Applied Industrial Technologies VP sells $1.13 million in stockAnother area where the partnership between Amazon and Perplexity is expected to make a significant impact is in the field of e-commerce. With Amazon's extensive knowledge of consumer behavior and Perplexity's advanced AI algorithms, the two companies are poised to revolutionize the way online shopping is done, by personalizing recommendations, streamlining the purchase process, and enhancing customer satisfaction.The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets , desperately trying to hear the play call from the sidelines or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the top of their lungs. When the NCAA ‘s playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State’s head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans’s QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. “There had to be some sort of solution,” he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school’s Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki “showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, ‘Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?” Bush said. “And I said, ‘Oh, absolutely.'” Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. “I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride,” DuBois said. “And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field.” All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they’re getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. “We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn’t forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football,” Klosterman said. “We’ve now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend.” The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it’s typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles “likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure,” Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks’ 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. “The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues,” Kolpacki said. “It can be just deafening,” he said. “That’s what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off.” Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a “win-win-win” for everyone. “It’s exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team,” she said. “I think it’s really exciting for our students as well to take what they’ve learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed.” —Mike Householder, Associated Press | The application deadline for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards is Friday, December 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
U.S. imposes new controls on chip exports to China
Night after night, Georgians have filled the broad central avenue that runs past parliament, in such great numbers there is barely space to move, on the road or the pavement either side. They come to Rustaveli Avenue draped in flags, the blue and gold of the EU and the red and white of the George Cross, and accuse their increasingly authoritarian government of ditching their European future for a return to the sphere of their Russian neighbour. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, fervently denies any link to the Kremlin, but its actions in recent days have raised big questions about this country’s future with the West. Not only has the party presided over a bitter fallout with the EU, it has just seen the US suspend Georgia’s hard-won strategic partnership too. In a country of only 3.7 million people, these are dangerous as well as momentous times. One Georgian Dream supporter spoke of his country sitting at the edge of an abyss. Through the night, whistles and the honk of vuvuzelas are occasionally punctuated by the crackle of protesters’ fireworks aimed at the imposing parliament building and the riot police standing guard with water cannon and tear gas. For the first four nights, police waited until towards dawn before moving in to reclaim the street by force. But on Monday night they advanced far earlier, pushing protesters elsewhere. Police have counted more than 100 injuries among their own force, while protesters in detention have endured beatings and serious facial and head injuries, according to lawyers, and dozens of TV reporters have come under attack. “The scale of people being hunted down and beaten individually, so they have to be treated in clinics, has never been seen before here,” says Lasha Dzebisashvili, professor of politics at the University of Georgia. Georgia’s public rights defender, Levan Ioseliani, says police have engaged in “brutality” and abused their authority with impunity. Government supporters argue police have come under intolerable attack from stones and fireworks. It is a constitutional crisis with no obvious way out, unless one side blinks first. Will the government back down, or the protests fizzle out under pressure from police? “No negotiations,” says Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, claiming without foundation that the protests are funded from abroad. One couple say they will turn out every night in December until Georgian Dream changes tack and calls fresh elections, to erase a vote just over a month ago marred by a string of violations ranging from bribery to multiple voting. Both sides accuse the other of lacking legitimacy. The protesters, spurred on by a figurehead pro-Western president and four opposition groups, say the government is illegitimate; the opposition won’t enter parliament because of the “falsified elections”. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, says it won the vote fair and square and insists it’s the largely ceremonial president, Salome Zourabichvili, who has no legitimacy. Her time in office is almost up, so why is it she is the one who plans to stay on to maintain stability, it asks. All the while neighbouring Russia trains a close eye, comparing events to Ukraine’s “Maidan”, when its unpopular president was ousted by pro-EU protesters in February 2014 and Russian troops and their proxies moved in to seize parts of the country. “We’re losing our country,” says Nika Gvaramia, an opposition leader from the alliance Coalition for Change, and Georgians are facing a stark choice between either a European Georgia or Russia. As he speaks, the protests are in full swing around the corner from his party HQ, and colleagues point to a CCTV video from inside their lobby a few days ago, showing a protester being beaten by police. “We’re shaking this government. The rallies will go on for as long as needed. We have no other option. It’s a liberation fight. We know who we’re fighting with, and that’s Russia.” The words “No to Russia” were daubed in big black graffiti on the front of the parliament building over the weekend and you can find the same kind of message on walls all over Tbilisi in varying degrees of bluntness. It is also a message that carries different meanings here. Georgian Dream’s highly controversial laws targeting civil society and LGBT groups this year have been branded Russian-style as well as anti-democratic. The president has spoken of Georgian Dream’s election win as a Russian special operation, and there was an outcry afterwards when it emerged that a Russian called Alexander Malkevich who had set up a propaganda network in occupied eastern Ukraine had been given accreditation to cover the vote. But none of that proves Russian interference, even if the billionaire driving force behind the party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his money in banking and steel in Russia, and critics believe he must still have contacts there. A high-ranking Georgian Dream figure told the BBC back in October that Georgia had said no to Moscow a long time ago and that the "Russia card" was being used by the opposition to attack her party. “Knowing a little bit of Georgian history... no government would be that stupid to start thinking about that,” said Maka Bochorishvili. Russia did fight a war with Georgia only 16 years ago. She has since become Georgia’s foreign minister, the new face of this country’s diplomacy. The crunch moment for Georgia and its relationship with the West came last Thursday, when the prime minister declared that the government had “decided not to put the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union” on the agenda for the next four years. Within hours, Russia’s Vladimir Putin had seized on his comments. “I admired their courage and character, which they showed when defending their point of view,” he said, stressing that Russia had no direct relationship with Tbilisi. Kobakhidze has even used the same kind of language as the Kremlin, accusing the opposition of planning a Ukraine-style "Maidan" revolution. However, his point was that Georgian police would ensure it did not happen. Thomas de Waal, a Caucasus specialist at Carnegie Europe, believes it’s a mistake to see any kind of close friendship with Russia. “It’s a business relationship - there’s no diplomatic relationship. Things are going on behind the scenes but they’re more afraid of Russia than wanting to join Russia.” Whatever the extent of contacts, Moscow is bound to prefer Georgian Dream, who have within a short period trashed Georgia’s links with the EU and US, to a passionately pro-Western opposition. The nightly protests show no sign yet of abating, despite temperatures falling close to freezing, and there is no indication yet of a resolution. Georgia has seen protests before, but not like this, says Lasha Dzebisashvili. Public servants from all walks of life have signed letters and petitions, and several ambassadors have resigned, including Georgia’s ambassador to the US, a clear blow for the ruling party. The long stretch of Rustaveli Avenue is where this story will play out in front of parliament in Tbilisi, but the protests are being felt in other towns and cities too, including Batumi and Poti on the Black Sea, Zugdidi in the north-west and Kutaisi. On Sunday night, a large crowd of protesters formed outside the public broadcaster, demanding that the president be given airtime rather than the usual pro-government fare. It didn’t happen and gradually the protesters marched towards the centre of the capital, halting the traffic and chanting “Georgia, Georgia”. Nika Gvaramia and his fellow opposition leaders believe the clear way out is for free and fair elections, not under the existing election commission but under the auspices of the EU and US: “If Georgian Dream is sure they won the elections, let’s go with new ones.” That seems highly unlikely as it would require an implicit admission that the original vote was unfair. GD supporter and university lecturer Levan Gigineishvili believes they just need to hold out for a new president in the US: “I think a great way out of this will be [Donald] Trump coming to power and then everything will change.” But 20 January is a long way ahead and this small state in the Caucasus will not be top of his agenda. And Georgia’s business sector for one will not be happy with a continuing stalemate or with the government doing lasting damage to ties with the West.Close behind Manchester City are traditional powerhouses Manchester United and Arsenal, with each club boasting 7 players among the top 30 wage earners in the Premier League. Both clubs have a rich history and a global fanbase, and they have not hesitated to invest in player salaries to remain competitive at the highest level. With talents like Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Mesut Ozil on their books, it is no wonder that Man United and Arsenal players command some of the highest wages in English football.As the world watches with growing concern, the fate of Syria and Israel hangs in the balance. The international community must act swiftly and decisively to prevent further violence and instability in the region, and to uphold the principles of peace, security, and justice for all. The time for action is now.
NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.US prosecutors on Tuesday asked a US judge to drop the criminal case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat, citing his impending return to the presidency following his successful 2024 campaign. Prosecutors working with Special Counsel Jack Smith cited a longstanding US Justice Department policy that sitting presidents should not face criminal prosecution. The move represents a remarkable shift from the special prosecutor who obtained indictments against Trump in two separate cases accusing him of crimes that threatened US election integrity and national security. It shows how Trump's election victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris was not just a political triumph, but also a legal one. What happens to Trump's criminal cases now that he's won? Trump pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to four federal charges accusing the Republican of conspiring to obstruct the collection and certification of votes following his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden Trump, who as president will again oversee the Justice Department, was expected to order an end to the federal 2020 election case and an attempt by Smith to revive a second case accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office in 2021. The Justice Department policy, dating back to the 1970s, holds that a criminal prosecution of a sitting president would violate the US Constitution by undermining the ability of the country's chief executive to function. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan will still have to approve the request from prosecutors. Trump's lawyers had previously said they would seek to dismiss the charges based on a US Supreme Court ruling in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution over official actions taken while in the White House. Smith attempted to salvage the case following the high court ruling, dropping some allegations but arguing the rest were not covered by presidential immunity and could proceed to trial. Chutkan had been due to decide whether the immunity decision required other portions of the case to be thrown out. Judge delays Donald Trump's hush money sentencing indefinitely A trial date had not been set. The case was brought following a probe led by Smith into Trump's attempts to hold on to power following his 2020 election defeat, culminating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by a mob of his supporters following a fiery speech by Trump near the White House. Trump denied wrongdoing and argued that the US legal system had been turned against him to damage his presidential campaign. He vowed during the campaign that he would fire Smith if he returned to the presidency.
Regardless of the outcome, the pursuit of the Brazilian international highlights the team's ambition and commitment to strengthening their squad in pursuit of success. The addition of a player of his caliber would not only provide a significant boost to their attacking options but also send a statement of intent to their rivals in the league and on the European stage.As the international community grapples with the complex dynamics of the Syrian-Israeli conflict, there is a growing recognition of the need for dialogue and negotiation to prevent further escalation. Both Syria and Israel must demonstrate restraint and a commitment to peaceful resolution in order to avoid a disastrous and unnecessary conflict.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, also known as Jing-Jin-Ji, is a key economic and cultural hub in northern China. With its dense population and bustling cities, the region experiences a wide range of weather patterns throughout the year. However, as the winter season sets in, residents and visitors alike can expect a shift towards colder temperatures and the possibility of snowfall.Florida State made official on Monday the hiring of Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator, confirming weekend reports that he would resign as UCF head coach to reunite with Seminoles coach Mike Norvell. UCF had confirmed on Sunday reports of Malzahn's exit but not his destination, and FSU had not made an announcement until Monday afternoon. "I am excited to be here at Florida State and to help us win championships," Malzahn said in a statement. "It's exciting to work with Coach Norvell, who is someone I believe in as a coach and leader." Norvell, who served as a graduate assistant under Malzahn at Tulsa in 2007-08, said on Saturday night after the Seminoles' 31-11 loss to Florida that he could not identify the new offensive coordinator until the hiring process was finalized. Florida State, which is 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, is ranked No. 132 of 133 FBS programs in total offense (270.2 yards per game). The Seminoles are 130th in the nation in scoring offense (15.4 points per game). Norvell shook up his staff, including firing offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins on Nov. 10 after a 52-3 defeat at Notre Dame. "I'm extremely excited to have Gus Malzahn join our staff at Florida State," Norvell said in the school's statement on Monday. "He has one of the most innovative minds in college football and a proven track record of developing elite offenses everywhere he's been. "His offenses have consistently showcased a tremendous running game combined with explosive plays through the air. I'm thrilled to work side-by-side with Gus again as we elevate the Florida State offense back to one of the elite groups in college football." UCF also endured a tough 2024 season, going 4-8 after losing eight of its last nine games. During Malzahn's four-year tenure, the Knights went 28-24, including 5-13 in the Big 12 Conference the last two seasons. Malzahn, 59, is 105-62 in 13 seasons as a college head coach, highlighted by a 68-35 mark in eight seasons at Auburn -- which included a BCS title game appearance in 2013. He served as offensive coordinator and play caller when the Tigers won the national title in 2010. Malzahn will be tasked with revitalizing a Florida State offense that helped produce a 13-1 campaign in 2023, when the Seminoles were denied a spot in the College Football Playoff. Over the last three seasons at UCF, his rushing attack has been in the Top 10 in the nation. In his 19 seasons as a college head coach or offensive coordinator, Malzahn's teams have averaged 447.7 yards per game, and three of his teams eclipsed 7,000 yards in a season. --Field Level Media
Keita, who joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2018, has struggled to secure a regular spot in the starting XI under manager Jurgen Klopp. The loan move to Ferencvaros presents an opportunity for the 26-year-old to get more playing time and showcase his skills in a new environment.Muriel: Atalanta Can Win the Serie A Title, Years of Experience Help Atalanta Players Adapt to PressureAttackers - possibly China's Salt Typhoon cyber-espionage crew - compromised an unnamed wireline provider's network and used this access to try to break into T-Mobile US systems multiple times over the past few weeks, according to its Chief Security Officer Jeff Simon. Simon was among the telecom execs who met White House officials last week to discuss the recent spate of Chinese intrusions into telecoms networks. Today, the un-carrier's security boss took a victory lap around his fellow operators, and detailed how T-Mo thwarted the attacks from advancing and disrupting services. Salt Typhoon compromised "multiple" US telcos in its extensive snooping campaign, and this allegedly included Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies , although all three have thus far declined to comment. According to the Feds, the crew compromised systems used for performing communications wiretapping for law enforcement, and stole customers' call records, phone calls, and texts - including private communications between government officials - during this espionage endeavor. However, "this is not the case at T-Mobile," Simon said in a write-up. The attackers (T-Mob can't definitely attribute these to Salt Typhoon) did not access any sensitive customer data, such as calls, voicemail messages, and texts, he added. While the carrier did detect "attempts to infiltrate our systems by bad actors," according to Simon, "we quickly severed connectivity to the [wireline] provider's network as we believe it was – and may still be – compromised." T-Mobile US hasn't seen any previous attempts like this, and as of now, the miscreants appear to have been kicked out of the mobile carrier's network, we're told. "Simply put, our defenses worked as designed," Simon said. "Other providers may be seeing different outcomes." It's a welcome reverse course for T-Mo, which has had its security breached at least seven times since 2018. In September, the telco agreed to fork out $31.5 million to improve its cybersecurity and pay a civil penalty after a series of network intrusions affected tens of millions of customers. It would appear at least that the improved infosec program is already starting to pay off. ®As the injured cow slowly recovered under the care of the villagers, a sense of relief and gratitude washed over the community. The incident, while harrowing, had united the villagers in a common goal of protecting their way of life and living in harmony with the surrounding wildlife.
Black Myth: Wu Kong Updates Cause a Stir on Weibo - Players Say "The New Version is Already Released on Xbox, What Are You Waiting For?"The grand finale of the Fearless Pact Ant E-sports National Challenge was a celebration of skill, sportsmanship, and the spirit of competition. It was a testament to the passion and dedication of e-sports athletes and the thriving e-sports community in the country. The audience was treated to a spectacle of thrilling gameplay, intense battles, and unforgettable moments that will be cherished for years to come.