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EDMONTON - Alberta's Opposition NDP says the province would become the most corrupt and secretive government in Canada if potential ethics rule changes become law. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! EDMONTON - Alberta's Opposition NDP says the province would become the most corrupt and secretive government in Canada if potential ethics rule changes become law. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? EDMONTON – Alberta’s Opposition NDP says the province would become the most corrupt and secretive government in Canada if potential ethics rule changes become law. United Conservative Party legislature committee members are urging the government to exempt most political staffers from being bound by conflict of interest rules. Those rules currently limit how much staffers can accept in the form of gifts and spell out if they need to be reported. NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir says if adopted, the proposals would mean no one would know who might be buying the government. He says loosened restrictions made last year already shield the government from being transparent and it would be worse if the new rules went ahead. The push comes after multiple ministers said they accepted hockey playoff tickets from a medical supplier involved in a $70-million deal to purchase medication from Turkey that has yet to be delivered. UCP backbencher Grant Hunter says Alberta is an outlier among the provinces in including senior public servants under ethics rules. AdvertisementBiden officials, Republicans point fingers over exhausted disaster loans program
NoneElon Musk calls Trudeau 'insufferable' after remark on Kamala Harris defeat
Sony’s time in the handheld console space has been both short-lived and underperforming, but perhaps that could change with a new handheld capable of playing PS5 games natively. A new report states that Sony is currently working on such a handheld. It would be a console that allows the user to play games locally on the device. Rather than through Sony’s Remote Play feature for the PlayStation Portal that Sony released in 2023. Sony also recently updated the Portal to support cloud streaming if you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber. Again, though, this relies on cloud streaming. With an internet connection being a very necessary component for the gaming to take place. This newly rumored Sony PS5 handheld would truly allow gamers to play their favorite games anywhere. Even if there’s no internet connection, assuming they’re not trying to play a game that needs internet to work. The Sony PS5 handheld is “years away” The prospect of Sony making a handheld for native gameplay is an exciting one. Especially since its PSP and PS Vita were so beloved by the majority of gamers who went out and bought one. Even though the PS Vita didn’t sell well, it has a cult following of fans. And for the most part, it was a great little system. Sony just didn’t market or support it very well. It also came at a time when Nintendo dominated the handheld space. Which hasn’t really changed. More importantly, handhelds just weren’t as popular at the time. That’s something that has changed. The Nintendo Switch exploded in popularity and has become one of the best-selling consoles of all time. That’s been followed by the Steam Deck and several other gaming handhelds that play PC games locally, including the ASUS ROG Ally X . So perhaps the time is right for Sony to enter this space and have the console be a hit. After all, the PlayStation Portal has exceeded Sony’s sales predictions. The major caveat here is the release time. As it currently stands, there isn’t one. According to Bloomberg , which cites anonymous sources familiar with Sony’s plans, the console is still years away. There’s also the very real possibility that Sony changes its mind and decides not to continue development at some point down the road. Sony is making the console to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft Despite now just being a great time to release a handheld, Sony is also reportedly making this console to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft. Nintendo is already a leader in this gaming space thanks to the Switch. The company is also preparing to launch the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in the first half of next year. Microsoft has also confirmed that it’s considering an Xbox handheld . Sony wants a piece of that pie. The plan is to potentially extend Sony’s reach and get its PS5 games into more hands. It’s also highly likely that a large portion of PS5 owners would opt to buy one. If that were the case, Sony could capture a part of the market that doesn’t really want a home console, in addition to those who already own a PS5 and want a way to play their games on the go without the requirement of an internet connection.William Blair reiterated their outperform rating on shares of nCino ( NASDAQ:NCNO – Free Report ) in a research note published on Thursday, RTT News reports. NCNO has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $38.00 price target on shares of nCino in a report on Thursday. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of nCino in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of nCino from $41.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of nCino from $43.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of nCino from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.38. Get Our Latest Report on nCino nCino Stock Performance Insider Activity at nCino In related news, Director Jeff Horing sold 1,833,975 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.62, for a total transaction of $67,160,164.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 12,513,467 shares in the company, valued at $458,243,161.54. The trade was a 12.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director William J. Ruh sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.50, for a total transaction of $375,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 226,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,482,537.50. This represents a 4.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 3,235,029 shares of company stock worth $117,599,204 over the last three months. Company insiders own 28.40% of the company’s stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of nCino by 21.1% in the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 1,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the period. Malaga Cove Capital LLC raised its position in shares of nCino by 3.0% in the third quarter. Malaga Cove Capital LLC now owns 13,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of nCino by 3.6% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 14,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $459,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares during the period. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC raised its position in shares of nCino by 4.5% in the third quarter. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 13,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,000 after acquiring an additional 589 shares during the period. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of nCino in the second quarter worth about $26,000. 94.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About nCino ( Get Free Report ) nCino, Inc, a software-as-a-service company, provides cloud-based software applications to financial institutions in the United States and internationally. Its nCino Bank Operating System connects financial institution employees, clients and third parties on a single cloud-based platform which include client onboarding, deposit account opening, loan origination, end-to-end mortgage suite, and powerful ecosystem. Read More Receive News & Ratings for nCino Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for nCino and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Jackson accounts for 3 TDs, John Harbaugh moves to 3-0 vs. brother as Ravens beat Chargers 30-23Pals looks back on almost half a century of law enforcement in North Iowa
The Apple AirTag is arguably among the company’s most useful product releases in recent years. Once you set up an AirTag, it gives you powerful options for locating it (and whatever you attach it to). Put one of Apple’s tracking tags on an item like a keychain or luggage, and you can easily track its location from your iPhone, Mac or iPad. Since AirTag’s launch, numerous reports have detailed how the tracking tag helped owners find lost items. If you recently acquired an AirTag, here’s how you can set it up the right way and use it properly. Like any other Apple device, setting up an is straightforward. Bring the tracking tag near your iPhone. If it is a new AirTag, remove the battery pull tab. A dialog box prompting you to the AirTag to your iPhone should automatically appear. Proceed to assign a name to the AirTag. You can select one from the list or enter one yourself. Despite its small size, AirTag is a marvel of engineering. It sends out a secure Bluetooth signal containing location data that can be detected by other devices on . The data is then shared with iCloud, allowing you to see the tracker’s location in the Find My app. Apple’s Find My network consists of hundreds of millions of devices across the world, each of which can help pinpoint an AirTag’s location. Still, all this happens anonymously, so you never need to worry about anyone else (or even Apple itself) knowing where your item is. Apple says an AirTag will last for more than a year. The good thing is that the battery is user replaceable — the tags use a standard CR2032 3V coin battery. Just , which can keep it from working with AirTag. There’s no way to check AirTag’s battery life, though. Apple initially provided this functionality in the Find My app but . Tracking your AirTag and the item attached to it requires using the Find My app. Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Navigate to the tab. All available AirTags linked to your account will be displayed here with the names you assigned to them. Tap on the AirTag to view its location. To get navigation directions to the AirTag and the item it is attached to, tap on . You can use the option to make the AirTag emit a sound. This will be useful if you are near the AirTag’s location but cannot find it. On iPhone 11 and newer models featuring Ultra Wideband support, you can take advantage of Precision Finding to easily locate your AirTag. You need to use the option, though it will only show up when your iPhone is within range of the AirTag. Once you tap the button, follow the on-screen instructions to get the precise location of the tracking tag. You can also set up . This will ensure that you automatically get a notification on your iPhone if you leave the tagged item behind. If you share a household with someone else, you’ll probably want to share your AirTag. Otherwise, if your roommate borrows your keys or your partner takes your luggage, they’ll be inundated with warnings that you might be tracking them. . After you set it up, go to , tap on the new AirTag and tap . You can tap on a recent contact or search for someone. If you don’t see this option, you need to update your phone to iOS 17. An AirTag can be shared with up to four other people. In case you cannot track your AirTag, or its location is temporarily unavailable, you can put it in Enabling this mode will prompt you to enter a phone number or email address and a short message. You also can automatically receive a notification when the AirTag’s location becomes available. If someone else finds your AirTag and the item tagged to it, they will see a notification on their iPhone or NFC-enabled Android phone with your message and the contact details you provided earlier. Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Head to the tab. Tap the AirTag you want to mark as lost. Scroll down and select the option under . Tap on the dialog box that pops up explaining Lost Mode. Proceed to enter the phone number for contacting you when someone else finds your AirTag. Alternatively, select the option and enter an email if that’s what you prefer. Tap . Enable the option if you want your iPhone to automatically inform you when the AirTag’s location is again known. Tap in the top-right corner. AirTag range AirTag has a limited range, but in the real world, Apple’s Find My network cleverly compensates for this. Because AirTag uses Bluetooth to connect to nearby Apple devices, the range is limited. Indoors, the range is about 30 feet (10 meters) and outdoors the range is about 100 feet (30 meters). However, because AirTag uses Apple’s Find My Network, it can connect to potentially millions of other iPhones, iPads and other compatible devices, greatly extended the range. To help conserve battery life, the AirTag’s Bluetooth beacon sends out a signal approximately every three to five minutes. When an iPhone participating in the Find My network comes within Bluetooth range of the AirTag (roughly 30-40 feet), it picks up the signal and anonymously relays the phone’s location to Apple servers via the Internet. For this to work, the phone must have an active Internet connection, either through Wi-Fi or cellular. The Apple servers then receive the location data, along with your AirTag’s ID, and forward it to the Find My app on your iPhone. So even if you misplaced your AirTag in Sydney, Australia, and took a flight to New York, it would still be detectable using the Find My network. No — at least not legally. AirTags are meant for tracking your items and pets. Laws strictly prohibit using an AirTag for monitoring a person without explicit permission. When you set up a new AirTag, Apple warns that, “Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world.” Apple makes it clear that, at the request of law enforcement agencies, it will share the details of the Apple ID paired with an AirTag used for tracking a person without their consent. iPhone 11 and newer owners also can take advantage of Apple’s U1 chip with Ultra Wideband technology to find unwanted AirTags near them using Precision Finding. Your iPhone will automatically detect if an unwanted AirTag is moving with you. A notification will appear in the Find My app, and tapping on it will display the tag’s location. A map will show when the AirTag first appeared, and a red dashed line indicates the path you’ve taken with the AirTag nearby. You also can play a sound to help find the AirTag. Android users can download the from the Google Play Store. It scans for Find My-compatible item trackers using Bluetooth. The app will warn you when it finds an AirTag near you for at least 10 minutes. Besides, AirTags will automatically play a sound at a random time after being away from their owners for more than eight hours within a 24-hour window. You can scan an unwanted AirTag near you to determine if its owner has marked it as lost. Additionally, you should see the AirTag’s serial number and the last four digits of the phone number it is registered to. This can help you identify who the owner is. If not, you can share this detail with a law enforcement agency to help track down the culprit. How to reset AirTag For safety, an AirTag can only be linked to one Apple ID at a time. If you want to use an AirTag that someone else has already set up, they must first remove it from their Apple ID. If the previous owner removed the AirTag but was out of Bluetooth range, you’ll need to reset it before you can pair it with your device. To reset your AirTag, you need to remove the battery and reinsert it five times. Here’s how to do it: : Press down on the steel battery cover and rotate it counterclockwise. Remove the cover and take out the battery. : Put the battery back into the AirTag. : Press on the battery until you hear a sound, indication the battery is properly connected. : Repeat removing the battery and reinserting it four more times. Don’t forget to press on the battery until you hear a sound. You should hear a total of five sounds. The fifth sound will be different, signaling that the AirTag has been reset and is now ready to pair. : Align the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the AirTag. Press down on the cover and rotate it clockwise until it stops. AirTags prove handy in daily use If you tend to lose things, forget stuff or carry precious items with you, I strongly recommend you buy some AirTags. Once you set up the AirTag properly, it will definitely come in handy. AirTags are far better than other tracking tags on the market, all thanks to Apple’s excellent Find My network. This post about publised this post Dec 24, 2024
Bank of Canada preparing for more uncertain, shock-prone future
WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request after it experienced trouble with its flight operating system, or FOS. The airline blamed technology from one of its vendors. As a result, flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% of the airline's 3,901 domestic and international flights leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Nineteen flights were canceled. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the FOS system. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. On social media, however, customers expressed frustration with delays that caused them or their family members to miss connecting flights. One person asked if American planned to hold flights for passengers to make connections, while others complained about the lack of assistance they said they received from the airline or gate agents. Bobby Tighe, a real estate agent from Florida, said he will miss a family Christmas Eve party in New York because his American flight was repeatedly delayed. The delays made him miss a connecting flight, leaving him the choice of going to his destination — Westchester, New York — on Christmas Day or taking another flight to Newark, New Jersey, that was scheduled to land Tuesday evening. He chose the latter. “I’m just going to take an Uber or Lyft to the airport I was originally supposed to go to, pick up my rental car and kind of restart everything tomorrow,” Tighe said. He said his girlfriend was “going through the same exact situation” on her way from Dallas to New York. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays, Cirium said. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 4,058 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed, with 76 flights canceled. The site did not post any American Airlines flights on Tuesday morning, but it showed in the afternoon that 961 American flights were delayed. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. ___ Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report. Matt Ott And Haleluya Hadero, The Associated PressDETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don't buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren't fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect, according to a statement. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Before the rule, seat belt warnings were required only for the driver's seat. Under the new rule, outboard front-seat passengers also must get a warning if they don't fasten their belts. Front-center seats will not get a warning because NHTSA found that it wouldn't be cost effective. The agency said most vehicles already have warnings for the outboard passenger seats. The rule also lengthens the duration of audio and visual warnings for the driver's seat. The front-seat rules are effective starting Sept. 1 of 2026. Rear passengers consistently use seat belts at a lower rate than front passengers, the agency says. In 2022, front belt use was just under 92%, while rear use dropped to about 82%. About half of automobile passengers who died in crashes two years ago weren’t wearing belts, according to NHTSA data. The seat belt rule is the second significant regulation to come from NHTSA in the past two months. In November the agency bolstered its five-star auto safety ratings to include driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection. Safety advocates want the Department of Transportation, which includes NHTSA, to finish several more rules before the end of the Biden administration, because President-elect Donald Trump has said he’s against new government regulations. Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, urged the department to approve automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and technology to prevent impaired driving.AP News in Brief at 6:09 p.m. EST
The Clark County School District settled a two-year-old lawsuit with parents who complained of an inappropriate assignment for their high school daughter. CCSD paid $25,000 and agreed to conduct an review with administrators and staff at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, where the incident occurred. At a Clark County School Board meeting in May 2022, Candra Evans testified about an assignment that she said was given to her daughter at the school. The assignment required that students in the theater class write drafts of a monologue that would then be randomly assigned to, memorized and performed by another student, according to the lawsuit. The full monologue describes a woman coming out as a lesbian to her ex-boyfriend, and contains lines, such as “I don’t like your d— or any d— in that case.” Board members interrupted her and asked her to refrain from using profanity. “If you don’t want me to read it to you, what was it like for my 15-year-old daughter to memorize pornographic material...?” Evans asked at the time. Evans’ comment to the board went viral after a shortened version of the clip was reposted by a conservative Twitter account that criticized the board for interrupting Evans’ comment and asking her to refrain from using profanity. At the time, the district said in a statement that it was investigating the situation and that the assignment was a student-generated writing exercise that “produced content not conducive to student instruction.” The original December 2022 lawsuit, filed by Candra and Terrell Evans, sought damages in excess of $50,000 as well as a restraining order against the teacher and other administrators. The judge dismissed the request for a restraining order and all claims except those involving the student’s assignment, her First Amendment rights and her treatment afterward. On Monday evening, Evans said she was grateful that the case was finally over. She said that she had just wanted to protect her daughter, whom she believed had been “brainwashed” by the teacher. “Because a teacher thought it was OK to read that, she thought it was OK to read it,” Evans told the Review-Journal on Monday. CCSD did not respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit described Hawes’ assignment as unlawful and inappropriate and constituted “sexual grooming” and sexual indoctrination of her students. Her story gained traction as one of parental rights. Local group Power 2 Parent came to Evans’ aid in contacting the school, and her legal case was represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, which describes itself as a politically conservative, Christian-based legal organization. In a statement on its website after the settlement, the legal center wrote, “This case underscores the crucial role parents play in advocating for their children’s welfare and the need for schools to respect and uphold parental rights. Parents have an absolute right to know what their children are being taught, and children should never be subjected to obscene material, particularly in an environment meant to educate and nurture.” Evans also hoped her lawsuit would help future kids. “Now this is precedent,” she said. ©2024 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com. . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Related Articles TV and Streaming | Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way? TV and Streaming | ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ TV and Streaming | Column: 40 years after it premiered, ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ remains one of the best Doyle adaptations TV and Streaming | What to watch: ‘Flow’ and ‘The Order’ are both worth your attention TV and Streaming | ‘Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary’ review: More than an ironic musical pleasure Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.By Sani Abdullahi When the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was established 36 years ago in response to the pervasive menace of road traffic crashes in the country at the time, the founding fathers who were well known human rights activists and advocates of civility in law enforcement never saw any need to make provisions for use of arms by FRSC personnel in the enabling laws. Instead, they preferred a civil approach in the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations by which they believed that drivers would be civil enough to be persuaded by the efficacy of education, which the marshals would give them and their convictions about the rightness of the marshals’ actions would make them to willingly obey traffic rules and regulations without resistance. That civil approach they preferred was devoid of any coercive instruments in traffic management and safety administration and, although novel in the history of law enforcement in Nigeria, it was nevertheless given a try by the then military government, which bought into the ideas as canvassed by the founding fathers, championed by the founding chairman of the FRSC board, Nobel laurent, Professor Wole Soyinka. That was why the original FRSC enabling laws, known as Decree 45 of 1988, made no provisions for either the use of firearms by the FRSC or gave thought to any defensive mechanisms that marshals could rely upon whenever faced with adverse situations by drivers and members of the public. Relying on the use of education and public enlightenment as instruments of authority and potent tools in attitudinal change, therefore, continued to remain the guiding principle in managing drivers and public reactions to the corps’ operational activities over the years. It, however, did not take long after the commencement of full enforcement of the laws by the corps in 1989 following the full year of public enlightenment in 1988 when it became obvious that drivers were not going to exhibit civil traits in their reactions to the demands for enforcement as earlier thought. Thus, cases of knockdowns of patrolmen, violent attacks, destruction of their patrol vehicles and damage to buildings as well as use of various tactics to intimidate, harass and ridicule the personnel operating with civil convictions became daily occurrences, with recorded cases of loss of lives as patrol activities intensified nationwide. As the situation degenerated across the country, with threats of further violence on the personnel becoming obvious, the Federal Military Government was left with no opinion but to change its mind against the civil approach five years later when it approved firearms for the corps in the amendment to the original Decree 45 in 1992. Accordingly, provisions for arms for the corps were made in the 1992 amendment decree, otherwise referred to as Decree 35 of 1992. In giving impetus to the new approach, Major General Haldu Anthony Hananiya, who took over the mantle of leadership of the FRSC from the pioneer Corps Marshal, Dr. Olu Agunloye, in 1994, did not hide his preference for the military face of the corps. For instance, he introduced some semblances of military orientation, including the wearing of uniform by all categories of staff, sending some senior officers as well as marshals on arms training at some military institutions, while making parade and other traditional practices associated with paramilitary organizations fully entrenched in the system. Meanwhile, the corps’ uniform that used to be round collars to symbolize civility was changed to the normal collar type commonly worn by every paramilitary agency in the country even as the Eagle was superimposed on the Owl which was standing conspicuously on the corps’ logo to give a more distinct outlook for the FRSC. It must, however, be noted that despite all the arrangements made by General Hananiya throughout his first tenure, and even when he returned in his second sojourn, arms were actually never introduced into the operational strategies of the corps as at 2007 when he finally left, against the extant provisions in the FRSC laws. The status quo on the provision of arms for the corps remained till the emergence of civil democratic rule in 1999 when the military decrees were abrogated and re-enacted by the National Assembly with the FRSC enabling laws becoming the Establishment Act 2007. Even then, the provisions for arms for the corps were retained under Section 19 of the act. Evidently, from the 1992 amendment decree, which first introduced arms bearing to the FRSC, to the current 2007 Establishment Act, and despite the relevant training and reorientation programmes organized by the corps under successive corps marshals in the face of incivility to the personnel as well as damage caused to the facilities of the organization by various antagonists, the corps has continued to operate without recourse to arms or plans on how to react defensively to violence by drivers and members of the public. According to result of survey covering 2016, which was recently released, FRSC personnel have been enduring various provocations from drivers and misguided members of the public. These, according to the survey, included 1,266 violent attacks, 132 assault cases, 35 cases of abduction, 21 armed attacks and 82 mob attacks. Others were 107 knockdowns, 23 cases of harassment, 20 kidnappings and 46 killings even as the personnel continued to bear the brunt. This is against the fact that law enforcement anywhere in the world involves use of some coercive instruments, bearing in mind that majority of the offenders, even in the most advanced and civilized societies hardly submit themselves willingly all the times to law enforcement officers, unless there is evident fear of sanctions and threats of consequences of their act of violence against the enforcers. Moreover, no state will sit back to allow sustained acts of violence, intimidation and humiliation to its men in uniform, knowing that uniform, by its social values represents the presence of the state wherever the personnel appear on them. Consequently, personnel on uniform must always be respected and protected by the citizenry. It was with that spirit in mind that provisions to arm the FRSC personnel against the organization’s original civil outlook were made 32 years ago as reflected in the abrogated Decrees and the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 which is being amended by the National Assembly with proposals for the setting up of special armed squads for the Corps. In reality, the sustained aggression, violence and unprovoked intimidation by the civil populace against the personnel of the FRSC carrying out their legitimate duties of creating safer road environment is most condemnable and uncivilized. That’s why the consensus among some security analysts in the country is that, the once glamorized civility of the FRSC which made its personnel so vulnerable to various attacks and incapable of defending themselves is no longer tenable under the present circumstances, and must therefore, give way to a new orientation that can enhance the Corps’ capacity to carryout its statutory responsibilities most effectively without threats of attack. This, they said, is the panacea for guaranteeing greater safety and security on the nation’s highways. • Abdullahi is the Deputy Corps Commander in charge of Strategy in the Corps Marshal’s office.The world of generative AI is abuzz with the arrival of Google’s latest innovations: Veo 2 and Imagen 3. These powerful tools are set to revolutionize how we create and consume visual content, blurring the lines between reality and artificiality. Imagine generating high-definition videos from simple text prompts or transforming static images into dynamic scenes with unparalleled realism. This is the promise of Veo 2 and Imagen 3, marking a significant leap forward in the realm of AI-driven creativity. In a landscape where AI is rapidly reshaping industries, Google’s advancements with Veo 2 and Imagen 3 are particularly noteworthy. These models are not mere incremental upgrades but represent a paradigm shift in their respective domains. Veo 2, for instance, surpasses existing video generation models in its ability to produce high-fidelity videos that are both coherent and captivating. Similarly, Imagen 3 sets a new standard for image generation, producing visuals that are virtually indistinguishable from photographs. This level of sophistication opens up a world of possibilities across various sectors, from entertainment and advertising to education and research. Veo 2: Breathing Life into Static Images Veo 2 is not just another video generation model; it’s a sophisticated AI system that understands the nuances of human movement, expression, and the intricacies of cinematography. This allows it to generate videos that are not only visually impressive but also narratively compelling. Here’s what sets Veo 2 apart: In head-to-head comparisons with other leading video generation models, Veo 2 consistently ranked higher in terms of overall preference and accuracy in following prompts. This is a testament to its advanced capabilities and its potential to redefine the landscape of video creation. Imagen 3: Painting Reality with AI Imagen 3 takes image generation to new heights, producing visuals that are not only realistic but also artistically expressive. It’s like having a master painter at your disposal, capable of creating anything you can imagine. Here’s what makes Imagen 3 stand out: Applications Across Industries The potential applications of Veo 2 and Imagen 3 span a wide range of industries: Ethical Considerations and Responsible AI While the capabilities of Veo 2 and Imagen 3 are undeniably impressive, it’s crucial to address the ethical considerations that come with such powerful technology. Google is committed to responsible AI development and has implemented safeguards to mitigate potential risks. The Future of Generative AI Veo 2 and Imagen 3 represent a significant milestone in the evolution of generative AI. These models are not just tools for creating visually stunning content; they are catalysts for innovation across various industries. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more impressive capabilities, further blurring the lines between the real and the artificial. However, it’s equally important to proceed with caution, ensuring that these powerful tools are used responsibly and ethically. By prioritizing transparency, safety, and user privacy, we can harness the full potential of generative AI to create a more vibrant and creative future.
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