FazzNoth

Interest in hardware wallets allowing cold storage of cryptocurrencies is decreasing among Russian users after this year’s surge that followed the invasion of Ukraine. The sale volumes for these devices have almost halved, according to a report quoting leading marketplaces. Russians’ Demand for Cold Storage Wallets Cools Down After Spike This Spring: Retailers selling hardware cryptocurrency wallets in Russia are now overstocked, market participants have told the leading Russian business daily Kommersant. That’s after earlier this year these products saw an explosive demand after Moscow’s decision to militarily intervene in neighboring Ukraine. In the spring months, many Russians sought to acquire a cold storage device for their crypto assets, amid expanding sanctions over the Ukraine conflict and currency restrictions imposed by the Bank of Russia. Some Russian citizens relocating to other countries also took their savings with them in crypto. According to stats compiled by the Moneyplace analytics service, hardware wallet sales on the Ozon and Wildberries marketplaces reached a record high of 16.5 million rubles in May (over $275,000). In August, the figure fell by half, dropping below 8 million rubles (less than $135,000). A spokesperson for Ozon, known as “the Amazon of Russia,” said that the number of units sold increased more than five times in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period last year. Sales peaked in March, the e-commerce platform M.Video-Eldorado added. The online tech store Citilink launched a hardware wallet developed by Tangem at the end of June and its sales reached their highs in July. Roman Nekrasov, founder of ENCRY Foundation, which represents IT companies providing services in the field of blockchain and tech innovations, commented that the decline has come due to the Central Bank of Russia easing restrictions on cross-border currency transfers. In addition, “those who wanted to transfer assets abroad, most likely, have already done so,” the expert remarked. Sale volumes were also affected by the decreasing cost of crypto wallets, against the backdrop of both the reduced demand and the appreciating U.S. dollar. According to the estimates of Moneyplace, the average price of Safepal products fell three times between April and September, Ledger and Trezor registered a two-fold drop, while Tangem’s price lost a quarter. The trend was confirmed by Wildberries. The use of crypto wallets is not restricted in any way by the current Russian law since cryptocurrencies are yet to be comprehensively regulated, the report notes, quoting Pavel Ganin, partner at the A.t.legal law firm. Aaron Chomsky, head of the Investment Department at ICB Fund, believes that a recovery in demand for hardware wallets can be expected with a future improvement of crypto markets. https://news.bitcoin.com/sales-of-hardware-crypto-wallets-decline-in-russia-with-easing-currency-restrictions/

Clashes in August brought rival armed factions to the streets of Baghdad, leaving Iraq’s young activists stuck in the middle. “The government doesn’t care, they are useless, and political parties are fighting for power for themselves,” said Nada, aged 27, over a coffee in Baghdad’s Karrada district, reflecting on the past few tumultuous weeks – and years – of Iraq’s political crisis. “We have nothing to lose any more,” she added, referring to youth-led demonstrations. “We need to be braver … we need to wake up, no one speaks for us anyway.” A part-time volunteer for autistic children, Nada’s view was shared by the other young activists around the table on the top floor of a smoke-filled cafe. The group is discussing plans to mark the second anniversary of Iraq’s Tishreen protest movement, and how best to fix Iraq’s deep-seated political malaise after some of the deadliest clashes Iraq has seen in years took place in Baghdad at the end of August. “Tishreen will be back even bigger soon, I promise you,” Nada said confidently. On the opposite end of the table, two men in their early thirties shake their heads at plans to demonstrate on the same scale. “We have lost too many friends to try again,” one of them, Rami, said. “Maybe in a few years.” “I feel lost – like all Iraqi people – we don’t know what our future will be, not even the coming days,” 26-year-old Muser chips in. “Everything is on the edge,” he says as he describes a conversation on his way to our meeting place. “Even the taxi drivers are tense, asking if there will be a solution or a civil war… Iraqis are worried and tired.” Many young Iraqis feel they have no say in the direction of their country’s future. Exhausted by Iraq’s ongoing political drama, and raised alongside a series of deeply traumatic events, they are caught in the middle of vying political groups and militias that they say do not represent them. Memories of Tishreen The activist scene is, perhaps, warier of renewed demonstrations, scarred by the suppression of the 2019 Tishreen protests, which resulted in the death of at least 600 young people. Staged more than 11 months ago, Iraq’s most recent elections saw protest-based parties drawn from Tishreen secure a sizable number of seats, encouraging tentative hope in alternatives to what many regard as corrupt and sectarian political parties. Progress has, however, been hindered by the ongoing conflict between the Sadrist Movement, supporters of the Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Iran-backed Coordination Framework Alliance. An initial political disagreement over the formation of Iraq’s government resulted in bloody clashes in August after al-Sadr announced his departure from politics. But a lack of government means little or no public spending – even as Iraqis grow more desperate. “It has been almost 20 years since the United States’s invasion of Iraq and we still don’t have power, electricity, or fresh water,” Kerrar, 32, a water resources engineer from Karbala, told Al Jazeera. “Iraq had all the necessary resources but everything has been stolen. There is nothing left, just ignorance and stupidity.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/9/20/young-iraqi-activists-despair-as-political-crisis-continues

Every dollar raised during Sweat for Pets campaign provides life-changing care and shelter to animals as staff prepare them to find their loving forever home, Midland Animal Centre manager says Looking for a fun way to help out Lucky and Tigger. Well, look no further than Saturday’s Sweat for Pets at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in support of the Ontario SPCA Midland & District Animal Centre. “Sweat for Pets is all about having fun and supporting vulnerable animals in your community,” centre manager Caytlynn Croisier said. Croisier said every dollar raised during the campaign provides life-changing care and shelter to animals as shelter staff prepare them to find their loving forever home. Added Croisieir: “Sweat for Pets is a small ask with a big impact.” Participants can get moving by taking part in a one-kilometre or three-kilometre walk and celebrate their success by encouraging family, friends and co-workers to pledge their support by making a donation to an individual’s Sweat for Pets online personal fundraising page. Sweat for Pets aims to inspire people of all ages to get active and have fun while raising funds to help vulnerable animals in need. The Ontario SPCA is a registered charity that depends on donor dollars. Funds raised through Sweat for Pets support life-changing work to give animals a second chance. Sponsored by For Sale on Georgian Bay participants will be provided with breakfast and lunch and can take part in a variety of activities the entire family should enjoy. Music by local artist Marlon Gibbons, ‘Doga’ with Soul Set Yoga and an OPP canine unit demonstration are just part of the fun and there are also lots of prizes to be won. https://www.midlandtoday.ca/local-news/local-ospca-fundraiser-helps-vulnerable-animals-boosts-cardio-5841049

A complainant at the centre of a high-profile criminal case testified in a Gatineau, Que. court Monday that she was "horrified" more than three decades ago to wake up to Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin sexually assaulting her. The military commander pleaded not guilty to the alleged incident said to have taken place sometime between Jan.1 and April 30, 1988 when they were both students at Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Quebec. Today is the first time the details of the allegations have been made public. Fortin was well-known during the pandemic for his role as the head of Canada's vaccine rollout. He was removed from the job in 2021 amid a military police investigation that later led to the sexual assault charge. He's one of a series of current and former senior Canadian military leaders during the military's sexual misconduct crisis who have been investigated, criminally charged or forced into retirement since 2021 from some of the most prestigious posts in the defence establishment. The complainant said she woke up sometime after midnight to Fortin leaning over her bed in the barracks and holding her hand "around his penis" and using it to masturbate. "I'm taken aback," said the woman about how she felt in the moment of that alleged sexual assault. "I'm afraid. I'm scared." "I freeze for a second. I don't move except for the motion of what he's doing and I just hold my breath and I slightly open one eye." The woman said she recognized Fortin immediately because he was her acquaintance. He was wearing casual clothing and had his pants down, she said. The woman testified that she tried to pull her hand away to signal she was awake. She hoped Fortin would "panic and leave," she said. But Fortin "ignored" her at first and didn't stop right away, the woman said. "He just grabs my hand tighter and holds it there," she said. "He keeps doing what he's doing." The complainant said Fortin's other hand was groping her chest "hard." "At that point is where I'm pushing him and saying 'get off me, get away' ... I'm at such shock with what's going on, my focus was getting him away from me." https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6584214

Reading your request, I find it quite interesting the way you describe yourself as a person and your activity in the community. This is a good way to demonstrate your interest in the community by expanding your activity through various projects. A little advice though, it's better not to spam the game category as that is not activity. And as Journalist Coordinator, I expect a lot from you!

I like your answers you have my support from me

It's good to have you back on the project because I know more than anyone else that you have always been interested in the project. -Pro

Happy Birthday mate!

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: Slogo Name of the game: Minecraft Link video: Rate this video 1-10: -

Vivo V25 5G phone will be available via Flipkart from September 20 onwards. It can also be purchased from Vivo online store along with offline retail stores. Vivo expanded its product portfolio in India with the launch of Vivo V25 5G phone today. The handset is launched under the Vivo V25 series and joins the existing Vivo V25 Pro. The new Vivo mid-ranger comes powered by MediaTek Dimensity 900 octa-core processor and offers a 50MP selfie camera with Eye auto focus (AF). Elegant Black and Surfing Blue are the colour options of the smartphone.Vivo V25 5G is offered in two RAM models. The base variant packs 8GB RAM with 128GB internal storage which carries a price tag of ₹27,999. Another model comes with 12GB RAM and is priced at ₹31,999. The new Vivo phone will be available via Flipkart from September 20 onwards. It can also be purchased from Vivo online store along with offline retail stores. Pre-booking of the smartphone starts at 3pm today. Early buyers will get an instant cashback of ₹2,500 with HDFC, ICICI and SBI Bank cards. Vivo V25 5G specifications The Vivo V25 5G features a 6.44-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with 1080x2404 pixel resolution. The screen offers a refresh rate of 90Hz. Powering the device is MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC and has up to 256GB of RAM. The handset runs on Vivo’s Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 12 operating system. As mentioned above, Vivo V25 5G packs up to 12GB RAM. The smartphone comes with Extended RAM 3.0 feature to use up to 8GB of RAM. To perform camera duties, the handset features a triple camera system at the back. There is a 64MP main sensor (f/1.79 aperture) paired with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor (f/2.2 aperture) and a 2MP macro sensor (f/2.4 aperture). At the front, the handset boasts of a 50MP Eye AF selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. There is a dedicated Vlog Mode on Vivo V25 5G. The device is backed by a 4,500mAh battery. It offers up to 44watt fast charging support. Vivo V25 5G is also a colour changing phone. Its rear panel changes colour when exposed to sunlight. Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v5.2, GPS, and a USB Type-C port are the connectivity features on the phone. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/technology/gadgets/vivo-v25-5g-debuts-in-india-with-50mp-selfie-camera-details-inside/amp-11663232654044.html

Adobe announced Thursday that it will acquire design software firm Figma in a deal worth about $20 billion in cash and stock. Shares of Adobe sank 17%, their biggest plunge since 2010. Figma, founded in 2012, creates cloud-based design software that allows teams to collaborate in real time. It competes head-to-head with Adobe's XD program. The company was valued at $10 billion in its last funding round in 2021. Figma, whose backers include the likes of Index Ventures, Greylock Partners and Kleiner Perkins, is expected to generate more than $400 million in annual recurring revenue this year, sources familiar with the company's financials previously told CNBC. Adobe confirmed Figma's ARR will surpass $400 million exiting 2022. That means Adobe is paying in the neighborhood of 50 times revenue at a time when sales multiples for cloud software are contracting dramatically from their record highs reached last year. For the top cloud companies in the BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud Index, forward multiples have fallen to just over 9 times revenue from about 25 in February 2021. Adobe said it will integrate some of the features from its other products, such as illustration, photography and video technology, into Figma's platform. Adobe sells a range of software services for photo and video professionals, like Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and more. "Adobe's greatness has been rooted in our ability to create new categories and deliver cutting-edge technologies through organic innovation and inorganic acquisitions," said Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. "The combination of Adobe and Figma is transformational and will accelerate our vision for collaborative creativity." Once the deal closes, Figma co-founder and CEO Dylan Field will continue to run the company. He'll report to David Wadhwani, president of Adobe's digital media business. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/09/15/adobe-to-acquire-design-platform-figma-for-20-billion.html

PC graphics card manufacturer EVGA has announced that it will terminate making all GPU hardware at the end of this current hardware generation, following a large-scale falling out with GPU tech titan Nvidia. In a move that is likely to have significant repercussions across the PC gaming hardware industry, EVGA isn’t just dropping Nvidia - it also has no plans to move into creating GPUs with either AMD or Intel, Nvidia’s two key rivals. Instead, the company, which is well-known for making high-quality cards at reasonable prices, will quit the GPU business entirely. The news was delivered today by a small number of hardware specialist media in various detailed reports, the best of which can be found over at the brilliant GamersNexus on YouTube (and embedded below). These outlets were directly briefed by EVGA, which confirmed that despite building prototype and test cards based on Nvidia’s upcoming 40-series GPUs, it wouldn’t be proceeding with those products - or any further Nvidia products. For EVGA, this is a major decision. Though EVGA makes other products including Power Supplies, GamersNexus reports that over 70% of the company’s revenue comes from its GPU department - a market that the business now seeks to leave entirely. This also might be painful for Nvidia, as EVGA represents a significant percentage of Nvidia GPU sales worldwide - but that gap may simply be filled by other partners. For whatever reason, EVGA isn’t interested in engineering GPUs with AMD or Intel technology - and so it is stepping away. Despite this, and despite how many staff will no longer have relevant skills to the brand, top-level EVGA executives say they have no intention to make staff cuts. All of this comes at a particularly interesting and difficult time in the PC hardware market, especially around GPUs. Over the last couple of years and throughout the pandemic GPU demand rocketed thanks to a combination of demand for gaming hardware and the crypto craze. This led to soaring prices and low availability - which caused GPU manufacturers to up their game and boost their output. Then, predictably, the bottom fell out. As cryptocurrency values slid, miners sold off their old cards and demand slumped - which led to many hardware companies taking a bath, left sitting on huge excess inventory. A shortage turned into a surplus practically overnight. Nvidia ended up missing its revenue projections by a huge amount. This is the position we’re in now, on the cusp of a new generation in the form of the 40-series, but with excess 30-series products clogging up the supply chain. https://www.vg247.com/nvidia-evga-divorce-gpu-40-series-geforce-cards-discontinued

Beijing wants to become less dependent on the west and especially on its technology. But how realistic is this self-sufficiency goal in a connected world? Tianjin Saixiang’s “nanoknife” may be a form of precision surgery, but it is indicative of a broad trend that is reshaping China’s economic relationship with the rest of the world. Made by a little-known Chinese company, it is designed to target prostate cancer without invasive surgery. Tianjin Saixiang was given the official imprimatur of “little giant” in 2020, meaning it qualifies for preferential treatment in return for helping China to climb the technology ladder. According to an executive at the company, who declined to be named, this Chinese version of a cutting-edge treatment is part of a drive to reduce the need for imported medical technologies. The government “requires local hospitals to, where possible, replace foreign medical equipment with domestic ones,” says the executive. “That is a boon for us.” This month, Xi Jinping gave a speech about the urgent need for breakthroughs in domestic technology in order to outcompete the west and bolster national security. The experience of Tianjin Saixiang is one small example of the scale of the Chinese leader’s ambition. Under Xi who appears all but certain to secure another term in power next month China is seeking to become a state-led and self-sufficient techno-superpower that will no longer rely so much on the west. The underlying objective, say analysts, is to build a “fortress China” re-engineering the world’s second-largest economy so it can run on internal energies and, if the need arises, withstand a military conflict. While many in the US want to “decouple” their economy from China, Beijing wants to become less dependent on the west and especially on its technology. The strategy has several constituent parts and if successful will take several years to realise, the analysts say. In technology, the aim is to spur domestic innovation and localise strategic aspects of the supply chain. In energy, the objective is to boost the deployment of renewables and reduce reliance on seaborne oil and gas. In food, the path to greater self-reliance includes revitalising the local seed industry. In finance, the imperative is to counter the potential weaponisation of the US dollar. Such changes represent a clear challenge for many multinational companies, some of which derive the lion’s share of their global growth from China’s market. China’s self-sufficiency drive has been building for a number of years but has been accelerated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent western sanctions on Moscow. Many of the changes being signalled as China prepares to host the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist party in mid-October have been foreshadowed or in train for some time. But the party congress appears likely to reaffirm and accelerate the pace of several such developments. Xi’s remarks as he presided this month over a meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, one of the party bodies he uses to rule China, set out a clear vision for technology. https://www.ft.com/content/0496b125-7760-41ba-8895-8358a7f24685

Days after a man was reportedly involved in an incident where a dog drowned at a St Michael beach, an animal rights advocate is appealing to authorities to strengthen animal protection laws. Days after a man was reportedly involved in an incident where a dog drowned at a St Michael beach, an animal rights advocate is appealing to authorities to strengthen animal protection laws. Monique Archer also wants the law courts to inflict harsher penalties on those found guilty of starving animals, treating them badly and in some cases, even killing them. Archer, who specialises in horse welfare, has identified cruelty to animals as a major concern which should receive immediate attention from Government and other authorities. In an interview with Barbados TODAY, the trustee of the ten-year-old Human Organisation for the Relief of Suffering Equines (HORSE), a registered charity, which rescues and rehabilitates horses, said action must be taken to address the inhumane way animals are treated in Barbados, considering that visitors to the island are now questioning why it is being allowed to happen. “What we have been dealing with in recent years is when the vets and volunteers turn up to rescue animals, people are willing to pull guns or knives on these people. It’s now getting to the stage where almost every time we have to take a police escort with us. “And what people may not realise is that actually one of the most serious criminal offences in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is if you threaten or try to prevent someone that is legally authorised to help in looking after animals and checking out these situations,” she said. Police are continuing investigations into a viral video circulating online showing a dying dog on Pebbles Beach on Tuesday. A man is said to be assisting police with the probe, but no charges have been laid. One witness, Lavern Beresford, who was at the scene told Barbados TODAY that a man was seen ill treating the dog in the water, before dragging, then lifting the limp body of the animal onto the shore as persons on the beach pleaded with him. Archer said she recently received a call regarding two horses being kept in poor condition, and when she and police officers responded to investigate the complaint, one of the animals had died and the other was “just bones”. “Not all of them are serious abuse cases, in some cases it could be an injury that’s not being treated properly and someone sees it and they are concerned. We then bring our vets the information, they would go and inspect it, help the owner. Some are very dire, some have to be euthanized on the spot sadly because they are so critical. “The last one that we got we managed to put it basically in a foster home to feed it and try and bring that horse back to good health. But it’s a big problem. In years of drought we can get 20 to 25 calls in a month easily when there is no water and it is fairly hot,” she said. https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/09/16/harsher-penalties-for-animal-cruelty-needed/

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Guterres promised to address the many challenging issues facing the planet, in his speech next week to the General Assembly, which will also contain concrete recommendations for lasting solutions, and a call to action. The UN chief began by recalling the devastation he witnessed on his recent trip to flood-hit Pakistan, which he described as a window into a “future of permanent and ubiquitous climate chaos on an unimaginable scale”. Mr. Guterres, who is from Portugal, noted that the flooding covers an area three times the size of his homeland. In typically uncompromising language, he lambasted the global response to the climate crisis as inadequate, unjust and, at its heart, a betrayal. “Whether it’s Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, small islands or Least Developed Countries, the world’s most vulnerable – who did nothing to cause this crisis – are paying a horrific price for decades of intransigence by big emitters”. Targeting the leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations, the UN chief reminded them that they are responsible for the vast majority of climate-related emissions and, even though they are also heavily impacted by record droughts, fires and floods, climate action in response, appears to be on life-support. He wondered aloud if the reaction would be different if one third of G20 countries, rather than Pakistan, were currently underwater. All countries need to cut emissions every year - with the G20, as the leading emitters, leading the way, Mr. Guterres told correspondents in New York - until the global temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Returning to the example of Pakistan, Mr. Guterres insisted that the country, and other climate hotspots, need flood-resilient infrastructure now, arguing that at least half of all climate finance, must go to adaptation and climate resilience. That funding, he said, must come from the leading economies. “Lower the temperature now”, he said. “Don’t flood the world today; don’t drown it tomorrow.” https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1126601

Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: Techno Gamerz Name of the game: Roblox Link video: Rate this video 1-10: -

Intel is working on making its Thunderbolt technology support a throughput of 80Gbps. That would put it on par with the upcoming USB4 Version 2.0 specification and double the throughput of today's Thunderbolt 4. Intel showed a video of the "first test system" using a Thunderbolt connection running at 80Gbps today, Tom's Hardware reported from the Intel Development Center in Haifa, Israel. The demo was not live, and the company didn't provide a name or release date for the next generation of Thunderbolt, so we expect it to be a while before consumers start seeing this kind of performance in products. The Thunderbolt connection reportedly hit 80Gbps by use of two Thunderbolt lanes, with each one running at 40Gbps. With USB-C becoming increasingly po[CENSORED]r among gadgets and some countries considering, pushing for, or issuing USB-C mandates for electronics, it's not surprising to hear that the demo ran over the slim connector. That's all we know about Intel's 80Gbps Thunderbolt, but the USB-IF has said that USB4 Version 2.0 will double the throughput of USB4 by using a new physical layer architecture. USB4 Version 2.0's 80Gbps operation is supposed to work over upcoming 80Gbps active USB-C cables, as well as 40Gbps passive USB-C cables that you can buy today. USB-C technologies' boost to 80Gbps could be a boon for users with extreme needs, bringing the potential to boost performance with things like external storage, eGPUs, and high-resolution monitors. We'll stay tuned for any further Thunderbolt developments, and we should learn more about how USB4 Version 2.0 operates at 80Gbps in November, when the USB-IF publishes the spec. https://www.google.com/amp/s/arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/thunderbolt-hits-80gbps-in-demo-equaling-usb4-version-2-0-speeds/%3famp=1

Unity Software Inc (NYSE: U) shares are trading lower Tuesday after AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ: APP) announced that it doesn't intend to submit another proposal to combine with the company. Furthermore, Applovin has withdrawn its previous proposal. AppLovin said it saw potential in combining its business model and machine-learning capabilities with Unity's Create platform. However, following careful consideration, AppLovin has concluded that its current path is better for its shareholders. AppLovin said it will move forward with the intention of continuing to gain market share and expand its platform. "Our experienced and dedicated team will continue to focus on what we can control, including continual improvements to our products and technology and expanding into newer high-growth markets," said Adam Foroughi, co-founder and CEO of AppLovin. AppLovin is a mobile app technology company. Unity provides a software platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D content. Unity shares are also trading lower amid overall market weakness after the CPI inflation reading came in above economist estimates. Related Link: August Inflation Number Comes In Higher Than Expected, Triggering Bearish Market Reaction: What Investors Need To Know U Price Action: Unity has a 52-week high of $144.69 and a 52-week low of $29.09. The stock was down 7.47% at $39.12 at time of publication, according to Benzinga Pro. https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.uk.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/why-unity-software-stock-is-falling-today-2749501%3fampMode=1

We're here at the Intel Development Center (IDC) in Haifa, Israel, for the second day of the company's Technology Tour 2022, where the company is sharing new information about its latest products. Today the company showed a live video of the first test system to run with an 80 Gbps Thunderbolt connection, but it stopped short of naming the new interface. Intel didn't share many details, but the demo consisted of dual Thunderbolt lanes, with each running at 40 Gbps (for a total of 80 Gbps). That's twice the performance of Thunderbolt 4, which tops out at 40 Gbps in aggregate. The 80 Gbps connection ran across a USB-C cable. Intel didn't announce a name for the faster interface or mention when it will come to market. For now, all we know is that it will double the speed of the existing Thunderbolt 4 connection. Thunderbolt 4 currently leverages the USB 4 version 1.0 specification, and the new version of Thunderbolt employs the increased throughput of the USB 4 version 2.0 spec announced earlier this month. Intel tells us that it hasn't committed to a naming scheme for the 80 Gbps Thunderbolt interface yet. Given the USB 4 'version 2.0' branding scheme, it's possible that Intel could brand this as Thunderbolt 4 version 2 or use some other type of designation for an incremental update. Intel could also name it Thunderbolt 5, but that feels unlikely. Intel's IDC in Haifa is responsible for all things Thunderbolt and USB at Intel, as shown in the above slide. That remit includes product definition, hardware, software design and validation, high volume manufacturing (HVM), and productization. The group also supports the ecosystem and runs nine facilities worldwide that test and certify Thunderbolt products. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-shows-first-thunderbolt-80-gbps-demo-with-two-links

Russia has covertly given at least $300 million to political parties, officials and politicians in more than two dozen countries since 2014, and plans to transfer hundreds of millions more, with the goal of exerting political influence and swaying elections, according to a State Department summary of a recent U.S. intelligence review. Russia has probably given even more that has gone undetected, the document said. “The Kremlin and its proxies have transferred these funds in an effort to shape foreign political environments in Moscow’s favor,” the document said. It added, “The United States will use official liaison channels with targeted countries to share still classified information about Russian activities targeting their political environments.” The State Department document was sent as a cable to American embassies around the world on Monday to summarize talking points for U.S. diplomats in conversations with foreign officials. Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that the findings on Russia were the result of work by U.S. intelligence agencies. He added that Russian election meddling was “an assault on sovereignty,” similar to Russia’s war on Ukraine. “In order to fight this, in many ways we have to put a spotlight on it,” he said. The State Department cable and release of some of the intelligence findings amount to an initial effort by the Biden administration to use intelligence material to expose the scope of Russian interference in global political processes and elections, and to rally other nations to help combat it. U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Donald J. Trump, the Republican candidate who defeated Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. Its methods included the use of cyberoperations to spread online disinformation. U.S. intelligence officials also found that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia authorized a campaign to try to hurt the candidacy of Joseph R. Biden Jr. when he ran for office against Mr. Trump in 2020. The new document says that a range of Russian agencies and individuals carry out the global operations, including the Federal Security Service and other security agencies, as well as business figures. The document named two men, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Aleksandr Babakov, both close associates of Mr. Putin, as involved in the influence or interference campaigns. In April, the Justice Department charged Mr. Babakov, who is also a Russian lawmaker, and two other Russian citizens with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and conspiring to commit visa fraud while running an “international foreign influence and disinformation network to advance the interests of Russia.” The Russians pay in cash, cryptocurrency, electronic funds transfers and lavish gifts, the document said. They move the money through a wide range of institutions to shield the origins of the financing, a practice called using cutouts. Those institutions include foundations, think tanks, organized crime groups, political consultancies, shell companies and Russian state-owned enterprises. The money is also given secretly through Russian Embassy accounts and resources, the document said. In one Asian country, the Russian ambassador gave millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate, the document said. U.S. agencies have also found that Russia has used false contracts and shell companies in several European countries in recent years to give money to political parties. “Some of Russia’s covert political financing methods are especially prevalent in certain parts of the world,” the document said. It added, “Russia has relied on state-owned enterprises and large firms to move funds covertly across a number of regions including Central America, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and on think tanks and foundations that are especially active across Europe.” As of last year, the document said, a Russian business figure was trying to use pro-Russian think tanks in Europe to support far-right nationalist parties. The document warned that in the coming months, Russia might use its “covert influence tool kit,” including secret political financing, across broad swaths of the globe to try to undermine the American-led sanctions on Russia and to “maintain its influence in these regions amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.” More Info: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/us/politics/russia-election-interference.amp.html

A kangaroo attacked a man in Redmond, Australia, and blocked emergency paramedics from getting to him in time, leading to his death – the first fatal attack by a kangaroo in Australia since 1936. The Western Australian Police Force released a statement saying that the 77-year-old man may have been keeping the wild kangaroo as a pet and that he sustained "serious injuries" on his property in western Australia, 250 miles southeast of Perth, before a relative found him and summoned emergency responders. Police were forced to shoot and kill the kangaroo after the animal prevented paramedics from reaching the injured man. Western gray kangaroos are common in Australia’s southwest. They weigh up to 119 pounds and stand 4 feet tall. Males can be aggressive, and in a fight they will use their short upper limbs to grapple with their opponent and lash out with their powerful clawed hind legs. A wild escape: Wolf briefly flees Ohio zoo habitat before being recaptured Too many bison or tourists?: Graphics profiles the bison of Yellowstone National Park “The kangaroo was posing an ongoing threat to emergency responders,” the police statement said. In part because of the delay, the man died at the scene. The coroner's office has not released an official cause of death. Permits allow some Australian citizens to have kangaroos on their property, but laws prohibit keeping Australian native fauna as pets. Tanya Irwin, who cares for macropods at the Native Animal Rescue service in Perth, said authorities rarely issue permits to keep kangaroos in western Australia. "This looks like it was an adult male and they become quite aggressive, and they don’t do well in captivity," Irwin said. "We don’t know what the situation was; if he was in pain or why he was being kept in captivity, and unfortunately ... they’re not a cute animal, they’re a wild animal." Death by kangaroo attacks are extremely rare; the last reported death was nearly a century ago. In 1936, William Cruickshank, 38, died in a hospital in Hillston in New South Wales state on the Australian east coast months after he had been attacked by a kangaroo. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/09/13/kangaroo-kills-man-blocks-medics-australia-death/10364378002/

Never-before-seen text messages show former Gov. Phil Bryant tried to shepherd a proposal to use welfare funds on the construction of a new volleyball stadium for retired NFL player Brett Favre – a project prosecutors have called a scheme to defraud the government. Bryant has previously denied any involvement with the project, which has emerged as the centerpiece of a massive criminal scandal in which prominent officials misspent or stole millions in welfare funds intended for the nation’s poorest residents. Text messages entered Monday into the state’s ongoing civil lawsuit over the welfare scandal reveal that former Gov. Phil Bryant pushed to make NFL legend Brett Favre’s volleyball idea a reality. The texts show that the then-governor even guided Favre on how to write a funding proposal so that it could be accepted by the Mississippi Department of Human Services – even after Bryant ousted the former welfare agency director John Davis for suspected fraud. “Just left Brett Favre,” Bryant texted nonprofit founder Nancy New in July of 2019, within weeks of Davis’ departure. “Can we help him with his project. We should meet soon to see how I can make sure we keep your projects on course.” When Favre asked Bryant how the new agency director might affect their plans to fund the volleyball stadium, Bryant assured him, “I will handle that… long story but had to make a change. But I will call Nancy and see what it will take,” according to the filing and a text Favre forwarded to New. The newly released texts, filed Monday by an attorney representing Nancy New’s nonprofit, show that Bryant, Favre, New, Davis and others worked together to channel at least $5 million of the state’s welfare funds to build a new volleyball stadium at University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre’s daughter played the sport. Favre received most of the credit for raising funds to construct the facility. Bryant has for years denied any close involvement in the steering of welfare funds to the volleyball stadium, though plans for the project even included naming the building after him, one text shows. New, a friend of Bryant’s wife Deborah, ran a nonprofit that was in charge of spending tens of millions of flexible federal welfare dollars outside of public view. What followed was the biggest public fraud case in state history, according to the state auditor’s office. Nonprofit leaders had misspent at least $77 million in funds that were supposed to help the needy, forensic auditors found. New pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts related to the scheme, and Davis awaits trial. But neither Bryant nor Favre have been charged with any crime. And while the state-of-the-art facility represents the single largest known fraudulent purchase within the scheme, according to one of the criminal defendant’s plea agreement, the state is not pursuing the matter in its ongoing civil complaint. Current Gov. Tate Reeves abruptly fired the attorney bringing the state’s case when he tried to subpoena documents related to the volleyball stadium. The messages also show that a separate $1.1 million welfare contract Favre received to promote the program – the subject of many national headlines – was simply a way to get more funding to the volleyball project. “I could record a few radio spots,” Favre texted New, according to the new filing. “…and whatever compensation could go to USM.” More Info: https://mississippitoday.org/2022/09/13/phil-bryant-brett-favre-welfare/

Happy Birthday!