Wearable Devices Ltd. ( NASDAQ:WLDS – Get Free Report ) saw a significant drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 58,100 shares, a drop of 50.6% from the November 30th total of 117,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 621,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Approximately 3.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Wearable Devices Stock Performance Shares of Wearable Devices stock opened at $1.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $2.17 and a 200-day moving average of $5.62. Wearable Devices has a 52-week low of $1.32 and a 52-week high of $16.00. Wearable Devices Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Wearable Devices Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wearable Devices and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Celebrating the Festive Season with PU Prime's Christmas Promotion
PULLMAN — In his third full season as Washington State’s head coach, Jake Dickert has established a way to try to retain as much of his roster as he can. After the season, he meets one-on-one with each player to talk about their strengths, their weaknesses. Dickert asks for feedback on other coaches, himself, on the program at large. “I love those times,” Dickert said. “But unfortunately, there is now an extreme business side of those conversations. Trust me, I’ve been Zooming and communicating with families because I think the one thing the second parties are doing is really getting the families — maybe over the kids nowadays.” By second parties , Dickert means ambassadors from other programs, who check out the Cougars’ program and look for players to pry away with lucrative NIL offers. As the head honcho of a program that often finds itself behind on the NIL front, at least relative to the power players in today’s college football ecosystem, Dickert has not been coy about his feelings about losing his guys to bigger programs. When the transfer portal officially opens on Monday, Dickert is expecting to lose 15-20 players, he said. Some will be walk-ons who are figuring out their next move, he said, and others will be players buried on the depth chart who could get on the field sooner elsewhere. Still others, Dickert said, will be players who are “offered large sums of money.” The Cougs have already lost one player, true freshman running back Wayshawn Parker, who announced Thursday he’s entering the portal. “It’s tough. It’s really tough,” Dickert said. “We show them why they should be here. We show them our developmental process. We build those relationships. But it’s just tough at the end of the day, when you find a kid, you offer them, you’re the only big school to do that. Once you develop them, people come down and do some things with that. “So we’re just in a weird place at college football. It’s not just happening to us. It’s happening all the way around the country, and at some point we gotta get some real guardrails on building teams, because from a general manager standpoint, you never know who’s gonna be coming and going that year, and the position group could be decimated.” Will QB John Mateer be one of the players the Cougars lose to the portal? It’s certainly at the top of the mind of Dickert and the entire program. Mateer practiced as usual on Friday, the first day of the Cougs’ bowl practices. Earlier this week, former WSU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle took the same job at Oklahoma, an SEC power with the kind of NIL muscle to lure players away. Could Arbuckle bring Mateer with him? The Cougars are doing everything they can to prevent that and hang on to Mateer, who finished the regular season leading the country with 44 total touchdowns, 29 through the air and 15 on the ground. Dickert said his recent conversations with Mateer have been “really good,” adding that the team is putting together a “package” for Mateer, likely indicating collaboration with WSU’s NIL team, the Cougar Collective. “We’ve done an amazing job of putting together a package for John that I think is fair, and he knows his value here,” Dickert said. “He knows how much he’s loved. I think it really means something for him to be here. I don’t take that for granted. I also take a step back and wanna mentor him, wanna help him, wanna navigate him through this. The talks have been really, really positive, and we’ll continue to navigate that as they go.” WSU is currently operating without an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. Earlier on Monday, before Arbuckle’s departure became official, WSU announced that defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding had been fired. That leaves the Cougs without any coordinators for their upcoming bowl game, which will likely be the Holiday Bowl in San Diego or the Las Vegas Bowl, both of which are set for Dec. 27. In those coaches’ absence, the defensive-minded Dickert will call plays on defense, and quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski will call plays on offense. Kuceyeski does have experience as an OC, working that role at Eastern Illinois from 2019-2021, and he previously worked as director of player personnel at Western Kentucky, where he overlapped with Arbuckle. “He’s worked with John all year,” Dickert said. “I think they’re in good sync, good rhythm. Love what he has done in-series, in-game, when he was helping Coach Arbuckle. I think he’s got that vision, and he’s coordinated before, so excited about those responsibilities.” But Dickert also needs to find full-time OC and DC replacements. For those roles, he said, he has interviews set up for this weekend with in-house and external candidates. Dickert offered no potential timeline on those decisions, saying he “won’t be in a hurry.” “Just when it’s right,” Dickert said. “Got a bunch of interest for this job. I think that’s the cool part when things happen — this isn’t just people that need jobs. It’s people that understand what we’ve done here, how we’ve done it on both sides of the ball, the culture that we’ve built here, and I think that’s really important. So I’m excited about those guys, and we’ll find the right pieces for our staff.”
Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu National News | NORAD’s Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Lee Hamilton can still remember the political environment in 1976. The Vietnam War had just ended. Washington was still reeling from Watergate. Inflation and unemployment were rising. It was against this backdrop that Hamilton, then a Democratic Congressman representing southeastern Indiana, first met Jimmy Carter. “He captured the mood of the country,” Hamilton said. “His down-home approach to things, played up the fact that he was from Plains, Georgia.” At the time, Hamilton had already served in Congress since 1965. He had been on the House Foreign Affairs Committee from the beginning and was the chair of the Europe and the Middle East subcommittee. Hamilton said Carter brought a different mentality from his predecessors. He was deeply analytical and thoroughly studied whatever topic was presented to him. “You had to know what you were doing,” Hamilton said of working with him. “If you were invited to the White House to talk to the president, you had to do your homework before you went into the office. If you didn’t, you were very quickly isolated.” Although Hamilton spent little time working with Carter on legislation and was not especially close to him, his committee assignment gave him a front row seat to the foreign policy problems facing the 39th president. He said he worked quite closely with Carter on the Arab-Israeli peace talks that ultimately led to the Camp David Accords. “He had a very visceral feeling toward the Palestinians,” Hamilton said. “It kind of switched the dynamics of Washington because Washington has always been identified as having strong ties with Israel.” Hamilton said Carter’s analytical mind was both his greatest strength and his Achilles heel. He said Carter’s patience was limited, especially for people who were not as well-versed in a particular policy issue or with whom he disagreed. That limited his efficacy at the day-to-day give and take of governance. “He was good at identifying the problem, explaining the problem, articulating the problem,” Hamilton said, “but he had a hard time getting people to come along with him and he had a hard time understanding them.” Carter was out of office from January 20, 1981 until his death on Sunday, the longest post-presidency of any chief executive in U.S. history. Hamilton said Carter redefined what it meant to be an ex-president. “He knew an ex-president had a platform and he exploited that and did it skillfully,” Hamilton said. “His predecessors and successors much less so. They did it to some degree but not like he did. He really made it an art form.” Although Carter’s time on the national political stage was brief, Hamilton said he made several profound changes to policy that impacted all of his successors. He said Carter was the first president to spend a significant amount of time on environmental and energy policy. Perhaps most importantly, Hamilton said Carter was the first president to incorporate human rights into American foreign policy. He said every American president since has addressed human rights in some way in their doctrine. “He made human rights a major plank in American foreign policy. That’s not going to change and Jimmy Carter deserves credit for that,” Hamilton said.HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans didn’t need to see what Baltimore’s Derrick Henry is doing this season to be reminded of just how dangerous he can be. He ran all over the Texans for years while playing in the AFC South for the Tennessee Titans. Henry and the Ravens (10-5) visit AFC South champion Houston (9-6) on Wednesday, looking for a win to keep their AFC North title chances alive. Baltimore has clinched a playoff berth for a third straight season but needs wins in its last two games and one loss by the Steelers to capture the division. Henry, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,636 yards rushing, has had some of his greatest success against the Texans. Four of the 30-year-old’s six career 200-yard rushing games have been against Houston, including a career-high 250 in the season finale in the 2020 season to surpass 2,000 yards. “You talk about fast, explosive, physical — he’s looking probably the best he’s looked in his career,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s found that fountain of youth ... he’s a great player. It’s fun to see guys rebound and bounce back the way that he’s done this year.” Dealing with Henry along with all the challenges that quarterback Lamar Jackson presents makes the top-ranked Ravens one of Houston’s more difficult matchups. “You talk about MVP, (Jackson’s) definitely the MVP in my mind just for what he’s doing not only in the run game but also throwing the football,” Ryans said. “The accuracy, the decision-making, like, he’s playing unbelievable ball right now, so it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us this week.” Another challenge for the Texans is moving on after Tank Dell sustained a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Kansas City. His injury is another blow to a receiving group that already was without star Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in Week 8. “The position we’re in, it’s not a lot of times where you can sulk in your feelings for very long,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “You’ve got to just keep rolling. I think that’s a testament to just life in general. Everybody has stuff on their plate. Everybody is going through something. And just because we’re in this position, doesn’t mean you get to feel sorry for yourself.” Houston will rely on Stroud to keep the passing game rolling despite the loss of Dell, who ranks second on the team with 667 yards receiving. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with Stroud’s growth in Year 2 and knows that dealing with him will be difficult for his team, which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 254.9 yards passing a game. “He’s just a supertalented guy... he’s surrounded with some good weapons, and he gets the ball out quick,” Harbaugh said. “He handles pressure well, he can move, he’s athletic, scrambles and makes plays.” Jackson is a big fan of Beyoncé, though he didn’t know the title of his favorite song of hers, saying it was “To the left,” which is just the first lines of her hit “Irreplaceable.” And he doesn’t think playing in Wednesday’s game should stop him from seeing her halftime show on Christmas . “I’m going to go out there and watch,” he said. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game — that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry Harbaugh, sorry fellas." He later clarified that he was kidding about sneaking out at halftime to get a glimpse of Queen Bey. “I was just thinking about just seeing Beyoncé for the first time,” he said. “Not saying it like that; no disrespect, because I know how people can take things. Next question.” Houston receiver John Metchie could have a chance for a big game with Dell out. Metchie is playing in his second NFL season after missing his entire rookie year while undergoing cancer treatment. He has just 182 yards receiving this season, with his best game coming against Detroit, when he had a career-high 72 yards receiving and his only NFL TD. Stroud is looking for Metchie and fellow reserve Xavier Hutchinson to help make up for Dell’s absence against the Ravens. “Those guys have another opportunity to show who they are and I know that they can do it,” Stroud said. “I see them in practice do it every week. So, I’m excited for them and it’s a good opportunity for them to step up.” Jackson is up to 6,023 yards rushing for his career. The NFL record for a quarterback is 6,109 by Michael Vick, so Jackson could break it with a big game on Wednesday. Jackson also leads the NFL in passer rating and is in the conversation for his third MVP. Although it sounds like that’s a discussion he’d rather not get involved in. “No other choice but to hear it,” Jackson said. “They (are) tagging me in it. You don’t (have) to tag me. You can talk about it all you want, but you want to tag me to get like clickbait because you know sometimes I (will) say something back like, ‘That was stupid.’ It is what it is. I don’t care, though. I really don’t care about the talk.” AP Sports Writer Noah Trister in Owings Mills, Maryland, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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PARIS (AP) — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt , intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast: Challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after an already tumultuous 2024. The most urgent order of business is passing a 2025 budget. Financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission are pushing France to bring down its deficit, to comply with EU rules limiting debt and keep France’s borrowing costs from spiraling. That would threaten the stability and prosperity of all countries that share the euro currency. France’s debt is currently estimated at a staggering 112% of gross domestic product. It grew further after the government gave aid payments to businesses and workers during COVID-19 lockdowns even as the pandemic depressed growth, and capped household energy prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. The bill is now coming due. But France’s previous government collapsed this month because Marine Le Pen’s far-right party and left-wing lawmakers opposed 60 billion euros in spending cuts and tax hikes in the original 2025 budget plan. Bayrou and new Finance Minister Eric Lombard are expected to scale back some of those promises, but the calculations are tough. “The political situation is difficult. The international situation is dangerous, and the economic context is fragile,” Lombard, a low-profile banker who advised a Socialist government in the 1990s, said upon taking office. “The environmental emergency, the social emergency, developing our businesses — these innumerable challenges require us to treat our endemic illness: the deficit,” he said. “The more we are indebted, the more the debt costs, and the more it suffocates the country.” This is France’s fourth government in the past year. No party has a parliamentary majority and the new Cabinet can only survive with the support of lawmakers on the center-right and center-left. Le Pen — Macron’s fiercest rival — was instrumental in ousting the previous government by joining left-wing forces in a no-confidence vote. Bayrou consulted her when forming the new government and Le Pen remains a powerful force. That angers left-wing groups, who had expected more influence in the new Cabinet, and who say promised spending cuts will hurt working-class families and small businesses hardest. Left-wing voters, meanwhile, feel betrayed ever since a coalition from the left won the most seats in the summer's snap legislative elections but failed to secure a government. The possibility of a new no-confidence vote looms, though it's not clear how many parties would support it. Macron has repeatedly said he will remain president until his term expires in 2027. But France's constitution and current structure, dating from 1958 and called the Fifth Republic, were designed to ensure stability after a period of turmoil. If this new government collapses within months and the country remains in political paralysis, pressure will mount for Macron to step down and call early elections. Le Pen's ascendant National Rally is intent on bringing Macron down. But Le Pen faces her own headaches: A March court ruling over alleged illegal party financing could see her barred from running for office. The National Rally and hard-right Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau want tougher immigration rules. But Bayrou wants to focus on making existing rules work. “There are plenty of (immigration) laws that exist. None is being applied," he said Monday on broadcaster BFM-TV, to criticism from conservatives. Military spending is a key issue amid fears about European security and pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for Europe to spend more on its own defense. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who champions military aid for Ukraine and ramping up weapons production, kept his job and stressed in a statement Tuesday the need to face down ‘’accumulating threats'' against France. More immediately, Macron wants an emergency law in early January to allow sped-up reconstruction of the cyclone-ravaged French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa. Thousands of people are in emergency shelters and authorities are still counting the dead more than a week after the devastation. Meanwhile the government in the restive French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia collapsed Tuesday in a wave of resignations by pro-independence figures — another challenge for the new overseas affairs minister, Manuel Valls, and the incoming Cabinet. Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt contributed.France has a new government, again. Politics and crushing debt complicate next steps
Preserving language through play: Pato Pato's Spanish immersion toys empower families of bilingual children 11-22-2024 11:42 PM CET | Leisure, Entertainment, Miscellaneous Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: MediaGroupNYC Image: https://www.getnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1732308192.jpg Pato Pato, an innovative company committed to preserving language and cultural heritage through play, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to introduce a unique line of Spanish immersion toys designed to teach kids how to read in Spanish with no expertise required. The screen-free educational toys in the Pequeno Lector Set provide families with a hands-on way to teach their children in Spanish, from foundational vocabulary to advanced literacy. With its Kickstarter launch, Pato Pato aims to raise funds for its first production run and bring its carefully crafted prototypes to communities across the US. Each toy in the Pequeno Lector Set, including the Funzana, the Giraprende, and the Silabox, serves as a tool for early Spanish literacy, making language learning fun for children and convenient for parents. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/6561aff80dbd629fae5b953662b0bc6e.jpg "With the Pequeno Lector Set, we wanted to create something truly meaningful-tools that families can use to preserve their cultural identity while helping their children grow up bilingual," said Lucia Garrett, Co-Founder of Pato Pato. "Our toys go beyond traditional learning methods, offering a tactile, hands-on, screen-free approach that makes learning fun and lasting. We're excited to share this journey with our backers." The Pequeno Lector Set includes: * Funzana: A phonics-based toy that focuses on letter sounds and letter recognition. * Giraprende: A spinning owl toy that introduces syllable formation and early literacy skills like rhyming, opposites, and inferences. * Silabox: A self-contained, word-making game for syllable blending and word formation. Why Back Pato Pato? * Keep children challenged: Each toy offers multiple levels of difficulty, keeping children challenged until they master each skill. * Keep children engaged: Endless expander packs make learning engaging and customizable. * Keep children learning: Crafted by native speakers, guiding children through language-accurate concepts at every stage. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/44f2a10987351faea29b8b59f871f59f.jpg Founded by a team of parents, educators, and designers, Pato Pato is on a mission to empower families with engaging tools that inspire a lifelong connection to their language and traditions. With high-quality, thoughtfully designed toys, Pato Pato is making it easier for families to pass down the gift of the Spanish language to the next generation-without prep or expertise. Pato Pato's Kickstarter campaign offers limited-time rewards for early supporters. Backers can unlock exclusive discounts, early-bird perks, and special bundles designed for families and educators looking to integrate Spanish literacy into everyday play and classroom settings. To learn more about Pato Pato's Kickstarter campaign and secure backer-exclusive rewards, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set [ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set?ref=4wnqed ] Media Contact Company Name: Pato Pato City: New York State: New York Country: United States Website: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455091945/the-pequeno-lector-set?ref=4wnqed This release was published on openPR.
'I saw how the Queen did her Christmas shopping - it was utterly ingenious'
Share Tweet Share Share Email In recent years, Thailand has risen as a beacon of innovation, leveraging its rich cultural heritage and technological aspirations to position itself as a leader in emerging technologies. The country has launched initiatives aimed at redefining its global image through innovation, focusing on creating a balanced, sustainable economy and society. This movement, spearheaded by Innovation Thailand , reflects the nation’s determination to climb the ranks of the Global Innovation Index (GII) and establish itself as an “Innovation Nation.” What is Innovation Thailand? At its core, Innovation Thailand serves as a platform designed to foster a new identity for the nation. With the ambitious goal of propelling Thailand into the top 30 of the GII rankings, it seeks to enhance the country’s global reputation as a hub for groundbreaking innovations. But it’s more than just an initiative—it’s a comprehensive ecosystem connecting government, private sectors, academia, and social entities to co-create solutions that address economic and societal needs. Innovation Thailand operates on four key pillars: Positioning Thailand as an Innovation Leader By promoting the slogan “Thai Innovation for the World,” the platform highlights the unique blend of Thai ingenuity and modern technology. Crafted Living Through Innovation Rooted in Thailand’s meticulous craftsmanship and traditional wisdom, the initiative emphasizes innovation that enhances everyday life while ensuring sustainability. Comprehensive Innovation Data Network With its innovation dashboard, the platform aggregates data from various sectors, offering a unified view of the country’s potential across industries. Addressing Economic and Societal Challenges The platform fosters solutions that not only drive economic growth but also ensure environmental sustainability and equality. Key Emerging Technologies in Thailand 1. Smart Cities Thailand’s vision for the future includes the development of smart cities equipped with advanced technology to improve urban living. With pilot projects in cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, smart city initiatives focus on: Sustainable transportation powered by IoT and AI. Energy-efficient buildings leveraging renewable energy. Smart healthcare systems integrated with telemedicine platforms. These efforts aim to create a seamless living experience while minimizing environmental impact. 2. Agritech Innovations Agriculture has long been the backbone of Thailand’s economy. However, the advent of Agritech is revolutionizing traditional practices: Precision farming : Drones and sensors monitor soil health and crop conditions. Hydroponics and vertical farming : Urban farming solutions that maximize yield in limited spaces. Blockchain in supply chains : Ensures transparency and traceability of agricultural products. These innovations are not just improving productivity but also empowering smallholder farmers with access to global markets. 3. Healthcare and Biotech Advancements Thailand is rapidly becoming a hub for medical technology and biotechnology. Its innovations include: AI-powered diagnostics for diseases like cancer and diabetes. Wearable health devices monitoring vital signs in real time. Bio-based products such as plant-based vaccines and bioplastics. The country’s robust healthcare system, paired with emerging technologies, has positioned it as a leader in medical tourism and biotech research. 4. Digital Economy and Fintech Thailand’s digital transformation extends into financial technologies that aim to make banking and financial services more accessible. Innovations in this space include: Mobile payment systems like PromptPay, which simplify transactions. Digital currencies introduced by the Bank of Thailand. Blockchain platforms for secure cross-border trade. The country is laying the groundwork for a cashless economy, emphasizing efficiency and inclusivity. 5. Renewable Energy Technologies As part of its commitment to sustainability, Thailand has invested in renewable energy solutions such as: Solar farms in provinces with high sunlight exposure. Wind power projects in coastal and high-altitude areas. Smart grids integrating renewable energy into the national power supply. By harnessing its natural resources, Thailand is reducing its carbon footprint and ensuring energy security for future generations. DNA of Innovation Thailand: Innovation for Crafted Living Thailand’s unique approach to innovation stems from its cultural DNA. The idea of “Innovation for Crafted Living” showcases the synergy between traditional Thai craftsmanship and modern technology. This philosophy encompasses: Health and Wellness : Innovations in herbal medicines and health supplements. Safety and Security : Smart devices ensuring personal and public safety. Convenience : Products and services that enhance daily living, from smart home solutions to mobile apps. Sustainability : Eco-friendly materials and processes that reduce environmental impact. Collaborating Across Sectors One of the most notable aspects of Innovation Thailand is its collaborative spirit. By bringing together diverse stakeholders—from government agencies to private companies, universities, and NGOs—the platform fosters a robust innovation network. This collaboration is essential for scaling Thai innovations to global markets and addressing complex challenges such as climate change and economic inequality. Driving Global Recognition Thailand’s innovation initiatives are already making waves on the international stage. Programs like the “Thailand 4.0” economic model and participation in global tech expos have amplified its presence. Moreover, the Innovation Thailand Dashboard serves as a comprehensive showcase of the nation’s diverse innovations, offering a transparent and data-driven view of progress. Challenges and Opportunities While Thailand’s innovation ecosystem is thriving, challenges remain: Talent shortage in high-tech industries. Regulatory hurdles for emerging technologies. Investment gaps for startups in niche sectors. Addressing these challenges requires strategic policies, investment in education, and an emphasis on research and development (R&D). The opportunities, however, far outweigh the obstacles. With a clear vision and strong foundation, Thailand is poised to become a global innovation powerhouse. The Role of Innovationthailand.org As the official digital platform of Innovation Thailand , innovationthailand.org plays a pivotal role in connecting stakeholders and showcasing the country’s innovative projects. It acts as a one-stop destination for accessing information about Thailand’s innovation initiatives, ongoing projects, and opportunities for collaboration. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or researcher, the platform provides valuable insights into Thailand’s innovation landscape. Conclusion Thailand’s journey toward becoming a leading innovation nation is not just about technological advancements—it’s about redefining how innovation can transform lives, communities, and the environment. By emphasizing crafted living, sustainability, and collaboration, Innovation Thailand is creating a future where technology and tradition coexist harmoniously. To learn more about Thailand’s transformative innovation ecosystem and explore opportunities for collaboration. 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