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NSA Reports on New Cyber Vulnerability in Computers – ExecutiveGov

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a report on a new cyber vulnerability that threatens certain systems present within theDepartment of Defense and other organizations.

TheBootHole vulnerability allows cyber actors to get through the Secure Boot security standard that makes devices boot only with software trusted by original manufacturers, NSA said Thursday.

Cyber terrorists may use this vulnerability to tamper with a device's boot process. Devices running on Linux orWindows 8 and above may be affected by this vulnerability.

NSA provided two mitigation options in theMitigate the GRUB2 BootHole Vulnerability" report for users of Linux, an operating system that uses the Grand Unified Bootloader 2 or GRUB2 affected byBootHole.

For the standard mitigation, the report advises Linux users to update the boot components ofendpoints. The agency will soon release another report for users of Windows and other systems based on the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface.

NSA Reports on New Cyber Vulnerability in Computers - ExecutiveGov

The Trump administration reportedly quashed an intelligence report that showed Russia is helping him win the 2020 election – MSN Money

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting with President Donald Trump. Reuters

Last year, President Donald Trump's administration tried to pressure intelligence agencies to delete part of a classified report that found Russia was trying to help him win the 2020 election, according to an investigation by The New York Times Magazine.

The report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, was compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in July 2019 and made several "key judgments" about matters of national security. "Key Judgement 2" in the report concluded that Russia aimed to interfere in the 2020 election to help Trump, unnamed national security sources told Times reporter Robert Draper.

Trump was reportedly unhappy with that finding. He has repeatedly denied the assertion that Russia tried to help his campaign in 2016 despite reports from the FBI, CIA, NSA, Justice Department, and Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee that supported that conclusion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly denied interfering in the 2016 election, but has also said he wanted Trump to win.

When the ODNI was finalizing last year's report, Trump administration staffers requested that it remove language in "Key Judgement 2" that detailed Russia's attempts to help Trump in 2020, former director of national intelligence Dan Coats told the Times.

"I can affirm that one of my staffers who was aware of the controversy requested that I modify that assessment," Coats said. "But I said, 'No, we need to stick to what the analysts have said.'"

Shortly after that exchange, Coats was surprised to learn that Trump was forcing him into early retirement. He was first made aware of the news when Trump tweeted that Coats' last day as DNI would be August 15 months before Coats planned to retire.

After Coats' departure, the National Intelligence Estimate was published with softer language describing Russia's potential motivation for interfering in the 2020 election. Instead of directly concluding that Russia wanted Trump to win in 2020, the report was updated to state that "Russian leaders probably assess that chances to improve relations with the US will diminish under a different US president."

The changes were made, according to an email reviewed by the Times, following edits by Beth Sanner, an ODNI official who presents President Donald Trump's daily national intelligence briefings.

The episode is part of a broader conflict between Trump and US intelligence communities, Draper reported. After a yearslong FBI probe into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump's Republican allies in Congress are now pushing an investigation into whether the FBI overstepped its authority.

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The Trump administration reportedly quashed an intelligence report that showed Russia is helping him win the 2020 election - MSN Money

What and how are you thinking? Anything is possible – Martins Ferry Times Leader

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

I just finished an interview for the First Light Show airing nationally on Westwood One next week. We talked about how and why we need to bring manufacturing back to the USA creating high wage jobs. Our Region is advantaged because of our proximity to markets, abundant natural gas and natural gas liquids. It was a great opportunity to tell our story to the nation. Shale Crescent USAs thought leadership made this possible.

Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia Covid-19 Czar said something profound this week I havent heard anyone in the medical community say directly. We are entering a new time period of learning to live with the virus. I might not have the quote exactly but my understanding is, Covid-19 isnt going away anytime soon even though we are working on vaccines and possible cures. If the virus isnt going away we need to live our lives in a way that protects us and others as we move to normal activities.

Going back to lockdown isnt the answer. We may find extended lockdown was deadlier than the virus because of depression, stress, increased suicide, domestic abuse, substance abuse and deaths from other diseases like cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease that went untreated. One doctor said he has only diagnosed about 1/3 of the cancer cases he normally does. Cancer doesnt take vacations. People chose not to go to the doctor out of fear.

When I had cancer over 30 years ago, my wife pushed me to see a doctor and made the appointment. It was serious enough for me to have surgery the next day. Fortunately, the cancer was found early. My type of cancer spreads quickly. A delay could have been deadly. How many cancer cases have spread into something incurable during Covid-19?

Industries like trucking, healthcare, petrochemicals and others learn to successfully deal with risks every day. Driving to the store, church or the beach is a risk most of us are willing to take. In industry following common sense rules like wearing PPE or seatbelts lowers the risk. Wearing a mask, social distancing and washing our hands does the same for us when dealing with Covid-19. The question isnt if we can get back to business, school or athletics it is, How can we? This question assumes we can, will and must.

We know how we can bring manufacturing back to the USA. I got a new crown from my dentist this week. It was made in the USA out of ceramic and zirconium on a 3D printer instead of by hand in China. My dentist said it wont crack or chip. We are using high tech computerized 3D printing capabilities to make critical healthcare PPE, essential medical equipment, products like Covid-19 tests and parts we are currently getting overseas. Small and medium manufacturing companies in our Region have the ability to change quickly and adopt new technology or change product lines quicker than large companies. This helps to keep current jobs and bring in new manufacturing jobs which are really important now.

Lynnda and I attended Influence 2020 the annual National Speakers Association (NSA) Conference last weekend. It was virtual. NSA is an ethnically and physically diverse association of professional speakers, trainers, coaches, business thought leaders and entertainers. NSA members were hurt by Covid-19 when meetings cancelled. I have a friend with a very successful business who lost 6 months of income in a week when meetings went away.

In addition to the mainstage presentations at Influence, we attended small virtual breakout sessions with the most successful people in the business. These individuals have seven figure businesses. They also have staffs and overhead a business like mine does not have. One individual lost over $1 Million in business almost immediately when meetings and live events began to cancel. I wanted to see how they were thinking in challenging times. These successful people responded honestly and openly to our questions. Their mindsets were surprisingly consistent. The approach they have to this pandemic is something I believe we can all learn from. Here are some thoughts;

The biggest challenge we have living with Covid-19 is our thinking, Hall of Fame Speaker Willie Jolley told us. When we change our thinking, we change our life. The late speaker and radio personality, Earl Nightingale said, We become what we think about. Willie added, Our thinking and attitude are formed by the people we spend time with and the things we read.

One thing all of these successful people did was to give first without any expectation of receiving anything. They knew everyone was hurting in some way. They began by calling their customers and offering to help at no charge. Some had weekly Zoom sessions where they brainstormed solutions or just listened.

Successful people are experts and thought leaders in their space. They are trusted advisors who share their expertise. These individuals challenge people to think. They get paid for their ability to think and to go beyond the obvious. They believe certainty is an illusion. They dont panic in a crisis. They lead.

They know how to refocus and evolve. When the old way is doesnt work find a new way. Their businesses are growing again. Successful people are;

Positive thinkers

Readers

Givers, who give first without expecting something in return

See opportunity even in a crisis. They believe there is always opportunity if we look.

Dont blame. They know that is a waste of time.

Experts in their space and thought leaders.

Exceptional communicators

We are each capable of all of these qualities, if we change our thinking and believe we are capable. How are you thinking? Anything is possible.

Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com is the director of marketing and sales for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a masters in environmental engineering who has over 40 years experience in the energy industry. He is the author of four books and numerous published articles.

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What and how are you thinking? Anything is possible - Martins Ferry Times Leader

There Will Be Blowback – Forbes

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Caption from US State Dept. "Announcement"

The publication of the Expansion of the Clean Network to Safeguard Americas Assets coming from the Secretary of States office yesterday is an example of posturing and saber rattling that will result in zero impact on intellectual property theft, potentially massive wasted expenditure, and more government encroachment on free markets. It will not end well.

Do not let anyone forget that the new era of digital mercantilism was kicked off in 2013 due to the activities of the National Security Agency. Thanks to Edward Snowden we learned that the NSA, for years, had been tapping undersea cables, forcing major US companies like Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Youtube, Skype and AOL (See PRISM slides.) to secretly funnel data to them, tapping communications in major telecom hubs, and developing exploits for HP, Dell, Cisco, Fortinet, Juniper, and Huawei gear.

The reaction from around the world was swift. Trust in US technology products was degraded. The EU reacted strongly with condemnations coming from world leaders whose cell phones had been compromised by the NSA. The EU passed GDPR in part as a reaction. The EU is also attempting to build an alternative cloud platform, Gaia X., to counter the dominance of AWS, Azure, and Google for modern computing infrastructure, despite forcing all of those platforms to build data centers in Europe to keep data in Europe (and, incidentally, give law enforcement and intelligence agencies their own jurisdiction to control and possibly monitor data.)

There has always been an effort on the part of governments to gain control of the means of production, apart from a short period post-Adam Smith, and pre-WWII, when capitalism had a brief moment in the sun. In those days governments were happy to tax output but did not create Soviet style command economies and industrial policies. During the late 90s there were some that thought the internet would free us from national boundaries and restrictions on trade. Any manufacturer of any good could launch a website with a shopping cart and sell anywhere in the world. If the product was digital, like a blog post, ebook, or video, it could be transferred over the internet free of taxes, import duties, or censorship. Those days and that dream are long gone.

Mercantilism according to the Wikipedia entry is:

Mercantilism is an economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports for an economy. It promotes imperialism, tariffs and subsidies on traded goods to achieve that goal.

Each new administration in the US tries its hand at protecting US industry sectors, from wheat, to sugar, to textiles, to manufacturing. This turns into votes for the politicians and gives the manufactures the ability to raise prices without investing in efficiency and quality.

There is one industrial sector that the US dominatestechnology. Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and others completely own the market for networking gear while engaging in healthy competition with each other. The positions of Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon, are demonstrated by their market caps. With a few exceptions software is dominated by US tech companies.

Keep in mind that practically all technology hardware is produced in China for American companies. There is no need for an industrial policy to protect these companies and massive harm could come from anti-China posturing.

The Stick it to China memo has five bullet points and I am just going to assume there are no plans behind them:

-Clean Carriers. This bullet point seeks to bar Chinese telecom providers from the US. Would it be a bad thing if they did move into the US? What if a Chinese carrier delivered 10 gig internet for $10 a month? Sign me up. I dont trust any carrier and everyone should protect themselves from the monitoring of your activity that they engage in by using end-to-end encryption and proxies.

-Clean Store: To remove un-trusted applications from U.S. mobile app stores. This is transparently a policy to back Trumps tweets about TikTok and would be a massive encroachment on Apple and Googles ability to continue to dominate the market for apps.

-Clean Apps: To prevent untrusted PRC smartphone manufacturers from pre-installing or otherwise making available for download trusted apps on their apps store. Leaving aside the internal contradiction, this is aimed squarely at Huawei which sells some of the lowest cost smart phones in the world. I dont trust any app from any store and neither should you.

-Clean Cloud: This section is meant to bar US organization from storing data in Chinese cloud providers, specifically calling out Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent. That could be disastrous for companies that sell into the single biggest market in the world, China. Once again, never trust any cloud provider. Encrypt all of your data all of the time.

-Clean Cable. To ensure the undersea cables connecting our country to the global internet are not subverted for intelligence gathering by the PRC. We know this is done all the time by the NSA to everyones undersea cables. Other countries do this too. It is completely impossible to protect tens of thousands of miles of cables that lie deep in the ocean. The simple solution to undersea tapping of cables is, you guessed it, encrypt all the data all the time.

Thankfully this ridiculous posturing by the State Department will be short lived. On January 20, 2021, a new Secretary of State will be sworn in and we will return to sane policies. But we must push back whenever we can against the rise of digital mercantilism.

Continued here:

There Will Be Blowback - Forbes

TikTok and National Security: The Need for a Comprehensive U.S. Privacy Law – Security Boulevard

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Last week, President Donald Trump threatened to ban the popular social media platform TikTok, whose corporate owner is a Chinese company with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Trumps stated grounds for seeking to ban the popular application was that the app threatens U.S. national security. But exactly how?

I must confess Im not a regular user of TikTok, but my adult children are. TikTok, which has several billion subscribers, allows users to create and share short videospeople impersonating president Trump, dog and cat videos, etc.ranging from the benign to the puerile. So how is it that the application threatens national security?

The short answer is dataor more significantly, data privacy. Or, even more significantly, the unenforceability of data privacy policies.

Tik Tok, like almost every other social media and internet application, collects data on massive numbers of subscribers. It knows who they are, what they like, what they dislike, what they post and what they view. It also knows where they are when they are using the app (and often when they are not), what their IP address is, what kind of browser or phone they are using and a host of other details. Its customers are its product.

Like every other social media platform, TikTok has a privacy policy that purports to set out what data the company may collect, with whom it may share the data and how it can use the data. Nothing in the Tik Tok privacy policy says it can share, give or analyze subscribers data for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. It doesnt say, We may give any and all of your information to our Chinese Army overlords, who may use this to target you and your family as an American imperialist pig-dog It doesnt say, By using TikTok you agree that the Chinese Communist Party can know your sexual orientation and may use this and other knowledge to blackmail you should you ever pose a threat to the great leader But then again, nothing in the privacy policy says that TikTok cant. At least not explicitly.

As a result, a number of privacy class action lawsuits alleging that TikTok violates the federal Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) have been recently consolidated into one single class action suit in the Northern District of California. The lawsuits allege that TikTok sends users data (including those of minors) to China. TikTok says that its servers are in the U.S., but also notes that the company can transfer data to Beijing, if it so chooses, without breaking any laws. As TikToks responsive pleading in the class action case noted, [t]he Apps privacy policy also fully discloses that user data will be shared with TikToks corporate affiliates and third-party business partners and service providers, as is standard with free social networking apps that have a business model based on advertising.

In fact, TikToks privacy policy is similar to those of Facebook, Twitter, WeChat and other social media outlets or short content providers. It provides general platitudes about only sharing data with business partners and only to help provide services and enhancements and to customize content and to infer information about you Like other providers, TikTok says, We may disclose your information to respond to subpoenas, court orders, legal process, law enforcement requests, legal claims, or government inquiries, and to protect and defend the rights, interests, safety, and security of TikTok Inc., the Platform, our affiliates, users, or the public. We may also share your information to enforce any terms applicable to the Platform, to exercise or defend any legal claims, and comply with any applicable law.

Again, on the surface, its pretty anodyne stuff. So why the national security tag? I mean, does information about dogs in pajamas really threaten to bring down the worlds longest-lasting democracy?

The short answer has little to do with the fact that TikToks parent company is Chinese-owned and has more to do with the power of informationparticularly personal information. Information about peoples likes and dislikes, members of their family, facial recognition, travel, location, politics, finances, sexual orientation, friends, education, employment, search history and intimate connections are the kinds of things that used to take months or years for spies to collect and cultivate. Now its a few mouse clicks away. It is rife with potential for misuse and abuse. In fact, its often impossible to tell the difference between appropriate and inappropriate use of such data. Lets face it, you are being surveilledmaybe by Facebook, maybe by Proctor & Gamble, maybe by the Coca-Cola Co., maybe by the Chinese Communist Party. And you are making it very easy to be surveilled. You post on Facebook, you share on LinkedIn and you tweet. And, if you are below a certain age, you use TikTok.

What distinguishes TikTok, at least in the opinion of the U.S. government, is not the information the company collects, stores, processes or shares. Its not the aggregation, analysis and slicing and dicing of that information. Its not the intimate profiling and use of the analyzed data or even the sharing of that data. And, its not that there is not something called a privacy policy that governs the collection and use of that data.

Its that because TikToks parent corporation is Chinese, we dont believe the company will adhere to its privacy policy, and, if it doesnt, we have no effective remedy. Therefore, we have to assume (well, we say we have to assume) that everything collected and shared by TikTok is simultaneously shared with the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). Just as Europeans may assume that everything collected or stored by U.S. companies or cloud providers is simultaneously shared with the NSA. It doesnt matter whether it is true or not; it is perceived to be true, and that makes it a national security concern. Same for Huawei and ZTEthe U.S. government assumes that these entities are agents of the Chinese Communist Party acting on behalf of their government overlords. In fact, it was a perception that the NSA can compel U.S. companies to produce dataparticularly mass data about non-US personsthat lead an EU court in July to rule that the U.S./EU commercial data-sharing agreement known as Privacy Shield was unenforceable.

Using data as a weapon is nothing new. Scraping and analyzing data can help intelligence agencies profile and target people for recruitment or intimidation. LinkedIn and Indeed can be used to gather information about people with high-level security clearances. Facebook and Twitter and other social media can be the source for massive facial recognition programs such as Clearview AI. Under current U.S. law, most of this data is entitled to little if any legal protection, provided that the anodyne and amorphous privacy policies can be said to provide some modicum of notice to the data subjects that their data is being collected and that it might be used. It is that issue that needs to be addressed: a firm and unshakable commitment to protect the privacy of social media information. With openness and completeness.

Frankly, reading TikToks privacy policy, I have NO CLUE whatsoever what it does with subscribers information, with whom it shares that information and for what purpose, and I read privacy policies for a living. The best I can say is the company collects a lot of data and shares it with anyone that helps with TikToks business model. And at least that part is true whether it is owned by ByteDance or Microsoft.

Buhari to overhaul the nation’s security apparatus, says NSA – TheCable

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

President Muhammadu Buhari is planning a complete re-engineering of the nations security apparatus, according to Babagana Monguno, national security adviser.

Monguno broke the news to state house correspondents after a security briefing on Tuesday.

The president, according to Monguno, told service chiefs at the briefing that their effort is not good enough.

Monguno said since the issues are operational, Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, is working on something and will likely give a new direction to the security agencies in the days to come.

He said Buhari told the service chiefs that Nigerians have lost confidence in the security sector but he is determined to restore that confidence.

The president is angry over the declining security situation. At the last meeting, he mentioned it, Monguno said.

What he said today is virtually a reaffirmation of what he said the first time. Yes Mr President said you are doing your best, as far as Im concerned, but theres still a lot more to be done. Im more concerned about the promise we made to the larger Nigerian society and I am ordering an immediate re-engineering of the entire security apparatus.

This is something that I believe will be done in a very short time, but I just want us to keep hope alive.I know how everybody feels, I know how Nigerians feel, definitely the president is not oblivious of the fact that securing the nation is a primary responsibility of government and I believe in his sincerity, but again, since hes not an octopus, since hes not a spirit, if he delegates to people, then the onus is on them to actually fulfil the legitimate expectations of the larger Nigerian society.

There have been complaints over the widespread insecurity in the country, with many asking the president to fire the service chiefs.

On Monday, governors said they were planning to meet with the president over the rising insecurity in the country.

They also said the attack on the convoy of Babagana Zulum, their Borno counterpart, is an indication that the country is not safe.

Boko Haram insurgents had opened fire on the convoy of the Borno governor in Kukawa local government area last week.

Buhari to overhaul the nation's security apparatus, says NSA - TheCable

David Peterson Continues Solid Stretch in Win Over Marlins – metsmerizedonline.com

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Heading into Saturdays evening soire versus the Miami Marlins, New York Mets left-hander David Peterson had been holding his own, pitching to a 3.86 earned run average (3.00 FIP) with 8.49 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings over his first two major league starts.

That will play.

In his first start at Citi Field in Flushing on Saturday, the 66 southpaw continued on his streak of effectiveness and, impressively so, did it with a fair amount of traffic on the bases throughout the night.

Three consecutive two-out base hits in the first from Jesus Aguilar, Corey Dickerson, and Brian Anderson resulted in an early 1-0 lead for Miami. Not an ideal start to the night, but it could have been worse.

The Aurora, Colorado product would issue two one-out walks in the second but induced a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Jonathan Villar to escape the jam. Grace under fire; love to see it.

Peterson returned to the mound in the third with a 2-1 lead courtesy of Michael Confortos searing two-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the second and recorded his first 1-2-3 inning of the evening.

Following Pete Alonsos 116.9 MPH exit velocity two-run blast in the bottom half of the frame, extending the Mets lead to 4-1, Peterson seemed all the more comfortable and set down Miami in order again, racking up two strikeouts in the inning (Anderson and Lewis Brinson, both swinging).

Peterson left a 91 MPH four-seamer over the heart of the plate for Logan Forsythe to lead off the fifth and the journeyman veteran sent it 410 feet out to deep-center, cutting the Mets lead to 4-2 but that would be the extent of the damage the big lefty would allow.

Over five innings of work (84 pitches, 46 strikes), Peterson allowed two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three bases-on-balls, bringing his season ERA down to 3.78.

He picked up three whiffs apiece on 22 sinkers and 14 sliders respectively, and racked up a total of nine called strikes on his four-seamer (five, 35 pitches) and changeup (four on 10 offerings). Keep em on their toes, David.

Over his first two starts, Peterson showed excellent command over his arsenal, walking just three batters over 11.2 innings. On Saturday, putting them over the plate appeared to be a bit more of a chore for the left-hander.

There was two times that I threw seven balls in a row; that just cant happen. Down the road, thats gonna hurt and its just unacceptable on my part, Peterson said after the game. My job is to hunker down and get out of those innings.

The biggest thing for me in those is reducing the damage. Trying to get out [of] there with the least amount of damage as possible, he said. I didnt have the greatest command tonight, but if I walk some guys, I need to be able to get myself out of it.

Peterson did a fine job of getting out of trouble on Saturday. Lets hope this trend of efficaciousness continues.

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David Peterson Continues Solid Stretch in Win Over Marlins - metsmerizedonline.com

Professor Jordan Peterson reported to have COVID – The Bay Observer – Providing a Fresh Perspective for Hamilton and Burlington

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

The Sun.UK is reporting that controversial University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson is in a hospital in Serbia suffering from Coronavirus. Mikhaila Peterson, 28, told The Sun her dad was infected while being hospitalized for treatment of a prescription drug dependency. Ms Peterson said her fathers symptoms were not severe, but doctors prescribed several anti-viral drugs. She also told the newspaper that her father is suffering from his second bout of pneumonia this year.

And so now weve had a step back in his recovery. Life is just not good, things are not good right now, she said. Hell get better, but hes definitely taken a step back and its just really unfortunate its been a disaster.

Peterson has been the target of social media pushback for his outspoken rejection of cancel culture and many of its tenets.

Peterson says that disciplines like womens studiesshould be defunded. advising students to avoid subjects like sociology, anthropology, English Literature, ethnic studies and racial studies, as well as other fields of study that he believes are corrupted by the neo-Marxist ideology.

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Professor Jordan Peterson reported to have COVID - The Bay Observer - Providing a Fresh Perspective for Hamilton and Burlington

Minnesota pastor appears on Penn and Teller’s TV show | INFORUM – INFORUM

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

It was presented as kind of a mystery to me, Peterson says. He wouldnt tell me what it was, but he was going to be doing something, and would I be willing to come in through FaceTime.

That "something" was Sommers guest appearance on the CW show Penn & Teller: Fool Us," a competition in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller.

Sommer, an actor known for shows like Mad Men, In the Dark and Glow, was asked to call a friend to be part of a magic trick involving the audience.

To see the entire segment, go to the shows website.

Peterson says he was a little surprised when the phone rang.

It wasn't my friend Rich, it was Penn Jillette, who said, 'Hi, you're on stage right now, and we're going to be doing a magic trick with you.' And I said, 'Wow, this is amazing!'" Peterson recalls.

Peterson says they had a nice chat.

I was really excited. As they do in all television shows, they edit things down quite a bit, so there was a lot more conversation that happened back and forth between Penn and I, he says.

It was especially fun for Peterson and presumably Sommer because the two men have been fans of Penn & Teller since they were boys growing up in Stillwater, Minn.

My parents took us to see Penn & Teller at the State Theatre in Minneapolis. I think we were 13 or 14 years old, Peterson says. But we fell in love with Penn & Teller and have just kind of followed them for a while.

Peterson says he never would have imagined then that as a grown man hed get to take part in Penn & Tellers act.

It was mind-blowing for me now, but my 13-year-old self would have probably would have fainted, he says.

Eventually, Sommer and Peterson both left Stillwater to attend Concordia College in Moorhead, where they were roommates. Peterson attended the seminary and is now a pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, while Sommer has had a successful TV and film career, getting his first big break in The Devil Wears Prada.

Peterson says the segment was actually filmed in March before the pandemic hit. Since then, he still stays in touch with Sommer and other friends on weekly Zoom calls. He says he enjoyed helping with the magic trick, and in case youre wondering, he doesnt know how they did it. But he says he doesnt have any more brushes with fame planned.

I think the ministry is my calling. I think that's where we'll be at, Peterson says.

But Trinity Lutheran Church members, dont be surprised if he asks you to pick a card" during his next sermon.

Originally posted here:

Minnesota pastor appears on Penn and Teller's TV show | INFORUM - INFORUM

SOUND OFF: Can trees, newspapers and Trump get any respect? – The Bakersfield Californian

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Reader: First, I love The Bakersfield Californian the comics, puzzles, many great columnists, and of course, news. My father was a newspaperman also. He owned his own paper, lost it in the Depression and then worked for several other papers, including lastly, the N.Y. Daily News.

I am a tree lover, have owned several places with many types of trees pine, palm, mulberry, oak, crape myrtle, Chinese elm, maple, poplar, fruit trees, but I really love the Ailanthus. It's a beautiful tree and should not be belittled since it grows easily.

You may want a nice old oak tree, but if you move to a yard that has nothing but dirt, you'll be very happy to grow a lovely Ailanthus, which will give you shade within a year. Just because a tree is hardy and fast-growing is no reason to insult a tree that given the chance, can grow to be large and beautiful.

Joan Owen, Bakersfield

Peterson: Joan, I am thrilled to hear you love The Californian. While I don't come from a family of newspaper people like your father, my mom tells me my great-grandfather read multiple newspapers in English and Polish from cover to cover every morning in Chicago. We like to think that inspired my love for newspapers something in our genes!

I'm not a tree expert, but I think the description Steven gave of the Ailanthus "the back yard sports several so-called trees of heaven, a vigorous invasive species that clones itself so efficiently a sucker is growing from a crack in the covered front porch" is accurate. Some websites I looked at basically describe it as a weed, which seems a bit harsh.

I guess when it comes to trees, it's to each his or her own! We all have our favorites.

Reader: What a great edition of TBC you had on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Not only were there three great philosophical cartoons in the comics section, but that ad asking us readers to help out. You guys and gals are at the center of our big newspaper family universe. I was already going to call all the people you listed in your ad, even before I read the little letters that explained so much ...

Whoever wrote it and gave the final OK is both a genius, and a fair deal-maker. That piece of legislation mixed up the nation's newspaper business with the nation's lawmakers and we citizens, who are the final product. It's going to make newspapers live and thrive until the money that pays for those business and personal ads return ...

After I read the intro, I was going to agree even before I read the details. Not only would I like to thank the wealthy patriots who bought The Washington Post, the not-failing New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, I would like to thank whoever bought TBC. I don't care about any of the changes made when papers were merged to print in the same place. Someone bought TBC for the love of the game. Too bad the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Denver's big guy, and others were not able to last as long.

But, it's like every month you have to PAY people to come through the gates. It's not going to last forever, but there are real American First Amendment Intellectuals who will step up to the plate forever I hope.

Even though a lot has changed both internally and physically, and quickly it's still thrown on my driveway every morning. Life is good.

Thank you for hanging in there and printing that Wednesday TBC.

Peterson: Life is good with newspapers, Matt, and I'm glad you enjoy The Californian.

The legislation Matt's referring to is the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, which, if passed by Congress, would provide a tax credit for local newspaper subscriptions, a payroll credit for compensation of journalists and a credit for advertising in local newspapers and local media.

Reader: There are not many happy headlines to read in the paper these days, what with COVID-19, political wrangling, weather, fires, etc. But on July 31, John Cox made the best of a bad assignment with the headline "Lice become one more head-scratcher during pandemic." Very witty and funny! Keep up the good work, John.

Bob Goon, Bakersfield

Peterson: Believe it or not, Bob, John Cox wasn't assigned this story, which was much different from the business stories he most often tackles. Rather, he came across a news release in his email inbox about the prevalence of head lice as many families with children are staying close to home, and ran with it. And yes, that headline, which he kicked around with News Editor Teddy Feinberg, was perfect for this head-scratcher of a story.

Reader: I have to give you credit for consistency. Letters to the editor supporting Trump always give solid reasons and encouragement. Then there is the obligatory Trump hater or haters who have a lot of emotional problems that they have to vent. Even todays (Wednesday's) editorial cartoon about changing the election date is fundamentally a lie, misleading and contributes nothing to the solution of Californias grossly illegal and unconstitutional voting system. Oh, well, I dont expect you to change. I still enjoy my crossword puzzle.

Peterson: Glad you enjoy your crossword puzzle, Jerry.

For every person like you who says there are Trump haters who have emotional problems they have to vent, I hear similar comments from the other side.

I'm not sure how Wednesday's editorial cartoon, which depicted a woman looking at a photo of President Trump and saying "now he wants to move the election" is "fundamentally a lie" and "misleading." Is it the headlines in the newspaper the man is holding, which also are true?

Did not Trump tweet on July 30 that With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

According to a July 31 Associated Press report, "GOP officials from New Hampshire to Mississippi to Iowa quickly pushed back against Trump's suggestion on Thursday (July 31) that it might be necessary to delay the November election which he cannot do without congressional approval because of the unfounded threat of voter fraud. They reassured voters that the election would proceed on the constitutionally mandated day as it has for more than two centuries."

Did I miss something, Jerry?

Executive Editor Christine Peterson answers your questions and takes your complaints about The Californians news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 661-395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number; your phone number wont be published.

SOUND OFF: Can trees, newspapers and Trump get any respect? - The Bakersfield Californian

Could This ‘New’ Coloured Cotton Technology Eliminate Toxic Dyes? – Eco Warrior Princess

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

This summer, a group of scientists at CSIRO in Canberra have developed a method to grow cotton that has the potential to wipe out the need to dye the fabric by genetically modifying the fibre. Their experiments have cracked cottons molecular colour code in order to diversify the crop from its natural off-white or the earthy green and brown hues of naturally coloured cotton, into potentially every shade of the rainbow. In just a few months time, theyre hoping for their first harvest of brightly coloured cotton fibre, revolutionising Australias $2 billion cotton industry by eliminating toxic dyes from the production process.

The innovation comes at a moment when the environmental impact of textile dyes is reaching a breaking point. Mainstream dyeing techniques used extensively across the industry still use carcinogenic chemicals that threaten the health of factory workers. Whats more, the irresponsible disposal of toxic waste from processing plants pollutes waterways that millions of people and animals rely on as their lifeblood, with nearly 20% of all water pollution originating from textile dyeing treatments. Its said that in some parts of China and India, local communities can predict the next big colour trend in fashion by simply looking at the colour of the river, which 2016 sustainable fashion documentary RiverBlue showcases in graphic and heartbreaking detail.

But these colourful chemicals are just the tip of the iceberg. The true cost of colour is arguably its water footprint. Unless waterless dye technology is used, approximately 200 tonnes of water is required to make just one tonne of fabric. Cotton is also already an incredibly thirsty fabric before it even reaches the dyeing stage, with around 10,000 litres used for every one kilogram of cotton. When used in denim production, intense dark shades like indigo and black are often regarded as the most polluting and resource-intensive colourants, so if cotton growth in fashion-friendly colours takes off, the industrys water consumption could take a much-needed nosedive.

Related Post: 5 Films That Delve into the Social and Environmental Impacts of Fashion

Ethical fashion writer Elizabeth L. Cline has challenged the scientific discovery, reminding us that the concept of coloured cotton plants is in fact an ancient technology developed by indigenous cultures in the Andes region over four thousand years ago. More recently, coloured cotton has slipped under the radar as one of the biggest eco-trends of the 1990s, used extensively by California cotton breeder Sally Fox.

Another criticism of this new cotton technology is that it is essentially yet another GMO (genetically modified organism) seed ripe for monopolisation by the likes of Monsanto, a vast multinational corporation which holds unthinkable power over cotton farmers around the world. Monsanto controls about 95% of the cotton market through its privatisation of GMOs, which has colossal consequences for agricultural workers. This includes a shocking 300,000 suicides in India alone as a direct result of crippling debt, yield instability and even threats of jail time and violence incurred from the trap of Monsantos empire.

It is also important to mention that while it can be seen as more sustainable than synthetics, cotton is not necessarily any kinder than fashions other favourite fabric, polyester. Just because cotton is biodegradable and renewable rather than a microfibre-releasing plastic made from crude oil doesnt mean the industrys focus should be on improving such a problematic plant in the first place. More low-impact fabric alternatives include other plant-based materials such as hemp, bamboo, nettle and linen as well as man-made cellulosic fibres like viscose, modal and tencel. However, cotton still makes up over a fifth of all new garment production (although only about one percent of this cotton is organic), therefore any innovation that aims to make the natural fabric more sustainable is welcome in a sector that is still so reliant on such excessive water and pesticide consumption.

Related Post: Wrangler Indigood Collection: Iconic Denim Takes First Sustainable Steps with New Dye TechnologyLooking forward, the same group of CSIRO scientists behind this colourful cotton project are also still in the process of developing cotton plants which could eventually generate wrinkle-free fabric. Hoping to eradicate the environmental impact of ironing clothes and the intense chemical treatments such as formaldehyde used to create non-iron shirts, the team have spent the last few years testing thousands of cotton plants to develop new varieties with greater elasticity than their synthetic counterparts.

Other researchers are turning to natural dyes and regenerative agriculture to transform fashions footprint from its desire for an ever-growing spectrum of colours on the catwalk. Fibershed is a non-profit enterprise driven by regional communities which, as founder Rebecca Burgess recently told Atmos, was born from a dream to decouple the color from the toxicity through ancient forms of ecological technology. Perhaps the secret to dye-free textiles is not in the laboratory, but in the soil after all.

Recommending reading:

Cover image of garment fabric being hung out to dry taken in Narayanganj, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo by Sk Hasan Ali.

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Could This 'New' Coloured Cotton Technology Eliminate Toxic Dyes? - Eco Warrior Princess

Quantum Leaps In Technology Further Evolve Accessories For Pre Fall 2020 – Forbes

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Facing a violently changing world, todays executives will soon have to deal with challenges that were non-existent seven months ago. In a word, we now live in a culture of extremes. The current work climate has forcefully pushed office time into a great level of uncertainty, building for the unknown might just be the right path on the new journey into un-chartered territory.

When it comes to the newest accessories (in womenswear) for pre-fall 2020, advancements in technology are of great interest to consumers. This season, offerings of entirely fresh styles and hybrid materials along with new production methods that have never been seen before, are catching the customers eye.

On a separate note, dressing in proper business attire (at home) during office hours has been proven to increase productivity. Now, more than ever, the American workforce needs to operate the very best way possible to keep the economic engine running smoothly until we reach safe ground.

Made from highly responsive material that performs amazingly well in the real world, the luxury womens accessories lineup for late summer-pre-fall is built from advanced high-performance materials that breathe with ease and race into the future. And while this is the kind of tech that would normally end up in apparel, new product offerings are taking accessories to the next level.

The accessory market segmentation is discovering what happens when you turn up the fire on the lateral nature of the impactful tech experiments. In fact, I am convinced that launching new concepts not only represents the apex of human ingenuity, but in turn convinces consumers that science, imagination and style will be part of our new world that no one thought possible.

Giorgio Armani

Canvas shopper with logo

The understated and sophisticated elegance of Giorgio Armani is expressed with contemporary style. Essential lines, quality materials and contemporary details: this shopper is designed for women with busy schedules who never lose sight of their own style. This canvas item features two handles, a flap closure and contrasting iconic logo. $695

Lanvin:

Pencil Cat Bag

Pencil Cat bagCrafted in calf box leather, the signature of the season, the pencil line is inspired by Jeanne Lanvins pencil cases and its echoing to Swan ladies in the 60s. Price: $3,850

GUCCI

GG flower fil coup short kaftan dress

Imbued with a summer feel, the short kaftan dress has a relaxed silhouette with wide sleeves and a drawstring subtly emphasizing the waistline. In a romantic pattern, white and red fil coup flowers decorate the light blue cotton-blend base, accented by aged gold-toned metal buttons. First introduced as part of Guccis 1996 collection, the kaftan continues to be an integral part of the House aesthetic while evolving in new materials and modern details. $3,200

Bottega Veneta

The Fringe Pouch in Fondente

Bold, confident and luxurious, the iconic Pouch is further evolved for Pre Fall 2020. Elevated with a flat square silhouette and cascading leather fringe, this distinctive update is crafted in ultra-supple Nappa and can be folded over itself or worn over the shoulder with an adjustable strap. $2,800 USD

GUCCI

Women's slide sandal with Gucci logo

A playful twist on an essential style, the slide sandal is presented in a delicate shade of blue rubber for the Pre-Fall 2020 collection. Recalling '90s styles, a chunky heel and embossed logo detail add a retro appeal. $320

Salvatore Ferragamo

Bone Goatskin and Calf Leather Reversible and Adjustable Gancini Belt

This Ferragamo belt is the best womens product for the summer/pre-fall season because it is both elegant and functional in equal parts. It is reversible, crafted from smooth goatskin leather on one side and natural grained calfskin on the other, and with an adjustable length, it is easy to find the perfect fit. $650 USDAvailable at Salvatore Ferragamo boutiques nationwide

Tory Burch

THE TORY SNEAKER Inspired by 70s track shoes:We have been refining our vision of what an ideal sneaker would be and it had to combine retro details and ultimate comfort. I love 70s sneakers, they are always chic and look great dressed up or down. Tory Burch. (calfskin and nylon upper) - $198 (suede & calfskin upper) - $228

Aranyani

Aranyanis Mini Top Handle Bag in Dusty Pink Black Combo with Hematite Stones

Refresh your wardrobe this summer with Aranyanis mini top handle from its Stone Drops line. This is the standoutbag of the summer because of its effortlesselegance.In dusty pink (Aranyanis signature color) and black, this two-tone, soft leather,is accentedwith aHematite speckled rim.Hematite is the stone whichevokesself-empowerment and positivitysomething that we can all use a bit more ofthese days. AddingAranyanis mini-top handle to your look this summer will not only make you look good, but it may just put a positive spin on things. Were calling it a bag with benefits.-$1,450

Maison Margiela

Maison Margiela: The Snatched bag

For Spring-Summer 2020, Maison Margiela releases theSnatchedbag to stores worldwide. The genderless handbag comes in two multi-functional sizes and was named by creative director John Galliano in homage to the slang of a defiant new generation epitomized by individuality and diversity. In contemporary lingo, looking snatched is the ultimate accolade: an outfit impeccably styled. Reflected in its design, the Snatched carries double meaning. With its sharp folded edges, flap closure and clutch-able handle, the bag hints at the British understanding of snatched: the swift grasp of an object, a gesture entrenched in the notion ofdressing in hastekey to the vocabulary developed in the Artisanal ateliers of Maison Margiela. Imbued with the codes of its homonym name, the bag takes the shape of a pochette. The large bag doubles as a clutch and shoulder bag, while the small bag serves as a clutch, shoulder or belt bag. With its asymmetric angles, the Snatched hints at the glamour of classic evening bags, while its foldable flap conjures memories of origami paper bags.

Special Thanks: Lacy Barnes

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Quantum Leaps In Technology Further Evolve Accessories For Pre Fall 2020 - Forbes

New security technology deployed by Reds, city will secretly detect knives and guns – Cincinnati Business Courier

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

By Chris Wetterich Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier

Aug 7, 2020, 12:35pm EDT

The Cincinnati Reds and the city of Cincinnati are deploying a covert threat detection solution that will be able to identify people carrying guns and knives without them knowing it, according to Patriot One Technologies.

The city plans to use Patriot Ones Patscan platform in certain city facilities that will not be disclosed. Patriot One is selling the technology to the city through Ginter Electrical.

"Were excited to deliver our covert threat detection solution that is not only focused on saving lives but saving a way of life that the citys employees, residents and visitors have come to expect," Patriot Ones CEO Martin Cronin said.

The artificial-intelligence technology platform is already deployed by the Reds at Great American Ball Park, according to the company.

The system could allow people to pass through invisible checkpoints with everyday objects without being scanned or going through a metal detector. The sensors use biomagnetic resonance, cognitive microwave radar and video object recognition to detect weapons, including abnormal amounts of meal, which could detect an improvised explosive device.

The scanners do not gather personal information or produce body images in a way that an airport scanner does.

Our philosophy of detection is that people should be able to go about their business unimpeded and not have to go through thick security checkpoints to be wanded, padded down, every time they go into a hotel or a shopping mall or anywhere where the public may be at risk of acts of violence, Cronin told TechRepublic earlier this year.

We know that people in Western societies don't want to live in a mass surveillance state. What our sensors are looking for is the presence of a weapon.

Casey Weldon, a spokesman for the city, said the system the city uses will detect guns and knives but the city wont be disclosing which facilities it will be deployed in for security reasons.

We pride ourselves on being a forward thinking, innovative Midwest city; always looking for ways to enrich our residents and visitors lives, while keeping them safe," Interim City Manager Paula Boggs Muething said in a news release. "I am proud to be part of a nationwide group against gun violence, as we continue our own efforts to develop Cincinnati as a smart, safe city with safer, healthy communities. Bringing solutions like the Patscan Threat Detection Platform will help us achieve this goal.

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New security technology deployed by Reds, city will secretly detect knives and guns - Cincinnati Business Courier

Technology paving the way – The West Australian

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

When government restrictions came in earlier this year as a result of COVID-19, the real estate industry adapted quickly to the new measures with technology-led experiences.

For REA Group Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee, the use of technology was integral, particularly in the case of home inspections and auctions, which largely went online.

Since mid-March, when initial COVID-19 restrictions came into force, Ms Conisbee said realestate.com.au had experienced 13.8 million video views and 14 million 3D tour views.

It does appear virtual property tours will be one change to the way people view property, even when there are very few COVID-19 restrictions, she said.

Online auctions have tapered off slightly since restrictions to live auctions reduced, however, many agents are now using them in conjunction with live auctions for people that are unable to attend in person.

While listings on realestate.com.au have increased since last year, Ms Conisbee said they did dip early on in the pandemic, which was most likely caused by the uncertain times.

However, despite the doom and gloom predicted for the residential property market because of the pandemic, Ms Conisbee said Australias property market was looking surprisingly strong given we were in recession and seeing rising unemployment.

Prices have not dropped as much as we would have expected in such conditions, she said. It is likely that stability in the banking system and record levels of government assistance have been a key factor in the stability of the property market.

While restrictions have started to ease across most of the country, except in Melbourne, Ms Conisbee said she believed digital inspections were here to stay, with online auctions expected to feature alongside traditional in-person events.

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Technology paving the way - The West Australian

FLYING WITH SAVVY: Technology takes crop dusting to a new level – News-Daily.com

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

HANSEN After spreading dry fertilizer on potato fields near Murtaugh Lake, Keith Johnson flew his Thrush aircraft west over the Hansen Butte, then disappeared as he circled back to the extinct shield volcano.

Minutes later Johnsons airplane touched down on an old landing field, then climbed over bumpy terrain to the top of the butte where fellow pilot Marty Brill waited with his plane.

Workers poured dry fertilizer from a truck into the hopper of Brills aircraft as Johnson taxied his plane to the remote makeshift filling station surrounded by communication towers.

The two pilots, employed by Crop Jet Aviation, put their heads together to discuss their next flights. After consulting an aerial photo of the area, Johnson would continue to fertilize potatoes near the lake and Brill would move on to fields west of the butte.

Both are experienced pilots. They used to be crop dusters; now theyre called ag aviators.

Gone are the days of the ancient biplanes that swept the tops of crops, gushing fertilizer and pesticides from their wings. Technology has transformed the agricultural aviation industry, Crop Jet owner George Parker told the Times-News.

The industry has changed even in my time, Parker said, referring to the technological advances made to equipment. Turbine engines. GPS systems. Flow control systems to put out an even and specific rate.

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With these advances, the role of the ag aviator has also changed.

Pilots are no longer limited to spraying wet applications such as liquid fertilizer and herbicides. By swapping out spray nozzles with a dry disbursement system, the pilots can now spread materials such as dry chemicals, rodenticides and seeds.

A good portion of Crop Jets work for reseeding of wildfire rehabilitation projects with the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, Parker said.

Aerial application is used for jobs nothing else can do where they cant get the ground rigs on the job site, he said. Spreading (crop) diseases is also a problem for ground rigs.

Parker, a second-generation ag pilot, owns four Thrush aircraft and one helicopter.

These days I mostly push a pencil, he said, but I still fly planes and helicopters.

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free.Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution today.

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FLYING WITH SAVVY: Technology takes crop dusting to a new level - News-Daily.com

Leveraging Synergies Created by the Convergence of Operational and Engineering Technologies and Digitalisation, Can Deliver Significant Savings for…

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Pioneering technology expert tells ADIPEC Energy Dialogue up to 80 per cent of plant shutdowns could be mitigated through combination of advanced electrification, automation and digitalisation technologies

Greater use of renewables in power management processes offers oil and gas companies opportunities to create efficiencies, sustainability and affordability when modernising equipment, or planning new CAPEX projects

ABU DHABI, UAE, Aug. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Leveraging the synergies created by the convergence of electrification, automation and digitalisation, can create significant cost savings for oil and gas companies when making both operational and capital investment decisions, according to Dr Peter Terwiesch, President of Industrial Automation at ABB, a Swiss-Swedish multinational company, operating mainly in robotics, power, heavy electrical equipment, and automation technology areas.

Leveraging Synergies Created by the Convergence of Operational and Engineering Technologies and Digitalisation, Can Deliver Significant Savings for Energy Companies, revealed at ADIPEC Energy Dialogues

Participating in the latest ADIPEC Energy Dialogue, Dr Terwiesch said up to 80 per cent of energy industry plant shutdowns, caused by human error, or rotating machinery or power outages, could be mitigated through a combination of electrification, automation and digitalisation.

"Savings are clearly possible not only on the operation side but also, using the same synergies between dimensions, you can bring down the cost schedule and risk of capital investment, especially in a time when making projects work economically is harder," explained Dr Terwiesch.

A pioneering technology leader, who works closely with utility, industry, transportation and infrastructure customers, Dr Terwiesch said despite the increasing investment by oil and gas companies in renewables and the growing use of renewables to generate electricity, both for individual and industrial uses, hydrocarbons will continue to have an important role in creating energy, in the short to medium term.

"If you look at the energy density constraints, clearly electricity is gaining share but electricity is not the source of energy; it is a conduit of energy. The energy has to come from somewhere and that can be hydrocarbons, or nuclear, or renewables," he said.

Nevertheless, he added, the greater use of renewables to generate electricity offers oil and gas companies the option of integrating a higher share of renewables into power management processes to create efficiencies, sustainability and affordability when modernising equipment, or planning new CAPEX projects.

The ADIPEC Energy Dialogue is a series of online thought leadership events created by dmg events, organisers of the annual Abu Dhabi International Exhibition and Conference. Featuring key stakeholders and decision-makers in the oil and gas industry, the dialogues focus on how the industry is evolving and transforming in response to the rapidly changing energy market.

With this year's in person ADIPEC exhibition and conference postponed to November 2021, the ADIPEC Energy Dialogue, along with insightful webinars, podcasts and on line panels continue to connect the oil and gas industry, with the challenges and opportunities shaping energy markets in the run up to, and following, a planned three-day live stream virtual ADIPEC conference taking place from November 9-11.

An industry first of its kind, the online conference will bring together energy leaders, ministers and global oil and gas CEOs to assess the collective measures the industry needs to put in place to fast-track recovery, post COVID-19.

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Leveraging Synergies Created by the Convergence of Operational and Engineering Technologies and Digitalisation, Can Deliver Significant Savings for...

BBC technology that turns your gadgets into speakers could be used for the Proms, says Radio 3 controller – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Picture the scene: you are in your front room listening to the Proms. The string section begins to play from your radio. Seconds later the brass starts playing from your laptop on the sofa across the room, joined by booming drums from your phone in your pocket.

This could be the future of music and drama from the BBC as Radio 3 unveiled its new immersive sound technology called Audio Orchestrator.

First piloted tomorrowwith a new radio series, Decameron Nights, the technology allows for parts of a play or music to be spread over multiple devices such as your phone, wallet, tablet or TV anywhere in the house.

The series debuting on Radio 3 is written by theatre company 1927, after its stage show of raw folk tales was cancelled due to coronavirus.

The re-imagined production for radio sees the new technology in full flow with sounds such as pianos, rivers and cawing crows able to be played from any device anywhere in home, creating your own lockdown theatre.

Radio 3 controller Alan Davey told the Telegraph: We've been experimenting with sound for many years even when we were in the early days with stereo and FM.

Playing around with sound is really important with us, so this new audio orchestration that we're experimenting with takes that a stage further where you can have lots of different sound sources that will really bring the play to life in a really discombobulating way - you can have things coming out of cushions.

"Most recently what we've been doing a lot of is binaural sound. A lot of the Proms that you can hear at the moment are available in that, so when you listen through headphones it's like it's three dimensional like you're in the Albert Hall."

When asked if we could see the Proms presented in a similar way in the future, Mr Davey said: "Yeah. You could do it for music, you could do it for string quartets, you could position the instruments how you want. Doing it like that might be quite complicated with one hundred different sound sources but theory is there.

We'll evaluate it and see how people get on with it, it is easy to use and I think the possibilities are endless - it really gives a different and added dimension to how we tell stories dramatically.

Available to listen using the new technology after its broadcast at 10:45 this evening, the writers of the production said that it helps bring the story to life in a way they would have done with their theatre shows.

It is a bit more playful, you can be more creative with it so it's not like this 'mega-tech' experience, it's quite mischievous and that's what appealed to us, director and performer Suzanne Andrade told the Telegraph.

If you have a cat purring in the story you can have that cat purring from one particular phone.

This is a funny piece as its constantly evolving and adapting. It came from a theatre show which is made up of folk tales, all pre-industrial passed down by word of mouth.

We know them to be sanitised and cleaned up but we've kept them as we'd imagined them in their original forms from the imaginations of ordinary men and women.

It's a bit of an experiment and we took sound effects, music, characters, voices and just played around with them being on different devices with the audience in the centre of the story.

The stories themselves are quite uncanny and what appealed to us is that it's also uncanny having all your phones and devices telling you a little creepy bedtime story.

It's quite subtle but it really places you somewhere. If you add in a few birds - we do like a crow - it's a giddy little thrill.

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BBC technology that turns your gadgets into speakers could be used for the Proms, says Radio 3 controller - Telegraph.co.uk

Geothermal project in England secures funding to help pilot lithium-extraction technology – CNBC

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

A 4 million ($5.23 million) project in southwest England has secured funding to help pilot the extraction of lithium for use in technologies such as electric vehicles and batteries.

In a statement earlier this week, Cornish Lithium said the new funding would be used to support the construction of "Europe's first geothermal lithium recovery pilot plant." The amount of investment has not been disclosed.

Over the years, lithium has become an increasingly important cog in modern life: lithium-ion batteries, for example, are used in everything from laptops and cellphones to electric cars.

According to the British Geological Survey's Centre for Sustainable Mineral Development, MineralsUK, it can be extracted from two key types of deposits: minerals and brines. The methods used to extract lithium can range from the mining of hard rock deposits to, in the case of brines, pumping from wells.

Cornish Lithium's work is centered around the extraction of lithium from geothermal brines. It said its project would be trialing Direct Lithium Extraction, or DLE, technology and "its suitability to extract lithium from Cornish geothermal waters."

The company added that the "optimal DLE technology for Cornish waters" was still being selected, but said that "the processes being considered utilise technologies, such as nanofiltration, to selectively remove lithium compounds from the water, rather than relying on evaporation and other less environmentally friendly methods."

The scheme is a collaboration with Geothermal Engineering, a company developing geothermal facilities in the county of Cornwall. It will be located at the United Downs Deep Geothermal Project near the town of Redruth.

Described by the U.S. Department of Energy as a "vital, clean energy resource," geothermal energy refers to underground heat which can be used to produce renewable energy. The DOE adds that geothermal energy "supplies renewable power around the clock and emits little or no greenhouse gases."

The funding for the Cornish project comes from a larger 14.3 million pot of cash provided to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership from the U.K. government's Getting Building Fund, a 900 million initiative focused on job creation and the development of infrastructure and skills.

Famed for its beautiful coastline and picturesque scenery, Cornwall was once home to a large number of mines extracting materials such as tin and copper. The county's last mine shut in 1998.

Cornish Lithium is not the only company looking to extract lithium in Cornwall. Another firm, British Lithium, drilled six "exploration holes" in the area around St Austell last year. The CEO of Cornish Lithium, Jeremy Wrathall, said the newly announced funding would "significantly accelerate our work to demonstrate that lithium can be produced in a sustainable, zero-carbon manner and will enable us to fast-track similar projects in other locations across Cornwall once the plant has been completed."

"We believe that Cornwall has the potential to become the 'battery metals hub' for the U.K., thus continuing a 4,000-year history of metal production and industrial innovation."

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Geothermal project in England secures funding to help pilot lithium-extraction technology - CNBC

Wolf to distribute $10.5 million in grants to career and technology centers – TribLIVE

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

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Wolf to distribute $10.5 million in grants to career and technology centers - TribLIVE

World Bowling sign three-year deal with Belgian technology company to develop application – Insidethegames.biz

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

World Bowling is set to launch an official application after signing a three-year partnership with Belgian technology company StriveCloud.

The worldwide governing body claim the app will "unite millions of elite athletes, participants and fans with vibrant competitions and immersive viewing experiences."

"This is a giant step for us as we start to break from traditional methodology to partner with experts in the esports community to bring together our sport, our athletes and our federations," said World Bowlings innovation and business development director Chris Neilson.

"Strivecloud will provide the core of our digital environment that allows us to build the platform and community along with QubicaAMF, Stack Sports, YBVR and future partners."

StriveClouds co-founder and head of customer development Freek Borghgraef said the organisation would help World Bowling with its ambition to become a more integrated and digitally connected sport.

"I was staggered to find out how data-driven the world of bowling is," said Borghgraef.

"Being able to track a broad set of statistics of almost any game of bowling played globally opens up a brave new world of possibilities to change the way the world consumes bowling.

"And that's exactly the ambition."

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World Bowling sign three-year deal with Belgian technology company to develop application - Insidethegames.biz

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