A well-thought-out move
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed confidence Wednesday that Elon Musk would not use his proximity to Donald Trump to harm business rivals, calling such actions "profoundly un-American." Speaking at the New York Times DealBook conference, Altman addressed concerns about Musk's announced role heading a new Department of Government Efficiency in the incoming Donald Trump administration, and whether he might use it to favor his own companies. "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing," Altman said. "It would be profoundly un-American to use political power to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses." Even if there are "lots of things not to like about him... it would go so deeply against the values I believe he holds very dear to himself that I'm not that worried about it." Musk, an OpenAI co-founder who later departed the company, is currently suing Altman's firm and Microsoft, claiming they shifted from the project's original nonprofit mission. He has since launched xAI, reportedly valued at $50 billion, making it one of the world's most valuable startups. Altman said that the court battle was "tremendously sad" and that he once saw Musk as "a mega hero." Musk became a close ally of Trump during his campaign, spending over $100 million to boost his presidential bid and joining him at rallies. Since the election victory, he has been a frequent presence in the Trump transition and was reportedly on the line when Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the president-elect to congratulate him on winning the election. The tycoon's businesses have deep connections with governments -- both in the United States and elsewhere -- and his new position has raised concerns about conflict of interest. During the interview, Altman also lowered expectations for the importance of OpenAI's models achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), a benchmark of human-level intelligence the company has long set as the goal for its technology. "My guess is we will hit AGI sooner than most people in the world think, and it will matter much less," he said. "A lot of the safety concerns that we and others expressed actually don't come at the AGI moment... AGI can get built. The world goes on mostly the same way," he said. arp/aha
TTM Technologies, Inc. Introduces Innovative Radio Frequency Components for Telecom Band n104 to Enhance 5.5G Applications
Manchester City's crisis continued with a 2-0 defeat away to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Pep Guardiola's old club Barcelona beat Borussia Dortmund to clinch a spot in the knockout stage of Europe's elite club competition. Arsenal, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lille, Feyenoord and Stuttgart were also victorious, but City's latest loss in a miserable run will dominate the headlines. The 2023 European champions succumbed in Turin as Dusan Vlahovic put Juventus ahead early in the second half when goalkeeper Ederson was unable to keep out his header. Ilkay Gundogan was denied an equaliser by a fine Michele Di Gregorio save, before Weston McKennie made it 2-0 with a fine acrobatic finish in the 75th minute. The result leaves Juventus on 11 points with two games left, a tally that is expected to be enough to guarantee them at least a place in the knockout phase play-offs. City, meanwhile, have now won just once in 10 in all competitions, with seven defeats in that time. With just eight points, they currently sit 22nd in the standings, in which the top 24 advance to the knockouts. Their next game will be crucial, as they travel to a Paris Saint-Germain side who sit a point beneath Guardiola's men. "We have to get points, we'll go to Paris to try and do that and the same goes for the final match at home (to Club Brugge)," Guardiola told Amazon Prime in Italy. Barcelona are second in the standings with 15 points, behind only Liverpool, after beating Dortmund 3-2 in a thriller in Germany, with Ferran Torres their hero. Raphinha fired Barca ahead with his 17th goal of the season, early in a remarkable second half. Serhou Guirassy equalised with a penalty on the hour mark, but substitute Torres put Barca back in front on 75 minutes, converting the loose ball after Fermin Lopez's shot was saved. Guirassy scored again for a quick equaliser, only for Torres to strike once more and win the game for Barca with five minutes left. Barcelona's tally leaves them, like Liverpool, ideally placed to finish in the top eight, which means direct progress to the last 16 without having to go through the play-offs. Arsenal are third in the standings on 13 points after easing to a 3-0 win over Monaco in London. Bukayo Saka scored twice, putting the Gunners ahead in the first half and making it 2-0 on 78 minutes as the hosts pounced on disastrous Monaco defending. Saka then turned provider for the late third, with substitute Kai Havertz credited with the final touch. Mikel Arteta's team are one of six sides on 13 points, with Lille also on that tally after edging Sturm Graz 3-2 in France thanks to a fine late winner from Hakon Haraldsson. Lille were 2-0 up through Osame Sahraoui and Mitchel Bakker, only for goals by Otar Kiteishvili and Mika Biereth to bring the Austrian champions back level. However, Icelandic midfielder Haraldsson secured Lille's fourth win of the campaign. Atletico eased to a 3-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice after Julian Alvarez had opened the scoring with an excellent strike. David Strelec pulled one back for the Slovaks, who are one of three teams already eliminated having lost six games out of six. The others are RB Leipzig and Young Boys. Milan defeated Red Star Belgrade 2-1 at San Siro with Tammy Abraham grabbing the winner three minutes from time. Rafael Leao had put Milan ahead only for Nemanja Radonjic to equalise for the Serbian side, who have lost five of their six games and are surely heading out. Benfica edged closer to a play-off spot with a 0-0 draw at home to Bologna of Italy, who have scored just one goal in six games and will go no further. Feyenoord stayed on course to go through after beating Sparta Prague 4-2 in Rotterdam, with Gernot Trauner, Igor Paixao, Anis Hadj Moussa and Santiago Gimenez netting their goals. Stuttgart kept alive their hopes of progress by coming from behind to beat Young Boys 5-1. Lukasz Lakomy put Young Boys ahead but Angelo Stiller levelled before Enzo Millot, Chris Fuehrich, Josha Vagnoman and Yannik Keitel all scored in the second half. The next round of Champions League games is scheduled for January 21 and 22, with the league phase concluding the following week. as/jcTTM Technologies, Inc. Introduces Innovative Radio Frequency Components for Telecom Band n104 to Enhance 5.5G ApplicationsSome kids see their parents as monsters — making them eat their vegetables, insisting homework be done before dinner, begging them to clean their room, etc. You know, the worst. In the case of Ellian, a princess from the land of Lumbria, her parents literally are monsters — unsightly, rambunctious and uncommunicative creatures — thanks to an encounter with some dark magic. That’s the state of royal play in “Spellbound,” a semi-enchanting film from Skydance Animation on Netflix. The movie had a chance to be a gem thanks to some of the folks who brought it to life. The list starts with director Vicky Jenson, who, most notably, helmed 2001’s beloved romp “Shrek.” Then there’s composer Alan Menken — working herewith lyricist Glenn Slater — who has contributed to animated Disney classics including “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” And singing the original songs of Menken and Slater is Rachel Zegler, who delighted us in director Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story” and last year impressed in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” These talented people and others — John Lithgow, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem contribute voice work — help make “Spellbound” a relative winner even if it falls short of the quality of the aforementioned animated films. As we meet Ellian (Zegler) — on her birthday, flying through mountains, above water and eventually back to the kingdom with her friends riding giant birds — she and a few others, such as Lithgow’s Minister Bolinar, have been keeping the truth about her parents a secret from the citizens and even some important types. Ministers Bolinar and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) think it is time for Princess Ellian to become the ruler of Lumbria, but she hasn’t given up on the idea of finding a way to break her parents’ curse, which they encountered in the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness — where it’s, like, seriously dark. She summons to the castle the Oracle of the Moon (Tituss Burgess) and the Oracle of the Sun (Nathan Lane), a pair of little guys who arrive by Uber-like frog. Before they can reveal how the curse can be broken, her mom tries to eat one of them, causing them to bolt. Ellian chases them down, of course, and, with Mom and Dad in tow, sets about her quest to return them to normalcy. As the three spend time together, Ellian is able to communicate, increasingly effectively, with Queen Ellsmere (Kidman) and King Solon (Bardem). It is then that we see the darkness that surrounded them was not just figurative; the more intelligently they can speak, the more they argue with one another. Despite this friction, Ellian continues a search for a source of lightness — again, both literal and metaphorical — to restore things as they should be. Penned by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda, “Spellbound” offers some valuable lessons to young viewers — for whom this film is mainly targeted — including the importance of handling negative feelings in a positive way. There’s also a lesson for parents, however. If nothing else, the not-so-neat-and-tidy resolution of the story isn’t exactly what you’d predict. You just wish the journey were a little more entertaining. The jokes are OK, not hilarious, and the songs are merely fine — certainly below Menken’s best work. Nevertheless, Zegler’s lovely singing voice elevates those songs, and the actress gives a strong performance overall. And Lithgow — who voiced the villainous Lord Farquaad in “Shrek” — is fun, especially after Bolinar runs afoul of some magic himself. With its bright-and-colorful palette (but only so-so design work), “Spellbound” should keep the little ones busy for nearly two hours as you prepare for Thanksgiving. And that’s a real magic trick, isn’t it? Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The most startup-friendly countries in 2024Yokneam Illit, Israel, Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wearable Devices Ltd. (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), an award-winning pioneer in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-based wearable gesture control technology, today announced that it has closed its registered direct offering and concurrent private placement, announced on November 26, 2024, for the issuance and sale of 822,000 ordinary shares (or ordinary share equivalents) in a registered direct offering and warrants to purchase up to 822,000 of its ordinary shares in concurrent private placement at a combined purchase price of $2.25 per ordinary share. The warrants issued pursuant to the concurrent private placement have an exercise price of $2.50 per ordinary share, are immediately exercisable and expire five years following the date of issuance. The gross proceeds from the offerings, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $1.85 million, excluding any proceeds that may be received upon the exercise of the Warrants. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offerings for working capital and general corporate purposes. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as sole placement agent for the offerings. The ordinary shares (or ordinary share equivalents in lieu thereof) issued to the institutional investor described above were issued pursuant to a registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-274841), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 18, 2023. The warrants were issued in a concurrent private placement. A final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the registered direct offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov . Additionally, when available, electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at prospectus@allianceg.com . The private placement of the warrants and the shares underlying the Warrants offered to the institutional investor was made in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Regulation D promulgated thereunder. Accordingly, the securities issued in the concurrent private placement may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the offerings, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Wearable Devices Ltd. Wearable Devices Ltd. is a growth company developing AI-based neural input interface technology for the B2C and B2B markets. The Company’s flagship product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch, integrates innovative AI-based technology and algorithms into a functional, stylish wristband that utilizes proprietary sensors to identify subtle finger and wrist movements allowing the user to “touchlessly” interact with connected devices. The Company also markets a B2B product, which utilizes the same technology and functions as the Mudra Band and is available to businesses on a licensing basis. Wearable Devices is committed to creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software, and hardware to set the input standard for the Extended Reality, one of the most rapidly expanding landscapes in the tech industry. The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq market under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW”, respectively. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “will” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the use of proceeds from the offerings. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 15, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Investor Relations Contact Michal Efraty IR@wearabledevices.co.ilMARTIN, Tenn. (AP) — Losing a Cabinet nominee to the confirmation process isn't unheard of for incoming presidents — including for Donald Trump when he was elected the first time. Chad Chronister's announcement Tuesday that he was pulling out of consideration to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration makes the Hillsborough County, Florida, sheriff the second of Trump's picks to withdraw after being announced as leaders of the incoming administration. The withdrawal follows Matt Gaetz's decision to pull his name last month from consideration for attorney general — amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation . Together, the moves are the first indications of resistance that the president-elect could face from his own party, including picks facing allegations of sexual misconduct or other questions. Here's a look at some recent difficulties with presidential Cabinet picks and some of the criticism for Trump's current slate: Republicans voicing their doubts Chronister — whose name was announced on Saturday as Trump's DEA pick — was met with swift condemnation from some conservative figures over his enforcement of lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest. After Gaetz was chosen last month, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Judiciary Committee member who is among Trump's top Senate allies, predicted he would “have to answer some tough questions” in a confirmation hearing. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Trump critic, said of Gaetz, “I do not see him as a serious candidate.” Other Trump picks face questions, too. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, was accused by a woman of sexually assaulting her in 2017. Hegseth has denied her allegations. Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman chosen to be director of national intelligence, has expressed sympathy for Russia and repeated false Russian theories about Ukrainian bioweapons. Gabbard, a military veteran who became one of Trump’s top 2024 surrogates, has attracted criticism for meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and has voiced skepticism that Assad was behind chemical attacks on his own people. Nikki Haley, who was the last major GOP opponent against Trump for this year’s presidential nomination, argued against confirming Gabbard, saying the post was “not a place for a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer.” Haley also said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — should face “hard questions” from senators due to his opposition to vaccines and other views decried by public health officials. “He’s a liberal Democrat, environmental attorney trial lawyer who will now be overseeing 25% of our federal budget and has no background in healthcare,” Haley said. “So some of you may think RFK is cool, some of you may like that he questions what’s in our food and what’s in our vaccines, but we don’t know, when he is given reins to an agency, what decisions he’s going to make behind the scenes.” Republicans will have 53 votes in the Senate in January and can break 50-50 ties with Vice President-elect JD Vance. That means four Republicans would have to break ranks to defeat any nominee if all Democrats oppose a Trump pick. This has happened before — including to Trump Every recent president has had some doomed Cabinet nominations — including Trump himself. In early 2017, Trump’s choice for labor secretary was the first Trump nominee to withdraw his name from consideration. Fast food CEO Andrew Puzder’s exit came after Republicans expressed concern over his failure to pay taxes promptly on a former housekeeper who wasn’t authorized to work in the U.S., and Democrats had complaints about Puzder’s business record and remarks about women and workers at his company, which owns Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. Puzder’s name has been floated recently again as a possible pick in Trump’s second administration. Trump also ousted his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after just weeks on the job because Flynn wasn’t truthful about his contacts with Russian officials during the transition. The first year of Trump’s first term, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned after his costly travel triggered investigations that overshadowed the administration’s agenda and angered his boss, serving less than eight months. According to the Brookings Institution, which tracks presidential administration turnover, Trump’s first term resulted in the turnover of a total of 14 people, nearly twice the amount — 8 people — of President George H.W. Bush’s term in office, a distant second place. Other presidents' picks Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and both Bush and his son George W. Bush all had to come up with new names after nominees for their Cabinets ran into trouble. Obama took three tries to find a secretary of commerce. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his name after the word surfaced that a grand jury was investigating allegations of wrongdoing in the awarding of contracts in his state. Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire backed out citing “irresolvable differences” with the policies of the Democratic president. In 2001, Linda Chavez — George W. Bush's pick for labor secretary — swiftly withdrew after it emerged that she had housed an immigrant living in the country illegally. Bill Clinton went through several attempts at selecting an attorney general, nominating Janet Reno after both of his first two choices withdrew over word that they had hired people who had been in the U.S. illegally for household work and babysitting. The Senate rejected George H.W. Bush’s defense secretary pick, former Texas Sen. John Tower, in 1989 after several waves of reports over allegations of alcohol abuse and womanizing. ___ Associated Press writer Nancy Benac in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press
Establishing sepsis diagnostic InfectID TM as the new standard of care BRISBANE, Australia , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Microbio Ltd, the Australian pathogen diagnostics company specialising in innovative molecular diagnostic solutions, has today announced the appointment of Paul Perreault as a strategic advisor. Mr Perreault is the former CEO of CSL and considered a pre-eminent global biotech leader. He was Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of CSL Limited from 2013 to 2023, leading the organisation to become the fifth largest biotechnology company in the world bringing lifesaving medicines to people in more than 100 countries. Microbio is commercialising InfectIDTM BSI (Bloodstream Infection) as the new gold standard in the diagnosis of sepsis. InfectIDTM-BSI is currently CE-marked cleared for sale in Europe , United Kingdom , and India , with an advanced regulatory program underway for FDA and TGA approval pathing the way for a global market expansion in the coming years. The InfectIDTM-BSI diagnostic test delivers actionable intelligence to clinicians, enabling them to deliver targeted antimicrobial treatment - improving patient outcomes and reducing the emergence of antimicrobial resistant organisms. The assay detects 26 pathogens associated with more than 94% of sepsis cases in less than 3 hours. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's reaction to a bloodstream infection. The only effective treatment is the prompt administration of antimicrobials to eliminate the pathogen causing the infection. For every hour of delay in administering appropriate antimicrobial treatment, mortality rates increase by 7.6% 1 , underscoring the urgent need for rapid diagnosis. The current 'gold standard' method involves a slow, multi-step blood culturing and identification process. This approach takes 11 hours-21 hours for bacterial species and 48 hours for Candida species and has limited sensitivity. Microbio's InfectIDTM is therefore considered a game changer in improving patient outcomes of sepsis through earlier detection. This latest appointment bolsters Microbio's executive team and advisors in supporting the rapid commercialisation and expanded market access for InfectIDTM. With over 40 years' experience in the global healthcare industry, Mr Perreault has held senior leadership roles with CSL, Wyeth, Centeon, Aventis Bioservices and Aventis Behring . He previously served on the board of directors for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Wall Street Journal's CEO Council, Penn State Provost's Global Advisory Council, and the Global Board for the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association. Commenting on his appointment Mr Perreault said: "Microbio is an exciting biotechnology company on the cusp of positively disrupting the devastating impact of sepsis on patients with a diagnostic test that can more rapidly detect the majority of pathogens responsible for sepsis, which supports much earlier clinical intervention and treatment to ultimately safe lives and improve patient outcomes. I'm pleased to be working with a company at the forefront of innovation in this critical area of healthcare." Microbio's Chief Executive Offer Mr Colin Keating said: " We have a growing number of clinical, and key opinion leaders working with us to bring InfectID TM to market as our clinical data continues to support the profound benefits of our diagnostic of sepsis. We welcome Paul to our advisory board and the opportunity to draw upon his exceptional leadership and capabilities in supporting our ongoing global expansion." [End] Further information https://microbio.com.au/
Essex Property Trust Inc. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketOpinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of material from 11 contributing columnists , along with other commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Moving to a new neighborhood often comes with some apprehension, but when I moved into my neighborhood a little more than a dozen years ago, I felt at home right away. The neighborhood was new and I was surrounded by others who wanted to build a special culture. I became friendly with many of them. I never knew who was going to drop by to share an intriguing point of view or a laugh. As neighbors, we looked out for each other and lifted each other up. Of course, I didn’t see eye-to-eye with everyone in the neighborhood. But we were all able to smile, nod or wave to each other in passing, like good neighbors do. When I refer to this neighborhood, it is not the home where I physically live with my family — but shoutout to the folk who live on my street in Cottage Grove: Traci, Mike, Phil, Jeannine. Y’all have always been terrific. No, I’m talking about the neighborhood where I’ve lived virtually — my Twitter community. (I know it was renamed X, but it’ll always be Twitter to me.) It’s where I engaged in intellectual debate and discussion with lawyers, professors, activists, celebrities and above-average Joes from all over the world. On Twitter, I found my voice and created content that built my career and buttressed my business. But lately, a new crew has muscled its way into my Twitter community, let in by new owner Elon Musk, who allows and even encourages them to dump daily loads of toxic waste. That changed the rules, spoiled the atmosphere and violated every norm of my precious neighborhood. It’s not healthy to live in this polluted space any longer. So I thought about packing up and leaving. My WCCO Radio colleague Chad Hartman advised me against it, saying, Don’t let them win. Use your voice and use the platform. But I kept hearing the words a wise old gambling man told me many years ago: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” I loved Twitter so much. I would wake up extra early every morning, and before I grabbed a cup of coffee, said my prayers or got my kids ready for school, I’d grab my phone and scroll through posts for hours to get news updates, see celebrity stories and read political commentary, all while laughing at jokes and viral videos. It was always a beautiful day in the Twitter neighborhood, until suddenly it wasn’t. I woke up one morning and all my favorite social media sidekicks were gone, replaced by renters who didn’t care anything about following the rules or junking up the place. When you see that things have changed for the worse and they can’t or won’t ever go back to the good ol’ days, the smart money lands on running away and not looking back. It’s against my nature to walk away from a good fight. But under X’s current incarnation, set in motion by Musk and his minions, Twitter’s intelligent and thought-provoking commentary is not celebrated, it’s attacked. The guardrails are off. It’s become common for threats and slurs — yes, the whole alphabet soup, the B-word, the C-word and the N-word — to be leveled. I’ve even experienced insults mocking my children with autism — yes, the R-word. It used to be when bad neighbors got downright disgusting, I could block them. Under Twitter’s new homeowner’s association rules, anyone I had blocked could now see my posts and find a way to respond with their sickening, predictably nasty comments. My friend Paul Douglas calls me Hurricane Sheletta because of the way I energize a room. But honey, I’m not Storm and there is no way my blood pressure will allow me, without medication, to hang around with these X-men and women. So with a heavy heart and itchy trigger finger, I deactivated my Twitter account this week. That meant that my timeline was lost, and with it a big chunk of my own history and great memories. No one can go back and read my viral posts, which have run from heartbreaking to hilarious. Even I can’t scroll back and relive some of the high points in my life that happened on Twitter. Here are just a few times Twitter flipped my script: In 2020, when Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis posted that he was looking for a worthy family to give a camper to, I suggested that he could do no better than my fabulous brood. Pretty soon my Twitter neighbors jumped into the conversation, explaining that if our family had a camper, we would be able to go on vacation with our special-needs children who, at the time, found most other travel options overstimulating. Lemonis was impressed and not only upgraded the camper to a Class A RV (which we quickly named The Brundidge Bus), but also signed me and my children to an endorsement deal with a contract to travel and produce content for his billion-dollar company. Two years later, our family was camping in our RV when my son Brandon saw “Let’s Go Brandon!” signs at a Texas campsite and regarded them as personal signs of encouragement. That inspired me to write a children’s book, “Brandon Spots His Sign,” about the importance of building confidence in kids with autism. One of my tweets about the book was seen by NASCAR driver Brandon Brown, the source of the original “Let’s Go, Brandon” chant. Over Twitter, Brown introduced himself and soon our whole family was invited to join him at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., where an imprint of my book was plastered on the hood of his car and my son got to take a thrilling first lap around the track with another confident Brandon. This winter, I posted a video on Twitter of my oldest son, Andrew, dancing while shoveling snow during a winter storm and it quickly went viral. His fancy footwork landed him a segment on Good Morning America and a pretty cool friendship with the show’s host, NFL great Michael Strahan. I also had a productive talk with Toro about a possible partnership. Every day I wake up and say the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles 4:10, asking the Lord to enlarge my territory and make my name great. That prayer was answered time and time again on Twitter. So it wasn’t easy to leave, but as I packed my things and planned to deactivate my account, I saw that many of my neighbors were packing up and leaving for the same reason. Now we’re looking for each other on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads. I even found Nancy Lyons, CEO of consulting firm Clockwork, on TikTok. It’s like I’m still lost in these new neighborhoods, though. I’m looking for groups with my shared, lived experience — where are my autism moms? I’m a newbie on these other platforms, going from 7,000 followers on Twitter to seven on TikTok. I’m having to build my new social media house from scratch. Let’s hope this time that the new homeowner’s association president, Mark Zuckerberg, will make sure everyone follows the rules, so it’ll be more like Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on PBS and less like the parody Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood that Eddie Murphy created for “Saturday Night Live.” Please, former Twitter friends and followers, as I search for you, come look for me. Let’s start over and build great social media neighborhoods again. Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?
Salt Lake City, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novarad Corporation, a leader in augmented reality (AR) technology, has successfully enabled the first-ever augmented reality-guided brain surgery on a canine patient in the United States, potentially changing the future of veterinary neurosurgery. This pioneering procedure was performed on Geddy, who, as a six-week-old puppy, was abandoned in a high-speed chase involving a stolen car and gunfire in Northern Mississippi. She was rescued by local law enforcement and taken to a veterinarian. After being posted for adoption, Geddy was united with a loving family. During the summer of 2024, Geddy began experiencing seizures and neurological signs and was diagnosed with a brain tumor through MRI. The severity of her condition prompted a referral to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) with veterinary neurosurgeon scientist Wojciech Panek, DVM, DACVIM, and neurology specialty intern Tessa Arendt, DVM. Panek and his research collaborator, human neurosurgeon and Director of the Penn Brain Tumor Center Nduka Amankulor, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) were familiar with an innovative AR technology emerging in human surgeries and recognized the potential for this technology to assist in Geddy’s operation. The augmented reality guidance system known as VisAR, developed by Novarad Corporation and co-invented by Novarad CEO Wendell Gibby, MD, is used in human medical procedures for its precision and accuracy. The decision was made to use VisAR in Geddy's surgery, led by the surgery team of Panek and Amankulor. During the operation, preoperative MRI images were superimposed with anatomical accuracy onto Geddy’s skull, allowing for precise biopsy and tumor resection. Novarad representative Darin Johnson assisted in the calibration of VisAR during surgery. The complex and delicate procedure was a success. “Geddy has recovered from surgery; her owners report no neurological signs nor seizures,” said Panek. “We will continue to monitor Geddy’s recovery, but I am incredibly pleased with her progress. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Gibby and the entire Novarad team for their willingness to partner with Penn Vet to implement their lifesaving AR surgical navigation system, VisAR, in this particularly sensitive canine brain surgery.” “This groundbreaking surgery marks a milestone in veterinary medicine and highlights the incredible potential and promising outcomes of augmented reality in animal healthcare,” said Gibby. “The successful use of VisAR in Geddy's brain surgery is a testament to the power of innovation, the dedication of the Penn Vet and PSOM neurosurgery team, their top-notch research, and the tireless efforts of Novarad to bring this life-saving technology to the forefront of medical care.” Geddy’s remarkable journey, from abandonment to a pioneer in canine veterinary neurosurgery, highlights the incredible advances in veterinary medicine, promising a brighter future for animals and their owners needing complex surgeries. About Novarad Corporation: Novarad Corporation is a leading provider of advanced medical imaging solutions, including cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) technologies. Their innovative products, such as VisAR, are designed to enhance precision and improve outcomes in both human and animal healthcare. Novarad’s solutions have been widely adopted across various medical disciplines and are paving the way for the future of medical procedures. Novarad and Penn Vet established a unique research collaboration to further validate and optimize its use in canine patients with neurological conditions, with several studies ongoing. Attachments Novarad Corporation marketing@novarad.net
Australian Senate begins debate on world-first social media ban for children under 16
Alberta’s Technology Minister Nate Glubish says he’s hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years. Such centres are filled with computer servers used by companies like Meta to develop and train large-scale artificial intelligence models. Glubish says Meta, as well as other major companies including Google and Amazon, are on the hunt for space to build more facilities, and he wants Alberta to be an option. He says landing some data centres would create jobs and bring in much needed new tax revenue for the province. Glubish also says that since Alberta’s electricity grid regulations allows for off-grid power generation, he thinks the province is an ideal location. He says allowing for off-grid power connections where power generators supply data centres directly also means there’s less risk for Albertans, as there wouldn’t be major drains on the electrical grid.