By JESSICA DAMIANO Finding the perfect gift can be daunting. The only way to truly ensure you get it right would be to ask the recipient what they want, but that wouldn’t be much fun for either of you. Luckily, there’s another tactic to help you earn a “gift whisperer” reputation: seeking out unique, practical, game-changing gifts that will truly surprise and delight. But that’s about as easy as it sounds, which is to say it’s not easy at all. So, we’ve done the legwork for you. Start making your list with this compilation of some of the most innovative, functional and fun gifts of 2024. There’s something for every budget. Bear with me: The new FinaMill Ultimate Spice Grinder set elevates the pedestrian pepper and spice mill in both function and style. Available in three colors (Sangria Red, Midnight Black and Soft Cream), the rechargeable-battery unit grinds with a light touch rather than hand-tiring twists. That’s easier for everyone and especially helpful for those experiencing hand or wrist issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. And it’s fun to use. The set includes a stackable storage tray and four pods that can be easily swapped as needed: The GT microplane grater for hard spices, nuts and chocolate; the MAX for large spices and dried herbs; the ProPlus for smaller and oily spices; and the Pepper Pod for, well, pepper. $110. Campers and backyard firepit lovers who have experienced the heartbreak of wet wood will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Fire on hand. Made of 89% recycled materials, including sanding dust, wax and flint, the food-safe, eco-friendly, 3-by-2-by-1-inch fire starters will light a fire quickly without matches, lighters or kindling. Just loop the attached green string around a log, incorporate it into a wood stack, and pull the attached red string to ignite. Each windproof, rainproof block burns for 30 minutes. $29.99. The No Mess Utensil Set from Souper Cubes , a company known for its portioned, silicone freezer trays, lives up to its name. The utensils — a serving spoon and a ladle — have innovative, S-shaped handles designed to rest on the edge of a pot, keeping them upright so they won’t slip in. The design also eliminates the need for a spoon rest or, worse, placing dirty utensils on the kitchen counter or stovetop between stirs. A silicone coating in a choice of Aqua, Charcoal, Cranberry or Blueberry keeps handles cool to the touch. $24.99. The FeatherSnap Wi-Fi smart bird feeder could turn anyone into an avid birdwatcher. Equipped with an HD camera, the dual-chamber feeder enables up-close livestreaming of avian visitors, as well as species-logging via the free mobile app. An optional premium subscription ($59.99 annually or $6.99 monthly) includes unlimited photo and video storage, AI identification with species-specific details, and the opportunity to earn badges for logging new visitors. Turn on notifications to get alerts sent to your phone whenever there’s activity at the feeder. $179.99. Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer offers a touch of nostalgia without sacrificing technology. Just load the 4.9-by-3.5-by-1.3-inch printer with Instax Mini instant film and connect it to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth to print wallet-size photos. If you want to get fancy, you can adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, or apply filters, including 3D augmented-reality effects, via the free Instax Mini Link app. It can also make collages of up to six images, or animate photos to share on social media. Available in Rose Pink, Clay White and Sage Green. $99.95. The appropriately named easyplant is one of the best gifts you can give your houseplant-loving friends, regardless of their experience level. Select a pot color, size and plant (or get recommendations based on sunlight requirements, pet friendliness and other attributes) and fill the self-watering container’s built-in reservoir roughly once a month. Moisture will permeate the soil from the bottom as needed, eliminating the often-fatal consequences of over- or under-watering. It’s also a literal lifesaver come vacation time. $49-$259. Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status tote Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts If you’ve got a no-dairy friend on your list, a plant-based milk maker could save them money while allowing them to avoid sugar, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. The Nama M1 appliance both blends and strains ingredients, converting nuts, seeds, grains or oats into velvety-smooth milk in just one minute, with zero grit. And for zero waste, the pasty leftover pulp can be used in other recipes for added nutrients. The device also makes infused oils, flavored waters and soups. And, importantly, cleanup is easy. Available in white and black. $400. For friends who prefer stronger beverages, the QelviQ personal sommelier uses “smart” technology to ensure wine is served at its ideal temperature. Unlike traditional wine refrigerators, this device doesn’t take up any floor space. It also doesn’t chill wine to just one or two temperatures based on its color. Instead — paired with the free QelviQ app — the tabletop chiller relies on a database of more than 350,000 wines to bring a bottle to its specific recommended serving temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It also suggests food-wine and wine-food pairings. Plus, the appliance serves as a great icebreaker to inspire dinnertime conversation. Available in Exciting Red, Dashing Black and Dreamy White. $495. Grilling food after dark — and ascertaining its doneness — can prove challenging without outdoor lighting, and it’s nearly impossible to cook while holding a flashlight. But as is often the case, the simplest of solutions can make the biggest of impacts: Uncommon Good’s 2-piece LED Grilling Tool Set puts illumination into the handles of its stainless-steel spatula and tongs. After use, the lights can be removed and the utensils run through the dishwasher. $40.AppLovin Co. ( NASDAQ:APP – Get Free Report ) CTO Vasily Shikin sold 593,588 shares of AppLovin stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $319.37, for a total value of $189,574,199.56. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 3,919,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,251,618,694.88. The trade was a 13.15 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Vasily Shikin also recently made the following trade(s): AppLovin Stock Up 4.7 % Shares of NASDAQ:APP opened at $333.31 on Friday. AppLovin Co. has a 52 week low of $35.79 and a 52 week high of $342.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.70, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a current ratio of 2.41. The company has a market cap of $111.86 billion, a PE ratio of 101.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 1.86. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $181.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $117.41. Hedge Funds Weigh In On AppLovin Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of AppLovin in the third quarter worth $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in AppLovin in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. DT Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AppLovin during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AppLovin during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, HM Payson & Co. grew its stake in shares of AppLovin by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.85% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have commented on APP. UBS Group upgraded shares of AppLovin from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $100.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on AppLovin from $180.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on AppLovin from $185.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut AppLovin from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $103.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on AppLovin from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $222.96. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on APP About AppLovin ( Get Free Report ) AppLovin Corporation engages in building a software-based platform for advertisers to enhance the marketing and monetization of their content in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Software Platform and Apps. The company's software solutions include AppDiscovery, a marketing software solution, which matches advertiser demand with publisher supply through auctions; MAX, an in-app bidding software that optimizes the value of a publisher's advertising inventory by running a real-time competitive auction; Adjust, a measurement and analytics marketing platform that provides marketers with the visibility, insights, and tools needed to grow their apps from early stage to maturity; and Wurl, a connected TV platform, which distributes streaming video for content companies and provides advertising and publishing solutions through its AdPool, ContentDiscovery, and Global FAST Pass products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for AppLovin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AppLovin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally "Project Moohan," according to Google. The software is designed to power augmented and enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post. "With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," Izadi said. "You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device." Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks," Izadi said. "Android XR will first launch on headsets that transform how you watch, work and explore." The Android XR release was a preview for developers so they can start building games and other apps for headgear, ideally fun or useful enough to get people to buy the hardware. This is not Google's first foray into smart eyewear. Its first offering, Google Glass, debuted in 2013 only to be treated as an unflattering tech status symbol and met with privacy concerns due to camera capabilities. The market has evolved since then, with Meta investing heavily in a Quest virtual reality headgear line priced for mainstream adoption and Apple hitting the market with pricey Vision Pro "spacial reality" gear. Google plans to soon begin testing prototype Android XR-powered glasses with a small group of users. Google will also adapt popular apps such as YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Google TV for immersive experiences using Android XR, according to Izadi. Gemini AI in glasses will enable tasks like directions and language translations, he added. "It's all within your line of sight, or directly in your ear," Izadi said. © 2024 AFP
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore proposes changes to education initiative amid teacher shortageQatar tribune The US magazine Time has named President-elect Donald Trump its Person of the Year for 2024. “Trump’s political rebirth is unparalleled in American history,” the magazine wrote in its justification on Thursday. “Since he began running for President in 2015, perhaps no single individual has played a larger role in changing the course of politics and history than Trump.” The Time editorial team has been honouring the most influential personalities in world affairs since 1927, and emphasizes that means the person “who, for better or for worse, has most shaped the world and the headlines of the past twelve months.” In many years, the choice is a difficult one, the magazine’s editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote. “In 2024, it was not.” “On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us - from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics - are living in the Age of Trump.” The 78-year-old won the presidential election in early November by a landslide against his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris. After his first - and at the time surprising - election victory in 2016, Time magazine had previously named Trump “Person of the Year”. This time, the award was presented in a special way: Trump rang the bell to open trading on the stock exchange on Wall Street in New York. The US president-elect was accompanied by his wife Melania. (DPA) Copy 13/12/2024 10
Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’CORNELIUS, N.C. and NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alpha Modus Holdings, Inc. ("Alpha Modus" or the “Company”), a technology company with a core focus on artificial intelligence in retail, is pleased to announce that the business combination between Insight Acquisition Corp. and Alpha Modus Corp. has closed, and Alpha Modus’s common stock and warrants will begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbols “AMOD” and “AMODW”, respectively, on Monday, December 16, 2024. In connection with the closing of the business combination, the combined company consummated and issued a secured convertible promissory note to an investor, in exchange for net proceeds of approximately $2.6 million, which will be used primarily to cover transaction costs and for working capital. The structure of the financing does not include commitment or warrant shares and is structured with the potential for an additional $5 million capital infusion for working capital purposes in the future. Advisors Maxim Group LLC served as capital markets advisor to Alpha Modus. Brunson Chandler & Jones, PLLC acted as legal counsel to Alpha Modus. Loeb & Loeb LLP served as legal counsel to Insight Acquisition Corp. About Alpha Modus Alpha Modus engages in creating, developing and licensing data-driven technologies to enhance consumers' in-store digital experience at the point of decision. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Cornelius, North Carolina. For additional information, please visit alphamodus.com . About Insight Acquisition Corp. Prior to the closing, Insight Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: INAQ) was a special purpose acquisition company formed solely to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Insight Acquisition Corp. was sponsored by Insight Acquisition Sponsor LLC. For additional information, please visit insightacqcorp.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Insight's and Alpha Modus' actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Insight's and Alpha Modus' expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the Business Combination. Insight and Alpha Modus caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Insight and Alpha Modus do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in their expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Contacts: Alpha Modus Shannon Devine MZ Group +1(203) 741-8841 shannon.devine@mzgroup.us