FazzNoth

Today FM radio host Pamela Joyce has been targeted by vile trolls with a hand delivered letter attacking her appearance. The po[CENSORED]r presenter took to Twitter to share the note she received after a recent appearance on Ireland AM on Virgin Media television. She said: "They wouldn’t even spend the price of a postage stamp on me - it was hand delivered. This was the last excerpt in a letter I received today telling me how “horrible”, “cold” and “smug” I am. The perks of the job eh." The note read: “The state of you on Ireland AM last week, slouched on the sofa. You could have at least dressed appropriately. Maybe spend less time too gaming and sitting in front of screens and stop stuffing yourself.” “No surprise you are single. Any man in his right mind would run a mile from you… and keep running," it continued. It was signed: “Goodbye, Nine Former Listeners." Pamela's followers were quick to condemn the note and offer their support, including her Today FM colleague and radio legend Ian Dempsey who wrote: "They obviously haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you and knowing you. You’re a stand out talent with a capital T - rare these days. And it took 9 of them to come up with that load of absolute (sorry kids) Bollocks. One of them (team captain?) has great handwriting though!" https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/lifestyle/741717/today-fm-presenter-receives-vile-letter-slating-her-appearance-on-tv.html

Rick Lemieux looks forward to being a part of the annual winter carnival in the community. Lemieux is a member of Centre Culturel La Ronde and one of the three candidates for Bonhomme Carnaval mascot. The annual event runs until Feb. 19 The other two candidates are Cameron Grant and Jonathan St-Pierre. If Lemieux gets to wear the Bonhomme Carnaval costume, he looks forward to visiting schools and doing all the fun activities with the children, just like Bonhomme used to do when Lemieux was a kid. "I really can't wait to do that, to be a part of that," he says. As a child growing up in a French environment, Lemieux attended the carnival every year. He remembers it taking place at school, doing activities and having Bonhomme show up. Although it was a long time ago, he still has recollections of it, Lemieux says. He also went to the old St-Charles school where La Ronde is currently located. “It was such an exciting time,” he says. His two children also attended the same schools Lemieux did. For Lemieux and his wife Manon, who comes from a French family, it’s always been important to pass the French language and culture down to their children. “I love being a part of both the French community and the English community,” he says. “And it really served me well because, in my career as a police officer teaching DARE, I was able to go to the French schools and the English schools, so it gave me an advantage.” Lemieux, who has always wanted to be a police officer, was a constable for almost 20 years and worked part-time at Northern College before becoming the full-time Police Foundations co-ordinator at the college. He says he enjoyed his tenure working with the Timmins Police Services. Although he misses some parts of his job, such as his “platoon mates”, going to schools, investigating and helping victims, he loves his new job at the college. When he sees his students applying what they've learned in class, it gives him satisfaction and a great feeling of accomplishment. “I was able to teach them something and hopefully it’s something they can use in their lives to make good choices,” he says. “When my students succeed, it’s like I succeed.” Twice a week, he also teaches the DARE program in French at La Ronde and in English at the Timmins Learning Centre. Almost a decade ago, Lemieux released a series of videos on YouTube titled SMART Tips with Constable Rick. He also wrote two self-published children’s books called A Good Circle of Friends and The Bully and the Bystander. https://www.timminstoday.com/local-news/bonhomme-candidate-loves-being-a-part-of-french-and-english-communities-5035875

Real ones will remember the iconic Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House (which, if you haven’t seen it yet, get thee to Disney+ stat), where a teenager wins a fully tricked-out dream house with a built-in virtual assistant that ends up becoming slightly less virtual as the film progresses. In 1999, DCOM producers couldn’t have predicted that decades later, smart home technology would be ubiquitous, and not something reserved for incredibly lucky prize winners. Although technology can sometimes feel like both a blessing and a curse — nothing triggers my internal rage quite like Bluetooth connectivity problms — we can’t deny the convenience of voice-controlled thermostats or lightbulbs you can dim with your phone. But since outfitting your space with high-tech everything is an investment, I’ve whittled it down the genuinely life-changing upgrades that are actually worth the money. Ahead, scope out some personal faves that have taken my apartment to new, smart heights. More Information: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/techy-gadgets-transform-apartment-smart-192324893.html

https://www.ebuyer.com/gaming/next-gta-entry-in-active-development-steam-deck-hardware-previews-weekly-roundup/ As of late, we’ve been inundated with news of multi-billion dollar buy-outs from the industry’s biggest players. Microsoft forked over an industry-changing sum for Activision-Blizzard, while Sony snapped up Bungie shortly after. In comparison, it’s been a moderately calm week for gaming news, but we’ve got the two top stories to share. GRAND THEFT AUTO 6 IN ‘ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT’ Rockstar Games published a blog post which shed some much-needed light on the soon-to-be released next-gen version of Grand Theft Auto 5 for Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5 consoles. To quash the usual deluge of “GTA6 when?” spam in blog’s comment section, the tail-end of the blog contained Rockstar’s first public acknowledgement of Grand Theft Auto 6. Or the ‘next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series’, at least. “With the unprecedented longevity of GTAV, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered — and we are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.” How long will we have to wait? Anyone could’ve predicted Grand Theft Auto 6 was on the cards, it’s a foregone conclusion. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the 2nd best-selling game of all time, only bested by Minecraft. The original Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 release of Grand Theft Auto 5 was way back in 2013. By now, a sequel is well overdue. Fans have been clamouring for it and this tidbit of news should tide them over and curb wild rumours. If Rockstar is now open to talking about the existence of Grand Theft Auto 6, we’re hoping this means a trailer is soon approaching. Rockstar hasn’t shared any visual evidence alongside the brief quote, so it looks like we’ll be waiting a while longer yet. Based on Rockstar’s previous game reveals, there’s no doubt Grand Theft Auto 6 skips this year. A 2023, 2024 or even 2025 launch window is more likely – over 10 years between releases! This news continues 2022’s new trend of unceremoniously announcing games in blog posts. Blizzard, Crytek and EA all pulled the same tactic with their recent announcements. It’s a stark departure from flashy CGI teasers, cryptic alternate reality games and months of teases on social media. Do you prefer these no-nonsense announcements? STEAM DECK HARDWARE PREVIEWS Leading up to the Steam Deck’s launch later this month, the first in a series of product embargoes surrounding the portable gaming PC have lifted. The lucky few who’ve had access to near-final production units can now share their hands-on impressions. They’re only allowed to talk about the hardware, as Valve’s working on the software side of things right up until launch. However, it sounds as if the Steam Deck is “the most innovative gaming PC in 20 years”, according to LinusTechTips. We recommend checking out each reviewer’s coverage; GamersNexus delved deep into the Steam Deck’s thermal performance, and The Phawx helped demonstrated how much juice you can squish out of the portable device by fine-tuning ‘TDP’ values, as explained in our Best High-End Gaming Laptops of 2022 blog. While you’re at it, subscribe to Ebuyer’s YouTube channel too. PS4 performance in a portable form-factor What we’ve taken away most from the coverage is how performant the Steam Deck can be, under the right conditions. It uses a tailor-made AMD APU – powered by ZEN 2 CPU cores and RDNA 2 GPU cores – that’s blowing away any other iGPU on the market. It’s roughly comparable to a base-model PlayStation 4. In 2022, this might seem underwhelming, but the Steam deck rocks a 1280×800 resolution. It’s more than adequate on shrunk-down display and lets the Steam Deck punch way above its weight.

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 11 Huawei's 5G RAN portfolio has been ranked a leader for the third year in a row in GlobalData's recent H2 2021 report 5G RAN: Competitive Landscape Assessment.The report released every six months evaluates the competitive advantages of 5G RAN products from major RAN vendors. In the H2 2021 report, Huawei's product portfolio outclassed its competitors in all four criteria: radio unit portfolio breadth, baseband unit (BBU) capacity, ease of installation, and technological evolution, according to the statement issued by Huawei.According to the report, Huawei offers the largest variety of 5G radio products for deployment in different scenarios. The report also shows that the Huawei BBU5900 leads the pack in terms of BBU capacity, with the largest number of cells per unit volume, as well as industry-leading 400 MHz mmWave cell capability. The Huawei BBU5900 safeguards operators' return on investment and their ability to cope with future traffic growth.Ease of installation was another criteria, and Huawei's 5G RAN portfolio is already far ahead in terms of engineering and installation, including lightweight devices and compact form factors.Furthermore, Huawei provides a variety of innovative solutions to simplify 5G deployment. These include: a 19 kg 64T Massive MIMO AAU, which is light enough to be carried and installed by one person; a 10 kg 32T Massive MIMO AAU, which can be easily deployed in streets capacity scenario; and a Super BladeSite, which simplifies 5G deployment with its modular design, removing the need for equipment rooms and cabinets, according to Huawei.Finally, with regards to technological evolution, Huawei's innovations can be seen in a variety of different areas. For example, its Adaptive High Resolution (AHR) algorithm improves network capacity and user experience, its SingleCell solution makes good use of mid- and low-band spectrum, the CloudAIR and SuperBAND solutions enable efficient coordination between 4G and 5G networks for operators, and PowerStar 2.0 improves energy efficiency. Software innovation is also an important area of interest for Huawei. Moreover, Huawei was the first to propose new directions for 5.5G, with the aim of promoting sustainable development for 5G into the future, the statement further states."Huawei will continue to place its utmost focus upon user experience and industry demand. Through innovation, and in conjunction with partners around the world, Huawei hopes to take consumer experience to new heights and bring digital to all industries." https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/huawei-retains-leadership-in-5g-ran-portfolio

Dh2 Nice Song

Calgary Economic Development (CED) has announced its new president and CEO. Brad Parry will officially assume the role after serving as the interim president and CEO since July 2021. Parry joined the organization in 2019 as the vice-president of marketing and communications. "Brad has demonstrated tremendous vision and leadership since joining us and has helped instill a culture that is inclusive, collaborative and results-driven," said board chair Joe Lougheed in a news release. "Brad’s skillset and experience and his exemplary job as our interim CEO made him the clear choice for CED at this important time for our city." CED said Parry will guide the organization in its mission to advance economic growth and diversification. "Brad has a clear and cohesive plan to take us forward and we are excited for the future of our organization and Calgary," Lougheed said. Parry says he is humbled to be able to work with the organization. "Calgary’s future will be shaped by the insights and actions of Calgarians, and I am truly excited to get to play a part in charting that path forward with so many talented and inspirational people," he said. CED is a civic partner of the City of Calgary and is overseen by an independent board of directors. It works with businesses, governments, educators and community partners to try to position Calgary as a location of choice for business investment. https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-economic-development-appoints-brad-parry-as-president-and-ceo-1.5777721

In a forest in the west African nation of Gabon, a chimp researcher called Suzee plucks an insect from the air with a deft sweep of her hand. She kills the insect, but then rather than discarding it, applies its crushed body to a wound on the foot of Sia, her adolescent son. She's not the only one to do this. The same behaviour — applying a crushed insect to their own and others' wounds — is observed in the chimp group 22 times over 15 months. The researchers who documented the behaviour in Current Biology earlier this week weren't able to capture any of the insects to analyse, but hypothesise they perhaps contain a property that helps with wound recovery. If they're right, this is an example of animals practising a form of self-medication, also known as zoopharmacognosy. And it's not the only case we know about. Mosquitoes biting? Try a millipede What would you rather — being bitten by mosquitoes or rubbed all over with a millipede? For capuchin monkeys from South America, it seems the latter. Several studies have found different wild po[CENSORED]tions of South American capuchin monkeys and captive capuchin monkeys rub themselves with millipedes. The millipedes contain defensive chemicals, including benzoquinones, that have been shown to repel mosquitoes. The monkeys have been recorded applying the millipede treatment more often in the wet season when mosquitoes were more abundant, as well as sharing the same millipede around. In one study, when tissues soaked in benzoquinones were offered to captive monkeys, in the absence of any millipedes, they rubbed their bodies with the tissue and "drooled profusely", according to the lead researcher. While the hypothesis is that they use the compounds to repel mosquitoes, the problem, according to Bill Foley, who is an expert in the interactions between poisonous plants and animals, is in how we confirm these observations. "The problem with understanding medicinal plant usage has always been experimental confirmation," said Emeritus Professor Foley from the ANU. He says there is some evidence in easily controlled species like sheep that they can self-medicate, but that wild animals are much harder to study. "Obviously, there is little chance of experimental mani[CENSORED]tions in chimps!" https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/chimps-have-been-seen-treating-wounds-with-insects-theyre-not-the-only-animals-to-practice-medicine/ar-AATK6Jl?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Supply chain expected to remain a "restraining factor" in 2022. Geely’s Volvo Cars unit today reported record revenue and profit for full year 2021 despite “persistent component supply shortages”. Revenue rose to SEK282bn from SEK 262.8bn in 2020. Operating income was up to SEK20.3bn from SEK8.5 bn in Covid-19-affected 2020. Operating margin was 7.2% though the automaker did not provide a comparison. “”Despite persistent component supply shortages in the auto industry, we increased market share globally and delivered all time high revenue and profitability,” said CEO Hakan Samuelsson. However, preliminary data for the fourth quarter of last year showed revenue dipped 6% to SEK80.1bn. “Demand and order intake remained strong, but production was restrained,” Volvo said in a statement. “The negative effect of volumes was offset by strong price realisation and a shift towards high margin models. “On the other hand, the share of income in joint ventures and associates reduced operating income, primarily driven by strategic affiliates such as Polestar, where costs were incurred in their early development phase and a change in accounting treatment related to deferred tax assets.” Q4 2021 operating income was SEK3.7bn in the quarter and operating margin 4.6%. Excluding share of income from joint ventures and associates, EBIT margin was 7.1%. Sales volume in the fourth quarter fell 20% though electrified models remained po[CENSORED]r and those so called Recharge versions accounted for 34% of volume worldwide. Plug-ins accounted for 28% and BEVs 6%. “The share of fully electric cars as part of total sales will continue to grow as Volvo Cars increases the annual production capacity for fully electric cars to 150,000 cars after the summer and, for the full year 2022, the company expects that share to have more than doubled compared with the full year 2021,” the automaker said. “Looking ahead, uncertainty is still high. While the component shortage has eased somewhat, the supply chain is expected to remain a restraining factor. At the same time, Volvo Cars continues to see strong customer demand, and expects that electric cars will grow faster than the overall market. This should allow the company to continue growing sales volume in 2022.” https://www.just-auto.com/news/geelys-volvo-cars-books-record-revenue-and-profit-for-2021/

DailyObjects, the lifestyle accessories brand, has raised $2 million in a fresh funding round from early-stage venture capital firm Root Ventures. As the company announced in its statement, a significant part of the $2 million is going to be used to build a stronger design team and improve customer experiences. DailyObjects has been profitable for the last four years and the company said that its current revenue is more than Rs 60 crore. It has registered a 300 per cent growth in 2022 and is hoping to "touch Rs 100 crore revenue run rate in the next nine to 12 months." “As we look forward to scaling up the lifestyle products/accessories in India, we will be utilising the incoming funding to strengthen the team that has constantly innovated ahead of the curve. We are delighted with the trust and faith that Roots Ventures showed in us and are focused on taking the brand to the next level,” said Pankaj Garg, Co-Founder and CEO, DailyObjects. “DailyObjects has built strong in-house end-to-end capabilities, allowing it to anticipate consumer trends and launch products faster than competitors. Scaling up while focusing on quality is something that is hard to achieve, and Daily Objects has not only been profitable in the journey but has become a go-to name for the youth. With multiple product offerings under a single umbrella and its expansion across the world, we believe in the excitement that DailyObjects has brought in the D2C space. We are excited to be a part of their journey,” said, Japan Vyas, Managing Partner, Roots Ventures. Currently, DailyObjects has more than 500 craftsmen working on products for their more than 2 million customers globally and the plan is to scale this up to reach the next level of accessories for smartphones, laptops, smartwatches, home office, etc. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/lifestyle-accessories-brand-dailyobjects-raises-242-mn-from-roots-ventures/ar-AATJuOH?ocid=BingNewsSearch

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 10Pashupatinath temple will reopen for devotees tomorrow by adhering to health protocols put in place by the government.The local administration had placed a ban on worship, meditation or prayer in temples, monasteries, mosques, and churches on January 19 due to the growing risk of the new variant of COVID-19 (omicron). According to Pashupati Area Development Trust, only 50 devotees will be allowed in the core area of the temple at a time.Along with Pashupatinath temple, other shrines such as Guheshwari will also reopen tomorrow, informed the PADT. All other religious services, including special puja, hymn singing and other rituals had closed as per the decision of the local administration to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.Pashupatinath temple was also closed to devotees towards the last of March 2020, when the first wave of COV- ID-19 hit the country. The temple was reopened after nine months and devotees as well as temple authorities were made to adhere to health safety protocols against the deadly infection.Of late, the omicron variant of COVID-19 had become pervasive leading PADT to close the temple to devotees indefinitely.A version of this article appears in the print on February 11, 2022, of The Himalayan Times. https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/pashupatinath-temple-to-reopen-today

Happy Birthday @*Madalina* I wish you a beautiful day & a year full of happiness. God bless you.

No matter how you slice it, finding a gift for the home chef or foodie who has everything can be dicey. Good thing we have the vast internet and all of TikTok’s viral recommendations to keep up. Kitchen gadgets are all over the app, one more crazy and inventive than the next. So in an effort to stay with the times, the New York Post wanted to take a deep dive into the most unique, helpful and even silly selects from the web, compiling them all into this helpful article (or gift guide). That way the next time you’re shopping for the personal chef or foodie in your life, you’ll be able to gift them something fun and fast — and that you know they’ll love no matter what. From a strainer that makes draining pasta a breeze to an adorable strawberry slicer, we have rounded up some of the silliest kitchen gadgets that you won’t be able to live without from now on. Plus, these items are all available on Amazon to make shopping and shipping even easier. Link: https://nypost.com/article/amazon-kitchen-gadgets-and-unique-utensils/

As long as there's a recovery seed written down, a PIN and passphrase installed, it's theoretically impossible to hack the Trezor One, which debuted in 2014. Like all things, Trezor, a household name in the crypto community with over 1 million units sold, came from humble beginnings. The idea all started out in 2011 after a Bitcoin (BTC) conference in Prague, Czechia — which, by the way, was just voted the most beautiful city in the world in a Time Out magazine survey. Two crypto enthusiasts, Pavol "Stick" Rusnák and Marek "Slush" Palatinus, envisioned a small, single-purpose computer that would securely store users' Bitcoin private keys. In 2013, the two founded SatoshiLabs. The following year, the first-ever Trezor wallet — Trezor One — launched. Then came the Trezor Model T, which added a touchscreen to the device. Both are still found on the market worldwide, with their firmware patched each month or so. With the invention of seed recovery and passphrase protection, Trezor set the norm for the industry in terms of hardware wallet security. During an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Kristýna Mazánková, head of PR at SatoshiLabs, and Josef Tětek, Trezor's brand ambassador, discusses how Trezor still remains true to its goal of privacy and security after all these years. When asked about the vulnerability of their customers' data, they said: "We don't have any data on our customers [in our servers] because every 90 days, we wipe whatever is stored. So that's something that is super important to us because we understand that everything is theoretically hackable." They noted that, "When it comes to security, the key feature is it's a standalone physical device. It's not possible to hack it remotely. "If somebody were to get your hardware wallet, there is an additional layers of protection, such as the PIN code, which locks the device. Even if they were to get around that, there's always the recovery seed." Tětek then explained that it's still not the end of the world if hackers manage to find one's recovery seed, as the inclusion of a passphrase makes the recovery seed useless by itself. "If you have your Trezor setup, with a recovery seed written down and protected with both PIN and passcode, there's no way to hack the device at all," says Tětek. However, he warned: "Without the passphrase production, there is the possibility to read the seed from the device if you have very specialized equipment." When asked about just how on Earth a hacker managed to hack a Trezor wallet and recovered $2 million in 'lost' crypto in January, Mazánková and Tětek told Cointelegraph: "It was like a double coincidence that the owner didn't update their firmware for five years and didn't have a password set up. So I think the engineer conducted about 1,000 tries to make sure he didn't fry the chip before extracting it because if he had one mistake on the chip, he would fry the chip, and the wallet would become non-recoverable." Privacy and security aside, since the release of Model One and Model T, there have been additional features, such as doing everything on display, desktop, or web applications when connected. In addition, one can buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies directly to an address via Trezor Suite. This year Trezor is also focusing on integrating CoinJoin into its hardware wallet. Made possible by Bitcoin's Taproot upgrade last November, CoinJoin collates multiple Bitcoin transactions into a single arrangement to obfuscate who owns which coin afterward, thereby significiantly improving user privacy. Another major update on the table is being able to run one's own node directly from the Trezor Suite. https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-team-behind-the-world-s-first-hardware-wallet-says-it-s-still-thriving-after-8-years

ZILLIONe Technologies, Creative Software, and Enable Lanka Foundation commit to work alongside Microsoft to increase employability for people with disabilities The Microsoft Enabler Program is proving that with strong support and equal access to employment, Persons with Disabilities can contribute fully to economy and society. The program aims to pioneer disability-inclusive workplaces across the region by removing barriers for a more diverse workforce. It was piloted in Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand before it expanded to Sri Lanka in 2020. ZILLIONe Technologies and Creative Software were the opening employer partners in Sri Lanka while Enable Lanka Foundation was the preliminary non-profit organization (NPO). The trio will continue to work in collaboration with Microsoft to provide inclusive opportunities and digital skills to more Persons with Disabilities across the nation. “At ZILLIONe Technologies, we are doing our part to provide inclusive opportunity to Persons with Disabilities by helping them find meaningful employment,” said Sujan Suresh, Director, ZILLIONe Technologies. “We are excited to be a part of the Microsoft Enabler Program as this will allow us to create a steady pipeline for our talents with disability and future-proof our community.” “Sri Lanka even after ratifying the UNCRPD in 2016 still has the challenge of integrating the marginalized communities, especially Persons with Disabilities—socially, economically, culturally and attitudinally—into the rapidly expanding spectrum of development opportunities,” said Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, Co-founder of Enable Lanka Foundation, Sri Lanka. “There is a dire need for capacity building, community-based empowerment, and skill development in gearing the poor and the marginalized towards the aforementioned momentum of progress. Through the Microsoft Enabler program, we are trying to create greater awareness around disability inclusion and make companies/our partners embrace true diversity and inclusion and make Persons with Disabilities not only economically independent, but also learn to take control of their own lives and to become real change agents.” Enable Lanka Foundation is also helping a pool of potential candidates for vacancies within the two commercial partner companies. The NPO is helping the commercial partner learn about working with Persons with Disabilities and offering inputs on workplace modifications they may need to be an accessible employer. “Workplace inclusion is more than a token phrase at Creative. Our focus is purely on the skills and abilities that a person can bring to the workforce,” said Sushena Ranatunga, Director, Creative Software. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Microsoft and this much needed initiative with Enable Lanka Foundation.” Microsoft will provide industry-required training for Persons with Disabilities and a platform for NPOs and commercial partners to collaborate in creating more inclusive workplaces. It will also conduct workshops for the employer partners on inclusive design and assistive technologies enabled by AI on Microsoft Azure. “The Microsoft Enabler Program aims to increase employability prospects and skills of Persons with Disabilities living in Sri Lanka,” said Harsha Randeny, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka and Maldives. “Access to digital skills and employment opportunities must be given to every community and individual as we look to rebuild our economies. Many Persons with Disabilities need assistive technology but only a few of them have access, and this means many of them cannot fully participate in our economy and society. At Microsoft, we believe accessible technology and skilling can allow them to fully participate.” As a technology company, Microsoft recognizes the power of digital tools and solutions to reach and empower Persons with Disabilities. The company is encouraging developers and teams to come together, to create an ecosystem to build assistive tech and the Enabler program to enhance employability of Persons with Disabilities. Following the success of the Microsoft APAC AI for Accessibility Virtual Hackathon in 2021, Microsoft will be offering developers and teams another opportunity to harness the power of AI to help empower Persons with Disabilities. The APAC AI for Accessibility Hackathon 2022 will be open to business partners, developers, starters, and universities. The challenge will help to highlight the unique application of AI in assisting with the independence and productivity of Persons with Disabilities, utilizing technology to support their lives, enrich their experiences and ultimately help them to achieve their goals. To register or learn more about the APAC AI for Accessibility Hackathon, visit www.aka.ms/AccessibilityHackathon. The deadline for submission is 4 March 2022. http://bizenglish.adaderana.lk/microsoft-leads-charge-to-inspire-employment-diversity-in-sri-lanka/

Scotland Yard looking at decision not to investigate Downing Street event after photo emerged of PM and bottle of bubbly The Met Police has said it will review its decision not to investigate a quiz held in Downing Street after a picture emerged on Wednesday afternoon of Boris Johnson at the Christmas event. As the Prime Minister clashed with Sir Keir Starmer, a new image, published by the Mirror, showed Mr Johnson flanked by three members of staff. An open bottle of champagne is seen at the event allegedly held on December 15, 2020, the paper reported. Scotland Yard had previously assessed that the event did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation. The Prime Minister was drawn on the picture by Labour MP Fabian Hamilton at PMQs, who asked Mr Johnson to refer the event to the police The Prime Minister said: “I understand very much his feelings. But in what he has just said, I’m afraid he is completely in error.” Meanwhile, the Met Police said detectives investigating possible breaches of Covid regulations in Downing Street and Whitehall would be contacting alleged attendees by the end of the week under an inquiry named Operatin Hillman. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-politics-latest-news-watch-pmqs-today-boris-johnson-downing-street-keir-starmer-savile-b981524.html?itm_source=Internal&itm_channel=section_banner&itm_campaign=breaking-news-ticker&itm_content=1

Potter League For Animals, CoyoteSmarts, and West Place Animal Sancuary Newport County groups win share of nearly $500,000 in grants for animal welfare programs The Rhode Island Foundation today announced that three Newport County groups are among the animal welfare programs that will share nearly $500,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation. The funding will support a range of uses including low-cost vet care for pets of low-income households, preparing animals for adoption, and wildlife rehabilitation. “The generosity of our donors and the commitment of our grantee partners is expanding humane education, increasing care options for shelter animals and pets owned by low-income households, and improving the quality of animal care in Rhode Island,” said Adrian Bonéy, who oversees the Foundation’s Program for Animal Welfare (PAW) in a statement. “Their work is producing innovation, new approaches to animal welfare and increasing the number of animals receiving direct care across Rhode Island.” PAW funds organizations that promote and provide humane treatment of animals or work more generally on the welfare of animals. Grants are for projects or programs that have a positive impact locally or statewide on animal care, education about the humane treatment of animals and animal welfare in general. Thirteen special funds at the Foundation relate to the humane treatment and protection of animals. Collectively, these funds enable the Foundation to take a leading role on animal welfare issues. Potter League For Animals The single largest recipient is the Potter League for Animals in Middletown, which received a total of $100,000. The grants include $20,000 to support veterinary care at its Animal Resource and Adoption Center in Middletown; $10,000 for humane education programming in Newport County, $30,000 to subsidize surgeries and transportation at its Spay and Neuter Clinic and $40,000 to purchase medical supplies for its Pets In Need clinic. The facilities provide services, including veterinary care focused on pet owners with low incomes, including people receiving public assistance, residents of subsidized housing, and people who are unsheltered. https://whatsupnewp.com/2022/02/three-newport-county-groups-awarded-grants-to-support-animal-welfare-programs/

Faraday Future hasn’t made a delivery yet, but it sees a “high volume production” model in 2024. EV sales on a global basis are growing fast. And Volvo is sounding a bit like Tesla with “mega casting” for EVs. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Volvo has announced that it’s adopting a “mega casting” method for making electric vehicles, helping to boost efficiency and sustainability and make better use of interior space. It’s part of a revamp for its largest plant, in Sweden, as it pivots toward EVs—and yes, it appears to align closely with what Tesla has pioneered for volume production in the Model Y. The future of Faraday Future took yet another interesting turn yesterday, with the announcement that the South Korean auto parts supplier Myoung Shin is under contract to assemble Faraday’s somewhat smaller, “luxury mass-market electric vehicle,” the FF 81. It claims it will reach “high volume production” in 2024. The facility is a former GM plant originally opened to make the Daewoo Nubira, and recently on deck to make the first vehicle from another troubled EV startup—Byton. And according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electric vehicle sales (BEVs plus plug-in hybrids) rose to about 9% in 2021. That amounts to double the EV sales of 2020, and triple those of 2019. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1135035_volvo-mega-casting-faraday-future-mass-market-ev-global-plug-in-sales-today-s-car-news

Benjamin Coria, the band director at San Gabriel High School, says dealing with family issues and trying to figure out a way to separate work from his home environment, while raising two kids, has been challenging.(Heidi de Marco / KHN) By Elvia Limón, Laura Blasey and Amy Hubbard Hello, it’s Thursday, Feb. 10, and before we turn to the top of the news, here’s a weather report: It’s warm. In our outdoors newsletter the Wild, Mary Forgione noted the early blooms bursting out on the evergreen pear trees in L.A. neighborhoods. They’re making it feel like spring, she said. Well, spring’s over and now it’s summer. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, warning of temperatures from 85 to 90 degrees. Part of the reason for the rare wintertime advisory is for the sake of Super Bowl visitors, said an NWS meteorologist. They might not be prepared to swelter in Southern California in February. (If you want honest views and news about climate change, by the way, read our Boiling Point newsletter by the tireless Sammy Roth.) Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 20 degrees above average through Sunday. Meanwhile, it’s been a bone-dry February. The good news: Forecasters say cooler temperatures should return after this weekend, with a possibility of rain. We’ll keep our fingers crossed. TOP STORIES New threat to COVID-era education: Black and Latino teachers are leaving California schools serving low-income students have taken hits during the pandemic. Now, teachers of color are exiting at higher rates than white teachers. Amid the pandemic’s toxic brew of death, illness and classroom disruption, these departures have created another strain for students. Studies have shown that teachers of color improve educational outcomes for students of the same background. But Black and Latino teachers tend to have shorter teaching careers than their white colleagues due to a lack of support and poor working conditions. The Los Angeles Unified School District has been especially concerned about Black educators. The Board of Education has passed a resolution calling on the superintendent “to take all necessary steps,” including developing a strategic plan, to recruit, develop and retain Black teachers. More top coronavirus headlines Anticipating that thousands of Los Angeles Unified students may not be vaccinated when the district mandate kicks in this fall, educators are preparing a significant expansion of online learning options. Most of the San Francisco Bay Area will lift local indoor mask rules next week. Can you get long COVID after an infection with the Omicron variant? It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to suffer long-term effects from Omicron. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state would end a COVID-19 mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings but would keep masking rules in schools for now. Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/newsletter/2022-02-10/black-latino-teachers-exiting-todays-headlines-newsletters-todays-headlines

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