James Kelso

Spotlight Interview: Nick Falcone, Founder And Managing Principal, Rentyl Resorts | – Hotel Technology News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/spotlight-interview-nick-falcone-founder-and-managing-principal-rentyl-resorts-hotel-technology-news/ 10.13.2022 Rentyl Resorts is the brainchild of Nick Falcone, who came up with the idea over the dinner table with his father and brothers. The family was discussing their frustration with the difficulty of finding vacation rentals that were spacious enough to accommodate large families or groups of friends. Nick and his brothers had also noticed that many vacation rental properties were in need of updating and renovation. They saw an opportunity to create a business that would offer high-quality, spacious vacation rentals that were also well-maintained and stylish. With the support of their father, an experienced real estate developer, they set to work creating Rentyl Resorts. The company has now been in operation for several years and has earned a reputation for offering some of the best vacation rental properties in the market. In this interview, Nick shares how the company leverages technology to fuel company growth, improve operational performance and engender guest loyalty. First off, congrats on all your success in growing Rentyl Resorts from a regional Florida-based business to a worldwide resort collection. What role did technology play in fueling that growth? Technology plays a major role in the growth of Rentyl Resorts. Our technology has enabled us to expand and grow our business as our partnerships require connectivity. Technology also provides us with the internal tools necessary to maximize performance and differentiate from our competition. Lastly, we feel that our technology is key to growing our consumer facing side of the business with programs such as our multi-industry loyalty program that provides unique benefits to travelers in their daily life beyond hospitality experiences. What differentiates the Rentyl Resorts booking platform from those of other leading players in the vacation rentals space? What do you view as some of the platform’s competitive strengths? Rentyl is a branded platform that represents high quality homes mixed with the amenities, services, and  standards of a resort. We work with developers to build these resorts from the ground up and our platform truly blends the worlds of development and hospitality together. Some of the strengths of our platform include trusted accommodations in a resort setting, consumer-facing loyalty that expands benefits beyond the resort, upcoming features such as installment payments, ease of booking resort experiences, growing residential resort inventory, double points between our loyalty program, credit card providers, and much more. Can you talk a bit about Rentyl Resorts’ technology-enabled loyalty program? How does it work and what advantages can both property owners and guests expect from using this feature? Our loyalty program is multi-industry, we can work with businesses that perform any function to tie them into the program. This creates unique benefits that can impact daily life and make our loyalty program one that provides value way beyond travel. For example, users will be able to accrue points from transactions with Rentyl and then use these points at participating vendors such as restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping and more. Our members will also be able to put these points towards their largest transactions in life such as buying a car or home. Our property owners can see clear benefits as they receive points for their initial home purchase that can then be utilized for a multitude of future purchases.   How can vacation rentals and resorts work together to mutually benefit and cater to travel needs and what role do you see technology playing in the collaboration? One of our core technologies that we are developing is our Rentyl Match program. This program takes individual home inventory and allows the home to match with a hotel/resort. This seamless technology will enable homeowners and hotels/resorts to find each other, vet each other, sign contracts, and connect for the benefits that arise on both sides. The homeowner will now have an established hotel/resort that their guests will have access to and in some cases will take over the operations of the home. The homeowner will also have increased exposure by having their home on Rentyl distribution network, along with a higher ADR. The guest can be confident that the home must meet brand standards and will enjoy a more seamless resort experience by taking advantage of all resort services and amenities. The hotel/resort will bring in resort fees and booking revenue (They receive a percentage of homeowner revenue) in exchange for the services and amenities they provide. This allows the hotel’s value to increase by bringing in new revenue without the overhead costs of building new inventory. We will be rolling out this program in 2023 and believe it will revolutionize the vacation home industry. You’re a recognized leader and innovator in the tourism and hospitality industry, having founded NDM Hospitality Services more than a decade ago. Can you tell us a bit about your career trajectory? We were blessed early on in my career to get involved with a great and growing company named BurgerFi which at the time had one restaurant and has now blossomed to over 120 all over the world. I learned so much about business by owning and working in a restaurant. It taught us about real estate selection, buildouts, negotiations, operations, people management, and so much more. We were able to take these skills and look for new ways we can complement developers. This is a mission of NDM Hospitality, and led us to the vision of Rentyl Resorts. Rentyl was exclusive to the central Florida area for the first 3 years, and with proof of concept we found we had something special that could be replicated all over the world. We quickly began visioning our technology backbone, establishing brand partnerships that could launch us to another level, and outlined our menu of services for hoteliers and developers around the world to increase our inventory. In 2022 we embarked on our first outside financial raise to further push the growth of the business. This all has led us to where we are today and we couldn’t be prouder of this trajectory as we’ve been able to open multiple businesses, over $100 million a year in revenue achieved through our establishments, with significant growth opportunities ahead of us. What do you do in your job on a day-to-day basis? What do you like most about your work? My position focusses on five main areas of the company: financing, marketing, technology, business development, and people/culture. My favorite things to work on revolve around marketing, technology, and business/culture. What I love about marketing and technology is that there is so much uncharted territory and ways to be entrepreneurial and create what no one else has done before. These two areas of the business really bring out my creativity and innovation. When it comes to people/culture, one of my WHY’s that drive me every day is the ability to impact people’s lives and hopefully leave a positive mark that will enrich those individuals’ futures by providing knowledge, opportunity, and care. How has the original vision for Rentyl Resorts changed — or not changed — as the company has grown over the past decade? The vision hasn’t necessarily changed but I would say that the goal posts have shifted in regards to where we want to deploy the vision and how to grow it. We’ve always had the goal to compliment developers and provide additional value by controlling hospitality content within developments. We knew we wanted to take our knowledge from restaurants and apply it to other aspects of hospitality which we have done. Getting involved with vacation rentals became a natural fit as our careers progressed. What we didn’t expect is the diversity of industries that we are now involved in ranging from technology, hotels and resorts, vacation rentals, residential clubs, apartment management, retail management, entertainment management, development consulting, and more. We are now positioned in a very unique place, where as a family, we have tremendous vertical integration and understanding of how to execute at the most granular level in many different types of businesses. This allows us to be very successful in more complicated real estate deals.  What will be the primary focus areas for Rentyl Resorts in the coming year? Any new technology-related initiatives? From a growth perspective we started the year with 400 accommodations and now have over 13,000 under contract with expectations to continue rapid expansion of our brand footprint this coming year. I mentioned earlier one of our key technology initiatives is the Rentyl Match program. We will also be working on rolling out the real estate and retail sections of our Spire loyalty program. Any major achievements over the past year that we haven’t yet mentioned? Anything else new and noteworthy in terms of new partnerships, platform enhancements, recognitions, etc.?   We are the first company in the world to establish an Embassy Suites Condo Hotel in partnership with Hilton. We established a brand partnership with Jack Nicklaus utilizing the Bear’s Den Resort IP to grow the brand into hospitality and expand it all over the world.

AP Top Business News At 2:05 P.m. EDT – WTMJ https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ap-top-business-news-at-205-p-m-edt-wtmj-2/ by AP News October 13, 2022 in AP Business, AP News Previous Post Putin tempts Turkey, suggests making it Europe’s new gas hub Next Post N. Korea fires another missile, flies warplanes near border AP News Stay Connected 22.3k Followers 1k Follower 643 Subscribers Most Popular AP Top Sports News at 3:49 p.m. EDT October 13, 2022 DC sues chemical manufacturer over pesticide pollution October 13, 2022 Bezos family donates $710M to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center October 13, 2022 Stocks mount biggest comeback in years; Dow, S&P 500 jump 3% October 13, 2022 Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Trump for testimony on Capitol attack October 13, 2022

YMCA Brings Hunterdon County Community Leaders Together To Discuss Current And Emerging Needs Facing Residents – TAPinto.net https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ymca-brings-hunterdon-county-community-leaders-together-to-discuss-current-and-emerging-needs-facing-residents-tapinto-net/ YMCA Brings Hunterdon County Community Leaders Together to Discuss Current and Emerging Needs Facing Residents  TAPinto.net

What Channel Is Bears Vs. Commanders On Today? Schedule, Time For NFL’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ In Week 6 – Sporting News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/what-channel-is-bears-vs-commanders-on-today-schedule-time-for-nfls-thursday-night-football-in-week-6-sporting-news/ The Commanders pay a visit to Soldier Field on Thursday night. Both Chicago and Washington have gotten off to inauspicious starts (to put it lightly) to the 2022 NFL season. The Commanders are fresh off a tough loss to the Titans, leading to coach Ron Rivera uttering some backhanded compliments about his starting quarterback, Carson Wentz. Quarterback is the theme of the week, apparently, and all eyes are on the Bears’ second-year passer. Justin Fields is coming off perhaps the best half of football in his career, finishing Sunday’s game on a heater, completing 12 of 13 passes and putting Chicago in position to at least tie the game vs. the Vikings — until an Ihmir Smith-Marsette fumble all but sealed the loss. With N’Keal Harry returning for the Bears, Fields could have some much-needed reinforcements outside. It remains to be seen just how much that may help the sophomore passer, though. MORE: NFL power rankings | Week 6 picks  | Buy NFL tickets Here’s how to catch the “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Bears and Commanders. What channel is Bears vs. Commanders on today? Game: Commanders at Bears Date: Thursday, Oct. 13 TV channel: Chicago, Fox 32 (WFLD32) | Washington D.C, Fox 5 (WTTG 5) Live stream: Amazon Prime Video (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada) As is the case with “Thursday Night Football” for the remainder of the season (and the foreseeable future), Amazon Prime Video will exclusively broadcast the games to the national audience. Viewers in local markets will be able to watch the game on local networks. This week, the Bears will be on Fox 32 in Chicago, while viewers in Washington, D.C. will be able to catch the game on Fox 5. The Canadian audience can watch the game on TSN1/4, CTV2 or RDS2 for the French-speaking audience. Viewers in Canada will be able to stream the game on DAZN. MORE: NFL on Amazon Prime, explained — What to know about football on streaming service Bears vs. Commanders start time Date: Thursday, Oct. 6 Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. CT) Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET, the customary time for “Thursday Night Football” matchups. That’s 7:15 p.m. local time in Chicago.  Amazon’s pre-game show airs in the hour leading up to the game. MORE: Why ‘Thursday Night Football’ on Amazon is prime NFL viewing NFL live stream for Bears vs. Commanders Given that Amazon holds exclusive streaming rights for “Thursday Night Football,” it will be the only streaming option for “TNF” games throughout the 2022 season. NFL Week 6 schedule Thursday, Oct. 13 Game Kickoff time (ET) TV channel Bears vs. Commanders 8:15 p.m.  Amazon Sunday, Oct. 16 Game Kickoff time (ET) TV channel Falcons vs. 49ers 1 p.m. Fox Browns vs. Patriots 1 p.m. CBS Packers vs. Jets 1 p.m. Fox Colts vs. Jaguars 1 p.m. CBS Dolphins vs. Vikings 1 p.m. Fox Saints vs. Bengals 1 p.m. CBS Giants vs. Ravens 1 p.m. CBS Steelers vs. Buccaneers 1 p.m. Fox Rams vs. Panthers 4:05 p.m. Fox Seahawks vs. Cardinals 4:05 p.m. Fox Chiefs vs. Bills 4:25 p.m. CBS Eagles vs. Cowboys 8:20 p.m. NBC Monday, Oct. 17 Game Kickoff time (ET) TV channel Chargers vs. Broncos 8:15 p.m. ESPN — The Sporting News has joined with TicketSmarter in an exclusive partnership to provide tickets for sporting events in the U.S. and Canada. Fans can go to TicketSmarter with this link and use code TSN15 to take $15 off orders of $100 or more before fees and shipping.

This Billion-Dollar Metaverse Claims It Has 7000 Daily Users, Not 38 – PC Gamer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/this-billion-dollar-metaverse-claims-it-has-7000-daily-users-not-38-pc-gamer/ Home News (Image credit: Future – Jorge Jimenez) We’ve heard the term “dead game (opens in new tab)” before. It’s an inflammatory way to judge live service games for losing players, even in circumstances when they measurably have hundreds of thousands of players. But what do you call a metaverse that has a low player count? A “dead metaverse?” A “metacrypt?” Last week blockchain analytics firm DappRadar reported that Ethereum-based metaverse Decentraland (opens in new tab) only had daily 38 active users with a peak of only 657 active users, numbers that would surely inspire some “dead metaverse” discourse. Decentraland, which is valued at over a billion dollars, pushed back on that reporting, saying its daily users are actually in the high thousands, thank you very much.  Decentraland took to Twitter to refute the reporting, saying, “some websites are tracking only specific smart contract transactions but reporting them as daily active users DAU, which is inaccurate.” The company posted its September user data showing a monthly active user count of 56,697 users. Let’s have a look at some of September’s data:56,697 MAU1,074 Users interacting with smart contracts1,732 minted Emotes6,315 sold Wearables300 Creators received royalties161 created Community Events 148 DAO ProposalsOctober 7, 2022 See more Decentraland creative director Sam Hamilton told CoinDesk, “DappRadar doesn’t track our users, only people interacting with our contracts.” This means that the 38-player figure only counted users performing some sort of transaction on the blockchain, not anyone who logged in to chat with friends or play games. “Imagine you only track the number of people paying for something at a cashier at a shopping mall,” he told Coindesk. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of passerbys.” According to DCL Metrics (a platform created by Decentraland to report user data, so take it with a grain of salt), the sandbox gets an average of 7,091 visitors per day over a 30-day period. That’s not what you get when you divide the monthly user count of 56,967 by 30 days, but Decentraland says we should “embark on a little mental arithmetic journey” on its blog to explain how it got to 7,091. “You might at first divide 56,697, the number of September’s MAU by 30 and come back with the number 1,866. ‘That’s not 8k DAU!,’ you scoff to yourself. But wait—1,866 would be the number of DAU if every one of those 56,697 unique individuals only visited Decentraland once in the month of September, and that’s not what’s happening.” Decentraland continues by saying that “a large number of Decentraland’s users are repeat visitors; they are the Decentraland community and spend time on the platform on a regular basis.” DappRadar admitted in this blog post (opens in new tab) that it doesn’t measure any activity outside of the blockchain ecosystem and is now working with the Decentraland team to report more accurate user metrics. Considering the big financial investments some companies have made into Decentraland, especially in virtual real estate (opens in new tab), you can imagine how the company would want to make sure the world knows that its virtual world has more than 38 people hanging around. Jorge is a hardware writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he’s not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, he’s reviewing all sorts of gaming hardware from laptops with the latest mobile GPUs to gaming chairs with built-in back massagers. He’s been covering games and tech for nearly ten years and has written for Dualshockers, WCCFtech, and Tom’s Guide.

Handy Gadgets Everyone Needs In Their Office – TechNewsGadget https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/handy-gadgets-everyone-needs-in-their-office-technewsgadget/ Global Connection Virtual Icon Diagram Interface Marketing Reserch.Young Businessman Team Analyze Finance Online Report Electronic Gadgets.Coworkers Startup Modern Digital Project.Flares Background. The modern-day office space is going to look drastically different from the average office space of twenty years ago. Technology has become such an integral part of work life in more ways than one. Here are some of the most useful little gadgets that you should have in your company’s office. Adjustable Standing Desks Computer work has expanded in huge ways since the early days of business. No longer is it only software engineers or IT customer service employees who need computers. In fact, it’s a good bet that just about everybody in your company will need a computer for at least a portion of their work. That’s why it’s so important to keep all employees’ physical health in mind. Spending years at a time hunched over a computer screen at a desk can be bad for the eyes, neck, and back – not to mention your mental health. That’s why adjustable standing desks are so important for most sedentary jobs. Label Makers If your work deals with chemicals like ammonia, properly naming their storage is a must. You will need to be labeling some things at some point. That might be for storage purposes, or might simply be for organization. Whatever the reason, that’s nothing that a few well-placed, high-quality label makers can’t fix. The exception is if you need to label items on a larger scale. In some situations, you might need more than a couple of label makers for miscellaneous tasks. Industrial label printers are ideal for printing labels quickly. You should carefully plan and budget how much equipment will be needed for the task in question. Personalized Desk Trinkets Everyone is going to decorate and use their desk or cubicle space differently. You may want to have a small, portable fan to keep you cool. You might want a quick and powerful charging station. Others may want to use cup holders that clip onto the edge of the desk or noise-canceling headphones so they can focus better on their work. Regardless – you should try to find the items you need to make your work experience more enjoyable and relaxing. Efficiency comes from a happy employee who feels like they are thriving, so find ways for you to succeed. Tech companies will have different office equipment than an insurance firm – which in turn, will have different office gadgets from the sales department of a company. Find what works for you and your company culture. Once you do, you won’t be able to go back! Did you enjoy this article? Here’s more to read: How Technology Helped Connect Us During the Pandemic

Lucky Block Price Consolidating As Token Burn Approaches – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/lucky-block-price-consolidating-as-token-burn-approaches-cryptonews/ Lucky Block Burn (https://twitter.com/luckyblockcoin) Disclaimer: The Industry Talk section features insights by crypto industry players and is not a part of the editorial content of Cryptonews.com.  On September 30th, Lucky Block launched a monthly burn program in order to reduce the total supply and help to bolster strong upward price action for the LBLOCK token. Now, with the second monthly LBLOCK burn nearing, LBLOCK is consolidating at a key level and preparing to explode.  What is Lucky Block Lucky Block (LBLOCK) is an NFT-based competition platform that allows people to enter exciting competitions with a wide range of prizes, including $1 million in Bitcoin. As the platform uses blockchain technology, every competition is 100% verifiable and provably fair, drastically increasing the transparency within the prize draw sector.  Lucky Block Website (LuckyBlock.com) As Lucky Block utilizes an NFT-based entry ticket system, it can host a wide range of giveaways simultaneously. Furthermore, these entry ticket-style NFTs are priced in accordance with the potential jackpot of competition, meaning that there is something for everyone, regardless of budget.  In addition to providing its holder with access to a specific Lucky Block competition, each NFT also entitles the holder to receive a portion of the rewards pool once per day. This ensures that each Lucky Block NFT maintains value outside of just the competition.  The Lucky Block Burn Program The Lucky Block burn program launched on September 30th and will continue to continue to take place every month. Within the first year alone this will lead to an 11.5% reduction in the total supply of LBLOCK, likely doing wonders for the price of LBLOCK.  Right now, LBLOCK is consolidating within the $0.000191 region. With LBLOCK trading within this region for around 7 days, it seems likely that an upward move is imminent and the monthly token burn could be that catalyst needed to send LBLOCK soaring.  An upward move from $0.000191 would lead the price of LBLOCK toward a key resistance level of $0.0002268, around a 20% move from today’s prices. Following this, $0.0003271 is the next key area of resistance for the token.  With LBLOCK seemingly preparing for a sharp move toward the upside, it could be the perfect time to check out Lucky Block and stock up on LBLOCK tokens before the burn program sends the value of LBLOCK soaring.  Visit Lucky Block Today Related News and Analysis LBLOCK Price Prediction Lucky Block Reveals Bored Ape Giveaway 12 Best Cheap NFT Projects

With New Crackdown, Biden Wages Global Campaign On Chinese Technology – The New York Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/with-new-crackdown-biden-wages-global-campaign-on-chinese-technology-the-new-york-times/ Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

Tech News You May Have Missed: Oct. 8 – 13 – TechRepublic https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/tech-news-you-may-have-missed-oct-8-13-techrepublic/ on October 13, 2022, 11:59 AM PDT Tech news you may have missed: Oct. 8 – 13 Details about ransomware trends in 2022, attempts to steal Microsoft user credentials and key project management steps are featured in this roundup of our most-read stories last week. We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored partnerships. This may influence how and where their products appear on our site, but vendors cannot pay to influence the content of our reviews. For more info, visit our Terms of Use page. Image: Christina Morillo/Pexels In a week of phishing attacks and virtualization tips, these are the top stories you may have missed on TechRepublic for Oct. 8-13, 2022. Jump to: 2022 State of the Threat: Ransomware is still hitting companies hard How to choose the best Anker power station for remote work 9 things you shouldn’t virtualize Phishing attack spoofs Zoom to steal Microsoft user credentials The 5 steps of project management 2022 State of the Threat: Ransomware is still hitting companies hard Image: Alex/Adobe Stock The overall number of ransomware threats has not changed significantly over the course of 2022, but as the 2022 State of the Threat report shows, the targets and speed have shifted. Cedric Pernet’s analysis of the threat points out that smaller businesses and individuals are at a higher risk of ransomware, and threat actors have reduced the amount of time between a breach and action. SEE: The COVID-19 gender gap: Why women are leaving their jobs and how to get them back to work (free PDF) (TechRepublic) TL;DR: Despite the dissolution of major ransomware groups and better awareness on the part of security professionals, today’s threats are harder to detect and act faster than ever before. Read the full analysis here. How to choose the best Anker power station for remote work Image: Anker. PowerHouse 535 Choosing the right power station to power your work during a power outage or out on the road is crucial to maintaining a continual connection. But Patrick Gray gives us some simple calculations and usage considerations to help you pick the right model to keep you going. TL;DR: Consider the capacity, AC output and number of connection points in your research. Anker power stations have a variety of options for many use cases. Read the full article here. 9 things you shouldn’t virtualize Image: railwayfx/Adobe Stock Planning on diving into virtual machines? Not so fast, says TechRepublic Lead Writer for Edge, Megan Crouse. VMs aren’t helpful for every IT department or every situation. Considering your resources, the use cases and ultimately the ecosystem of your organization is key to getting virtualization right. TL;DR: Carefully consider the problem you’re hoping to solve before virtualizing yourself into a security, redundancy or efficiency hole. Read the full article here. Phishing attack spoofs Zoom to steal Microsoft user credentials Image: ronstik/Adobe Stock Attackers are attempting to steal Microsoft user credentials by sending emails from a Zoom domain. The emails ask targets to enter their Microsoft credentials to retrieve messages that are waiting for them on Zoom. Once the target enters their credentials, the attacker can then use them to access key accounts. TL;DR: Lance Whitney covers several ways companies and employees can guard against these sorts of phishing scams, including using 2-factor authentication for all accounts, which will render attacks of this form useless. Read the full article here. The 5 steps of project management Image: fauxels/Pexels Lack of resources? Too many requests? Not enough time? These problems could spell doom for any project, but your next project might be hamstringed by a threat you didn’t expect: poor management. Instead of firing your project manager (in this economy?), ensure that they’ve got things under control with this checklist. TL;DR: Madeline Clarke reminds us that a well-planned project that moves stepwise through each phase ensures that all stakeholders collaborate on expectations and agree on outcomes. Read the full article here. After Hours Tech & Work

ASUS’ ROG Strix AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router Falls 38% To The All-Time Low Of $123.50 – 9to5Toys https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/asus-rog-strix-ax3000-wi-fi-6-gaming-router-falls-38-to-the-all-time-low-of-123-50-9to5toys/ Amazon is now offering the ASUS ROG Strix AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router for $123.49 shipped. Normally going for $200, this 38% discount, or a $76.50 price drop, marks a new all-time low price we’ve seen for this model. As ASUS puts it, this router is “built to win” with its dedicated gaming Ethernet port which will give priority internet traffic to whatever device is connected to ensure the lowest latency and most stable speed. VPN Fusion also allows the router to direct all internet traffic, except games, through a VPN for privacy while not impacting any game session with added latency and slower speeds. Another benefit of this router is the support for ASUS’ AiMesh system that allows compatible routers to form a mesh network through your home for even better coverage. Head below for more. If you want to save some cash and not pay the premium that comes with a “gaming” router, you could instead go with the TP-Link AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Router for $155. This dual-band router uses Wi-Fi 6 to achieve greater wireless speeds with lower latency when compared to Wi-Fi 5. The six high-gain antennas use Beamforming technology to focus signals to the far reaches of your home for even coverage. When it comes to Wi-Fi 6, AX5400 routers are on the highest end with the 5GHz band achieving a speed upwards of 4.8Gb/s, but some options still provide the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 at lower costs like this option from TP-Link at $80. After upgrading your home network, you can have more confidence in your smart home gear staying connected. We’re currently tracking a deal on 10-feet of Govee Neon Rope Light down at the new all-time low of $47. This flexible and bendable rope light can be configured in any shape you want with the included mounting hardware allowing you to attach it to your walls. Govee’s RGBIC technology allows you to create one of the most customizable setups on the market. ASUS ROG Strix AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router features: Get the competitive edge with ROG Strix GS-AX3000, a WiFi 6 gaming router that gives you the fastest, smoothest WiFi gaming connections ever. With ultrafast WiFi speeds up to 3000 Mbps, it’s ready for the most intense matches, and with fully customizable ASUS Aura RGB lighting effects, it looks great too. If you take gaming seriously, you need the GS-AX3000! FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!

Cultural Resources Management :: U.S. Army Fort Knox: Gold Standard Army Installation – United States Army https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/cultural-resources-management-u-s-army-fort-knox-gold-standard-army-installation-united-states-army/ What are Cultural Resources? The term cultural resources is broad, encompassing things such as landscapes, districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects that are typically 50 years or older. What these things have in common, is they represent the remains of past human activity. By identifying and studying cultural resources, we can learn valuable information about past ways of life. Once identified, cultural resources are evaluated for their National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). In order for a cultural resource to be considered eligible for inclusion in the NRHP, it must first be significant to American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, or culture. Second, it must possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Finally, the cultural resource must hold significance under at least one the following criteria: A. The property must be associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B. The property must be associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C. The property must embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, represent the work of a master, possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. D. The property must show, or may be likely to yield, information important to history or prehistory. What Does the Cultural Resources Management Program Do? The Cultural Resources Management Program ensures Fort Knox complies with both federal and State laws as well as Department of Defense (DoD) regulations concerning the identification and preservation of cultural resources. These laws and regulations include the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Archeological Resources Preservation Act (ARPA), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and Army Regulation (AR) 200-1 – Environmental Protection and Enhancement. The Cultural Resources Management Program works to identify and preserve cultural resources within Fort Knox. These resources are links to our shared history have the potential to reveal important information that may not be available from other sources. When the Army’s mission at Fort Knox is in conflict with preservation, the Cultural Resources Management Program seeks to minimize or mitigate identified conflicts. In these circumstances, the Cultural Resources Management Program strives for a balance between mission sustainment and the preservation of cultural resources. Note: Fort Knox’s archeological sites (and the materials they contain) are protected resources. Intentional vandalism or looting of archaeological sites or the casual removal of artifacts is a felony punishable by fines, confiscation of property, and in some cases imprisonment. If artifacts (e.g., arrowheads, ceramics, bottle, etc.) are encountered, leave the materials in place and contact the Cultural Resources Office. Additionally, the use of metal detectors within Fort Knox is prohibited. Cultural Resources Laws and Regulations Prehistory and History of the Fort Knox Area Fort Knox Architectural Resources Fort Knox Historical Photo Gallery & Brochures Fort Knox Family Cemeteries Cultural Resources Laws and Regulations The Fort Knox Cultural Resources Management Program manages compliance with applicable state and federal laws, DoD regulations, Army regulations, and Executive Orders (EO). These include: Antiquities Act National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Archeological Resources Preservation Act (ARPA) Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) Army Regulation (AR) 200-1 Environmental Protection and Enhancement Executive Order 13007 Prehistory and History of the Fort Knox Area Prehistory The history of human activity within Fort Knox and the surrounding region of Kentucky and Indiana spans several thousand years. The earliest groups to leave a definitive material record of their presence were early Paleoindians who entered the region during the Late Pleistocene glacial epoch more than 10,000 years ago. Their descendants and the descendants of other Native American groups who migrated to the region lived in the Falls of the Ohio area and the lower Ohio River valley for the next 10 millennia. This long prehistoric era lasted until the arrival of the first European explorers and settlers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the beginning of the historic period. While cultural change is a slow and continuous process, archaeologists and other researchers divide the human history of this region into distinct cultural periods. These periods are demarcated by identifiable changes in the material record (e.g., artifacts left behind) of early groups. Changes in material culture are often the result of environmental and climatic changes, as well as presumed demographic shifts. Archaeologists and historians recognize four broadly defined prehistoric periods in the lower Ohio River valley. These include the Paleoindian (ca. 9500–8000 Before the Common Era [BCE]), Archaic (8000–1000 BCE), Woodland, (1000 BCE–900 Common Era [CE]), and Mississippian or Late Prehistoric (900–ca. 1700 CE) periods. The Contact and Historic Periods began with the arrival of the first European explorers and colonists into the region and the subsequent displacement of Native Americans. Contact Period The Contact Period covers the era when native cultures met those of European descent and can be divided into two parts, the Protohistoric Period (1540-1730 CE) and the Historic Indian Period (1730-1795 CE). The term Protohistoric frequently refers to the native culture of North America during the span of time following the first influence of European cultures (principally through trade goods or disease) and, later, when the native cultures were recorded and described by the encroaching Euro-American cultures. Typically, during this period the native cultures underwent acculturation—a virtual breakdown of their former way of life through replacement by or approximation of the cultural norms of the dominant culture. During the Protohistoric period native inhabitants of the region probably consisted of diverse groups speaking Algonquian or Iroquoian languages who based their economies on a combination of horticulture, fishing, hunting, and gathering. During this period, access to the region by Europeans was almost exclusively from the south by the Spanish in Florida (which extended into present-day Georgia and Alabama), and later from the north by the French, who wrote of the Shawnee living on the Ohio. Early Europeans contact with Native Americans in what is now Kentucky may have been indirect, with European trade goods and information about Europeans spread through the existing exchange systems. The earliest European exploration of what was to become Kentucky has not been established, but some historians argue that Hernando de Soto crossed western Kentucky traveling north from the Clarksville, Tennessee, area to Henderson, Kentucky, in early summer of 1541. De Soto then crossed the Ohio River in June 1541 and traveled north toward Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1673, it is recorded that Marquette and Joliet passed by the mouth of the Ohio, in western Kentucky, during their exploration of the Mississippi River. Other French, English, and Spanish traders and explorers may have passed through the territory in the late seventeenth century to mid-eighteenth century as well. Disease increasingly reduced native populations all over the central and eastern parts of the continent during the Protohistoric period. In this region, epidemics are documented from the last decades of the 1500s and into the mid-1600s. Also, the so-called “Beaver Wars,” wars over fur trade competition, enveloped most inhabitants during the mid-1600s, and the Iroquois Confederacy overwhelmed many lesser groups. With the introduction of European diseases and Iroquois pressures in the Ohio Valley, depopulation of the area appears evident. However, few archaeological site data from this period have been investigated, making this claim difficult to assess. From historical accounts, small groups of Shawnees were in the Ohio Valley in the late Protohistoric period The last 65-year segment of the Contact period is called the Historic Indian Period (ca. 1730-1795 CE). The division between the Protohistoric period and the Historic Indian period is marked by a resurgence of Native American populations, but by peoples not originally from this area. The Miami and Wyandot from the north established villages on the Ohio River. Some Shawnee and Delaware were pushed in from English-controlled areas to the northeast and east, and small groups of Mingo, probably a branch of the Seneca, mingled into established villages. In 1768, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, the Iroquois, who claimed Kentucky by conquest, signed over the land south of the Ohio River to the British. This action forced the Shawnee and Mingo to wage war on the British, and later Americans, for the next 20 years. They claimed Kentucky as their hunting grounds and refused to recognize the treaty. Throughout the Historic Period, the Native Americans’ hold on their land proved untenable as they resisted white settlement first by siding with the French in the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and then siding with the English in the American Revolution. Attacks against settlers continued after the Revolution unt...

Travel Industry Veterans Launch TravManity, A Travel Booking Experience – GlobeNewswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/travel-industry-veterans-launch-travmanity-a-travel-booking-experience-globenewswire/ WOOD RIVER, Ill., Oct. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TravManity, a host travel agency, announced today a new booking engine and platform designed to help individuals make the most of their vacation days. TravManity, where travel meets humanity, offers a team of independent agents across the world to help travelers find the perfect experience. Gone are the days of the impersonal booking engine. TravManity combines the ease of use of online booking with the personal touch of a trained independent agent, providing just the right experience for the traveler.  Travel industry veteran Dr. Christopher Cokley and his investment group saw enormous potential in acquiring the assets of an existing travel company that experienced rapid growth in the early days of the host agency boom. Cokley, an innovative entrepreneur with experience serving in executive leadership positions at several publicly traded travel companies, will serve as TravManity’s CEO. He understands the market and has surrounded himself with a team of industry veterans to build the next great travel company.  Shelly Coppersmith, COO of TravManity, has been solely focused on travel since 2001 and was instrumental in bringing about the processes and systems to support tens of thousands of home-based travel agents entering the digital world for the first time. She helped to reshape how travel is booked around the world.  Syreeta Grose, VP of Training and Compliance, has a similar pedigree and has been a top earning travel advisor since 2006. Concentrating on building and shaping future travel agents through robust training and learning opportunities, she’s focused on building an updated training experience to help those new to the field excel in travel while ensuring agents remain compliant with various industry standards and regulations. She is certified in over 200 resorts, destinations, and tourism boards, and is a member of multiple travel associations. “TravManity represents the best the world has to offer. People need new experiences and the opportunity to discover more about themselves, other cultures, and environments,” said Dr. Christopher Cokley, CEO of TravManity. “Travel has a way of opening us up in ways that nothing else can. Studies have shown travel makes you healthier, it can relieve stress, enhance your creativity, and make you happier and more satisfied. I don’t know of a more important mission than to help people lead healthier, happier lives, and that’s exactly our goal and reason for launching TravManity.”  To learn more about TravManity, please visit https://www.travmanity.fun.  About TravManity  TravManity is all about helping individuals make the most of their vacation days. With an incredible team of independent agents across the world, TravManity is redefining how travel is booked, effectively putting humanity back into travel. By empowering its agents with robust training and opportunities, this host agency is leaning into its diverse team of experts in cruises, groups, land tours and niche experiences to help travelers find exactly what they’re looking for on their next trip.   Media Contact:  Syreeta Grose VP, Training and Compliance 618-655-9477 sgrose@travmanity.com Contact Information: Syreeta Grose VP, Training and Compliance sgrose@travmanity.com 618-655-9477 Related Images This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. TravManity

AP Top Business News At 12:02 P.m. EDT – WTMJ https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ap-top-business-news-at-1202-p-m-edt-wtmj/ by AP News October 13, 2022 in AP Business, AP News Previous Post IMF chief urges aggressive fight against soaring inflation Next Post Stocks swing higher in Wall Street’s latest corkscrew moves AP News Stay Connected 22.3k Followers 1k Follower 643 Subscribers Most Popular Clinics offer free vasectomies, citing a surge in demand October 13, 2022 EU report: Frontex covered up migrant pushbacks from Greece October 13, 2022 EXPLAINER: What’s the state of Russia’s missile arsenal? October 13, 2022 Racist remarks: Hurt, betrayal among LA’s Indigenous people October 13, 2022 Sheriff: Vegas officer killed in shooting, suspect arrested October 13, 2022

Post-Roe Decision People Say They’ve Been Denied Necessary Medications – USA TODAY https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/post-roe-decision-people-say-theyve-been-denied-necessary-medications-usa-today/ The nation’s two largest pharmacies, Walgreens and CVS, have updated their company policies to allow their pharmacists to deny medication to people who they think could be circumventing new abortion laws by causing a miscarriage. In a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court in June overturned its 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion. The decision shifted the abortion debate to the states, some of which have passed laws – or are relying on earlier statutes – to ban the procedure. But under policies like the type Walgreens and CVS have in place, and in the months since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, people with no plans, ability or wish to be pregnant have been denied necessary medications by Walgreens pharmacists worried about breaking legal restrictions on abortion, say women’s advocacy groups like Global Healthy Living Foundation, a chronic illness association. What customers should know: Walgreens, CVS pharmacists are withholding medications for people post-Roe. Patients say they feel discriminated against and should be trusted when they say they are not pregnant and don’t plan to be. Pharmacies say they don’t want to break local laws. Walgreens allows pharmacists to use their professional discretion when prescribing medication that could run contrary to local prohibitions on abortion, said Fraser Engerman, a spokesperson for Walgreens Boots Alliance, the owner of the pharmacy chain, which has over 9,000 drugstore locations in the U.S., “Our pharmacists are allowed to use professional judgment when determining the legality of a prescription based on state law,” he told USA TODAY. “If a pharmacist can’t determine the legality, they are required to contact the prescriber to verify the nature of the prescription,” Engerman said. Engerman said that pharmacists have been applying even more scrutiny to possible miscarriage- or birth defect-inducing medications since the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court in June. Mike DeAngelis, executive director for corporate communications at CVS, said the company requires its pharmacists to confirm a medication will not be used to terminate a pregnancy before it will fill a drug. He said that in some locations, CVS had its policy in place prior to Dobbs, like in Texas, where a restrictive law on abortions went into effect prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in June. “That’s why we require pharmacists in these states to validate with the provider that the intended indication is not to terminate a pregnancy before they fill a prescription,” DeAngelis said. “To help ensure patients have quick and easy access to medications, providers are strongly encouraged to include their diagnosis on the prescriptions they write.” The American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association and several other pharmacy groups put out a statement in September urging state policymakers to examine their state abortion laws to ensure that access to necessary medication and patient care are protected.  But pharmacist denials have been affecting people who have no plans to become pregnant, and doctors and pharmacists have denied medications to teens because the drugs could harm hypothetical pregnancies, according to several women’s health and chronic disease advocacy groups, including the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Walgreens, CVS already have policies denying birth control  Both Walgreens and the nation’s largest pharmacy, CVS, already have policies in place that allow pharmacists to deny customers birth control if it conflicts with their personal beliefs. Under those guidelines, pharmacists can refuse to sell to customers condoms, birth control pills or other medications like Plan B, an oral emergency contraception medication that can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Those policies led to public and viral boycotts of both businesses earlier this year when frustrated customers took to social media to document their difficulty in filling birth control prescriptions or buying condoms. BOYCOTTS SPREAD: CVS Pharmacy has similar policy to Walgreens, allows pharmacists to deny birth control prescriptions HOW TO GET BIRTH CONTROL: What to do if CVS, the nation’s largest pharmacy, refuses to fill your birth control People denied medication in case they might become pregnant The fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision has created vast uncertainty among medical providers in some states as legislatures pass more restrictive abortion laws. Details about what’s permitted and how those restrictions will be enforced are sometimes unclear. A local TV station in Tucson, Arizona, reported that a 14-year-old girl was denied a refill of a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug she had been taking for years just two days after Arizona’s new abortion law took effect.  The drug, called methotrexate, can treat RA but is also used to end ectopic pregnancies, a potentially fatal condition where the fertilized egg lodges outside the uterus. And a New York woman’s TikToks about being denied medication for painful cluster headaches because the drug could cause birth defects got more than 3 million views and tens of thousands of comments.  Concerns and stories of other medication denials have been reported to advocates from people with chronic conditions who fear not being able to get treatment simply because they have the ability to get pregnant.  Doctors and health advocates say the vagueness of many of the state laws banning abortion is leading prescribers and pharmacists to be overly cautious when it comes to any medication that can impact pregnancy. ABORTION UPDATE: Restrictive abortion laws in Arizona, Ohio put on hold; providers resume procedures RULING’S RAPID IMPACT: 66 clinics have stopped doing procedure in these 15 states After the overturning of Roe, “we started getting emails, tweets, calls from patients saying, number one, ‘I’m hearing about this, is this going to happen to me? I’m really, really concerned,'” said Zoe Rothblatt, associate director of community outreach for Global Healthy Living Foundation. She said the second most-common thing the organization heard was patients having to give extra verification for their diagnosis. “So they would show up to their pharmacy and the pharmacist would say, we can’t prescribe this, we can’t dispense this drug to you because it can be used for an abortion.” The American College of Rheumatology issued a statement to policymakers about the need to preserve access to methotrexate, noting that the dosage for ending an ectopic pregnancy is much higher than what is prescribed for inflammatory diseases.  Tara Rule, 31, has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an inherited disorder that affects connective tissues including skin and joints. Rule is on disability because of her medical conditions and has decided to never have children. She said she has been prescribed medications that can impact pregnancy in the past, which is why she was shocked to be denied a drug that could help her, and tearfully took to TikTok to share her experience in September.  “I’ve been sick my whole life,” she says in one video and goes on to describe being denied an treatment for painful cluster headaches by a doctor at an upstate New York hospital. “Because I’m of childbearing age, I can’t get it.” Annie Noblin of West Plains, Missouri, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in January and prescribed methotrexate. The 40-year-old mother of one told USA TODAY that she didn’t have any trouble getting her refills until after the Dobbs decision.  She said a pharmacist told her, “We’re now required to make sure that your doctor is prescribing you this medication for what it says it’s prescribed for and not for having an abortion.” TELEMEDICINE: Demand for telemedicine abortions increases but could face legal challenges post-Roe Noblin was furious. She’s not planning to have more kids, she said, but that’s none of the pharmacist’s business.  After getting verification from her doctor that the drug was for arthritis, the prescription was filled. But she said the next month when she went back, the computer prompted a pharmacy employee to ask her if she was pregnant. “I feel like I should be trusted,” she said. Teens are also being denied medication Emma Thompson is the 14-year-old who was denied methotrexate for debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, according to KOLD News 13. The station reported she was also able to get her medication 24 hours after being denied. But her mother and doctor said they were angry that she had to jump through hoops to get a medication she’d been on for years.  Welcome to AZ. Today a pharmacist denied the MTX refill for my adolescent patient. She’s on 5 mg/wk to prevent AHCA Ab production. MTX denied purely because she’s a female, barely a teenager. Livid! No discussion, just a denial. Now to fight for what’s best for this pt. — Deborah Jane Power (@bonespower) September 27, 2022 But pharmacies have been leery of providing medications that could run afoul of local laws. “In certain cases, pharmacists may face criminal charges for dispensing medications for this purpose,” DeAngelis of CVS told USA TODAY. Patients have also been forced to answer questions about their sex lives Rule, the woman with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, said she went to see a new neurologist specifically because she started having cluster headaches again after about five years and wanted to know if there were any new treatments available.  She said the doctor told her a number of new medications could treat her condition. But he warned that her insurance might not cover them because they can cause birth defects. LEGAL BATTLES...

Social Security Benefits To Jump By 8.7% Next Year – Evening Observer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/social-security-benefits-to-jump-by-8-7-next-year-evening-observer/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Social Security recipients will get an 8.7% boost in their benefits in 2023, a historic increase but a gain that will be eaten up in part by the higher cost of everyday living. The cost-of living adjustment — the largest in more than 40 years — means the average recipient will receive more than $140 extra a month beginning in January, the Social Security Administration said Thursday. While Social Security recipients welcomed the benefit increase, many said it wasn’t enough to cover the impact of inflation. It’s” not much help,” said 85-year-old Shirley Parker, who lives in Chatham on Chicago’s South Side, Home maintenance costs and high grocery prices are cutting steeply into her budget. “Food is ridiculous. I come out with a bag full of groceries — $50 — don’t have about 10 items,” she said. The Social Security COLA was established to help seniors and other recipients manage the higher cost of food, fuel and other goods and services How well it does depends on what inflation does going forward. In fact, a separate government report Thursday showed inflation newly accelerating,. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 percent for September after just 0.1 percent in August and is up 8.2 percent for the past 12 months. Jobless claims for unemployment benefits rose for the week. The stock market opened lower. The Social Security Administration said the estimated average monthly Social Security benefit for all retired workers will be $1,827 starting in January, according to an agency fact sheet. The boost in Social Security benefits will be coupled with a 3% drop in Medicare Part B premiums, meaning retirees will get the full impact of Social Security increase. “This year’s substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows that we can provide more support to older Americans who count on the benefits they have earned,” said Social Security Administration’s Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi. Colby Nelson, a spokesman for the AARP, said the benefits increase “will provide much needed relief to millions of Americans.” He called the annual cost-of-living increase “more crucial than ever as high inflation remains a problem for older Americans.” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York issued this statement on the increase: “Today’s Social Security Administration announcement of an 8.7 percent increase in benefit checks, the largest increase since 1981, is fantastic news for more than 70 million Americans who are struggling with skyrocketing drug prices, prohibitive housing costs, and the rising cost of living. The larger Social Security checks will start hitting mailboxes in January 2023. “As a member of the Senate Committee on Aging, I support strong cost-of-living adjustments because they help people keep up with recent increases in everyday expenses. Cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security benefits can provide crucial resources for retirees and other beneficiaries who depend on Social Security. “I will also continue to champion the Social Security Expansion Act, which would ensure the solvency of Social Security for over 70 years by requiring the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share into the program, expand Social Security benefits across the board, and increase the cost-of-living adjustment.” Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

‘Room’ Offers A Non-Facebook Way To Connect Coworkers In The Metaverse – PCMag https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/room-offers-a-non-facebook-way-to-connect-coworkers-in-the-metaverse-pcmag/ Now that virtual meetings are firmly cemented in workplace culture, technology companies aren’t stopping at Zoom and Google Meet. New products are already reimaging the typical video-conferencing interface where each participant occupies their own square in a grid. Room, a new product created by Cevat Yerli, the former CEO of video game developer Crytek, is one of them. “Due to the recent and rapid virtualization of corporate interactions, we have pushed ourselves into these two-dimensional, flat spaces,” Yerli in a statement(Opens in a new window). “Room has been designed to encourage people to interact in inspiring 3D virtual meetings, and ultimately support and enhance unique cultural norms. Not as a replacement for the real thing – but as the second-best option.” Room places participants in three dimensional surroundings using a regular computer camera (no VR headset required). The experience leverages a patented gaming simulation technology called RealityOS(Opens in a new window), which superimposes the camera’s live feed on 3D “rooms.” There are currently two subscription types for Room: the Basic Plan and Founder Plan—and the company plans to add two more advanced Pro and Enterprise Plans. The basic plan is free, and it offers three rooms in which you can have meetings for up to 60 minutes with four people (three plus a host). The Founder Plan costs $6/month, allows you to choose between 17 rooms where 17 people can gather for as long as 24 hours. You could even have a virtual sleepover. The beta(Opens in a new window) experience of the Basic Plan is available now. Users can invite friends and coworkers to meet around a conference room, a fireplace, or a broadcast studio. We tried the beta here at PCMag. We chose the conference room, and had a blast clicking on different chairs to “sit in them.” We used the arrow keys on our laptops to scan the “room.” Visually, it didn’t blow us away, but we had fun, and it was a new way to interact as coworkers. That’s exactly what the product intends. Recommended by Our Editors PCMag staffers Kim Key, Jackie Goldblatt, and Emily Dreibelbis sitting in a Room. (Credit: PCMag) We tested out the virtual whiteboard function, as well as the chat function, which functioned on the first try as expected. To our surprise (and delight), we were even able to make the beads knock from side to side on the Newton’s cradle(Opens in a new window) decoration on the table by clicking on it. We drew a heart and stuck a virtual Post-It note on the virtual whiteboard. (Credit: PCMag) “We believe that digital spaces should be shaped by real life and feature the presence of people, not anonymous avatars,” said Yerli. It’s a sentiment also echoed by Mark Zuckerberg, who has invested over $10 billion to build out the metaverse under his company Meta (formerly Facebook). In August, he posted a selfie of his avatar in a game-like metaverse environment (read: the Sims or Second Life on steroids), which was mocked for being simplistic and low-quality. But in a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg outlined his vision for making the metaverse as realistic as possible. This includes allowing people to “show up” at work by appearing as a hologram, which seems to be the route Room is also going for rather than animated avatars. What’s New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning.”,”first_published_at”:”2021-09-30T21:30:40.000000Z”,”published_at”:”2022-08-31T18:35:24.000000Z”,”last_published_at”:”2022-08-31T18:35:20.000000Z”,”created_at”:null,”updated_at”:”2022-08-31T18:35:24.000000Z”})” x-show=”showEmailSignUp()” Get Our Best Stories! Sign up for What’s New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Troubadour Pioneer Backpack Review 2022: Testing, Price, How To Buy – Esquire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/troubadour-pioneer-backpack-review-2022-testing-price-how-to-buy-esquire/ Timothy Mulcare Shop $275, troubadourgoods.com Welcome to The Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash. “You can’t only mean business, you gotta be it.” That’s the lesson I learned growing up watching my dad, a businessman, commanding the people around him. They were not yes men, and he was no tyrant. But they deferred to his words whether they worked for him or not. My mom explained that it’s all about respect—to get people to listen to you, you must earn their respect; and in dad’s world of suits and ties, that not only being about business, but looking like it at the same time. Those were some big ass words for a small boy. But many years later, I was reminded of them when I was shopping for a backpack I would use daily. Troubadour’s Pioneer backpack is one I could envision my dad carrying with him to his office, looking all serious and determined, ready to take on the day and command respect—like how the Pioneer commanded my attention. I knew I had to give it a try when I caught myself staring at it for too long. While I’m not a businessman, and I seldom wear suits, it became my go-to carry for whenever I go out. It’s the jack-of-all-trades backpack that absolutely means business. Timothy Mulcare It’s a freaking workhorse. The first thing I noticed about Troubadour’s Pioneer after getting my hands on it was that it’s full of nice contrasting qualities: It’s light but feels rugged, and the fabric is soft but tough-as-nails. After seeing it brave wind, rain, and the horror of NYC subways unscathed, I know the Pioneer means business wherever it’ll take me, duly protecting the almost 24 liters of goods I can stash within its waterproof body without losing one bit of clean-lined attitude. And it excels when fully loaded. I’ve shoved cables, chargers, gadgets, snacks, and even a large dopp kit inside—all at once, with no ill effect. While the zippers require some breaking in to move smoothly, the shape and material hold up well; no damage or sagging has happened thus far. It still looks brand new. Shop $275, troubadourgoods.com Timothy Mulcare It’s got tricks after tricks. You gotta be patient with this backpack. Most of its strengths are neatly hidden, and it took me a while to unearth the secret features and see its utility in full glory (like how I only found out about its back top pocket for setting phones upright after using it for months). When it’s fully opened to reveal the black hole inside, some digging-around is needed to feel pockets on top of pockets and compartments next to compartments—including one for shoes. The outside is less subtle: Visible front zipper pockets, deep bottle holders, a trolley sleeve, breathable back panel padding, and whatnot. Everything is cleverly placed and spaced out to help you stay organized. Even when it’s packed to the fullest for a day trip or gym session, rummaging through the Pioneer to find your stuff won’t be necessary. Shop $275, troubadourgoods.com Timothy Mulcare And it looks the part. Compared to the raggedy Eastpak from high school or the old JanSport you hauled to your first job, Troubadour’s Pioneer delivers good looks in spades. Its sharp, minimalist form announced itself to me immediately when I first saw it. Can’t take your eyes off me, can ya? it teased as adjectives flew across my mind—sleek, cool, streamlined, handsome, hunky… And while I waited for its delivery, I was planning out what outfits I should sport with the Pioneer on my back. A full-blown black suit? A business-casual combo of polo plus pleated pants? Or just a weekend hoodie and sweatpants? It really didn’t matter, because after carrying it with me through all kinds of occasions, Troubadour’s Pioneer has proven itself to be a grown-ass backpack that’ll give me the leading-man panache wherever I wonder, whatever I need it for. Shop $275, troubadourgoods.com Photography by Timothy Mulcare. Prop styling John Olson for Halley Resources. Maverick Li is the Assistant eCommerce Editor at Esquire, where he covers tech, home, and all things related to lifestyle. This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Crypto Custodian Copper Raises $196 Million In Latest Funding Round – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/crypto-custodian-copper-raises-196-million-in-latest-funding-round-cryptonews/ Advancing the company’s expansion plans, crypto custodian Copper Technologies has secured a total of $196 million under the firm’s C series financing round. The business managed to raise some $181 million from a group of existing and new shareholders and gained access to a further $15 million under a convertible loan note, as indicated by company filings obtained by Bloomberg. The financing round is yet to be closed.  While the firm has not disclosed its current valuation, Copper Technologies did admit that it reported a loss of some $16 million last year. This represented nearly a fourfold increase compared with the loss the company posted for 2020, at about $4.1 million.  Copper Technologies is based in Switzerland’s Zug. The company says it provides its solutions to a wide range of customers from the financial sector. These include trading firms, hedge funds, crypto exchanges, decentralized finance (DeFi) industry players, and other entities, according to data from the Swiss firm. The business says it employs more than 300 professionals to run its services.  Copper Technologies says that, to date, more than 30 exchanges have gained access to the company’s ClearLoop and Walled Garden networks.

U.S. Says Orange County Systematically Violated Rights Of Criminal Defendants – Reuters.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-says-orange-county-systematically-violated-rights-of-criminal-defendants-reuters-com/ WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday released a scathing new report which found that prosecutors and sheriffs in Orange County, California had improperly used a jail house informant program in ways that routinely violated the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. The 63-page report caps a nearly six-year civil rights investigation, known as a “pattern or practice” probe, by the Civil Rights Division into the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The probe, which was started in December 2016, focused on local law enforcement’s use of a jail house informant program and whether those informants were used improperly to elicit incriminating statements from other criminal defendants. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The Justice Department’s report concludes that from 2007 through 2016, Orange County violated criminal defendants’ constitutional rights to be represented by counsel, as well as their 14th Amendment due process rights in which prosecutors are required to disclose to them any evidence that is exculpatory and could assist with their defense. Although the investigation focused on prior misconduct, the report said that to this day, Orange County has still not corrected all of the problems. “Restoring trust in Orange County law enforcement will require recognition and remediation of the harms caused by the law enforcement practices described in this report,” the report says. It adds that although Orange County has taken some steps to better handle its informant program and provide better disclosures to defendants, “more work remains to be done.” “It has been eight years since much of the misconduct came to light,” the department added, saying that the district attorney’s office “has still not taken adequate steps to ensure that prosecutors understand and carry out their constitutional disclosure obligations.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

20 Promising Korean Tech Companies At TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 – Business Wire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/20-promising-korean-tech-companies-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2022-business-wire/ October 13, 2022 01:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–20 Korean tech companies specializing in various technologies such as AI & AI Application, Metaverse, Mobility, SaaS, NFT, IoT and Logistics will participate in TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 in San Francisco from October 18 to 20 at the Korea Pavilion, hosted by KOTRA and KITRI. There will be two pitching events of Korean tech companies at the showcase stage to introduce their companies and display their technology and innovation. The first live pitch session by the Korea Pavilion will be on Tuesday, Oct. 18th, at 10 am (PDT); and the second session will be on Thursday, Oct 20th, at 11:30 am (PDT). The companies are listed below. Artificial Intelligence ALI (AI question-answering (QA) system with low data dependency) Apptest.ai (AI-Based Exploratory Mobile App Test Platform & Cloud Service) Nota AI (AI model optimization) SmartMind (One governance platform software “ThanoSQL” is integrated platform enables the querying and AI modeling of data using only SQL) AI Application Cochl (Sound AI platform specialized in ambient sound recognition) Dabeeo (Map tech / SaaS-type platform providing geospatial data by using AI) Nuvilab (Developing food scanners that can collect food data) VisualCamp (Lightweight algorithm AI-based eye tracking software solution) Metaverse Fliption (AI-driven face engine software developing virtual face synthesis) Nalbi (Real-time AI virtual human platform using in social media / camera apps) SiliconArts (Real-time ray tracing GPU Technology for Servers, Workstations, PCs, Mobile and VR/AR headsets) Z-EMOTION (Provide one-stop real-time 3D design platform that can be used in fashion design, E-commerce for brands, and the metaverse) Mobility BANF (Real-time safety diagnostic system for autonomous truck tires) Neubility (Cost-effective, in-house-developed autonomous delivery robots) PABLO AIR (Drone solution & service with self-developed UAS hardware technology) SaaS | NFT | IoT Business Canvas (Document platform that redesigns the document files from folders and search to knowledge network) Monoly (SaaS for enterprise collaboration tool guarantees user’s data sovereignty with blockchain technology) Platfarm ‘GALL3RY 3’ (A Dapp that automatically converts the crypto assets owned by NFT collectors to share on social media platforms) TheWaveTalk (Water quality meter, turbidimeter, that measures the water quality of drinking water) Logistics Willog (Cloud-based, real-time logistics monitoring solution that logs temperature, humidity, light and shock data during package transportation) Visit the Korea Pavilion hosted by KOTRA and KITRI at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 after the registration using Free Expo Pass offered by the Korea Pavilion. About KOTRA KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) serves as a global platform tailored to meet the needs of buyers, investors and Korean entrepreneurs alike. About KITRI KITRI (Korea International Trade Research Institute) aims to create new paradigms in international trade through publications and pursue academic activities.

What Will Meta’s 8 Gaming Studios Deliver On Quest 3? – UploadVR https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/what-will-metas-8-gaming-studios-deliver-on-quest-3-uploadvr/ The games Meta is lining up for Quest 3 and beyond are likely the cornerstone of the company’s approach in VR gaming in the coming years. Meta’s core customer-base of VR gamers had very few announcements to excite them at Connect this week. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Assassin’s Creed VR were nowhere to be seen and the company had just one major game reveal — Iron Man VR coming soon to Quest 2. The reason there was so little gaming news is because even though the $1500 Quest Pro plays the same games as Quest 2 it isn’t really designed for immersive gaming. It’s designed for Workrooms and is the first headset in a new product category from Meta aimed more at mixed reality and changing the way people get their jobs done. Quest 3 is in the works, though, and will be priced in the same range as Quest 2. What’s more, it is likely to feature a next-generation processor from Qualcomm — the XR2 Gen 2 — which could have more than double the GPU power of the current chip driving Quest 2. Meta’s eight VR-focused game studios could do a lot with that extra power. Notably, not one of them has formally announced a new game since acquisition. To recap Meta owns: Beat Saber developer Beat Games (highest selling VR game in the world) Asgard’s Wrath developer Sanzaru Games (one of the most graphically impressive VR games ever made) Echo VR developer Ready At Dawn Studios (one of the most popular team-based VR sports) Onward developer Downpour Interactive (leading team-based first person VR shooter) Population One developer BigBox VR (large-scale battle royale that’s soon-to-get a sandbox mode akin to Fortnite) Wilson’s Heart developer Twisted Pixel Iron Man VR developer Camouflaj Resident Evil 4 developer Armature That’s a wide range of genre expertise in VR design spread across everything from single-player games to multiplayer and even large-scale battle royale. Taken altogether, Meta looks set to have both the talent and processing power to take Quest 3 to levels far exceeding what’s been possible so far. Of course, platform-building tech giants don’t have a great track record in gaming, with Google’s Stadia effort shutting down, Apple disappointing gamers for decades, and forgettable efforts from Amazon. Meta isn’t playing the same game as those companies, however, with a product tuned for unmatched immersion paired with affordability. In 2021, gaming industry veteran and long-time Oculus team member Jason Rubin moved into a role on the executive team at Meta leading “Metaverse Content” and he’s likely leading this charge into the next generation of Quest hardware. His role near the top of Meta’s management structure highlights the seriousness of the effort at the company. Meta also renewed partnerships with some key platforms this week. Creative commons-licensed content from Epic Games’ Sketchfab should be on the way in Horizon Worlds while Microsoft is bringing its Xbox cloud streaming service for 2D games to the Quest platform. While that’s not Fortnite or Minecraft on Quest headsets, it’s certainly a start. We reached out to Meta to see if they had any additional comment and a representative suggested tuning into the company’s next Gaming Showcase in 2023 for gaming news. Ian Hamilton Ian Hamilton is a journalist based in Arkansas and managing editor at UploadVR. He’s covered VR full-time since 2015 as well as Oculus VR since 2012. He is interested in the people creating VR and AR hardware and software, their motivations, and how that work affects the people who spend significant time in simulations. If you have information to pass along you can send him a direct message on Twitter, Facebook or via email. Twitter

Here’s Your Voting Guide For Texas Midterm Elections – Axios https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/heres-your-voting-guide-for-texas-midterm-elections-axios/ Illustration: Victoria Ellis/Axios Texans are a few weeks out from starting to cast ballots in this year’s midterm elections. Why it matters: Voters will decide key statewide seats as well as congressional districts, legislative offices and the State Board of Education. Plus: Races for local elected positions and local referendums are on ballots. What you need to know: Early voting is Oct. 24 through Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8 with polls open 7am-7pm. Review your sample ballot here: Collin County, Dallas County, Denton County, Rockwall County and Tarrant County. Details: During the early voting period, registered voters can cast their ballots at any polling location in their county. A list of polling locations will be published here on Oct. 22. Collin, Dallas, Rockwall and Tarrant counties allow voting at any vote center on Election Day. If you are 65 or older, sick or disabled, expected to give birth within three weeks of Election Day, or in jail but not convicted of a felony, you are allowed to vote by mail. Download the application here. The last day to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 28. Support local journalism by becoming a member. Learn more More Austin stories No stories could be found Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Austin. Support local journalism by becoming a member. Learn more

13 Ways To Save Money For Vacation – Nasdaq https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/13-ways-to-save-money-for-vacation-nasdaq/ Despite the overwhelming evidence that vacations make people happier and healthier, American workers are taking fewer and fewer days off. Some feel pressure to be at work 24/7, especially now that working from home is so common. Lots of people don’t have the time to spend on themselves, and some simply can’t afford it. The US Travel Association study found that in 2018, “a record 768 million U.S. vacation days went unused.” Student Loan Forgiveness: Mark These 4 Dates On Your Calendar Now Important: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions of Americans If you’re ready to get happy and healthier by taking a vacation but need a little help putting the financial pieces together, check out these 10 tips to save money fast so you can take some well-deserved time off. 1. Open a Separate Vacation Savings Account Keeping your vacation fund separate from the rest of your money can help you resist the temptation to use it. Every time you save money in a certain area of your budget or make a little side cash, put it right into your vacation fund. Don’t link it to any of your ATM cards — and try to forget the money is even there. Also make sure to check the rewards offered on your current credit or debit cards, too. Many of them have cash back rewards that can oftentimes be customized to fit your shopping habits and earn you a nice chunk of change to save for some R&R down the line. Take Our Poll: Are You Struggling To Keep Up With Your Utility Bills? 2. Keep the Change A lot of people save money here and there by keeping a jar for spare change at the side of their bed or laundry room. But if you don’t usually carry around cash or prefer to use plastic, there are also credit card programs that offer similar money-saving features. Aj Saleem, academic director at Suprex private tutoring, said his credit card’s program for saving change works best for him. “Essentially, on every company purchase I make, the amount is automatically rounded up and the additional cost is automatically transferred to my savings account,” Saleem said. “This allows me to save up money without actually feeling the need to take away money from my account. The psychological benefit really helps me.” 3. Carpool More Often Your commute to work is costing more than you think. According to Reuters, 10.8 million Americans travel more than an hour each way to work. For lower-income workers who drive to work alone, the commute eats up 8 to 9 percent of their income. Carpooling is an effective solution to the problem of how to save money. If you start carpooling, the driving is shared among participants, so your — and everyone else’s — costs are cut.  According to AAA, it costs 58.9 cents per mile to drive a midsize automobile about 15,000 miles per year. If you work 21 days out of the month and have a 40-mile round-trip commute, you’re spending $23.56 per day, $494.76 per month, or $5,937.12 per year. If you carpool with someone from work for just half of the month, you can save almost $3,000 a year. 4. Cancel Your Gym Membership Depending on what time of year it is, it might be the perfect time to cut your gym membership and start exercising outdoors. The average cost of a gym membership is $58. If you cut your membership in May and commit to either exercising outside or in your house for the rest of the year, you could add over $400 to your vacation fund. Depending on where you’re going, that amount could cover the cost of a round-trip ticket for your dream vacation. 5. Make It a Friends Challenge If you want to add a little competitive edge to your vacation savings plan, get your friends involved. A friendly competition could be one of the most fun and best ways to save money. Bryan Clayton, CEO of Green Pal said he and his co-founder have an in-office competition in which they compete for who can sign up the most customers for their service. “Each week the ‘loser’ has to throw $50 into the vacation fund,” Clayton said. “By the end of the year, we should have a few thousand dollars saved up to go towards our end of the year company vacation…This makes our work more fun and give[s] us something to look forward to.” 6. Shop Smarter Using coupon apps is one tech-friendly answer for how to save money on groceries and other shopping expenses. RetailMeNot, SnipSnap, Groupon, and Coupon Sherpa are popular coupon sites, and new apps with different money-saving features are added frequently. Instead of coupons, for example, Ibotta offers cash-back rebates every time you shop, and Flipp gathers all the store circulars in one area so you can compare deals. Jill Cataldo, founder of Super-Couponing workshops and author of the nationally syndicated newspaper column and video series “Super-Couponing Tips” uses Flipp to plan her weekly grocery trips. She saves 20 to 60 percent on her regular shopping items. “You’ll enjoy its coupon-matching feature too, which automatically points out additional discounts available on what you’re buying at the supermarket,” Cataldo said. 7. Drive for a RideShare Uber drivers can make as much as $90,000 a year, according to the company. However, many hours you decide to drive for Uber or Lyft, remember that drivers have their own out-of-pocket expenses, too. If you have to rent a nicer car than the one you own, you’ll have to pay for that yourself. You’ll also need to pay for car insurance, gas and any repairs to your own vehicle. Your car could also get more wear and tear than it would if you weren’t driving it to make extra money. The best way to make sure you spend extra money you earn on a vacation and not out-of-pocket expenses is some good, old-fashioned tax planning. As an Uber or Lyft driver, some of your expenses are tax-deductible at the end of the year, which means you could be able to recoup some of your costs. Because you’re considered an independent contractor and not an employee of a ride-hailing company, you are technically running your own business, as far as the IRS is concerned. According to TurboTax, small business owners can deduct business-related expenses like: Gas Oil Repairs Insurance Maintenance Lease payments Depreciation Just make sure you also pay quarterly tax on your side income, so you don’t end up with an unexpected tax bill at the end of the year. 8. List Your Space on Airbnb If you have a spare room in your house or have friends or family you can crash with on occasion, you can make some serious side cash by renting out your room or house on Airbnb. Listing your space is free, and you decide how much you want to charge and which days to make your space available. Hosts have to pay a 3 percent service fee, but guests pay Airbnb’s booking fees, which range from 6 to 12 percent. Nicki Bruckman, founder of Explorer Chick, an adventure travel company for women, has been an Airbnb host for nearly a year. “It only takes one time to get everything set up through Airbnb, then it’s pretty seamless,” Bruckman said. “Your guests request reservations, which then get sent to you through Airbnb and text for your approval. After they stay, your payment gets transferred immediately to your bank account.” 9. Participate in Online Research If you have a computer, good internet connection and some spare time, you can boost your vacation savings by participating in online research in the comfort of home. For example, UserTesting.com pays people just like you to test different products and services before they hit the market. Different amounts of pay are given “depending on the test type–your test feed will always show you the amount you’ll get paid for each test. Payments for completed tests are sent 7 days later.” That’s cash in the back you can use for a vacation! 10. Become a Virtual Assistant Virtual assistants, also known as “VAs,” help people with a variety of tasks — all online. You can work as much or as little as you want, usually right from your home or within your local neighborhood. You can work for one client or hire your services out to as many people as you want. Plus, the services you can offer are practically endless. From editing or managing payroll to building websites or conducting research, VAs make a median salary of $16.44/hour but can charge more, depending on the level of skill required for the task.  To get started, make a list of your core skills and start advertising them on sites such as Upwork and TaskRabbit. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll find people looking for your talents. BONUS: Become a Hair Model If you don’t care who cuts your hair, stop paying for haircuts and put that money toward your vacation savings instead. “A lot of salons that train students need haircut models on a constant basis,” said Jesse Harrison, CEO of Zeus Legal Funding. “The haircuts look just as professional because a professional hairdresser will check on the student’s work and fix anything that doesn’t look right. I have gotten $100 haircuts for free this way, wash included.” More From GOBankingRates 9 Bills You Should Never Put on Autopay Get Ready for Retirement Now With Expert Tips for Every Stage of Life Should You Still Buy a Home in Today’s Market? 10 Things to Do Now If Your Credit Score Is Under 700 Morgan Quinn contributed to the reporting for this article. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 13 Ways To Save Money for Vacation The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Mars Names New CSO – Food Business News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/mars-names-new-cso-food-business-news/ CHICAGO — Mars, Inc. has promoted Abigail Stevenson, PhD, to chief science officer. Dr. Stevenson has spent the last two decades in various leadership roles at Mars, working most recently as vice president of the Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI). “With more than 20 years of research experience, Abi brings the deep scientific experience needed to advance our business and make a positive impact on society,” said Nici Bush, vice president of science and technology at Mars. “I look forward to continuing to work with her as Mars pursues an ambitious science agenda throughout the business.” As CSO, Dr. Stevenson will oversee the company’s external partnerships with academic and non-governmental organizations, in addition to the Mars Global Food Safety Center. She also will continue to work in her role as vice president for MARI. Dr. Stevenson holds a PhD from University College London and a degree in ecology from the University of Stirling.

Dearborn Nonprofit Forges Relationships To Inspire Healthy Living – Second Wave Media https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dearborn-nonprofit-forges-relationships-to-inspire-healthy-living-second-wave-media/ This article is part of Stories of Change, a series of inspirational articles of the people who deliver evidence-based programs and strategies that empower communities to eat healthy and move more. It is made possible with funding from Michigan Fitness Foundation. Dearborn-based Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities (LAHC) has honed the art of bringing community residents and organizations together while ensuring that the unique perspectives of Arab Americans, refugees, and immigrants have a seat at the table during the decision-making processes. “Having people who represent the community on our SNAP-Ed team is really crucial to making sure these perspectives are included in our outreach efforts,” says Kelly Citron, LAHC Healthy Living program manager. “For example, Linda Bazzi, our program coordinator and community outreach liaison is from the area and lives in the community. She is great at connecting with other residents and local immigrants and refugees so that their thoughts and opinions are included. They feel comfortable talking to Linda and giving their honest feedback.” LAHC’s programs are made possible in part through Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) funding. MFF is a State Implementing Agency of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the education component of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP-Ed is an education program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that teaches people eligible for SNAP how to live healthier lives. MFF offers grants to conduct SNAP-Ed programming throughout the state of Michigan. “It’s been good to learn from the MFF staff about best practices and tips for community engagement and collaboration,” Bazzi says. “Without either of those two things, no effort is going to be successful.” WhatsApp lets folks know what’s up LAHC uses the messaging platform WhatsApp as a way to develop meaningful connections with its SNAP-Ed program participants. With the app, they can share tips on where and how to access healthy, nutritious food and physical activity opportunities and gather feedback. “As community members join our classes, they’re voluntarily added to our WhatsApp group,” Citron says. “We have separate WhatsApp groups for different schools, as well as for different areas of focus. So, if a specific group wants to be updated on all of our physical activity opportunities, we are able to send out a WhatsApp group chat about an upcoming session that we’re holding virtually. Or, if the activity is on site at one of our schools, we connect with the WhatsApp group from that school.” In addition to event information and registration links, people also receive reminders, abbreviated versions of LAHC’s social media posts, bilingual recipes, and nutrition tips. To prevent participants from being overwhelmed with messages, LAHC has disabled the chat-back function for most of the groups, encouraging participants to contact LAHC staff with questions instead. “We have a group of 10 participants who were in a class and all of their kids go to the same school,” Bazzi says. “They didn’t necessarily know each other before but have become such good friends that they want to be able to chat with each other. We’ve noticed that our classes are bringing people together who may not have known each other before. Through the connection they’ve made in our classes and through WhatsApp, they keep in touch as a group once our eight weeks is up.” Creating social networks that extend beyond their SNAP-Ed programming has been significant for mothers, especially over the last few years with the pandemic limiting social interactions.  Through SNAP-Ed, LAHC has found a variety of ways to successfully respond to their community’s unique needs. For example, recipes used in LAHC’s cooking classes use halal ingredients to ensure they meet Islamic dietary guidelines. Because of SNAP-Ed work done in collaboration with Dearborn Public Schools, the district adopted a policy so that community organizations can use school facilities for programming. Now, LAHC can offer women-only fitness classes in safe spaces where Muslim women wearing hijabs feel comfortable to exercise together. Women at an LAHC exercise class. “We worked really hard to build trust in our community and to make people feel comfortable at our events and with our staff,” Bazzi says. “We were able to facilitate the space for women-only fitness opportunities at school or at LAHC where the women feel comfortable to exercise, get personalized fitness instruction, and have fun doing it in a safe space.” A family enjoys a StoryWalk®. LAHC also collaborated with Healthy Dearborn, Beaumont Hospital, and Dearborn Public Schools’ Communities In Schools of Michigan (CIS) affiliate to bring StoryWalk® exhibits to the community in four locations across Dearborn. StoryWalk® is a movement and literacy building initiative that features children’s books with healthy messages. Book pages reproduced on outdoor signage are then placed along walking routes. It is an innovative way for families to enjoy reading and being active together. “My elementary principal and I were talking about bringing StoryWalk® to the school,” says Amal Qayed, Salina Elementary’s CIS community liaison. “Then, one day, I was walking down the hall and I bumped into Linda Bazzi, my best friend at LAHC. She asked me, ‘What do you think about a StoryWalk®?’” That synergy helped them make the decision to move forward with the project. Books were selected for each location and purchased with funding from Beaumont Health Foundation: “Duck on a Bike” by David Shannon, “Growing Vegetable Soup” by Lois Ehlert, and “The Big Dance” by Aoife Greenham. Then, Qayed suggested “Ameer’s Beautiful Home” by Nadeen Saad, Nesreen Saad, and Julia Almasarweh. With permission from the authors, LAHC provided Arabic translation for the book to be displayed in both English and Arabic. The community Storywalk®, which originated at Salina Elementary, is one of a few bilingual Storywalks® in the state, as it was important to reflect the community in which it was featured. The ribbon cutting for a StoryWalk® exhibit organized by Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities and other partners. “This book speaks really loud to our community,” Qayed says. “A little boy grows a plant to help make the air better. Salina Elementary is in an industrial area. We have factories all around us, so you can imagine the pollution. We’re trying to bring as much greenery to our school as possible to address that pollution. I felt very excited to be able to use that book in particular.” Healthy Streets, healthier residents Another LAHC SNAP-Ed initiative involves collaborating with the Healthy Dearborn coalition on its Dearborn Healthy Streets initiative. Healthy Streets aims to increase physical activity along the streets by putting up signage and placing barrels in select areas to encourage motorists to slow down. Through this initiative, LAHC makes it easier for people to practice the healthy behaviors LAHC teaches them in direct education classes. Signs used in the Dearborn Healthy Streets initiative. Healthy Streets has made the community more walkable and bikeable, which not only addresses transportation needs but also provides opportunities for physical activity. LAHC staff serve as block captains, which helps the organization to better understand and respond to its community’s needs. “Every few weeks, we go down to the actual streets, walk the whole path, straighten out the barrels, and make sure the signs are facing the right direction,” says Bazzi. “Residents talk to us. I’ve gotten lots of thank-yous, answered questions, and shared the website with them so they can learn more. We’ve had a really good response.” LAHC also runs SNAP-Ed direct education programs in five other Dearborn public schools serving preschoolers, fifth graders, and students’ families. In all of its work, LAHC puts cultural responsiveness at the forefront. “Whenever we’re running a program or connecting with Healthy Dearborn to work on initiatives, we always have our diverse, multicultural families that make up our community in mind,” Citron says. “We make sure that everyone is represented, that they’re able to participate and take advantage of whatever it is we’re offering.” Through their SNAP-Ed work, LAHC is meeting their community where they are at by building relationships that connects residents to resources and education that inspire heathy living.

Today In Sports History-Week Ahead, Oct. 14-20 – WTOP https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/today-in-sports-history-week-ahead-oct-14-20-wtop/ Oct. 18 1924 — Harold “Red” Grange accounts for six touchdowns in Illinois’ 39-14 win over Michigan. Grange returns the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. He follows with touchdown runs of 66, 55 and 40 yards in the first 12 minutes of the game. Grange later passes for another touchdown and returns another kick for a touchdown. 1953 — Woodley Lewis of the Los Angeles Rams has 120 yards in punt returns, including a 78-yard touchdown return, and 174 yards in kickoff returns in a 31-19 victory over the Detroit Lions. 1968 — Bob Beamon of the United States shatters the world record in the long jump at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Beamon’s leap of 29 feet and 2 1-2 inches betters the mark by one foot, 9 3-4 inches. The previous record, 27-4 3-4, was held by Soviet jumper Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and Ralph Boston. 1969 — Mike Adamle rushes for 316 yards as Northwestern beats Wisconsin 27-7. 1974 — Chicago center Nate Thurmond, in his first game with the Bulls, records the NBA’s first quadruple-double. Thurmon has 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks in the Bulls’ 120-115 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Stadium. 1977 — Reggie Jackson hits three consecutive home runs, all on the first pitch, to lead the New York Yankees to the World Series championship over Los Angeles in six games. 1978 — Dave Gall becomes the first jockey to win eight races during a single program. He rides in 10 consecutive races for the day at Cahokia Downs in Alorton, Ill., finishing second and fifth in his two losing efforts. 1981 — Joe Danelo of the New York Giants kicks six field goals in a 32-0 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. 1992 — Miami and Washington are tied for No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 football poll. It’s the first tie at the top in 51 years and the third since the poll started in 1936. 1997 — Willamette’s Liz Heaston, a junior, becomes the first woman to play in a college football game when she kicks two extra points in a 27-0 win over Linfield College in the NAIA. 2002 — New Zealand’s Michael Campbell wins the longest match (43 holes) in World Match Play history in the morning, then defeats Ian Woosnam later in the day to reach the semifinals. Campbell’s 10-foot birdie putt at the seventh sudden-death hole beats Nick Faldo, the longest match in the event’s 39-year history by three holes. 2005 — Boston’s Brian Leetch becomes the seventh defenseman — and 69th player — in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points with a goal and an assist in the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to Montreal. 2009 — Tom Brady, Patriots, throws six touchdown passes — five in one quarter, an NFL mark, in a 59-0 win in the snow against Tennessee. 2013 — Grambling cancels its football game against Jackson State after Grambling’s disgruntled players refuse to travel to Jackson for the game on Oct. 19. 2015 — The Green Bay Packers stop San Diego on fourth-and-goal from the 3 with 15 seconds left and overcome a career day by Philip Rivers to hold off the Chargers 27-20. Rivers sets career highs with 43 completions, 65 attempts and 503 yards passing with two touchdowns. 2016 — Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa became the 44th NHL player to reach 500 career goals. The 37-year-old Hossa slid a power-play backhander through the legs of Philadelphia goaltender Michal Neuvirth at 5:04 of the second period, giving the Blackhawks a 4-0 lead. Chicago won 7-4. _____ Oct. 19 1940 — Alabama snaps Tennessee’s defensive scoreless streak of 71 quarters but still loses 27-12. Tennessee hadn’t allowed a point since Oct. 29, 1938, when it beat LSU 14-6. 1957 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadians scores his 500th career goal in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. 1960 — After 13 years in Minneapolis, the Lakers opened their inaugural season in Los Angeles with a 140-123 loss at Cincinnati. 1966 — Bobby Orr makes his NHL regular season debut for the Boston Bruins. 1985 — Robbie Bosco of Brigham Young passes for 585 yards in a 45-23 victory over New Mexico. 1985 — Dale Klein of Nebraska ties an NCAA record with seven field goals in a 28-20 victory over Missouri. 1986 — Lloyd Burruss of Kansas City intercepts three passes and returns two for touchdowns to lead the Chiefs to a 42-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers. 1994 — Duke beats North Carolina 3-2 in women’s soccer to end the Tar Heels’ unbeaten streak of 101 games. 1997 — Pittsburgh goaltender Tom Barrasso makes 22 saves to earn his 300th career victory with a 4-1 win over Florida. Barrasso becomes the first American-born goaltender and 13th overall to record 300 wins. 1997 — Sandy Alomar of the Cleveland Indians hits the 700th World Series home run. 2002 — Avon Cobourne becomes the fifth Division I-A rusher with four 1,000-yard seasons as West Virginia beats Syracuse 34-7. Cobourne has 108 yards in the game for 1,002 yards this season. 2012 — The National Hockey League announces the cancellation of the 2012-13 regular-season schedule through November 1. A total of 135 regular-season games are now lost from Oct. 11 through Nov. 1. 2014 — Peyton Manning breaks Brett Favre’s NFL record of 508 touchdown career passes and he throws four TD passes in Denver’s 42-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The record-breaker was an 8-yarder to Demaryius Thomas with 3:09 left in the first half. Manning reaches the milestone in his 246th regular-season game. Favre needed 302. 2014 — DeMarco Murray becomes the first running back in NFL history to start a season with seven straight 100-yard games in a 31-21 win over the New York Giants. Murray, with 128 yards and a touchdown, breaks Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s 56-year-old record. _____ Oct. 20 1923 — Zev, winner of the 1923 Kentucky Derby, beats England’s Papyrus, winner of the 1923 Epsom Derby, in a $100,000 match race at Belmont Park. The race, the International Special, marks the first time an English champion is sent to the U.S. to race. The race is so popular that it is broadcast on the radio, a first. 1944 — Michigan State and Maryland attempt one pass, the fewest in college football history. The Terrapins threw the pass, while the Spartans did not attempt a pass and Michigan State wins the game 8-0 in College Park, Md. 1963 — Clem Daniels of the Oakland Raiders rushes for 200 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-26 victory over the New York Jets. 1968 — American Dick Fosbury using his unconventional technique wins the men’s high jump gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics; “Fosbury Flop” becomes accepted as the most efficient technique. 1972 — The Buffalo Braves score an NBA record 58 points in the fourth quarter, but still lose to the Celtics at Boston Garden, 126-118. 1976 — The Philadelphia 76ers acquire Julius Erving from the New York Nets for $3 million. 1984 — Rueben Mayes of Washington State rushes for 216 yards and scores four touchdowns to overcome a 28-7 halftime deficit and lead the Cougars to a 49-42 victory over Stanford. 1994 — George McCandless, 83, becomes the oldest harness driver to win a pari-mutuel race when he guides Kehm’s Scooter to victory in the fourth race at Freehold (N.J.) Raceway. 2004 — Just three outs from getting swept in the AL championship series three nights earlier, the Boston Red Sox finally beat the New York Yankees, winning Game 7 in a 10-3 shocker to become the first major league team to overcome a 3-0 postseason series deficit. 2010 — Vancouver enforcer Rick Rypien is suspended indefinitely, pending a hearing, for grabbing a fan in the Canucks’ loss in Minnesota on Oct. 19. The NHL later sentences Rypien to a six-game suspension. 2012 — Kasey Carrier of New Mexico sets a Mountain West Conference record 338 yards rushing and has three TDs in a 28-23 loss to Air Force. 2013 — Tim Cahill scores the fastest goal in MLS history, and the New York Red Bulls beat the Houston Dynamo 3-0. Cahill puts New York ahead 8 seconds into the game. The previous fastest goal in MLS history was Dwayne De Rosario’s score 11 seconds into a 2003 game. 2016 — Nneka Ogwumike’s short jumper with 3.1 seconds left gives the Los Angeles Sparks a 77-76 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx for their first title in 14 years in the deciding game of the WNBA Finals. Copyright © 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Say What? Shopping In The Metaverse Will Require AI-Powered Voice – PYMNTS.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/say-what-shopping-in-the-metaverse-will-require-ai-powered-voice-pymnts-com/ Beyond the most basic point-and-click interactions, commerce in the metaverse will likely require some sort of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice interaction. This can start with fairly simple voice-based biometric identification for purchases and logins to at least some retailers, banks and other companies. It’s already in use for security verification; at Charles Schwab, callers hear and repeat, “At Schwab, your voice is your password.” But customer service, support and sales interactions — really, any kind of customer experience more complex than a drop-down menu — will probably require some sort of voice interaction beyond the pick-an-option or describe-in-a-few-words keyword searches common today. See also: Modernizing Payments for Marketplaces, Gaming, the Metaverse and Beyond That means AI-powered voice biometrics will be needed in the metaverse for shopping, marketing, customer service and anything else required to support customer purchases in a virtual reality (VR) setting. No Hands Available When a user is inside the metaverse, they are unlikely to be typing on a keyboard, using a console or holding other devices. While wearing a VR headset, their hands will be full with the point-and click joysticks that are used to move avatars and allow them to interact with the virtual worlds. That’s why voice will be so important. Primary interactions with anyone else in the metaverse must be vocal. None of this is really unfamiliar to anyone who has ever used Apple’s Siri or Google’s Alexa, and restaurants are already using similar technology. Read also: Understaffed Restaurants Turn to Robo-Voice Assistants to Take Orders The technology is already seeing substantial use outside the metaverse, with “healthcare, automobile, retail, eCommerce, banking and human resources aiming to improve customer service through more personalized interactions.” These are among the use cases in which natural language processing and generation “have seen explosive growth rates,” Analytics India magazine said in March. New Tech Needed Another aspect of this may well be AI-supported translation tools like the universal speech translator Meta is working on, which “will have no delay due to transcription time,” the magazine reported. “If the metaverse is supposed to behave like global cyberspace, the language barriers have to be removed,” it added. That will require everything from finding and implementing the technology to figuring out who (or what), will be the business-to-consumer voice of a company. “Digital avatars will be a key element of the metaverse, and as avatars hang out and interact with other avatars, just text-based communication won’t suffice; there will be a need for voice communications,” Speech Technology reported in April. “A range of speech technologies — automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and machine translation — must be deployed in the background to enable smooth voice interactions.” It added that social networks use “a variety of content moderation tools to flag abusive content or filter out content that violates the platform’s safety and harassment prevention policies.” But they are focused on text and image content, not voice conversations, Speech Technology reported. “[W]e’ll need similar tools for real-time conversations happening in the metaverse.” For all PYMNTS crypto coverage, subscribe to the daily Crypto Newsletter. New PYMNTS Study: How Consumers Use Digital Banks A PYMNTS survey of 2,124 US consumers shows that while two-thirds of consumers have used FinTechs for some aspect of banking services, just 9.3% call them their primary bank. Sign up for our daily newsletter. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. Learn More https://www.pymnts.com/cfo/2022/voice-of-the-cfo-smart-ar-balances-collections-with-customer-success/partial/

New ‘Batwheels’ Preschool Series Coming To Cartoonito — Exclusive Look – Romper https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/new-batwheels-preschool-series-coming-to-cartoonito-exclusive-look-romper/ Batman and Robin may be the dynamic duo, but Gotham City wouldn’t be safe without the superhero’s trusted Batmobile! Car-obsessed kids will love Cartoonito’s new Batwheels preschool series, all about the automobiles behind the superheroes. Romper has an exclusive look at this adorable new series, which premieres this month on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito and HBO Max. Zoom through the exciting details, below! Batwheels premieres in October. Just in time for your kid to change his mind about a Halloween costume, Batwheels premieres during Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito preschool block at 9 a.m. on Oct. 17, then it will be available for streaming on HBO Max on Oct. 18. The first seven episodes will be available right away. Batwheels is the first Batman preschool series. Kids ages 2 to 5 can enjoy the first-ever DC Batman preschool series designed for their age bracket. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Batwheels shows a high-speed, vibrant CGI-animated version of Batman, his super friends, and their amazing cars. “Little ones and their families will ride along with an amazing team of super-vehicles — Bam (the Batmobile), Bibi (the Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s racecar), Buff (the Bat-Truck), and Batwing (the Bat-plane) — as they help Batman, Batgirl, and Robin keep the streets of Gotham City safe. Whether it’s facing down the Legion of Zoom or one of Gotham City’s notorious Super-Villains, the Batwheels will use their incredible gadgets and creative teamwork to save the day,” the show’s logline reads. Michael G. Stern, co-executive producer of Batwheels, tells Romper that they wanted to keep Batman “cool” while still feeling relatable to kids, which is why they came up with the Batwheels. “Our approach to adapting Batman for such a young audience was to keep him the same cool crimefighter we all know and love. We didn’t want to dumb the character down or make a ‘kidified’ version of Batman,” he says. “We wanted to present Batman in all his awesomeness. To accomplish this, we created a team of new characters — The Batwheels — that are essentially kids. The audience sees the stories through their eyes (or headlights, if you will!), while preserving the cool of Batman.” He adds that their version of Gotham City is kid-ified. “We wanted to include all the familiar, beloved institutions — the Batcave, Gotham City, etc.,” Stern tells Romper. “But our version is just a little more colorful, and a little more vehicle-leaning, with an abundance of ramps, bridges, tunnels, and jumps. In other words, it’s Gotham City done fun!” Kids will learn to be heroes. “Batwheels inspires children to understand and embrace what it means to be a hero and models ways to overcome challenges that also contribute to the greater good,” Dr. Laura Brown, educational psychologist and curriculum director of Cartoonito at Warner Bros. Discovery, tells Romper. “The Batwheels are known for their super speed and gadgetry, but it’s their character strengths — qualities like concern for others, resilience, self-awareness and teamwork — that are key to their success,” she continues. “By watching Batwheels, kids see they, too, can develop character strengths and be heroes to their family, friends and community.” She explains that each story in the series shows kids how a certain character strength can help the Batwheels overcome challenges. For example, Bam gives himself an upgrade so he can better help Batman, but he learns that his inner qualities were all he really needed. “In this story, Bam is developing the character strength of authenticity as he realizes and embraces the value of his personal qualities,” Dr. Brown says. “The Batwheels, like our audience, are heroes in training. They want to do the right thing and help Batman, Robin, Batgirl and the community, but they are still figuring out how to be good friends, work together and lead as heroes,” adds Dr. Brown. “In this way, the Batwheels are the perfect vehicles (pun intended!) to show kids what a real hero does and that we all can become heroes.” Romper has an exclusive clip of Batwheels. Watch an exclusive clip of Batwheels here. Watch Batwheels on Oct. 17 on Cartoonito and on Oct. 18 on HBO Max.

Crypto News Summary: Samsung’s ‘Private Blockchain’ Security System, Five Charged Over $2.5M NFT Theft – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/crypto-news-summary-samsungs-private-blockchain-security-system-five-charged-over-2-5m-nft-theft-cryptonews/ Source: AdobeStock / KreangchaiRungfamai Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news. __________ Blockchain news South Korean electronics and software giant Samsung announced on October 13 the implementation of a new security system for its smart devices, called Samsung Knox Matrix. “Samsung Knox Matrix will function as a user’s own private blockchain system, wherein your connected devices enhance security through multi-layered mutual monitoring,” said the announcement.  Diversified holding company BitNile Holdings, Inc. said that its subsidiary BitNile, Inc. has begun the development of a Bitcoin (BTC)-based marketplace platform, which expects to leverage blockchain and other emerging technologies. The announcement said that the marketplace is planned for release in the first half of 2023, and that it will be “a multi-vendor e-commerce platform supporting a wide array of business sectors, including retail, real estate, commodities, and other consumer-driven offerings.” Legal news Five people were charged in France Wednesday on suspicion of fraudulently acquiring $2.5 million of valuable non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including several Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) pieces, Barron’s reported, citing Paris prosecutors. Charges against the young adult suspects over the theft include fraud committed as part of a criminal gang, concealing fraud, and criminal association. NFT news Binance NFT, the NFT marketplace of major crypto exchange Binance, announced the NFT collection launch of Kharkiv Art Museum, which is one of the oldest and most valuable museum art collections in Ukraine. As part of the launch of the “Art without Borders” NFT collection, the Kharkiv Art Museum will be auctioning 15 works from its own collection. The auction will begin on October 13 and last for a week.  Regulation news US Senator Elizabeth Warren and six other Democrats sent a letter on Wednesday to Texas grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, seeking information about the amount of electricity crypto mining operations have consumed and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions they’ve released over the last six years. “We write seeking information about cryptomining operations in Texas and the impact these operations may be having on climate change, the stability of the energy grid, and subsidies – ultimately paid for by retail consumers – that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is providing to cryptomining companies to curtail their operations during times of peak demand,” it said.  Banking news BVNK, London-based crypto-powered payments and banking platform for businesses, has secured registration in Spain as a Virtual Asset Services Provider. Maximilian von Both, chief legal, risk, and compliance officer said in the announcement that “the registration in Spain will be the first of many similar landmarks.” Payments news Global payment orchestration platform BlueSnap announced a new partnership with crypto payment services provider BitPay, which will give businesses the ability to accept and get paid out in up to 15 different cryptoassets and seven fiat currencies globally, said the announcement. Businesses that accept crypto payments benefit from lower processing costs, access to a new customer base, and no chargebacks, it added. Bitcoin rewards app Lolli announced the launch of its new mobile app for iOS and Android featuring new Lolli Card Boosts, which allows shoppers to earn up to 10% in bitcoin rewards on in-store purchases. With Card Boosts, shoppers can turn their credit or debit card into a bitcoin rewards card by linking it to the Lolli app, they said. DeFi news Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending and borrowing protocol Paxo Finance has integrated Chainlink Price Feeds on Polygon (MATIC) mainnet. The blog post said that integrating this decentralized oracle network enables the protocol to access “tamper-proof price data feeds needed to support accurate liquidations, helping ensure protocol and lender solvency.” DeFi protocol CACHE Gold has integrated Chainlink Proof of Reserve on the Polygon mainnet. The announcement said that “CACHE Gold users can now verify on-chain that cross-chain CACHE Gold tokens (CGT) on Polygon are fully backed 1:1 by CGT tokens on Ethereum.” Investment news Uniswap Labs, the team behind the major decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap (UNI), has raised $165 million in Series B funding, led by Polychain Capital and with participation from longtime investors a16z crypto, Paradigm, SV Angel, and Variant, founder Hayden Adams said in a blog post. One of the development teams behind the Ethereum Merge, Prysmatic Labs, has been acquired by Offchain Labs, the developer of the Ethereum layer-2 network Arbitrum. The financial terms were not disclosed. Per the announcement, the Prysmatic Labs team is officially joining Offchain Labs and will continue to develop Prysm as “a fully open-source and neutral consensus client.” Web3 platform nxyz announced a $40 million Series A led by Paradigm, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital, and angel investors like Balaji Srinivasan, Jaynti (JD) Kanani, Jing Wang, Packy McCormick, Surojit Chatterjee, Ryan Selkis, and others. Per the announcement, co-founder Sridhar Ramaswamy will become CEO, while staying in his role as CEO of the private search engine Neeva. The funds will be used to expand nxyz’s team, build support across emerging use cases, and expand across different chains, it said. Career news Digital asset custodian Standard Custody & Trust Co., a subsidiary of PolySign, announced the appointment of Matthew Homer to its board of directors. The press release said that Homer was the inaugural Executive Deputy Superintendent for the Research and Innovation Division at the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), where his responsibilities included cryptocurrency and digital assets.

United Ukrainian Ballet To Make U.S. Debut At Kennedy Center In February – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/united-ukrainian-ballet-to-make-u-s-debut-at-kennedy-center-in-february-the-washington-post/ A group of Ukrainian ballet dancers who fled the war in their homeland and brought their talents together under the name United Ukrainian Ballet, based in The Hague, will perform at the Kennedy Center Feb. 1-5, the center announced Thursday. The group’s five-day run will mark its debut in the United States and its only U.S. appearances. The company of more than 60 dancers, professionals from the national theaters of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, will perform the U.S. premiere of a new version of the beloved romantic ballet “Giselle.” World-renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, a native of Ukraine and an ardent supporter of its artists, recently created the full-length production especially for this group. The Kennedy Center’s Opera House Orchestra will accompany the ballet, led by Ukrainian conductor Victor Oliynik. Principal casting will include guest artist Christine Shevchenko, a Ukrainian-born principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and other guests will be announced later, said Jane Raleigh, the Kennedy Center’s director of dance programming. “Dancing, performing and representing Ukraine feels important to do — that’s how we say we are strong, we’re alive and we’re continuing our fight, and that victory will be ours,” Ratmansky said in a recent interview. “That’s what the dancers feel and think when they dance.” Yet forming a touring organization so quickly, with dancers of different technical levels who hadn’t worked together, has been “logistically a huge undertaking,” the choreographer said from his home in New York City. (In addition to creating works for companies around the world, Ratmansky is artist-in-residence at American Ballet Theatre.) “Some of these dancers hadn’t taken [ballet] class for months or a year or more,” he said. “It’s been very challenging for all of us, but also inspiring.” The exiled dancers have been working together for only about six months. In March, Dutch ballerina Igone de Jongh began organizing them, and she serves as artistic director. At first, the group numbered just a few female dancers, children in tow. Gradually, Ratmansky said, men were able to join them, after receiving permission from Ukraine’s ministry of culture. The dancers have been living, training and rehearsing at the former Royal Conservatoire building in The Hague, which has been converted into a center for Ukrainian refugees. They performed the new “Giselle” in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities in August, and at the London Coliseum Theatre last month. For Ratmansky, working with this group goes far beyond an artistic opportunity. Throughout his career, he has been widely identified as a Russian choreographer — but the war has complicated that, he said. He was born in Soviet Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), trained at the school of the Bolshoi Ballet and, later, became director of that famed Moscow company. But his father is from Kyiv, and Ratmansky grew up there and danced with the Ukrainian National Ballet early in his career. His family, and his wife’s family, still live in Kyiv. “Since the war started,” Ratmansky said, “I am absolutely Ukrainian with all my soul, because that is where my heart is.” Daily phone calls home have been “very scary and very dramatic,” he said. “You don’t know what to expect, especially with the recent escalation. It’s constant shelling. It’s hard to explain the feelings when you call and hear air sirens. It’s surreal. It’s not supposed to happen.” The dancers are experiencing the same anxiety. Which is what made retooling “Giselle” for them a good choice, Ratmansky said: The original ballet was French — not Russian. “We can’t blame Russian ballets for what is going on now,” he said, “but there is a sensitivity there that’s hard to put into words.” The ballet’s themes of love, guilt and forgiveness are especially meaningful for these self-exiled dancers, living far from home and loved ones, Ratmansky said. The ballet’s title character is a peasant girl in love with a prince in disguise; when his identity is revealed, and his betrothal to another royal discovered, Giselle dies of a broken heart. Ratmansky’s version “ends as the original ballet intended,” he said, “with Giselle forgiving the prince and telling him to go back to his fiancee and live his life.” “You can’t see this ending anywhere in the world anymore. I guess the male stars all want to be alone and suffering at the end,” he added with a laugh, “and covered in flowers.” The United Ukrainian Ballet’s February engagement at the Kennedy Center replaces the National Ballet of China, which pulled out of those dates after encountering touring problems. “It was a miracle that the dates lined up,” said Raleigh, the dance programming director. “And the opportunity to bring them to the United States and to Washington was too good to pass up.” Tickets to the United Ukrainian Ballet performances go on sale Nov. 1 for Kennedy Center members and Nov. 9 widely.