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SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) — SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) — Synopsys Inc. (SNPS) on Wednesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $1.11 billion. The Sunnyvale, California-based company said it had net income of $7.14 per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were $3.40 per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $3.29 per share. The maker of software used to test and develop chips posted revenue of $1.64 billion in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.63 billion. For the year, the company reported profit of $2.26 billion, or $14.51 per share. Revenue was reported as $6.13 billion. For the current quarter ending in January, Synopsys expects its per-share earnings to range from $2.77 to $2.82. The company said it expects revenue in the range of $1.44 billion to $1.47 billion for the fiscal first quarter. Synopsys expects full-year earnings in the range of $14.88 to $14.96 per share, with revenue ranging from $6.75 billion to $6.81 billion. This story was generated by Automated Insights ( http://automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SNPS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SNPS
South Korean lawmakers impeach second president in 2 weeksStudents at St. Ambrose University are learning and teaching through play. Over the past year, students in the early childhood education and doctoral occupational therapy programs have participated in the interdisciplinary "Nature Play Project" at the SAU Children's Campus and Hand in Hand, a Quad-Cities organization providing inclusive programs for people of all abilities, from infants to adults. The project is a framework for outdoor play, focused on early childhood intervention. The hope is to support children's physical, cognitive and social-emotional development though the benefits of being outdoors. The Nature Play Project is designed to be embedded in classroom settings or other community-based programs, like Hand in Hand. Angela Rekers-Power, assistant professor of early childhood education at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. "We are developing professional development courses for teachers and early interventionists, so they can use the outdoors to more sustainably benefit their students, and themselves," said Angela Rekers, a professor in SAU's early childhood education program. People are also reading... Funded by an SAU grant in spring 2023, the Nature Play Project is headed by Rekers and Angie McCombs, senior lecturer in the occupational therapy program. Last spring, they got to present on the project's pilot at the Forest School Research Symposium at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and the Children and Nature Network Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. "It was really well received," Rekers said. "There hasn't been a lot of research (on) this idea of early intervention, cross-disciplinary work, so we were excited." Hand in Hand received a grant in spring 2022 to renovate its playground and outdoor classroom space. The occupational therapy students visit Hand in Hand on Fridays to observe how children use these spaces and explore strategies to better support early intervention work. Children at Hand in Hand in Bettendorf enjoy the organization's outdoor playground/classroom space. "We love partnering with the students; they are so eager to share in reciprocal learning, which is really fun," said Angie Kendall, CEO of Hand in Hand. "We learn just as much from them as they do from us." She's enjoyed collaborating with SAU students and faculty on new ideas for adaptive technology and equipment, inclusive playtime, interventions and other areas. "Traditional play equipment can be very overwhelming and intimidating to a lot of children, especially if they have motor challenges," Kendall said, adding Hand in Hand has seen "extraordinary growth" in children's confidence and creativity when playing. "Even from children who (see) an external physical therapist." SAU plans to continue the Nature Play Project at Hand and the Children's Campus in the spring — but they're also eyeing other partnerships, including Nahant Marsh Education Center and Tapestry Farms. Rekers said her team has already met with Tapestry Farms about building a new outdoor learning space at its Trinity Cathedral site, calling it “another goal” for the spring. The purpose of play Since both structured and unstructured "free" play is a crucial factor in childhood development, the Nature Play Project's embedded approach can help schools avoid the burdens of additional intervention specialists or lost instruction time. Children naturally learn self-regulation skills by playing, Rekers said. "But it becomes internal," she added. "Which is why I think play — whether it's indoors or outdoors — is so important for children, because they become more internally motivated." A child at Hand in Hand in Bettendorf plays on the organization's outdoor playground/classroom space. Many people have a narrower perception of early childhood education, Rekers said, noting how it ranges from infancy to third grade. "Early childhood is very holistic," she said. "We are thinking about their physical development, their social-emotional development (and) cognitive outcomes." Still, Rekers said children are being increasingly pressured by academic expectations that don't always align with their physical, sensory and cognitive development. This leads many of them to be "already disengaged" when their school-based education starts. "And it shouldn't be like that," she said. "What they need is that realistic sensory learning experience. ... Climbing, running, picking things up — that challenges them, and that's what's so exciting." A child at Hand in Hand in Bettendorf plays a xylophone at the organization's outdoor classroom space. Wider applications Outdoor play can also help students understand how classroom concepts — like science, physics, math or even leadership skills — apply in real life. When students learn through play, they often feel more competent and confident to tackle formal instruction, Rekers said. "Math is so fun when it's developmentally appropriate," she said, adding the "Forest School" concept hails from Scandinavian countries, where kids don't typically start traditional school until age seven. "So, the idea is (that) writing, formal reading and all of those kinds of things come much more naturally once you're seven and have had all these experiences that make you feel like a competent, learner." Rekers' own doctoral research studied children's motivation towards learning and performing task and participation across classroom and woodland Forest School settings. She found that children receiving supplemental outdoor play demonstrated diverse skills that were often overlooked in the classroom setting, and these experiences also encouraged a wider range of physical, sensory and self-regulatory opportunities. "Those challenging behaviors were just not there outside," Rekers said. "The kids who are the most 'trouble' in school, become the leaders outside, so I wanted to (find out) why that might be the case." Her research compared a range of elementary-aged students’ playtime habits and behaviors in both settings, which also uncovered another finding: students seemed to be more fixed to certain roles or activities in the classroom — largely based on gender — compared to outdoors. Children at Hand in Hand in Bettendorf enjoy a sensory table in the organization's outdoor classroom space. For example, Rekers said most girls would play as "princesses" in the classroom, while boys might engage in more hands-on activities. But this didn't translate to outside. "We'd have boys hanging in a hammock or (playing with) woodland puppets, and the girls would be climbing trees, building dens, things like that," she said. "We'd see boys and girls playing together more frequently ... there was this real shift in gender affordances." Rekers said play-based learning should still be facilitated by teachers or trained adults, nodding to the Nature Play Project's focus on professional development. "That's what we're trying to do here, train our students and graduates in play-based learning provisions and therapy, so they can really observe where they're at (developmentally)," she said. In meeting kids where they're at, adults can gain a better understanding of their perspectives, motivations and challenges. "It allows us to help guide them and (meet) some of the expectations they find so challenging," Rekers said. "It just provides a more cooperative, better way to support young people. "I think seeing children as competent — instead of having a deficit perspective — is really important, too," she added. See Hayes Elementary second-graders explore Camp Kawpini Hayes 13.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport builds a fort at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, focused on free outdoor play via the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Hayes 5.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport conquers the rope swing — as his peers cheer — at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday focused on free outdoor play via the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Hayes 12.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport takes a spin on the tire swing at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday focused on free outdoor play through the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Hayes 11.JPG Second-graders from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport explore the great outdoors at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday. Hayes 14.JPG Second-graders from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport use teamwork to build a fort at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday. Hayes 4.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport hangs on a swing at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday focused on free outdoor play through the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Hayes 12.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport takes a spin on the tire swing at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday focused on free outdoor play through the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Hayes 14.JPG Second-graders from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport use teamwork to build a fort at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday. Hayes 5.JPG A second-grader from Hayes Elementary School in Davenport conquers the rope swing — as his peers cheer — at Camp Kawpini in Blue Grass during a class field trip on Thursday focused on free outdoor play via the TimberNook Greater Quad Cities program. Angela Rekers-Power, assistant professor of early childhood education at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk's X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner's support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta's Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter's core mechanic . That's unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky's growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It's not just human users who've been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta's platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who've grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots' messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn't respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won't be Bluesky's only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they're “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren't — see Meta's platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Industrial Open Frame Touchscreen Monitor Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030
Hyderabad: Laurus Bio, a subsidiary of Hyderabad-based biopharma player Laurus Labs Ltd, has secured an equity investment of Rs 120 crore from Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital. Laurus Labs informed the bourses on Friday that its subsidiary has inked a definite agreement for the investment round that will also see Laurus Labs co-invest Rs 40 crore at the same valuation. The company stated that the promoters of Laurus Bio were also issued share warrants, exercisable up to two years from the date of issue at the same valuation. "Laurus Labs or Eight Roads Ventures have the right to invest up to an additional amount of Rs 35 crore before December 2025 at the same valuation. Upon completion of the transaction, Laurus Labs, Eight Roads Ventures, and the promoters of Laurus Bio will hold 75%, 14%, and 9% stake, respectively, on a fully diluted basis," Laurus Labs said in a regulatory filing. The company said the funds raised will be utilised by Laurus Bio for further expansion of its fermentation-based manufacturing capabilities to cater to the growing customer demand. Laurus Labs founder & CEO Dr Satyanarayana Chava and Laurus Bio CEO Rajesh Krishnamurthy said the fundraise will drive the expansion of the manufacturing and R&D infrastructure of Laurus Bio and enable it to further accelerate growth opportunities. "This investment will enable the company to further expand and accelerate microbial-fermentation capabilities, including faster development of new products, speeding up the internal pipeline, enhancing high-quality commercial-scale capacity to partners, and growing our industry position," Dr Chava said. Eight Roads Ventures India managing partner Dr Prem Pavoor said Laurus Labs and Laurus Bio (formerly Richcore Lifesciences) built a best-in-class biomanufacturing platform to cater to the growing global demand for sustainable manufacturing technologies. "Biomanufacturing is already being utilised across a range of industries including personal care, materials, food and nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to growing Laurus Bio into a global leader in this emerging segment," Dr Pavoor said. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Mountain Bike Market to grow by USD 3.78 Billion from 2024-2028, driven by mountain biking tourism, with AI driving market transformation - Technavio
Tendring College 'superstars' shine at first CrossFit session in Colchester GymOnkar Nerkar is fast becoming a dynamic force for change in complex logistics and manufacturing. His background combines technical prowess in industrial engineering with strategic insight into supply chain management. His work as the director of continuous improvement and industrial engineering places him at the front and center of operations strategy and reliability improvement, where his influence has proven to be transformative. From implementing intricate, large projects to championing a culture of efficiency, Onkar Nerkar's strategies are more than just industry-standard. His approach, combined with his extensive industry experience, introduces a fresh perspective to the manufacturing world. A Foundation Built on Excellence Onkar Nerkar's journey to leadership in manufacturing is built on a strong academic background and extensive experience. After earning a master's in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois, Chicago, he excelled in roles with increasing responsibility in the global environment. Strong Electrical Engineering background and early exposure in technical fields helped him to decode fundamentals of Electronics and Instrumentation which later played a crucial role in his career. "Industrial engineering is more than processes and workflows ," Onkar Nerkar emphasizes. "It's about creating an ecosystem that works efficiently and smartly. Each process should add value and gear toward customer satisfaction and business growth. " This philosophy has guided his approach to transformation, resulting in implementations that have generated millions in cost savings while enhancing operational agility and resilience. Champion of Operations Excellence Throughout his two-decade career, Onkar Nerkar has demonstrated the transformative power of lean and agile manufacturing along with Six Sigma techniques. In the capacity of operations leader for the site at one of the leading Tier-I automotive suppliers he led green field projects from design to install end to end supply chain, his leadership of strategic initiatives yielded exceptional results and set new industry standards for engineered material flow and logistics. In another capstone achievement, Onkar led the team at the distribution center to improve customers experience by reducing claims and thereby enhancing the company's brand image in the region. His success at multinational companies stems from his ability to integrate Industry 4.0 advancements with traditional lean principles. By leveraging automation and data-driven processes, he has created manufacturing environments that are both highly efficient and adaptable to change. Onkar Nerkar emphasizes a human-centric approach that he believes should define modern manufacturing. "The core of lean manufacturing is respect for every individual. When you respect each link in the chain, you find ways to make every step more efficient and meaningful ," he says. This philosophy has proven remarkably effective in practice. Under his guidance, organizations have achieved significant reductions in operating expenses and sustained improvements in business and employee engagement. His implementations have consistently delivered results that exceed industry benchmarks, with some facilities reporting multifold productivity gains. Innovating Toward Sustainable Manufacturing Sustainability has become an industry imperative, adding significance to Onkar Nerkar's work. In his current and previous roles, he has implemented practices that minimize waste, optimize energy use, and reduce operations environmental footprint. His approach to sustainable operations often involves rethinking workflows and embracing innovative technologies that align with environmental goals. He explains that sustainability goes beyond regulatory compliance; it involves positioning the entire supply chain as a responsible global citizen. " Sustainability is not just about reducing emissions or energy consumption. It's about building a resilient industry that can adapt to changing environmental and economic landscapes ," he states. Elevating Industry Standards Onkar Nerkar envisions the integration of digital technologies in the future, sustainable practices, and an increased focus on agility. As manufacturing undergoes a massive transformation with smart factories, data analytics, and AI-driven processes, he sees a unique opportunity to elevate industrial standards. "Industry 4.0 is necessary, not just a mere trend," he says. "Manufacturers who embrace digital transformation will have the ability to adapt to global shifts, whether economic volatility or supply chain disruptions." A Catalyst for Change Onkar Nerkar's impact extends far beyond the companies he has served. His innovative approach to operations and supply chain transformation has influenced industry practices across multiple sectors and continents. At his current assignments and in his previous roles, he has demonstrated that successful transformation requires a delicate balance of technological innovation, human insight, and sustainable practices. " Sustainability and progress are complementary aspects of responsible manufacturing," Onkar asserts. "These are responsibilities we owe to future generations ." His leadership and innovation are shaping a more efficient, sustainable, and human-centric manufacturing future, demonstrating that operational excellence can coexist with a commitment to environmental stewardship and human development. Contribution to the Field of Research With his extensive experience in the industry, Onkar Nerkar is now sharing his knowledge through articles and research papers. He recently published an article where he proposed strategies to enhance business profitability through qualitative analysis. Currently he is researching human interaction with collaborative robots (Cobots) and how it affects Cobot's efficiency. His findings aim to emphasize the importance of building trust to improve user experiences with Cobots. " We are constantly asking, how can we do this differently and better? It's not enough to keep up with standards; we need to set them ," he explains. Through the systematic studies of digital and data science technologies available in today's world, he has fostered a culture of technological excellence that permeates every aspect and function of operations, from predictive maintenance to quality assurance. Onkar has been recognized with accolades throughout his professional career span for his efforts in different times, initiatives, and organizations. He has been recognized for his significant contribution towards profitability, managing the clients beyond expectations and outstanding achievement in improving asset reliability.
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino on Thursday ruled out any possible discussions with President-elect Donald Trump about control of the Panama Canal or any reduction in the transit fees imposed to U.S. ships that pass through it, asserting that there is “nothing to talk about” regarding the matter. The Panamanian president also refuted Trump’s claims of the presence of Chinese soldiers in the trade route, describing it as “nonsense.” Mulino made the assertions during a weekly press conference in which he stated he will wait for Trump to take office on January 20, 2025, before talking with the U.S. president-elect to reach agreements on issues of common interest, such as migration or terrorism — but he stressed there is no possibility of negotiating the “reality” of the status of the Panama Canal: “There is no possibility for this president to talk about anything that seeks to rethink the legal-political reality of the Panama Canal in Panamanian hands,” Mulino said . “If that is where the intention to talk comes from, there is nothing to talk about.” “The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians, there is no possibility of opening any kind of conversation about this reality, which has cost the country tears, sweat and blood,” he added. Last week, President-elect Trump started an ongoing debate over the Panama Canal, built by the United States in 1914 and whose control was handed over to Panama in 1999 as per the terms of a deal agreement signed by both nations under the administration of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Trump, through a Truth Social post, expressed that the United States should take back control of the Canal because of the “exorbitant” transit fees imposed to U.S. ships, which Trump described as a “rip-off.” In another Truth Social post , dated Wednesday, Trump asserted that Chinese soldiers are “lovingly, but illegally” operating the Panama Canal. Mulino dismissed Trump’s recent accusations as “nonsense,” claiming there is no foreign interference from China or any other country in the trade route while cataloging the U.S. President-elect’s claims as possible “geopolitical fears.” “There is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything related to the Panama Canal. There are no soldiers from that nation in the canal, for God’s sake,” Mulino said. “There are no Chinese in the canal, as simple as that. Neither Chinese nor any other power.” “The whole world is free to visit the canal. If you find a Chinese soldier in the canal, personally, I will recognize President-elect Donald Trump for what he has said on that subject,” he added. Panama formally established diplomatic relations with China in June 2017 under the administration of President Juan Carlos Varela, cutting ties with Taiwan at the same time and embracing the Chinese Communist Party’s “One-China Principle,” which states that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a “province” of China. Mulino also refuted Trump’s claims that U.S. ships are “ripped off” with the Canal’s transit fees and ruled out any possible reduction in the fees. According to Mulino, Panama was paid a “pittance” from the Panama Canal up until the country was given control of the trade route. “In the canal, tolls are not set at the whim of the president or the [Canal’s] administrator. There is an established process for setting canal tolls that has been respected from day one to date. It is a public and open process,” Mulino said. “Since 1914, the toll paid by warships of any nation, including the United States, is calculated based on the tons of water displacement, as everyone else pays. There is no discrimination against any warship, whether from the United States or any other country,” he added . The United States reportedly accounts for 74 percent of all cargo transiting through the Panama Canal, with China amounting to 21 percent, followed by Japan, South Korea, and Chile. Jorge Quijano, former administrator of the Panama Canal, reportedly stated that the trade route’s toll system “is differentiated by market segment, and the country of origin, destination or ship registration is not important.” Quijano added that any increase in tolls and transit tariffs “must be analyzed based on our competitiveness as a country.” Quijano said that the Americans “have greatly benefited from the canal, and now, under these almost 25 years of Panamanian administration, the canal seeks to ensure that its benefits go to Panamanians.”Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sorensen will adjust systems to boost offense, emphasize speed
Texas has nation's top recruiting class after landing elite defensive lineman from GeorgiaGoogle's recent announcement of the arrival of Willow , a quantum chip that has reduced the error tendencies of some of its predecessors, is a milestone in the effort to bring quantum computing into the real world, and in the years ahead, it could change the way we think about the risk in cryptocurrencies. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Willow's speed is almost incomprehensible — according to Google , it's able to perform a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years to solve. Ten septillion is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. But the accuracy of quantum computing has, until now, also been a big issue, with quantum like a garden hose on full blast with no one holding it: the water is coming out fast, but its aim is not consistently accurate. Willow's combination of speed and accuracy could theoretically provide hackers with the tools to unlock the algorithms that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are built upon. If you don't understand (not many people do) what makes up quantum computing — qubits — security company DigiCert's industry technology strategist, Tim Hollebeek, has a simplified way of thinking about the breakthrough. He says imagine a maze and how a classical computer would try to find its way through the maze from start to finish. It would try one potential path at a time. "A quantum computer would be able to try each path at the same time, resulting in a much faster solution," Hollebeek said. While Willow may not be ready for real-world applications yet, Willow's speed and accuracy will help pave the way for larger-scale quantum computers. "Part of the issue with qubits is that they are unstable and produce errors. This chip has significant error correction capabilities, which mitigates some of the qubit issues," Hollebeek said. That means chips improving upon Willow's breakthrough will be able to help hackers target crypto — but at least for the moment, the concern is only theoretical. "Quantum computers can theoretically solve this much faster and pose a threat to today's cryptographic algorithms if a quantum computer with sufficient qubits could be developed," Hollebeek said. But he added that the real-world reason for breathing easier today if you own crypto is simple. "None exist today and are not expected for at least another 5, 10, 15 years," he said, with the fastest five-year timeline contingent on some unforeseen technological breakthrough. A Google spokesman told CNBC that Willow and crypto can coexist. "The Willow chip is incapable of breaking modern cryptography," he said, adding that it is also the view of Google that quantum technology with that capability is still years off. In fact, according to Park Feierbach, an expert in decentralized finance technology who is CEO of Radiant Commons, even if Willow can drastically increase the speed at which crypto could be broken, it would still take several times the age of the universe for the quantum chip to do it. According to NASA, the universe is 13.7 billion years old. "There's almost no reason to deploy Willow on this technology in a way that could make tractable progress. It would simply still take too long," Feierbach said. "Estimates are we're at least 10 years out from breaking RSA, and that around 4 million physical qubits would be required to do this," the Google spokesman said. RSA is an encryption system used in cryptocurrencies. For reference, Google's processors are now on the scale of about 100 physical qubits. The Google spokesman stressed that the timeline for quantum breakthroughs has been widely shared and Willow has not changed it. "Google is on track with our planned roadmap," he said. "The security community has long been aware of the projected timeline to break asymmetric encryption, and has been working on defining standards and collaboratively implementing new algorithms that will resist attacks by both classical and quantum computers," the spokesman added. Indeed, Hollebeek says that the crypto industry is working on "quantum-safe" crypto. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released several quantum-safe algorithms that are resistant to attacks by future quantum computers, Hollebeek said, and NIST has a timeline for governments and industry to deploy these algorithms to ensure the safety of the nation's and businesses secrets. "Google and other industry leaders have supported standardization and experimented with the algorithms in their draft form," the Google spokesman said. Despite how efficient quantum is at unlocking algorithms (traditional crypto equations based on factoring huge prime numbers), it isn't infallible, and that is where the promise lies in quantum-safe crypto. "They're really, really good at some things, but not everything," Hollebeek said, noting that breaking conventional asymmetric cryptography just happens to be one of the things they are really good at. "Luckily, there are other hard math problems they are bad at, and asymmetric cryptography can be updated to use those hard math problems instead of factoring," he said. Taqi Raza , assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said existing cryptos will have to evolve to ward off qubits. "As the potential for quantum computers to break existing cryptography becomes more of a concern, new cryptocurrencies specifically designed to be quantum-safe could be developed. These new quantum cryptos would integrate PQC, cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to the computational power of quantum computers," Raza said. Jeremy Allaire, co-founder, chairman & CEO of digital currency company Circle, told CNBC in an interview last week that the risk is real, but his view of the future remains focused on the opportunities that will evolve. "The bottom line is quantum crypto means that you can both unlock things more easily, things that had bad old locks, but you can also create better locks," Allaire said. "So quantum crypto – this quantum is going to be actually a huge turbocharge to crypto computing, to crypto applications, and to crypto money." Raza thinks that ultimately the more sweeping changes wrought by quantum computing will occur beyond crypto. Breakthroughs will make devices and software faster, revolutionize AI, and improve data security with ultra-secure encryption methods. In everyday life, there will be advances in computing, healthcare, energy, and security, Raza said, and as a result, it is not the crypto industry we should be thinking about in isolation while these changes are still developing. "They will likely transform industries," he said.Pisces and Mercury Retrograde 2025: Essential tips for overcoming challenges
A mum has lashed out at teachers who made her autistic son wear a comic Christmas tie at school. Year 9 pupil Lenny Walton goes to the Royal Harbour Academy in Ramsgate. On Tuesday, the 13-year-old arrived at school without his tie - contrary to the school’s uniform policy, and was given the comic tie to wear instead. His mum, Natasha Parry, said: “It was the first time he forgot his tie in two years at the school. “I was taking my mum to hospital that morning and couldn’t go back for it. “I told him to apologise to the teachers and explain. Instead two teachers from student services gave him a Christmas tie to wear - laughing as they did so. “They said if he didn’t wear it, he would get a detention.” Ms Parry continued: “When he got home from school that day I could see straight away something was wrong. “At first I couldn’t get it out of him, but then he blurted it out. “Because of the tie he had felt humiliated and he had been bullied all day. He was so upset. He said he never wanted to go back.” So far Lenny has not returned to class. Ms Parry said she had tried phoning the school every day since, to explain the effect the incident had had on her son, but she did not get a reply until 4.10pm today (Friday). By that time, Ms Parry had posted about the incident on Facebook, asking: “Am I overreacting? Or is this genuinely not OK? “I just want to know if this is appropriate behaviour on the school’s part or if I’m being unreasonable to expect more understanding.” Her post quickly garnered more than 300 responses, all condemning the school’s behaviour. Typical comments were: “Adults bullying an already vulnerable child is not ok!” “Causing a child to be the laughing stock of the school is bullying!” “No, I’d be absolutely livid. Surely this is worse than no tie at all!” “Shame on the school!” Another said: “They publicly humiliated him. Autism or not, no child should have to go through this.” “That’s setting him up to be picked on!” “Regardless of any conditions etc this is sickening. To humiliate anyone let alone a child is cruel.” Ms Parry said: “When I got the phone call, it wasn’t an apology. “It was to ask me to take the Facebook post down. “They said they had a good relationship with Lenny but felt the post might spoil that. I don’t know if that was some kind of veiled threat.” Ms Parry described her son as already a nervous child with a lot of social anxiety. The incident had just made matters worse. She is hoping to get Lenny back to school on Monday. The Royal Harbour Academy has been approached for a comment.