James Kelso

EinStar, SHINING 3D’s Most Accessible 3D Scanner And Its Use In The Metaverse – 3Dnatives https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/einstar-shining-3ds-most-accessible-3d-scanner-and-its-use-in-the-metaverse-3dnatives/ 3D printing news News EinStar, SHINING 3D’s Most Accessible 3D Scanner and its Use in the Metaverse SHINING 3D is known for technologies ranging from 3D scanning to additive manufacturing, metrology and digital dentistry. Just a few days ago it unveiled a new scanning solution that it hopes will transform the 3D sector. The EinStar is the company’s most affordable portable 3D scanner, designed with the goal of making 3D scanning technology available to everyone. This new scanner highlights SHINING 3D’s aim to continue developing solutions for a booming market. In fact, according to Allied Market Research’s report, the global 3D scanning market is expected to reach a value of $16.66 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3%. This figure highlights the potential of the market and the possibilities it offers to both businesses and end users. Already in April this year SHINING 3D introduced a new scanner, the FreeScan UE Pro, which they considered to be the most multifunctional portable solution developed to date. Now, with this new milestone the company continues its mission to position itself as one of the leading manufacturers of 3D technologies, not only on an industrial level, but also for entry-level users looking for affordable 3D scanners. Rebecca Khoo, Product Manager, Professional Digitizing, explains, “Our mission at SHINING 3D is to make quality 3D digitizing technology accessible to everybody, helping enterprises and individuals to enter the realm of the digital world. EinStar has been developed, allowing everybody to digitize the world around them like never before.” This is certainly great news for the 3D scanning market, but what are the characteristics of this new solution? And what can we expect from the new EinStar 3D scanner? Photo Credits: SHINING 3D Features of the EinStar 3D Scanner The EinStar is characterized as a low-cost solution capable of delivering high quality results. It is equipped with 3 VCSEL infrared light projectors (for clear and stable scans even outdoors), 2 stereo depth cameras and an RGB camera that reproduces the true colors of the scanned object. These elements allow users to capture clear and stable scan details by generating high quality data with color texture. In terms of scan quality, the EinStar can capture high-density data in the form of a point cloud with a distance between points of up to 0.1mm. Compatible with EXStar software, the scanner integrates enhancement technology that optimizes the point cloud for complete data capture, smoothly guides the scan and improves data quality. Due to the different output formats it offers, it is ideal for a wide range of projects, industries and applications. It can be used for additive manufacturing, digital file design, virtual and augmented reality, as well as in the fields of education, culture and art. In terms of user experience, the EinStar meets all expectations. It features an ergonomic design and a clear and simplified workflow, not only for scanning, but also data post-processing. In addition, with no need for light projection during the scanning process, the EinStar is comfortable and safe for the eyes when scanning the human body. Thanks to its accessibility and ease of use, the EinStar is the perfect “plug&play” tool to enter the world of 3D scanning for the first time, and even experience 3D modeling in a simple and efficient way. The versatility of this new 3D scanner allows you to take your ideas and creativity to the next level. 3D Scanning in the Metaverse To test the capabilities of the 3D scanner, artist Will Huff decided to implement it in his project to explore the Metaverse. This concept refers to an immersive digital world where space is not material, but a hyper-real 3D representation seen through virtual reality. Huff’s goal in bringing the two ideas together was to get a copy of himself in this virtual space, so the EinStar was the most appropriate choice. To do this, Will Huff started with the 3D scanning process and his subsequent analysis of the scanned model in Unreal Engine. Later, he carried out the customization of the model for the Metaverse in Metahuman. The main goal was to have a 3D scanned model that had the real data of the scanned person and then to be able to customize it and transform it into an avatar for the Metaverse. Photo Credits: Will Huff Huff adds, “The EinStar is a great addition to SHINING through these full line of 3D scanners. It’s a full featured and versatile scanner based on 18 years of research and development in the field of high precision 3D digital products. The software EXStar is equally impressive, capable of handling large sets of point clouds. There are so many use cases for the AI and star in the metaverse. But you know what? I’m going to leave that for you to discover.” If you want to get a closer look at the features of this new 3D scanner and how to use it, you can visit the SHINING 3D website HERE or follow them on social media (@einstar3d). What do you think of the EinStar from SHINING 3D? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel. *Cover Photo Credits: SHINING 3D

30 Smart Things Trainers Use To Make Dogs Behave Better – Bustle https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/30-smart-things-trainers-use-to-make-dogs-behave-better-bustle/ Dogs are the best. (Sorry, cat people.) Setting aside that they’re cute, loyal, and protective of their owners, the fact of the matter is that they make every day better just by being around. Naturally, you want the best for them in turn, whether that means feeding them only organic food, bathing them with shampoo that’s more expensive than yours, or sacrificing an hour of your time each day to go for a walk. Sometimes, though, your pup might exhibit some unseemly behaviors. Thankfully, there are simple steps you can take to help your pooch behave better, and you just need a few inexpensive tools to get started. Read on to see expert-recommended toys, snacks, and accessories from Amazon designed to turn your good dog into the best dog. 1 This Training Whistle That’ll Help Teach Behavioral Commands If you find that your dog isn’t really responding to voice commands, try a training whistle, like this one by SportDOG. Dr. Amanda Takiguchi, a veterinarian, dog trainer, and founder of the blog Trending Breeds, swears by one. “The only ‘tools’ I ever need to train my dogs are a collar, a lead, a whistle, and me!” she says. “I train my dogs to working trials standard. Tracking, searching, obedience, and agility.” Although this whistle is high-pitched (hence why your dog is more likely to respond to it), it doesn’t have a little ball inside, so it won’t make that annoying trill sound. Also, you can adjust your volume to be quieter when your pup is close to you. 2 A Set Of Clickers To Help Your Dog Listen & Learn When your dog learns how to sit and stay, ideally the moment won’t be filled with shouting. Keep things under control with one of these training clickers, which comes in a pack of two. “The clicker can be used to mark the moment when the dog has performed an action, or it can be used as a reward for good behavior,” explains Jen Jones, a professional dog trainer and behavior specialist. Thus, this gadget both teaches your puppy new behaviors and reinforces already practiced good behaviors. “I recommend using a clicker for teaching and then using a verbal marker to remind the dog of what he did,” Jones, the founder of Your Dog Advisor, adds. Through this type of operant conditioning, your dog will become so well-mannered, Cesar Millan would be impressed. 3 This Long Leash That Allows For Exploration When you’re in public places with your furry friend, you want to keep them relatively close for their own safety. But Andy Ramshaw, the owner of Venture Dog Training, suggests getting a longer leash for when it’s just the two of you. “I recommend one 30 feet long that you can put onto your dog in a safe environment, like the woods or a beach,” he says. “They give your dog the opportunity to sniff and explore while the owner still has control.” This woven leash is a great option, as it comes in multiple lengths, including 30 and 50 feet. It has a double-layered handle to help you maintain a strong grip, and it’s made of a rope-like material that doesn’t tangle no matter how far your dog strays. 4 A Toy That Provides Stimulation & Helps Your Dog Expend Energy If your pup doesn’t have a KONG yet, you’re both missing out. This rubber toy, which comes in six sizes, holds food and treats, providing both dinner and entertainment. “Feeding this way gives the dog an opportunity to chew (fulfilling a natural calming function) whilst also rewarding the dog for lying down, chewing, not barking, and being calm,” Ramshaw says. He explains that placing the toy in your dog’s crate is also a great way to help them get used to spending time alone. In essence, the KONG is useful for multiple things, including teething, alleviating separation anxiety, and avoiding boredom. 5 This Set Of Rubber Mats That Soothe Nerves & Make Eating More Enjoyable Feeding time will be exciting for your dog regardless of what you serve their food in. These textured mats, however, offer a challenge and generate more excitement than the standard doggy bowl. “Lickimats […] are dimpled rubber mats that can be used to spread soft foods onto for the dog to lick,” Ramshaw says. You can get two for just $15, and they’re reusable. “Licking is repetitive and is calming for dogs,” Ramshaw adds. If you have an anxious pup, this product will take their mind off of troubling thoughts and provide a distracting task during meal time. 6 These Treats That Take Longer To Consume Than Traditional Biscuits Letting your dog discover different types of treats is exciting. Do they prefer soft chews? Jerky? Freeze-dried meat? Ramshaw recommends keeping some bully sticks in your rotation, in addition to other “perishable chews that the dog can safely consume.” These sticks contain only one ingredient, so they’re free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Bully sticks will also keep your pooch occupied for a good while. “Supervision is always advised when dogs are chewing anything,” Ramshaw adds. 7 A Mat That Hides Kibble, Forcing Your Dog To Fish It Out Another way to keep your dog entertained is to hide their food or treats in one of these snuffle mats. Ribbon tendrils conceal the bits, so your pet has to actively sniff them out and look for them. “This replicates the natural behavior of sniffing and scavenging for dogs and can be an excellent way to exercise their brain,” Ramshaw says. “Mental exercise is twice as tiring as physical exercise for dogs.” The cool thing about this mat is that you can expand it to any size you want. Keep it smaller for puppies, or increase its circumference for larger dogs. In any case, your canine is going to have a waggin’ good time with this product. 8 This Harness That Will Help Your Hound Breathe Easier On Walks A common mistake is to attach your dog’s leash to their collar before going for a walk. Instead, you should get this padded harness for maximum comfort. “A harness is preferable to a collar because if the dog has a tendency to pull, the pressure caused will be distributed across the dog’s chest and back, which are strong,” Ramshaw clarifies. “Rather than its neck, (which) contains softer organs.” This harness is available in 14 cute colors and four sizes, plus it has two buckles that make it easy to slip on and off. Most importantly, though, it’ll prevent your dog from choking or becoming short of breath during strolls. 9 This Training Platform That Helps Discourage Unwanted Behaviors Certified dog trainer Erin Askeland swears by using a dog training platform such as this one to dissuade begging, jumping, and other problem behaviors. “Platforms make for a great training tool because it helps put a dog in the right position and makes it super obvious where they should be,” says Askeland, an animal health and behavior expert at Camp Bow Wow. “It creates a visual aid that is clear and precise to help a dog focus during a training session.” The Klimb platform has a secure base and rubbery surface to keep your pet safely situated on top. Although it can hold up to 500 pounds, the platform itself is lightweight and easily transportable. After all, there’s never a wrong place or time to instill some manners. 10 A Microfiber Mat That Does More Than Just Prevent Muddy Floors This absorbent mat would make a great addition to the front entryway so your pups can wipe their muddy paws before stepping onto the floors. Its microfiber surface and non-slip backing make for long-lasting durability. But Askeland says there’s more than one possible use with this product. “A mat is a portable version of a platform that you can use when going out to train in public or different locations,” she explains. “One with a good, nonskid back is helpful to stay in place while in use.” This product checks all the necessary boxes. 11 This Target Stick That Makes Training Sessions Less Tiring For You Tap into your headmaster persona with this expandable target stick. The device helps outline a dedicated training area for your dog, Askeland says. This particular one can fit in your pocket when not in use, making it easily portable. “A target stick can help train things like leash-walking or tricks that require a certain body position or movement,” Askeland shares. “While you can also use your hand, a target stick … is often easier to move around than having to manipulate your own hand and arm.” 12 This Toy That Makes Crate Training Less Of A Hassle It’s important for your pet to be able to stay in a crate when you’re not around to supervise. Unfortunately, teaching them to do so can create feelings of stress and anxiety. That’s where the Groov toy comes in. “This toy really helps a dog to like being in their crate by providing them with an activity to do while spending time in confinement,” says Alexandra Bassett, CPDT-KA, and lead trainer and behavior specialist at Dog Savvy Los Angeles. All you have to do is smear the toy with something creamy, such as peanut butter, attach it to the side of the crate, and let your dog go to town while learning to stay there without feeling nervous. 13 A Playpen That Helps Your Dogs Frolic Outside Safely Those without a fenced-in backyard will appreciate this metal playpen, whose bendable panels allow you to create multiple configurations. With this barrier, you can leave your dogs to play in the yard with minimal supervision. “It can both keep a dog out of trouble and prevent potty accidents in the wrong spot,” Bassett notes. The pen’s frame is covered in a rust-proof coating. That, coupled with its sturdy foundation, will allow you to use this product for years to come. It also comes in six different sizes, so no worries if your yard is on the smaller side. 14 These Reusable Pee Pads For Uncomplicated Potty Training You might’ve used pee pads inside the house before your puppy learned to relieve themselves outs...

Pro-Russian Groups Are Raising Funds In Crypto To Prop Up Military Operations And Evade U.S. Sanctions – CNBC https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/pro-russian-groups-are-raising-funds-in-crypto-to-prop-up-military-operations-and-evade-u-s-sanctions-cnbc/ Russian paramilitary groups are raising funds in cryptocurrency using messaging app Telegram, according to research published by TRM Labs. Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images Pro-Russian groups are raising funds in cryptocurrency to prop up paramilitary operations and evade U.S. sanctions as the war with Ukraine wages on, a research report published Monday revealed. As of Sept. 22, these fundraising groups had raised $400,000 in cryptocurrency since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24, according to TRM Labs, a digital asset compliance and risk management company. The research revealed that groups, using encrypted messaging app Telegram, are offering ways for people to send funds which are used to supply Russian-affiliated militia groups and support combat training at locations close to the border with Ukraine. One group TRM Labs identified raising funds is Task Force Rusich which the U.S. Treasury describes as a “neo-Nazi paramilitary group that has participated in combat alongside Russia’s military in Ukraine.” The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFCA) has sanctioned Task Force Rusich. On a Telegram channel, TRM Labs discovered this group was looking to raise money for items such as thermal imaging equipment and radios. The Novorossia Aid Coordinating Center, which was set up in 2014 to support Russian operations in Ukraine, raised about $21,000 in cryptocurrency, mainly bitcoin, with the aim of buying drones, the report said. Russia was hit by a number of sanctions after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine earlier this year that aimed to cut it off from the global financial system. At the time, there were concerns that Russia could use cryptocurrency to evade these penalties. However, experts said that there is not enough liquidity in the crypto system on the scale Russia would require to move money. But with the paramilitary groups, they’re moving money on a smaller scale, which is enough for the items they need to buy. These groups are likely using exchanges that don’t necessarily comply with anti-money laundering and other regulations, according to Ari Redbord, head of legal and government affairs at TRM Labs. “They’re probably using non-compliant exchanges to off-ramp those funds [into fiat currency],” Redbord told CNBC. “And you can do that. You just can’t do that at scale. And I think that’s that that’s where … we’ll say, will there be more? Of course, there’ll be more. But will it be billions of dollars? Highly unlikely.” Redbord said TRM Labs used a combination of publicly available wallet addresses as well as cross-checking other websites and activity online to identify the Russian-linked groups. However, he did say it’s not possible to know whether these groups were working with the Russian government or are in any way backed by the Kremlin. Cryptocurrencies have been thrust into the spotlight during the Russia and Ukraine war. Ukraine has been seeking donations via digital coins, which can be sent quickly across the world. But they’re now also being used by Russian paramilitary groups. “I think an interesting part of this story is that crypto is just a form of payment in these cases. It’s a way to move funds. And there’s an example of it being used for good and example of it being used for bad in this context,” Redbord said.

Iran’s Release Of Iranian-American Not Conditioned On Asset Unfreezing, U.S. Says. – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/irans-release-of-iranian-american-not-conditioned-on-asset-unfreezing-u-s-says-the-washington-post/ An Iranian American jailed in Iran for nearly seven years on widely discredited espionage charges was temporarily released Saturday while Iran also lifted a travel ban on his ailing father, who had been imprisoned after traveling to the country to plead for his son’s release. Siamak Namazi, 51, and Baquer Namazi, 85, are among a growing list of U.S. and European nationals who have been held by Iran as political pawns, according to western officials. Tehran claimed Saturday that following the Namazis’ release Washington would unfreeze $7 billion in Iranian assets held in South Korea due to U.S. sanctions. “With the finalization of negotiations between Iran and the United States to release the prisoners of both countries, $7 billion of Iran’s blocked resources will be released,” State News Agency IRNA said Sunday. A U.S. State Department spokesperson denied that any assets would be transferred as part of a deal. The spokesperson, unnamed per State Department protocol, told The Washington Post that Washington was still working to secure the full release of Siamak Namazi, as well as several other U.S. nationals jailed in Iran. “We remain committed and determined to securing the freedom of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and elsewhere,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement Saturday. Price also thanked “U.S. allies and partners who have worked tirelessly to help the Namazis, including the U.N. Secretary General, Switzerland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and the United Kingdom.” Iranian media reported Saturday that an unnamed “regional country” helped to facilitate the deal. An informed source, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told The Post that Iraq had a key role in mediating between Iran and U.S. and British counterparts. Washington and Tehran cut off diplomatic relations shortly after the 1979 revolution that brought Iran’s ruling clerics to power. But the two countries have most recently been engaged in now stalled indirect talks to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal that Washington left in 2018. Iran has billions of assets frozen in banks around the world due to western sanctions. A return to the deal would include U.S. sanctions relief needed to revive Iran’s collapsed economy. Reports by state-affiliated media in Iran emphasized that the release of the Namazis has coincided with the lack of progress around the nuclear deal. The younger Namazi, a businessman, was arrested in 2015 while visiting Iran and has been held in the notorious Evin prison. An Iranian court convicted him in 2016 of espionage charges, which he denied. Namazi’s furlough is for one week, during which he will stay with his family, Jared Genser, the family lawyer, told Reuters. It remains unclear if the furlough will be extended. The elder Namazi, a former U.N. official, traveled to Iran in 2016 to plead for his son’s release. He was subsequently detained and convicted of “collaboration with a hostile government.” Authorities furloughed him from prison in 2018 due to health conditions and closed his case in 2020, though he remained under a travel ban. “The Secretary-General is grateful that, following his appeals to the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our former colleague Baquer Namazi has been permitted to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad,” a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Saturday in a statement. “This is a critical first step but of course we will not rest until the entire family is able to return to the United States and their long nightmare is finally over,” Genser, the family lawyer, told Reuters. Former political prisoners have described being subject to abuse, torture and forced confessions of such offenses as spying , while in prison. Iran has falsely blamed “foreign enemies” for fomenting more than two weeks of nationwide anti-government protests sparked last month by the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody. Authorities said Friday that they arrested nine European nationals for their role in the protests in a move likely to increase tensions with the west. U.S., European and U.N. officials have condemned Iran’s crackdown on demonstrators, which has included using live fire and cutting off internet access. At least 52 protesters have been killed, and hundreds more injured and arrested, according to London-based Amnesty International. The demonstrations, which have pulled people from a cross-section of ethnic, geographic and class groups, are the biggest surge of unrest since a wave of protests in 2019 triggered by economic grievances. In a separate case, Venezuela, another U.S. adversary, said Saturday that it had freed seven Americans held for nearly five years. The detainees, who included five oil company executives, were exchanged for two nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife jailed in the United States for drug smuggling. John Hudson contributed reporting from Washington; Mustafa Salim contributed reporting from Baghdad.

Flowing Cloud Tech Debuts On HKEX: Will Become First Metaverse IPO In Hong Kong – Business Wire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/flowing-cloud-tech-debuts-on-hkex-will-become-first-metaverse-ipo-in-hong-kong-business-wire/ BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The first Metaverse HK IPO, Flowing Cloud Technology Ltd(6610.HK), officially launched on 29 Sep with the fundraising amount around US$ 100 million. The deal was widely sought after by the market in HK and overseas. One the first day of book building, the HK public offering tranche was 5 times oversubscribed, which is the largest HK IPO with such multiples of oversubscribe on the book open day this year. The international placement tranche was also multiple times covered across the price range on the first day. And it has attracted a good mix of investors, including overseas and Chinese long-only funds, hedge funds, family offices, strategic corporates, etc., believing Flowing Cloud Tech might be the next Unity (U.US) in China. It is worth nothing that the deal had introduced well-known cornerstone investors including SenseTime, the best AI company in China; state-owned investment arm of Anji, one of the development engines beside Hangzhou in Zhejiang province; Tradego, the widely used fintech platform for securities houses in Hong Kong. Flowing Cloud is a leading AR/VR software technology service company in China, ranking 1st in China’s AR/VR service market in 2021, accounting for 13.5% of the market share. From 2019 to 2021, Flowing Cloud’s revenue was RMB 251, 339, and 595 million respectively, and the compound annual growth rate of revenue in the past three years was 54.02%. The revenue in the first quarter of 2022 was RMB 228 million, a year-on-year increase of 65.0%. The company achieved adjusted net profit in 2021 around RMB 105 million and 315.9% year-on-year rate of increase in the first quarter of 2022. The AR/VR market in China is showing great momentum, both hardware and software. Developing tools will be the critical building blocks in the prosperity of a new world. Flowing Cloud is one of the best players in the software market to provide development service and kits for Chinese business clients. The company maintains good collaboration with Chinese tech giants, such as Baidu, Huawei, Tencent, JD.com, etc. Flowing Cloud Tech’s valuation is ranged from HK$ 4 to 5 billion, forward P/E around 15x-20x. The reasonable pricing leaves profits on the table for potential investors. Book continues to grow in size and quality with further conversions from management deal roadshow, and will close on 10 Oct.

‘Burr Months’ – The Cross Timbers Gazette https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/burr-months-the-cross-timbers-gazette/ Pumpkin-themed décor and pumpkin spice drinks are a reminder that fall has arrived. In our call center it’s the official countdown to Christmas and Mandy, our very own barista, stocks our coffee “bar” with holiday creamers. After Halloween a lot of homeowners begin to prepare for the holidays. It’s also a good idea to begin preparing your home for winter. October is the perfect month to take care of your home maintenance especially when it comes to getting your HVAC and plumbing ready for the “burr” months. Take the time to take care of the little things like replacing weather stripping and calking. A dirty HVAC filter can restrict airflow so remember to change your air filter. Clean debris at least 2 feet around your outdoor HVAC unit. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. When it comes to plumbing, make sure to clear your gutters of all debris which helps avoid water damage by promoting proper water drainage. Everything in home maintenance for the upcoming “burr” months is not DIY. Maintaining your HVAC system is one of them. Not only does regular maintenance keep your warranty intact it can help prevent costly repairs in the long run. Our service includes looking at homeowners’ attic insulation. What we often find is improving the insultation can help lower your overall energy bill. Out of sight, out of mind. That’s your water heater. You don’t want that 500+ pound gorilla showing up unexpectedly during your holiday festivities. Make sure it is working properly by a plumbing professional before the long haul of the “burr” months. We make it easy to take care of your maintenance. Pick your date and time when you schedule your service online by visiting ForceHomeServices.com. It would be our pleasure to serve you. (Sponsored content) CTG Staff The Cross Timbers Gazette News Department

Keldon Johnson Loses 21 Pounds, Could Be Spurs’ New Small Forward – San Antonio Express-News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/keldon-johnson-loses-21-pounds-could-be-spurs-new-small-forward-san-antonio-express-news/ HOUSTON — The man they call “Big Body” arrived for the start of training camp last week with his body not quite as big. Keldon Johnson said he dropped 21 pounds over the offseason, a weight-loss outcome that could portend a change in position. Having played mostly as an undersized power forward for his first three NBA seasons, Johnson is prepared to move to the small forward spot in 2022-23. “He is really a wing player,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s not really a ‘four’, so this is putting him more at his natural position.” The team’s leading returning scorer at 17 points per game, Johnson shot a career-best 39.8 percent from 3-point range last season. The 6-foot-5 Johnson will play this season listed at 210 pounds. “He is quicker, he moves better and he tells me he looks better, too,” Popovich said with a laugh. Johnson, 22, said he could feel the difference early in training camp. “I’m definitely slimmer, faster, stronger and just prepared for a big season,” he said. Spurs veteran Doug McDermott has been in the NBA for eight years, and has some advice for the three rookies on the San Antonio roster: “You just have to stay even-keeled.” Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Johnson will have to wait a bit to show off his new physique. Spurs vs. Magic When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday; AT&T Center. TV/radio: Spurs app; 1200 AM, 1350 AM (Spanish). Though Johnson has been going through non-contact work in camp while recovering from a dislocated shoulder, he was not active for Sunday’s preseason opener in Houston. Second-year guard Josh Primo was also sidelined while dealing with a knee sprain. Both projected starters are expected to be ready for the Oct. 19 regular-season opener at home against Charlotte. “I just want to be the best Keldon Johnson I can be,” Johnson said. “Be a leader, be there for the young guys and just learn as much as I can from the rest of the coaches.” Asked if his new slimmed down figure might mean a change in nickname is in order. Johnson maintained he is still “Big Body” at heart. On ExpressNews.com: Sochan, Spurs rookie class ready for grand unveiling “Of course,” he said. “100 percent.” Richardson all the rage in Paris for Fashion Week With COVID having put a damper on his summer travel plans in previous years, Spurs guard Josh Richardson decided he needed to go big when it came to his 2022 offseason vacation. So he went to Paris for Fashion Week, fulfilling a lifelong bucket list item. “I just like fashion, I like clothes, I like traveling,” the 29-year-old Richardson said. “I hadn’t got to travel in four or five years. I made up my mind to do it.” Somewhat of fashion maven himself, Richardson said the trip to Paris was the best part of his summer. “I had a good time out there, just watching the show,” Richardson said. McDermott delivers some sage advice to rookies Spurs guard Doug McDermott had sage advice for his younger teammates as their NBA careers unofficially kicked off Sunday in Houston. On ExpressNews.com: Doug McDermott likes Spurs’ fast pace The most important skill a rookie can learn is how to weather the down days, McDermott said. “I have learned there are so many ups and downs,” said the 30-year-old McDermott, who is entering his ninth NBA season. “In college, you only play 30 games. In the NBA, you play 82. So there are going to be a lot of high moments, a lot of down moments, and you just have to stay even-keeled.” It is a lesson McDermott says he will continue to impress on the Spurs’ large crop of rookies, including 2022 first-round picks Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley. He expects the Spurs’ youngsters will figure things out given increased playing time on a rebuilding roster. It is a different scenario than what McDermott faced as a rookie in Chicago, when he appeared in only 36 games. “I thought for me it took at least a year, a year and a half, because a lot of rookies don’t get a chance to play right away,” McDermott said. “With the situation here, they are going to get the opportunity because we have a lot of young guys they want to see play together and grow together.” jmcdonald@express-news.net Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Dow Jones Futures Rise As Bear Market Eyes Third Leg Down; Record Tesla Deliveries Fall Short | Investor’s Business Daily – Investor’s Business Daily https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dow-jones-futures-rise-as-bear-market-eyes-third-leg-down-record-tesla-deliveries-fall-short-investors-business-daily-investors-business-daily/ Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website. This may happen as a result of the following: Javascript is disabled or blocked by an extension (ad blockers for example) Your browser does not support cookies Please make sure that Javascript and cookies are enabled on your browser and that you are not blocking them from loading. Reference ID: #3ff11a07-42aa-11ed-b63d-424769724d6e

Child Tax Credit 2022 — Three $250 Direct Payments Going Out This Month – See How Many You’ll Get… – The US Sun https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/child-tax-credit-2022-three-250-direct-payments-going-out-this-month-see-how-many-youll-get-the-us-sun/ Live Blog MONEY MAKER Updated: 19:00 ET, Oct 2 2022 DIRECT payments of $250 are being sent out this month to residents in several states with similar tax rebate programs. And the checks are only able to be claimed for a maximum of three children. In Rhode Island, families will get $250 per child and a maximum of $750 total for up to three children with direct payments going out beginning in October. Families in Connecticut can also claim $250 per child. The payments, which are capped at three children for a total of $750, started rolling out in late August. Meanwhile, New Yorkers claiming the Empire State child credit, which is based on income, will be mailed their checks automatically and can expect to receive them by the end of October. Read our child tax credit live blog for the latest news and updates… Pennsylvania’s $25million Child Care Tax Credit Governor Tom Wolf visited Kiddie Space Heights stating that the state’s CTC will provide $180 to $630 families. Nearly 221,000 families are expected to benefit from the program. Pennsylvanians paying for child care services can claim the credit when filing state taxes starting in 2023. Families could be eligible for: $180 (one child) or $360 (two or more children) for households earning above $43,000 $315 (one child) or $630 (two or more children) for households earning less than $43,000 Child Health Day 2022 President Biden announced that Monday, October 3, 2022, will be known as Child Health Day. In the statement, Mr Biden said his administration is working towards providing children with quality health care, child care, and proper education. “To win the competition for the future, we must continue building a healthier and safer Nation for our children,” Mr Biden said in the statement. Scope of the proposed Family Security Act 2.0 The act includes cuts to the earned income tax credit and eliminated the ability to file as a head of household, CNBC reports. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about 7 million families earning less than $50,000 would lose money under the new plan. The act will also phase in more quickly and eliminates the current $1,500 refund cap. What recipients spent money on, part two According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 19 percent of those that go the Child Tax Credit, and make less than 35,000 per year spent the money on car payments, and 17 percent paid down debt. Sixteen percent spent funds on childcare, and 8 percent put the money toward investments. Only 4 percent of recipients spent the money recreationally. What CTC recipients spent money on According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 91 percent of families making less than $35,000 per year are using their monthly Child Tax Credit payments for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities — or education.  To break it down, 40 percent of families used their payments to pay for school books and supplies, tuition, after-school programs, and transportation to and from school Fifty-nine percent bought food and 52 percent spent funds on utilities, while 44 percent purchased clothes. USDA partnerships offer benefits for families The US Department of Agriculture partnered with 26 states and Puerto Rico to offer children temporary food benefits. Children will be eligible for the program if they receive free or reduced lunch at school, or if they’re under the age of 6 and live in a household that receives SNAP benefits. An estimated 13million children will benefit from the program. Benefits will be loaded onto a debit card that can be used to buy food. Idaho child tax credit will expire in the coming years Starting in 2018, Idaho residents were eligible for nonrefundable dependent credits worth up to $205. Eligible recipients must have children under the age of 17 to qualify for the payments. The payments are set to expire in January 2026. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Passed in 2021, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was created to stop discrimination towards pregnant workers. The law states that employers cannot force pregnant workers off of the job. Plus, they cannot deny them reasonable accommodations that would allow them to continue working while maintaining healthy pregnancies. Alabama offers school choice tax credit Parents in Alabama can receive tax credits to help cover the costs of transferring their child from a “failing public school” to another public or private school. Eligibility is based on the state’s evaluation of a particular school based largely on standardized test scores. The average credit amount is $2,940 and the credit is fully refundable. Federal government aid programs Funding for schools comes from several states and local governments, but recently the federal government has started providing aid to schools. According to the New America Foundation, the federal government issues over $40billion to elementary and secondary schools for the following: To help create and sustain programs Provide meals for students Prepare children to attend school and other functions or activities Public schools in California get free lunch Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, all public school students will be eligible for school lunches. The funding comes from the state and is the first to implement the Universal Meals Program, according to the California Department of Education. It’s designed to build off of the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). IRS could seize your child tax credit There are two groups that may have their credits seized by the IRS on their tax return or be obligated to pay back the agency. If you did not opt-out of the monthly payments when you were no longer eligible, you will most likely have to pay back the IRS. To qualify for the full payments, couples must have made less than $150,000, while single parents who file as heads of households needed to make under $112,500. Eligibility was determined by the Internal Revenue Service based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns. Claiming your Child Tac Credit, continued And if your child’s other parent claimed the credit in 2020 but you normally alternate years, you can get the full tax credit you’re entitled to on your tax return even if the other parent received advance payments. And luckily for nonfilers, a tool just reopened that will allow families to claim up to $3,600. Called GetCTC, it is being run in collaboration with the White House and nonprofit tech organization, Code for America.Meanwhile, the child tax credit is set to revert back to $2,000 as Congress has failed to extend the boost. Claiming your Child Tax Credit Claiming is made easier as the IRS has a handy tool to see if you qualify. Couples and individuals who claimed a dependent for 2020 and received advance payments will need to reconcile the amount they received with the full credit amount they’re eligible for. This will result in repaying some of that money or claiming the remaining credit balance.If you claimed a dependent in 2020 but the child’s other parent is claiming them for 2021 and you didn’t opt out of advance payments, you’ll need to repay the credit unless you qualify for repayment protection. Both parents claiming CTC, continued For those who claimed a dependent on their 2020 taxes automatically received advance payments, unless they opted out. That means in situations where parents alternate claiming their child as a dependent each year, both parents may receive the child tax credit this year. However, both parents may not be able to benefit from the credit. If you claimed your child as a dependent in 2020 and received advance payments in 2021, you may be required to return those advance payments if your co-parent plans to claim the full credit on their tax return. Both parents claiming CTC Typically, only one parent can claim a dependent on their taxes. Technically, married couples filing a joint return are both “claiming” the credit, as they share the benefits. If a married couple files separately, one parent can claim half of the child tax credits and split the benefit. Divorced, separated, or unwed couples must determine which parent will claim the child as a dependent each year. Faith leaders urge lawmakers to expand CTC Over 50 faith leaders joined Reverend Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in urging congress to move on three actions. During a briefing on Capitol Hill, the faith leaders advocated for passing voting rights legislation, a $15 minimum wage, and a permanent Child Tax Credit expansion.“Poverty is a policy choice,” Reverend Barber said. Biden calls for expanded CTC During the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, President Biden urged leaders to expand the Child Tax Credits that helped millions during the pandemic. “It helped cut child poverty by nearly 50 percent in the United States — 50 percent. And it cut food insecurity for families by 26 percent,” Mr Biden said per a White House transcript. “And that’s why my national strategy calls on Congress to expand the Child Credit permanently,” the president added. White House: Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, continued The White House announced its package of new actions that include business, civic, academic, and philanthropic leaders will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease. The following are five pillars laid out by the Biden Administration with the help of business and other industry leaders: Pillar 1 – Improve Food Access and Affordability Pillar 2 – Integrate Nutrition and Health Pillar 3 – Empower Consume...

Packers Vs. Patriots Score: Live Updates, Game Stats, Highlights; Brian Hoyer Ruled Out With Head Injury – CBS Sports https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/packers-vs-patriots-score-live-updates-game-stats-highlights-brian-hoyer-ruled-out-with-head-injury-cbs-sports/ Season Leaders passing M. Jones786 YD, 2 TDS, 5 INTS M. Jones786 YD, 2 TDS, 5 INTS A. Rodgers684 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTSA. Rodgers684 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTS rushing D. Harris35 ATT, 160 YD, 2 TDSD. Harris35 ATT, 160 YD, 2 TDS A. Jones32 ATT, 217 YD, 1 TDA. Jones32 ATT, 217 YD, 1 TD receiving N. Agholor11 REC, 179 YD, 1 TDN. Agholor11 REC, 179 YD, 1 TD R. Doubs14 REC, 137 YD, 1 TDR. Doubs14 REC, 137 YD, 1 TD See New Posts Pinned Aaron Rodgers is 3-8-1 in his career in games that go to overtime (including playoffs) Pinned Nugget: Bailey Zappe is the first player to ever make his NFL debut as a visitor at Lambeau Field and throw a TD pass in that game (Lambeau opened in 1957) Pinned And we’re heading to overtime. Little curious to see Rodgers and the Packers offense opt for a short school-yard play in the final seconds instead of a hail mary.  Pinned Massive punt coming up here for Jake Bailey. If you pin the Packers back far enough, this could be heading to overtime.  Pinned Pinned Pinned Perfect ball by Rodgers but Doubs can’t survive the ground and the would-be touchdown is ruled incomplete.  Pinned That’s a rookie mistake there by Zappe. Nothing is there in coverage and that’s when you have to throw it away or dump it off to Harris.  Pinned Pinned Pinned Bailey Zappe has shown some great poise. Not easy for a third-stringer to be thrust into a game against Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau Field and he’s making some nice throws.  Pinned Pinned Little chess game between Aaron Rodgers and Bill Belichick before the field goal. Rodgers was trying to get New England to go offsides, saw that he could get them for too many men, and snapped the ball. Belichick realized that and called a timeout to avoid the penalty.  Pinned Pinned Pinned As the broadcast notes, Bailey Zappe is the first rookie quarterback to throw a touchdown pass this season.  Pinned The Patriots got a gift from the officials. New England should have been flagged for a delay of game penalty and it never came. Instead, Zappe hits Parker for the 25-yard touchdown to go up 17-14.  Pinned Marcus Cannon is in at right tackle to begin the second half. Isaiah Wynn out.  Pinned Nice ball by Rodgers on the touchdown to Tonyan. Packers retake the 14-10 lead on what was their best offensive drive of the afternoon.  Pinned Pinned Really impressive catch there by Lazard. Felt like it was a really tight window and was able to extend to make the grab. He’s looked good since missing the start of the season.  Pinned Aaron Rodgers: 2nd home pick-six of career in 104 home starts (also 2017 vs CIN) Pinned Pinned Patriots say that Jonnu Smith is questionable to return with an ankle injury.  Pinned Aaron Rodgers has dropped back just eight times and has completed three passes today.  Pinned Smith is now limping to the locker room.  Pinned Injuries keep plaguing the Patriots. Jonnu Smith limped off on that last drive and went into the medical tent. Hunter Henry is the only other TE on the roster.  Pinned Felt like Watson had a step on his defender. Rodgers looked his way, but the ball sort of sailed to the sideline. Once they get their timing, this duo will be good for at least one chunk play a game.  Pinned Watched Zappe a ton during camp. He has a pretty powerful arm, but he did struggle with some of his touch passes out in the flat and shorter routes. Something to watch as he takes over with Hoyer out.  Pinned Rookie Christian Watson with the 15-yard touchdown run for the Packers. Takes his first Lambeau Leap. Packers 7, Patriots 3 See More

Millions Visit Nikeland As Brands Fashion A Future In The Metaverse – The Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/millions-visit-nikeland-as-brands-fashion-a-future-in-the-metaverse-the-times/ Nike has attracted tens of millions of visitors to its virtual store in the metaverse as it moves to make “deep consumer connections” online. More than 21 million people explored Nikeland, the vast digital world built by the sportswear giant inside a popular gaming platform called Roblox. The platform’s young users have been flocking to the company’s buildings, fields and arenas to compete in a variety of games such as dodgeball, basketball and “The Floor is Lava”. Crucially to the brand’s digital strategy, they can also browse a showroom and buy virtual products including shoes, bags and hats. The items can be used to dress their digital avatars, which become walking adverts for the company’s latest products that can be bought in the real world.

Five Things: Ohio State Does What It Always Does To Rutgers – Eleven Warriors https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/five-things-ohio-state-does-what-it-always-does-to-rutgers-eleven-warriors/ An annual tradition, Greg Schiano’s carnival program rolled out a host of gadget plays and goofy decisions in another lopsided loss to Ohio State. After back-to-back dialed-in performances against Toledo and Wisconsin, Ryan Day’s squad didn’t bring the same consistent execution and energy but it was more than enough to record a 49-10 win over the perennially overmatched Scarlet knights.  The game’s tempo flatlined at points though passions certainly ran high late after Ohio State punter Jesse Mirco decided on his own to run for 22 yards on 4th-and-3 from the OSU 39. He took a late hit out of bounds prompting some pushing and shoving between players and a shouting match between Day and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano.  While Mirco wasn’t hurt on the play, injuries were again a storyline for Ohio State as TreVeyon Henderson was scratched just before kickoff, Tanner McCalister suffered an injury in the first quarter and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cameron Brown, among others, missed the game entirely. The win improved Ohio State to 5-0 with a trip to East Lansing set for next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Before we turn our focus to Michigan State however, here are Five Things from yesterday’s 39-point victory over the Scarlet Knights.  C.J. SLIGHTLY ASTRAY  I wrote last week how quarterback C.J. Stroud looked “off” compared to his standard after connecting on 17-of-27 for 281 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. Truth be told, he was indeed high and wide with more throws than we typically see and a few hung his receivers out to dry.  Yesterday, Stroud was much further from his standard as he completed 13-of-22 passes for just 154 yards with two touchdown tosses against one very poor interception. His 59% completion rate tied for the worst of his Ohio State career, lining up exactly to a 13-of-22 night versus Minnesota last year in his first career start. Look, nobody is worried about Stroud – I’m sure not – but there’s no doubt he hasn’t been his pinpoint-accurate self the last two weeks.  He’s surely missing JSN to some degree. Interestingly, he’s had a tough time connecting with Marvin Harrison Jr. the last two weeks after the duo lit it up the two games prior. Harrison’s caught just three passes in each of the last two games and yesterday, those three catches came on 10 targets. Last week, I think it was something like eight targets. That’s a pretty shaky catch-to-target ratio Stroud and Harrison need to address.  MIYAN F. WILLIAM5 Everybody with a keyboard is going to write about Miyan – how could you not – after the dude ripped off five touchdown runs to tie Ohio State’s single-game record (Keith Byars, Pete Johnson) while cranking out 189 yards on a cool nine yards a pop.  His 70-yard touchdown burst was the most notable as he’s not the home run hitter in Ohio State’s backfield. The big play threat, Henderson, wasn’t able to go yesterday continuing an issue of him being nicked up. That’s not a shot at Henderson, but the fact remains the best ability is availability and with his ongoing injuries, it’s a damn good thing Day has Williams in his stable.  On the season, Williams is averaging 99 rushing yards per game on 7.8 per attempt which slots No. 12 in the land among qualified ball carriers. And with Dallan Hayden has shown, I don’t see a real reason to rush Henderson back. Ohio State will be perfectly fine with Williams as TB1 especially if the offensive line’s run blocking generally continues to shine.    Yeah it was Rutgers but it’s important for the coaches and players to see the run game take control when the passing attack isn’t firing on all cylinders.  DOWN ON THE CORNER What the heck should we make of Denzel Burke’s ongoing struggles?  He missed last week with a hand injury but in the weeks before that, it’s been nothing short of a struggle for a kid that exploded onto the scene last year as a true freshman starter.  This season, he’s been cooked repeatedly and yesterday, against a laughable Rutgers passing game, he gave up two crucial catches when he was in the neighborhood but seemed to lack technique and have no idea the ball was coming his way.  The first came after Ohio State had forced a 3-and-out but Emeka Egbuka muffed the ensuing punt giving possession right back to the Scarlet Knights. Facing a 3rd-and-6 from the OSU 14-yard line, Burke had solid coverage on Sean Ryan down the right sideline but never turned around as Ryan hauled in a touchdown pass giving Rutgers a short-lived 7-0 lead.  On Rutgers’ first possession of the second half, facing a 2nd-and-7, Burke again had decent coverage on Ryan but again seemed unaware the football was in the air as he gave up a 26-yard connection to the OSU 30. Rutgers kicked a field goal a few plays later cutting Ohio State’s lead to 28-10.  Ryan’s two catches on Burke accounted for 50% of Rutgers’ total passing yards on the day.  I feel like most of the time he’s been beat, it has been straight man-to-man coverage but I’m no DB coach. Interestingly, our film study guru, Kyle Jones, surmised in Slack during the game that maybe Burke is having some difficulty picking up Jim Knowles’ complicated system as a possible/partial reason for his performance decline.  Regardless of reason, Ohio State needs Burke to tighten things up by the time it faces a legit passing attack.  ZACH ATTACK Through his first four games this season, Zach Harrison tallied five tackles and two quarterback hurries in 92 snaps, the fourth-most among Ohio State’s defensive linemen. Yesterday against Rutgers, Harrison had his best game so far this year with two tackles and pass breakup and a forced fumble in a solid performance.  His first stop held Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral to no gain on a 2nd-and-7 snap. His second was even more impactful as he again found the quarterback, this time Evan Simon, and not only tackled him but forced a fumble Mike Hall Jr. promptly pounced on. Three plays later and Ohio State’s offense found the end zone to take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.  His final act came on a 3rd-and-4 play from the Rutgers 30 as he rushed up the middle and tipped a Simon pass, deflecting it into the arms of Steele Chambers who returned the pick 12 yards to the Rutgers 20-yard line. A few plays later, Miyan Williams was in the end zone for touchdown number five giving OSU a 49-10 cushion early in the fourth quarter.  As our Dan Hope captured, Harrison’s two turnover-forcing plays came as he lined up at defensive tackle, using his length and speed, increasing the versatility of Ohio State’s front four pending down and distance.  SNAP INTO IT For all the consternation over Jesse Mirco going rogue and converting a first down after Rutgers refused to account for him on their punt defense, I’d be much happier if opposing coaches were salty over Ryan Day letting his backup quarterback(s) throw the ball and gain some useful experience in blowouts.  Yesterday marked the fourth-straight contest the Buckeyes won by at least 31 points – their average margin of victory over that span is closer to 40 points – but we’ve barely seen Kyle McCord or Devin Brown.  I want Stroud to win the Heisman too but knowing he’s gone after this season, it seems like testing McCord and Brown could be a higher priority at times. Sure, Stroud entered last season with zero pass attempts and virtually zero game experience and that worked out pretty damn good but I don’t know if that’s a recipe you want to repeat especially if you don’t have to.  Over these four consecutive blowouts, McCord’s played 31 snaps. He’s thrown it 14 times (completing 10) so he’s actually been allowed to throw it a higher percentage of plays than I would’ve guessed but it feels like he’s missed out on logging even more possessions. Brown’s played just nine snaps so far and has yet to throw a pass.  Hey, I’m just nit-picking here, Day obviously knows what he’s doing especially when it comes to quarterbacks but it just felt like yesterday was a great opportunity to let McCord throw it more than three times. There’s still a long way to go and likely more lopsided victories to come. First world problems, I get it.

Crypto Billionaires Are Disappearing: Casualties Of The Bear Market – BeInCrypto https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/crypto-billionaires-are-disappearing-casualties-of-the-bear-market-beincrypto/ Crypto billionaires are becoming a rare breed. When Vitalik Buterin revealed he was no longer a billionaire in May, the Ethereum cofounder spoke for many of the ultra-rich in cryptocurrency. A number of the wealthiest founders have lost billions of dollars in net worth to the 2022 bear market, or “crypto winter”. According to Forbes, the number of crypto billionaires on The Forbes 400 list of the richest people in the U.S. dropped from seven in 2021 to four this year. Their combined wealth fell similarly, from $55.1 billion to $27.3 billion, it says. It comes as cryptocurrency holdings have been hit hard by a sharp decline in prices following the collapse of the Terra blockchain in May. Bitcoin (BTC) is down more than 70% from its record closing high of $69,000 in Nov. 2021. Every other cryptocurrency of significance fell alongside bitcoin. Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest digital asset, has slumped 75% from its all-time high. Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA) and Binance Coin (BNB) are all in the red. In total, the value of all crypto assets has dropped from over $3 trillion in November to $967 billion as of writing, per Coinmarketcap data. This year’s bear market is unprecedented in some ways. It represents a combination of difficult macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical tensions, and dubious projects/decisions by crypto founders. The Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index, a tool that tracks momentum levels in the industry, is currently reading “extreme fear.” Crypto billionaires and their declining fortunes In June, bitcoin dropped to under $18,000 – and with it the fortunes of a few crypto founders and backers. Sam Bankman-Fried, the cofounder and CEO of crypto exchange FTX, is down 23% since his fortune hit $22.5 billion over the past year, according to Forbes. With a net worth of $17.2 billion, Bankman-Fried remains the richest person in crypto. He is ranked at number 41 on The Forbes 400 list. Sam Bankman-Fried, the cofounder and CEO of crypto exchange FTX, is down 23%. The 30-year old made big moves this year. He gave away $16 million to super PACs in April, making him one of the top donors. He also plans to give between $100 million and $1 billion during the next U.S. presidential election to support Democrats. In crypto, Bankman-Fried has become some sort of messiah. In June, he loaned $400 million to BlockFi through FTX. There was an option to buy the troubled crypto lender outright for up to $240 million. He also provided a $500 million loan to bankrupt lender Voyager Digital through one of his companies Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried is planning more acquisitions, according to industry media, cheered on by a cashpile of around $2 billion at FTX. Ripple’s Chris Larsen Chris Larsen, cofounder and chairman of crypto payments firm Ripple Labs, saw his wealth fall from $6 billion to $2.8 billion over the last year. The 62-year-old’s net worth slumped after Ripple’s XRP native token crashed by 75% since last year. Ripple has also been impacted by its long-running legal battle against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It won the case a few days ago. Over the past two weeks, the price of XRP has soared more than 30% to $0.4595 at press time. Larsen stays on Forbes’ rich list at number 380. The business executive and angel investor has shied away from making public comments on the SEC lawsuit, although he continues to engage publicly about Bitcoin. Considered Bankman-Fried’s right-handman, Gary Wang cofounded both Alameda Research and FTX. The 29-year-old old software engineer is worth $4.6 billion. He makes the Forbes 400 rich list at number 227. Wang owns 16% of FTX, where he is chief technology officer. He worked at Google “where he formulated systems that were meant to aggregate prices for millions of flights.” While Wang maintains a private life, he is credited with spearheading FTX’s growth jas much as Bankman-Fried. The fall from grace Coinbase Global’s Brian Armstrong, 39, and cofounder Fred Ehrsam, 34, were once worth a combined $15 billion. They have seen their fortunes collapse to $2.7 billion and $1.1 billion as shares of the firm plunged 80% since its initial public offering in April last year. While Armstrong retains his place in the Forbes 400 rich list at number 388, the founder may have seen one of the biggest declines in fortunes. Last year this time he was worth $11.5 billion. Ehrsam, who left Coinbase in 2017, dropped from the rich list after his worth fell from $3.5 billion. The bear market has taken a toll on Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange. Quarterly trading volume almost halved to $277 billion during the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to the previous three months. The exchange makes money from charging fees on trades. Coinbase also laid off 18% of its workforce in June, citing the possibility of a recession that could lead to a prolonged bear market. “We grew too quickly,” Armstrong said at the time. “Our employee costs are too high to effectively manage this uncertain market. The actions we are taking today will allow us to more confidently manage through this period even if it is severely prolonged.” Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss saw their fortunes fall to $2.2 billion each, from as high as $4.3 billion apiece. With markets crashing, the 40-year-old twin founders of crypto exchange Gemini have taken on music. They’ve gone on tours with their rock band, Mars Junction. Both have dropped from the Forbes 400 rich list. Geminin announced in June that it would cut around 10% of its stuff due to unfavourable market conditions. Crypto billionaires: Will they recover their wealth? There are several crypto tycoons who remain billionaires not included on Forbes 400 list of wealthy people. Founders such as Changpeng Zhao of Binance, Mike Novogratz of hedge fund Fortress Investment Group and others, have lost billions from the market downturn. However, bear markets are not a rare occasion in the digital markets spectrum. Therefore, it’s not surprising that crypto fanatics maintain that the events are only temporary – just as much they remain hopeful things will turn for better in the near future. Buterin, the Ethereum confounder, has previously suggested he would welcome lower crypto prices. In February, he told Bloomberg News: “The people who are deep into crypto, and especially building things, a lot of them welcome a bear market.” Fred Ehrsam, the Coinbase cofounder and board member, tweeted: “One thing most people don’t fully grasp: it takes years, often decades, to go from a new infrastructure-level technology breakthrough (like crypto) to a vibrant ecosystem of mainstream applications.” One thing most people don’t fully grasp: it takes years, often decades, to go from a new infrastructure-level technology breakthrough (like crypto) to a vibrant ecosystem of mainstream applications. — Fred Ehrsam (@FEhrsam) June 20, 2022 The Winklevoss twins, say their investments are long term. “It’s all about perspective and HODLing for the long game,” Cameron Winklevoss wrote on Twitter in May. Got something to say about crypto billionaires or anything else? Join the discussion in our Telegram channel. You can also catch us on Tik Tok, Facebook, or Twitter. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

This Town Of 600 Is The New Center Of U.S. Population – KXAN.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/this-town-of-600-is-the-new-center-of-u-s-population-kxan-com/ Mean center of U.S. population Mean center of U.S. population by: Nick Bannin Posted: Oct 2, 2022 / 06:07 PM CDT Updated: Oct 2, 2022 / 06:07 PM CDT Mean center of U.S. population Mean center of U.S. population by: Nick Bannin Posted: Oct 2, 2022 / 06:07 PM CDT Updated: Oct 2, 2022 / 06:07 PM CDT HARTVILLE, Missouri (KXAN) — Every 10 years the U.S. Census and NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey coordinate to calculate the center of the U.S. population in order to look at shifts and trends of where people live. For the most recent 2020 Census, the Center of U.S. Population was determined to be in Hartville, Missouri. The calculation is done by counting the population of the United States, finding their location and averaging it out across the country. What they come up with is “the average location of where people in the U.S. live,” according to a NOAA news release on the topic. This location has been calculated since 1790, when the Center of U.S. Population was in Kent County, Maryland. Locations in Missouri have held the title of Center of U.S. Population for the last five decades! The shift of population west has continued ever since 1790 as is evident by looking at the map of the average center of population over the years. A more southerly shift is also noticeable since the year 1920. Mean center of U.S. population (Courtesy: US CENSUS) NOAA and the U.S. Census held a celebration of sorts to mark the new Center of U.S. Population in Hartville, MO, population 600, late in September. Courtesy: NOAA The calculation won’t be made again until after the next U.S. Census in 2030. BestReviews Tracking the Coronavirus Trending Stories Don’t Miss

FEATURE: A Conversation With Our Broadcast Team – Texas Tech Red Raiders – TexasTech.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/feature-a-conversation-with-our-broadcast-team-texas-tech-red-raiders-texastech-com/ You’re going to hear and see them all season again. Their voices coming through the radio during Texas Tech basketball games, relaying what’s happening, providing context and increasing excitement. Their interviews and twitter posts bringing you insight into the coaches and players that go beyond stats and results. They connect with the program because they’re part of the program. For the seventh season, Chris Level and Geoff Haxton will be calling Red Raider basketball games together. Level, who arrived in Lubbock as a Tech student in 1994 is entering his 13th season as the program’s analyst, called his first game in 2010; Haxton, who graduated from Oklahoma State in 2001 and called games for Oral Roberts before moving his family to Texas, came down for the 2016-17 season. Like our athletes. Like our coaches. Level and Haxton have their own unique stories of how they got to where they’re at. This isn’t their biography. That isn’t our point here. They developed a passion for sports in their youth long before they discovered their talents for broadcasting. Combine the two and it brings us here, a place where they’ve been connecting with Red Raider Nation audiences ever since. Haxton: My love of all things sports is directly connected to my father. Our relationship was built around running routes in the front yard. We had about half an acre of land just west of Duncan, Oklahoma out in the country. He would come home from being a CPA and we would run routes or hit off the tee. We would always play catch and he also bought us a soft-toss machine. No one else had that back then in the 80s where I was from. That was pretty cool to have a machine like that where you hit it into the net. My moments growing up with my dad built the love I for sports. Level: My grandfather’s love of the Dallas Cowboys is probably where I began loving sports. Tom Landry was the coach. I realized sports was like a religion and had a huge impact on people. I used to sit at home when I was young and even in high school and memorize the sports pages in the newspaper. I’d read it over and over. Why? I have no idea. I’d read the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News every day like there was a test coming. Haxton: I grew up always wanting to be a Division I baseball player. Never thought about being a professional player. Being a Division I baseball player was my goal. It hit me like a freight train when I was 17 that I wasn’t going to be good enough. That was a crushing day. I knew I still wanted to be involved with sports and started thinking of ways to stay around the games. My dad was a coach but I didn’t want to do that. It seemed like a struggle. I found out about broadcasting and thought it was something interesting that I could do and it would keep me in the game. One dream ended. But another started. Level: I remember playing basketball in the YMCA league. They would give these little stickers that were of a missile. If you made a basket, you got a missile sticker. I remember wanting to get as many stickers as I could. That’s third or fourth grade. I loved basketball even before then, but that really motivated me for some reason. I wasn’t tall yet but I loved the game and being around my friends. Haxton: My family needed the radio badly back in the 80s to listen to games. We had three television stations where I grew up and games were rarely on. You could catch the occasional game but there wasn’t much. We’d point the antenna towards Wichita Falls, Lawton or Oklahoma City to try and catch games. It started getting better as the years went on. The radio is where I connected to sports growing up though. Level: There really wasn’t a time in my life where broadcasting was something I knew was going to be my career. I watched everything. Brad Sham and Eric Nadel were big for me because I grew up in the Metroplex. Broadcasting wasn’t why though. It was the game. Haxton: Bob Barry, Sr. was a really big influence on me. He was huge in Oklahoma. Inevitably, people get asked about their inspirations and most of the times broadcasters point to big national names. I didn’t know those guys existed. I listened to local radio and hoped our antenna would pick up some games for the tv. College athletics was everything to me. Bill Teegins was my mentor in college before he died in the OSU plane crash and Rex Holt. Those were my guys that I looked up to. Level: I’ve never really been star struck by much, but one year we played in Kansas and Bill Raftery was doing the national broadcast. I went up to him and shook his hand. That was a nerdy thing, but he is someone I had always looked up to. Same with Ernie Johnson when we met him at the Final Four. They do a tremendous job. Haxton: We had a class in college that really got me going in this. It was very rudimentary. It was called Broadcast Play-By-Play Practicum. We would record into a cassette player. My first game ever was an Oklahoma State basketball game. It was at Gallagher-Iba Arena and I climbed up into the gondola that overlooked the floor. You were hanging right over the court back then. It was Oklahoma State against Nebraska. We just called it like we were on a real radio station. That’s the first time I put on the headset. I took that cassette and played it in my car. I heard myself and the crowd noise. I knew it was what I wanted to do. Level: My first radio job was with Robert Giovannetti in 2005. I also used to go on Jack Dale’s show. He would interview me about football and basketball. In October of 2005, we got the call asking if we wanted to start a radio show. That was a one-hour show on a news talk station. We had a great time doing it and loved getting to talk about Texas Tech athletics. This is my first year not doing a radio show after 17 years every day. Haxton: The first game over the air I did was in 1999. Medford versus Timberlake. Class C 8-man football. It was the state championship in Enid, Oklahoma. It was rainy, sleeting and just a really cold day. The press box windows kept fogging up. I had never been on the radio before. They needed someone to fill in and I was available. It was a really cool experience. My dad had come with me to support me. I was nervous and he knew that. He told me after that he thought I could be pretty good at it. That meant a lot to me. We drove home and I remember thinking that it was a lot of fun and that I wanted to get better at it. Level: Andy Ellis had been doing my job before me. I had never done it before and never really thought about doing it. He just told me to say what I see. My brain didn’t work like that then. I felt like I wasn’t going to be prepared. Kind of just jumped into it. My first game was the Texas Tech season opener in 2010 (an 86-67 win over Louisiana-Monroe). I was extremely nervous and just tried to do the best I could. I didn’t know what I was doing but I did have fun. It was the first time I had ever called a game. Not sure if I’d want to go back and listen to that game again though. Haxton: Texas Tech rolled in the first game I called for the program (a 93-67 win over Houston Baptist on Nov. 11, 2016). Honestly, I felt like I had rolled too. I got some nice feedback right away that made me feel comfortable and welcomed. That’s important in this job. There was a really cool moment for me when I first got to the table where I was supposed to sit. It had my name on a sheet. That was a big deal to me from where I’ve come from. It was a great night. Level: That non-conference win against Nevada a few years ago is one of my favorites. Zach Smith went up and blocked a shot right in front of me. I think it won the game. Nevada was a top-10 at the time. It was a big even though maybe we all really didn’t understand at the time. It really sparked all the success we’ve been having. Haxton: The win at Iowa State in 2019 was really big for me. It was their senior night. If we won we knew we’d share the Big 12 championship. That was a huge game. The team got of to a sluggish start and then Davide hits a 3 before the halftime buzzer. Then you power through to win and get the hardware. All of us were standing in the back of the plane taking photos with the trophy. That was a true honor for me. Level: The win at Kansas was awesome too. I was starting to think there would never be a day where Texas Tech went into Kansas and won on their home court. We did it though. It wasn’t a fluke either. I’ve called games there were we lost by 40 or 50 points, so that was a day I was pinching myself when we got back in the bus. Haxton: Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would call one game in Madison Square Garden. I’m a country boy and it felt like I had made it. I graduated with 30 people in my high school and 11 years at Oral Roberts after six years of being a news director at KNID in Enid. We’ve been back multiple times now and I still can’t believe it. Level: I can’t forget about playing Duke at Madison Square Garden either. That was a big stage and a lot of fun. Jimmy Butler was sitting over there. Duke with all those dudes on their team that are now in the NBA. Haxton: The NCAA Tournament games we had in Tulsa were emotional for me. They were where I had worked for so long and to be on that stage back there was special for me. Being a part of a special program like this there are so many big ones that we are allowed to do. Keenan Evans hit a step back at the top of the key was one of the calls I’ll never forget. ‘Horns Down, Horns Down’. There was also ‘Winner, Winner, Cardinal Dinner’ after they beat No. 1 Louisville. ‘Best in the West’ to make the Final Four while our equipment was falling apart is memorable for me. I also said ‘Bang’ at ORU after a 3. When I got here I started thinking o...

NASCAR At Talladega Live Race Updates, Results, Highlights From YellaWood 500 – Sporting News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/nascar-at-talladega-live-race-updates-results-highlights-from-yellawood-500-sporting-news/ Few NASCAR tracks are more iconic than Talladega Superspeedway. The 2.66-mile monster is perhaps the most grueling ride Cup Series drivers can experience. If you need evidence of that, just ask Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who suffered a massive wreck at ‘Dega in 2019. As the 2022 Cup Series playoffs stop at one of the jewels of Alabama sporting culture, Sunday’s outlook is more unpredictable than usual. Part of the reason is that the playoffs have been all over the place. Between wrecks, faulty cars and strong displays by non-playoff drivers, the series has yet to have a playoff driver win a postseason race. And uncertainty thrives at Talladega. It’s a place where drivers are one wrong move away from heading to the garage. Larson, the reigning Cup Series champion and playoff driver this year, has just three top-10 finishes at the track. All of this is to say that, above all else, Sunday’s race should be entertaining. It will also almost certainly be chaotic. But at this point in the postseason, which race isn’t? MORE: Watch the NASCAR race at Talladega live with fuboTV (free trial) The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Sunday’s playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway. Follow along below for all the highlights and results from the YellaWood 500 as they happen. NASCAR at Talladega live updates, results, highlights (All times Eastern) 5:20 p.m.: Blaney’s out in front! Elliott trying to make a move on the outside! It’s a big push from Jones and it’s Blaney and Elliott looking for it with one lap left. They’re on the stretch and it’s Elliott with the lead. It looks like Elliott is going to do it…and he does! Chase Elliott wins at Talladega and gets himself a spot in the next round of the playoffs. 5:19 p.m.: Two laps left, race restart on the horizon and lots and lots of dirty air. Time to get clutch. 5:11 p.m.: Jones and Blaney are going back-and-forth for first place. Jones has the edge at the moment. However, looks like a caution flag was waved for Daniel Hemric’s No. 16 car, whose car is stuck in pit road. That’s great news for Blaney, who can get some gas in his whip. Six laps left and the first caution flag in ages. Things are about to get spicy. 5:08 p.m.: What a race for Todd Gilliland, but the way! He’s in fourth place and looks well-positioned for a career-best showing in a Cup Series race. Not too shabby for the talented 22-year old. 5:05 p.m.: Interesting thing to look out for: the driver who is up front is apparently using more fuel. It could get very unchy for Blaney in the final few laps. Remember, Reddick was leading for much of Stage 2 before running out of fuel in the final lap. 5:03 p.m.: Chastain making a move for the inside lane. However, Blaney got the block in, keeping his lead in the process. It is tight with 16 laps left. 4:57 p.m.: Keselowski headed to pit road. Getting wide out at the back of the pack. However, it’s still Blaney and Chastain sitting out in front as we head to lap 166. 4:55 p.m.: Lead drivers are headed to pit road. It’s Larson, Elliott, and Hamlin among those who pitted. 26 laps left? Is that enough time for drivers to last? 4:45 p.m.: Blaney takes the lead! Looks like the No. 12 car was riding up the track. Keselowski, who sat in third, was delicate in his pushing with Blaney, forcing Chastain to relinquish his spot to block Hamlin, who was making his dash to the front. One move can change everything at Talladega. 4:42 p.m.: Bell, who once sat as far back as 33rd place, has rebounded fairly well in Stage 2. He’s up to 15th place and surging, putting himself in for a chance at a top-ten finish. 4:36 p.m.: Chastain still holds the lead. However, Hamlin is slowly but surely edging up the pack in the inside lane. Looks like more and more drivers are mimicking Hamlin’s movements in an effort to put themselves in decent position come the final few laps of the race. 4:31 p.m.: Hamlin sat right behind Bubba Wallace, who is currently in eighth. Both drivers are in the inside lane and trying to make a move for the front of the pack. However, at the moment it’s Chastain leading the chase, followed by Blaney and Keselowski — all of whom are on the outside lane at the moment. 51 laps to go. Plenty of time to make a move. 4:28 p.m.: Chastain and Blaney are duking it out for first place at the moment. Currently, it’s Chastain who holds the advantage. However, Blaney is within a tenth of a second, so not much between the drivers. 4:26 p.m.: Here’s how things stand in the playoff standings after Stage 2. Much to consider but it’s been an underwhelming run so far for Byron and Bell. Points after second stage (not incl where they run as far as points for finish): Logano +36, Larson +27 Blaney +25, Chastain +23, Elliott +22, Hamlin +17, Suarez +11, Briscoe +1, Cindric -1, Byron -9, Bell -26, Bowman -27 — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 2, 2022 4:24 p.m.: The final stage is underway at Talladega! Elliott, Jones and Larson leading the pack! 4:11 p.m.: Reddick and Larson are even with a little less than a lap left. Looks like Larson is being pushed by Elliott. Reddick pushed into the wall! It’s between Elliott and Larson and…it’s Elliott who takes the green flag! Chase Elliott to the outside for the Stage 2 win! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/rU6oChmWWo — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 2, 2022 4:10 p.m.: Larson, Elliott and Reddick are the top three with two laps to go. Nice and tight in the back straightaway. This is going to be fun. 4:05 p.m.: Larson and Reddick battling for first place with seven laps to go. Very tight up front. Further back in the pack, one to watch is Christopher Bell. Nearly wrecked at pit road and is currently locked in 30th place. He’s down a lap, but with just a few laps left before the end of Stage 2, he will get another chance to pit soon enough and should get back on the lead lap fairly soon. Could have been so much worse for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. 3:57 p.m.: It looks like the last set of drivers are headed to pit road. That includes Almirola, who has led for much Stage 2. Looks like Tyler Reddick will pull into the front. 3:54 p.m.: Bell losing some serious draft in pit road. His tires got to stalling as he pulled into pit road, spinning out as he made his entry. He’ll be penalized for going into pit road too fast and looks unlikely to nab any stage points in Stage 2. That’s big for a racer who entered today’s race outside of the cut line. 3:50 p.m.: Almirola still setting the pact through 37 laps of the second stage. Lots of stage left, but interestingly enough: only three playoff drivers currently sit in the top-ten (Larson in 4th, Chastain in 7th and Elliott in 9th). Seems postseason participants are hoping the conservative approach pays dividends at the ‘Mega. 3:41 p.m.: Almirola back out in front. Harvick is a little less than .1 seconds behind him. 34 laps to go in Stage 2. Plenty of time for sparks to fly at Talladega Superspeedway. 3:31 p.m.: Things are getting wild at the front of the pack. Blaney shrugged into Brad Keselowski, who proceeded to clip the wall. Blaney and Keselowski have decided to drop down the field ever so slightly. Seems experienced drivers are sensing a wreck could be coming soon. 3:30 p.m.: Blaney is doing a great job blocking cars off out front. He’s doing exactly what he need to do to keep his lead. 3:26 p.m.: Blaney has followed up his strong Stage 1 showing with a solid display through the first nine laps of Stage 2. He’s got a .06-second lead over Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 car. Things are quite competitive early in the second stage. 3:25 p.m.: Stage 2 is off and it’s Kyle Larson who is running up front. 3:14 p.m.: And it’s Ryan Blaney who takes Stage 1! Impressive run on the final lap by the Team Penske driver. He made a dash for the front after Turn 4 and slipped beyond Hamlin’s grasp by a couple of feet. — NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 2, 2022 Byron, who stayed near the top for much of the opening stage, finished 11th. That means he won’t get any stage points. 3:12 p.m.: Hamlin takes it back! Gave Byron two bumps, who bizarrely proceeded to move out the way and let Hamlin get out in front. Two laps to go and it’s Hamlin with the lead! 3:11 p.m.: Byron takes the lead! He crossed over into the inside line, pacing past Hamlin in the process. Looks like the Hendrick Motorsport driver is making his move for the front. 3:08 p.m.: Hamlin and Byron still going back-and-forth for first place. Seven laps left before the end of Stage 1 and sides are still looking for that all-important track position.  2:53 p.m.: It’s been an enthralling first 43 laps. Hamlin has a .1-second lead over Byron, but it seems both are working with one another to move themselves up the pack. Racing culture is so interesting. 2:48 p.m.: Hamlin into the lead! Denny came out of nowhere to pace past Almirola to take first place. William Byron lurking one spot away. Could be something to watch given the feud between Hamlin and Byron last week. 2:45 p.m.: Kyle Busch is making his mark early. The No. 18 car is locked in competition with Suarez, Elliott and Aric Almirola for first place. Solid stuff for the non-playoff driver. 2:43 p.m.: Suarez with the early lead after the race restart. He’s got the slightest of edges over Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott. With 30 laps to go in Stage 1, drivers should have enough fuel to get themselves to the end of the stage. 2:30 p.m.: Big wreck at Turn 1! Looks like Harrison Burton tried to get into the third lane and got bumped from behind. Burton spun out, causing damage to about a dozen cars. Not ideal. Big wreck!#NASCARPlayoffs driver Joey Logano involved in this one among others. pic.twitter.com/f4GjfMRqs4 — NASCAR o...

The Metaverse: What Is It And Why Should You Care? – TechRadar https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-metaverse-what-is-it-and-why-should-you-care-techradar/ Home Features Internet (Image credit: Shutterstock / is.a.bella) Have you ever momentarily zoned out in a meeting, only to quickly realize that you’ve missed something absolutely critical, and now the discussion is virtually incomprehensible? You could be forgiven for wondering if the entire world has done something similar when it comes to the so-called ‘metaverse.’ The term is currently Silicon Valley’s big buzzword, with a number of firms reportedly appointing a ‘Chief Metaverse Officer’ to their boards, and companies are trying to tie whatever they do to ‘the metaverse.’ You can read TechRadar’s corporate cousin PCGamer, which has documented (opens in new tab) this phenomenon for more. Pretty much anything that was even vaguely related to augmented reality or virtual reality was suddenly branded as part of the metaverse. So the obvious question to ask is… what actually is the metaverse? It’s an important question as serious companies – not just fly by night start-ups – are taking it seriously. Since Facebook announced its parent company was rebranding as Meta, executives from a wide range of companies, including Microsoft and Disney, have all now talked publicly about how they want in on it. Samsung has even unveiled (opens in new tab) its own metaverse product, a virtual home called ‘My House’. So let’s figure out what the metaverse actually is. In a nutshell, the metaverse doesn’t actually exist yet – but it is a much-hypothesized idea of what the future of the internet could look like. And annoyingly, there isn’t a single clear definition. The metaverse envisaged by Mark Zuckerberg is probably somewhat different to the metaverse envisaged by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and so on. But roughly speaking, the goal is something like the virtual worlds depicted in Ready Player One (opens in new tab) or The Matrix (opens in new tab), albeit with less overtly dystopian overtones (the name was actually coined by author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash (opens in new tab)). The idea is that one day, VR and related technologies could be our primary interface to the internet, and we will, in effect, spend a lot of time living in a virtual world. “The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence – like you are right there with another person or in another place,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg in his ‘Founder’s Letter (opens in new tab)’, which announced his company’s name change. He envisages a future hinted at by Facebook’s Horizon Workrooms – virtual spaces in which we can interact with each other using avatars. But, importantly, the metaverse is not just about VR. The idea and scope are much broader – and encompass a much larger bucket of concepts and technologies, which are just as important as the strapping-a-computer-to-your-face element. The best articulation of this future perhaps comes from Matthew Ball, who is essentially the grand prophet of the metaverse. He’s a venture capitalist and investor who has written extensively on the topic, and it appears to be his ideas that have informed the thinking of Mark Zuckerberg – and the rest of Silicon Valley. In a series of punishingly long (opens in new tab) (but incredibly interesting) essays, he describes the metaverse as follows: “The Metaverse is a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds which can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and with continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements, objects, communications, and payments.” Samsung’s 837X service in Decentraland (Image credit: Future) In other words, his vision is a metaverse that is not a single system. It will not be owned by any individual company, or like logging into any one particular 3D world. But it will be structured like the internet is today, as a network that is not controlled by any one individual entity. Instead, a common set of standards and connections enable different companies to build their own virtual environments on top of it. To make this place a reality, it will require a constellation of other technological building blocks to all fall into place. The most obvious requirement is better VR hardware. Existing headsets are bulky, low-resolution, and annoying to wear. But this is something we can probably expect incremental improvements to solve. Now that Facebook is Meta, we can perhaps better understand why in 2014, Zuckerberg paid $2 billion for headset-maker Oculus. The hardware, however – and this includes the enormous computing power at the back end required to host entire virtual worlds – is just one tiny piece of the puzzle. For example, there will also need to be a broad system of tools and standards that will enable other companies to build for the metaverse, so that everyone can exist in the same virtual space together. Think something like the metaverse-equivalent of the HTTP protocol for transferring data, and HTML code for writing web pages. We’ll need a way to make sure that virtual objects are compatible outside of any one company’s ecosystem. And a fully functioning metaverse will need to have an economy. If we’re to ape the real world, we need to be able to buy and own virtual goods, without relying on the goodwill of any one specific provider. Believe it or not, this is one particular area where cryptocurrencies and NFTs could conceivably fill the gap, as they would enable us to have digital money and a permanent record of what we own. It means that when you buy your avatar a new hat, you should be able to wear it across virtual experiences – whether you’re in a work meeting or playing an action game, and when you’re done with it, you should be able to sell the hat for real, meaningful cash. Unsurprisingly then, though this is roughly the stated end goal, we’re some distance from a point when it will actually exist. But there are companies today, like Meta, that are putting the building blocks in place. (Image credit: Facebook / Meta) Who will build the metaverse? Now the really interesting question: If the metaverse is the future, which companies are best placed to win the battle to build it? Despite Mark Zuckerberg’s high-profile announcement, Matthew Ball’s prophecies are perhaps more bullish about another company: Epic Games. Epic is the company behind Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, which is the 3D world-building software that is already used for countless games and ever more virtual experiences – such as in the production of The Mandalorian. Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, is on the record as one of the metaverse’s strongest advocates. Perhaps this is unsurprising, given that his company is in a rather unique position. For example, if we go back to the building blocks that the metaverse will require, several of them are already provided by Epic: it has its own user account system with friends lists, and Unreal Engine is already a common 3D development platform, meaning that objects made for one experience can easily be dropped into another. And through Fortnite, we can catch a glimpse of what the Metaverse could be like: In the game, you play as a highly customizable avatar. And the game is no longer just about shooting people – the company has broadened it out to encompass everything from 3D concert experiences to communal film viewing. Given how we at TechRadar have used Fortnite over lockdown, as an ambient form of socializing with friends and family, where playing the game is basically secondary to the act of being in the same virtual space as distant friends, we’re almost starting to believe that Epic might be on to something, too. (Image credit: Epic Games) The real killer app However, there is another major candidate for the company that is best placed to win the metaverse: Microsoft. “The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it,” tweeted (opens in new tab) CEO Satya Nadella in 2021, having previously told investors on an earnings call that he plans to take Microsoft into the metaverse. The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/h5tsdYMXRDNovember 2, 2021 See more And like Epic with Unreal Engine, he wants Microsoft to not outright own the metaverse, but to build the tools that everyone will use to create the metaverse. A bit like selling shovels during a gold rush. There’s another reason to believe Microsoft might be the big winner too. It might already have the killer app for the metaverse. No, not turning the Xbox into something like Ready Player One but… Microsoft Office. The bull case for Microsoft’s metaverse is best articulated (opens in new tab) by tech analyst Ben Thompson, who argues that it is work where the metaverse will really shine. He paints a picture of a future where joining VR meetings is just as easy as joining a Zoom call because you’re already wearing your VR headset. He argues that a lot of work is now geography-agnostic, and in fact a lot of working from home is about finding a quiet, isolated place to work away from the distractions of the home. So it doesn’t take a massive leap to imagine how VR could bridge this gap. What if putting on a VR headset was akin to going to the office? He points to his experience trying Facebook Horizon Workrooms, and the fact that you can bring your computer into the VR simulation – seeing your screen and even your keyboard floating in front of you in virtual space. VR means that in an instant, you’re already sitting with your colleagues, and it creates the same sort of ambient connections we once found working in the same physical rooms. So wh...

The New OPPO A17: Top Features And Specifications To Observe While Buying The Phone – The Tech Outlook https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-new-oppo-a17-top-features-and-specifications-to-observe-while-buying-the-phone-the-tech-outlook/ Analyzing a smartphone and its features is important. This time, we have brought to your screen a new phone namely OPPO A17. It is considered one of the most effective phones in the affordable smartphone category. Here presented are its features, specifications, and more. Features of OPPO A17 Recently released on September 26, 2022, the phone has been on the market for only a few days. It is now available in the Indian market for sale and is powered by GSM/HSPA/LTE network technology. It has a facility to store dual sim cards, both of which must be Nano sim cards. The display type is IPS LCD. Its weight is 189 g only. It is an Android 12 phone. It has an octa-core processor. The chipset is MediaTek MT6765 Helio G35. It has a camera quality of 50 MP and a video camera quality of 1080 p. It also has 4 GB RAM. Mainly, we must observe that it has a 5000 mAh battery. However, it is non-removable. OPPO A17 is considered to be faster and more effective than the previous OPPO A16. It is available in awesome colors such as Midnight Black as well as Lake Blue. So, you may go for it if you like the features and specifications mentioned. This Dassehra, brings home OPPO A17, an effective as well as budget-friendly phone. It is a smartphone that can elevate your mood and make your life a happier place to be. OPPO A17 is a good choice if you want to gift gadgets to your loved ones. The phone is expected to be launched in the Indian market by October 20th, 2022. Price OPPO A17 The price is around 130 to 140 Euros only. The expected price of this phone according to the Indian market will be approx. Rs. 12499.

These Crypto Executives Have Stepped Down Since The Market Crash In May – CryptoPotato https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/these-crypto-executives-have-stepped-down-since-the-market-crash-in-may-cryptopotato/ Change is in the air as the crypto space continues to see top executives step down from their roles amid the market crisis that stemmed from the Terra Luna fiasco and the Federal Reserve’s continuous interest rate hike, which negatively impacted the global financial market. The change in crypto-related executive leadership started with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey stepping down from the company’s board of directors in May. While Twitter is not a crypto-focused firm, Dorsey is a renowned Bitcoin proponent. He got the social media giant involved in such matters, such as integrating crypto hashtags and launching an NFT collection. Compass Mining Lost Two Key Executives As the crypto winter intensified in June, bitcoin mining hosting and brokerage services firm Compass Mining (CMP) lost two of its top executives. CEO Whit Gibbs and Chief Financial Officer Jodie Fisher resigned on the same day due to multiple setbacks and disappointments within the company. That same month, Binance Labs, the venture arm of the world’s leading crypto exchange Binance, lost its leader when Bill Qian submitted his resignation a few weeks after executive director Nicole Zhang left the firm. On July 1, Peng Zhong, the CEO of Ignite, the development firm behind the Cosmos blockchain, announced his departure. The resignation came a few months after the company rebranded from Tendermint to Ignite as part of its restructuring plan. According to reports, other top executives at Ignite left the firm after Zhong’s unexpected exit. Towards the end of July, G. Steven Kokinos, the CEO of blockchain company Algorand, stepped down after spending nearly four years at the firm. Despite his resignation, Kokinos will continue to advise Algorand until next year. A Surprising August August started with a big bang as Bitcoin proponent Michael Saylor announced that he resigned from his role as CEO of MicroStrategy after serving as executive officer for over three decades. Nonetheless, Saylor’s resignation as CEO allows him to focus on the firm’s Bitcoin strategy. During his time as CEO, Saylor led MicroStrategy in investing in Bitcoin. Today, the company holds 130,000 BTC bought for $3.98 billion, topping the list of publicly traded entities with Bitcoin investments. Still in August, Michael Moro exited his position as CEO of Genesis after the crypto brokerage firm slashed 20% of its workforce to cut costs amid the bear market. Shortly after, Alameda Research, the principal trading firm of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX, lost its co-CEO after Sam Trabucco resigned from the company to focus on personal matters. Kraken and Celsius CEOs Join the Train On September 21, Kraken’s founder Jesse Powell joined the list of crypto executives stepping down from their position. He served the crypto exchange for over a decade and will continue to do so as board chairman. Shortly after, FTX US President Brett Harrison and Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky followed in Powell’s footsteps, leaving their positions at their respective firms. Sharing the news on Twitter, Harrison noted that he would be moving to an Advisory role to continue his service for the exchange. The outgoing president, who has worked for the firm for more than 18 months, said he helped transform FTX US from a three-person team to a workforce of more than 100 dedicated employees from tech, business development, legal, and customer service. Celsius’ Creditors Demanded CEO’s Exit On the other hand, Mashinsky’s departure came a couple of months after Celsius filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection at the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York due to a severe liquidity crunch during the Terra fiasco. Shortly after Mashinsky stepped down from his role at Celsius, reports emerged that his resignation might have stemmed from pressure from the company’s creditors. According to a recent court filing, the creditors represented by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (UCC) had requested the Special Committee of Celsius Network to remove its CEO and take other necessary precautions to ensure the smooth restructuring of the firm. The UCC noted that after reviewing the information presented by Mashinsky in “furtherance of the Committee’s investigation,” it would be unacceptable to allow him to continue as CEO. Meanwhile, it is unclear which top crypto executives will step down next, but it would be interesting to see how long this trend will continue. SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms). PrimeXBT Special Offer: Use this link to register & enter POTATO50 code to receive up to $7,000 on your deposits.

A New Justice At The U.S. Supreme Court, And An Idaho Wetlands Case Up First – Maryland Matters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-new-justice-at-the-u-s-supreme-court-and-an-idaho-wetlands-case-up-first-maryland-matters/ When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its fall term on Monday, a few things will be different. A Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, will hear oral arguments for the first time ever. And the public will be allowed into the room for the first time since early 2020. The content of the term’s first case, though, will be familiar to many who have followed federal water policy for the past several years. The case is a challenge to the definition of “waters of the United States,” which delineates which wetlands the federal government can regulate under the Clean Water Act. The case, brought by an Idaho couple, could further restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate environmental protections, just as one of the last decisions by the conservative majority in the most recent term curbed the agency’s power to regulate greenhouse gases. A history-making day Monday will be the first day Jackson joins the ritual of oral arguments in the ornate chamber as one of nine Supreme Court justices. Jackson, a Harvard Law School grad and former federal judge who grew up in Miami, took the oath of office in June following an often–contentious Senate confirmation process. On Friday, she took part in an investiture ceremony, which mirrors stylistic aspects of the swearing-in. The investiture, though, is purely symbolic. Jackson has been a member of the court since taking her oath of office. Although the event was only symbolic, President Biden and a handful of top White House staff members, along with several Democratic members of Congress attended the six-minute event. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee, was the only senator who voted against Jackson’s confirmation to attend Friday’s ceremony. His presence seemed intended to make a point about the need to respect institutions, even amid good-faith disagreement with individuals. In a statement, Sasse, who is white, said that he disagreed with Jackson’s judicial philosophy but that their disagreement was respectful and impersonal. He urged members of both parties not to attack the court itself. “Right now, there’s a lot of sound and fury about whether or not the Supreme Court has lost legitimacy,” Sasse said in the statement. “It’s a load of bunk. The Court’s legitimacy comes from its constitutional role, not the popularity of its opinions. I’m certain that I won’t agree with all of Justice Jackson’s opinions, but I’m not going to attack the credibility of the Court when we see things differently, and I wish more of my colleagues would take a similar approach.” During the March hearings at the Judiciary Committee, Sasse avoided the most salacious attacks on Jackson launched by other Republicans and bemoaned publicity-seeking “jackassery” in the chamber. Court’s legitimacy Jackson is not expected to affect the court’s ideological balance, as she replaced Stephen Breyer, who’d been among the court’s liberal minority before his retirement. With three justices appointed by former President Trump, the court’s last term was its most conservative in decades, culminating with a ruling overturning Roe. v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guaranteed the right to an abortion nationally. The three liberal justices, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and the since-retired Breyer, wrote a scathing dissent that the decision “undermines the Court’s legitimacy.” The court’s departure from its own precedent in the Dobbs case “calls into question this Court’s commitment to legal principle,” they wrote. “It makes the Court appear not restrained but aggressive, not modest but grasping. In all those ways, today’s decision takes aim, we fear, at the rule of law.” Americans’ opinions of the court have declined over the past two years, along with its rightward shift. A nationwide Marquette Law School poll conducted in September found 60% of respondents disapproved of the court, while only 40% approved. The results represented a 53-point drop in net favorability from the same survey in 2020, when twice as many respondents held favorable views as those with unfavorable views. Other events have also threatened the court’s reputation. Justice Clarence Thomas did not recuse himself from a case about the House Jan. 6 committee’s access to presidential records and was the sole justice to vote in favor of restricting those records. The records later showed that his wife, Nebraska native Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, had exchanged several texts with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows spreading false claims that the election was stolen. Additionally, a draft of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked to news media months before it was published in what several experts said was an “unprecedented” breach of the court’s protocol that launched an internal investigation. New court rules, old issue Monday will mark the first time since March 2020 that the court will allow the public to attend oral arguments. Masks will be optional. The court will continue to live-stream audio from oral arguments, a practice the staid court only adopted while it limited attendance during the pandemic. The first oral arguments made under the new rules involve the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act to regulate “waters of the United States.” The 1972 law changed the criteria for what constituted a federally protected waterway away from one that is navigable to any “waters of the United States.” That definition has shifted since the law was passed, and particularly as the last three presidential administrations have enacted rules to define it. In 2015, President Obama’s administration issued a definition that some, especially Republicans, viewed as expanding federal jurisdiction. His successor, Trump, took steps to loosen the definition in 2020, but a federal court vacated that move in 2021. Last year, under Biden, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers said they would interpret the phrase consistent with a pre-2015 definition while they worked on updating a more permanent version. A Supreme Court ruling will likely come before that rule is finalized. An Idaho couple, the Sacketts, own a parcel of land near Priest Lake in the state’s panhandle. Their land is within 30 feet of a tributary to the lake. The EPA has claimed that parcel is within its jurisdiction to regulate as a navigable waterway, and the Sacketts disagree. The Sacketts are among the many farmers and other private landowners seeking a reprieve from federal regulation of wetlands on their property. A federal appeals court ruled last year in favor of the federal agency, but the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case could mean it will overturn the lower court’s ruling.

U.S.-China Tech Fight Leaves Global Losers – Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-china-tech-fight-leaves-global-losers-hellenic-shipping-news-worldwide/ No product has played such an outsized role in shaping the global economy and the balance of military power as semiconductors. Yet for years the $556 billion industry attracted scant attention from governments in Washington, Tokyo and other capitals in the developed world. Recently chips have become a battleground in the competition between the United States and China. Big companies and other countries will suffer from the fight. Few other parts of the economy are so dependent on so few companies, historian Chris Miller asserts in “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology”. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) makes nearly all of the world’s most advanced microprocessors. ASML in the Netherlands has a de facto monopoly on the ultraviolet lithography machines required to make the most sophisticated circuits. Two South Korean giants dominate the market for memory chips; three U.S.-based firms control semiconductor software. These so-called choke points are a feature of a hyper-efficient industry that can churn out over a trillion units a year. According to Miller, a professor of U.S. and Russian foreign policy, it’s no accident that the United States and its allies control most of them. After the Second World War, pioneering companies like Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel and others in Silicon Valley cemented America’s technological supremacy. A subsequent push to outsource U.S. manufacturing abroad coincided with American efforts to deepen trade and investment links with Japan and the rest of Asia. Cheap and plentiful labour allowed companies to lower their costs; Asian leaders touted better-paying jobs and economic growth; and Washington integrated its allies deeper into the U.S. economy. By the late 1970s, companies like Intel and Texas Instruments employed tens of thousands of workers in South Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Over time, though, some Asian manufacturers amassed enough expertise and scale across the supply chain to challenge America’s dominance. Japan first overtook the U.S. in memory chip production in the 1980s, only to be toppled by South Korea; Taiwan today boasts not only the world’s top contract chipmaker, but also the top companies that assemble, test and package chips. Andy Grove, Intel’s former boss, presciently warned that abandoning “commodity” manufacturing could lock manufacturers out of future emerging industries. Now the erstwhile U.S. pioneer is struggling to catch up with the $356 billion TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics in chip fabrication. Meanwhile, natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic have exposed a fragile global supply chain which Miller describes as “a perfect image of globalization gone wrong”. The combination of weakening chip leadership and a heightened awareness of supply chain vulnerabilities underpins American tech policies. The recent CHIPS and Science Act provides $53 billion to bring semiconductor development and manufacturing back to the United States. The People’s Republic, meanwhile, has long identified America’s chokehold on supply chains as a national security threat and is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to wean itself off foreign technology. U.S. sanctions against telecoms-equipment maker Huawei have accelerated these efforts in a reminder, Miller writes, that choke points are “not infinitely durable”. In response, Washington has ramped up trade and investment restrictions: earlier this month it banned AMD and Nvidia from exporting some advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. This intensifying rivalry puts Taiwan, South Korea and Japan in an awkward position. All three depend on China as their largest trading partner. But if the United States is successful in reshoring advanced chipmaking, one or all of its allies’ market shares must decrease, Miller argues. Multinational giants with exposure to China will be caught in the middle too. Nvidia estimates some $400 million of sales are at risk. Apple’s mooted plans to use Chinese-made chips have attracted scrutiny from Washington. For South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix, the dilemma is even starker. Both are hoping to expand in the United States, but a provision in the CHIPS Act states that to receive U.S. subsidies, they will be banned from expanding or upgrading chip capacity in China for 10 years. The two companies currently produce 20% and 40%, respectively, of their memory chips in the People’s Republic, according to Nikkei. Miller lays out even more aggressive tools that Washington and Beijing have yet to deploy. The former might pressure TSMC to roll out its newest technologies simultaneously in the United States and Taiwan, or force it to invest more stateside. China might pressure foreign companies to transfer technologies to local peers, or require companies like Apple to buy local components. The biggest escalation, of course, would be military conflict between China and Taiwan, which Beijing claims sovereignty over. Incapacitating the island’s semiconductor production facilities would be “catastrophic” for the global economy, Miller writes, as the world would produce 37% less computing power as a result and it would take at least half a decade to rebuild the capacity. Though this is still an extreme scenario, investors and tech bosses are betting the high stakes will deter Washington and Beijing from ratcheting up tensions. That looks like wishful thinking. Source: Reuters

Teen Tabletop Gaming Meetup Set For October 5 – InMenlo https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/teen-tabletop-gaming-meetup-set-for-october-5-inmenlo/ Home Events by Contributed Content on October 2, 2022 The Menlo Park Library hosts a teen tabletop gaming meetup on Wednesday, October 5, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Dungeons & Dragons, Honey Heist and more! Invite your friends and make some new ones while playing. Students in grades 6-12 are welcome, even if you’re a first timer or new to our games! The Teen Tabletop Gaming Meetup happens on the first Wednesday of each month. Category: Events Fun Library Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Events 05Oct Teen Tabletop Gaming Meetup set for October 5 05Oct Garden talk topic on October 5 is microgreens 02Oct On October 2 Storyfest kicks off Menlo Park Storytelling Festival 01Oct Cascada de Flores: El Brujo y La Sirena is program set for October 1 HELP SUPPORT INMENLO! Please help support InMenlo! Your contribution will help us continue to bring InMenlo to you. Click on the button below to contribute! Spotted Spotted: Ollie the Otter with greetings at Oak Knoll School Spotted: Sharon Park pond in the early morning light Spotted: Menlo College students enjoying newly-opened dorm Categories View by Month Search

Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts In The U.S. – Best Life https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/best-adults-only-all-inclusive-resorts-in-the-u-s-best-life/ According to a 2022 survey conducted by OnePoll, 75 percent of travelers believe the best way to travel is to book an all-inclusive trip, 77 percent believe that an all-inclusive vacation is the least stressful way to travel, and 44 percent say all-inclusive packages are the number one feature they look for when planning a getaway. Is that really any surprise? When you don’t need to worry about how to budget for dinners and activities, it’s a lot easier to just kick back and enjoy the experience. And if you’re looking for an especially romantic or relaxing stay, you’ll want to seek out specifically adults-only all-inclusive resorts. While there may be fewer all-inclusive resorts in the U.S. than, say, Mexico or the Caribbean, there are still a lot of incredible properties here worth scoping out. Whether you’re looking to reignite the spark with your S.O. on a secluded beach, decompress solo at a rustic cowboy ranch, or pamper yourself on a girls’ spa getaway, read on for some standout adults-only, all-inclusive resorts that are just a domestic flight away. READ THIS NEXT: The 10 Best Weekend Trips You Need to Take This Year. Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock Set right in the heart of the Florida Keys, this 21+ tropical paradise consists of 135 private waterfront or garden bungalows—all of which come with patios, soaking tubs, and outdoor showers. The best part? All your meals at Bungalows Key Largo, plus top-shelf beverage options, are included in your stay. Enjoy a complimentary cocktail or small bites while lounging by the pool, before soaking in the jacuzzi, or after a tension-relieving massage at the full-service, on-site spa. If you’re looking for a more active getaway, take advantage of the full gym with state-of-the-art equipment (think: Pelotons) or morning yoga classes, and then try paddleboarding and kayaking in the afternoon. It would be easy to spend a whole week at Bungalows Key largo without ever leaving the property, but when you do get the itch to explore, the resort offers bicycles as well as in-town transportation. If it’s a spa getaway you’re after, look no further than this adults-only Poconos oasis. The Lodge at Woodloch’s spa features 27 treatment rooms, saunas, whirlpools, fireplace lounges, a hair and nail salon, and spacious locker rooms. Your stay not only includes three gourmet meals a day but also countless workshops and activities, ranging from creative arts experiences to group fitness classes and cooking demonstrations. Did we mention the incredible amenities—like Hydromassage WaterWalls, steam rooms, saunas, and a state-of-the-art 3,000-square-foot CardioWeight Studio? While treatments aren’t included in your stay, you can upgrade to packages that include daily spa credits—and a personal concierge will even help you design the perfect program for your needs. To maximize your experience at The Lodge, consider putting your phone away (or better yet, turning it off) and partaking in some of the complimentary yoga and meditation classes taught by the certified experts on staff. Or, breathe in the fresh mountain air and soak up the breathtaking scenery while hiking or kayaking. From cooking classes to tennis, there are countless activities included in your rate — and they rotate with the seasons. Charles T. Peden/Shutterstock Health-conscious travelers flock to this world-renowned, all-inclusive wellness retreat nestled in Arizona’s Catalina Mountains. The team of fitness, outdoor, and culinary experts at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa offers a plethora of transformative activities, from nutrition coaching to beekeeping courses and Pilates classes. Take a tour of the on-site farm, learn how to grow your own microgreens, challenge yourself while paddleboarding on Lake Travis, or even give equine horse therapy a try. All packages include three healthy meals a day, unlimited snacks and smoothies, access to many wellness classes and activities, and even airport transfers. The striking desert vistas in the background only enhance the experience—as do the many deep relaxation techniques offered at the Life in Balance Spa. Not feeling the desert vibes? Fortunately, there are also two other adults-only, all-inclusive Miraval resorts in the U.S.—one in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and another in Austin, Texas. In need of some serious R&R? What draws many travelers to this adults-only resort is that it’s set on a mile-long stretch of pristine, quiet beach—and with just 37 rooms, it boasts an ultra-intimate atmosphere perfect for honeymoons, anniversary celebrations, and other romantic getaways. But the incredible oceanfront location isn’t all there is to love about Henderson Park Inn—it’s also known for having particularly accommodating staff, mind-blowing food, and charming decor. While room rates don’t include dinner, they do include breakfast, lunch, happy hour cocktails, unlimited snacks, and nonalcoholic beverages. Spend your days cruising around on the complimentary bikes, or lounging under an umbrella by the ocean. Or, if you’re looking for more activities, you can hop on over to the resort’s sister property, The Henderson, to take advantage of the spa, fitness center, swimming pools, and other amenities. Cap things off with a VIP private dinner for two right on the beach, followed by drinks by the fire pit lounge or stargazing through one of the on-site telescopes. For more travel advice delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Roschetzky Photography/Shutterstock This secluded lakefront resort, which is just a short drive from downtown Austin, features just 40 rooms—so you know you’ll get plenty of personalized attention from the staff. All-inclusive packages cover not only three meals a day, but also unlimited nonalcoholic beverages, access to wellness facilities like saunas and steam rooms, and a wealth of activities and special events—like art and culinary experiences. Some packages at Lake Austin Spa Resort even include credits you can use toward facials, massages, and other spa treatments. Whether you get a lake or garden view room, you’re bound to enjoy the Nespresso machine, plush robe and slippers, soaking tub, and fresh-cut flowers. And you won’t have to worry about any screaming rugrats disturbing the peace—only guests who are 16 and older are permitted here. Cameron Porter/Shutterstock A vacation can provide an excellent opportunity to reconnect with nature, and really immerse yourself in all the magic it has to offer. And that’s precisely what this adults-only luxury resort, which is located right in the beautiful Sonoran Desert, promises. All guest suites at Castle Hot Springs feature private outdoor stone tubs filled with water from the natural hot springs nearby. So go ahead and take a soak after a long, eventful day—the local hot springs are chock full of minerals known for their restorative benefits like soothing sore and aching muscles, enhancing skin, and improving mobility. Even the brand new wellness treatment menu leverages the healing properties of this mineral-rich water. In addition to elaborate 5-course daily tasting menus, a wide range of daily activities are included in your stay. Channel your own inner Indiana Jones on a guided horseback ride, hike, and scenic ATV razor or desert e-bike tour along the historic mining roads surrounding the property. Or scale a 400-foot-peak through the Via Ferrata cable climbing course, and take in the jaw-dropping views from the top. When you need to refuel, Castle Hot Springs serves up Michelin-level dishes made with produce sourced from the on-site farm. Oenophiles who are seeking an elevated experience can join the property’s lead sommelier for a wine tasting class, or incorporate curated wine pairings with each evening’s culinary offering, for an extra charge of $95. Russell deJetley/Shutterstock You can’t beat the location of the wellness-centric all-inclusive resort, Sensei Lanai Four Seasons, which just opened in 2019: It’s set on the secluded Hawaiian island of Lanai, surrounded by majestic mountains, valleys, and plateaus that lead to the ocean. Whether you’re looking to hit the reset button with aerial yoga and guided silent meditation classes, treat yourself to gourmet meals and spa treatments, or explore miles of untouched wilderness on foot or horseback, there’s something for everyone here. You’ll also have access to a personal sensei guide, who helps you customize your itinerary to meet your needs and desires. And the weekly activity calendar is brimming with unique offerings, like tai chi, panoramic hikes through Cook pine forest, garden tours guided by art curators, and strength-building kettlebell classes. A stay at Sensai Lanai includes round-trip airfare from Honolulu, a variety of wellness classes, dining at Sensei by Nobu (yes, that world-renowned Nobu), and select spa treatments. Allard One/Shutterstock Live out your island castaway fantasies at Little Palm Island Resort and Spa, an exotic adults-only slice of paradise that’s located on the secluded coastline of Little Torch Key (which, it’s worth noting, is only accessible by seaplane or private boat.) There are no TVs, no ringing cell phones, and no kids here—just four miles of pristine white sand, swaying palm trees, and shimmering waters. Kick things off with a refreshing tiki cocktail at the resort’s on-shore reception and lounge, the Shore Station, before making the short and scenic journey to your accommodations. There, you can take cover under a French Polyponesain-inspired thatched bungalow, soothe your body and soul at the world-class SpaTerre, and savor crave-worthy meals with a view. Keep in mind that there are no TVs at this property—and you’ll also be asked to stash your phones and tablets away. The point is to disconnect ...

A Different Kind Of Separation Anxiety During My Wife’s Business Trip – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-different-kind-of-separation-anxiety-during-my-wifes-business-trip-the-washington-post/ “Get a cat,” people say when I tell them we have mice in the house. “I don’t need a cat,” I say. “I have a wife.” Except, for going on three weeks, I haven’t had a wife. Ruth’s been on a long business trip, leaving me to find the mousetraps (weren’t they under the sink?), bait them (why doesn’t cheese ever seem to work?) and position them (in the drawer under the oven or on the kitchen counter?). And should a mouse be so unlucky as to actually take the bait and spring the trap, it’s down to me to dispose of its little corpse, something Ruth is really good at. In fact, I tell myself it’s a job she likes doing. As she sits in her Paris hotel room, the Eiffel Tower visible from her window, Ruth is probably jealous of all the fun I’m having back home, doing all the dog’s walks, taking out the trash, picking up the farm-share vegetables, putting out the kitchen scraps for the compost people and hunting the mouse/mice. But this isn’t a column about a hapless husband who falls apart when he’s left to his own devices. Well, it isn’t totally about that. It’s about the weird ways we behave when we miss someone we love. One of those weird ways is resenting them before they’ve even left. I have some experience in this regard: experience with the cycle of separation and reunion. When I was about 12, my parents divorced. Thus began the typical back and forth of my brother and me for weekends, along with longer stays with one or the other parent. I remember how antsy all of us would get, not out of any animus — but from the mental preparation we had to go through before this changing of the guard. Mom’s house is like this, I’d think. Dad’s house is like that. I’m still at Mom’s house, but my mind is looking ahead to Dad’s house. I don’t think my mother much liked the penumbra I cast at these times. So it is when Ruth gets ready to be gone for three weeks. She’s preparing in her way — laying out her clothes in the spare room, pulling out a suitcase — and I’m preparing in mine: steeling myself for the solitude, hardening myself a bit, getting a little snippy. She’s not yet out of sight, but I’m slowly putting her out of mind. And then the Uber comes and she’s on her way to the airport. Sleeping is the hardest part. I stay up too late and wake up too early. I turn in on myself. I start to feel like an 18th century fur trapper, overwintering in some frozen corner of the great white north. I just have to make it until spring. And then, one day, just at the edge of my vision, something small and gray scurries across the kitchen floor. Look, I’m not afraid of mice. I’ve just managed to be conveniently otherwise occupied whenever they find their way into the house. And, like I said, Ruth seems so good at dealing with them. But Ruth’s not here. I find two classic wooden traps, bait them with cheese and put them in the oven drawer. I’m skunked the first night. I go online and read that mice can smell you if you’ve touched a trap with your bare skin, which I have, and that cheese is a lousy bait. I find a third trap and — wearing gloves — smear its trigger with Nutella. It goes atop the stove. I’m skunked again. And then one afternoon I go into the basement to gather my drum stuff for a gig my band has that night. I unzip the wheeled bag that holds my cymbal stands and am hit with the thick funk of dead mouse. On the one hand, the mouse — a mouse, anyway — is caught. On the other hand, I can’t bring this bag — ripe with the odor of decomposition — into a nightclub. I yank out the cymbal stands, put on rubber gloves, sheathing one in a plastic newspaper bag, remove the mouse corpse, and take it to the trash outside. Then I jump in the car and race to a music store. I call on the way and, like the pilot of a stricken plane radioing ahead with an order to foam the runway, I request that they get some drum hardware bags ready for me. Fixated as I am, I’m not thinking of Ruth at all, of resenting her, of missing her. But later that night, after the gig, trying to get comfortable in bed, I happily realize we’re past the halfway point of her trip. She’ll be home in a week and we’ll have a lot of catching up to do.

Medical Newsletter Launched By COVID Expands Its Focus – Concord Monitor https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/medical-newsletter-launched-by-covid-expands-its-focus-concord-monitor/ Published: 10/2/2022 2:23:33 PM An influential medical newsletter created to spread information about the pandemic is broadening its approach but, like the rest of us, can’t yet move away from COVID-19. “Betterment of public health is part of our mission that we probably haven’t focused on as much. But there is a role for us and the pandemic really showed us that,” said James Potter, CEO of the New Hampshire Medical Society. The group’s weekly email newsletter will change its name next month from “COVID-19 Weekly Update” to “Healthy New Hampshire.” Like all medical professionals, the non-profit association of more than 2,200 licensed physicians, medical residents and medical students saw things upended when the pandemic began. Potter says weekly Zoom calls to share information started in May 2020, two months after the state’s first COVID deaths, and proved very popular, sometimes reaching the 500-person limit. “Like all other states, our public health infrastructure is not where it needs to be today. A lot of organizations were basically operating in their own silos,” Potter said. “We thought, why don’t we try to connect these groups early, particularly around immunization.” This led to the creation of a weekly COVID-19 newsletter that curated and shared information and links from state, federal and medical organizations as well as news articles and research. Potter said other groups, including hard-hit nursing homes and assisted-living centers as well as school systems, have signed up. “It has grown to other practitioner groups, chambers of commerce, church organizations – many others,” he said. That includes media like the Monitor. The newsletter is not open to the general public. Open rates, the percentage of email addresses that get the newsletter and then click on it to at least read through the headlines, are usually above 50%, which is very high for email newsletters, and occasionally have topped 90% if there’s an ongoing issue, he said. Although the pandemic shows no signs of ending any time soon – hospitalization numbers from COVID-19 have crept back above 100 this month, according to the Hospital Association – Potter said the group wanted to expand its focus beyond the coronavirus. “What we learned from this is that there are a lot more organizations and individuals who are interested in public health issues,” said Potter. “At some point COVID becomes more endemic. It may rise again, but as it becomes endemic it’s like the flu and other things that are regularly rising in the community … no longer a pandemic.” Last week’s newsletter was still called “NH COVID-19 Weekly” and leads with information about the current pandemic. But it includes links to a CDC alert about a virus that can cause paralysis in children, updates on the monkeypox outbreak in New Hampshire and elsewhere, discussion about health warning labels for alcohol and an item about a telehealth pilot program in Manchester schools. “While information on the COVID pandemic will continue to be a prominent feature, we begin our transition to broader public health efforts in the Granite State,” a notice says at the top of the newsletter. “We’re thinking about public health on a much more collaborative and extended perspective – not only about immunizations but health screening, wellness, and dealing with internet misinformation,” he said.  “This is a way to approach that.”

Eagles Vs. Jaguars Score: Live Updates, Game Stats, Highlights, Streaming For NFL Week 4 Game – CBS Sports https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/eagles-vs-jaguars-score-live-updates-game-stats-highlights-streaming-for-nfl-week-4-game-cbs-sports/ Season Leaders passing T. Lawrence772 YD, 6 TDS, 1 INT T. Lawrence772 YD, 6 TDS, 1 INT J. Hurts916 YD, 4 TDS, 1 INTJ. Hurts916 YD, 4 TDS, 1 INT rushing J. Robinson51 ATT, 230 YD, 3 TDSJ. Robinson51 ATT, 230 YD, 3 TDS M. Sanders45 ATT, 222 YD, 1 TDM. Sanders45 ATT, 222 YD, 1 TD receiving C. Kirk18 REC, 267 YD, 3 TDSC. Kirk18 REC, 267 YD, 3 TDS A. Brown20 REC, 309 YD, 1 TDA. Brown20 REC, 309 YD, 1 TD See New Posts Pinned Haasan Reddick with a hell of a day for the #Eagles. Strip sack and the fumble recovery. PHI in business at the Jaguars 24.  Pinned Terrible drop by Dallas Goedert. He had a sure fire TD if he caught that. Jake Elliott hits the 28-yard FG for PHI to go up 23-14 with 13:42 left.  Pinned Tyson Campbell was called for roughing the kicker. Just a dumb penalty by the Jaguars DB. Pinned Smart timeout by Nick Sirianni. Call timeout to kick with the wind at the Eagles back. Jake Elliott will get a FG attempt here to go up two scores. Pinned Now up to 102 yards. 6th career 100-yard game for Sanders.  Pinned Miles Sanders has 16 carries for 96 yards after that 35-yard run. Pinned Trevor Lawrence picked off going for Christian Kirk. James Bradberry read that like a book. Underthrown ball I think. Lawrence is 7 of 16 for 101 yards with a TD and INT. Kirk no catches on 6 targets. Pinned The Eagles have another drive stalled in the second half. Will be something to monitor today in a close game. They don’t score in the second half much.  Pinned Jordan Davis practically fell on Travis Etienne on that 1-yard loss. Pinned The Eagles defense has forced three straight three-and-outs (not counting the one play drive the Jaguars had to end the first half). Jacksonville’s last four possessions. 10 plays, 12 yards.  Pinned No Darius Slay yet. We’ll see how Zach McPhearson does in the second half.  Pinned The Eagles are the first team since at least 2000 with 17+ pts in 4 consecutive 2nd quarters. 20 unanswered to take the lead at half.  Pinned 4th-and-1. Eagles going for it here. Eagles 2 for 3 on 4th.  Pinned Miles Sanders TD. He has 11 carries for 49 yards. This drive belonged to him.  Pinned Trey Sermon gets his first carry with the Eagles. Went for 14 yards. Eagles in the red zone.  Pinned 3-and-out for the Eagles defense. All the momentum is on Philly’s side. It’s 14-7 jaguars and the Eagles are getting the ball back.  Pinned Jalen Hurts with his 4th rushing TD of the year. He got in on a 4th-and-goal and laid his helmet out when Devin Lloyd was about to hit him. Hurts took one for the team there. He’s not afraid of what’s coming. Pinned Dallas Goedert called for blocking downfield after his big catch. Took away an A.J. Brown TD.  Pinned Fletcher Cox recovered the fumble on 4th down. Eagles take over on downs. Possible momentum shifter.  Pinned Cam Robinson just pancaked James Bradberry to get Jamal Agnew that first down. The 1Q is over and Eagles fans are not happy. Jaguars up 14-0.  Pinned I don’t know what the Eagles were doing down 14-0 and going for it on a 4th-and-3 from the Jaguars 40. A.J. Brown was covered. DeVonta Smith was covered. This Jaguars defense is good and have been good all year. Pinned This is the Eagles largest deficit of the year. This is the most points allowed in the first half this season (14).  Pinned Doug Pederson and Press Taylor designing plays to get Jamal Agnew wide open on both his targets that drive. Slay’s return QUESTIONABLE. Mailata return QUESTIONABLE. Eagles down 14-0 to Jaguars in first quarter. Pinned Jamal Agnew was WIDE OPEN on 2 plays that drive. Eagles down 14-0. Agnew with the 2-yard TD.  Pinned Trevor Lawrence is carving up the Eagles defense right now. Really missing Slay and Avonte Maddox. Pinned The Jaguars have as many INTs this year as they did all of last year. They played 13 quarters. Pinned Zech McPhearson in for Darius Slay, who went to locker room. Pinned Miles Sanders came into this game with 13 receiving yards. Had 16 on that last reception. Pinned Scratch that. Slay was walking to the locker room.  Pinned Darius Slay was in on offense on that play. He’s was open — but Jalen Hurts threw a pick six the other way. Jaguars up early over #Eagles. 59 yards on the INT return by Andre Cisco.  See More

Big Data Is The Future Of Metaverse, In A Sustainable Way – Analytics Insight https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/big-data-is-the-future-of-metaverse-in-a-sustainable-way-analytics-insight/ Big Data is the Future of Metaverse, in a Sustainable Way Sustainability and Metaverse: How Metaverse Is Changing Big Data and How to Adapt in the Future? While the Metaverse may offer certain people a vast array of options for business expansion and development, for others, the concept is still relatively novel. Businesses should in some manner use this new development as justification for making sure best practices are being applied to their processes and doing right. Big data is the center of this new technology revolution. In the Web3 era, consumers will generate such massive amounts of data that intelligent insights won’t be far away. Big data analysis may also aid in resolving some of the major sustainability problems facing the planet. The Metaverse has the power to change how businesses operate, and with the amount of data that will be generated at an exponential rate expected to reach 160 zettabytes by 2025, businesses will have a lot more information that has to be handled along. The Metaverse market might be worth $800 billion by 2024. Importance of the Metaverse The metaverse, the subsequent technological advance, is a three-dimensional representation of the internet. Initially, text-based, the Internet and computing later shifted to image-based. Now, a virtual public place and a network will be developed so that we can live parallel digital and physical lives. Despite being perceived as a video game, it is the foundation of the global economy and the future of the digital economy. When we ponder, “What is the next great thing in climate adaptation technology?” it is because climate issues now influence everything. Metaverse and cloud computing are the solutions once more. How will the metaverse contribute to sustainability? One of the topics that are being raised more frequently in the technology industry, as well as by connectivity companies and others, is this. The metaverse is widely believed to be the upcoming big thing. The creation of the virtual metaverse has been compared by many experts to the birth of the internet itself as the next technical revolution of the century. Forecasts are genuinely optimistic. A completely new reality, one that is entirely digital, would emerge from the metaverse and grow concurrently with the physical one. Through individual avatars, residents of this virtual metaverse would communicate with one another using a variety of gadgets, including smart clothes or interfaces that were physically affixed to the body. This would entail developing new connections and ways of interpreting them, possibly developing entirely new economies, the emergence of new markets and goods, the sharing of experiences and information, and much more. The first corporation to discuss its metaverse was Meta. Meta was formerly known as Facebook. However, some powerful voices are keeping their foot on the brake. “This universe is not all that close,” asserted Raja Koduri, Senior Vice President and Group Head of Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics at Intel, “since our computing, data storage, and connectivity capacities simply aren’t yet great enough to make this vision a reality.” Naturally, there is also the issue of sustainability. Energy consumption, one of the great unknowns of the metaverse Our most recent encounter with the metaverse, if we go back in time, was Second Life, which debuted in the video gaming industry in 2003. Technology was one of many factors that contributed to the gradual decline of this “grandfather” of the virtual metaverse. Simply said, the majority of computers at the time were incapable of supporting the information processing necessary for a seamless experience. As we’ve seen, something comparable to what’s going on right now with the technology of the metaverse. This scenario might be replicated but substantially enhanced in the metaverse. Before 2030, the energy consumption of the technology sector may rise by 14%, claims ETLA Economic Research. However, these projections are taken into consideration not the energy requirements of emerging technologies or devices. The Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030, in particular addresses accessible and environmentally friendly energy, if there are any ethical questions regarding the metaverse, sustainability will be the most vocal opponent. The metaverse as a driver of sustainability The virtual metaverse shouldn’t be a barrier to sustainability, notwithstanding any potential roadblocks. It might already be spurring modifications to support it. Like any virtual world, the metaverse requires data transfer with massive bandwidths and incredibly low latencies. We need to start taking the issue of expanding data centers seriously once we take into account the significance of the cloud for virtual settings like the metaverse. And at the same time, the carbon footprints they leave behind, which, according to Lancaster University experts, might increase by up to 30% by 2030. Large technology companies are attempting to make data centers substantially more sustainable because of this. For instance, Microsoft has pledged to use only renewable energy as of 2025 for its Azure cloud platform, as well as to return more water than it uses and achieve certification for zero emissions by 2030.

Best Hodinkee Comments Of September 2022 – HODINKEE https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/best-hodinkee-comments-of-september-2022-hodinkee/ We’re back with another edition of the hottest Q&A in town, The Conversation. This week some of HODINKEE’s finest editors (just kidding, they’re all fine) answer some of the stand-out comments of the past two weeks. So buckle up and prepare to enter whatever you call an extremely polite version of the Thunderdome.  Cartier Says ‘Screw This’ The comment: “Wanted to ask the experts a question about the screws on the bracelet and face of the watch. What is the experience with these? Any report of them coming loose and falling out? Are any of them functional?” – unce_turbo_997 The response: The screws on the bezel are completely functional. Besides keeping the bezel in place, they put pressure on the crystal and gasket below, adding to the water-resistance of the Santos. The bracelet screws are purely ornamental and, in my humble opinion, the perfect touch on the two-tone models. I have seen a watch lose a bezel screw, but it wasn’t a Santos. Cartier uses blue 243 Loctite to keep both sets of screws in place, so those suckers aren’t going anywhere. –Mark Hackman  The comment: “Great article, James. How does the Bracelet wear compared to other metal bracelets? It begs the question about which four watches would you put on the Mt. Rushmore of Polar Watches. I’d start with the Explorer II 216570 as the George Washington of Polars – it is the most distinctive of the Explorers with the orange accent over white. It’s also on the Mt Rushmore of legibility.” – wildblue94 The response: While I can’t speak to the B&R’s bracelet, as I have yet to be hands-on with the watch (this was just an introduction), I do enjoy the idea of a Mt. Rushmore of polar (white-dialed) watches. My lineup would likely include the 16570 Explorer II (which I’m fortunate to own), plus the Speedmaster Alaska Project, the first-gen Patek Philippe 5270g with the silver/white opaline dial and black accents, and the short-lived Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 25554BA with a white dial. Talk about a four-watch collection… only three to go. –James Stacey  The comment: “I was really pleased that AP produced a watch without exposed screws… until I saw the obverse. They just can’t resist steampunk. The AP craftsmanship shows through (yes, intentional pun) and as usual, detail, detail and detail. I again, raise my weariness with skeleton dials. As one of long tooth and poor eyes, these designs, while showing off the workings, make the hands and functions indecipherable. I thought that was why open casebooks were so popular.” –OldCossack The response: There’s a time and a place for refined elegance, but not every watch is meant to be a traditional three-handed dress watch. You can buy a Calatrava for that. A Royal Oak was also meant to be sport watch, and the Code 11.59 is a bit of a hybrid. I think one disservice AP did in the original Code 11.59 launch was including the time-and-date with the other more complicated watches – if they’d focused solely on the chronograph, tourbillon, and chiming models, it would have indicated a collection focused on haute horlogerie and complicated watchmaking rather than the confusing mixed bag that the collection started its life as. That said, if we consider the Code 11.59 to be a platform for AP’s most progressive designs and complications, then I welcome all the bright-blue bridges and flying tourbillons we can get. –Logan Baker  It’s Time To Put Some Respect On The Laureato’s Name The comment: “I try to understand why Laureato failed while the Nautilus and the RO are a great success. Is it in the name? Girard Perregaux is no more awkward as a name than Patek Phillipe or Audemar Piguet. Perhaps Laureato is not as good a name as Nautilus or Royal Oak. Why call your watch a student? Who wants a student watch? It is far more inspiring to be associated with something majestic like the ocean. Being sold to Kering didn’t help either. These people have no appreciation of horology. The moment GP and UN underperformed, they dumped them. The green dial Laureato is a great watch. I hope it will be fully appreciated one day.” – yesman The response: Ultimately this comes down to brand recognition. Audemars Piguet and Patek Phillipe are both brands with mass market appeal, while Girard-Perregaux exists, for the most part, in the watch enthusiast space. My friend and founder of RollieFest, Geoff Hess, recently explained to me that certain criteria must be checked in order for a watch to endure a lasting legacy: It must be widely known and instantly recognizable by a critical mass of collectors, there must be a memorable and easy to understand story which compliments the design, and the watch must be copied by other brands. I think what the Laureato misses here is a widely known story and design. I also firmly believe that watch brands who run independently of a holding group have more power and control over the story they want to tell. It can also feel more authentic if the story is coming straight from the source. I very much enjoy your Laureato hypothesis. Some even speculate that the watch was named after the 1967 film starring Dustin Hoffman. And I agree that the green dial Laureato is a sleeper hit. Hopefully, we can help to spread the word! –Malaika Crawford.  To Customize Or Not To Customize The story: In a Second Opinions essay, Nick Marino argues that custom watches are awesome and should no longer be taboo. The story is a precursor to his Talking Watches episode with Cooper Zelnick, whose company Cloister Watch Co. lovingly modifies vintage pieces. The comment: “I just read your editorial today and I might be late to the party (over 100 comments), but I would like to make some comments that I think you seriously missed in this piece.  First, and most importantly, a watch is not a pair of jeans or an Apple gadget (one could argue that Apple does not allow customizations either with their software but that is for another conversation), there is a reasoning, a tradition, a history that comes with a watch. Things are made this way because they have always been made this way. There are no rational explanations in the 21st century as to why things should remain the same, but these values and methods are deeply anchored into the European psyche. From the color of an umbrella, to the recipe of a macaron, or the numerals on a dial, tradition and history have a huge and heavy influence on why these products (and the companies that make them) have survived for centuries. I do realize, having lived for thirty years in the United States, a country where where individuality and consumption are king, that it is difficult to accept that a watch was not made for you specifically, but was, instead made to outlast you. The design of a timepiece is not up to the individual imagination of the consumer. It is, instead, the product of a long tradition belonging to watchmaking.  Authenticity is another important reason why watchmakers will not allow personalization. If, instead, everyone was modifying everything to their liking, it would become nearly impossible to verify that a product was indeed produced by the original maker. Any auction house expert will tell you how frustrating it is to establish that a unique watch truly originated from the manufacture and was not instead modified along the way by its purchaser. Allowing personalization would make it much easier for counterfeit goods to pass as authentic. If anything goes for a Royal Oak, then what is a Royal Oak?  Watchmaking has nothing to do with fashion and have never been part of that dialogue. Watches are, instead, scientific objects, tools, art and a heritage that we try to preserve.” – WilliamMassena The response: To begin, I should say that it’s wonderful to have an eminent watchmaker like William Massena engaging with our stories. Even though we disagree, William, I appreciate you weighing in. Another commenter, 8ball, capably addressed your thoughts on tradition and authenticity, so I’ll focus on your last point – the assertion that watchmaking has nothing to do with fashion. With all due respect (and trust me, the respect is very real), I’m afraid the evidence is stacked against you here. Watches are, in fact, inextricably tied to fashion – and have been for ages, perhaps even since their invention. They are, at a basic level, beautiful objects worn on the body as functional adornment. They come in and out of style, just like clothes. They are produced by fashion houses from Chanel to Gucci. Watchmakers themselves have long promoted their own fashionability. Check out these vintage advertisements, courtesy of Nick Federowicz, aka the archival Instagrammer @adpatina. The folks at Omega wouldn’t have picked Cindy Crawford as a brand ambassador in 1995 if they weren’t interested in fashion. Rolex wouldn’t have aligned with Gernreich if it didn’t care about style. The AP advertisement sums the whole thing up: Watches perform “the art of self expression.” If that ain’t a succinct definition for the role of fashion in our culture, I’m not sure what is. Nevertheless, I appreciate all the conversation around my essay and subsequent video. Starting a conversation was the whole point – and continuing it is the point of this follow-up post. I totally understand why purists can’t stomach the idea of altering a factory original watch. But that shouldn’t stop the rest of us.  This hobby is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be about, as Audemars Piguet might say, the art of self expression. Nobody ought to dictate what you can and can’t do with your watch (or your clothes, for that matter). Taste is personal. Wear what you like – even if that means you have to design it yourself. –Nick Marino The HODINKEE Shop has a variety of pre-owned and vintage models from the brands mentioned here. Explore here.

Terra (LUNA) Collapse Big Step Backward For Crypto Decentralization: Ethereum (ETH) Creator Vitalik Buterin – The Daily Hodl https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/terra-luna-collapse-big-step-backward-for-crypto-decentralization-ethereum-eth-creator-vitalik-buterin-the-daily-hodl/ The co-founder of Ethereum (ETH) says the implosion of stablecoin issuer Terra (LUNA) earlier this year dealt a big blow to the decentralization of crypto. In an interview with The New York Times, Vitalik Buterin says decentralization in the crypto space has been progressing in the right direction since the epic collapse of defunct digital asset exchange Mt. Gox in 2014. According to Buterin, hacks involving centralized intermediaries spurred people to move toward a decentralized model when buying and selling crypto, which he notes was going well until the meltdown of Terra in May. “And so you don’t need centralized intermediaries to hold things on the cryptocurrency side. And I think that actually has improved things. The times when it hasn’t improved things, probably the biggest one was the Terra LUNA collapse of a few months ago, which was interesting because I think there was a combination of two causes. One of them was that the mechanism behind Terra LUNA was just fundamentally bad economics.” The Ethereum creator says that while Terra’s blockchain is decentralized, the team behind it had too much control behind the scenes. Buterin points at Terra’s efforts to accumulate Bitcoin to support its algorithmic stablecoin UST. “And nobody knows what the LUNA Terra team were doing with Bitcoin or the asset. And they made a lot of promises. And look, they really tried hard at making these kind of very centralized efforts to manipulate the market and prop up their coin. But it ended up eventually failing, right? So I think that story is instructive, because it shows like to some extent, decentralization by itself doesn’t solve every problem.”  Regardless of what the Terra team did in the shadows, Buterin highlights that blockchain’s transparent nature allowed some people to predict the crypto asset’s demise. “Because if the algorithm is bad, then even a fully open and transparent implementation of a bad algorithm is going to break. But at the same time, it does still show the difference between the decentralized and trustless part of the ecosystem, where lots of people were able to see ahead of time what was going on. And lots of people were able to warn about what could happen.”  You can read the full interview here. Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get crypto email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram Surf The Daily Hodl Mix Check Latest News Headlines &nbsp Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing. Featured Image: Shutterstock/Warm_Tail

US And Israel Launch High-Level Tech Talks, Washington Concerned About Chinese Influence – The Epoch Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/us-and-israel-launch-high-level-tech-talks-washington-concerned-about-chinese-influence-the-epoch-times/ The United States and Israel engaged in their first meeting of “U.S.-Israel Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology” initiative on Sept. 28 aimed at establishing a partnership on emerging and critical technologies between the nations. The countries agreed to support research and implementation of a “trustworthy AI in healthcare,” including “fair AI-driven health systems” as well as boosting the ability of health researchers to test the impacts of medicines and treatments, according to a Sept. 30 White House Fact Sheet. They will also explore ways to use AI to develop new crop varieties, including seeds that have a “stronger tolerance to climate change.” Next month, Israel and the United States plan on signing a Memorandum of Understanding seeking to strengthen cooperation in biomedical research like molecular and genomic medicine. They will work together on global health security and pandemic preparedness. Climate change technology initiatives will include support for renewable hydrogen and solar energy, extreme weather prediction and disaster risk reduction initiatives, and cooperation on battery supply chains. “The joint research with the US has been only 19 percent of Israel’s research with other countries, as opposed to 56 percent for Europe,” said Farkash-Hakohen, Israel’s minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, according to a Sept. 29 press release by Israel’s foreign ministry. “Good partners and allies, like Israel and the US, need and can take significant steps to increase the scope of the joint research that constitutes the basis for high-tech and that is what we are currently doing.” The Dialogue was agreed upon by President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in July. The Sept. 28 meeting was held in Washington between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Israeli national security advisor Dr. Eyal Hulata. The next meeting will be held in Israel in 2023. Countering Chinese Influence The push to deepen tech cooperation between Israel and the United States comes amid concerns about rising Chinese influence in the Middle Eastern nation’s technologies. During the Trump administration, Washington pressured Israel to set up a review process aimed at allowing government officials to block deals in the case of national security concerns. While Israel did set up the review process in 2019, the tech industry was left out of it. During the Sept. 28 meeting, the United States and Israel agreed on a plan to manage risks to their technology ecosystems, including investment screening. A 2020 study by global policy think tank RAND Corporation found that the security risks of Chinese investments and construction could affect the relationship between the United States and Israel. It pointed out that the interests of China and Israel in the Middle East are incompatible and warned that Chinese Communist Party investments and construction projects in Israel could result in cyber espionage as well as the leaking of sensitive technology. In an interview with Bloomberg, Ehud Levy, a general partner at Canaan Partners Israel and also a partner at China’s Lenovo Capital, said that even though Washington has not succeeded in getting Israeli startups to fully adopt its policy agenda, the United States has succeeded in convincing several entrepreneurs to pick sides. “If you have a term sheet from a Chinese investor and you have a term sheet from a US investor, the CEO is going for the safe option,” Levy said. “It’s not like a governmental guidance or anything like that. It’s purely a commercial decision.” Follow Naveen Athrappully is a news reporter covering business and world events at The Epoch Times.