bills falls mainly on low-income families who already spend a greater share of their earnings on utilities. In response to the pandemic, the Census Bureau began surveying Americans to see how they were coping with rising energy costs. An analysis by The Washington Post of survey responses collected from July 27 — Aug. 8 found that nearly 20 percent of households making less than $25,000 said they have kept temperatures in their homes at levels that felt unsafe or unhealthy for some months in the year. This was more common among Latino and Black respondents, regardless of their income, than among Whites and Asians. As temperatures rise due to climate change, air conditioning units are using more energy to keep homes comfortable, generating staggering bills and shut-off warnings for those who fail to pay. About 20 million Americans are behind on their utility bills, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, which represents state officials administering energy assistance programs. They owe an average of $800, double the amount before the pandemic. “It’s definitely the case that cooling costs are not only increasing because of energy prices but also because cooling is more necessary as a result of climate change,” said Diana Hernández, an associate professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. This July ranked as Nashville’s second-hottest on record. At NeedLink Nashville, the number of applications for assistance this July and August has climbed 25 percent above the pre-pandemic norm, according to its senior program director Sarah Moore. The organization opens its online application on Monday mornings and shuts it down after 75 requests, the most it can process in a week. “We’ve been having to cut it off within 45 minutes,” Moore said. Several factors account for the surge of people in need this year, making it challenging to separate out the role of increasingly severe summer heat. The rising price of natural gas has made it more expensive to produce electricity. Electric bills in August soared 15.8 percent compared to the same period the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the biggest increase since 1981. And though the job market has rebounded from its pandemic losses, many people are still struggling to pay off the debt racked up during that time. Even before supply chain disruptions and Russia’s war in Ukraine boosted U.S. energy prices, the question of how to stay cool during the summer — and how to pay for it — had become a growing problem for poorer Americans. In the hottest parts of the country, access to air conditioning is not just a source of comfort — for the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions, it can mean life or death. For 78-year-old Annette Todd Moore, who suffers from asthma and relies on a breathing machine, turning off the AC wasn’t an option. “I need my air conditioner in my house,” she said while sitting in Needlink Nashville’s waiting room after her electric bill doubled this summer. “With the heat index going up, it’s life and death.” Even after Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, the crickets were still chirping and the temperatures were still balmy in Tennessee. “Oh my God, it’s so hot out there,” said one woman inquiring about aid before grabbing a cup of water. Since losing her job this spring, Besong spent time at home, keeping cool and cooking for her 7- and 5-year-olds. To help make ends meet, she cleaned two families’ homes. Her finicky air conditioner, she suspected, caused her electric bill this summer to skyrocket. “This summer was pretty hot,” she said, holding a bill with an overdue balance of $253. “Most definitely hotter than last summer.” Lawmakers from New England, whose constituents have historically benefited the most from the federal fuel assistance program, continue to press for more funding. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) led an effort to warn House and Senate Appropriations Committee members that without the assistance program “we will not meet the needs of low-income families this winter.” Wolfe and other advocates have urged Congress to increase the program next year above the $4 billion the House and Senate have tentatively agreed to budget. Olivia Wein, a staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center, said funding must “move northward toward $8 billion” to meet year-round heating and cooling needs. “We’re literally turning over the couch shaking out coins,” said Joshua Hollins, executive director of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, which oversees the state’s energy assistance funds. Louisiana is no stranger to brutal summers. A spokesman for Entergy, the largest utility in the state, said this summer delivered some of the hottest weather on record across the four states it serves, “leading to record-level electricity usage by our customers.” The growing number of days of triple-digit temperatures has put a strain on the energy aid Louisiana gets from the federal government. Even in a year of seeming abundance, when funding is much higher than normal, Hollins said he is about two weeks away from running out of money. On top of the power price increases and extreme heat, Louisianans are also paying for the latest climate disaster. Since Hurricane Ida made landfall last year, utility companies have passed the cost of power line and equipment repairs onto customers, adding to already bloated electricity bills. And while people living in urban areas can seek refuge in air-conditioned movie theaters, malls and libraries, Hollins said that in rural parts of the state, those options don’t exist. “I have folks out there that have $600 and $700 energy bills — and they’re low income,” Hollins said. “I think about the access they may have to somewhere just to cool off, when you get into some of those rural areas, that’s just not there. That’s what keeps me up at night.” In Missouri, energy assistance officials saw such a spike in clients with high electric bills this summer that they doubled the benefit for residents in crisis to $600 — and then doubled it again to $1,200. While policymakers generally agree that a warm home is essential, some still see cooling as a luxury. Most states have policies preventing power shut offs during the winter, but less than half have similar policies for the summer. Though many states now offer assistance year-round, a handful still only help residents with their energy bills in the winter. This approach made sense decades ago, Wolfe said, when home heating costs in the coldest parts of the country could be two or three times the yearly electric bill. But today, heating and cooling bills are “balancing out” in some places, he said, while government ...

WA Will Be A Launch Pad For Silicon Technology To Boost EV Batteries – The Seattle Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/wa-will-be-a-launch-pad-for-silicon-technology-to-boost-ev-batteries-the-seattle-times/ MALTBY, Snohomish County — Just across the road from a cafe boasting the world’s largest cinnamon rolls is a small manufacturing plant carved out of the woods of what was once rural Western Washington. Inside this building, carbon is infused with a silicon gas to produce a black powdery substance that high-profile investors hope will be a key component of the next generation of electric car batteries enabling them to travel farther between plug-ins, recharge more quickly and cost less. “It’s transformational,” said Rick Luebbe, chief executive officer of Group14 Technologies, which opened the Maltby facility in 2021 and has raised $441 million in funding. The company now employs nearly 100 people, and the industrial workplace north of Woodinville has the excitement of a startup company. A research laboratory is under construction in one corner of the building even as production is underway elsewhere. Group14 is one of more than 20 companies launched in a global quest to improve the lithium-ion battery — mainstay of the fledgling electric car industry — by including more silicon. In the United States, this effort also has been supported through taxpayer-funded federal research laboratories, including Richland-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to help overcome technical challenges that have long limited how much silicon could be included in a battery. Within the next decade, two companies plan to make Washington state a hub of this emerging technology. Group14, which has drawn Porsche AG as a lead investor, and Sila, an Alameda, California, company that is partnering with Mercedes-Benz, both have announced plans to open large-scale plants east of the Cascades in Moses Lake. The two plants will draw on Grant County Public Utility District hydroelectricity as a power source and produce silicon for use in electric car batteries. “There’s a lot of reasons why Washington state makes sense for making battery components,” Luebbe said. “The power is a huge component. It’s green and it’s inexpensive.” The Moses Lake plants will benefit from federal tax credits signed into law by President Joe Biden this summer to bring more of the electric battery supply chain — now dominated by China — to the United States. Automotive companies are turning to silicon as part of a broader effort to engineer lighter, more affordable, more durable and more powerful batteries as they phase out internal combustion engines fueled by fossil fuels that are spurring climate change. The silicon technology also has applications for many other battery-powered products ranging from cellphones that could last longer between charges to drones and aircraft that could stay aloft for more hours of flight. Group14 Maltby plant product is shipped to more than 50 customers, many of whom are evaluating the silicon for inclusion in batteries for consumer electronics, according to Luebbe. And Sila has a customer that use its silicon in batteries for a fitness monitoring device now on the market. “Our company already has 350 people at its [Alameda] headquarters. We’re much further along, much bigger than some of these other companies,” said Gene Berdichevsky, Sila’s chief executive. “You know, the battery world is full of kind of boisterous claims that never come to pass.” Why silicon? Silicon is one of Earth’s most abundant chemical elements, found in rock and sand all over the world. When melted and cooled in a highly purified form, it can be used in computer chips or solar panels. For years, scientists have known that silicon also has the ability to greatly enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries, which were first put into commercial use in 1991. Here’s how these batteries work: As they are charged, lithium ions flow from the positive area of the battery — know as the cathode — to the negative area known as the anode. Graphite is typically packed into the anode area to enable the storage of lithium. The lithium ions release their current — powering a vehicle — as they move back through electrolyte liquids to the positively-charged cathode. Silicon, when packed into that same space as the graphite, can hold a lot more lithium, and that can increase the amount of energy stored in the battery. Silicon also has drawbacks. It swells, and that can cause the anode to crack and destroy the battery. In a June 22 presentation, federal Energy Department researchers noted another challenge. A silicon anode is less stable than graphite. This can degrade the battery over time and greatly shorten its useful life even if it’s not charged very often. “That’s the problem. This is something that companies and government labs and academic institutions intensely work on right now,” said Robert Kostecki, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who is involved in battery research. Big-name companies invest Company officials at Group14 and Sila say they have developed silicon products that can be blended with graphite — or replace it entirely — without unduly compromising battery life. Luebbe said Group14’s proprietary technology involves building a scaffold of carbon material that keeps the silicon in a format that makes degradation a “moot point.” “Generally, every customer we’re working with is getting the cycling they need for commercial deployment,” Luebbe said. Berdichevsky said Sila’s technology, also proprietary, “achieves and exceeds” automotive industry specification even when silicon entirely replaces graphite. Some automotive companies are betting that silicon does have an important role to play in the next generation of batteries. Porsche AG is the lead investor in a Group14 offering that raised $400 million this year. It also has a majority stake in CellForce, a company that will use silicon to develop battery anodes. Mercedes-Benz AG, which this year announced it’s opening a new battery plant in Alabama, invested in Sila in 2019. Then, last May, the company announced it would use the Sila silicon technology for electric G-Class vehicles that will start production in the middle of this decade. Uwe Keller, directory of battery development at Mercedes-Benz AG, said his company is involved in extensive research with Sila’s silicon product to determine how it best can be incorporated into a next generation of batteries. But he expects Sila’s technology will boost electric car battery range by 15 to 20%. “We have to test it by ourselves. That’s what we’re doing,” Keller said. “And that’s what counts at the end of the day.” Berdichevsky, who worked at Tesla in its early years and co-founded Sila in 2011, said his company plans to start producing silicon product from Moses Lake to send to Mercedes-Benz in the second half of 2024. An industry forms in Moses Lake In back of the Group14 plant at Maltby, a stack of long narrow cylinders are securely stored behind a tall chain-link fence. They contain silane, a gas formed from silicon, that is used by both Group14 and Sila to produce their next generation products for batteries. Silane is a global commodity, shipped around the world in seagoing vessels. In the United States, a major producer of silane gas has been REC, a company that operates a Moses Lake plant — constructed in 1984 — to produce silicon products for the solar industry. The plant closed in 2019 amid a tumultuous market that dampened demand as China placed tariffs on the polysilicon produced at the plant. But in June, REC announced the plant would reopen in 2023 as part of a broader effort, working with the South Korean-based Hanwha Group, to produce solar panels in the U.S. The plant takes silicon sand, and through a distillation process converts it to silane gas, which then is converted to a granular product used in making solar panels. Most of the plant’s silane output will be dedicated to making those panels, according to a REC official. But some gas produced at Moses Lake, as well as some from another REC plant in Montana, could be made available for making the silicon battery products. At the Maltby plant, the silane gas is injected into a carbon product that on the plant floor resembles blocks of charcoal. After quality control, the final powder ends up packed in foil bags, then stowed in big cardboard boxes for shipment. The Maltby plant has the annual capacity to produce up to 120 metric tons of product. Group14’s Luebbe is planning for the Moses Lake plant to eventually produce up to 100 times that amount. “Transportation is going to electrify much faster than people realize,” Luebbe said.

Kendra Scott Talks Her New Memoir And Shining Career Ahead Of Southlake Appearance – CultureMap Dallas https://collincountynewsonline.com/kendra-scott-talks-her-new-memoir-and-shining-career-ahead-of-southlake-appearance-culturemap-dallas/ This roundup of Dallas dining news has a surprising number of openings, either in the works or already here. There’s also a slew of new menu items coming online, some of which are pumpkin in theme. There are some exciting new chefs in town. Here’s what’s happening in Dallas restaurant news: Brass Ram is the new restaurant from chef Nick Badovinus, set to open the first week in October in the newly renovated East Quarter in downtown Dallas. A help wanted ad calls it “the brother to Town Hearth,” Badovinus’ steak-centric restaurant in Dallas’ Design District, with variations of prime rib, big prime cuts, wagyu offerings, lobster, and prime seafood to pair an award-winning wine list. Brass Ram, which could not have a more masculine name if you tried, will be located on the second floor of the Magnolia Flat Iron building, right on top of Badovinus’ National Anthem restaurant. The Water Ice Box is a new Italian ice spot in Mesquite located at 911 E Davis #B, where they’re serving incredibly velvety Italian ice in flavors such as peach, watermelon, and strawberry shortcake. Matt’s Rancho Martinez is closing its restaurant in Garland and opening a restaurant in Allen. This is not their first crack at Allen; they opened a location there in 2011 but closed it in 2014 due to lease issues. A spokesperson says, “We are sad to leave Garland, we have had many good years and met some pretty amazing guests and team members along the way. We unfortunately do not own the Garland building and we have been blessed with the opportunity to purchase our very own stand-alone building in Allen, a 12-minute drive from the current location. The majority of our employees are coming along with us.” Taco Bell has reopened its location at 15208 Montfort Dr. utilizing the chain’s “Endeavor” design, which brings to life the social experience of food in a distinctively Taco Bell way. The restaurant has free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and comfortable seating, and a drive-thru featuring an easy-to-navigate menu board with an electronic ordering system so that orders are made quickly and accurately. Coolgreens, the healthy chain, will open its first Irving location at 5910 N. MacArthur Blvd. #139, one mile away from the Irving Convention Center. Construction has just begun; they’ll open in early 2023. Carte Blanche, the acclaimed restaurant on Greenville Avenue, has launched a new espresso program in response to customer demand. It’ll enhance their award-winning morning bakery program by providing beverages if customers want to sit down and eat their croissants, fig pastries, doughnuts, and other treats onsite. Jose, the Mexican restaurant in the Park Cities, has a new mushroom huarache topped with Lion’s Mane that chef AQ says will have you thinking you’re eating shredded chicken. Restaurant Beatrice in Oak Cliff has added a covered patio with fans and an outdoor kitchen with seafood boils. The restaurant now offers two different ways to enjoy Cajun food culture: fine dining and casual patio service. Akira Back Dallas, the modern Japanese restaurant in The Colony from jetsetter chef Akira Back, has added weekend brunch on Sundays from 11 am-3 pm, with DJs and an exclusive brunch menu, what is on that menu, they do not say. Kona Grill, the upscale grill at NorthPark, has a brunch menu with ricotta cheese fritters, macadamia French toast, spicy lobster avocado toast, plus a Bloody Mary and mimosa station. Elm Street Cask & Kitchen has added new brunch items available Saturday-Sunday from 7 am-2 pm including Mac & Cheese Pancake, with a corn cake, sausage, mac & cheese, and a cheddar-parmesan crust; Cowboy Omelet with beef, onion, tomato, bacon, and cheddar cheese; and Texas Taters with onion jam, cheese sauce, bacon, scallions, and pickled jalapenos. Maple Leaf Diner, the Canadian-style diner in North Dallas, has a new Frito Pie Poutine with fries, cheese curds, chili, fritos, cheddar, sour cream and green onions, available through September. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has a new menu for fall featuring buffalo chicken pizza with chicken, gorgonzola, and celery; wedge salad with Romaine, cucumber, red onion, tomato, bacon, and gorgonzola; banana cheesecake with an Oreo crust; and pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon sugar cookie crust. Haute Sweets Patisserie has brought back their Pumpkin Spiced Cakes for the season. Each cake is topped with cream cheese icing and candied pecans. Empire Baking Co. has a new seasonal spiced sandwich cookie, featuring two soft gingerbready cookies held together with a cream filling. Online ordering is also open on their website for the High Holy Days with round challah bread in plain or raisin, honey cake, Nutella babka, Apple cinnamon walnut bread, and rugulah in raspberry or chocolate. Grand Lux Cafe has a seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake in a graham cracker crust, available through Thanksgiving by the slice or as a whole cake. Schlotzsky’s has a new “Bare Naked Pizza,” consisting of a one-of-a-kind sourdough pizza crust, served without toppings, cheese, or sauce, available for a limited time. It’s part of a new lunch and dinner pizza menu with three flavors: Four Cheese White Pizza with garlic butter, Meaty, and Supreme, baked in-house on that same sourdough crust. Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar has a tribute to tacos & tequila running through September 30, featuring Street Corn Dip with chips, Chicken Tinga Tostada, birria-style brisket tacos, Baja style fish tacos, and veggie tacos with Mexican lager battered avocado. Margaritas include peach, pineapple, and the Tres A’s with Anejo, Amaretto, Amaro Montenegro, and chocolate bitters. Freebirds World Burrito is marking “National Chicken Month” with a new Texas-inspired Fajita White Chicken recipe available for any entrée, burrito, bowl, or salad. An even better way to mark National Chicken Month would be to join Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown, an organization dedicated to ending a cruel procedure used by factory farms to “culling” chickens and other animals sickened by avian flu. Chick-fil-A has two new items for fall: Autumn Spice Milkshake with cinnamon and crunchy bits of brown sugar cookies, their first new milkshake flavor available nationwide in four years; and Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich, on a toasted multigrain bun with Colby-Jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato, first introduced as a seasonal item in 2021. They’re available through November 12. Cicis has added new Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls to its buffets nationwide. The dessert is their regular cinnamon rolls but topped with Cicis’ first-ever flavored icing with notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. It’ll be available for pick-up and delivery until October 30. Pizza Inn has launched a cheese-filled pretzel crust at its buffets. A melted cheese sauce oozes out of a soft pretzel crust that is topped with flaked salt. McDonald’s has a new Cheese Danish, a flaky pastry with a sweet cream cheese filling, topped with buttery streusel and vanilla drizzle, available all day, joining an all-star roster of McCafé Bakery items including the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll. The McCafé Bakery lineup was introduced in November 2020. Chipotle Mexican Grill introduced a new Garlic Guajillo Steak seasoned with garlic and guajillo peppers. They say it’s available for a limited time, but how long that time is, they do not say. Dunkin’ has a new Blood Orange Refresher with blood orange and cranberry, served over ice with green tea or coconut milk. Haagen Dazs has brought back its Pumpkin Spice Shake, made with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, pumpkin spices, and pumpkin puree. It’s available through November 14. Sheraton Dallas has a new executive chef: Pierre Daval, who will oversee all aspects of the hotel’s food operations, including banquets plus four outlets: Open Palette, Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, Open Mkt. Grab ‘n Go, and The Parlor. Daval has worked at Marriott Tan-Tar-A Resort in Missouri, the Chicago Marriott O’Hare, the Chicago Marriott Downtown, and the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort in Illinois where he managed an apiary and a two-acre farm. Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas has appointed Chris Dikovics as the new Chef de Cuisine. He’s previously worked with notable chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Thomas Keller, and Major Food Group’s Carbone.

Routes: More Asia/Pacific Flights Coming To The Bay Area – SFGATE https://collincountynewsonline.com/routes-more-asia-pacific-flights-coming-to-the-bay-area-sfgate/ A weekly roundup of air travel and airport news From left, SFO employees Charles Schuler, Catherine Cole and Sheryl Bregman watch a Lufthansa A380 land while touring the SFO air traffic control tower. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images In this week’s news, Air India will begin flying two more routes from San Francisco as it takes on more long-haul aircraft; Mineta San Jose gets new Tokyo service; United boosts its Australia schedule from SFO and LAX; as New Zealand drops its last COVID restrictions on international travel, airlines are adding more flights there from the U.S., including a revival of United’s SFO-Auckland service; United and Emirates announce a big code-sharing and frequent flyer partnership along with new United nonstop service to Dubai; there’s international route news from JetBlue, Delta and Southwest; United brings back SFO-Omaha service and JSX introduces an Oakland-Dallas flight; TSA adds more foreign airlines to its PreCheck expedited screening program; new studies find airfares remain high going into the fall, including for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s travel; and Orlando International Airport will open a big new terminal next week. Air travel between the U.S. West Coast and India was curtailed by COVID and the loss of Russia overflight rights to the Ukraine war, but Air India is looking to revive some of that service and introduce a new route as it adds more long-haul aircraft to its fleet. The company said this week it plans to begin new service between San Francisco and Mumbai and to bring back SFO-Bengaluru (Bangalore) nonstop flights as it takes delivery of five Boeing 777-200LRs (long-range) between December 2022 and March 2023. The airline didn’t specify starting dates or frequencies for the two SFO routes except to say that SFO-Bengaluru will operate three days a week. Routesonline.com reported that the SFO-Bengaluru service will resume Oct. 31. Also planned is new Mumbai-New York JFK service, supplementing the carrier’s Newark-Mumbai flights. Except for EWR, Air India’s current routes all operate into Delhi, including San Francisco, Chicago, JFK, Newark and Washington Dulles.  Air India is also adding 25 Airbus single-aisle planes, increasing its overall fleet size by 25%. The fleet growth comes after the airline was acquired earlier this year by the Tata Group, a leading Indian conglomerate. The company said its fleet expansion will also include the addition of a new premium economy seating option on its long-haul aircraft. United Airlines has been planning to introduce SFO-Bengaluru service since early 2021, but it was repeatedly delayed and is now tentatively scheduled to launch in March of next year. Rival American Airlines’ planned Seattle-Bengaluru route has also been pushed back and is now expected to begin sometime in mid-2023. Both Mumbai and Bengaluru are considered prime destinations for business travelers, since the former is India’s financial hub and the latter is its tech capital. Air India jet on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport in July 2022. Gado/Gado via Getty Images Zipair, a low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines, has now set Dec. 12 for its introduction of service between Mineta San Jose Airport and Tokyo Narita, offering three flights a week with a two-class 787 and expanding to daily service in 2023. Through Nov. 30, Zipair is offering introductory fares as low as $230 each way for travel from Dec. 12 through March 25. Japan has kept strict COVID rules for visitors in place longer than most countries, but earlier this month, the government ended its requirement that inbound foreign travelers must show proof of a negative COVID test before departing from home. And Japan’s Nikkei news service said this week that the government is expected to ease up its rules even more next month, likely no longer requiring mandatory visas for short-stay arrivals from the U.S. and ending its daily visitor cap of 50,000 travelers — although tourists will still have to show proof of vaccination. Australia is also getting more service from the U.S., with United Airlines planning to boost San Francisco-Melbourne frequencies from three flights a week to seven starting Oct. 28. United will also resume its Los Angeles-Melbourne service on Oct. 28 — starting with three weekly flights and increasing to daily in December — and will bring back Houston-Sydney fights next month, according to the Australian trade publication Executive Traveller. Travel to New Zealand is getting easier thanks to that government’s lifting of its last remaining COVID restrictions and to the addition of more air service from the U.S. In May, New Zealand reopened to vaccinated visitors form the U.S. and several other countries, and in June it stopped requiring travelers to get a COVID test before departing from home. This week, the government said international visitors are no longer required to show proof of a COVID vaccination — although they’ll still have to complete a health declaration and obtain an electronic travel authority online. New Zealand this week also ended its mask requirement for passengers on domestic and inbound international flights. Last month, Air New Zealand increased frequencies on its Auckland-Los Angeles route from seven to 10 a week, and on Sept. 17 the airline plans to introduce the longest route in its system — nonstop service between Auckland and New York JFK, operating three days a week. The Kiwi carrier also revived its Auckland-Houston route this summer and will begin Chicago O’Hare flights in late October. Meanwhile, United Airlines — Air New Zealand’s Star Alliance partner — plans to resume its San Francisco-Auckland route on Oct. 1 with three weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), increasing to daily service Oct. 31. And on Nov. 1, American Airlines is due to bring back New Zealand service with a daily flight from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub. Emirates SkyCargo airline Boeing 777F aircraft in the Netherlands during a rainy evening. NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images As expected, the CEOs of United and Emirates got together at Washington Dulles this week to announce an extensive new code-sharing partnership that will permit single ticketing for connecting itineraries and will also bring reciprocal benefits to members of their respective loyalty programs. As part of the agreement, United said it will launch a new nonstop route from its Newark hub to Emirates’ base at Dubai in March 2023. “From there, customers can travel on Emirates or its sister airline Flydubai to more than 100 different cities,” United said. Beginning in November, Emirates customers on the airline’s routes into San Francisco, Houston and Chicago will gain access to almost 200 U.S. cities served by United. The two carriers will also have an interline partnership for connections at eight of Emirates’ other U.S. gateways, including Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington Dulles. “This agreement will also give the loyalty program members of both airlines more opportunities for more rewards: United MileagePlus members flying on United’s Newark/New York to Dubai flight can soon earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond on Emirates and flydubai and Emirates Skywards members will be able to earn miles when they travel on United operated flights. Eligible United customers will also soon have access to Emirates lounges when connecting to and from United’s new Dubai flight,” United said.  In other international route developments, JetBlue is slated to kick off its fourth London route next week (Sept. 20) when it starts daily Boston-London Heathrow flights. Last month, the carrier introduced Boston-London Gatwick service to supplement its routes from New York JFK to both Heathrow and Gatwick; it plans to add a second daily JFK-LGW flight Oct. 29. Delta has firmed up plans for its expanded South Africa service this winter: On Dec. 2, it plans to start flying a triangular Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta route four days a week, while its current Atlanta-Johannesburg turnaround service will be cut from daily to three days a week. Then on Dec. 17, Delta plans to start Atlanta-Cape Town nonstops operating three days a week. Southwest Airlines is scheduled to expand its Costa Rica presence next March, adding a weekly Saturday flight from Denver to San Jose to supplement its existing weekly Denver-Liberia service.  Passengers arrive at Ontario International Airport. Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On the domestic side, United has revived its route from San Francisco International to Omaha, Nebraska — which had been suspended in spring of 2020 — operating one daily round trip with an E175 regional jet; it will upgrade to mainline A320/A319 service starting Oct. 30. JSX, the regional airline offering small-jet service with business class-type amenities, plans to start daily flights Nov. 1 between Oakland and Dallas Love Field, with “a quick stopover in Las Vegas” in both directions and introductory fares starting at $499 one-way. JSX is also adding other Texas service including seasonal Dallas Love Field-Miami flights beginning Sept. 22 and seasonal flights between Dallas and Gunnison/Crested Butte, Colorado, as of Nov. 18. On the East Coast, Delta is planning to augment its New York LaGuardia-Washington Reagan National shuttle flights with new service between LGA and Washington Dulles starting Nov. 9, operating four flights a day with 76-passenger, two-class E175s. The Transportation Security Administration said this week it has added four more foreign carriers to its PreCheck program, so that travelers ticketed on those airlines who belong to PreCheck can now take advantage of the expedited scre...

Bits’n’bytes: Know About Startup, Business News In Pune – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/bitsnbytes-know-about-startup-business-news-in-pune-hindustan-times/ iCreate and COEP’s Bhau Institute hosts EVangelise‘22 roadshow Tech innovation-based startup incubator iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology) in association with College of Engineering Pune’s (COEP’s) Bhau Institute of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership hosted a roadshow with the aim of engaging with the startup and innovators ecosystem in Pune to attract participation for its flagship EV Innovation Challenge – EVangelise’22. Innovators, students and startups from around the city participated in the event to showcase their breakthrough solutions. Innovators also pitched their solutions on the spot to a distinguished panel, including Dhananjay Kumar, Emeritus prof, PGD in electrical mobility, COEP; Shantanu Chaturvedi, head EV-CoE, iCreate and Shantanu Poddar, head-sales and promotion, iCreate. Shortlisted applicants won a cash prize of ₹50,000 and a direct entry to EVangelise ‘22. The applications to EVangelise ‘22 closes on September 25, 2022. Maharashtra farmers bag Outgrow Kisan Pragati Awards Outgrow, an AI-based farmer engagement and real-time advisory platform from WayCool Foods, announced the winners of Outgrow Kisan Pragati Awards 2022. Established with an aim to identify best practices in the space of agriculture and farming, the award was conferred upon nine farmers from Maharashtra under three categories — farming innovations, natural farming initiatives and women agri-entrepreneurs. The winners are Vijay Gargote, Mayur Wagh, Bhushan Nikam for farming innovations; Nagesh Nanaware, Vishwanath Holage, Sharad Bonde for natural farming initiatives and Surekha Nandakumar Jadhav, Draupada Santosh Kangulkar and Rani Balasaheb Naik for women agri-entrepreneurs’ category. Sendhil Kumar, head, Outgrow and Farmer Engagement, said, “We work on ground along with farmers, shoulder-to-shoulder ensuring that they build a profitable and a sustainable future. While we work with farmer network, there are still many hidden innovations that need its due recognition.” The call for nomination process received over 500 applications and the winners were selected by a jury including Prof Mahaveer Singh Chavan, student welfare officer of Mahatma Phule Agricultural University Rahuri; RG Somkuwar, director, National Research Centre for Grapes; Prashant Naikwadi, national president, Residue free & Organic Mission India Federation (ROMIF INDIA) and Prashant Shete, senior scientist and head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Narayangaon, Pune. Jatayu Unmanned Systems successfully tests indigenous combat UAV Drone startup Jatayu Unmanned Systems recently tested an indigenously developed combat unmanned aerial vehicle (CUAV) successfully. In collaboration with the law-enforcement agencies in Mumbai, a field test was conducted earlier this month where a standard issue assault rifle weapon was live-fired mounted on a UAV platform. The company has been building drones for defence applications since 2015 and calls it’s UCAV “India’s First Combat-Ready UAV”. Jatayu’s combat drone is indigenously designed and developed using modern precision manufacturing techniques. Capt Aman Johri, CEO, Jatayu Unmanned Systems, said, “Our Jatayu Aim-X is a fully ‘Make in India’ UAV platform built specifically for the Indian scenario. It’s been under development since 2016 and we’ve previously live-fired it successfully under trials with the Indian armed forces, obtaining an accuracy of 93 per cent on target. In the coming weeks, we’re due to test our platform with various other units of the Indian Army.” Awiros raises $7m led by Inflexor and Exfinity Tech-focused VC funds, Inflexor Ventures and Exfinity Venture Partners, led the Series A round in Awiros, a deep-tech startup that develops an AI-based computer-vision platform primarily for video processing. The current round of funding also saw participation from VedaVC, leading family offices and UHNIs. Awiros was founded in 2015 by Vikram Gupta and Yatin Kavishwar. Awiros is bridging a key gap in the market through its offering, a marketplace of Video AI “Apps” that allows its customers to discover and adopt suitable technology solutions quickly. Vikram Gupta, CEO and co-founder, Awiros, said “This funding round will help us build further momentum for global growth by increasing our market share, streamlining technical operations and investing in the R&D of existing and new product categories.” EMotorad expands operations in Europe Pune-based electric vehicle (EV) company EMotorad announced its global expansion into Europe to build a presence in major EV markets across the globe. Initially, EMotorad is planning to target five major countries in Europe – Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands, to grow exponentially across the continent. The company projects a business growth of nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent quarter on a quarter basis. Aditya Oza, co-founder and CMO, EMotorad said, “Europe is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for electric vehicles with an affluent customer base. This will provide EMotorad with a huge opportunity to produce electric cycles for the mass market on a world-class infrastructure that already serves electric vehicles. We are confident that an Indian startup can prove its mettle and build confidence in terms of quality.” Founded in 2020, EMotorad has already expanded its business across 82 towns and cities in India and abroad – Japan, UAE and Nepal. Krishify app introduces voice search feature Krishify, social network and commerce platform for farmers, has introduced a voice search feature to help farmers easily search for relevant topics on its social network. 54 per cent of farmers on Krishify platform are using speech-to-text transcription in the comments section instead of typing comments, which guided the company to make a data-centric decision and launch this new feature. Krishify has onboarded a community of more than 9 million farmers as well as hundreds of businesses, SMEs, retailers, distributors on its network out of which more than 0.8 million users are from Maharashtra. Avinash Kumar, chief operating officer, Krishify said, “Consumers are shifting focus towards voice with each passing day. It’s quite natural for people to prefer to talk rather than type or click. Moreover, in rural India, voice search has a high utility purpose as our data suggests.”

Hibiscus Primary Promotes Health – South Coast Herald https://collincountynewsonline.com/hibiscus-primary-promotes-health-south-coast-herald/ Hibiscus Primary School staff and learners with staff from the department of health. Hibiscus Primary School recently held its Health Promotion Launch. The school was chosen to be a health promoting school in 2018. In 2019, the school was appraised by the department of health. A health promoting school is a site where everyone is constantly strengthening the capacity of the site as a healthy setting for living, learning and working. Learning sites are ideal settings to promote the health of learners, educators, parents and the communities. The school was assessed by the department of health and achieved a score of 98%. The school aims to continue with its promotion towards healthy living for all staff, learners and the community at large. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Here Is The Latest Pac-12 Conference Sports News From The Associated Press – Corsicana Daily Sun https://collincountynewsonline.com/here-is-the-latest-pac-12-conference-sports-news-from-the-associated-press-corsicana-daily-sun-3/ BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has ordered a new trial for a former decorated University of Southern California water polo coach convicted in the sprawling college admissions bribery scandal. In throwing out Jovan Vavic’s fraud and bribery conviction, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found some evidence introduced by the government to be unreliable and that prosecutors erred in their argument to jurors about some of the alleged bribe money. Vavic was convicted in April after being arrested in March 2019 in the headline-grabbing “Operation Varsity Blues” investigation. He had guided USC’s men’s and women’s water polo teams to 16 national championships. UNDATED (AP) — The 25th-ranked Oregon Ducks play their second ranked opponent of the season when No. 12 Brigham Young makes its first trip to Autzen Stadium since 1990 on Saturday. Oregon has won 29 straight nonconference home games, the second-longest active streak in FBS, including seven against ranked teams. Bo Nix had five touchdown passes against Eastern Washington last week after throwing two interceptions in the opener vs. Georgia. BYU won all five games against Pac-12 teams last season, including two against ranked teams. Jaren Hall is 7-1 as a starting quarterback against ranked teams. UNDATED (AP) — BYU’s double-overtime victory over Baylor moved the Cougars up nine spots to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 and gave the team a boost nationally in its final year as an FBS independent. But the attention quickly shifted to Saturday’s game at Oregon, and the latest opportunity to make BYU’s season special. The Ducks are coming off a 70-14 win at home over Eastern Washington. The rout helped Oregon move on from its disappointing season-opening loss to Georgia and popped the Ducks back into the rankings at No. 25. LOS ANGELES (AP) — No. 7 Southern California’s roaring start under Lincoln Riley has caught the college football world’s attention and driven the Trojans to their highest ranking in five years. Fresno State is exactly the type of opponent that could put the brakes on all the excitement around a rebuilding project that’s humming along smoothly. Caleb Williams looks to remain unbeaten on the West Coast when the quarterback leads USC back to the Coliseum to face coach Jeff Tedford, quarterback Jake Haener and the Bulldogs, who came agonizingly close to an upset of Oregon State. SEATTLE (AP) — No. 11 Michigan State and Washington have looked great for the first two weeks of the season against lesser competition. Now both teams seek validation when the Huskies host the Spartans on Saturday. Michigan State beat up on Akron and Western Michigan to open the season. Washington thumped Kent State and Portland State. A win for Washington would be big in coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season in charge. A win for the Spartans would be just as significant in proving they are worthy of their high ranking. UNDATED (AP) — No. 14 Utah found its quarterback in Cameron Rising a year ago in a three-overtime loss against San Diego State when he came off the bench to spark the Utes. Rising has gone 10-3 as a starter since taking over. He went on to guide the Utes to a Pac-12 title and a spot in the Rose Bowl. The Utes enter this year’s game against the Aztecs at Rice-Eccles Stadium as a 20 1/2-point favorite. The Utes are chasing after win No. 300 against Mountain West teams. Utah was a member of the  league before joining the Pac-12 in 2011. UNDATED (AP) — Marcus Freeman has lost his first three games since taking over as Notre Dame’s coach. His fourth chance comes Saturday when the Fighting Irish host unbeaten California. It’s the first time the teams have met since 1967. The biggest problem for Notre Dame has been a stagnant offense. The Irish rank No. 117 out of 131 FBS teams in scoring offense and total offense. And this week they’ll have a new quarterback running the show as Drew Pyne replaces the injured Tyler Buchner. UNDATED (AP) — Oregon State plays Montana State on Saturday at Portland’s Providence Park. The Beavers haven’t played in Portland since 1986, when they faced UCLA. Oregon State is 2-0 for the first time since 2014, coming off wins over Boise State and Fresno State. Montana State is coming off a 63-13 victory over Morehead State in Bozeman. The Bobcats beat current Pac-12 member Colorado 19-10 back in 2006. That was Montana State’s last victory over an FBS team. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

BlackPink Bags Best Metaverse Performance Award At MTV VMAs – Crypto Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/blackpink-bags-best-metaverse-performance-award-at-mtv-vmas-crypto-times/ The biggest girl group in the world right now, Kpop group BlackPink, bagged the best metaverse performance award at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) 2022. Blackpink was up against musicians Ariana Grande (Fortnite), BTS (YouTube), Charli XCX (Roblox), Justin Bieber (Wave), and the Twenty One Pilots (Roblox). On August 12, MTV VMAs revealed its first-ever Metaverse experience in addition to this brand-new award category. The VMA Experience was accessible until September 3  and was introduced in the Roblox metaverse by Paramount Game Studios. Also Read: Snoop Dogg & Eminem to perform at MTV VMAs 2022 The metaverse category for this year’s VMAs was introduced following five years of dwindling viewership. MTV’s decision to feature virtual performance may help keep it current as the metaverse flourishes and draws younger audiences. Author Vismaya is a technical writer currently involved in the crypto industry. She holds a specific interest in blockchain technology. When not writing, she grooves to “Nirvana” and doesn’t forget to flaunt her dance moves occasionally.

Explore The Sky With A New Drone: Limited-Time Deal – MUO – MakeUseOf https://collincountynewsonline.com/explore-the-sky-with-a-new-drone-limited-time-deal-muo-makeuseof/ Drones from several brands are going on sale for a day and you won’t want to miss out. Drones are a lot of fun, and when you buy the right one, they can also be a great way to take videos and pictures as you travel. If you’re looking for a cool drone, we know of some massive discounts that are available one-day-only on Amazon. Fly Your Drone On September 17th only, a bunch of drones are going on sale on Amazon. You’ll want to at least check them out to see if any of them catches your eye. They’re sleek, powerful, and have a great price! Holy Stone HS710: Get it for $175.99 (down from $219.99) Holy Stone HS110D: Get it for $59.99 (down from $89.99) Holy Stone HS440: Get it for $79.99 (down from $99.99) Holy Stone HS420: Get it for $44.99 (down from $55.99) Holy Stone HS190: Get it for $20.99 (down from $29.99) Deerc DE22PRO: Get it for $271.99 (down from $339.99) Deerc D50: Get it for $75.99 (down from $94.99) Deerc D60: Get it for $63.99 (down from $79.99) Deerc D10: Get it for $67.99 (down from $96.99) Deerc D23: Get it for $35.99 (down from $44.99) Holyton HT02: Get it for $23.99 (down from $29.99) Holyton HT02G: Get it for $23.99 (down from $29.99) Holyton HS300N: Get it for $27 (down from $33.99) Please remember that these deals are only good for September 17th, so make sure you order yours as soon as possible. The Drones You’ll Want to Fly Holy Stone“” data-img-url=”https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/横幅.jpg” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” Image Credit: Holy Stone There are so many drones you can get nowadays, each with its own cool perks and features. The Holy Stone HS710 is a great camera drone for adults. It can record in UHD 4K and features a 120°wide angle lens. The drone comes with a remote controller, but you can also use a phone app. You can create custom flight paths in the app and the drone will follow your instructions. Alternatively, you can enable the Follow Me feature and have the drone fly behind you, recording whatever adventure you’re on. Alternatively, you can also set a point of interest, which means the drone will fly around you or whatever you’re trying to capture footage of. While this particular drone is usually sold for $220, it’s now available for $176, which is quite a hefty price cut. Great Drones, Great Prices Choosing a drone is a serious decision, especially as they’re not exactly the cheapest gadgets out there. So go ahead and study the discounted drones above and pick your favorite.

Thai SEC Proposes Banning Crypto Businesses From Staking And Lending Activities – Regulation Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://collincountynewsonline.com/thai-sec-proposes-banning-crypto-businesses-from-staking-and-lending-activities-regulation-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed banning businesses from engaging in crypto staking and lending activities. The regulator is seeking public comments on the proposal, noting that the purpose of this prohibition is “to provide greater protection to investors and reduce associated risks.” Thailand Seeks Public Comments on 2 Crypto Regulatory Proposals The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Thursday that it is seeking public comments on two proposals relating to the regulation of crypto assets. The comment period for both proposals ends on Oct. 17. The first is a proposal to prohibit businesses from crypto staking and lending activities. The securities watchdog said the purpose of this prohibition is “to provide greater protection to investors and reduce associated risks.” The regulator detailed that under this proposal, businesses cannot accept “deposits of digital assets from the customers and lend, invest, stake or employ such digital assets.” Crypto firms also cannot accept “deposit of digital assets from the customers and pay the customers regular interests or other types of benefits from their own source of fund.” Moreover, they are prohibited from “Providing support to third parties that undertake crypto saving and lending services, including marketing.” The second is a proposal to obligate digital asset firms to disclose risk information as proposed by the SEC to users before admitting them to their platforms. Crypto firms must also require a minimum purchase of 5,000 baht ($135) for digital assets. Crypto regulation in Thailand is undergoing changes. In August, the Thai finance minister revealed plans to amend the country’s law on digital assets to tighten the oversight of the crypto sector, particularly trading platforms. Earlier this month, the Thai SEC approved new requirements for crypto ads. What do you think about the two crypto regulatory proposals by the Thai SEC? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

U.S. Appeals Court Rejects Big Tech’s Right To Regulate Online Speech – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-appeals-court-rejects-big-techs-right-to-regulate-online-speech-reuters/ Facebook, Google and Twitter logos are seen in this combination photo from Reuters files. REUTERS/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 16 (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a Texas law that bars large social media companies from banning or censoring users based on “viewpoint,” a setback for technology industry groups that say the measure would turn platforms into bastions of dangerous content. The 3-0 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, sets up the potential for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the law, which conservatives and right-wing commentators have said is necessary to prevent “Big Tech” from suppressing their views. “Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say,” Judge Andrew Oldham, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, wrote in the ruling. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The Texas law was passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature and signed by its Republican governor. The tech groups that challenged the law and were on the losing end of Friday’s ruling include NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which count Meta Platforms’ (META.O) Facebook, Twitter (TWTR.N) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube as members. They have sought to preserve rights to regulate user content when they believe it may lead to violence, citing concerns that unregulated platforms will enable extremists such as Nazi supporters, terrorists and hostile foreign governments. The association on Friday said it disagreed with forcing private companies to give equal treatment to all viewpoints. “‘God Bless America’ and ‘Death to America’ are both viewpoints, and it is unwise and unconstitutional for the state of Texas to compel a private business to treat those the same,” it said in a statement. Some conservatives have labeled the social media companies’ practices abusive, pointing to Twitter’s permanent suspension of Trump from the platform shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Twitter had cited “the risk of further incitement of violence” as a reason. The Texas law forbids social media companies with at least 50 million monthly active users from acting to “censor” users based on “viewpoint,” and allows either users or the Texas attorney general to sue to enforce the law. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Twitter hailed the ruling as “massive victory for the constitution and free speech.” Because the 5th Circuit ruling conflicts with part of a ruling by the 11th Circuit, the aggrieved parties have a stronger case for petitioning the Supreme Court to hear the matter. In May, the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, found that most of a similar Florida law violates the companies’ free speech rights and cannot be enforced. [nL2N2XF2O2] Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Tech Weekender | Top News From The World Of Technology This Week – Moneycontrol https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-tech-weekender-top-news-from-the-world-of-technology-this-week-moneycontrol-2/ iPhone 14 models go on sale, Motorola flagship launched in India, Uber hacked, and more. September 17, 2022 / 03:45 PM IST Google is planning to shift the assembly of one of its flagship phone brands to India, as COVID-19-induced lockdowns continue to hit the pace of manufacturing in China. Google has asked manufacturers in India to submit bids for the assembly of 500,000 to 1 million units of its Pixel smartphones, The Information reported, citing a company source. Apple’s new iPhone 14 models recently went on sale in India alongside the Apple Watch Series 8 and new Watch SE. The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max recently went on sale in India and globally, although the iPhone 14 Plus won’t be able to purchase until October 7. Additionally, the new Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 8 are also available for purchase, although the Apple Watch Ultra will be available for purchase from September 23. Uber’s computer network was breached on Thursday leading it to take several internal communications and engineering systems offline, the New York Times reported.An Uber spokesman told the Times that it was investigating the breach and contacting law enforcement officials. Uber has reportedly said that there was no evidence that the hacker got access to sensitive user data. A group of 13 companies urged the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to approve a bill that would rein in giant tech companies like Alphabet’s Google and Meta’s Facebook. DuckDuckGo, Mozilla, Proton and other companies that advertise themselves as pro-privacy expressed support for a bill to ban self-preferencing by Big Tech platforms like Google and Amazon.com. A U.S. congressional leader on antitrust, Senator Amy Klobuchar, has spent much of the summer urging the Senate to pass the bill to no avail. Bharti Airtel announced that its subsidiary Nxtra Data Limited has joined hands with Bloom Energy to deploy low environmental impact fuel cell installation at its data center in Karnataka, reducing carbon emissions through a cleaner, hydrogen ready fuel supply. This venture will be the first ever data center company in India to deploy fuel cell technology in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions at its data center, thus reducing carbon emissions through a clearer hydrogen ready fuel supply. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) informed that it has partnered with the United States-based wholesale grocery and supply chain giant C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc to build a new operations platform on Google Cloud and help it reduce its carbon footprint while enhancing customer experience. TCS will help reduce C&S’s carbon footprint by migrating its data centre workloads to the carbon-neutral infrastructure of Google Cloud. Apple recently rolled out iOS 16 for iPhones ranging from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. iOS 16 was first showcased at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event back in June. With iOS 16, Apple is taking customization to heart with new lock screen customization and novel ways to share and upload content with the family. iOS 16 will also bring updates to the Messages and Mail apps, while Live Text will now be able to translate videos. Apple Pay Later, Order Tracking and more are now coming to Wallet. Additionally, there are updates to updates to Safari, Apple Maps, Family Sharing and more. A new government report seen by Reuters, calls for a regulatory authority to monitor and classify online gaming websites in India. The report, drafted by a panel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s top officials, called for intervention and a stricter classification of India’s online gaming sector. The new report follows up on this meeting and calls for extensive regulation and classification. It also proposes the industry be regulated through rules covered under India’s existing IT law as an “Interim measure.” Motorola recently unveiled its flagship smartphone in India. The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra arrives with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a 144Hz P-OLED display, and is the first smartphone to feature a 200 MP primary camera sensor. The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra features a starting price of Rs 59,999 in India. Motorola also launched the Edge 30 Fusion with a Snapdragon 888+ SoC, 144Hz OLED display, and a 50 MP triple-camera setup. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion features a starting price of Rs 42,999 in the country. At the ongoing Tokyo Game Show, Capcom confirmed that fan favorite fighters Ken, Blanka, Dhalsim and E. Honda will be returning for the Street Fighter 6’s roster. The Japanese game developer also announced the dates for the upcoming closed beta test, scheduled for October 7-10. The test will feature eight playable characters from the roster and the game’s seven modes – Ranked Match, Casual Match, Battle Hub Match, Open Tournament, Extreme Battle, Game Center and Training Mode.