Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, leads fan balloting for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games after one week of voting, the league announced on Monday. Ravens superstar Jackson set the overall pace with 44,681 votes followed by teammate Derrick Henry, the running back leader, in second overall at 40,729 votes. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was third overall at 40,602, only 127 votes behind Henry in the rusher's race, with Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen fourth overall on 36,574 and Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs fifth on 35,637. The Detroit Lions lead all clubs in total votes received, followed by the Ravens, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFL's revamped all-star event will be staged in Orlando, Florida, for the second consecutive year. In all, 88 players will gather on February 2 in skills competitions and a flag football showdown with coaches Peyton and Eli Manning. While other vote totals were not revealed, Washington rookie Jayden Daniels was the top NFC quarterback in the fan voting and top receivers were Minnesota's Justin Jefferson in the NFC and Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase in the AFC. NFL fans can vote as often as they wish through December 23 with selections decided by a consensus of ballots by players, coaches and fans with each group counting for one-third of every player's final total. NFL players and coaches will cast votes on December 27. js/rcwDown, Never Out: Governors reflect on 2024 season, the end of an era, and a new start
On Monday, Apple’s list of finalists for its coveted “iPhone App of the Year” award once again reveals how the iPhone maker is downplaying the impact of AI technology on the mobile app ecosystem. As it did last year, Apple’s 2024 list of top iPhone finalists favors more traditional iOS apps, including those that help iPhone users perform specific tasks like recording professional video ( Kino ), tailoring their running plans ( Runna ), or organizing their travels ( Tripsy ). Other AI apps like ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and those that create AI photos or videos were not nominated for iPhone App of the Year. Given the popularity of ChatGPT, also now an Apple partner for its Siri improvements, it’s surprising to find the app has not earned any official year-end accolades from Apple’s App Store editorial team, despite its adoption of clever new features in 2024, like an Advanced Voice Mode for chatting with the AI virtual assistant and a web search feature that challenges Google . While ChatGPT is regularly featured within the App Store and Google Play’s editorial suggestions, both Apple and Google last year avoided nominating ChatGPT as an overall winner, despite the app becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history in early 2023 when it reached 100 million users shortly after its launch. This year, Google dubbed party-planning app Partifu l its app of the year. Despite ChatGPT’s snub, a small number of AI-powered apps made appearances on Apple’s other 2024 finalist lists, like those for the iPad and Mac App of the Year. But among Apple’s list of 45 finalists across various categories in apps and games, AI-powered apps were mentioned only a few times. Moises , an app that offers AI tools for practicing music, was nominated alongside kids app Bluey: Let’s Play and animation app Procreate Dreams for iPad App of the Year. Adobe Lightroom , which now includes AI-powered features, was nominated along with productivity app OmniFocus 4 and 3D design app Shapr3D for Mac App of the Year. And, among a dozen Cultural Impact finalists, only one — language-learning app EF Hello — was described by Apple as an app enhanced by AI technology. (While other apps may use AI under the hood, as the finalist Pinterest does , their App Store marketing doesn’t promote them as “AI” apps to consumers.) If anything, Apple’s curated list of finalists suggests that apps empowering human creativity, not those assisting with AI automation, are the apps that are worthy of highlighting. Most of the finalists’ apps help users do something more with their iPhone or other device, without relying on an AI assistant or features, whether that’s designing, organizing, filming, creating, or playing. Kino , the pro video app from the makers of the pro camera app Halide, for instance, aims to make everyone a better videographer, while others help Apple’s devices work as productivity tools for those in creative fields. This year, Apple also added the new Apple Vision Pro category, where it will pick both an app and game winner.
Australia’s electricity market is getting a big makeover – and these 3 changes will make it future-proof(TNS) — Texas State Technical College, which launched three programs last fall in New Braunfels, plans to build a permanent campus in Seguin, continuing its rapid expansion of course offerings in the region. The school, which has 11 campuses around the state, said Wednesday it's working to build at a site on Texas 46, which runs from Seguin to New Braunfels. The campus could eventually have several thousand students, and the college plans to continue using its current New Braunfels location as well, Provost Mike Anderson said. "It's just a perfect spot," he said of Seguin, which is about 15 miles south of Interstate 35 between San Antonio and Austin. It's a good fit because growth in Central Texas is creating demand for skilled employees, Anderson said. Seguin Economic Development Corp. plans to purchase the land then donate it to TSTC, said corporation Executive Director Joshua Schneuker. That proposal will go before the corporation's board and the Seguin City Council for approval. The site decision comes after months of negotiations between the public college system and the two cities, both of which were searching for locations to host the new campus. Nearly 100 students are enrolled in three programs at TSTC's New Braunfels campus, which is operating in leased space at the Central Texas Technology Center, which is near the New Braunfels National Airport on the city's east side. The campus enrolled its first students in 2023 after the state Legislature authorized the technical to operate in Comal and Guadalupe counties. Under state law, TSTC can only operate in certain locations allowed by state statute or in situations where the existing community college district has declined to run a program. Local leaders in the two counties lobbied legislators to add Comal and Guadalupe to the approved locations, saying employers in the area needed technical training for their workforces. Lawmakers passed the bill making that change in May 2023 and Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law that June, clearing the way for the school to begin operating in the region. The school began with a two-year advanced manufacturing technology program with the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education's Lone Star chapter, which operates in an eight-county region in Central Texas. Through the program, students receive an associate's degree and work at a participating business while taking classes. The first cohort of those students will graduate in May and a second cohort started this fall. TSTC this year also began offering certifications in welding technology and industrial systems. Demand for those classes far outpaced space; 45 students were accepted to the welding program while 49 were put on a wait list, according to program team leader William Beck. Students in that program will be prepared for entry-level welding jobs. John McGee, the college's director of alignment, said he expects many of them will ultimately go into structural welding jobs, building bridges and other infrastructure in the fast-growing region. The college's finances rely on its students finding jobs. TSTC's state funding is allocated using a "returned-value formula," with the amount of money the school receives tied to graduates' employment. In certain programs including welding and industrial systems, the college also offers a money-back guarantee, refunding tuition to qualifying students who don't find a job within six months of graduation. "We've been ecstatic with not just the programs they've added, but the speed they've added them," said Jonathan Packer, president and CEO of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. The only problem, he said, has been that they need space to add more. Since receiving legislative approval last year, the college has been working with economic development corporations in New Braunfels and Seguin on the search for a permanent campus. Officials knew the technology center facility "couldn't support the long-term needs that our region has when it comes to workforce development and technical training," Schneuker said, and both cities worked to find potential campus locations. "We needed at least 100 buildable acres," Anderson said, and location was key because of the nature of the classes, which require hands-on training on industrial equipment. "When we put a campus down, it looks like industry," he said, so the area needed to be suitable for industrial development. He praised both cities "for coming to the table and working together," he said. The college ultimately selected a location on the west side of Seguin, about nine miles east of downtown New Braunfels. The property is at Texas 46 and Cordova Road, Schneuker said. He said the EDC intends to buy the land, then donate it to TSTC, but declined to discuss the cost or structure of the deal while the purchase is still being finalized. According to Guadalupe Appraisal District records, a 138-acre parcel at that intersection has a market value of about $5.3 million. New Braunfels had taken steps to secure a 100-acre parcel near Interstate 35 and FM 1101, voting in June to authorize its economic development corporation to spend $20 million to buy the property. Packer said at the time that the land could be used for TSTC's campus or for a business park. The City Council was scheduled to discuss "TSTC campus" during four executive sessions since September, according to their agendas, while the same item was listed on the executive sessions for three EDC board meetings. But the land, which is part of a 240-acre tract, has not yet changed hands, according to appraisal district records, and Packer said the city didn't close on the purchase. "I look forward to seeing what it will be," he said of the property. In response to a request for comment on the expansion, the city referred to a written statement from Mayor Neal Linnartz in the school's news release. "TSTC has rapidly expanded its offerings, and their plans to grow further are exciting," Linnartz said in the statement. "This expansion highlights the need for regional advocacy. The city and business community are committed to advocating for the region at next year's state legislative session." Packer said the push for a new campus was a collaboration between the two cities and counties from the start, including the discussions about real estate. "We certainly had to work independently to get all options on the table and refine the options, but it was always a group effort," he said. "At the end of the day, TSTC had to make the decision that they felt was best for the future in our communities." The college will continue operating in New Braunfels, as construction of a new campus is still several years away, Anderson said. And TSTC expects to still offer some programs in that location once the Seguin campus opens, he said. That could include "upskilling" courses, dual-credit classes or housing certain programs in New Braunfels. The school's next step is to seek funding for construction in the upcoming legislative session, Anderson said. In its appropriations request, the college is asking for $19.4 million for "start-up funding for the recently opened campus in Comal/Guadalupe counties," as well as $450 million in capital funding for construction at three different campuses. That money would build a total of 900,000 square feet of training space in Denton County, Ellis County and Comal and Guadalupe counties, according to the school's administrative statement to the legislature. The startup funding is "to bring programs to the market as quickly as possible," Packer said, and officials from both counties are prepared to lobby the legislature to make that happen. "Once we're able to get through the legislative session, then the next steps will be to plan out what it's going to look like, the mix of programs," Anderson said. The Seguin location could ultimately have several thousand students, he said. "We're not going to be small," he said. "I definitely see a space where one day, we are a pretty massive player in this region when it comes to workforce education." At the New Braunfels campus last week, students in all three programs were finishing up preparations for their upcoming exams. Orion Pagiotas, 23, was working in the welding technology lab, practicing a process called Tungsten Inert Gas welding, or "TIG." Before enrolling at TSTC, he was "kind of aimless," he said, working for food delivery services after dropping out of college. "I was looking for something to really just get my life going," he said. At TSTC, he sees placards on the walls from companies that want to work with the college, and sees plenty of paths to get into the industry after graduation. In the industrial systems classroom, student Denise Fagan, 44, was working through practice questions under the watchful eye of instructor Jeremy Fannin. "This is where math gets fun, right?" he asked her, before tasking her with calculating wattages for different appliances. Fagan is part of a maintenance apprenticeship at Continental, where she previously worked in the company's warehouse. Continental manufactures Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, for assisted and automated driving, at a plant in New Braunfels, and created an apprenticeship program that includes participation in TSTC's FAME program. "I wanted to try something different, something more challenging, something completely out of the ordinary for me," Fagan said. In the warehouse, she was working as an operator on the assembly line, she said; after finishing the program, she'll become a maintenance technician. She's currently working about 32 hours a week while taking classes at the college, where she likes the hands-on aspects of the training and the industry experience of her teachers. Fannin started teaching at TSTC after working for 30 years as an electrician. When he was starting out, he said, he wasn't given any formal training. "My first journeyman handed me his books and said, 'go read,'" he recalled. "I can give them what I didn't get coming into the trade," he said. "It gives them a head start. How much further can they go with the background that I didn't get, with the background that I'm giving them?"Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks wins reelection to U.S. House in Iowa's 1st Congressional District
Ohio State AD: Ryan Day ‘absolutely’ back in 2025
Trudeau told Trump Americans would also suffer if tariffs are imposed, a Canadian minister saysAP Race Call: Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks wins reelection to U.S. House in Iowa's 1st Congressional District
$45K grant to bolster substance use programs in rural Illinois communitiesBy Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Every day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you’re awake, it knows when you’ve been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on health and wellness apps , including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but research released by Mozilla on Wednesday indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. “I’ve been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I’ve noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies,” said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. “That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.” The report “From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age” recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person’s name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can “expose sophisticated insights about people’s health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics,” Mozilla’s report said, adding that “companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it.” Related Articles A 2023 report by Duke University revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals’ mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. “We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity,” Keserű said. “As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era.” Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, Elon Musk suggested on X that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk’s call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X’s privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act , known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient’s consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don’t fall under HIPAA’s umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the U.S. because we don’t have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level,” she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. “This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we’re so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be,” Bernstein said. “A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect.” Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. “Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue,” Keserű said. “Even if it’s biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Ohio State AD: Ryan Day ‘absolutely’ back in 2025
Ravens QB Jackson leads first NFL Pro Bowl fan voting resultsPublished 5:39 pm Monday, November 25, 2024 By Data Skrive The Houston Rockets (12-6) are 3.5-point underdogs against the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8) at Target Center on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. The game begins at 8:00 PM ET on SCHN and FDSN. Our computer predictions for Tuesday’s game can assist you in placing an informed wager taking advantage of the best bets available. Get the latest news sent to your inbox Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Place your bets on any NBA matchup at BetMGM. Sign up today using our link. Bet on this game’s spread with BetMGM Over (220.5) Bet on this game’s total with BetMGM Bet on this game’s moneyline with BetMGM Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, leads fan balloting for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games after one week of voting, the league announced on Monday. Ravens superstar Jackson set the overall pace with 44,681 votes followed by teammate Derrick Henry, the running back leader, in second overall at 40,729 votes. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was third overall at 40,602, only 127 votes behind Henry in the rusher's race, with Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen fourth overall on 36,574 and Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs fifth on 35,637. The Detroit Lions lead all clubs in total votes received, followed by the Ravens, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFL's revamped all-star event will be staged in Orlando, Florida, for the second consecutive year. In all, 88 players will gather on February 2 in skills competitions and a flag football showdown with coaches Peyton and Eli Manning. While other vote totals were not revealed, Washington rookie Jayden Daniels was the top NFC quarterback in the fan voting and top receivers were Minnesota's Justin Jefferson in the NFC and Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase in the AFC. NFL fans can vote as often as they wish through December 23 with selections decided by a consensus of ballots by players, coaches and fans with each group counting for one-third of every player's final total. NFL players and coaches will cast votes on December 27. js/rcw
Application for fence crossing Bitterroot River tributary withdrawn, new one expected
Tarkov is getting another recoil change. A new test has begun on the Escape From Tarkov test servers that is introducing a brand-new recoil system that could significantly change how the game feels. The new recoil test was announced via a post on the official Escape From Tarkov social media accounts, encouraging people with access to the Early Test Servers (ETS) to jump on and try the new recoil system. While no specifics on what the new system will include were revealed, the team did say that this update is designed to “create more realistic and comfortable recoil mechanics with maximum configuration flexibility.” While the description of what the recoil overhaul will include is vague, the reasons behind launching this on the ETS are a little more concrete. By getting Tarkov players to test this before a public release, the dev team can balance changes based on the data they get and feedback, which should create a more balanced and enjoyable recoil system for everyone when it launches. We have seen with previous recoil reworks that there have been some issues and outliers with some weapons, so testing it with a limited pool of players first should identify those issues before they are found by most players. There is a very good chance that this recoil rework is the same as the one that was shown in the most recent TarkovTV stream . While it was only briefly shown in action, the response in the live chat was less than positive, with a lot of people not liking the look of it. Tarkov g ame director Nikita Buyanov tried to calm those worries by explaining it was almost all visual changes rather than where the bullets went, but that did little to clam fears. Nikita eventually stopped showing the change and said they would make some changes before launching this. It’s very likely that this recoil change will launch alongside the winter wipe that is expected to arrive at the very end of the year . It should include some big changes such as major new weapons , a rework to customs and lots of other fun stuff . iOS 18.2—Update Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users Microsoft Warns 400 Million Windows Users—Do Not Update Your PC Selena Gomez And Benny Blanco Are Engaged—And The Internet Has Opinions Are The Escape From Tarkov Servers Down? While this recoil change will not impact the main game just yet, there will be a technical update to the main Escape From Tarkov game tomorrow, December 13, at 07:00 AM GMT / 02:00 AM EST. This update will only make some backend changes to the live game and will not add any new content. However, the Tarkov servers will be down for around four hours, and you will not be able to play the game during this time.First look: Inside tower with units the size of an entire house