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How to get a free pumpkin worth 2 this Halloween – The Sun

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

PUMPKINS are an essential part of celebrating Halloween, and you can currently get one worth 2 for free using cashback.

The deal is offered to new and existing customers of cashback website TopCashback until October 31, or until 25,000 pumpkins have been claimed, whichever's first.

All you need to do to get the free pumpkin is to first buy it yourself, and then show the cashback website your receipt in order to get the 2 cashback.

The pumpkins can be bought in any UK store or supermarket, and there's no minimum spend.

Better yet, if you buy a pumpkin for just 1 - currently available in all of the big four supermarkets - you'll still get the 2 cashback.

Sadly, customers can only claim cashback for one pumpkin each.

Keep in mind that it can take up to 30 days before you can withdraw the cashback to your bank account, but there's no minimum payout balance.

How to get cashback every time you shop

NOT using a cashback site or app means you are missing out every time you shop. Here are full-time bargain hunter Collette Jones' best tips.

NOT VERY N-ICE Ex-McDonald's worker explains why the ice cream machines are always 'broken'

DISCOUNT DISASTER Boots changes 3for2 Christmas gift offer and shoppers could lose out

LESS OF A CHORE Home Bargains is selling a heated clothes dryer for a bargain price

TIPPED OFF 20 TK Maxx tips, including best time to shop and its secret reward scheme

PRESENT AND CORRECT Martin Lewis explains how to get 170 worth of Xmas presents for 42

COSY FEELS Aldi is selling a wood burner lantern for Christmas

If you're looking to really get into the spooky spirit this year, you'll want to check out Aldis Halloween range which includes an inflatable graveyard and an undead corpse.

The discounter has also rolled out creepy "mummy" hot dogs and grim reaper spicy sausages.

While rival Lidls Halloween range includes a self-inflating witch, light-up balloons and pumpkin lights.

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How to get a free pumpkin worth 2 this Halloween - The Sun

What happens to your Pixel’s original quality photo backups, according to Google – Android Authority

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

The stipulations are fairly straightforward: Those with Pixel devices get original quality photo backups on Google Photos for a set period of time. However, what happens after those promotional periods end? What happens to your Google Drive storage and your original quality photos? We surfed through Googles support pages to find the answers.

This one is fairly straightforward. The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL were promised unlimited original quality backups indefinitely. It seems Google intends to continue that promise. There is no evidence of an expiration date for this promotion and the photos should never count against your Google Drive storage amounts.

You can continue to upload your photos with peace of mind. Well update this article should anything change in regards to the original Pixel and Pixel XL.

We recommend setting a calendar date to change your settings back to high quality mode to avoid filling up your Google Drive space.

However, any original quality photos uploaded after the date will take up space as normal. Much like the Pixel 2, we recommend setting a reminder for yourself to change your settings on the date so you dont fill up your Google Drive space all the way.

The promotion was fun while it lasted. The Pixel devices have some of the best smartphone cameras of any series of devices in the last few years. The ability to upload backups in original quality made them even more appealing to mobile photography buffs. However, for most people, the high quality mode works just fine. However, we do wonder why Google ceased such promotions on two smartphones with only 64GB of onboard storage with no option for expandable storage.

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What happens to your Pixel's original quality photo backups, according to Google - Android Authority

Earth observation and citizen science a match made in heaven – DW (English)

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Citizen science the firstthat comes to mind for some when they hear this might be something like counting insects or birds during an organization's annual drive for contributions. But at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Washington DC, young scientists presented citizen science applications in a highly complex field: Earth observation.

At the "Next Generation Plenary" on Thursday, five up and coming researchers presented their projects that involved both satellite imaging and contributions from people like you and me on the ground.

The "Harnessing Citizen Science for the Future of Earth Observation" event was one of seven plenary discussions, 33 keynote lectures and more than 1,900 presentations by researchers and corporate representatives as part of the IAC's "technical program."

The congress is hosted by the International Astronautical Federation, which was created in 1951 to "establish a dialogue between scientists around the world and to lay the foundation for international space cooperation." The International Astronautical Congress is a big part of encouraging dialog between scientists from a variety of different fields and across the world. This year's IAC in Washington DC is the 70th iteration of the event.

Read more:Entomology is going extinct could Pokemon Go save it?

Aerospace companies and national space programs present the results of their work at the IAC exhibition

Helping NASA to model landslides

"Citizen science is a great way to empower local communities to have a handle on what's going on around them," Caroline Juang, a PhD student at Columbia University, told DW.

At Thursday's plenary, Juang presented the "Landslide Reporter," a project she launched and managed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). People anywhere in the world can report landslides that occurred near them or that they read about in news coverage.

Using the Landslide Reporter app, citizen scientists will share where exactly the event happened, what caused it, whether it was near a road, how bad the damage is, etc. This way, they add more information than remote data, like from satellite imaging, could ever supply.

A researcher like Juang validates all data sent in by citizen scientists. These data points then get added to a global landslide map that NASA has been compiling for 12 years. The goal: to one day be able to predict landslides and save lives. And it's going well.

"Over the 13 months that this program has existed, we've received more than 100 data points that we entered into our system," the 24-year-old told the audience at the IAC plenary. "This has improved NASA's modeling efforts."

Tourist snapshots and satellite images

Elsewhere in the world, citizen scientists play a vital role in tracking the glacier shrinkagethat's caused by global warming andcontributes to rising sea levels. Tourists traveling to glaciers can upload photos of the frozen giants to the app IceKing. Scientists then analyze these high-res pictures and incorporate the information in their research.

Read more:Citizen scientists and an app for Alzheimer's disease

Glaciers attract millions of tourists every year - why should their snapshots go to waste?

"Scientists have surveys to gather information about melting glaciers," COO and co-founder of IceKing, Fabiana Milza, told listeners at the panel discussion. But going and examining glaciers in person is an expensive endeavor and satellites don't show them up close and personal. That's where the tourists come in.

"Ten million people take glacier trips every year," Milza said excitedly. Those of them that download the IceKing app can choose a world region, pick the glacier they're about to see and will then receive information about it. Once they're back in a place with a good internet connection, they can upload their own photos to the app.

In addition to merging satellite imaging and tourist snapshots, IceKing also offers advice on sustainable traveling, like what type of lodging to stay near the glaciers and how to get there so citizen scientists can prepare for their next trip.

"People are becoming more aware of the effect their daily choices have, also while traveling," Milza said.

'There's space for everyone'

So citizen science does not only help with Earth observation efforts. It also works the other way around being a citizen scientist also influences those who are involved in the effort. Juang says it's a good gateway to get people interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). After that, those who caught the science bug can share their enthusiasm with others.

"STEM outreach is so important," Juang said. "Good role models is what got me into science."

Read more:ESA's Sentinel-3b satellite marks the next step in the Copernicus earth observation program

Students in Thailand use the GLOBE Program's app to identify mosquito larvae

Kristin Wegner was one of the moderators of Thursday's panel. She is a project manager with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, where she heads up a project that has citizen scientists help battle the Zika virus by collecting and identifying mosquito larvae.

"There is space for everyone to contribute" in citizen science, Wegner told DW. "It's a good opportunity to share the benefits of science."

Earth observation satellites such as the European Space Agency's Proba-V collect daily images that allow for the tracking of environmental changes over time. The images above - taken in April 2014, July 2015 and January 2016 (left to right) - offer crystal-clear insight into the gradual evaporation of Lake Poopo, once Bolivia's second largest lake - due at least in part to climate change.

No matter how long volcanoes sleep, they're always in a bad mood when they wake up. The International Space Station was passing overhead when the Sarychev volcano, located in the Kuril Islands of Russia, erupted in 2009. Astronauts were able to snap a picture through a hole in the clouds. From dense ash to clouds of condensed water, virtually all natural phenomena can be examined from outer space.

Every year, wildfires devastate the landscape - and ecology - in numerous countries around the world. Too often, these are caused by humans. This was also the case in Indonesia, where farmers burned peat rainforest areas for agriculture. On the island of Borneo and Sumatra, satellites detected fire hot spots in September 2015, and the plume of grey smoke that triggered air quality alerts.

In Germany, parents warn their children that if they don't finish their meals, it's going to rain. And indeed, in 2013 it rained, so much that some of central Europe's major rivers overflowed their banks. As shown in this image from 2013, the Elbe burst its banks following unprecedented rainfall. In the photo, muddy water covers the area around Wittenberg, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

A strong storm can cause irreparable damage through intense winds and storm surges from the sea. Space-based information is crucial in following development of such storms: intensity, the direction it's moving, wind speed in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, this satellite image helped determine how tropical storm Sandra reached winds of 160 kilometers per hour by November 25, 2015.

Satellites also play a key role in monitoring climate change and, inevitably, the process of melting ice. From space, scientists were able to document how several glaciers around the globe have receded - as well as the subsequent rise in sea level. This photograph, taken from the International Space Station, shows the retreat of the Upsala glacier in Argentine Patagonia from 2002 to 2013.

Dust often covers remote deserts - however, in September 2015, satellites offered this impressive view of Middle East areas enveloped by a dust storm, or haboob, affecting large populated regions. What satellites can observe from space supports air quality sensors on the ground to understand patterns on how the storms start and develop. These findings can improve forecasting methods.

These are the words NASA used to describe the lack of snow on California's Mount Shasta, a crucial source of water for the region. Images documenting drought over the past years have consistently been showing brown mountains that should be white, and bare earth where people seek water. As ice melts, drought grows.

Author: Irene Banos Ruiz

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Earth observation and citizen science a match made in heaven - DW (English)

Scrapbooks of Sound – The Stanford Daily

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

How I make playlists for the people I care about.(Photo: Pexels)

Ive always loved making playlists on Spotify for different moods or situations: party playlists, sleeping playlists, middle-school-reminiscent guilty pleasure playlists; playlists for sad days, happy days; for cloudy, sunny, or stormy weather the list goes on.

It wasnt until recently that I started making them with specific people in mind. It started as a matter of convenience: my friends and I were constantly sending each other links to different songs that we wanted to share, and, at some point, I figured I just needed one place to put them all. Id stick in a few tunes that I thought were catchy and similar to their tastes. But as I kept adding to each collection, the playlists began to reflect the friendships they were based on in ways that I hadnt anticipated.

When I listen to the collections I make for specific people, each song tends to conjure a memory in a certain place: the song that came on the first time we got coffee together, shrugging our shoulders to the beat before using the Shazam app to find out what it was, the theme song to a movie we both know the entire script for, or songs that simply fit the other persons personality so well that youd think they were written for them.

For me, my Spotify account has become a cute little scrapbook of melodies that echo the exciting developments of a relationship by tying music to memory. The playlists, on a very subtle level, help me explore my care for a person when I ponder the reasons why I feel certain songs or genres pertain to the relationships Im trying to paint in my curation.

Music has helped me through the most boring, the most difficult, the happiest and the worst parts of my life. I probably spend 50% of my day with my headphones on. My most poignant experiences of music, however, have always been while in the presence of another person I care about, sharing the space of the sound bobbing our heads at an intimate concert in an underground bar, sitting on the floor of a living room telling one another about our days, parading around the kitchen in our pajamas to the rhythm of a 2009 top hit at 2 a.m.

I consider these playlists as the modern, simpler versions of personalized mixtapes I even design and upload picture collages as kinds of album covers. I hope that when my friends listen to them, the playlists are able to evoke a little bit of that feeling of shared space, that they are able to carry our memories and the feelings that accompanied them around as they walk down the street, as they go for a run, as they travel abroad or sit at home, whether were together in the same room or a couple thousand miles apart.

Contact Clara Spars at cspars at stanford.edu.

We're a student-run organization committed to providing hands-on experience in journalism, digital media and business for the next generation of reporters.Your support makes a difference in helping give staff members from all backgrounds the opportunity to develop important professional skills and conduct meaningful reporting. All contributions are tax-deductible.

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Scrapbooks of Sound - The Stanford Daily

How to get 10 FREE fuel at supermarket petrol stations this week – The Sun

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

MOTORISTS can currently get 10 off fuel at petrol stations around the UK thanks to a cashback offer.

It's available to new members of cashback website TopCashback until next Sunday - November 3 - or until 10,000 deals have been claimed, whichever happens first.

All you need to do to get the free diesel or petrol is to first pay for it yourself, and then show the cashback website your receipt in order to get the 10 cashback.

The deal works at any major petrol station including Asda, BP, Esso, Co-op, Gulf, Jet, Morrisons, Murco, Sainsburys, Shell, Tesco and Texaco.

You'll need to spend at least 10 to get the offer, which is only valid on one tank per customer.

It's part of TopCashback's "Snap and Save" offers, which currently also include cashback on pumpkins and Thorntons advent calendars.

Keep in mind that it can take up to seven days for the cashback to appear in your account as pending.

It can then also take up to 30 days before you can withdraw the money to your bank account, but there's no minimum payout balance.

Ways to cut down on your fuel costs

HERE are some more tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel.

NOT VERY N-ICE Ex-McDonald's worker explains why the ice cream machines are always 'broken'

DISCOUNT DISASTER Boots changes 3for2 Christmas gift offer and shoppers could lose out

LESS OF A CHORE Home Bargains is selling a heated clothes dryer for a bargain price

TIPPED OFF 20 TK Maxx tips, including best time to shop and its secret reward scheme

PRESENT AND CORRECT Martin Lewis explains how to get 170 worth of Xmas presents for 42

COSY FEELS Aldi is selling a wood burner lantern for Christmas

The deal comes just a week after Asda cut 2p per litre off petrol sparking a fresh fuel price war.

Last week, Tesco also rolled out an offer giving motorists 10p a litre off fuel.

While supermarkets and petrol stations were recently accused of "charging 4p per litre more than they should be".

The robot wears Prada: what happens when AI starts giving out fashion tips? – The Conversation AU

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

The tech giants Amazon, Google and Facebook have all begun to use machine learning to give you tips on what to wear. Is fashion styling the next field to be disrupted by artificial intelligence (AI), or will the human eye remain supreme?

Its too soon to know for sure, but understanding what machine learning is good at and how that overlaps with what fashion is all about can help us make some educated guesses.

One thing machine learning does very well is find patterns and common features among groups of items.

Taking advantage of this, Google Lens and Amazon Style Snap can each identify a garment from a photo or video and then tell you a bit more, like how other people have worn it or where you can buy it.

This serves the same function as a fashion magazine taking a celebrity look and breaking it down into pieces. By allowing consumers to recreate looks from movies, music videos, magazines and the runway, it democratises elements of styling.

Amazon also goes further, linking garments to a database of looks from popular fashion influencers. This offers the customer creative inspirations to build looks (and conveniently gives the influencers a cut if the customers buys the clothes).

This system has great potential, but it can only be as good as the data thats fed into it. A large and diverse database could bring out cultures and beauty standards that are not often seen in magazines or television, allowing people to find their tribe. But a narrower collection of sources will only produce more of the same.

Read more: When AI meets your shopping experience it knows what you buy and what you ought to buy

The next step in computer fashion using AI to offer styling judgements has so far been less successful.

Amazons Echo Look is a voice-controlled camera that aims to function as a style assistant, comparing two photos using a machine learning algorithm and telling you which one scores better. So far it has received lacklustre reviews.

This service seems doomed to struggle, as it neglects many basic principles of fashion design.

For example, many looks from influencers only have a front view. How can you possibly style an outfit properly without the whole picture? Most principles of styling also take into account the wearers body shape, how well fitted their clothing is, their personality, and the occasion for which the garment is being worn. Context, symbolism, nostalgia, and personal preferences also play a role.

The AI assistant has no way to address these nuances. To succeed, the machine learning engineers will need to understand fashion better and find useful and tangible tasks for AI to perform.

Facebooks experimental Fashion++ project goes further still, trying to tell you how to improve the outfit youre wearing.

The idea behind the software is to make small changes (known as minimal edits) to an outfit, such as tucking in a shirt, rolling up a sleeve, changing the length of a hem, or removing an accessory. Garments are defined as fashionable if they are popular on a database and the AI learns to edit looks to make them score more highly in this regard.

Read more: Why STEM subjects and fashion design go hand in hand

This relies on a massive oversimplification of how the craft of fashion design works. Simply mimicking elements of what is popular and putting them together is no guarantee for an aesthetically pleasing look.

There is no guarantee that the most popular look the statistical mode will be truly fashionable, or la mode.

As we start taking photos and streaming videos of what we desire, or begin uploading photos of ourselves in our underwear, we should keep in mind that our data is being stored and mined. For data-mining corporations, we and our personal information that can be used to influence our behaviour and sold on to advertisers.

Even if you are unconcerned with your personal data being shared, AI products are likely to encourage needless consumption over the actual goal of making you look attractive. Often when people seek the help of a stylist or a second opinion on their appearance, it is not even about the clothing.

Some need validation or attention, or are set in their ways what makes them look attractive. Fashion styling serves a whole range of functions: creating a look of beauty, projecting power, attracting a romantic partner, or making the wearer feel special. There is no guarantee that even a stylist and some new clothing can achieve these goals an app barely stands a chance.

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The robot wears Prada: what happens when AI starts giving out fashion tips? - The Conversation AU

The robot wears Prada: Tips on what to wear from Amazon, Google and Facebook – AdNews

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Mark Liu, University of Technology Sydney

Its too soon to know for sure, but understanding what machine learning is good at and how that overlaps with what fashion is all about can help us make some educated guesses.

One thing machine learning does very well is find patterns and common features among groups of items.

Taking advantage of this, Google Lens and Amazon Style Snap can each identify a garment from a photo or video and then tell you a bit more, like how other people have worn it or where you can buy it.

The stylist in the machine

The next step in computer fashion using AI to offer styling judgements has so far been less successful.

This service seems doomed to struggle, as it neglects many basic principles of fashion design.

The AI assistant has no way to address these nuances. To succeed, the machine learning engineers will need to understand fashion better and find useful and tangible tasks for AI to perform.

Facebooks experimental Fashion++ project goes further still, trying to tell you how to improve the outfit youre wearing.

There is no guarantee that the most popular look the statistical mode will be truly fashionable, or la mode.

Mark Liu, Chancellors Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Fashion and Textiles Designer, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au

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The robot wears Prada: Tips on what to wear from Amazon, Google and Facebook - AdNews

An 8-Year-Old Girl Says She Was Almost Kidnapped. Media and Parents Freaked Out. It Was a Hoax. – Reason

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

When an 8-year-old Atlanta girl told local reporters that a strange man grabbed her while she was playing on the slide at recess, aimed a gun at her, choked her, and then ran off the minute the teacher blew the whistle to call the kids back inside, one veteran newsman doubted the sensational story.

Bill Torpy, a columnist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,immediately texted a friend that this tale sounded totally fabricated"a figment" of the girl's imagination.

A stranger with a weapon on the playground in the middle of recess? Snatching, choking, armedand no one else noticed? Even Liam Neeson might pass on that script.

But the school was so shaken, it went into lockdown mode. (I do wonder if administrators are allowed to keep calm and carry on, or if there is zero tolerance for skepticism along with everything else.) For its part, local TV couldn't wait to run with the story, and even stick the the girl's mom in front of a camera. She was horrified that the school was so unsafe, and that the recess area was not completely surrounded by fences. (In the mom's defense I'd be a wreck, too. I'd just wish someone had pulled me aside to say that there was an overwhelmingly strong chance this incident never happened.)

Two days later, the cops declared the whole thing "unfounded." They'd interviewed witnesses and reviewed the playground surveillance cameras.

No guy. No gun. No attempted anything.

Torpy is glad, of course, that nothing happened. But he was pretty annoyed by the media's gullibility, or at the very least their inability to wait a beat or two before terrifying viewers.

Torpy called me to recite the stats for him. Stranger danger is blessedly uncommon: The vast majority of crimes against kids are committed by people they know. This is the safest time to be a kid in America, ever. Statistically, a child would have to be left outside, unattended, for something approaching 100,000 years before a kidnapping would become likely.

In his book, How Fear Works, Frank Furedi writes that all cultures have storylines that become so popular, they just keep getting repeated because they are a sure thing. Stick to what sells. For instance, if you buy a romance novel and at the end the mousy secretary is scarfing a pint of Chunky Monkey at home while her billionaire boss elopes with the vice president of compliance, you'd throw that book across the room.

The news media is no different. They know what sells: Unfenced schoolyards, the hidden menace.

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An 8-Year-Old Girl Says She Was Almost Kidnapped. Media and Parents Freaked Out. It Was a Hoax. - Reason

Chris Ramsey has a horror of a gift in mind for his wife as he prepares for a Halloween-theme Strictly – Tech Ballad

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Chris Ramsey has been working at full capacity to prepare for this Saturday's Halloween themed showdown on the Strictly dance floor, but that doesn't mean he can't play a joke or two to ease the tension.

A few hours from the next stop on Strictly Come Dancing, he took to Twitter to joke about a harrowing idea for his wife's Christmas present.

The South Shields comedian shared a story by touring the social media with a man who saved his nail clippings for a year and incorporated them into the stone of an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

And to his wife Rosie he wrote: "Fantastic. Now you have to get yourself something else for Christmas."

Vlogger Rosie, whose podcast by Sh *** and Married Annoyed with her husband is a great success, replied with "NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH!" and nauseated emoji.

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With the horror theme on the rise for Saturday's show, which will see him dance a spooky samba with partner Karen Hauer, Ramsey clearly felt more chills than creeps.

In the run-up to the big night, he could not contain his joy at the level of support he was receiving from his fellow Geordies.

The Chronicle reported Friday as Ramsey, who was able to train on the home field for his weekly Strictly Come Dancing appearances, found a lot of goodwill shown to him on the street and online.

On Saturday Ramsey also shared the story of The Chronicle with its nearly 500,000 followers on Twitter and added: "Support from the North East was unreal! Thank you very much!"

That support included Ramsey's name featured in an outdoor screening of The Customs House in his hometown of South Shields, alongside that of Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix that will also be in action tonight, performing their third and final date of their run at Newcastle Utilita Arena.

More information

Strictly Come Dancing viewers can watch Ramsey and Hauer dance their samba to Tutti from the Backstreet Boys and catch up with the rest of the couples on BBC1 at 6.35pm.

. (tagsToTranslate) Strictly Come Dancing (t) BBC (t) Twitter (t) Chris Ramsey (t) Halloween (t) South Shields

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Chris Ramsey has a horror of a gift in mind for his wife as he prepares for a Halloween-theme Strictly - Tech Ballad

10 Tips to Get Most Out of Safari in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 – Beebom

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Putting the eye-catching features aside, Safari is arguably the most improved stock app in iOS 13. Part of the reason why Apple has upgraded the web browser was that the demand for a full-fledged web browser for iPad had been growing at a rapid pace. Just when Apples Like a computer. Unlike any computer campaign seemed to be a mere marketing gimmick, the introduction of iPadOS packed with a slew of new features including the powerful Safari has tilted the tide in favor of iPad. While this move has hugely benefitted iPads, iPhones have also got a fair share of rewards. So, if you have upgraded your device but are yet to explore the web browser, this well-timed roster of the best tips to get the most out of Safari in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 can take you through.

Even if you have taken a close look at Safari, chances are you might have missed quite a few new additions. Its because the revamped web browser has got many new features under the hood. Whereas the headlining additions have got the most attention, the ones that are slightly under the wraps havent yet got any substantial coverage. And, I bet you will find them equally appreciable. With that said, lets get started!

Probably, the most talked-about feature that has graced Safari is a full-fledged download manager. So, its worth putting this all-new feature right at the top of this roster. Talking about functionality, it has made much easier to manage Safari downloads on iPhone and iPad. Depending on your needs, you can store all of your downloaded items in the iCloud Drive to find them across your synced devices or keep them locally on your device. Dont want the downloaded files to clutter your entire device? Well, the download manager also offers an option to automatically remove items to prevent the storage of your device from being cluttered for space.

To get started, head over to Settings app > Safari > Downloads. Now, customize everything in line with your needs. To find more about it, check out our complete guide.

Another feature that has enhanced web browsing in Safari is the ability to request a desktop website with ease. Though Apples web browser already had the option to switch to the desktop version of a site, switching back to the mobile version was a huge pain in the back due to the lack of a straightforward method. But those days are gone for the better. With iOS 13, you can quickly switch between the desktop and mobile versions of a website on your iPhone. To request the desktop version of a website in Safari on your iPhone, simply tap on the text button at the top left of the screen in the search bar and choose Request Desktop Website.

Later, if you want to go back to the mobile version of the site, tap on the text button and select Request Mobile Website. Do keep in mind, Safari for iPadOS automatically loads the desktop version of a website. Considering how Apple is pitching the iPad as a laptop killer more apparently than ever before, it makes sense to provide a full-on web browsing experience rather than force users to be content with a less capable mobile web browser.

While browsing the web, I make it a point to save all of my favorite stories to catch them later with peace. So, its my favorite feature and Im sure a lot of users are going to love it as well. In the Share Sheet, there is a new option to share an entire web page as a web archive or PDF. To do so, simply tap on the Share button and then select Options. Then, you have four options: Automatic, PDF, Reader PDF, and Web Archive. Select your most preferred option and then hit Done at the top right to finish.

While Safari already had the option to close all tabs at once manually, the option to automatically close tabs had been missing from the scene for long. Thankfully, Apple has finally added it to make it a bit easier to deal with open tabs. So, if you find the process of killing Safari tabs manually a tedious task, you should take advantage of this well-thought-out feature. To do so, all you need to do is hop into Settings app > Safari > Close Tabs. Now, you have multiple options to choose from. For instance, you can wipe out all the open Safari tabs after one day, after one week or after one month. Select the desired option and then quit the Settings.

This one, kind of, kills two birds with one stone! Well, if you didnt get a good hang of the idiom, let me tell you that Safari now lets you choose what size of a photo to upload. It can not only speed up the uploading process, especially when you are dealing with high-resolution images, but also save plenty of mobile data on your iPhone and iPad. So, save this hack to prevent your limited bandwidth from ending well before the deadline.

1. Simply choose the option to upload an image on a website in Safari and then select Photo Library.

2. Now, select the images you want to upload. After that, you should see the actual size of your images. And below the actual size, there will be an option to choose image size. Tap on it and then choose the preferred image size. You have multiple options like Large, Medium, Small, or Actual Size.

3. Next, return to your photo library and tap on Done in the top-right corner of the screen to start uploading the image.

Every time you want to access your favorite sites, you dont need to enter the URL in the search bar. Simply tap on the favicon icon of your favorite site and you are ready to go. Whats more, you can also customize your most loved sites for a more personalized experience. To get it done, just touch and hold the favicon icon of a site on the start page in Safari and choose Edit in the contextual menu. Next, you can change the sites name, edit the URL, and even change the location of the bookmark. In the end, be sure to tap on Save to finish.

Bear in mind, if you move a site out of the starred favorites folder, it will turn into a regular bookmark and therefore, it wont show up on the start page. One more thing worth noting is that whatever changes you make to your favorite sites, they will apply across the synced devices if you have turned on Safari in iCloud settings.

Wouldnt it be better if you could customize your favorite websites so that every time you visit them, they would look in line with your taste? Well, with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, you can fine-tune website settings. Whether you are an avid reader or someone who likes exploring the web, you would find it very handy. To customize website settings in Safari, simply tap on the tiny text button at the top left the search bar and then choose Website Settings in the menu. After that, fine-tune all the options depending on your needs. For instance, you can use reader mode automatically on the site, allow it to access the camera and microphone of your device. Once you have customized everything, tap on Done to confirm the changes.

To ensure you can quickly access sites that you visit more often, Safari puts them under a separate section called Frequently Visited. While it sounds pretty good in terms of convenience, but it might not be great from privacy perspectives. What if you frequently visit a dating site like Tinder to keep a track of the latest matches or interact with the ones who seem nice to you, wouldnt you want to keep the bookmark out of sight? In most cases, you will. And thats when this tiny hack will save your day (or from huge embarrassment). Simply touch and hold the favicon of the site and choose Delete in the contextual menu.

Well, this one might sound too little a feature to find a mention in this notable roundup. But let me tell you that it can play a good role in speeding up your web browsing experience on your iPhone or iPad. When you type the address of a website in the smart search, the web browser automatically directs you to the related open tab; instead of opening a new tab. Thus, you dont need to open unnecessary tabs in the web browser.

As someone who likes to build a collection of website bookmarks, this little nifty feature hasnt failed to catch my eyes. You can use this hack to save all of your open tabs as bookmarks with ease. To get it done, simply long-press on the bookmark icon in the Safari app and then select Add Bookmarks for X tabs. On the next page, choose the location where you want to save the bookmarks. And then, hit the Save button to finish. Thats quite simple, isnt it?

If you want to enhance your productivity, never miss out on the keyboard shortcuts as they can save plenty of time. And if you like to use shortcuts to get your work done faster, you would be glad to know thatApple has introduced around 30 iPadOS Safari keyboard shortcuts that are quite handy. Moreover, the work with not only Apples Smart Keyboard but also any third-party Bluetooth keyboards.

SEE ALSO: How to Disable Link Preview in iOS 13 Safari on iPhone and iPad

I hope now you have got a good hang of all the notable features that Safari brings with its latest update. I love the new Safari features and they have improved my browsing experience a lot. By the way, have I missed out on any cool features? If yes, do not forget to let me know them in the comments below. Also, share your thoughts about the features covered in this post and the ones you have found highly appreciable.

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10 Tips to Get Most Out of Safari in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 - Beebom

Forget ChinaIs This The Real Reason Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, And Ripples XRP Bounced? – Forbes

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Bitcoin has swung wildly this week, as many had expected it to, with it losing $1,000 per bitcoin a few days ago before suddenly shooting back up earlier today.

The bitcoin price is now at over $9,000 per bitcoin after dropping to lows of almost $7,000 on Thursdayand heading fast towards the psychological $10,000 mark, according to the latest prices from Luxembourg-based exchange Bitstamp.

Elsewhere, other major cryptocurrencies ethereum, litecoin, Ripple's XRP, and bitcoin cash rallied between 7% and 23%, adding billions to the value of the combined cryptocurrency market.

The bitcoin price had been treading water for around a month before its extreme volatility this ... [+] week.

Many bitcoin and cryptocurrency market analysts pointed to comments made by China's president President Xi Jinping that the country should "seize the opportunity" of bitcoin's blockchain technology as the reason behind bitcoin's sudden rally.

China banned bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges in 2017 and some took Xi's blockchain comments as a sign the country could ease bitcoin and crypto restrictions.

"We must take the blockchain as an important breakthrough for independent innovation of core technologies," Xi reportedly said, speaking at the 18th collective study of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee in Beijing.

"[We must] clarify the main direction, increase investment, focus on a number of key core technologies, and accelerate the development of blockchain technology and industrial innovation."

However, Xi's comments, which referred only to blockchain technology and not to bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, might not have been the driver behind bitcoin's recovery.

Following bitcoin's sudden drop earlier this week, bitcoin and crypto investors feared the worst wasn't over the for the market.

The bitcoin price has suddenly surged after a sell-off earlier this week, leaving many bitcoin and ... [+] crypto traders scratching their heads.

Facebook's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was savaged by U.S. senators over his plans for a bitcoin rival dubbed libra and crypto investors are fretting there could be a global crackdown on bitcoin and other digital tokens.

Elsewhere, technical data pointed to a so-called "death cross" for bitcoin, while the Fear & Greed Index slumped and a Twitter reading of investor temperature was poor.

"Sentiment in the crypto market is very low right now," eToro senior market analyst Mati Greenspan wrote in a note to clients before the pump earlier today.

This sentiment slump meant investors bet against the bitcoin price, predicting it would move lower.

When the bitcoin price recovered a couple of hundred dollars per bitcoin in just a few minutes, some $150 million worth of short positions on the Seychelles-based BitMEX crypto exchange were liquidated, according to bitcoin and cryptocurrency analytics provider Skew.

This triggered what's known as a "short squeeze," where an asset rapidly increases in value due to short sellers trying to cover their positions, resulting in buying volume that drives the price up.

"Sentiment can change pretty quickly in this market, especially while volumes are low," Greenspan added in his earlier note.

A small uptick in the bitcoin price led to millions of dollars of bitcoin short positions being ... [+] liquidated.

Bitcoin volumes have been struggling recently, leaving the market especially vulnerable to so-called whales placing large orders or liquidating short positions.

Bitcoin trading volume among the top ten biggest bitcoin and crypto exchanges has fallen to under $200 million a day, according to bitcoin and crypto data company Messari, down 20-fold from a peak of $4 billion per day just a few months ago.

Adding to the market turnaround, bitcoin futures exchange Bakkt recorded a new all-time high in daily trading volume with 1156 futures contracts traded today.

It was Bakkt's lacklustre volumes that many believe triggered bitcoin's fall from its $10,000 plateau late last month.

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Forget ChinaIs This The Real Reason Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, And Ripples XRP Bounced? - Forbes

You Can Now Pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin on Amazon – U.Today

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Amazon users can now buy goods with Bitcoin via theLightning Network because of a new startup called Moon.

According to TechCrunch, the company with a flashy name has just released a browser extensionthat will allow making payments on the biggest e-commerce platform.

You can use any Bitcoin wallet with the Lightning Network support in order to make instantaneous transactions. For instance,Electrum, one of the most widely used Bitcoin wallets, now supports the popular off-chain scaling solution.

Another option is to link the extension to your Coinbase account and make a payment with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin while leveraging the API of the number one cryptocurrency exchange in the US.

While Overstock.com, Newegg and some other major retailers have already embraced crypto, Amazon is yet to move in this direction. Moon makes the magic happen by converting crypto to fiat without charging additional fees.

As of now, the service is only available in the US, but Moon soon plans to expand to other countries.

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You Can Now Pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin on Amazon - U.Today

Bitcoin and Litecoin Skyrocket By Over 11% In Just Hours – UseTheBitcoin

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC), two of the largest cryptocurrencies in the market are surging by over 11%.

The whole cryptocurrency market is experiencing gains in the last few hours. Despite the recent bearish weeks, cryptocurrencies seem to have gathered strength to start a new bull run.

According to data provided by CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin and Litecoin have surged above 11% in the last 24 hours.

The largest cryptocurrency is growing by 11.65% reaching and surpassing a market capitalization of $150.75 billion. At the same time, its price crossed the $8,350 barrier and it is currently close to $8,369.

In addition to it, Litecoin surged by over 12.44% during the same period and touching a price per coin of $56.38. Furthermore, Litecoins market capitalization increased to almost $3.6 billion.

These are not the only two cryptocurrencies registering gains in the last 24 hours. Indeed, Ethereum (ETH), XRP, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), EOS, Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin SV (BSV), Stellar Lumens (XLM), Tron (TRX) and Cardano (ADA) are also expanding.

Bitcoin SV, for example, surged by 21.44% followed by Bitcoin Cash (BCH) 14.44% and EOS 12.82%.

The whole cryptocurrency has been in a bearish mode during the last few weeks. Many experts considering that Bitcoin could fall below $7,400 and reach $6,500 the next support level.

In June 2019, Bitcoin was able to be traded above $13,700 and the whole crypto community was enthusiastic about the market and how fast it was expanding.

In May 2020, Bitcoin is expected to be experiencing a halving event. This would reduce the reward that miners receive for processing transactions and confirming blocks.

Miners will be receiving 6.25 BTC per block rather than 12.5 BTC per block as they receive now. This is expected to be a bullish thing for Bitcoin. In previous halving events, the most popular cryptocurrency experienced massive growth rates the year after the event took place.

This is very important considering that Bitcoins all-time high was reached back in 2017 in December when the whole space was purchasing tokens from Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). After it, the whole market entered a bear trend that negatively affected the price of most of the cryptocurrencies.

Nowadays, the top 20 cryptocurrencies are working on interesting new projects to improve the services they offer to individuals all around the world.

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Bitcoin and Litecoin Skyrocket By Over 11% In Just Hours - UseTheBitcoin

A bearish technical analysis for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Litecoin; but what if bullish? – CryptoSlate

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Over the last 36 hours, the total crypto market capitalization plummeted nearly 11 percent. The sudden drop aligns with a number of bearish signs that can be seen across the weekly charts of the top cryptocurrencies by market cap. The following technical analysis will evaluate whether Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Litecoin are bound for a further retracement.

Bitcoin recently broke to the downside of a no-trade zone where it had been sitting for the past month. This trading range was set up between the $7,800 support level and the $8,600 resistance level. Now that BTC moved outside of it to hit a low of $7,300, a further drop is possible.

As a matter of fact, a death cross between the 7-week moving average and the 30-week moving average developed on BTCs 1-week chart. This is a bearish formation that estimates a trend change from bullish to bearish.

The last time this bearish pattern occurred on Bitcoins 1-week chart was in late-March 2018. The cross was followed by a 24 percent retracement that took this cryptocurrency from a high of $8,500 to a low of $6,400. Despite the downturn, BTC was able to find support around the 50-week moving average which served as a rebound point at the time.

Thus far, the recent death cross was able to trigger a spike in sell orders taking the price of Bitcoin down over 9 percent from the $7,800 support level. If the sell-off continues BTC could try to test the 50-week moving average that sits around $7,000.

Even though death crosses are considered extremely bearish patterns, there is still a chance that BTC will bounce off the 50-week MA like it did in early 2018.

At the moment, Bitcoin is on a red nine candlestick on its 1-week chart, per the TD sequential indicator. This is considered a buy signal that will be validated when a green two candlestick trades above a green one candle. Moving above $7,900 could be taken as the first confirmation that the buy signal will be validated. However, a move below $6,900 will invalidate the bullish outlook and BTC will possibly drop to around $6,300.

Ethereum also suffered a steep decline in its market valuation over the last 24 hours. This cryptocurrency went down from a high of $171.65 to a low of $152.50, representing an 11 percent correction. Although ETH was able to recover over 5 percent in the last few hours, the higher time frames are estimating further losses.

Like Bitcoin, a death cross is forming on Ethereums 1-week chart. The 7-week moving average is currently crossing below the 50-week moving average, which is a very bearish sign. If validated, ETH could soon test the next levels of support around $145, $123 or $109.

By measuring the Fibonacci retracement indicator from the low of $83 on Dec. 15, 2018, to the high of $363 on June 26, it appears that the death cross will be confirmed. ETH is currently trading around the 23.6 percent Fibonacci retracement zone. Moving below this level of support could take ETH to test the 16.18 percent Fibonacci retracement level that sits at $132.

Nonetheless, all of these bearish signs could be invalidated by a spike in buy orders that take Ethereum to trade above $180 or $192 where the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement level sits.

Despite plummeting over 14 percent, XRP continues trading within a no-trade zone between $0.24 and $0.30. The recent downward movement took this crypto to break an ascending parallel channel that formed on its 1-day chart since Sept. 26. Even though this can be seen as bearish, the odds of a bullish impulse are high.

This could be a result of the recent remarks made by Republican congressman Ted Budd who said this XRP is an actual cryptocurrency while Facebooks Libra is not. Additionally, Ripples annual conference Swell is around the corner and XRPs market value tends to increase exponentially in anticipation of this event.

An increase in volume may allow XRP to break outside of the current trading range where it sits. If this happens, this cryptocurrency could try to hit the next levels of resistance that sit around $0.38, $0.47 and $0.57.

Conversely, a spike in the selling pressure behind XRP could push it below the $0.24 support level. This could trigger a major sell-off taking it to the next levels of support around $0.19 and $0.17.

It is worth noting that the moving average convergence divergence (MACD), which is commonly used to follow the path of a trend and calculate its momentum, appears to be turning bullish on XRPs 1-week chart. As the 12-week exponential moving average starts to cross over the 26-week exponential moving average, the probability for an upswing increases.

Litecoins price behavior since July of the present year appears to be characterized by a series of bear flags developing on its 1-week chart. This technical pattern is considered a continuation pattern that forms after a significant correction, known as the flagpole, followed by a consolidation period, known as the flag, and tends to lead to a breakout in the same direction as the initial movement.

At the moment, LTC seems to be forming another bear flag that could see it drop to $38. This target is determined by measuring the height of the flagpole, which is approximately 27.50 percent.

The scenario presented by the bear flag could be confirmed if LTC closes below $49. This would signal a move down to the next level of support around $44 before it can get to $38. But, if Litecoin is able to trade above $58.60, the bear flag will be invalidated and it will likely surge to the next level of resistance around $64.

The overall sentiment of the market is currently bearish. However, there is some evidence that suggests that there is an increasing demand around the current price levels.

Bakkts Bitcoin futures contracts, for instance, saw a 6.5x increase in its trading volume worth over $4.8 million as the crypto market crashed. Moreover, Bitcoin is signaling a buying opportunity on its 1-week chart while XRP could try to reach higher highs in anticipation of Ripples Swell conference.

Under the current conditions, it will be wiser to wait for any of the cryptocurrencies previously analyzed to move above their resistance points before entering a bullish trade.

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A bearish technical analysis for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Litecoin; but what if bullish? - CryptoSlate

Litecoin set to breach ascending triangle as buying pressure rises – AMBCrypto

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

The cryptocurrency space finally saw some bullish price action because of which Bitcoin and major altcoins prices traded in green after weeks. Litecoin, the sixth-largest cryptocurrency was trading at $55.11 at press time after rising by 2,95% on the 24-hour price chart.

The altcoin was set for bullish year as due to the impending block reward halving, however contrary to general believe its price started to crumble right before the halving event in August and it has been on a constant decline ever since.

4-Hour Price Chart

Litecoin formed an ascending triangle on the 4-hour price chart which is characterized by the formation of a constant high which formed at $55.18, and series of higher lows meeting the ascending triangle at $51.24, $52.12, and $53.05. The formation of an ascending triangle is considered bullish as a breach from the pattern often takes place in the upward direction.

The ema-ribbon suggested that the price volatility of litecoin was on the decline and the ribbon was moving from acting as a resistance to forming a support for the prices, which is considered a bullish sign.

The RSI indicator suggested that the buyers held a strong position starting on October 20th and the buying pressure might increase further if the altcoin managed to breach the ascending triangle. MACD indicator had a bullish crossover on 17th October and it has maintained its bullish position since then. Thus, all technical indicators suggested a bullish sentiment in the market in the short term.

Conclusion

Litecoin formed an ascending triangle pattern on the 4-hour chart which is considered bullish, the ema-ribbon was in a transition phase moving from acting as resistance toward forming support. RSI indicator suggested buying pressure was high in the short-term market. Thus, Litecoin looked bullish in the short term.

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Litecoin set to breach ascending triangle as buying pressure rises - AMBCrypto

Litecoin looks to gain movement with potential inverted bart formation – AMBCrypto

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

Litecoin was pegged to boom this year, given the historical block reward halving which took place on August 4th; but in contrast, the silver altcoin failed to see its price climb. Soon after, the altcoin saw the formation of death cross on 30th August which is considered highly bearish as it indicated the potential for a massive sell-off.

At press time Litecoin was trading at $53.61 with a minute gain of 0.95% in the last 24 hours. The altcoin had a total market cap of over $3 billion.

1-Day Price Chart

Source: LTC/USD on TradingView

On the 1-day price chart, Litecoin looked to form a potential inverted Bart pattern, as its price has been moving sideways since the massive fall on 24th September. An inverted Bart pattern would be complete if the altcoin manages to see an upward trend and close around the $73.71 mark.

The 200-day moving average has been acting as a resistance for the price since the death cross formation on 30th August. The 50-day moving average has been moving below the 200-day moving average. In a short time, it might act as a support if Litecoin manages to close the inverted Bart pattern.

The volume has been on a constant decline since 24th September which might be a sign for a short-term bullish burst.

MACD line has been moving above the signal line since 7th October, suggesting a dominant bullish sentiment, leading way to a belief that one might see an uptick in Litecoins price if it managed to close inverted Bart pattern.

Conclusion

Litecoin might see a bullish bust in the short term with a potential inverted Bart pattern formation, the 50-day moving average might act as a support for the altcoin if it manages to close the inverted Bart. MACD indicator suggested bullish sentiment was dominant.

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Litecoin looks to gain movement with potential inverted bart formation - AMBCrypto

Forward Progress Of Marin County Coast Wildfire Stopped – CBS San Francisco

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Danzig

STINSON BEACH (CBS SF) The forward progress of a wildfire that erupted late Thursday morning along the Marin County coastline in between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach has been stopped, according to authorities.

The Marin County Fire Department said the Muir Fire was near Slide Ranch and that offshore winds in the area were pushing the flames toward the ocean.

Mother Nature did us a favor today, said Marin Co. Senior Fire Captain Ben Ghizletta. The fire was backing into the wind, so the wind actually helped keep the fire from advancing.

The first call on the fire came in at around 10:45 a.m. The fire had grown to 40 acres less than an hour later.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., Marin Fire said that forward progress on the fire had been stopped.

At 3:40 p.m., the fire had grown to 58 acres and containment was increased to 20 percent. Firefighters were trying to control the fire in difficult conditions with the temperature in the area at 90 degrees with only seven percent relative humidity and strong winds.

No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered, according to Marin Fire. The response to the fire included approximately 165 aerial and ground personnel, including two air tankers and a helicopter.

Highway 1 remains closed near Muir Woods Road and drivers are expected to expect delays in the area

With the winds blowing from land out to sea, once the fire hit the coast, it had nowhere else to go. But the resort town of Stinson Beach is less than two miles up the road from the fire area, nestled between the ocean and steep wooded hills. Residents say it was unnerving to see the firefighters roll through town.

My house is up there with all the trees around it and the winds started blowing in the middle of the night, said Robin Marshall. And you getyou get veryyou get on high alert.

Were just nestled in here with not, you knowI mean the resources came quickly, but we dont have a ton of resources, said resident Zoe Feher.

Yeah, its a great barrierthe Pacific Ocean, said Capt. Ghizletta. Pretty good fire break? Absolutely.

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Forward Progress Of Marin County Coast Wildfire Stopped - CBS San Francisco

Your favorite beaches around the world could disappear because of the climate crisis, development – CNN

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Danzig

(CNN) It's easy to see why millions of people flock to the beach every year.

They are dynamic places -- and not just because they're great for relaxing, surfing or people watching. With each crashing wave and changing tide, billions of pieces of sand and rock are constantly rearranged.

This is what nature intended.

What it did not, some scientists say, are the buildings that tower over some of the world's most popular beaches.

In many cases, this real estate that is coveted for its proximity to the beach is disrupting natural processes and in many places, increasing the rate of erosion.

Compounding the problem are the jetties, groins and other man-made structures built to keep sand from moving.

"Once you block the movement of sand, it may move to deeper areas offshore instead of replenishing the beach," said Kristina Hill, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

"As sea levels rise, that beach wants to be somewhere inland. And in order to try to get there, we expect that it will take away the beach much faster than it is right now," said Orrin Pilkey, director emeritus for the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines."Sea level rise will spare nobody."

Here's how some of the world's most famous beaches are imperiled by sea level rise.

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii

Framed by highrise buildings and the Diamond Head crater, when you think of Hawaii, you think of Waikiki Beach.

But scientists say we are already locked into some amount of sea level rise from the greenhouse gases humans have added to the atmosphere, and without swift global action to reduce emissions, Waikiki's fate remains uncertain.

South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

After past storms, the city has tried to replenish the sand lost from its famous beaches by dredging it up from offshore. But finding usable sand is becoming harder in an era of rising seas.

Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

But many of the country's beaches are imperiled by the combined impacts of sea level rise and intensive coastal development.

Surfers Paradise -- located on the Gold Coast and arguably the country's most famous beach -- is also among the most vulnerable because of the high rises that hug its sandy shores.

Ocean City, Maryland

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

One of the busiest and most crowded beaches in the US, Ocean City and its lively boardwalk are huge economic drivers for the state of Maryland.

And based on the latest scientific projections, beach upkeep will be even more difficult in the future.

Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles

Drawing millions of visitors to sunbathe, surf and people watch, LA's Santa Monica Beach won't be spared the impacts of the climate crisis.

Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona

Like all of Barcelona's eight beaches, Barceloneta is a man-made creation. And with little space to retreat because of the surrounding urban area, the beach will face challenges as sea levels creep higher.

With sea levels now expected to rise more than previously predicted by 2100, it will likely be difficult for Barcelona to maintain its status as a premier destination for urban beachgoers.

Ocean Beach, San Francisco

With its powerful waves, wide beach and close proximity to downtown San Francisco, Ocean Beach draws Bay Area surfers and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. But like so many other urban beaches, it faces a host of challenges.

CNN's Ryan Prior contributed to this report.

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Your favorite beaches around the world could disappear because of the climate crisis, development - CNN

A rare Caribbean island where beaches aren’t the draw – CNN

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Danzig

Saba (CNN) Saba should have an inferiority complex.

A scarcity of cruise ships and beaches -- short of a seasonal sandy strip that comes and goes with the tide at turbulent Wells Bay and a petite man-made curve of sand at Cove Bay -- may explain why Saba isn't a major tourist draw.

Yet, the gregarious Sabans, many with an ancestry dating back to the island's European settlement in the 17th century, hardly feel excluded. Rather, they treasure their unsung island paradise that's home to both sedate and exhilarating sights and activities, which only a cadre of mostly hard-core divers and hikers have discovered.

Awestruck with air travel

Saba's 1,300-foot runway is often classified as the world's shortest commercial runway.

Courtesy Saba Tourist Board

A few moments after departing Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten, Saba rears its head as a dark pyramidal massif. The Winair Twin Otter prop plane flies directly toward this mighty, but dormant, volcano, with nary a flat surface to be seen.

The experience becomes hair-raising after the plane turns sharply: A wild, precipitous landscape fills the cabin windows as the plane parallels sheer, towering rock walls.

With your adrenaline levels surging off the charts, the pilot touches down precisely, jamming on the brakes and allowing the plane to roll ever so close to the precipice, before veering toward Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport's terminal.

Meet and greet

You'll be embraced as a member of a big family on Saba, an intimate island of just over 2,000 people that welcomes visitors with its small town sense of community.

Stop at an intersection with your vehicle's windows rolled down and you'll likely hear a local shout, "Welcome to the island."

In Windwardside, the main commercial village, even ambulance drivers starting their shifts will yell, "Good morning!" as you stroll by. Forget your change at the market, and the cashier will chase after you.

Should you look lost as you wander about, it's likely a car will pull over, the driver offering you a ride to your destination.

Bizzy B, a tiny Windwardside bakery/coffee shop/cafe, is a prime gathering spot, especially in the early morning when, as you sip a latte and nibble a scrumptious warm apple turnover in the outdoor plaza, you'll hear residents catching up on the news, whether a painter has taken ill or a shopkeeper went off island for a wedding.

Navigating through nature

The peak of an extinct volcano, Mount Scenery, is the island's highest point.

Courtesy Saba Tourist Board

Almost two dozen trails thread Saba's rugged surface coated with rainforest, volcanic rocks and abandoned farmland.

The most popular hike requires trudging up more than 1,000 slick-when-wet steps to the misty summit of Mount Scenery, Saba's signature sight, where a magical cloud forest awaits.

Another path enchants those who thrive on the vertiginous: Mary's Point Trail, named for one of the island's first settlers, courses along a bluff edge past the ruins of a village, abandoned because of extensive erosion.

Not all trails strain the body or mind, however. The Big Rendezvous and Bottom Mountain trails are both relatively mellow, where the fertile land is peppered with lemon, orange and other fruit trees, and different types of hummingbirds and other species flit about.

Colorful and glittery baubles

In addition to baubles, the island is home to Saba lace, also known as Spanish Work, and Saba Spice, a rum-based liqueur.

Plunging to the depths

Cove Bay is just below the airport in Saba.

Courtesy Saba Tourist Board

Saba's volcanic origins created a dramatic and diverse underwater topography that entices experienced divers who gravitate to the area's drop-offs, caves, tunnels and pinnacles (the summits of undersea volcanoes).

The waters are rich in brilliantly hued tropical fish, giant grouper, myriad shark species and other marine life.

The Eye of the Needle, a pinnacle dive site, is a diver's Eden for spotting giant sponges and corals, as well as nurse sharks and manta rays. Tent Reef, a rocky ledge, is much loved for night dives where nocturnal marine creatures, such as octopus and spiny lobsters, can be spotted.

Where to eat

Set in an old Saban house with an al fresco terrace, Brigadoon in Windwardside serves Mediterranean/French cuisine with a Caribbean twist. An inventive thread runs through every course, especially the desserts, such as pina colada trifle with delectable layers of pineapple, cream and coconut.

Where to stay

Queen's Gardens Resort & Spa has a pool optimally perched for sweeping island views.

Courtesy Saba Tourist Board

Each of the dozen suites spreads across an entire floor and is complete with an en suite infinity jacuzzi providing enticing views of the sea and the surrounding towering hills. The bamboo-lined Frangipani Spa radiates serenity, offering treatments such as a four-hand massage or a Turkish steam bath.

Dutch owner Hemmie van Xanten gave his property an appropriate name, meaning "taste of the world" in Malay.

After all, the theme of each guest room -- currently just two of them, with a few more to be added later in 2019 -- reflects the culture and history of the countries he's traveled. For example, the Malaysian room displays darts and blowpipes used by the Borneo-based Iban tribe.

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A rare Caribbean island where beaches aren't the draw - CNN

In Southern Shores election, traffic and beaches and town manager dominate – The Outer Banks Voice

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Danzig

By Michelle Wagner on October 23, 2019

A group of four candidates is vying for three open seats onthe Southern Shores Town Council in the Nov. 5 municipal election. Incumbent FredNewberry, former Council Member Leo Holland, current Planning Board ChairElizabeth Morey and local general contractor Matthew Neal will face off for thethree spots. Incumbents Christopher Nason and Gary McDonald are not seekingre-election.

Soon after the newly elected members are sworn in, theCouncil will be charged with tackling some crucial issues, including how to proceedwith the municipalitys first ever town-wide beach nourishment project thatcarries an estimated $16 million price tag.

The board will also launch a search to replace Peter Rascoe,who retired this year from his post as town manager. And as public discontentwith summertime cut-through traffic in the town continues to mount, theresbeen increasing pressure placed on the Council to find and implement solutions.

Leo Holland, who retired after a career in sales, dealer accounting and finance and product support, served one term on Council beginning in 2013, during which time he represented the town on the Dare County Tourism Board. He has also served on the Southern Shores Civic Association and Chicahauk Property Owners Association.

Holland said he is a proponent of the beach nourishmentproject now being considered by Council. The beach is an asset and we have tomaintain it, he told the Voice. If we dont, theres always a potential that thebeach will not be there, and our residents and guests wont have a beach toenjoy.

He also noted that the Council will likely have to movequickly on the project to take advantage of county funds designated for beachnourishment.

Holland acknowledged that summer cut-through traffic was aproblem and he was open to solutions. Im searching like everyone else, henoted. But he added that while awaiting the recommendations from the recently formed traffic committee, itmay be time to hire a traffic consultant to look at the issue.

On his campaignFacebook page, Holland wrote that as the remaining vacant properties inSouthern Shores continues to be built upon, or existing improved properties aredeveloped, I am committed to making sure that growth happens in the way topreserve our Towns charm, culture and ideals. If elected, Holland said he would bringcivility, common sense and practically to its deliberations.

Elizabeth Morey, who has served on the Southern Shores Planning Board for eight years and is currently chair, is retired from the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services.

I really love my town and its just sort of in my makeup towant to try to see that it is maintains its unique charm, Morey said whenasked why she decided to run for the Council. Referencing the tone of politicsin the town, she added, I just feel like the town would be better served by aCouncil thats made up of individuals who have good relationships with eachother. They dont always have to agree, but they should definitely be able totalk with each other and listen to each other. And I do think there is room forimprovement on that front

In talking to voters, Morey said the two biggest issues thatcome up are summer cut-through traffic and the walking path along S. DogwoodTrail, bids for which were opened earlier this month and came in under theestimated $1 million price tag.

As for the traffic issue, Morey said shed like to see the town try some things without expending alot of resources. One approach she mentioned was to work with propertymanagement companies to get the word out that their clients would be betterserved not cutting through the neighborhoods. She also suggested posting signsthat share that same message.

When it comes to beach nourishment, Morey said that intalking to voters, she believed a majority supported such a project, but thatthere was a mix. I think there needs to be an exchange of ideas about how thisimpacts the budget, just like the impact of the new fire department building that mortgage will have to be paid off in the next twenty years, she said.

Morey said one of the most important things the next councilwill do is hire a new town manager. I think it should be done properly and,and with a robust effort to find the best candidate for the job, she asserted.

Incumbent Fred Newberry has served one term on the Council, two years of which were as mayor pro tem, and is vice chairman for the Dare County Airport Authority. Newberry is retired after 31 years of federal service, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

He said he is running for re-election because of unfinishedbusiness including the cut-through traffic issue. Newberry is the sponsor ofthe town-appointed committee charged with exploringsolutions to the traffic congestion problem that plagues someneighborhoods during the tourist season.

He also added: The council has not been very good aboutlong-range planning and developing supporting budgets. Most of the projects arefunded, almost from the time they are identified, from our designated fundWecant just keep taking money out of it and expect to maintain a healthy reserve.

He gave the example of the S. Dogwood Trail walking path. Hesaid he was a proponent of it but voted against the way it was funded. Itshould have been budgeted for there should have been a plan and budget tosupport it, he said.

Newberry also said that hed want to see more data on thebeach nourishment project before the town moves forward. Its always good toget a second opinion, and I would also like to know how the town is going tofund it.

Newcomer Matt Neal, a local contractor and current president of the Outer Banks Homebuilders Association, said he has become more actively involved in town meetings over the last two years, particularly when it comes to sharing his knowledge and perspectives on zoning issues. After being asked to run by several people over the last year, he said he decided to throw his hat in to the race.

On the issue of development, Neal is a proponent of updatingthe towns Land Use Plan to be a comprehensive plan to guide development andgrowth. You cant mothball everything, you cant hold it back the way it wasin 1967But we can try to have a guidepost. I really think developing acomprehensive plan is going to be instrumental in that.

On the subject of beach nourishment, Neal said hed like tosee the goals of such a project established and the financial side figured out.Then Id want to hear from my constituents about how much they want to moveforwardI think until somebody sees the actual dollar commitment, and what kindof levy will be placed on the constituency, we wont be able to make the finalone hundred percent determination.

Neal supports the idea of hiring a consulting company toadvertise for the town manager position, stating that, Its going to be reallycritical that the new manager is aware of the idiosyncrasies of SouthernShores, which has a very active population with a lot of civic engagement.

As for summer cut-through traffic, Neal is a proponent ofmore lobbying efforts toward N.C. Department of Transportation implementing passiveno left turn signs that report travel times, as well as town-initiatedadvocacy for the construction of the Mid-Currituck Bridge.

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In Southern Shores election, traffic and beaches and town manager dominate - The Outer Banks Voice

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