NEW YORK (AP) — Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner has been fined $2,000 for embellishment during a recent game against the New York Rangers, the NHL said Monday. Skinner was issued a warning after a diving/embellishment incident in an Oct. 22 game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the league said. His second citation, which triggered the fine, came in the second period of a 6-2 victory over the Rangers on Nov. 23. Skinner was being followed by Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller as he had the puck along the boards in the New York zone. Skinner lost his footing and the puck despite minimal contact from Miller. The Oilers forward looked toward the referee as he got up but no penalty call was made on the play. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLOttawa Public Health is warning residents about a possible risk of exposure to hepatitis A at a local Tim Hortons in the city's south end. OPH says it is investigating a confirmed case of hepatitis A in an employee at the Tim Hortons at 372 Hunt Club Rd. While the risk of exposure is described as "very low", OPH recommends all customers who ate or drank any products from this location between Nov. 15 and Dec. 8 to monitor for symptoms of hepatitis A for 50 days. OPH says the risk is considered very low because of the shop's proper attention to hygiene and safe food preparation. "Any patron who experiences fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, feeling generally unwell (malaise), yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), pale stools or dark urine should seek medical assessment," a news release said. Tim Hortons said in a statement the owner is working with officials and it is believed the initial infection was contracted outside the country. "Guests’ health and safety is our top priority. While Ottawa Public Health says the risk to the public is “very low,” the restaurant owner continues to work closely with officials and is following all their guidance. The investigation suggests that the illness was contracted outside the restaurant, most likely while the individual was on vacation outside the country," a spokesperson said. Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that affects the liver. It can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness that lasts months. Symptoms of hepatitis A appear from 15 to 50 days after coming in contact with the virus, but most often occur within 30 days, OPH says. Children may not show any symptoms. A blood test is required to determine if someone has contracted hepatitis A. There is no medication to treat hepatitis A. OPH says most people are sick for about one to two weeks and then recover, while others may develop more serious illness. After recovering from the illness, a person is considered immune and protected against hepatitis A for life. Hepatitis A typically spreads via contaminated food or water, but it can also spread through sex or by being in close contact with a person who is infected, even if that person has no signs or symptoms of the infection. More information about hepatitis A is available on Ottawa Public Health's website. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 19 Of The Best Gifts For People Who Love To Cook 25 Last-Minute Secret Santa Gifts From Amazon Canada That’ll Arrive On Time 15 Unique Gifts You'll Want To Order For Yourself, Too Home The Best Bedding For Cold Canadian Winters Our Guide To The Best Memory Foam Mattresses In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) The Best Couches For Small Spaces You Can Get In Canada Gifts 20 Great Last-Minute Gifts From Amazon Canada That Won't Break The Bank 20 Last-Minute White Elephant From Amazon Canada Gifts That'll Arrive On Time 17 Of The Best Gifts For Movie Buffs Beauty 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Our Guide To The Best Self Tanners You Can Get In Canada Deals 16 Great Gifts You Can Get On Sale Right Now Don’t Walk, Run! These LEGO Kits Are On Sale And Ready To Gift Black Friday May Be Over, But You Can Still Take Advantage Of These Amazing Sales On Amazon Canada Ottawa Top Stories Inquest jury deems Abdirahman Abdi's death after arrest a homicide, makes recommendations Villa Marconi, board refute union allegations about hygiene care Ottawa Public Health asking customers of south Ottawa Tim Hortons to monitor for hep A symptoms 'We have nowhere to go:' Brockville, Ont. woman seeking OHIP coverage for rare nerve disease Kettle Island bridge not a priority for Ottawa: Mayor Live Local Giving Spree: Local charities that need your support this holiday season Morrisburg, Ont. students win national contest with hydrogen generator project Ottawa elementary school students treated to early Christmas dinner CTVNews.ca Top Stories Most Canadians have heard about Freeland's resignation from Trudeau cabinet, new poll finds The majority of Canadians heard about Chrystia Freeland's surprise resignation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet, according to a new poll from Abacus Data released Tuesday. BREAKING | 2 B.C. police officers charged with sexual assault Two officers with a Vancouver Island police department have been charged with sexual assault, authorities announced Tuesday. Canadian government announces new border security plan amid Donald Trump tariff threats The federal government has laid out a five-pillared approach to boosting border security, though it doesn't include specifics about where and how the $1.3-billion funding package earmarked in the fall economic statement will be allocated. Police chief says motive for Wisconsin school shooting was a 'combination of factors' Investigators on Tuesday are focused on trying to determine a motive in a Wisconsin school shooting that left a teacher and a student dead and two other children in critical condition. B.C. teacher disciplined for refusing to let student use bathroom A teacher who refused to let a student use the bathroom in a B.C. school has been disciplined by the province's professional regulator. Fall sitting bookended by Liberal byelection losses ends with Trudeau government in tumult The House of Commons adjourned on Tuesday, bringing an end to an unstable fall sitting that has been bookended by Liberal byelection losses. The conclusion of the fall sitting comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government is in turmoil. After investigating Jan. 6, House GOP sides with Trump and goes after Liz Cheney Wrapping up their own investigation on the Jan. 6 2021 Capitol attack, House Republicans have concluded it's former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney who should be prosecuted for probing what happened when then-President Donald Trump sent his mob of supporters as Congress was certifying the 2020 election. The world's busiest flight routes for 2024 revealed If you think planes have got fuller and the skies busier over the past year, you’d be right — especially if you live in either Hong Kong or Taipei. Prosecutors charge suspect with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO as an act of terrorism The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said Tuesday as they worked to bring him to a New York court from from a Pennsylvania jail. Atlantic Snow forecast to fall in parts of the Maritimes this week As rainy and gusty weather clears the Maritimes Tuesday, a round of snow and rain is lined up for late week. Sex-ed group deemed 'inappropriate' by Tory government returns to N.B. schools A sexual-education group whose presentations were deemed "clearly inappropriate" by the previous New Brunswick Progressive Conservative government has been cleared to return to the province's schools. N.B.'s Horizon Health Network says they've 'planned far more diligently' for holiday season With both sick and holiday seasons here, New Brunswick's Horizon Health Network say it's prepared heading into the holidays with proactive steps being taken. Toronto Two men charged in death of Markham real estate agent as search continues for murder suspect Two people have been charged in connection with the disappearance and death of a Markham real estate agent whose remains were found in Parry Sound over the summer. Canadian government announces new border security plan amid Donald Trump tariff threats The federal government has laid out a five-pillared approach to boosting border security, though it doesn't include specifics about where and how the $1.3-billion funding package earmarked in the fall economic statement will be allocated. Man wanted for allegedly assaulting Scotiabank Arena security guard with blunt object A 41-year-old man is wanted for allegedly assaulting a security guard with a blunt object at Scotiabank Arena last Thursday. Montreal 69-year-old woman struck by city bus in Montreal-North Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating a collision between a pedestrian and an STM bus in the Montreal-North borough on Tuesday evening. Quebec physicians ready to strike, if necessary, in early 2025 The Quebec resident physicians federation says it is ready to strike if necessary, given the impasse in its negotiations with Quebec to renew its collective agreement. Montreal police looking for six suspects linked to anti-NATO demonstration Montreal police (SPVM) is asking the public for help in identifying six suspect who are alleged to have committed mischief during the anti-NATO demonstration in Montreal last month. Northern Ontario Two in northern Ont. charged with manslaughter in death of a child Two people have been charged with manslaughter and other offences in connection with the death of a seven-year-old two years ago in Hearst, Ont. 'There's just no rhyme or reason': Sault gun shop owners frustrated by additions to gun ban The federal government’s recent expansion of its gun buy-back program has frustrated firearm owners and sellers in the Sault Ste. Marie area. Volunteer firefighters in Markstay-Warren say they have been harassed by local councillor Volunteer firefighters in Markstay-Warren say they have had enough of what they call unfair public scrutiny from a local municipal councillor. Windsor Canada Post strike ends, but Windsor businesses still feel the pain While small businesses in Windsor are relieved to see Canada Post moving again, many are still feeling the sting of the four-week work stoppage. Shots fired at home in east Windsor Windsor police are looking for a suspect after multiple shots were fired at a home in east Windsor. Windsor transitional home gets a helping hand ahead of the holidays A Windsor philanthropist has donated an abundance of food for those seeking help at a sober living transition home on Windsor's west side ahead of the holidays. London Two people wanted as part of London assault investigation London police are looking for two men wanted in an assault investigation. Police say a man got out of his vehicle on Nov. 26 around 6:30 p.m. in the area of Brydges and Hale streets. 'We are now moving into a zero-tolerance world': Sarnia mayor reacts as councillor remains defiant A Sarnia city councillor contends he will not stay silent. Bill Dennis remains defiant in the wake of an advisory at the start of a Sarnia City Council meeting on Monday. 'Record growth': St. Thomas council keeps tax increase below 4% thanks to industry boom St. Thomas City Council has approved it’s 2025 budget, and it’s a modest 3.93 per cent increase. Kitchener Victim of Cambridge, Ont. dog attack claims same animal is up for adoption without disclosure A Cambridge, Ont. woman who was involved in a vicious dog attack this summer claims one of the dogs involved is now up for adoption. University of Waterloo says two PhD students killed in Gaza airstrike The University of Waterloo says twin sisters, who were set to start their PhD studies at the school, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. 3 suspects wanted following jewelry store robbery at Cambridge Centre Mall Police said they were called to the shopping centre on Hespeler Road around 8:15 p.m. Monday for reports of a robbery at a jewelry store. Barrie 'We've been scammed,' Customers allege floating home company owner left them in limbo after payment Several customers of a floating home company say their dream of living on the water has turned into a financial and emotional nightmare. New taser technology put to the test as Barrie police undergo training Police officers in Barrie participated in a jolting experience on Monday as they voluntarily felt the effects of a new conducted energy weapon during an intensive training session. Two drivers nabbed for allegedly speeding over 150km/h on Highway 11 Police patrolling Highway 11 in Orillia pulled over two vehicles on Tuesday morning, each allegedly travelling more than 60 kilometres per hour over the posted limit. Winnipeg 'Drastic measures' needed as Manitoba faces $1.3B deficit, experts say With both Manitoba and Canada facing deficits far exceeding what they had hoped, experts warn drastic measures will be needed but fear Manitobans will be the ones paying. Winnipeg to start exploring the potential of 24-hour firefighter shifts Firefighters in Winnipeg could one day work around the clock, like they already do in other cities. One arrested following school threats: Winnipeg police The Winnipeg Police Service is providing more details about three threats made toward two schools Monday and Tuesday, which resulted in the arrest of a 13-year-old girl. Calgary Calgary man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2022 shootings A Calgary man was sentenced to 16 years in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with two 2022 shootings. 'Condensed timeline' puts pressure on Calgary council to approve Green Line project With timelines tightening, Calgary city council is asking for an urgent meeting with the Alberta government to discuss a reworked plan to build a multibillion-dollar light-rail-transit line connecting the city's southeast to downtown. Sexual assault, breach of trust charges laid against former Calgary police officer Vancouver police say Sgt. Matthew Ball and Const. Ryan Johnston, both of the Central Saanich Police, formed separate "intimate" and "inappropriate" relationships with a woman in her mid-20s they met while on duty. Edmonton Smith, Ford remain at odds on tariffs despite message of unity at premiers' meeting Alberta's premier is trying to assure Canadians – and Americans – that she has a strategy to address possible Trump tariffs. Police officer hurt, 2 arrested after gun fight reported at Stantec Tower A police officer and two men were taken to hospital on Tuesday after an arrest at Stantec Tower. Caught on camera: Porch pirate steals dirty diapers from Edmonton step A would-be thief got away with a bag of dirty diapers after snagging what they thought was a package off an Edmonton porch. Regina Conflict of Interest Commissioner recommends reprimand for Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) is recommending a reprimand for Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill after finding he broke legislative rules when a company tied to his family participated in government contracts. Chappell Roan 'looking at venues' for possible Sask. show American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan is expressing some interest towards performing in Saskatchewan – after shouting out the province in a yet to be released song. Riders earn passing grade in first ever player report card from CFLPA The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned passing grades in all categories but one in the CFL Players' Association first player report card. Saskatoon First Nation leaders push to close 'loophole' laws after judge stays fatal THC-impaired driving charge The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) wants to change the Criminal Code of Canada to prioritize victims that are children. 'She was fiercely competitive': Saskatoon historic Olympic medal winner honoured One of Saskatoon’s most famous Olympians finally gets her official recognition — and it’s been almost a century in the making. Conflict of Interest Commissioner recommends reprimand for Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) is recommending a reprimand for Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill after finding he broke legislative rules when a company tied to his family participated in government contracts. Vancouver BREAKING | 2 B.C. police officers charged with sexual assault Two officers with a Vancouver Island police department have been charged with sexual assault, authorities announced Tuesday. You can explore the B.C. Interior's movie locations with a new interactive map B.C.'s reputation as Hollywood North goes well beyond Metro Vancouver, and a new online tool aims to show off one Interior region’s contributions to film history. Langford council votes unanimously in favor of purchasing Westhills Langford Aquatic Centre Langford city council has voted unanimously in favor of purchasing the Westhills Langford Aquatic Centre for the price of $35 million. The facility's largest tenant is the YMCA/YWCA, which operates the municipality's only public pool. Vancouver Island BREAKING | 2 B.C. police officers charged with sexual assault Two officers with a Vancouver Island police department have been charged with sexual assault, authorities announced Tuesday. Langford council votes unanimously in favor of purchasing Westhills Langford Aquatic Centre Langford city council has voted unanimously in favor of purchasing the Westhills Langford Aquatic Centre for the price of $35 million. The facility's largest tenant is the YMCA/YWCA, which operates the municipality's only public pool. Tofino Harbour Authority closed due to standoff with 'squatter,' agency says The Tofino Harbour Authority says it has temporarily shuttered its office in the coastal Vancouver Island community due to an escalating standoff with the operator of a so-called "squatter" vessel. Kelowna B.C. man sentenced for 'execution-style' murder of bystander in drug trade conflict A B.C. man convicted of the "intentional and ruthless killing of a bystander" while acting as an enforcer in the drug trade has been sentenced for a second time in the slaying. Paramedic threatened at knifepoint inside Kelowna ambulance station, union says The union representing ambulance paramedics in B.C. is calling on the province to beef up security after they say a knife-wielding woman attacked a worker. Car stolen, fleeing suspect found hiding in basement in Kelowna, B.C. Mounties have arrested a suspect who allegedly stole a car in Kelowna, B.C., before fleeing on foot and hiding from police in the basement of a home. Stay Connected
The state government will commission a new mobile filtration plant to clean up tap-water supplies in the Blue Mountains that have been tainted by a plume of cancer-linked “forever chemicals”. The additional filtration is already being installed at the Cascade Water Filtration Plant in Katoomba, which supplies drinking water to nearly 50,000 residents across the area on the World Heritage List. A new mobile water filtration plant will be installed at Katoomba to remove cancer-linked PFAS contaminants from tap-water supplies. Credit: Wolter Peeters The plant will deploy granular activated carbon and ion exchange resin technology to purify the water. The per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) were discovered at elevated levels in Blue Mountains drinking-water supplies after the state government was pressured into testing by a Herald investigation in June. The article challenged authorities’ assumptions there were “no known PFAS hotspots in our drinking-water catchments” . After initially dismissing the Herald’s reporting, authorities quietly commissioned tests that revealed the true extent of contamination. Levels have been detected in the Cascade Water Filtration Plant that would breach Australia’s proposed new drinking-water guidelines for forever chemicals, set to be finalised by April next year. The new filtration technologies are expected to significantly reduce PFAS levels and ensure Sydney Water can comply with the new guidelines. “It is important that communities are confident in the knowledge that they have access to safe and secure water, and this new technology will help us in those efforts,” NSW Minister for Water Rose Jackson said. “We will continue to support our water authorities across the state to deliver the highest-quality drinking water to every home and business.” Jon Dee, who leads the local STOP-PFAS action group, saw the move as proof the state government knew it needed to act to make the region’s drinking water safe again. “This is a great win for the Blue Mountains community and The Sydney Morning Herald’s push to reduce our community’s exposure to forever chemicals,” he said. NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone The source of the contamination in the drinking water is yet to be identified, but independent tests have linked it to a 1992 petrol tanker crash on the Great Western Highway. The plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. Granular activated carbon traps PFAS contaminants due to its porous structure, while ion exchange resin swaps unwanted ions, such as PFAS, with safer ions. “While PFAS treatment is still an evolving field, we are leading the way with new ideas, such as this one, to ensure the continued delivery of world-class drinking water across the Sydney Water network,” Sydney Water managing director Roch Cheroux said. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .Rob Bonta joins The Lead
Breaking News Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Towana Looney donated a kidney to her mother in 1999 only for the remaining one to fail years later due to pregnancy complications. Now, the 53-year-old from Alabama has become the latest recipient of a gene-edited pig kidney -- and is currently the only living person in the world with an animal organ transplant, New York's NYU Langone hospital announced Tuesday. "I'm overjoyed, I'm blessed to have received this gift, this second chance at life," Looney said during a press conference, held three weeks after the procedure. Xenotransplantation, transplanting organs from one species to another, has long been a tantalizing yet elusive scientific goal. Early experiments on primates faltered, but recent advances in gene editing and immune system management have brought the dream closer to reality. Pigs have emerged as the ideal donors: they grow quickly, produce large litters and are already part of the human food supply. Advocates hope this approach can help address the severe organ shortage in the United States, where more than 100,000 people are waiting for transplants, including over 90,000 in need of kidneys. - A last chance - Looney had been living with dialysis since December 2016 -- eight grueling years. High blood pressure caused by preeclampsia had taken its toll, leaving her with chronic kidney disease. Despite receiving priority on transplant waiting lists as a living donor, her search for a compatible kidney was a frustrating dead end. Her unusually high levels of harmful antibodies made rejection almost inevitable, and as her body lost viable blood vessels to support dialysis, her health declined. Out of options, Looney applied to join a clinical trial for pig kidney transplants, and finally underwent the seven-hour surgery on November 25. Asked how she felt afterward, Looney's joy was infectious. "I'm full of energy, I've got an appetite... and of course, I can go to the bathroom. I haven't been going in eight years!" she laughed, adding that she plans to celebrate at Disney World. Jayme Locke, a surgeon on the transplant team, described the results with awe. "The kidney functioned essentially exactly like a kidney from a living donor," she said, adding that Looney's husband saw a rosiness in her cheeks for the first time in years. "That is the miracle of transplantation." - Cautious optimism - Looney's surgery is the third time a gene-edited pig kidney has been transplanted into a human who is not brain dead. Rick Slayman, the first recipient, died in May, two months after his procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital. The second, Lisa Pisano, initially showed signs of recovery following her surgery at NYU Langone, but the organ had to be removed after 47 days, and she passed away in July. Looney, however, was not terminally ill before the transplant, noted Robert Montgomery, who led the surgery. Each case, he emphasized, provides critical lessons for refining the techniques. The kidney was provided by biotech company Revivicor, which breeds genetically modified herds in Virginia. A Massachusetts-based company, eGenesis, provided the kidney for Slayman. Looney's organ has 10 genetic edits to improve compatibility with the human body -- an advance over Revivicor's earlier efforts that used kidneys with a single gene edit and included the pig's thymus gland to help train the host's immune system and prevent rejection. Montgomery, a pioneer in the field who performed the world's first gene-edited pig organ transplant in a brain-dead patient in 2021, said both methods are likely to enter clinical trials "probably by this time next year, or even sooner." "This is a watershed moment for the future of transplantation," said Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation. The nonprofit's polling shows that patients and families favor faster clinical trial progress, believing the risk of inaction outweighs the uncertainties of xenotransplantation. Looney was discharged December 6 to a nearby New York City apartment. Though her high antibody levels remain a concern, doctors are monitoring her closely using wearable technology and are trying a novel drug regimen to prevent rejection. Periodic hospital visits may still be required, but the team remains optimistic she can return home in three months. ia/md Originally published as 'Blessed': US woman sees second chance in life after pig kidney transplant More related stories Breaking News Council’s brutal call on homeless Aussies One local council has just made a shock move to ban homeless Aussies from keeping pets in public spaces. Read more Breaking News Syria’s first flight since Assad’s fall takes off Syria's first flight since Assad's fall takes off Read moreOvialand income doubles to P495MCHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH FOR NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETES: LG ELECTRONICS CONCLUDES 3RD SEASON OF 'TRANSPARENT CONVERSATIONS' PODCAST
Thitikul finishes eagle-birdie to win CME Group Tour Championship and claim record $4M prize
Nevada's lone loss in its first six games came in the tournament's opening round when the Wolf Pack fell to Vanderbilt 73-71. The Cowboys never led in the contest and Nevada grabbed the lead for good on Justin McBride's tip-in with under 13 minutes left to take a 14-12 lead. Tre Coleman hit two free throws and Chuck Bailey II hit a late jumper to put Nevada up 40-33 at intermission. Abou Ousmane's tip-in at the 5:21 mark got the Cowboys within five, 75-70 but Brandon Love answered with a three-point play seconds later and the Wolf Pack pulled away. Tyler Rolison's 3 with 1:38 left pushed the lead to 84-73. Sanders hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from distance, and was 10 of 13 from the line with three assists and a steal to lead Nevada. Nick Davidson had 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting and Love was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and contributed 11 points. The Wolf Pack shot 33 of 56 from the field (58.9%), including 7 of 18 from beyond the arc. Marchelus Avery and Arturo Dean both came off the Oklahoma State bench to score 15 and 13 points, respectively. Robert Jennings II and Ousmane each scored 11 points. Both teams completed the November portion of their schedule. Nevada plays host to Washington State on Dec. 2. Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa on Dec. 4. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Alkermes: Products Sales, ALKS 2680 Can Still Drive Long-Term GrowthThitikul finishes eagle-birdie to win CME Group Tour Championship and claim record $4M prize
Good news is in short supply today but one press release caught my eye today announcing the rebirth of one of audio’s most venerable brands. Onkyo , a leader for so long in premium consumer electronics is today unveiling a bold new vision for the brand’s future. Today, Onkyo has recommitted itself to raising the bar for technology and home entertainment to deliver innovative solutions that the company hopes will captivate music, movie and gaming enthusiasts across the globe. Onkyo’s founder, Takeshi Godai, embarked on building the iconic brand from the humble beginnings of his family’s bicycle shop. Takeshi watched his father closely and learned the art of engineering and developed the skills to run a successful company. At the time, the Godai family bicycle company employed a young entrepreneurial spirit, Konosuke Matsushita as an apprentice. In later years, Takeshi and Konosuke would cross paths again when Konosuke hired Takeshi to work in his company, the Matsushita Electric Industrial Company, which went on to become the consumer electronics giant Panasonic. Takeshi’s tenure at Matsushita Electric was a time of innovation and a commitment to excellence. However, Takeshi had a vision to forge his legacy which drove him to start the Osaka Denki Onkyo Company in 1946. By the early 1970s, he had successfully improved Japanese craftsmanship, stimulated economic growth and promoted post-war employment opportunities in a recovering nation. On the eve of its 25th anniversary, Takeshi gave his company a shorter name: Onkyo. The word “Onkyo” means “sound harmony” in Japanese. With Onkyo, Takeshi created audio solutions that transcended mere functionality. The company’s philosophy was an unwritten pact with enthusiasts and connoisseurs to make every product with the Onkyo name a byword for precision, elegance and a passion for regenerating sound with powerful accuracy. In 2021, Premium Audio Company and Voxx International Corporation acquired Onkyo Home Entertainment Company as its largest shareholder, investing in its research and development in Osaka with all engineers and manufacturing in place. Premium Audio kept Onkyo going with its range of AV receivers and other audio technologies. Now Onkyo is being reborn with its original sense of harmony and minimalism. Onkyo’s new presence aims for a tone that’s serious, professional, confident and polite, in true Japanese style. It wants to maintain humility and respect for its audience with a mantra that aims to avoid over-embellishment letting consumers connect emotionally with the brand and its products. Within the walls of Onkyo Osaka headquarters, the all-new global Premium Audio Company Technology Center (PACTC) has been established as more than just a facility The company says it will be a hub for innovation where engineers, technicians and marketing teams will collaborate to develop the next generation of audio products. Combining the brand’s rich history with innovative technology, Onkyo says it will set new benchmarks in sound quality and performance. From this new center, Onkyo is planning on delivering high-performance audio products to consumers created by a core team of 59 dedicated Onkyo employees who intend to leverage their deep knowledge and expertise to create new products, building on the Onkyo legacy while pushing the boundaries of audio engineering. Coinciding with the new Onkyo is a brand-new look and feel intended to attract modern and tech-savvy consumers. The new Onkyo logo intends to mark a clear beginning of the brand’s new era. The reimagined logo retains Onkyo’s brand equity while updating it with more modern kerning with a forward-looking design. The new typography uses the sophisticated and sleek Roboto Condensed font designed to resonate with today’s consumers. Technology Partnerships – Powered by Onkyo is a theme that will be rolled out in PAC-owned Klipsch products, equipped with Onkyo-engineered electronics. The aim is to elevate the Onkyo brand to be a reference audio name with even more co-branded endeavors. One exciting example is Onkyo’s collaboration with Klipsch on the Flexus Sound Systems powered by Onkyo. Onkyo will be working with important partners such as Dolby, dts and THX, using technology like HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Google Cast, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Spotify, Pandora, Roon, Dirac, IMAX Enhanced, TuneIn, Works with SONOS, Qualcomm aptX HD, Savant, domotz, Elan, Crestron, AURO 3D, Over C Pro, Luxul ProWatch, URC, Control 4, Josh ai and others so that Onkyo products have the latest features and enhancements. Onkyo has also announced collaborations with iconic names in entertainment, including several Marvel Television titles on Disney+ to ensure Onkyo remains at the forefront of home entertainment. Onkyo was the official home audio system of Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along,” now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Alongside this rebranding, Onkyo is curating content that highlights the power of technology with real-life applications that enhance daily living. Onkyo says its collaborations will extend beyond product partnerships as the company teams up with creative influencers, renowned artists and industry leaders to create campaigns that resonate across social media and digital platforms. While Onkyo is synonymous with home theater AV receivers today, the company has ambitions to reach far beyond that market. It has announced the development of an entirely new range of products designed to cater to both everyday audio consumers and high-end, premium hi-fi listeners. New Onkyo products will include a return to the home speaker market and advanced specialty electronics. Onkyo's new home speaker series and an electronic separate series will be announced at CES 2025, in Las Vegas. This announcement follows a few fallow years for a brand that had a huge presence in the audio-visual and hi-fi markets. Onkyo has always made excellent products and this renaissance of such a venerable audio brand is a bold move in a market that is struggling to capture the imagination of younger consumers who often favor convenience over high-end audio separates. It will be interesting to see what Onkyo comes up with but there is no doubt a large reservoir of goodwill for the brand.
In the world of Canadian financial stocks, ( ) and ( ) are top dividend payers. While both are , their market performance and future growth potential diverge. TD Bank has been stuck in a sideways range for over two years, while Manulife has surged following a breakout in late 2023. But which stock is the best buy right now? Let’s compare these financial giants and see which might offer better investment opportunities for different types of investors. Manulife’s long-term recovery: A dividend-growth story For years, Manulife was overshadowed by its 2008 global financial crisis woes, which caused a significant drop in its stock price. It took years for investors to warm up to Manulife stock again. It began increasing its dividend in 2014, but it wasn’t until late 2023 that Manulife broke out of its long sideways trend, signalling renewed investor confidence and a positive outlook. Its stock price only recently returned to pre-crisis levels. At around $45 per share at writing, Manulife trades at a of about 12, which is relatively reasonable considering its growth prospects. Analysts predict a steady earnings growth rate of at least 7% annually over the next couple of years, providing a solid foundation for future stock appreciation. Furthermore, with a dividend yield of nearly 3.6% and a solid 10-year dividend-growth rate of 10.9%, Manulife continues to reward investors. It is expected to raise its dividend again in February, which is in line with its historical schedule. Other than earnings growth, the key to Manulife’s future growth lies in its dividend payout ratio, which stands at a sustainable 42%. This gives investors confidence that the company can continue to boost its dividend in the coming years, with the potential to be roughly a 7% increase next year. In short, Manulife is on solid footing, offering a mix of steady income and capital appreciation potential for patient, long-term investors. TD Bank: A value play with a steady yield TD Bank has been trading sideways for over two years. With its strong market presence both in Canada and the United States, TD offers investors a solid foundation in the retail banking sector. However, the stock has struggled to regain momentum, and no one knows when the current stagnation will end. Despite this, TD’s long-term outlook remains promising. TD’s current dividend yield of 5.2% is highly attractive, especially for income-focused investors. The bank boasts a solid track record of paying out healthy dividends, with a 10-year dividend-growth rate of 9%. While its earnings growth and dividend growth may be somewhat capped in the short to medium term — especially due to regulatory limitations in its U.S. operations — the bank’s stability makes it a great option for value investors who are willing to wait for the potential upside. TD’s valuation is on the lower end compared to its big Canadian bank peers, making it an intriguing choice for those looking for a stock with a potential multi-year turnaround. As with Manulife, TD’s sustainable payout ratio and consistent earnings growth ensure that the dividend will remain intact, providing ongoing returns while the stock waits for its next phase of growth. Which stock should you choose? So, which is the better stock to buy right now: TD or Manulife? If you’re an income-seeking investor who values a higher dividend yield and can tolerate short- to medium-term market stagnation, TD may be the better pick. With its solid dividend history and long-term stability, it offers a reliable income stream while waiting for a potential rebound. If you’re looking for growth momentum and a stock that appears to be poised for further appreciation, Manulife could be the ideal choice. The company has shown impressive recovery and continues to trade at a reasonable valuation, all while maintaining a healthy dividend growth trajectory. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your investment style — whether you’re after value and have patience with TD or growth and momentum with Manulife.Technological advancement bears pros and cons that not only contributed to global progress but also increased many of society's challenges, writes Paul Budde . THE RAPID advancement of technology has transformed societies, reshaped economies and altered political landscapes. While it has driven unprecedented progress, it has also contributed to the challenges we face today — rising inequality, social fragmentation and a reliance on crises to spur meaningful change. Understanding the interplay of technology with social, economic and political forces is critical to navigating this complex era. The double-edged sword of technological progress Technological innovations have revolutionised communication, commerce and daily life, leading to unprecedented connectivity and convenience. However, these advancements have also created significant challenges: The digital divide: Unequal access to technology exacerbates social and economic disparities, leaving marginalised communities further behind. Job displacement: Automation and artificial intelligence have disrupted industries, leading to economic insecurity and social unrest. Erosion of privacy: The proliferation of surveillance technologies raises concerns about civil liberties and individual autonomy. Misinformation and polarisation: Digital platforms amplify echo chambers and the spread of false information, deepening societal divisions. While technology has immense potential to improve lives, its unchecked development often magnifies pre-existing inequalities and fractures. The pros and cons of hi-tech globalisation Technological advancements are ushering in a new age of global collaboration, although challenges persist in the achievement of unity. Neoliberalism, globalisation and the technological landscape The rise of neoliberal economic policies in the 1980s prioritised deregulation and market-driven growth, which accelerated technological innovation. However, this era also: Intensified inequality: Wealth generated by technological advancements concentrated in the hands of a few, widening the gap between rich and poor. Weakened community bonds: Market-driven policies emphasised individual success over collective well-being, fragmenting societies. Global dependency: The integration of global supply chains made economies more interdependent but also more vulnerable to disruptions. Globalisation blurred national boundaries and fuelled rapid technological progress but also led to economic insecurities and cultural anxieties that populist leaders exploit. Migration, refugees and the politics of fear Technological advancements have intersected with migration and refugee crises, both as enablers and stressors: Economic reliance on migration: Ageing populations in developed nations require migration to sustain economies, creating tensions around resource allocation. Digital surveillance of borders: Technology has been used to monitor and control migration, often infringing on human rights. Exacerbation of fears: Social media platforms amplify divisive narratives about migration, fuelling xenophobia and political polarisation. These dynamics underscore the role of technology in amplifying societal and political challenges rather than resolving them. Crises as catalysts for change History shows that societies often require crises to spur meaningful action. Technology frequently played a pivotal role in these turning points: World War II: The war accelerated innovations like radar and computing, which later transformed civilian life. COVID-19 pandemic: The global health crisis drove rapid adoption of remote work, telemedicine and digital collaboration tools. While crises can lead to technological and societal breakthroughs, relying on them as catalysts for progress is a reactive strategy that risks deepening inequalities and suffering. Countering the influence of 'mass man' with AI A global trend of societies embracing mediocrity and eschewing free thought could be countered by AI-powered technology. A path forward: balancing technology and societal needs To harness the benefits of technology while addressing its negative impacts, we must adopt a proactive, inclusive and ethical approach: Bridging the digital divide: Investing in education and infrastructure to ensure equitable access to technology. Ethical innovation: Developing technologies that prioritise societal and environmental well-being over profit. Collaborative governance: Bringing together governments, businesses and civil society to create policies that promote responsible technology use. Addressing inequality: Using technology to empower marginalised communities and reduce disparities in wealth and opportunity. These steps require visionary leadership and a cultural shift towards balancing individual freedoms with collective responsibility. Personal reflections Having observed the intersection of technology, society and politics over the decades, I see immense potential for innovation to address the world’s challenges. However, without proactive measures, technology risks amplifying existing fractures. Balancing technological progress with social cohesion, economic equity and political stability is the key to building a more inclusive and resilient future. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year. Paul Budde is an Independent Australia columnist and managing director of Paul Budde Consulting , an independent telecommunications research and consultancy organisation. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PaulBudde . This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA. Related Articles Australia's data-driven future will transform economy and workforce The pros and cons of hi-tech globalisation Top researchers developing tech for the edge in battle Key defence technology trends that will change the world Technology changing human nature must be treated with caution POLITICS TECHNOLOGY ECONOMICS INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY innovation automation privacy surveillance misinformation neoliberalism globalisation inequality migration Share ArticleThe City of Saskatoon started off the week with budget deliberations Monday. Property taxes were initially projected to increase by 5.64 per cent, but instead a projected property tax increase of 5.2 per cent was brought forward. The city also preparing to make record investments in road maintenance, snow and ice management, transit and policing. Global’s Mackenzie Mazankowski provides an overview of the first day of budget deliberations in the video above.
RCMP union applauds planned federal spending on border security
Digital Realty Trust Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsFinancial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the selector of top executives in public sector banks and financial institutions, on Sunday, November 24, 2024, recommended Binod Kumar for the position of Managing Director & CEO in Indian Bank. NSE "Keeping in view their performance in the interface, overall experience and the extant parameters, the Bureau recommends Shri Binod Kumar for the position of MD & CEO in Indian Bank," the FSIB statement said. FSIB had interviewed 15 candidates for the positions of MD and CEO in public sector banks, the head hunter said in a statement. "Financial Services Institutions Bureau interfaced with 15 candidates on November 24, 2024 for the forthcoming positions of Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) in Public Sector Banks (PSBs)." FSIB is headed by former secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma. Other members of the headhunter are Animesh Chauhan, former chairman and MD of erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce, RBI’s ex-executive director Deepak Singhal, and Shailendra Bhandari, former MD of erstwhile ING Vysya Bank. Also Read : Stocks to watch on Nov 25: Zomato, Adani stocks, Cochin Shipyard, RITES, RVNL and more
A train is due to arrive at the nation's busiest railway station five years late. Login or signup to continue reading After years of delays and disputes, the first service using a new fleet of intercity trains is due to pull in to Sydney's Central station shortly before 11am. The train left Newcastle at 8.21am on Tuesday - about five years after the first sets were originally due to enter service in NSW. The Korean-built trains were too wide to fit through some tunnels, too long for some platforms and faced opposition from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union due to plans for drivers to monitor platforms using CCTV, reducing staffing requirements. An agreement was eventually reached with the union after a long dispute with the former coalition government and modifications were made locally beginning in August 2023. Transport Minister Jo Haylen said it should not have taken so long for the trains to enter service, but they were finally taking passengers along the Newcastle and Central Coast lines. Passengers along the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and South Coast lines will have to wait a while longer, but Ms Haylen said it would be worth it. "These state-of-the-art trains will make travel between Sydney and our regional cities safer and more comfortable," she said. The trains are due to replace rolling stock that entered service almost five decades earlier. Early renders of the trains featured "NSW TrainLink" branding, which is being abolished as its operations merge with Sydney Trains. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said getting the trains on the tracks was an incredibly complex project. "But we are pleased we have been able to work with the unions to locally modify these trains and get them into service," he said. "The Mariyung trains are quieter and roomier and will provide our passengers with a much improved and more comfortable travelling experience for decades to come." The electric trains, also known as the "D Set", have been given the name Mariyung after the Darug language word for emu. They will feature artwork from Indigenous artist Leanne Mulgo Watson. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aziaha James had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Devyn Quigley scored a career-high 20 points and made four 3-pointers and NC State beat Coastal Carolina 89-68 on Thursday. NC State had its lead trimmed to 54-46 midway through the third quarter before James scored five straight points to begin a 13-2 run that ended in a 19-point lead. Quigley took over in the fourth, making three 3-pointers and scoring 15 points. Coastal Carolina missed 11 of 13 shots spanning the third-quarter break as NC State pulled away. Madison Hayes added 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting for NC State (3-2). James has scored 20-plus in three straight games. The Wolfpack shot 50% from the field, including 11 of 29 from 3-point range. Hayes made her third 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the first half to give NC State a 47-32 lead. Coastal Carolina's Savannah Brooks just beat the halftime buzzer with a basket to give her 17 points and pull within 47-36. Brooks scored 14 of Coastal Carolina’s opening 26 points and she finished the game with 25. Alancia Ramsey added 13 points for Coastal Carolina (4-1), which was picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt Conference. The Wolfpack travel to the Bahamas to play in the Pink Flamingo Championship against Southern on Monday. Coastal Carolina battles Division II Coker on Wednesday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballChatGPT opened the floodgates. But many people don’t realize there’s a whole world of generative AI tools and applications out there, just waiting to be explored. Whether you’re struggling to overcome a case of writer’s block, lack the artistic aptitude to do your imagination justice, or just need a hand crafting efficient computer code, generative AI can help augment and streamline both your professional and creative endeavors. Yet, amid the seemingly endless variety of AI assistants currently on offer, finding the right one for your needs can prove a daunting task. So, let’s delve into some of the most impressive AI tools that are pushing the boundaries of innovation, including the best AI chatbots , the best AI image generators , and much more. The best AI tools for image generation One of the first AI image generators to be released back in 2022, Midjourney has proven immensely popular with users and art critics alike . It can output high-definition, photorealistic images in countless artistic styles based on natural language text prompts. Originally only available through the company’s Discord server, Midjourney can now be accessed through a streamlined web portal . While the website’s gallery of generated art is free to browse, you will need to subscribe to a monthly service plan (which range from $10 to $120) in order to generate images of your own. While not as creatively robust as Midjourney — only able to generate images in one of five preset artistic styles — Ideogram does offer a generous free tier that allows users to generate up to 40 images per day. Paid tiers range from $7 to $48 per month and offer a host of benefits, from additional compute resources and priority access to full-quality image downloads. The company also boasts an iOS app and an API that it claims will “offer superior image quality at a lower cost compared to other models.” This is OpenAI’s in-house text-to-image generator and runs atop the company’s GPT-4 model. Originally released in September 2023, it was initially only available to paid tier subscribers. OpenAI expanded its availability to free tier users this past August, though you’ll only be able to generate two images per day at that subscription level. Dall-E 3 is also available through Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot. If you’re looking to create high-quality images without the strict production limits that ChatGPT enforces, Google’s Imagen 3 is a solid option. It’s available through the Gemini chatbot , including the free tier, and offers higher-quality outputs with fewer artifacts than its previous versions. Note, however, that the system will not generate images of people, famous or not, unless you subscribe to Gemini Advanced (which costs $20 per month). Grok 2 is the text-to-image generator for people uninterested in adhering to copyright law. Developed for Elon Musk’s xAI company, and available on X, Grok 2 isn’t restricted by minor inconveniences like safety and legal guardrails, as other image generators are. Want to see Mickey Mouse fighting Darth Vader atop a 747 as it flies into the World Trade Center? Grok will generate it, no questions asked. You will, however, need to pony up $8 for a premium subscription to X in order to access it. Runway’s Gen 3 Alpha is a relatively new model, having been released in June of 2024, and is capable of creating both still images and video clips with nearly photorealistic quality based on the user’s natural language prompts. The company recently announced that it will begin integrating a new foundational model, dubbed Frames , into the Gen 3 platform that will offer unprecedented control over the image creation process, enabling users to generate multiple image variants while maintaining a specific aesthetic style, whether that’s mimicking 35mm disposable camera shots or retro anime motifs. Subscription prices run from $12 to $76 per month, though the company does offer a limited free tier as well. The best AI tools for image editing Skylum’s Luminar Neo is a photo editing suite designed with professional photographers in mind. It offers many of the same powerful tools as Adobe Photoshop, but outsources much of their functionality to AI. This enables users to accomplish numerous common tasks, from adjusting color balance and lighting levels to tweaking the look of the sky, water, and skin tones, with a single click. Luminar Neo might be a bit pricey for casual users, costing $421 for a yearly subscription or as a lifetime subscription for $577. It’s available on both Windows and Mac, as well as a plugin for Photoshop, Photos, and Lightroom. Canva is a multifunction creative platform that offers everything from digital whiteboarding, data visualization, and marketing material templates to photo, video, and YouTube editing features. While you can easily make minor adjustments like cropping, adding filters and adjusting aspect ratios using the site’s free editor, Canva Pro offers a number of additional AI-empowered tools. Select, move, resize, and even erase individual objects within an image; extract and modify text on flattened images; and even generatively expand the image’s background, all with a few simple clicks. Canva Pro costs $120 per year for a single user license. This online photo editing suite has served as a free and user-friendly alternative to Photoshop since it was released in 2008. Last November, the company debuted a number of AI features including image generation, a generative fill tool, AI background removal, AI face swap, and image expansion to help round out the tool set’s functionality. While the interface is geared more for casual users and may not be as precise and granular as what Photoshop offers, you can’t beat free. If you only need to do some light retouching work on your images, the Topaz Photo AI suite offers eight enhancement tools: Denoise, Sharpen, Upscale, Recover Faces, Remove Objects, Preserve Text, Adjust Lighting, and Balance Color. It’s not a true replacement for full-function photo editors like Photoshop, but it is available without an annual subscription, for a flat rate of just $199 with version upgrades costing $99. Adobe’s Firefly AI doesn’t just generate images and video from text prompts, it also empowers a number of AI features throughout the Adobe product ecosystem. That includes the Generative Fill tool in Photoshop, text effects in Adobe Express, vector and pattern generation in Illustrator, and Generative Extend in Premiere Pro. You will need to subscribe to Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite in order to access these features, though they can either be purchased individually (the image generator, for example, costs $5/month while Photoshop costs $23) or you can pick up all 20-plus Adobe apps for $60 per month. Best AI for video generation While Luma Dream Machine may be designed with fashion, marketing and filmmaking professionals in mind, it’s built as a subscription-based service with both casual and professional users in mind. Unlike conventional AI tools, Dream Machine does not require precise and exhaustive prompting to generate the desired effect, but rather, interprets the user’s natural language request intuitively. It also accepts multi-image prompting and single-image character references so users can show the AI what they have in mind. Luma does not offer a free tier, though a “hobbyist” subscription costs just $10 per month. Kling AI video-generation system from China’s Kuaishou Technology offers photorealistic outputs on par with what we’ve seen from OpenAI’s Sora and is already available to users around the world. It can generate high-definition videos up to two minutes in length (double what Sora can) at up to 30 frames per second and 720p resolutions (slightly less than Sora’s 1080p output). Each clip starts out at just five seconds in length but can be extended in 4.5-second increments by purchasing additional credits. Just be warned that the system is blocked from generating politically-sensitive subjects. Synthesia is a bit more niche than the other video generators we’ve discussed so far. It’s designed specifically to generate video avatars from the user’s text prompts making it ideal for business applications like onboarding and training videos, sales presentations, and internal communications. Users can choose from one of more than 130 avatar models speaking 140 different languages and over 60 video templates. The free tier allows you to generate a single three-minute video per month and your choice of nine avatars, while the $30/month Starter tier and $90/month creator tier offer significantly more benefits. Vyond offers similar functionality to Synthesia in that it generates AI avatars for training videos based on the user’s text prompts, however, this service relies on animated characters rather than live actors. You also have the option to record yourself performing specific actions or movements and Vyond will motion match its animation to them. Plans start at $49 per month, which also includes access to an added video editor, though anything you produce at that tier will be watermarked with Vyond’s logo. The best AI for text generation ChatGPT , the chatbot that launched the AI boom in 2022, remains at the forefront of the industry with an estimated 200 million active weekly users. Trained on huge quantities of written content including websites, books, social media posts, and news articles, ChatGPT is equally adept at answering general knowledge queries and compiling computer code as it is at generating creative prose . It was also the first chatbot to offer a conversational feature in Advanced Voice Mode that allows users to interact with the chatbot as if it were a person, doing away with the need for text-based prompts. ChatGPT is available on the web as well as on iOS and Android. It’s free to use, though subscribing to the $20/month ChatGPT-Plus plan will give you increased access to the company’s latest AI models and features. Copilot answers the question “what if ChatGPT worked natively within Microsoft’s 365 app ecosystem?” Which is exactly what it does. Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI’s business and, as such, its Copilot AI runs atop the startup’s GPT-4o LLM. However, Copilot is more than just a reskinned ChatGPT. For one, Copilot does not restrict users from generating images without paying for a subscription to its premium plan as ChatGPT does. For another, its functionality can be integrated across Microsoft’s products, helping users generate text in Word , create graphs and tables in Excel , and draft emails in Outlook . Google’s Gemini chatbot may have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start upon its official debut in February but the AI assistant has quickly grown into a potent rival to ChatGPT, offering much of the same functions and features. Those include the ability to generate text, images, video, audio, and code, converse with users verbally with Gemini Live, and integrate with Google’s Workspace app suite. It can gin up email responses in Gmail, search for files in Drive, create content for Slides, and draft text in Docs, all through the user’s natural language prompts. Gemini is free to use and is available on the web as well as through its iOS and Android apps, but if you want to access the AI’s more advanced features (and Workspace integrations), you’ll need to subscribe to the company’s $20/month Google One AI Premium service. Perplexity’s AI assistant offers a unique alternative to traditional search engines. Rather than simply return a list of websites in response to a user’s query as Google search does, this chatbot scours the internet for relevant information, then synthesizes an answer to the user’s question directly in the chat window. It essentially eliminates the need to click through to individual websites to find the information you’re looking for. Built atop the GPT-4 model and available on Android, iOS, as well as on the web, Perplexity is free to use. The company also offers a Pro subscription plan for $20/month (or $200/year) that grants you access to additional AI models including GPT-4 Omni and Claude 3 Sonnet and Haiku , as well as a host of additional benefits. Unlike generalized chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, Jasper AI is all business. It is designed to generate text for emails, blogs, social media posts, and marketing materials, all while maintaining your company’s distinctive tone, voice, and brand style. The platform includes Jasper Chat, which assists with research tasks and offers writing advice, as well as can help maximize the SEO score of your marketing content. Jasper is only available on a subscription basis, with plans starting at $40 per month per user, though the company does offer a seven-day trial. The best AI for audio and voice generation ElevenLabs knows how to make a machine talk. The company is a leader in generative speech technology, offering a variety of audio-centric services from automatic voice dubbing and cloning to text-to-speech and text-to-SFX. Users can select from thousands of unique voices (including those of famous celebrities ), all trained on public domain and licensed data, in any of 32 languages. Ideal for podcasting, audio book narration, and conversational AI applications, the company’s products are available at a variety of pricing tiers ranging from free up to $99 per month. Why read a document when you can have Speechify read it to you four and a half times faster? The company’s voiceover technology can recite nearly any document you present to it in one of 200 voices (including your own through its voice cloning feature) in more than 60 languages. Speechify is available as a Chrome extension, a Mac app, a web app, iOS or Android app. The mobile apps can also read physical documents using your phone’s camera to scan the page. Speechify’s free tier limits you to simple text-to-speech in just 10 voices, while the $12/month premium tier unlocks the service’s full functionality. Respeecher specializes in voice cloning for celebrities, content creators, voice actors, game designers, and other professional applications. The company’s AI model essentially enables one person to speak in the voice of another. “We take recordings of the ‘target voice’ (the voice that is being replicated), train our system, and apply it to a ‘source speaker’ (the actor reading the lines),” the Respeecher’s FAQ explains. “It features all the emotions, intonations, and nuances of a real human voice.” The company offers a wide range of celebrity voices including Chris Farley and Richard Nixon, the latter of which earned Speechify an Emmy in 2019. Subscription plans start at $18 per month for basic text-to-speech (up to 100,000 characters per month and range up to $500 per month for the Power tier, which offers 900 minutes of speech-to-speech and 3 million characters of text-to-speech generation in more than 100 voices and 13 accents. If you fancy yourself a musician but can’t carry a tune, Controlla Voice can help. Its generative model can train an “AI Singing Voice” that sounds like you, based on 15-30 minutes of sample audio, then apply it to songs from the company’s extensive catalog, or blend your voice with others from their licensed stable of voice actors to generate unique vocals. You can even convert the vocals in existing songs from other artists into your voice for low-effort covers. Subscription prices run from $12 to $30 per month. The best AI for coding Anthropic’s Claude chatbot may not be able to generate images or speak to you conversationally, but it utterly excels at coding applications. Its latest iteration, Claude 3.5 Sonnet , drastically outperforms the likes of Gemini 1.5 Pro and ChatGPT-4o across a broad swath of leading industry benchmarks. Claude was also the first chatbot to offer a collaborative window (dubbed Artifacts ) that previews what the AI is generating outside of the chat stream. The chatbot is available free to all users on the web, iOS, and Android, though subscribing to the $20/month Pro or $30/month Teams tiers will grant you priority access to the latest and greatest models that Anthropic has to offer. Developed through a partnership between Github and OpenAI, GitHub Copilot acts as an AI autocomplete, to help users in the Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs generate code faster than they can on their own. Users can present Copilot with a coding problem, phrased in natural language, and the assistant will automatically generate a solution code. Conversely, it can also explain what a given snippet of code does as well as convert snippets between various coding languages. You can use Github Copilot for free, though upgrading to either the $4/month Pro or $21/month Enterprise tiers will, of course, give you additional resources and features. Similar to Copilot, Amazon’s CodeWhisperer is a general use coding assistant that will automatically generate suggestions and code recommendations based on your existing inputs, in real time. It’s available for the JetBrains and Visual Studio IDEs and also supports natural language-to-bash translation in the Mac command line. The free tier only offers limited access to the system’s more advanced features, so you’ll have to pony up $20/month if you want to unlock its full capabilities. Cursor AI is a coding assistant in the same vein as Codewhisperer but can offer autocomplete suggestions across multiple lines of code, based on your previous inputs. It also offers a smart rewrite function that automatically corrects your typos and syntax errors so you spend less time tracking down errant quotation marks and parentheses while debugging, as well as cursor prediction that guesses where your cursor needs to be next, enabling you to navigate through your project faster and more efficiently. It even offers a chatbot assistant (leveraging GPT-4, GPT-4o, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet) that can answer questions about either the entire active file or specific selected code blocks. The chatbot can even edit that highlighted code based on your natural language instructions. Cursor AI is available for the Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. You can try it out free for two weeks before a $20/month Pro or $40/user/month Business subscription is required. The best AI to integrate with the rest of your app ecosystem Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has been investing heavily in AI over the past few years and has recently begun incorporating the smart features found in rivals like Gemini and Copilot to its own product portfolio. “More than 400 million people are using Meta AI monthly, with 185 million people using it across our products each week,” the company boasted in a September blog post . The company now offers a conversational AI similar to Advanced Voice Mode in Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram DM. It can answer questions about photos shared in your group chats, generate custom backgrounds for images you reshare from your feed to Instagram Stories, and automatically translate the audio of your Instagram Reels. It can also generate images to share on your feed, Stories, and set as your Facebook profile picture. So when you find yourself wondering why there’s so much AI slop clogging up Facebook and Insta, understand that it is a feature Meta has spent billions developing, not a bug. Microsoft has dumped north of $10 billion into its partnership with OpenAI, so of course it’s going to shoehorn ChatGPT’s generative capabilities into every single product it possibly can. In addition to the Copilot chatbot itself, Microsoft has developed and released Copilot Pages, which function much like Claude’s Artifacts or ChatGPT’s Canvas. The company has also integrated it into Outlook to help you manage your inbox by prioritizing which messages to respond to first and quickly draft email replies. 365 Copilot can also help you rapidly establish a cohesive narrative in your PowerPoint presentations by generating pitch decks whole cloth from your natural language prompt that maintain a consistent tone and brand voice. In Excel, Copilot does the heavy lifting of generating formulas, graphs, and charts based, again, on the user’s prompt. And in Teams, Copilot can monitor your video meetings and provide summaries of what happened as well as generate actionable item lists based on what was discussed. Gemini does for Google’s Workspace app suite what Copilot does for Microsoft’s. The AI assistant can help draft emails in Gmail , write documents in Docs, generate graphs and charts in Sheets, create and modify slides in Slides, find files in Drive, and provide live-translated captions and take notes in Meet. If you don’t already have a personal Google One AI Premium subscription, you’ll have to ask your Workspace admin to grant you access. Apple Intelligence may be the new kid on the AI block, but it is promising to be more deeply integrated within its product ecosystem than any other currently on the market. Designed to serve as an overarching agent acting on the user’s behalf, it promises to streamline monotonous everyday tasks, make Siri a better conversationalist, automate proofreading and text summarization across the company’s myriad apps, and offer lightning-fast image generation. It is currently available to all devices running iOS 18 , iPadOS 18 , and MacOS Sequoia — basically, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (and newer), as well as iPads and Macs with M1 or newer chips.
Democrats openly criticize Biden’s reversal to pardon son