Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Related Articles TV and Streaming | Lehigh Valley arts school grad finishes second on ‘The Voice’ TV and Streaming | Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way? TV and Streaming | ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ TV and Streaming | Column: 40 years after it premiered, ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ remains one of the best Doyle adaptations TV and Streaming | What to watch: ‘Flow’ and ‘The Order’ are both worth your attention Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
( ) stock jumped on Thursday after the software maker swung to a profit for its third quarter while revenue topped views while revenue guidance met expectations. The company reported October quarter results after the market close. On the , shares jumped more than 19% to 18.40 in extended trading. In the Asana earnings report, the software maker reported a 2-cent profit on an adjusted basis vs. a 4-cent loss in the year-ago period. Analysts had predicted a loss of 7 cents per share. Revenue rose 10% to 183.9 million, topping views of $180.6 million. For the quarter ending in January, Asana forecast revenue of $188 million vs. estimates of $187.8 million. Asana's work management platform that helps users orchestrate work, from daily tasks to cross-functional strategic initiatives. Rivals include ( ). Heading into the Asana earnings report, the software stock was down 18% in 2024. Asana stock owned an IBD Relative Strength Rating of 56 out of a best-possible 99, according to .
A California Democrat eked out a win in the final outstanding House election race, setting up an even narrower Republican edge in the coming Congress and signaling potential headaches for the ruling GOP. Democrat Adam Gray won the rural, heavily Latino CA-13 district by a less than 200-vote margin, ousting Republican Rep. John Duarte to flip the GOP-held swing seat in a rematch of their 2022 battle. The photo-finish victory means Republicans have won 220 House seats this election cycle, with Democrats holding 215 seats, an increase of one seat for Team Blue despite President-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping win in the White House contest. House Democrats held their own in 2024 by flipping three seats in deep blue New York and three in California, all seats the party had lost in the 2022 midterms, along with a single pickup in Oregon. Republicans countered by flipping two Democratic-held districts in working-class northeast Pennsylvania and single seats in Colorado and Alaska to hold the House and clinch a governing trifecta. The GOP margin is set to be even narrower in practice with the party expected to hold just a 217-215 margin after Trump’s inauguration. That’s because Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Florida) are expected to step down if and when they are confirmed to posts in Trump’s cabinet. Ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz already resigned his Florida seat upon his nomination for attorney general, which quickly imploded. The two-seat margin means House Speaker Mike Johnson will have almost no wiggle room as he seeks to enact a wide-ranging set of Republican priorities. Bills require a majority vote, so the defection of even a single Republican lawmaker in the fractious GOP caucus would be enough to torpedo any of Johnson’s legislative moves, assuming Democrats vote in lockstep against them. The deeply split chamber could be a huge headache as Republicans hope to pass a sweeping party-line package on energy, immigration and defense in the first month of the second Trump administration. They also want to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts among other big-ticket priorities. In the current Congress, Republicans struggled to pass even the bare minimum of legislation and regularly needed to turn to Democrats to pass spending bills required to keep the government from shutting down. Democrats also rescued Johnson when he faced a challenge by far right-wing Republicans to his speakership. It’s not known if Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will be as accommodating now that Trump will be president and would presumably shoulder the political fallout. The first test could come this month as the two sides seek to reach agreement on a stopgap spending measure to keep the government open for the first few months of the new year. Republicans say they hope their party will be far more unified following Trump’s win. But the party remains deeply divided on many issues, for example between fiscal hawks who oppose expanding the budget deficit and populists whose top priority is slashing taxes at any cost. The narrow margin could give unprecedented leverage to relatively small groups of GOP lawmakers. One of those groups is the suburban New York-area Republicans who are pushing for the elimination of the so-called SALT cap, which limits the amount of state and local taxes that can be deducted on federal tax returns.SINGAPORE: In November, two telecommunications cables were cut in the Baltic Sea in a span of 48 hours, prompting suspicions of "sabotage" and "hybrid warfare" . The severing was reportedly linked to a Chinese ship. Beijing has said it's ready to assist in the investigation, while Russia has denied involvement. A similar incident occurred last year when a Chinese vessel damaged - in a post-facto admission - an undersea data cable connecting Estonia to Sweden. Since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, there have been at least three incidents of possible sabotage to the dozens of telecommunication cables that run along the Baltic seabed. What are subsea or undersea cables? They are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, to transmit multiple terabits of data per second between continents. They are said to be as thick as garden hoses, with diameters ranging from 2cm to 5cm or more, depending on whether there's additional protective armour. According to TeleGeography, a telecommunications market research company, there are more than 600 active and planned cables globally. These cables are typically designed to last at least 25 years. They were traditionally owned and operated by telecommunication carriers forming consortiums with parties interested in using the cables. Over time, more private companies have invested in the infrastructure and today, the big tech likes of Meta, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are either individually or jointly operating subsea cables. Why are they important? Subsea cables are seen as critical information and telecommunications technology. Often described as the "backbone of the global internet", they can carry more than 99 per cent of the world's data traffic, including email, webpages and video calls. They also transmit more data at a lower cost compared to satellites. Sensitive government communications also rely heavily on subsea infrastructure, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The United States-based think-tank also noted that subsea cables have helped increase access to high-speed internet worldwide, and thus fuelled economic growth. How is a cable installed, and what happens when it's cut? First, seabed surveys are conducted to map out routes for the cables. A specially-rigged ship then carefully unspools and lays out the cable. Cables nearer to shores are buried under the seabed for protection from fishing trawlers or anchors. But in the deep sea, they are laid directly on the seabed. Damage to subsea cables is relatively common, with up to 150 severed each year, mostly from fishing equipment or anchors, said CSIS. The impact can vary. A BBC report noted that many countries have more cables than what's minimally required, so even if some are damaged, they can still rely on the others. However there are times when internet service can be disrupted due to cable cuts, as was the case in East Africa in May. Apart from physical armour, electronic monitoring systems are also used to safeguard cables. The systems can detect changes or anomalies in the seabed environment and alert operators of potential harm, CSIS noted. Why are disruptions happening more frequently? It's more the case that there's now more attention on these incidents due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, said Ms Asha Hemrajani, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). All the same, such geopolitical tensions across multiple hotspots are likely a key factor in some recent subsea cable disruptions, she said. Ms Hemrajani cited examples such as the Taiwan's outlying Matsu Islands, which had its internet cables severed by Chinese ships early in 2023. Then there is also the technology rivalry between the US and China, with mistrust spilling over to other key sectors including subsea cables, she noted. Other hotspots include parts of Europe, as well as the Middle East. Long-simmering tensions in the South China Sea - most of which Beijing claims - have also affected subsea cables, particularly the process of laying them out. For example, the shortest route for a cable from Singapore and Japan would be through the massive body of water. "But various cable operators have mentioned that it’s been getting difficult to get permits from China to lay the cables," said Ms Hemrajani. "The Chinese government has been particularly slow in giving these permits - slow to the degree that some companies have selected alternate routes." This increases the time and cost of laying the subsea cables. A longer route also means lower speeds, she added. What are global efforts to protect the cables? There are several international organisations in this space. The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), for one, was founded back in 1958. It has more than 230 member organisations from over 70 countries, who build, operate and maintain submarine telecommunications and power cable infrastructure. The ICPC also recently joined forces with the International Telecommunication Union to launch a global advisory board, shortly after the Baltic Sea incident. At a United Nations General Assembly in September, a joint statement was also issued to declare collective commitment to the security and resilience of undersea cable infrastructure. Recommendations included encouraging operators to have transparent ownership and partnerships. "China believes these particular statements are a way to suppress Chinese companies which operate in the undersea cable space," said Ms Hemrajani. She added that this was an important statement for Singapore - which endorsed it - and its status as an open economy highly connected to the rest of the world. What's at stake for Southeast Asia? Undersea cables have become increasingly valuable - and vulnerable - for countries in Southeast Asia, said Ms Elina Noor, a senior fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank. She wrote in a research paper that by virtue of its geographical location, Southeast Asia is a key node in the web of undersea cables around the world, and acts as a communications gateway to North America and Africa. By 2025, an estimated 10 major cable projects in and around Southeast Asia are due to come online to meet growing bandwidth demand. Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore have been ramping up efforts to boost their subsea cable capabilities. Malaysia currently has 29 submarine cable networks, including those under construction, and six cable landing stations. By next year, it aims to have the most cables landing in Southeast Asia, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority. Earlier this year, Vietnam also unveiled a plan to construct at least 10 new undersea cable routes by 2030, bringing its total to 15. As of 2023, Singapore had 26 subsea cables landed across three sites, with plans underway to double the number of sites and add more cables. What are challenges faced by Singapore? An RSIS policy report published in May noted that Singapore was "geographically disadvantaged" in efforts to protect its cables, by virtue of it being unable to claim the full suite of maritime zones afforded to it under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea due to proximity with neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia. Another significant risk to cables serving Singapore is from damage that occurs in spaces under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of other states, said the paper, which counts Ms Hemrajani among its four expert authors. The report recommended that Singapore designate cables and landing stations as critical information infrastructure (CII), and for companies operating these to be designated as CII service providers. They would then need to notify authorities of any break in service due to deliberate vandalism, acts of war or accidental damage. Other suggestions included improving cooperation between agencies, as well as partnerships through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN. "Effective protection of subsea cables requires both regional and international cooperation, and cannot be done by Singapore alone," the experts wrote.
The case against a P.E.I. teacher and school guidance counsellor has been adjourned in Charlottetown provincial court for the second time. Bethany Jean Toombs, 41, has been charged with sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching and sexual interference — all involving a minor. Toombs was listed as a guidance counsellor at East Wiltshire Intermediate School in Cornwall at the time the charges were laid. Her name has since been removed from the school's website. The Public Schools Branch has said it cannot comment on cases before the courts. However, the agency has told CBC News that it is co-operating fully with the investigation, and that it is procedure to place staff charged with such offences on leave. P.E.I. woman, 41, charged with sex crimes involving a minor Public Schools Branch 'fully co-operating with police' after counsellor charged No information about the victim's identity or Toombs' connection to that person has been revealed in court. Even when it is, it cannot be shared in the media due to a publication ban put in place to protect the victim. Toombs is also facing a fourth charge of allowing a youth to use cannabis contrary to P.E.I.'s Cannabis Control Act. Lawyer represented Toombs in court To date, Toombs has not entered a plea or specified whether she wants her case to continue in provincial court or go to the Supreme Court of P.E.I. The accused did not appear in court in person at her first appearance on Oct. 28 or at her second appearance Monday, but was represented by her lawyer Chris Montigny. RCMP laid charges against Toombs in September. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) In both instances, Montigny told the court they were waiting on disclosure — the sharing of evidence used to build the case against Toombs — from the Crown before proceeding. On Monday, Crown attorney Chris White said there were some "technological impediments" in accessing some evidence collected but he said he believed it was being resolved. Toombs' next court appearance is Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. in Charlottetown provincial court, with Judge Nancy Orr presiding.