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___T-Mobile’s $26.5B Sprint deal OK’d despite competition fearsWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators have approved T-Mobile’s $26.5 billion takeover of rival Sprint, despite fears of higher prices and job cuts, in a deal that would leave just three major cellphone companies in the country. Friday’s approval from the Justice Department and five state attorneys general comes after Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to conditions that would set up satellite-TV provider Dish as a smaller rival. Critics say Dish is not a replacement for Sprint. The deal still faces legal challenges.___US economy slowed to 2.1% growth rate in second quarterWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy slowed sharply in the second quarter even as consumers stepped up their spending. The Commerce Department says the gross domestic product grew at a 2.1% annual rate in the April-June quarter, down from a 3.1% gain in the first quarter.___US presses WTO to stop lenient trade treatment of ChinaWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is pressuring the World Trade Organization to stop letting China and other economies receive lenient treatment under global trade rules by calling themselves “developing” countries. Trump on Friday directed the U.S. Trade representative to “use all available means” to get the WTO to prevent countries from claiming developing country status if their economic strength doesn’t justify lax treatment.___Warren warns of economic trouble ahead. Is she right?WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Warren became a household name thanks to her warning of what became a global financial crisis, but now the Democratic presidential hopeful is staking her credentials on another forecast of fiscal trauma ahead. However, even economists who like her prescription are skeptical about her diagnosis. Her prediction could help her win voters by tapping into anxieties about economic stability despite broad gains. But Warren’s opponents could seize on her warning to undermine her credibility.___Missing Trump’s 3% goal, US economy grew more slowly in 2018WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says the U.S. economy grew more slowly in 2018 than it previously estimated, downgrading its estimate from 3% to 2.5%. President Donald Trump had frequently boasted of the 3% growth figure as evidence that his policies invigorated the economy.___Twitter reports strong user growthSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter is reporting surprisingly strong user numbers and revenue as it works to make the platform more user friendly and eliminate robotic and fake accounts on its platform. On that front, the company said instances of suspicious behaviour and spam dropped by 18% during the second quarter when it posted financial results for the second quarter Friday.___Juul exec: Never intended electronic cigarette for teensWASHINGTON (AP) — The co-founder of vaping giant Juul told Congress that his company never intended its electronic cigarettes to be used by underage teens. House lawmakers are investigating the e-cigarette maker amid a recent explosion of vaping among American youth. Thursday’s hearing marks the first time the privately held company has been called before Congress.___Alex and Ani jewelry accuses Bank of America of gender biasCRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — Jewelry maker Alex and Ani has filed a $1.2 billion lawsuit alleging that “gender bias and greed” by Bank of America have led to a financial “death spiral” at the Rhode Island-based company. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in New York. Bank spokesman Bill Halldin tells The Providence Journal that “Bank of America has a demonstrated record of support for diverse businesses that is well noted and widely recognized.”___The S&P 500 index rose 22.19 points, or 0.7%, to 3,025.86. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 51.47, or 0.2%, to 27,192.45, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 91.67 points, or 1.1%, to 8,330.21. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks rose 17.52 points, or 1.1%, to 1,578.97.The Associated Press read more

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent was indicted by a Texas grand jury Wednesday and formally charged with  intoxication manslaughter in the one-car crash on December 8 that resulted in the death of friend Jerry Brown, who was on the team’s practice squad.The indictment says that Brent was speeding and had two times the legal alcohol limit in his system when he lost control of his vehicle in Irving, near Dallas. Brent has been out of jail on $100,000 bond.Brent faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for intoxication manslaughter charges. He also Brent could be eligible for probation.District attorney Debbie Denmon says no court dates have been scheduled.Brent has received support from the team and  Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson, has been at the forefront of the Cowboys’ support of Brent. She asked the players at a memorial service for her son to do as much as they could to keep Brent involved with the team.Meanwhile, the Cowboys have said it will support Brent, while, at the same time, emphasizing that they do not condone drinking and driving.Brent was on the sidelines for most of the Dallas Cowboys-Pittsburgh Steelers game a few weeks ago, but left in the third quarter because he didn’t want to be a distraction, Garrett said. The Cowboys were criticized during the broadcast of the game for allowing Brent on the sidelines.“It becomes a real sensitive topic to a lot of people when you’re in a public place like the game,” Garrett said. “There were no bad intentions other than to support Josh as part of our football team. This is a game and you need to be here. That’s what our players wanted to convey to him and they really encouraged him to come to the game. I thought Josh handled it beautifully the way that he came and then when he felt like there were some issues he felt the right thing to do was to leave. But we’re going to support him in every way that we can. We also will be sensitive to this kind of issue.” read more

It’s the dreaded ‘R’ word: A recount has officially been requested in Wisconsin The Green Party’s Jill Stein has made the request. Trump’s campaign has remained silent on the potential for recounts. Trump’s campaign has remained silent on the potential for recounts. Image: Steve Helber/PA Green party presidential candidate Jill Stein. Source: PA ImagesStein, who earned little more than 1% of the national vote, has vowed to do the same in the coming days in Michigan and Pennsylvania.Trump holds a slim lead in Michigan, where a Republican presidential candidate hadn’t won since 1988. The Associated Press still hasn’t officially called the race in Michigan.Although there is no evidence of election tampering in the states where Trump scored razor-thin victories, Green Party spokesman George Martin insisted “the American public needs to have it investigated to make sure our votes count.”“We’re doing this to ensure the integrity of our system,” he said.Trump’s team has ignored questions about the looming recounts.Set to assume the presidency in 55 days, he was focused instead on the daunting task of building an administration from scratch.Read: Enda says he hopes the J-1 programme won’t be scrapped, despite Trump warning >Read: Trump appoints one of his fiercest critics as UN ambassador > http://jrnl.ie/3103710 Short URL Nov 25th 2016, 11:13 PM Share533 Tweet Email GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL candidate Jill Stein has filed a request for a recount with Wisconsin election officials.State Elections Commission Administrator Mike Haas said Stein filed the request around mid-afternoon Friday, about an hour and a half ahead of a 5pm CST (11pm Irish time) deadline.Stein’s campaign has been raising money online to cover the costs of recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. She says she wants to make sure hackers didn’t skew the results in those swing states.The campaign had raised about $5.2 million as of this afternoon.Wisconsin law calls for the state to perform a recount at a candidate’s request as long as he or she can pay for it. Election officials estimate the effort will cost up to $1 million.The state, which was won by Donald Trump by no more than 22,000 votes, has never conducted a presidential recount. Trump’s win in the state broke a Democratic winning streak dating back 32 years. By Associated Press Friday 25 Nov 2016, 11:13 PM Image: Steve Helber/PA 89 Comments 39,519 Views Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article read more

Aristole Onassis’ sole surviving air, granddaughter Athina Onassis Roussel has sold their family’s Ionian Sea Island to a Russian billionaire for £100 million ($146 million). The billionaire’s identity hasn’t been disclosed but sources say the deal is being drafted at the moment between Athenian and Geneva lawyers. The island of Skorpios was bought by Onassis in 1962 for apparently 3.5 million drachmas, about $14,500. It is believe Ms Onassis, who lives with her husband in Brazil, has little interest in spending time on the island or in Greece and wanted to sell the island for some time. In the past there have been rumours that Giorgio Armani, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Madonna were interested in buying the tiny island. Most famously, the island hosted Mr Onassis’ wedding to Jacquie Keneddy in 1968, and hosted many lavish parties for the social elite in Greece. Source: The Daily Mail Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram read more

Boson de Higgs : le CERN de plus en plus sûr d’avoir mis la main sur la bonne particuleLes dernières analyses de la particule découverte en juillet 2012 par l’Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire (CERN) semblent confirmer qu’il s’agit bien d’un boson de Higgs. En tout cas tout va dans ce sens.Le boson de Higgs (du nom du physicien britannique Peter Higgs qui, le premier, en 1964, a postulé de son existence) est une particule insaisissable en raison de son extrême instabilité. Elle est pourtant considérée comme la clef de voûte de la théorie du Modèle standard, la particule élémentaire qui donne leur masse à beaucoup d’autres particules. Depuis de longues années, le CERN cherche à identifier un boson. Une quête qui a atteinte un point crucial en juillet dernier lorsque les scientifiques ont annoncé qu’ils avaient probablement découvert la fameuse particule. Et près de 9 mois plus tard, il semblerait que celle-ci soit bien le fameux boson. En effet, les dernières analyses de la particule “indiquent fortement” qu’il s’agit d’un boson de Higgs, a annoncé le Cern. Ces tous derniers résultats ont été présentés jeudi à La Thuile, dans les Alpes italiennes, lors des “Rencontres de Moriond”, la première conférence de physique majeure de l’année.”Les résultats préliminaires portant sur l’ensemble des données 2012 sont magnifiques, et pour moi il est clair que nous avons affaire à un boson de Higgs, même si nous sommes encore loin de savoir de quelle sorte de boson de Higgs il s’agit”, a déclaré Joe Incandela, porte-parole de CMS (une des deux collaborations du Grand collisionneur de hadrons (LHC) de Genève, avec ATLAS, à l’origine de la découverte).Des propriétés proches de celles du boson de Higgs À lire aussiMaladie de Charcot : symptômes, causes, traitement, où en est on ?Pour affirmer avec certitude que cette particule est bien un boson de Higgs, il faut procéder à une analyse détaillée de ses propriétés quantiques et de la façon dont elle interagit avec d’autres particules. Notamment, le boson de Higgs est supposé avoir comme propriété un spin nul, et sa parité, c’est-à-dire la façon dont se comporte son image miroir, doit être positive. CMS et ATLAS ont donc comparé plusieurs hypothèses concernant les possibles combinaisons spin-parité de la nouvelle particule. “Tous les éléments disponibles vont dans le sens d’un spin nul et d’une parité positive”, souligne le CERN cité par l’AFP. “Si l’on ajoute à cela les interactions mesurées entre cette nouvelle particule et d’autres particules, on a une forte indication qu’il s’agit d’un boson de Higgs”, estime l’Organisation. Toutefois, “la question reste toutefois ouverte” de savoir s’il s’agit du boson de Higgs du Modèle standard plutôt qu’un ensemble de bosons différents, que certaines théories évoquent. Mais “répondre à cette question prendra du temps”, a indiqué le CERN.Le 15 mars 2013 à 11:48 • Maxime Lambert read more

By Fatoumatta K JallowChild Protection Alliance (CPA) in collaboration with ‘Save the Children International,’ on Wednesday 16 August 2017, held a days’ budget validation analysis at a local resort in Bijilo. This budget validation analysis, focused on the National budget as well as the budgets of the three Local Government Authorities of Kanifing, Brikama and Basse.  The programme was funded by ‘Save the Children’.Mr. Lamin Njie, Programme Officer CPA, said child protection and related issues involve finance and commitment, related to law and policies; that without these tools, we will always make empty promises without achieving any one of them.He added that regardless of their income status, the state needs to fulfill its obligation through the provision of protection and participation, in the promotion of the right of the child; that this is why the state needs to mobilize sufficient domestic resources, to realize child rights.Mr. Njie stated that budget planning, allocation, spending and monitoring, are crucial processes which should be given due consideration in compliance with the four golden principles of child right protection and this should be non-discriminatory as in article four; securing the best interest of the child as in article three; securing the right to life, survival and development of the child as in article six, and finally to respect the view of the child as in article twelve.The director of the Social Welfare, Fanta Bai Secka, said Children in The Gambia, like in other countries, experience various forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence, from which they should be protected.“This occurs in private and public spheres, including homes, schools, and institutions of care, at work and in communities. Children are exposed to many risks such as sexual violence, child marriage, physical and humiliating punishment, harmful traditional practices, among others,” she said.Mrs. Secka said children should be protected from all forms of violence; that this is a key objective of the Sustainable Development Goals specifically in target 5.2 of Goal 5 of the SDGs. Mrs. Secka said states should commit themselves to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and other types of exploitation.She held that in target 5.3 of the SDGs, states aim to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation which is banned by government. Child protection she said is high on the international development agenda.She concluded by saying that the Government of the day, is highly committed to the protection of her children from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation. “We have laws such as the Children’s (Amendment) Act 2016, Tourism Offences Act 2003, the Women’s (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Domestic Violence Act 2013 amongst others, to protect children,’’ She said.The Vice Chairperson at the CPA Board of directors, Mr. Nfamara Dabo, said ratifying legal instruments and development of national legal frameworks alone, does not make us realize our commitment as a country in fulfilling the rights and welfare of children.“We must take a step further to ensure the required resources are mobilized for effective implementation and enforcement. There should be budgetary allocations to ensure the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children to the maximum and this is mandatory on all state parties under Article 4 of the CRC,’’ Mr. Dabo said.He said the available Child Protection services are preventive, protective and responsive; that preventive services include birth registration, scholarships and sponsorships, child drop-in centers and community empowerment including rehabilitation and family strengthening programs. For protective services, he said these include residential care, adoption, foster care, support to orphans and vulnerable children.He however said the coverage of the available services is limited and that they hardly address the most prevalent child protection risks. He further explained that these services are inadequate to cater for the holistic needs of child victims of abuse and exploitation and children without primary care givers; that there are insufficient numbers of trained professionals in the area of child protection service delivery in the Gambia.He stated that this consultancy, gives us the opportunity to examine the degree of openness of the Child Protection budgets of both the national and local governments, and how this affects the level of public participation, consultation, information access and transparency, which he said, are essential when monitoring and influencing budgets in the interest of children. In addition, he stated the recommendations will indicate ways in which the budgets of both the national and local Governments can be made more responsive to current child protection needs.He urged government to deliberately consider the welfare and rights of children, especially in relation to survival, protection, development and participatory rights, during budgetary allocations.He said children’s rights cannot be fully realized without effective, transparent and accountable governance mechanisms to contribute to improving service delivery mechanisms; that budget transparency, enables the examination of resources destined for child-sensitive policies and programs. Corruption, which results from a lack of transparency, accountability and the misuse or misappropriation of funds by those making decision at different levels, is widespread in social services as well as in public utilities.In conclusion Dabo said the CPA which is the leading child rights coalition in the Gambia, will continue to promote the rights of children towards creating an enabling environment for them, by strengthening the capacities of members to effectively and efficiently coordinate, monitor and implement child-related programs, policies and laws. read more

Related Items: Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppTurks and Caicos, July 7, 2017 – Providenciales – The general public is hereby notified of the relocation of the Department of Maritime from the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources to 176 South Dock Road, Providenciales, effective 1st May 2017.We apologize for any inconvenience caused, but do ask that all are guided accordingly.Press Release: TCIG Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp read more

KUSI Newsroom, KUSI Newsroom Six San Diego County elected leaders take the oath of office January 7, 2019 Updated: 6:29 PM Posted: January 7, 2019 00:00 00:00 spaceplay / pause qunload | stop ffullscreenshift + ←→slower / faster ↑↓volume mmute ←→seek  . seek to previous 12… 6 seek to 10%, 20% … 60% XColor SettingsAaAaAaAaTextBackgroundOpacity SettingsTextOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundSemi-TransparentOpaqueTransparentFont SettingsSize||TypeSerif MonospaceSerifSans Serif MonospaceSans SerifCasualCursiveSmallCapsResetSave SettingsSAN DIEGO (KUS) – Six county elected leaders took the oath of office in San Diego.Once a state assemblyman, Nathan Fletcher becomes the San Diego County Board of supervisor for District 4.For district 5, it’s the former mayor of San Marcos, Jim Desmond.In charge once again of the largest Sheriff’s Department in the country, is Sheriff Bill Gore.Being sworn in as the next District Attorney is Summer Stephan, who remains focused on combating sex trafficking in the region.Last but not least, two men who are already familiar with role,  Ernest Dronenburg as Assessor-Recorder-Clerk and Dan McAllister the County Treasurer and tax collector. Categories: Local San Diego News FacebookTwitter read more

THE EVERGLADES, Fla. (WSVN) — Another enormous reptile roundup in South Florida ended with the removal of a large reptile believed to be a threat to native wildlife.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission posted these photos on Facebook.A member of the Python Action Team removed a Burmese python from Big Cypress Natural Preserve in the Everglades that was 17 feet, 9 inches.This was the second largest reptile caught by the team.The snakes are an invasive species and threaten native wildlife.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. read more

According to the FAA’s website, four people died. The plane that went down was a Piper PA22. One crew member and three passengers died. Troopers and the National Transportation Safety Board are attempting to reach the scene to assess the terrain and formulate a plan for recovery. Facebook0TwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享The Alaska State Troopers responded to a plane crash on Sunday outside Girdwood on Goat Mountain near Eagle Glacier at approximately 5,000 feet elevation. RCC responded to the scene in a Pave Hawk helicopter and was able to confirm the crash and that there were no survivors. This is a developing story- more details will be posted as they are made available. read more

WILMINGTON, MA — Below are the latest legal notices related to Wilmington, published during the week of Sunday, November 4, 2018:181408 — Wilmington Selectmen — Tax Classification Hearing183046 — Nissan LT 2014 Nissan Maxima181404 — Complete Settlement — Guarino181418 — Tax Lien — Driscoll(NOTE: The above public notices is from MassPublicNotices.org.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedWilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of August 11, 2019)In “Government”Wilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of August 4, 2019)In “Government”Wilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of September 1, 2019)In “Government” read more

Padma BridgeThe Padma Bridge, 25 meters in width and 10 km in length, building over the Padma River, is one of the amazing projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).The China Daily recently published a list of 20 amazing projects under the BRI in which the Padma Bridge was among the list including Colombo Port City, Gwadar Port in South Asia. Around six years ago, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative and so far 125 countries and 29 international organisations have signed 173 cooperation agreements under the initiative framework.In June 2016, China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co Ltd was awarded a $1.55-billion contract by the government of Bangladesh to build the core structure of the Padma Bridge.The bridge is the country’s largest infrastructure project, as well as the largest foreign bridge project undertaken by Chinese companies in terms of total cost.Once completed, travel time between the capital, Dhaka, and the southern city of Khulna will be shortened to about three hours from 13 hours.With the installation of the 150-meter long span, the 7th span among the 41 spans has been installed on the 6.15-km bridge and about 1,050 m of the bridge is now visible.In December 2015, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the main works of Padma Bridge project, the biggest of its kind for the country, by unveiling its foundation plaque.In June 2014, the Bangladeshi government awarded China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited a 1.55-billion-U.S.-dollar contract to build core structure of the Padma Bridge project.Apart from connecting nearly 30 million people in Bangladesh’s southwest region to the rest of the country, the bridge will enhance regional trade and collaboration along the Asian highway No. 1 and the Trans-Asian railway network. read more

Black Republican candidates for mayor and City Council at the 2016 Baltimore Colloquy on Conservative Solutions to Problems Besetting Inner-City Baltimore. (Black Republican Council – Maryland Republican Party)BALTIMORE – Although their numbers are small on the national level, Black Republicans are alive and well in Baltimore City.  On March 21, The Black Republican Council of the Maryland Black Republican Party held a symposium at Bethany Lutheran Church in Baltimore for local Republican candidates running in this spring’s mayoral and City Council elections.The event, the “2016 Baltimore: A Colloquy on Conservative Solutions to Problems Besetting Inner-City Baltimore,” provided a platform for local Black Republican candidates to present their ideas and exchange viewpoints on issues impacting Baltimore voters.  And like all candidate forums, each hopeful was asked to discuss approaches to solving the city’s housing, educational, transportation and criminal justice problems.  But Baltimore’s Republicans quickly departed from the standard list of debate questions.  Event host and moderator Antonio Campbell asked each candidate to weigh in on their views about Donald Trump, illegal immigration and other “hot button” issues making national headlines in light of the increasingly contentious Republican presidential primary season.  “These issues are being discussed by candidates in our party and people are going to expect our candidates to have a viewpoint on these matters” said Campbell, explaining to the audience why local candidates were asked to weigh in on the national debate.  He added, “Furthermore, these issues impact Baltimore.”Candidates’ views on Donald Trump and his hardline stance on illegal immigration were diverse and colorful, representing a full range of perspectives.  “It’s not about the party, it’s not about the politics, it’s about the people,” said Tamara Purnell, Republican candidate for Baltimore’s 7th District City Council seat.  Mayoral candidate Chancellor Torbit said although Trump has made troubling statements, the media has also taken his comments out of context. “I pay attention to what he actually says, not what the media reports him saying,” Torbit said.The candidates held viewpoints on illegal immigration that they said represented the range of opinions held in the Black community.“Illegal is illegal,” said Joseph Brown, 8th District City Council candidate.  “We can’t afford to have undocumented people in our country taking advantage of everything we have.“I can’t understand how you have an illegal immigrant who is over here sending money back to his family and country and call him a good man and then when you have a Black man who can’t find a job, you call him a drain on the system,” Brown added. “Jobs should go to Americans…Baltimoreans first.”Torbit said about the issue: “It’s not fair to those who took the proper way to come into this country for us to support illegal immigration.”But 9th District City Council candidate Octavia Njuhigu presented a more moderate viewpoint, speaking from his own personal experience as the son of immigrants.  “I’m first generation here.  My father is from Kenya and I support immigration,” Njuhigu said, before outlining his support for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. “We should give them the support to become legal once they make it to America. Sometimes immigrants do a better job of supporting this country than those of us who were born here or who have been here long-term.”The candidates all agreed that Baltimore’s criminal justice system was broken, although their views varied on how to improve community-police relations.  District 7 candidate Purnell, a retired law enforcement official, said there is a “mindset” problem within the Baltimore Police Department.  “I am a firm believer that if you police the city, you should live in the city,” she said pointing out loopholes that allow police personnel to live outside city limits. “You should be a stakeholder where you police.” Mayoral candidate and former vice chair of the Baltimore Republican Party Larry Wardlow Jr. said the city’s criminal justice problem stemmed from overall city corruption.  “Baltimore has a problem in protecting criminals. Criminal police officers, criminal politicians and just plain criminals,” Wardlow said, adding, “I’m not afraid to name names.” read more

“It never seemed quite right to me.” John Kahrs, the animator and director best known for his Academy Award-winning short film “Paperman,” always felt that something was off when he saw the ocean depicted in Hollywood movies. “My dad built a few sailboats,” he recently recalled in an interview with Variety. “I have a bit of a boating background.” And what he saw on the big screen just didn’t feel right. Too quiet. Too stormy. Too extreme. Not the waters he knew.This week, Kahrs is showing off his own take on the ocean in a new short film that’s getting its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. “Age of Sail” is the latest virtual reality short film coming out of Google’s Spotlight Stories unit, and in many ways, the 12-minute short one of the most ambitious projects the search giant’s immersive storytelling unit has worked on to date. Kahrs had been mulling over the idea for “Age of Sail” for a few years, and revisited it once he started to talk to the Spotlight Stories team about cooperating on an immersive short film. The medium seemed like a perfect fit to take the audience along on Avery’s journey, and show them a different side of the ocean. “That was something that would translate beautifully in VR,” Kahrs said.Except for one key detail: Audiences tend to be sensitive to motion in VR, which is why many filmmakers and animators try to keep their camera as still as possible — something that’s not an easy feat on a boat that’s being rocked around by the waves. “On paper, this is the worst possible thing to do in VR,” said Kahrs. CREDIT: Courtesy of Google Spotlight Stories “Age of Sail” is the story of an old, down on his luck sailor, William Avery (voiced by Ian McShane), who rescues a young girl at sea after she fell off a passenger ship. Only, for Avery, saving a life turns out to be the easy part. Coming to grips with his own role in a world that seems to have moved on is a lot harder. “He believes this lie,” Kahrs said of Avery. “He believes he doesn‘t matter anymore.”The young girl, however, doesn’t agree at all — and neither seems the ocean, which challenges Avery one more time, forcing him to rise to the occasion, and transform from a hopeless drunk to a savior once again. “He’s almost like an old man superhero,” Kahrs said. Popular on Variety “Age of Sail” has been produced together with the Los Angeles-based animation studio Chromosphere, and by Gennie Rim, who previously worked on Glen Keane’s “Duet” Spotlight Story, as well as David Eisenmann, who worked on “Son of Jaguar” and “Pearl” for Spotlight Stories. Making the film work visually required stepping away from the idea photo-realism, said Eisenmann. “Reality isn’t really what you want.” Instead, the team settled on a bit rougher, grainier aesthetic that Kahrs described as a moving painting. “It’s kind of a broken-edge quality,” he said.After its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, “Age of Sail” will get its North America premiere at the LA Film Festival’s VR and immersive storytelling showcase, the Portal, in September. It will come to VR headsets soon after, and find its way to phones and the web before the end of the year as well. Both the VR and the phone-based versions will benefit from a key tech advancement: The Spotlight Stories team spent a lot of time perfecting its audio engine to incorporate binaural sound, and account for the changes in the environment. When one of the two characters turns away from the viewer, their voice changes, and when the viewer turns her head, they get to hear the sound differently. And at one point, the viewer finds herself in the water, complete with the ability to put her head under the surface, which again completely changes the aural perception.There’s another reason audio was so important for “Age of Sail,” argued Google’s Karen Dufilho, who executive produced the film together with fellow Pixar alum Jan Pinkava. “There’s dialogue,” she said. “There’s an actual script that we worked on for a long time.” Spotlight Stories, which launched all the way back in 2014 as an attempt to reinvent storytelling for mobile devices, has until now mostly omitted dialogue to make its films work internationally.But for ‘Age of Sail,” the dialogue seemed key to getting the audience to understand the characters — even if they choose to look somewhere else at key moments of the film. Giving audiences agency over their point of view has long been a key challenge of cinematic VR. It’s why VR filmmakers often compare their craft to stage theater, where directors have to draw the audience’s attention to the action without the ability to frame it.That metaphor also applies to “Age of Sail,” argued Pinkava. “It’s a stage with two characters on it that’s plunging its way through the ocean.” ×Actors Reveal Their Favorite Disney PrincessesSeveral actors, like Daisy Ridley, Awkwafina, Jeff Goldblum and Gina Rodriguez, reveal their favorite Disney princesses. Rapunzel, Mulan, Ariel,Tiana, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine all got some love from the Disney stars.More VideosVolume 0%Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcutsKeyboard Shortcutsplay/pauseincrease volumedecrease volumeseek forwardsseek backwardstoggle captionstoggle fullscreenmute/unmuteseek to %SPACE↑↓→←cfm0-9Next UpJennifer Lopez Shares How She Became a Mogul04:350.5x1x1.25×1.5x2xLive00:0002:1502:15 read more

5 min read Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right. October 1, 2005 Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals This story appears in the October 2005 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » How many phones, phone numbers and phone companies do you have? How would you like to have just one number from one company–a VoIP/cellular combination for home, office and mobile calls served by one voice-mail/e-mail inbox, with all those special calling features for which traditional telecoms still charge extra? What the heck–we’ll toss in fixed and mobile broadband, too.You can have all of it or choose any combination from one company at a very reasonable price. Just move to Mankato, Minnesota, or one of the neighboring farming communities served by Midwest Wireless.Not really a snow person? Well, your house doesn’t necessarily have to be parked on the prairie. Midwest Wireless president and CEO Dennis Miller regularly consults with other wireless ISPs and has found small-market telecom providers in all four corners of the country working on similar bundles (see “Now That’s a Plan” on page 41). The Radicati Group shares that observation, predicting that sales of unified communications services like Miller’s will quadruple by 2009.But if you insist on living in a large city, it could be awhile before this level of service reaches you. It will depend on who’s left standing after the coming war between municipal governments and the traditional telephone, wireless and cable giants.It seems that a growing number of city leaders, unhappy with the broadband options being provided by the big boys, plan taxpayer-funded networks of their own to deliver free or deeply discounted broadband to their residents. The technology of choice seems to be wireless mesh networks–Wi-Fi routers perched atop light poles and other city-owned vantage points. More than 200 American cities are in some stage of deployment, reports Ron Sege, president and CEO of Sunnyvale, California, mesh kingpin Tropos Networks. Sege figures that by year’s end, more than 300 American cities could be covered by municipal Wi-Fi clouds.Just one thing: Urban centers happen to be the markets most highly prized by top-tier cable, landline and cellular providers. Historically, cities have been the first to get everything from cable TV to cellular service to wired broadband–and even Wi-Fi hot spots–for one simple reason: As John Dillinger would say, “It’s where the money is.” But city leaders complain that a “digital divide” is keeping their low-income residents off the internet. Cities could deliver free or cheap access to everyone, the argument goes, by forgoing the profits being reaped by those big providers.”Cities are disrupting the traditional business model in which an oligopolistic [telecom] or cable company uses wires or other expensive technology to bring broadband to people,” explains Sege.Maybe. But those guys have invested tons in places like Atlanta and Philadelphia and won’t just write off those investments. They’re going to fight. Their lawyers and lobbyists, who sharpened their incisors shredding the 1996 Telecommunications Act, are pushing Congress and state houses to outlaw muni Wi-Fi. Naturally, cities are buying up politicians of their own. It’s just round one in a long fight that will test the viability of all ventures.Not My MoneyBecause each urban situation is unique, to muni Wi-Fi or not should be a local choice. But taxpayer dollars should never, ever be thrown into this mosh pit–as many cities are contemplating.Like every other hot technology market, muni Wi-Fi could very easily be hugely successful in one town and a complete bust in another. As Ashland, Oregon, and Orlando, Florida, have discovered: Build it, and they don’t always come. And when they do, low-cost access has to be underwritten by something else–coffee, hotel rooms, Big Macs.Right now, broadband happens to be an out-of-control snowball picking up competing technologies, and it won’t all get sorted out before meeting some distant tree. Established wireline providers, whose profit margins cities hope to divert, are already locked in turf battles that are driving everyone’s revenues toward SBC Yahoo! DSL’s $14.95 a month.Raising money is challenging, but whatever happened to special assessment districts, bond issues, or nudging private risk-takers with tax breaks and right-of-way offers? Interested civic groups can band together in nonprofit corporations like cFreeWireless in Central Iowa. But betting the incomes of passive taxpayers on a commercial venture is inappropriate and unnecessary in this case.That’s what Miller does for a living–take risks. His company and hundreds of small commercial WISPs just like his would jump at the chance to tack a radio transmitter to a light pole–if only a lawyer and a lobbyist weren’t needed to hold the ladder. Sege reports that some 50 commercial WISPs have recently started using his technology to sell broadband in urban areas.Why designate just one lucky bidder to be muni Wi-Fi’s favorite son? VoIP flourished without much regulation. Licensing, city franchises, overlapping regulatory and taxing authorities–they’re what create the oligopolies that cities say are stunting their broadband. Why create a new local monopoly?Instead, turn guys like Miller loose. If he can bring it to Winona and Keokuk, Philly and Frisco are no problem.Mike Hogan is Entrepreneur’s technology editor. Register Now » read more

Free Webinar | Sept. 9: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Going Global December 3, 2014 Register Now » By 2020, an estimated 28 billion devices of all kinds will be connected to the Internet of Things. And it looks like Bluetooth – the short-range wireless connection between these devices – is due for a major upgrade.Enter Bluetooth 4.2, an update to its core specifications with new features that, the organization that manages it says, make Bluetooth “smarter, faster and the ideal wireless technology for the Internet of Things.”The updated feature most closely related to the anticipated explosion of the Internet of Things is the new internet connectivity options. Many Bluetooth devices rely on Wi-Fi or another wireless device to go online. Bluetooth 4.2 adds support for the newer “IPv6 protocol,” which will connect more directly to the Internet — something that will be especially important for connecting smart devices like thermostats and refrigerators.Related: Twitter Unveils Improved Tools to Report HarassmentWhile you can download Bluetooth 4.2 now, the connectivity features are not yet available, with IPv6 expected to roll out in December and Bluetooth Smart Internet gateways (GATT) becoming available in early 2015.Another important update is new privacy features that help block unwanted devices from accessing your information. Specifically, the new features will be able to block beacons tracking your location. For example, unless you opt into Apple’s iBeacon, you now won’t receive unwanted push notifications when you walk by an Apple Store.Bluetooth 4.2 also has some updates for people who shrug off privacy concerns and are uninterested in the Internet of Things. With the update, data will supposedly synch 2.5 times faster, making for a more power-efficient process. Related: Engineers Are Developing Tech That Could Make Airplanes More Human 2 min read Growing a business sometimes requires thinking outside the box. read more

GAYSTARNEWS- Security footage of the attack | Photo: Video/Wave3 News Bailey Cantrell was at a Kwik Sak gas station near Centennial Park when the man approached her. She said her friend was inside while she waited by the car when the man came up, calling her names and asking for her phone number.‘After I declined, still a little bit mad, then the second I declined the third time and said “I’m gay, I’m just not interested,” that’s when it triggered him and he got very aggressive,’ she told Wave3 News.Security camera footage shows the man jumping onto the car, while Cantrell was in it, and kicking in the windshield. It can be viewed at Wave3.After he does, she reverses the car and gets out as he keeps advancing.Once Cantrell is out of the car, the man aggressively grabs her.According to Wave3, people have criticized the way Cantrell responded. She said, however, she was acting in a moment of panic.‘I only reversed to try to knock him over and make him fall but that didn’t work,’ she said.‘When I got out, I was getting out to grab my phone and call 911 and also, there was glass in my eye from where all that glass hit us. So that was uncomfortable and I just felt like I needed to get out of the car.’ eTN Chatroom for Readers (join us) She said she was also worried the man had a weapon.Seeking justiceCantrell wants to see her attacker brought to justice.‘Since he did this and got away with it, he had no repercussions,’ she said. ‘He’s going to think, “If a girl rejects me, I can do this to her. I didn’t get caught last time.”‘Witnesses reportedly said the man is staying at a nearby hotel. According to reports, Cantrell went to the hotel with officers but they did not find the man.For now, Cantrell is moving out of her apartment near the gas station and moving in with her parents.GSN contacted the Nashville police for comment.More from Gay Star NewsWoman recounts being raped by her father and uncle for being a lesbianTrans woman shot while grappling gun from man in Detroit gas stationPolice arrest man for attacking trans woman in PortlandGot a news tip? Want to share your story? Email us . A lesbian in Nashville, Tennessee is hoping there are consequences for the man who attacked her and her car after she rebuffed his advances. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… ‘Predatory rapist’ who targeted gay women in Manchester gets 20 years in jailShocking footage shows gay man verbally abused and then punched in surprise attackLargest U.S. Gay Pride Los Angeles in West Hollywood under attack?Read the full article on Gaystarnews:  :https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/nashville-man-attacks-lesbian-car/ read more

Related posts:European Film Festival hits Cine Magaly Filmmaker visits Costa Rica, screens bee documentary ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’: Baby, it was born to run ‘Dos Aguas’ stuns visually, drags dramatically What you have just witnessed is all that exists of “Territorial Pissings,” but if a recent fundraising campaign is successful, this teaser will blossom into a feature-length B-movie by late 2015.The project is the brainchild of Juancho Otalvaro, a graphic designer and self-taught filmmaker born and raised in Costa Rica.“I was influenced by my two loves, horror and action films,” Otalvaro wrote the other day to The Tico Times. “I started thinking: If I’m going to do a full feature film, I must do a genre that I love and [with] which I’m most comfortable.” Courtesy Juancho OtalvaroOver the past few years, Otalvaro has spent much of his free time producing short films with friends, learning film techniques and honing his cinematic skills. Otalvaro has worked for a marketing agency for many years during the day, though he often films surfers in Jacó as well. However, he has long wished to produce a longer project. As ideas gestated, Otalvaro learned that his friend was trying to build a kind of motorbike for surfers. The idea of the waterborne vehicle gave him a flash of inspiration: Why not combine surf gangs and motorbikes?“The rest of the elements just started to snowball,” he recalled. “Especially taking advantage of the beauty of Costa Rica’s beaches and surf spots.”Otalvaro plans to film “Territorial Pissings” on both Caribbean and Pacific beaches, but he was particularly drawn to abandoned sections of Puntarenas, where the ruins of industry fed his post-apocalyptic imagination.His master plan is remarkably ambitious: Otalvaro hopes to raise enough money by early 2015 to produce an 85-minute film that will be released later next year. The script will incorporate a variety of special effects, including elaborate makeup by Mariana García and futuristic costumes by Karla González and Pamela Gutiérrez. He is already collaborating with established film companies like Wipeout Films, which will handle surf shoots, and Orange Tree Studio for post-production. The band Hongo Fuu will compose an original, retro score. Courtesy Juancho OtalvaroLike a backyard horror movie, this project relies mostly on friends Otalvaro has amassed during his years of shooting short films, but his dreams are far from amateur: Otalvaro hopes to use traditional distributors to bring the film to North America and Europe. (The script was written in English to broaden its audience and accommodate 80s slang.) Less conventionally, Otalvaro wants to tour Costa Rica to promote his work, cruising through beach towns and projecting the film in outdoor spaces.The “pitch trailer” Otalvaro created required the assistance of 30 actors and crew members, and he anticipates a much larger group once he secures his budget. He has gone so far as to draw a post-apocalyptic map, based on the predictions of turn-of-the-century mystic Edgar Cayce, to illustrate the world his characters will inhabit.A schlocky concept like “Territorial Pissings” seems hilarious by nature, but Otalvaro doesn’t want to produce a full-on comedy. Otalvaro was a child during the 80s, so his exposure to 80s pop culture was made possible through VHS tapes during the 1990s. When he describes his homage to 80s actioners, his tone is reverent.“I think the 80s’ spirit should capture a gloomy, weird story that makes sense no matter how odd the characters or situations are,” Otalvaro explained. “Additionally, it should have some rawness to it, show a bit of the crude reality that we don’t want to see, but with a slight dark humor to pass the bitterness. Badass quotes for memorable characters and slight [criticism of] how the system works.” Courtesy Juancho Otalvaro“My love of action films I owe to my dad,” he added. “We could spend hours watching Steven Seagal breaking necks and arms on TV. We then would go buy every Bruce Willis movie and spend lots of money on Arnold’s action films. But I think the day I decided I loved movies was my first time watching ‘Demolition Man.’ That movie just blew my mind. I couldn’t sleep, thinking [about] how they could’ve done that movie.”So what about the glaring Nirvana reference?“The story isn’t related to the lyrics, nor did I use the band as a reference,” Otalvaro wrote. “But those two words were so strong and they fit well with the story. I just couldn’t resist using the same name. Gangs pissing on territories like dogs, that’s like the whole premise of the film. It’s just so badass!” Facebook Comments If you’ve ever wondered what a dystopian, 80s-style, surfing-based action movie filmed in Costa Rica would look like, consider the following: read more

World Aviation Services Fly Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic 787 touches down on Hong KongWith a suite of new technologies onboard, the Virgin Atlantic 787 Dreamliner took to the skies above Hong Kong on July 6th.  Bringing innovative design and an enhanced customer experience, the aircraft will service the London Heathrow – Hong Kong route, demonstrating the airline’s continued commitment to Asia Pacific.“For the last 21 years we’ve been proudly serving and delighting our customers on the Hong Kong route and we know the Dreamliner set the bar even higher.The 787 is a revolutionary aircraft and new technology allows it to perform more efficiently than any other aircraft of its size. We recognize that technology is an extremely important part of a customer’s journey, whether they are flying for business or pleasure, and this aircraft has given us a fantastic opportunity to look at what we can offer our customers onboard. We have worked with our partners at Boeing and Panasonic to bring wifi connectivity across all our cabins as well as updating our revolutionary touch screen inflight entertainment.” Virgin Atlantic Head of Asia Pacific Stephen King said.Virgin Atlantic was the first European carrier to take the larger Boeing 787-9 version of the Dreamliner. The aircraft is configured with 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium Economy and 198 Economy seats.Upper Class passengers will enjoy a new iteration of Virgin Atlantic’s iconic ‘Upper Class Suite’ which incorporates all of the popular features of this along with some new design elements. There is a refreshed Premium Economy cabin with an even more comfortable seat design and a social space where customers can stretch their legs and mingle with other passengers – the Wander Wall. Economy seats will be best-in-class a brand new design. Passengers throughout the aircraft will benefit and dynamic mood lighting which changes colour throughout the flight to help passengers relax and unwind, fall asleep and even adjust time zones.As well as the passenger benefits, the Boeing 787-9 will bring major commercial and environmental benefits to Virgin Atlantic. Radically improved fuel efficiency means it is 21% more efficient on a per flight basis than the equivalent sized aircraft in Virgin’s fleet, allowing it to be a major driver of both the airline’s return to profitability and its commitment to improve carbon efficiency by 30% before 2020.It also has a 60% smaller noise footprint than aircraft of a comparable size, meaning large areas around Heathrow airport will be less affected by our operations with these aircraft. The 787-9 is key in achieving the industry leading commitments Virgin Atlantic set out in its Noise Management Strategy last autumn.Forming part of a broader investment into the customer experience, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Chek Lap Kok has been refreshed seeing the introduction of open plan banquette seating with a high definition TV and stylish armchairs.Stephen King added “Virgin Atlantic continues to offer customers a better alternative when flying to London by focusing on what makes us different. From the new 787s to our refurbished Clubhouse, we bring a unique and differentiated flying experience” Source = Virgin Atlantic read more

August 06 , 2019 Costa Rica expects lower pineapple, banana exports … You might also be interested in Creating a sustainable agricultural model Addressing attendees, Ecuadorian Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner said: “Thank you for responding to Ecuador’s call.”He explained that agriculture will be at the forefront of the future of Latin American and Caribbean countries. It is therefore essential to work together to quickly combat and control pests and diseases that affect crops.”Pests and diseases know no borders; it is important to understand that this problem is not just related to countries that grow bananas,” he said. It will also serve to implement a sustainable agricultural model across these areas.Agriculture Minister Xavier Lazo highlighted that 80% of global banana exports come from the continent, with a value of US$7bn.He said the presence of so many ministers, vice-ministers and phytosanitary organizations demonstrates the level of interest in working together to protect the agricultural industry.The attendees discussed measures they were taking to stop the spread of TR4, including training employees and establishing strategic alliances between countries.Richard Salazar, executive director of Ecuadorian banana association Acrobanec, told FreshFruitPortal.com that the continent’s agricultural ministers first met five years ago to discuss the possible future entry of TR4 and how best to tackle it.”In fact, there is a regional plan that is being implemented by Ecuador, Colombia and Central America for the exclusion plans; that is to say, how to avoid the TR4 fungus entering Latin America and the biosecurity measures to put in place [if it does enter],” he said.”The idea is to have a common front so that exactly the same thing can be applied in all the countries,” he said. Continuing to exchange information and to cooperate is crucial, he added. One Banana targets U.K. retail expansion with ethi … Latin American countries have joined forces to stop the spread of the banana disease TR4, meeting on Monday in Ecuador.The disease, Fusarium Wilt Tropical race IV, is suspected to be present in Colombia. Two farms in the north of the country have been under quarantine since June.Colombian authorities are expecting the results of the laboratory testing in the Netherlands in the coming days. But meanwhile, countries that are normally competitors are working together to form a united front.If TR4 were to spread throughout Latin America, it could have a drastic effect on banana exports in the future.A Regional Meeting of Agricultural Authorities took place yesterday in Ecuador – the world’s top exporting country.The agriculture ministers of Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador all attended the event in the capital, Quito.There were also delegations from Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic.Representatives of many international agricultural organizations were also present, including the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Colombia: TR4 suspected on two banana farms … International experts assist ‘rigorous’ Colombian … read more