
West Coast residents urged to stay alert after tsunami warning issued. A rare tsunami warning issued for coastal areas in Northern California and Oregon was canceled following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning. Gov. Gavin Newsom was briefed on the quake that occurred north of San Francisco in Humboldt County, and was meeting with emergency officials, his office said. The quake prompted the tsunami warning from Davenport to 10 miles south of Florence , Oregon. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office initially warned residents to evacuate the area before the alert was rescinded. However, the agency did warn people in the area to be prepared for aftershocks. LAVA CONTINUES FLOWING FROM ICELAND VOLCANO AFTER ERUPTION People watch the waves come in after an earthquake was felt widely across Northern California at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) The warning was canceled about 1.5 hours after the earthquake. "The tsunami Warning is canceled for the coastal areas of California and Oregon," the National Weather Service wrote on X. "No tsunami danger presently exists for this area. This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message for this event." The earthquake struck about 10:45 a.m. in the city of Petrolia, roughly 50 miles from Eureka. "If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground," the National Weather Service warning read. The NWS initially warned of powerful waves that could impact coastal areas. The warning forced the San Francisco Zoo to close. 7.1 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES OFF JAPAN'S COAST, TSUNAMI ADVISORY ISSUED "Guests have been evacuated, animals secured and staff have moved to higher ground," it said on social media. The city's emergency management agency warned people to stay out of the water and away from beaches, harbors, marina docks, and piers and move at least one block inland. An aerial view of the city of San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge in California, October 28, 2021. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) "We are activating our Emergency Operations Center in response to the Tsunami Warning. Please move off the coast and at least one block inland," San Francisco Mayor London Breed wrote on X. "Public safety personnel are deploying to the coast to warn people to move inland. We will continue to provide updates as we have them." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP No tsunami warning was issued for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura or Los Angeles counties, but the areas were still being evaluated for potential tsunami impacts, the state Office of Emergency Management said. Despite the cancelation of the warning, authorities recommended everyone to stay away from coastal areas because of rising tides. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com .A VoIP quality test measures the performance of your network connection. The test simulates a set number of calls on your network and uses key metrics to determine how calls would sound in different situations. It can help you understand whether your connection is strong enough before implementing a VoIP system and alert you to potential post deployment issues as well. Mean opinion score (MOS) is an industry standard metric for VoIP call quality — it’s a simple 1-5 rating system with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. Anything above a 4 is sufficient and scores below 3.5 should be considered unacceptable. Below that range, users are more likely to experience mic echo, dropped calls, choppy or robotic sounds, and cutting out. This guide covers everything you need to know to perform VoIP tests and tweak settings to optimize for MOS. What a VoIP quality test measures Before we dive into how to run a VoIP quality test, it’s important to understand what metrics you’ll get back and what they mean. Every VoIP test is different, but most measure things like: Upload and download speed — Measures how fast data packets can move through your network. In general, the higher the speed, the better the quality. Bandwidth — The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted across your network. It directly impacts the number of simultaneous calls you can have before quality takes a nose dive. Jitter — Variations between sent and received data packets. If these variations are significant, users might miss entire words or sentences during the call. Latency (or ping) — Measures the delay from one caller to another. High latency is often caused by network congestion and results in echoing. Packet loss — Refers to data packets that never reach their final destination. If it exceeds 1%, calls will likely have choppy audio and other distortions. Many will also let you simulate calls with different VoIP codecs . This is a parameter that defines how much compression happens during a call. More compression makes packets smaller, resulting in faster transmissions and reduced network congestion. But too much compression can lower audio quality to the point it’s unrecognizable. The key is finding a good balance that works for your team. Lastly, some of the better VoIP quality tests calculate your MOS by factoring in all of these elements and metrics. It’s also worth noting that some tools let you run tests for different numbers of simultaneous calls, and you may even be able to change the origin location of the call. As you adjust different parameters and variables, you may get a different MOS. For example, you might have a perfect score right next to your router but a lower score if you’re on the other side of the building. SEE: Learn how to optimize your VoIP network . How to run a VoIP quality test There are dozens of tools that let you test VoIP quality. To keep it simple, I’ll show you how to do it in just a few minutes for free, and what to use if you’re a developer or need more granular insights. Free online VoIP quality tests Many business phone providers have their own online VoIP quality tests you can use for free. They’re very easy and quick, making them perfect if you’re not quite sure what’s going on and just need a simple way to tell if your network is stable enough. Most measure latency, jitter, upload speed, and download speed. Some (but not all) also measure packet loss and calculate your MOS. RingCentral’s quality of service test is one of the best free options I’ve seen. The best part about this test is that it gives you MOS. It also measures packet loss, latency, and jitter in your audit summary. Another standout of RingCentral’s test is the ability to adjust your codec. You can also test up to 50 simultaneous calls and run the test for up to five minutes — the longer you test, the better chance you have of finding an issue. Once the test is finished, it does a good job of explaining what all the numbers mean and whether or not your connection passes. It’s also about as easy as it gets to run. All you have to do is select your preferred number of concurrent calls, adjust the duration, and tweak the codec if you want. While RingCentral’s is one of the most detailed free options, there are others you can use to validate your results if you’d like. There are other VoIP quality tests on the market that you can use, and it might be a good idea to try multiple to see if you get consistent results across the board. Here are some others worth checking out: Nextiva’s test — Simple option for testing up to 200 simultaneous calls. Ooma’s test — Easy way to check latency, jitter, upload, and download speed. 8×8’s test — Similar to Ooma, but lets you change the host. Overall, RingCentral’s is the most detailed, but these other free VoIP quality tests can give you more data points to ensure accuracy. SEE: Learn more about our favorite VoIP providers: RingCentral review | Nextiva review | Ooma review | 8×8 review . Network monitoring software (paid with a free trial) Network monitoring software is typically used by IT network administrators to ensure their network is running smoothly. It’s also useful for identifying issues with various components (routers, servers, firewalls, switches, etc.). You can also use them for testing VoIP network quality, and they provide far more detailed information than any of the free tools out there. SolarWinds VoIP network quality manager is one of the best. Instead of one-off tests every now and then, it runs continuously in the background. Although SolarWinds isn’t free, there is a 30-day free trial. You can test your network for a full month to see how its performance changes over time. From there, you can decide if you want to keep using it. Beyond basic VoIP quality stats, it also provides WAN performance metrics. It also provides contextual information related to performance issues. For example, you can see the specific IP addresses of devices that are causing jitter, latency, or packet loss. This will help you determine if call quality issues are related to hardware on your network or something else. The software does a whole lot more than that, but it’s a great alternative if you need real-time data or more data points to understand and improve your MOS.
Oppo Find X8 review: admired from afarThe legendary Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is expected to hit the skies soon powered by the new next-generation General Electric T901 engine . The United States Army may be eagerly looking ahead to the Black Hawk's replacement (the tiltrotor V-280 Valor), but the Black Hawk is not going anywhere for a long time. The V-280 Valor is set to greatly change the way the Army (like the 101st Airborne Division) is able to deploy and sustain operations. The V-280 Valor will not likely enter service until around 2030 or 2031 . It will take a long time for it to be produced in large numbers (the Army has around 2,300 Black Hawks) and will not replace the Black Hawk in all its roles. The Black Hawk will not be fully retired for decades to come. Therefore, it is important for the Army to constantly update the Black Hawk and keep it relevant for years to come, including upgrading its engine with the powerful new GE T901 engine. Here are five facts about the Black Hawk's new T901 engine. 1 More powerful GE T901 is 50% more powerful Max power: Approx. 3,000 hp Type: Turboshaft Predecessor: General Electric T700/CT7 The T901 is also replacing the T700 engine that powers the US Army's AH-64 Apache. General Electric says the new engine " provides 50% more power, enabling the U.S. Army to regain the Black Hawk and Apache aircraft’s payload and range capabilities in high and hot environments. " Other improvements to the engine include the ability to perform at higher and hotter conditions than its predecessor. The new engine will first be fitted to the Black Hawk and later to the Apache. General Electric notes that the new T901 is " created to succeed the legendary T700. The T901 leverages four decades of operational experience to give soldiers the capability they need and the reliability they demand. " General Electric is one of the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft engines - including turbofans, turboprops, turboshafts, and more. Other General Electric turboshafts include the T58 (1,250 hp), T64 (4,330 hp), the T700 (1,622 hp), and the powerful GE38 (7,500 hp). The GE38 is the engine used to power the Marine Corps' heavily-lift CH-53K King Stallion helicopter (these are still being ordered by the Marines). After the army selected GE's engine, Defense Post states , " A total of $517 million was awarded to GE for further development and manufacture of the capability ." Congress wants the Army National Guard to have helicopters, UAVs, and tiltrotors (including aircraft still in development). 2 More efficient GE T901 is 25% better specific fuel consumption Specific fuel consumption: Less than 0.4 lb/(hp⋅h) 35%: Expected reduction in maintenance costs 20%: Expected improvement in design life One of the most important features of any military aircraft is fuel efficiency. When it comes to military aircraft, fuel efficiency isn't necessarily important for the same reasons that it is for civilian aircraft (e.g., lower emissions and lower cost of fuel are probably not leading concerns). What is important is increasing the range and time available over the area of interest. Better fuel efficiency also helps lower other logistical strains - for example, the aircraft might not require aerial refueling. It also helps ease logistics in other ways, like reducing the amount of fuel needed to be brought forward to operating bases. General Electric states , " The engine offers 25% better specific fuel consumption, which means less fuel usage and fewer carbon emissions. " The Army's targets for the new engine included a 25% reduction in fuel consumption, a 65% improvement in power to weight, a 20% improvement in design life, a 35% reduction in production and maintenance cost, and a 15% reduction in product development cost. The T901 engine benefits from a range of innovations and new technologies including Ceramics Matrix Composites that enable the engine to produce more power with less weight. The Black Hawk's capabilities have made it one of the world's most versatile military helicopters with a diverse range of roles. 3 Won against T900 model The Army plans to buy over 1,900 engines Developer: Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney joint venture Number of engines planned: Over 1,300 for Black Hawks and over 600 for Apaches Winner selected: February 2019 The GE T901 won the Army's Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) to develop a replacement for the T700. Its competitor was the T900, developed by Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney in the Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC) joint venture. The T900 is a turboshaft engine in the 3,000 shp class and it is unclear if any other applications will be found for the rejected engine. Pratt & Whitney is another of the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft engines. Pratt & Whitney has a 26% share of commercial aircraft jet engines - while General Electric has a 55% share (Rolls-Royce makes up most of the remainder with a 16% share). In February 2019, the Army selected the GE T901 as the winner. It is expected that the T901 will be used to re-engine over 1,300 Black Hawks and over 600 Apaches. It was also intended to power the Army's planned Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) - an armed scout helicopter . However, that program was canceled. The two contractors that were bidding for FARA (Bell and Sikorsky) received the engine for the prototypes they were building. The two prototypes built for the FARA program were the Bell 360 Invictus and the Sikorsky Raider X. New technologies and changing threats were deemed to have made the armed scout helicopter unfeasible. The role will now need to be filled by a range of the Army assets. The US Army’s hunt for the successor to the UH-60 Black Hawk pits its proven legacy against next-gen tiltrotor technology, like the Bell V-280 Valor. 4 Succedes the T700 Over 25,000 T700 engines have been built Flight hours: Over 100 million flight hours Countries: Around 50 Applications: Black Hawk, Apache, Venom, Viper The Black Hawk's existing engine is the legendary T700 (the engine that also powered the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter). The T700/CT7 engine is a very widely used engine, with over 25,000 built, and has now surpassed a whopping 100 million flight hours. It has been in service for almost four decades and has operated in just about every combat military environment. Even though the Black Hawk is old, it is still relevant, and Australia has decided to order Black Hawks to replace their unreliable Taipans . These Black Hawks are currently being delivered with the old T700 engine. It will likely be decades before the T700 engines are fully retired worldwide. Today, they are in service in 50 countries (a quarter of all countries) and have 130 customers. The T700 has been progressively improved and upgraded over time to increase its power output, reliability, and fuel efficiency. But still, at coming on forty years and being a 1970s design, it was getting due for a replacement. While many may focus on an aircraft's speed, firepower, and other such specs, often one of the most important attributes of any aircraft is fuel efficiency. Perhaps more than any other factor, conflicts are won and lost by logistics. It is the US military's unrivaled logistical capabilities that enable it to project power almost anywhere in the world. The US military has been described as a logistics organization that also fights. The Army's new vertical lift aircraft need to fly faster, further and carry heavier loads than its current helicoptors. 5 To fly in 2025 The T901 was first run in 22 March 2022 One year: Approx. expected time for Sikorsky to fit, test, and fly the first Black Hawk with T901 Expected entry into service: After 2025 Development funding: $517 million According to Defense News (citing service and industry representatives involved in the program), the new T901 engine is expected to take to the skies in early 2025. The engine has experienced a " slew of delays related to technology development and supply chain woes ." In 2023, the Army said it thought the engine could be delayed by almost two years. The publication (written in April 2024) said the engines were scheduled to arrive at Sikosky's West Palm Beach test center in the summer of that year (two engines were planned to be delivered to Sikorsky in May or June). The engine worked well during tests with the now-defunct FARA program adding confidence it will prove to be a great engine for the Black Hawk once teething issues are worked out. Fitting the first T901 engine to the two modified Black Hawks will take some time. Sikorsky was expected to take a month just doing ground test runs. Then, according to Paul Lemmo, Sikorky's president, “ it’s probably going to take us a good six months to integrate and do the ground runs. [The aircraft is expected to begin] flying about six months after we get the engine. ” A Century of Military Helicopters by Sikorsky, All the Hawks are shaping the military helicopter industry.
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The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly may not be finished making moves. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers plan to "scour the trade market ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline" in search of "potential upgrades" after acquiring forward Dorian Finney-Smith in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Los Angeles traded point guard D'Angelo Russell, second-year forward Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .
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Superhot rock energy could power geothermal systems anywhereBEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Friday. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL suspension and injuries with the Browns, who signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.