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ALTOONA, Pa. — After UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was gunned down on a New York sidewalk, police searched for the masked gunman with dogs, drones and scuba divers. Officers used the city's muscular surveillance system. Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door-to-door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later, those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian's instincts. A Pennsylvania McDonald's customer noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos that New York police had publicized. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry speaks during a press conference regarding the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Ted Shaffrey Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, was arrested Monday in the killing of Brian Thompson, who headed one of the United States’ largest medical insurance companies. He remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. He's expected to be extradited to New York eventually. It’s unclear whether Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday's arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after the McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Police in Altoona, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, were soon summoned. This booking photo released Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via AP) HOGP They arrived to find Mangione sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, “we knew that was our guy,” rookie Officer Tyler Frye said at a news conference in Hollidaysburg. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Manhattan news conference that Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America." A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a midtown Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9 mm pistol. Investigators have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition found near Thompson’s body. The words mimic a phrase used to criticize the insurance industry. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts From surveillance video, New York investigators gathered that the shooter fled by bike into Central Park, emerged, then took a taxi to a northern Manhattan bus terminal. Once in Pennsylvania, he went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, “trying to stay low-profile” by avoiding cameras, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. Mangione was valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, where his 2016 graduation speech lauded his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Yuki Iwamura Luigi Nicholas Mangione worked for a time for the car-buying website TrueCar and left in 2023, CEO Jantoon Reigersman said by email. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of Honolulu tourist mecca Waikiki. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back," Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. Although the gunman obscured his face during the shooting, he left a trail of evidence in New York, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza, a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper. In the days after the shooting, the NYPD collected hundreds of hours of surveillance video and released multiple clips and still images in hopes of enlisting the public’s eyes to help find a suspect. “This combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology is what led to this result today,” Tisch said at the New York news conference. ___Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria falloutBelize Agricultural Health Authority Prevention, Control, and Eradication of New World Screwworm Regulations enactedjili 177 。

The Kings headed into Saturday’s rubber match of their three-game homestand with serious concerns about their power play as well as some individual offensive performers that they hoped to get back afloat against the surging Seattle Kraken. They disposed of the dead-tired Detroit Red Wings to kick off the homestand – which is part of nine straight games to be played in California – but were shut out for the first time this season by the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday. The black and silver became the not-so-proud owners of the NHL’s worst power play since Nov. 10 – they’ve scored no power-play goals since Nov. 9 and that one was an empty-netter – and have the fourth-worst conversion rate over all of 2024-25. Their 0-for-5 performance as they were bageled 1-0 by Buffalo was their third such display this season, including an 0-for-6 showing in a loss to lowly San Jose . They’ve gone 0 for 4 on four other occasions, and went without a power-play goal in 13 of their 20 games so far. Their newly assembled top unit of five forwards has had the vibe of Dean Smith’s four-corner offense at times and, at its best, has produced nothing but near misses. The second unit’s struggles have been season-long, with the ineffectual play of both groups rendering meaningless the Kings’ numerous bromides about “looks” and “movement.” Their struggles haven’t been limited to the power play either. Overall, they’ve lost four of their past six games, and in those defeats they’ve managed a meager 1.25 goals per game. Since Nov. 10, they’ve been the NHL’s lowest scoring team on a per-game basis (1.75). Forward Quinton Byfield signed a lucrative extension this summer with the expectation that he’d push upward into the top tier of the Kings’ scoring leaderboard. But instead of chasing captain Anže Kopitar, Byfield’s production has more closely mirrored that of checker Trevor Lewis. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft surmounted several setbacks: a broken ankle and not one but two viral illnesses, one of which robbed him of about 25 pounds. Last season, he appeared poised for a breakout, but mixed form, tentativeness and tough luck have inhibited him in the first quarter of this campaign. “He’s had tough stretches before that he’s come out of,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “If anybody’s faced adversity, it’s been him through the first run of his career here. So, he’s been through that, he’ll get through it.” Hiller remarked that Byfield “wasn’t alone” among players who could not convert Wednesday. He also wasn’t unaccompanied in a crowd of slumping Kings. Winger Kevin Fiala has gone pointless in six straight games and defenseman Jordan Spence has spent much of the season turning the puck over as if he were cooking it on a grill. Meanwhile, Brock Faber, whom the Kings dealt along with a first-round pick for Fiala, has been the No. 1 defenseman for the West’s second-best team to date, the Minnesota Wild. Even the Kings’ early-season scorchers have cooled significantly. Brandt Clarke has been held scoreless in four straight games and six of his past seven. In his last two games, he and the top power-play unit have clearly missed each other. Related Articles Alex Laferriere remained in that grouping, but his production continued to sag. After a torrid stretch of eight goals in 10 games, he has one goal in his last eight appearances and no points in his four most recent outings. Slumping totals and shoulders alike will have to straighten up against leading scorer Jared McCann and Seattle, which rebounded from a four-game winless skid to capture five of its past six decisions. The Kraken have killed 90% of its penalties during their ascent, good for sixth in the NHL, and allowed a miserly 1.67 goals per game, the fourth-best mark in the league during that span. When: 1 p.m. Saturday Where: Crypto.com Arena How to watch: FDSNW

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On Monday, Netflix Inc. NFLX prosecuted Broadcom Inc. ‘s AVGO cloud computing subsidiary VMware in a California court for allegedly infringing its patent rights. Netflix accused VMware of violating five patent rights in “virtual machines” that run another computer’s operating software on a host computer, according to the Reuters report. Broadcom’s U.S. lawsuit against Netflix will likely go to trial in June 2025. Netflix sought monetary damages. Broadcom held $9.35 billion in cash and equivalents as of November 3, 2024 . Also Read: Elon Musk’s xAI To Expand With New Chatbot App This is not the first case between the two companies – Broadcom filed a patent dispute case against Netflix in 2018 for alleged infringement of Broadcom patents related to video streaming technology. In 2023, Broadcom snapped VMware for $69 billion. Analyst opinions on Broadcom and Netflix: In September 2024, JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur lauded the VMware acquisition for impressive synergies , with a 25%+ sequential growth expectation in the fourth quarter. VMware helped infrastructure software revenue grow 41% in the third quarter, helping Broadcom’s revenue climb to $13.07 billion, topping consensus estimates. Sur flagged VMware’s strong software renewal rates and upsell opportunities, with revenue potentially reaching $4.5-$5 billion per quarter by 2025. Rosenblatt , B of A Securities , and JP Morgan raised their price targets on Broadcom after its fourth-quarter report, citing its custom-chip (ASIC) AI and ability to maintain a relationship with Apple Inc AAPL . Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein hailed Netflix as the sole investable mainstream media stock , citing its streaming moat and potential for live event upside. Price Actions: NFLX stock closed up 2.27% at $932.12 on Tuesday. AVGO up by 3.15%. Also Read: Biden Administration Targets Chinese Firm Over Taiwan Semiconductor Chip Found in Huawei Tech Image via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Democrats push possible Trump response, other state legislative matters to New Year

APC's RETM Sustainable Packaging Portfolio Expands with Another Designed for Recycle Technology COLUMBUS, Wis. , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Packaging Corporation (APC), a leader in flexible packaging solutions, announced another expansion of APC's RETM Sustainable Packaging portfolio, with the addition of new high performance, paper-based packaging technologies that are targeted for curbside recyclability, while providing excellent product protection levels that extend shelf life, protect product flavor, and maintain product freshness. In repulping tests conducted by Western Michigan University , over 85% of APC's high performance paper packaging is recovered. This recycle-ready technology is targeted to offer a positive end-of-life alternative for conventional, non-recyclable packaging structures such as Paper/PE/Foil/PE laminate structures and can be used in both heat seal and cold seal packaging formats. APC's high performance paper provides both sustainable and eco-friendly benefits offering greater than 30% reduction in carbon footprint. The technology offers several features and benefits, including PVDC-free, grease and aroma resistant, and high MVTR and OTR barriers. These performance attributes make APC's recycle ready, high performance paper packaging suitable for stand up pouches and flat pouches especially for dry goods such as seasonings, spices, coffee, powdered drinks and drink enhancements, cookies, crackers, cereal bars and baking mixes. APC's new designed for recycle, high performance paper technology was unveiled at Pack Expo Chicago 2024 at APC's Lounge & Learn event. For more information about APC's recycle ready, high performance paper packaging and samples, please contact American Packaging at [email protected] or 515-733-1406. About American Packaging Corporation : Founded in 1902, American Packaging Corporation is a recognized leader in the flexible packaging industry. Family-owned, APC distinguishes itself by investing in state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities, delivering packaging innovation, promoting sustainable products and practices, and focusing customer delight. Today, APC operates six Centers of Excellence in the United States and employs approximately 1,300 talented, motivated professionals. For more information, please visit https://americanpackaging.com/ MEDIA CONTACT Teri Meadow , Director of Corporate Marketing American Packaging Corporation E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE American Packaging Corporationhas seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as , championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually . That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, or making seemingly automated in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter

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Radical Jaguar rebrand and new logo sparks ire online NEW YORK (AP) — A promotional video for a rebrand of British luxury car brand Jaguar is being criticized online for showing models in brightly colored outfits — and no car. The rebrand, which includes a new logo, is slated to launch Dec. 2 during Miami Art Week, when the company will unveil a new electric model. But Jaguar Land Rover, a unit of India’s Tata Motors Ltd., has been promoting it online. The Jaguar brand is in the middle of a transition to going all-electric. “Copy Nothing,” marketing materials read. “We’re here to delete the ordinary. To go bold. To copy nothing.” Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations DALLAS (AP) — The nation is set to mark 61 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed through downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Even after over six decades, conspiracy theories about what happened that day still swirl and the desire to follow every thread of information hasn’t waned. President-elect Donald Trump made promises over the summer that if reelected he would declassify the remaining records. At this point, only a few thousand of millions of pages of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released. And those who have studied what's been released so far say that the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations even if the remaining files are declassified. Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries The NFL has issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets. Penn State wins trademark case over retailer's use of vintage logos, images PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages earlier this week over products made and sold by the firms Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc. Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories. The defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with Penn State. At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, but the Pennsylvania case was the first to go to trial. Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum? NEW YORK (AP) — A previously unknown musical work written by composer Frederic Chopin appears to have been found in a library in New York City. The Morgan Library & Museum says the untitled and unsigned piece is the first new manuscript of the Romantic era virtuoso to be discovered in nearly a century. Robinson McClellan, the museum’s curator, says he stumbled across the work in May while going through a collection brought to the Manhattan museum years earlier. He worked with outside experts to verify the document's authenticity. But there’s debate whether the waltz is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand. Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland is spewing lava from a fissure in its seventh eruption since December. Iceland's seismic monitors said the eruption started with little warning late Wednesday and created a long fissure but looked to be smaller than eruptions in August and May. Around 50 houses were evacuated after the Civil Protection agency issued the alert, along with guests at the famous Blue Lagoon resort, according to the national broadcaster. The repeated eruptions over the past year have caused damage to the town of Grindavík and forced people to relocate. Australian teen and British woman who drank tainted alcohol in Laos have died, bringing toll to 5 VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — An Australian teenager and a British woman have died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos in what Australia’s prime minister said was every parent’s nightmare. Officials earlier said an American and two Danish tourists also had died following reports that multiple people had been sickened in town popular with backpackers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament that 19-year-old Bianca Jones had died after being evacuated from Vang Vieng, Laos, for treatment in a Thai hospital. Her friend, also 19, remains hospitalized in Thailand. Later Thursday, Britain said a British woman also died and the media in the U.K. identified her as 28-year-old Simone White. US ahead in AI innovation, easily surpassing China in Stanford's new ranking The U.S. leads the world in developing artificial intelligence technology, surpassing China in research and other important measures of AI innovation, according to a newly released Stanford University index. There’s no surefire way to rank global AI leadership but Stanford researchers have made an attempt by measuring the “vibrancy” of the AI industry across a variety of dimensions, from how much research and investment is happening to how responsibly the technology is being pursued to prevent harm. Following the U.S. and China were the United Kingdom, India and the United Arab Emirates. Pop star Ed Sheeran helps favorite soccer team sign player before getting on stage with Taylor Swift It turns out British pop star Ed Sheeran is also good at recruiting soccer players. Sheeran is a minority shareholder at English soccer team Ipswich Town and it needed his help over the summer to get a player to join the club. Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton tells a Soccerex industry event in Miami: “Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift. Hopefully that was a key part in getting the player across the line.” Ashton didn’t disclose the player in question, saying only: “He’s certainly scoring a few goals.”Blockchain-Powered AI Data Annotation: A CZ-Inspired Perspective on Breakthroughs in the Web3 Era - Insights into Sahara AI, Alaya AI, Public AI, and More 12-10-2024 12:12 AM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: LianPR The rapid advancement of AI technologies has unveiled immense potential for global industries, with CZ (Changpeng Zhao)'s recent tweet Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/9977e7b6859410751e4955f20e69f5e6.jpg ( https://x.com/cz_binance/status/1861715172429090959 ) sparking widespread discussions about the integration of AI and blockchain. This cross-technology synergy is disrupting how training data for AI is produced. High-quality data lies at the core of AI advancements, as the performance of AI models is directly tied to the quality of labeled data used for training and optimization. Against this backdrop, Web3 technologies are redefining the traditional data annotation industry with decentralized frameworks and economic incentive mechanisms. This article explores the current state and challenges of data annotation, dives into the development paths of prominent Web3 annotation projects (Sahara AI, Alaya AI, Public AI, etc.), and envisions their future potential. Current Landscape of the Data Annotation Industry: High Demand, Complex Challenges The success of AI hinges on vast amounts of annotated data for training and validation. However, this process is fraught with complexity and labor intensity. Key characteristics of the data annotation industry today include: 1. Soaring Demand and Supply Imbalance With the proliferation of deep learning technologies, fields like computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and speech recognition have seen skyrocketing demand for annotated data. However, supply often falls short, particularly for tasks requiring complex, multidimensional annotation. 2. Conflict Between Data Quality and Costs Low-cost annotation services can alleviate supply issues but frequently compromise quality. Issues such as noisy data or annotation errors directly affect model performance. Conversely, high-quality annotations often come at a significant cost. 3. Centralized Platform Dominance Major data annotation companies dominate the market, creating monopolies in data and profits. This centralization results in unfair economic returns for annotators and a lack of transparency within the industry. How Web3 is Revolutionizing Data Annotation Web3's decentralized architecture, smart contracts, and tokenomics offer innovative solutions to traditional challenges in the data annotation industry. Key differences include: Transparency and Traceability Blockchain's immutability ensures that every annotator's contributions and rewards are transparent. The provenance of each data piece can be traced, ensuring data quality. Fair Incentive Mechanisms Traditional systems often fail to fairly reward annotators. Web3 leverages token-based incentives to distribute rewards instantly and dynamically adjust payouts based on data quality, motivating annotators to deliver superior work. Open Ecosystems Decentralized annotation ecosystems offer equal opportunities for small developers and individuals, breaking the monopoly of centralized platforms. Integration with AI Automation Web3 platforms can significantly enhance annotation efficiency by incorporating AI-assisted tools. For instance, Alaya AI leverages dynamic visual segmentation and discrete tracking technologies to reduce the burden of manual annotation. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/c57231fef53b5af3d78c6ab14ecd4d1e.jpg In-Depth Analysis of Web3 Annotation Projects 1. Sahara AI A blockchain-based AI asset marketplace aimed at building a comprehensive AI infrastructure through decentralized data sharing and trading. - Core Features: Users can upload datasets and models, earning revenue through sharing mechanisms. - Innovation: Supports AI-native application development and compatibility with mainstream protocols, offering diverse tools for enterprises. - Challenges: Despite attracting significant attention, the project is still in its early stages, with products yet to launch. 2. Alaya AI A leader in Web3 data annotation, Alaya AI's Open Data Platform (ODP) introduces innovative solutions. - Technological Highlights: Dynamic visual segmentation, 3D point cloud annotation, and AI-assisted tools ensure efficient labeling. A token-based reward system attracts top annotators. - Market Positioning: Focused on providing user-friendly platforms for small and medium-sized developers while fostering an open data ecosystem. - Potential Impact: Alaya AI is redefining fairness and openness in data annotation through decentralized practices. 3. Public AI Adopting a community-driven approach, Public AI emphasizes user participation and task quality validation. - Features: Users contribute data (e.g., tweets, chat logs, audio), while the community validates quality through voting. - Current Status: While it supports basic sentiment analysis and text annotation tasks, the platform lacks advanced AI-assisted annotation tools. - Market Significance: The community model provides a decentralized solution for data validation but requires further technical development. Shared Characteristics of Web3 Annotation Projects Despite their unique implementations, these projects share common traits: - Decentralized Blockchain Architecture: Ensuring distributed storage of annotated data for transparency and fairness. - Token-Based Incentive Models: Motivating high-quality contributions while addressing low rewards in traditional systems. - Robust Quality Verification Mechanisms: Leveraging community-driven or AI-assisted processes to validate data reliability. - Ecosystem Collaboration: Extending beyond annotation to encompass model training, data trading, and more, gradually forming complete AI ecosystems. Conclusion and Outlook: The Intersection of Web3 and AI From tackling historical issues in data annotation to driving technological innovation, projects like Sahara AI, Alaya AI, and Public AI exemplify how emerging technologies are reshaping traditional industries. Alaya AI's technical strengths and open ecosystem set a new benchmark, Sahara AI showcases the potential of comprehensive platforms, while Public AI explores novel community-driven models. As blockchain technology matures and AI continues to evolve, Web3-powered data annotation promises breakthroughs in transparency, efficiency, and fairness. Decentralized annotation models not only elevate AI training data quality but also create new opportunities for small developers. The convergence of AI and blockchain is paving the way for a more open, equitable, and efficient technological future. Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Media Contact Company Name: ALAYA AI Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=blockchainpowered-ai-data-annotation-a-czinspired-perspective-on-breakthroughs-in-the-web3-era-insights-into-sahara-ai-alaya-ai-public-ai-and-more ] State: Auckland Country: New Zealand Website: https://www.aialaya.io/ This release was published on openPR.France on Monday observed a day of mourning for the victims in the cyclone-hit Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte as the clock ticked for President Emmanuel Macron to appoint the fourth government in a year marked by political crisis. The widely-expected announcement of the government of new prime minister Francois Bayrou was postponed on Sunday, with the Elysee saying the new cabinet would not be named before 1700 GMT Monday, worsening uncertainty in the second largest EU economy. Macron and his wife Brigitte observed a moment of silence in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace for the victims in Mayotte, France’s poorest overseas territory where at least 35 people were killed and 2,500 injured. Authorities have warned the death toll could soar. Prime Minister Bayrou said the silence “conveys a collective mourning, a sense of solidarity with all those who are suffering, and a commitment that the national community will be there to rebuild Mayotte.” The 73-year-old centrist was appointed on December 13 after the fall of a short-lived conservative-led government. Bayrou had said he hoped that his new administration would be presented “over the weekend” and “in any case before Christmas”. Macron and Bayrou held a series of talks Sunday but contrary to expectations the composition of a new administration was not announced.None

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Colorado secured what it said was record insurance coverage for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as the star duo opted to complete their college careers in the Alamo Bowl rather than sit out and prepare for the NFL draft. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Colorado secured what it said was record insurance coverage for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as the star duo opted to complete their college careers in the Alamo Bowl rather than sit out and prepare for the NFL draft. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Colorado secured what it said was record insurance coverage for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as the star duo opted to complete their college careers in the Alamo Bowl rather than sit out and prepare for the NFL draft. Colorado would not disclose the amount of insurance coverage each received, citing privacy laws. Coach Deion Sanders and athletic director Rick George both said it was the largest in college football history. “We happen to have two players that are probably going to be the first two picks of the NFL draft,” Sanders said Monday. “We all know who those two are and they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. It far exceeds anyone that has ever played this game of college football.” While college programs maintain insurance policies for their athletes in case of injury, Colorado increased disability coverage for its entire roster in the Alamo Bowl. Sanders, the coach of the No. 20 Buffaloes, ensured his QB son and two-way star Hunter received larger policies since both are expected to be among the top 10 selections in the upcoming NFL draft. “It was his idea we should get disability insurance for our athletes for this game to ensure that they played and if there was some kind of injury that they would be well taken care of,” George said. “So, we worked together on that. We’re excited about it. We think it’s great that all our players are playing in the game. That’s what all bowl games should be like.” Colorado (9-3, No. 23 CFP) will face the 17th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2, No. 17 CFP) in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. While most teams are scrambling with starters opting out of bowl games this year to enter the transfer portal or NFL draft, the Buffaloes did not lose any player on their two-deep roster. “It’s more than what I got (when he played at Kansas State),” Colorado linebackers coach Andre’ Hart said. “They gave us a helmet and said pop this on your leg and get out there and play. For them to get that (increased insurance coverage), I just think it’s beneficial. To talk about where the game is, where it’s going and how leadership is taking care of the players, I thought that’s excellent.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Shedeur Sanders completed 337 of 454 passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Many scouting services have Sanders rated as the top quarterback in this year’s draft. Hunter received the Heisman Trophy as a two-way standout at cornerback and wide receiver. He had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns and as a cornerback had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and limited the opposition to 22 receptions on 688 defensive snaps. “They’ve taken care of us, everybody,” Colorado running back Micah Welch said. “It really means a lot to have every teammate up here. That’s a big thing. What I like about Coach Prime, they’re taking care of us.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Advertisement Advertisement