Category Archives: Evolution

I became a newspaper reader as a child on Sunday mornings.

Before Mass, The Topeka Capital-Journal was divvied up among the family, and we would fight over who got what. Dad always got the news, of course, but the rest of us argued and negotiated over the comics, Parade magazine, and the sports section. I was partial to a section called Midway, a full-page feature about the people, places and stories that helped me discover Kansas as an amazing and cool place. Wed swap sections, then pile into car for church, sometimes dragging our part of the paper with us. Occasionally, sections of the paper disappeared before they got passed around. Somebody left it in their room, or left it in the car.

Looking back, though, I realize Sunday was the only day we did that. Dad managed grain elevators around Kansas, and was usually out of the house early, often before anyone else was awake. He didnt have time to read the paper in the morning on most days, and certainly not during harvest. That came in the evening, after supper. Chores were divvied up among the kids, who always argued and negotiated over that, too whether someone was getting away with less, and who slipped away before all the work was done, and why certain siblings always had to use the bathroom when it was time for chores.

Dad ignored it; he was reading the paper.

The only interruption I remember came during Lent, when wed recite the rosary after dinner, taking turns as kids speed-praying through it when it was our turn to lead, before shifting into that routine of paper and chores.

Ive been thinking about that a lot lately, about routine.

Like Dad, I rise early and am often out of the house before anyone else is awake. I have the good fortune of getting to read a lot of the paper the night before, of course, but not always, and not all of it. I think Ill catch up first thing in the morning, but its often night before I get a chance to finish reading it. I sometimes set the weekend paper aside, because I still like a Sunday morning read, taking it out on the deck when the weather cooperates.

Our readers have been emailing and calling since we announced a change in the way we will deliver papers, a change that begins Tuesday. Thats when the print edition of the Globe will be delivered to subscribers by the U.S. Postal Service no more contracted carriers.

For some of you, that will mean getting your paper later that morning, for others it will be the afternoon. For many, it will mean reading the paper in the evening, after work, but it will still be same-day delivery. Some readers have canceled, but when I get a chance to talk to them, I encourage everyone to stay with it, to give it a try. Routines change, but they just become new routines.

As I think back on it, I realize that was one Kansas familys routine decades ago; it also is the norm for many families today, given that 27% of our readers already get their paper in the mail. And, because we are having a hard time finding and keeping carriers in this job environment, that number is bound to keep growing.

Well get the papers to the post office early in the morning, youll get yours in your mailbox that same day.

Most of our readers have told me they understand the industry dynamics today, that newspapers are evolving. For me, the most appealing development has been the switch to digital. It means I can still read my paper first thing in the morning at joplinglobe.com, and it also allows me to read The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and some of the regional papers of which I rotate subscriptions, including Springfield, Kansas City and Northwest Arkansas.

I have always been a newspaper reader, but because of digital I am more of a newspaper reader today than I have ever been. Thats not so much an evolution, as a revolution, working in our favor. I also encourage readers to give us the try online if they havent already. A lot of readers tell us they like it once they get started. You could, frankly, spend all morning on our website, given that it has much more news and other features than we can put in the paper. But, of course, there are chores to do.

Because of this, you can take every newspaper you want with you wherever you go, just like we did when we were children, except now it is on our phones, available via apps, which means you dont have to fight each other for a favorite section. Sometimes, when Beth is singing at Mass, we go early so she can warm up, and I stay out in the truck and read the papers until its time to go in, speed-praying because I lingered too long over some article or column that I was reading on a newspaper app, not paying enough attention to the time.

Funny how evolution and revolution swing back around, history repeating itself.

However you read the paper, the Globes commitment is unchanged: To keep you informed. About news. About sports. And to continue telling you about the people, places and stories that make Joplin and the Four-State Area such an amazing and cool place too.

Stick with us. Were not going away, just making some changes. And if you would like help setting up your digital access, call us at 417-782-2626.

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Andy Ostmeyer: Evolution, revolution and history coming full circle - Joplin Globe

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OverActive Media (TSXV:OAM) today unveiled the evolution of its plan for its previously announced performance venue, and secured lease terms approval from the Exhibition Place Board of Governors in Toronto, paving the way for a final review and approval by Toronto City Council later this year.

Over the past eight months, we have worked hand in hand with all of our city partners to bring our collective vision for the venue to the next level, and we could not be more excited to finally be able to share our latest plans with our fans in Toronto and the world, said Chris Overholt, President and CEO of OverActive Media. Toronto is one of the best entertainment markets in the world. We have worked closely with our partners to begin to realize the immense potential of this region of the city while furthering Torontos position as a global esports hub. Our vision is to create an unparalleled experience for fans and entertainment artists alike.

Located in the heart of the historic Exhibition Place, the theatre-style entertainment venue and hotel complex is a strategic element of the approved master plan for the region previously established by city officials. Positioned on the north side of Lakeshore Blvd., and across from Ontario Place, the venue is expected to become the epicentre for what is starting to emerge as Torontos future meeting place for sports, media and entertainment.

"Today, we are embracing an exciting vision of the future by approving OverActive Media's plan and secured lease terms, said Exhibition Place Board Chair and Councillor Mark Grimes. On behalf of Exhibition Place's Board of Governors, we will continue to build on our rich history and showcase innovative spaces in our ongoing evolution. I proudly welcome OverActive Media to create an engaging space to meet the needs of our diverse and dynamic community."

With a projected completion date of 2025, the 7,000-seat venue is designed to be a destination at its core. The facility plans to host more than 200 events a year, driven primarily by premium music and entertainment bookings. It will also serve to attract major city-wide conventions, corporate events and product launches, awards shows and naturally, a full slate of esports events increasing over time. Additionally, it will provide a home for the citys two professional esports teams, Toronto Ultra of the Call of Duty League and Toronto Defiant of the Overwatch League. Prior to the pandemic, OverActive Media had scheduled sold-out live events for its Overwatch League franchise, Toronto Defiant. As live events continue to return, there is a demand amongst premium acts of the world for the size and type of venue it plans to deliver.

We took a bold step forward together today toward realizing our vision to build a preeminent performance venue in the city of Toronto, one that we believe will serve as a new home for the biggest music and entertainment acts of the world and a favourite venue for todays generation of fans, added Overholt.

Developed by global design firm Populous, the designs are purposeful, intended to create an engaging space for all fan activations, events and programming. Key design features and highlights include:

Located along the waterfront, the performance venue offers prominent open public space with stunning views and pedestrian access.The in-bowl design caters to traditional music acts, largescale events and the best in esports competition and entertainment.The hotel tower offers unobstructed 360-degree views, including Lake Ontario and the remarkable Toronto skyline.Situated between the venue and hotel is a privately owned public space (POPS) an urban room that joins the venue and hotel, allowing for additional programming opportunities and chance meetings to occur.The interior design of both the venue and the hotel offer authenticity and a refined sense of style, inclusive of distinct influences which are uniquely Toronto.

Over the past several months, weve had the opportunity to engage with OverActive Media, the Exhibition Place Board of Governors and the City of Toronto to carefully choreograph the relationship between the venue, the hotel and a new urban room that connects the two, said Jonathan Mallie, Senior Principal and lead designer for Populous. The design has evolved to further integrate a dynamic building program and expression into the fabric of Toronto.

For more information, please contact:

Leah Gaucher, Director, PR & Communications, OverActive Media (647) 924-2614 lgaucher@oam.gg

ABOUT OVERACTIVE MEDIA

OverActiveMedia (TSXV:OAM)is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with operations in Madrid, Spain and Berlin, Germany. OverActives mandate is to build an integrated global company delivering sports, media and entertainment products for todays generation of fans with a focus on esports, videogames, content creation and distribution, culture, and live and online events. OverActive owns team franchises in (i) the Overwatch League, operating as the Toronto Defiant, (ii) the Call of Duty League, operating as the Toronto Ultra, (iii) the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), operating as the MAD Lions, (iv) the Superliga, operating as the MAD Lions Madrid, and (v) Flashpoint, operating as MAD Lions Counter Strike:Global Offensive (a franchised league operated by B Site Inc., a company in which OverActive holds a minority interest), as well as other non-affiliated CS:GO tournaments and leagues. OverActive also operates both live and online events, operating as OAM Live and maintains an active social media presence with its fans and community members, operates fan clubs, and other fan-related activities that increase the reach of its brands.

ABOUT POPULOUS

Populous is a global design firm that designs the places where people love to be together, like Yankee Stadium, the London Olympics, and the Super Bowl. Over the last 38 years, the firm has designed more than 3,000 projects worth $40 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, branded environments, wayfinding and graphics, planning and urban design, landscape architecture, aviation and transport design, hotels and hospitality, and sustainable design consulting. Populous has 18 offices on four continents and more than 600 employees with regional centers in Kansas City, London and Brisbane.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which constitute forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, forward-looking statements), including statements regarding OverActives proposed development of a venue and its plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar expressions.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead OverActive managements expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although OverActive believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the OverActive. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include the following: the potential impact of OverActives qualifying transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions; compliance with extensive government regulation; the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets; and other risk factors set out in OverActives filing statement dated July 2, 2021, a copy of which may be found under OverActives profile at http://www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of OverActive and general market conditions, including COVID-19.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although OverActive has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. OverActive does not intend and do not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Photos accompanying this announcementare available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5d2a3117-be94-4d50-ba1f-1986eeec9252

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc959f8c-9c52-40df-8956-2665fb587bfd

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcdfc4f0-6ede-4776-ac89-df6fef814232

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OverActive Media Reveals Evolution of Its Design for Performance Venue - KULR-TV

In association with AdsWizz.

Ahead of ATS London 2021, Pierre Naggar, SVP global demand at AdsWizz, outlines how audio has changed and what this has meant for advertisers in this Q&A.

Digital audio and streaming have been growing over the last 4 years and the pandemic has only accelerated the trend. This acceleration may be partly attributed to screen fatigue and also the need for information, distraction, and entertainment during a period of limited or no movement.

Although radio maintains its prevalence because of the scale of its audience, the penetration of podcast listeners in Europe tripled between 2015 and 2020, reaching almost 25% of the European population. In the UK alone, a Mediatel survey showed that 18% of people listened to podcasts each week in 2020, double the number who listened two years previously, and up from just 1% in 2015. Now, individuals in the UK listen to almost 60 million hours of podcasts per week, double that of two years ago and seventeen times 2015 listening figures.

However, despite this spike in listening figures, the budgets for audio advertising are well below consumption, and marketers are showing a strong desire to be educated on the benefits of audio advertising.

The growth of the audio industry can be largely attributed to the advancements in technology over the past few years. Technology has aided the industrys growth by improving both the way we access and the way we create new forms of content. Tech has helped to build the infrastructure that enables publishers to make their digital audio supply available to buy programmatically.

In terms of formats, ad sequencing within podcasts tells a richer story with multiple ads across one or several episodes. Podcasts produce premium content and have highly engaged audiences, but historically, it has been painful for brands and agencies to plan and buy in the space due to its fragmentation, targeting limitations, and lack of automated tools. In response, AdsWizz developed solutions to enable buyers to plan campaigns across thousands of shows, and have created robust contextual targeting capabilities that go beyond show-level or keyword targeting. We also automated premium formats, such as host-read ads within podcasts, thanks to the ability to insert ads dynamically. Previously, they used to be stitched together by content creators and there were no in-depth targeting or measurement options. Weve also created ShakeMe, which is a motion-activated format that allows engagement and measures effectiveness by letting the listener shake their phone to complete an action.

In terms of personalisation, technology allows audio buyers to reach listeners in more personal ways through rich audience segment targeting, such as geo, device type, genre, language, weather, points of interest, demographic, behavioural segments and more.

We are also seeing an increase in programmatic buying across the audio ad industry, as technology also allows us to help publishers and advertisers to match ad content to the right audiences in order to give them maximum exposure/engagement which in turn increases their ROI, amongst other benefits.

Pierre Naggar, SVP global demand at AdsWizz

Changes in this space have been on the horizon for some time, and even though we see constant changes still taking place with more to come in the future, publishers in the audio ecosystem have learnt the lessons of the past and have been developing solutions to overcome the audience ID challenge. Some of them, such as Soundcloud and Bauer, have invested in their first-party logged-in data to build a trusting relationship with their listeners, meaning they can offer advertisers a way to target valuable audiences. Others, especially in the podcasting space (where cookies and MAIDs are unavailable) are leveraging AdsWizzs contextual solution based on speech to text transcription to categorise their content for targeting as well as for brand suitability. This is a major step forward and a great solution to reach audiences who listen to their favourite podcast shows and are extremely engaged.

These changes affect the advertising industry as a whole, but we have been able to adapt quickly to these changes and are continuing to monitor developments so we can stay at the forefront of innovation.

Voice plays an increasingly key role in our everyday life, with smart speakers and voice assistants becoming more prevalent and influencing our lifestyle and behaviours. This opens up new opportunities and over the last few years, we have seen the first examples of interactivity, which are becoming more sophisticated as we experiment and learn. For instance, our own Innovation Lab is testing new voice interactions using synthetic voices as well as new calls to action such as send me a sample, book an appointment or Order a product, which make the whole experience more interactive for the user but also enable us to measure the success of a campaign.

Theres certainly a lot of opportunity within the audio industry and we are looking to see how these evolve over the next few years, especially in gaming and social, where audio fits particularly well and there are active audiences.

ATS London 2021 will take place on 3rd-4th November at Lee Valley VeloPark. Tickets and further details are available via theATS London 2021events hub.

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The Evolution of Audio Advertising - Q&A with Pierre Naggar, AdsWizz - ExchangeWire

ATLANTA The 1956 World Series was the first of Brian Snitkers lifetime. Don Larsen threw a perfect game for the Yankees then, and it is one of the more indelible moments in baseball history. All these years later, no pitcher has thrown another no-hitter in the World Series.

On Friday night, in Game 3 of this World Series, Ian Anderson held the Houston Astros hitless for five innings at Truist Park. Snitker, the manager of the Atlanta Braves, pulled Anderson from the game.

It was not a move Casey Stengel would have made on that golden afternoon in the Bronx long ago. Then again, Snitker acknowledged, it was not a move he would have made until recently, either.

The me of old, probably a couple years ago, would be: How the hell am I doing this?, quite honestly, Snitker said, after a 2-0 victory that gave Atlanta a two-games-to-one lead. But the pitch count was such that he wasnt going nine innings.

Anderson had thrown 76 pitches, only 39 for strikes, with three walks and a hit batter in his five innings. In truth, he was less like Larsen and more like Bill Bevens, the star-crossed Yankee who issued 10 walks in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series before he lost a no-hit bid and the game with two outs in the ninth.

Bevenss pitch count is lost to time, but he was 30 years old and his arm never recovered; he relieved in Game 7 and then never again pitched in the majors. No modern manager would recklessly risk a pitchers future in pursuit of a World Series no-hitter, so Anderson never had a chance.

Only three other starters had been pulled with a World Series no-hitter intact two because of injuries (John Tudor in 1988 and David Wells in 2003), and one (Curly Ogden in 1924) because his manager essentially used him as a decoy to scramble the opposition. Andersons outing was the longest no-hit start in the World Series since Larsens.

It was never going to last very long. If he had not lifted Anderson after five innings, Snitker said, he definitely would have done so after six. Atlantas four best relievers each had two days off, Snitker explained, and Anderson had thrown a lot of pitches to the hitters at the top of the Astros order, which was set to lead off the sixth.

Snitker took the prevailing approach to bullpen management, in which relievers are peacekeepers more than firefighters. Why flirt with possible trouble when the starter has already done his job?

Theres a reason for it, said Tyler Matzek, who followed A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson and lost the no-hitter on a bloop single to left by Aledmys Diaz leading off the eighth. The guys, the front office, Snit, everybodys gone over it a few times for what the game script is for us to win this thing. Obviously, the game script is right.

The beauty of sports, of course, is that there actually is no script; the performers try to carry out the managers plan as an opponent tries to foil it. There is always a chance that a pitcher will be better than his team could have expected. When that happens in a setting like the World Series, fans want to believe they might see another Larsen.

Who could forget the letdown in Game 6 of the World Series last fall, when Tampa Bay Rays Manager Kevin Cash pulled Blake Snell from a shutout in the sixth inning while facing elimination? Snell had utterly dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were thrilled to see him leave for a tired reliever, Nick Anderson. The Dodgers promptly stormed ahead and won the title.

In that case, though, Cashs flaw was trusting the wrong reliever: Nick Anderson had been struggling, and the Dodgers were eager to see him. The Astros were not as thrilled to see Ian Anderson depart, because they knew Atlantas bullpen would be just as stingy.

They have a really good pitching staff all the way around, said Alex Bregman, who rolled a single against the shift off Will Smith in the ninth. No matter whos coming in, youve got to stay focused and locked in.

Especially when those pitchers are Minter, Jackson, Matzek and Smith. Jackson looks sharp again after a rough National League Championship Series, and the other three have been overpowering throughout the postseason, with a combined 1.10 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 32 innings.

Anderson, 23, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his major league debut against the Yankees last August. But he said he could not remember ever throwing a complete-game no-hitter, even in high school in Clifton Park, N.Y. He wanted to keep pitching on Friday, but conceded he could not challenge Snitkers logic.

I knew he wasnt going to budge, Anderson said. Its hard to. Youve got guys like Matzek and Minter and Luke and Will at the back end coming in, you cant blame him for going to those guys. Those guys, time in and time out, get it done.

Starters have been working less and less this October, which stands to reason at the end of a long season following a very short one. But what we saw in Game 3 was mostly about the evolution of pitching.

Technology helps coaches identify the right areas of emphasis for each pitcher. Armed with the knowledge of what they should use and why, more pitchers than ever have the stuff to overwhelm hitters for short bursts. The best teams, like Atlanta, have lots of those pitchers.

Ten or so years ago or, say, in 1956 a starter was probably the managers best option deep into the game. Now he may not be, even if he has not allowed a single hit.

I dont know, Snitker said, almost apologetically. Its just that we had all our guys gassed up today. I kind of liked how it set up.

It set up Atlanta with a lead in the World Series, and that more than matching milestones from decades ago is all that really mattered.

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Pitching and Managing Evolve, and a No-Hit Bid Ends Early - The New York Times

In late 2018, when Jon Cody first started sharing his idea of a streaming service focusing exclusively on health content, some of his audiences were skeptical. Nobody questioned the increasing appetite for health-related content, nor the commercial potential. The concerns were around the medium itself.

Streaming was the thing your kids were doing, right? he recalled.

But when COVID-19 accelerated healthcares digital transition and triggered a broader reliance on technology, Codys vision proved prescient. Streaming, to parrot his phrasing, was now the thing you and your kids and your parents and everyone else was doing.

A couple of things have happened globally that make the idea make more sense today than it did two or three years ago, Cody noted. Streaming is undeniable now that Disney and HBO and a lot of the other big guys have jumped in. That world is a lot less clunky.

With todays launch of Digital Health Networks, the company enters the streaming mix with an ambitious offering primed to take advantage of the aforementioned trends in healthcare and technology. Showcasing a wealth of programming from organizations like the Mayo Clinic, the Cancer Research Institute and South Florida PBS The Health Channel, DHN aims to inform, inspire and entertain in equal parts.

People are going to come to us for one purpose and stay for a bunch of others, Cody said. Maybe you want information on breast cancer and end up taking a look at Living on the Veg. Theres no single way we expect people to experience this.

Indeed, DHN arrives fully formed, with a user-friendly interface (courtesy of platform partner Switch Media) and far more content than one would expect from a streaming startup. Other health media plays have been limited by the both the volume and the consistency (both in terms of production quality and tenor) of their offerings. DHN, on the other hand, has unified around storytelling, even for its most clinical-minded content.

Take The Human Body, created in conjunction with Blausen, which owns a library of medical and scientific illustrations as well as 3D animations. From that abundant source material, DHN has created some 330 shorts about everything from hair loss to inguinal hernias.

Other content available at launch includes Redesign My Brain, The New Science of Food and The Surgeon & the Soldier. There are channels devoted to mental health, addiction and cancer, as well as ones specifically catering to medical professionals and parents. Cody expects the number of channels to expand to 25 by the end of 2022.

Our purpose is healthcare stories, Cody stressed. Through those stories, were trying to help people to understand what their options may be, along the lines of, Hey, whatever it is Im facing, Im not alone in this process. Were not sitting here being doctors.

The content slate will expand further during 2022 with a host of original content from DHN Studios, the companys dedicated production arm. With studio space in Austin and Los Angeles (and New York City and Washington D.C. soon to follow), DHN Studios has already started production on This Week in Healthcare, Going Broke to Stay Alive (which will explore the undercovered realm of financial healthcare toxicity) and Horizons (billed as a docuseries on the innovations of the near future in healthcare).

We think our advantages are scale, our production capabilities and experience. Its hard to put something like this together if you havent done this before, Cody said. Hes clearly qualifies: an attorney who served on the staff of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell, Cody has worked for Fox Entertainment Group and was founder and CEO of TV4 Entertainment.

DHN launches into a market more or less devoid of direct competitors, though theres some topical overlap with The Able Channel and SurvivorNet. Cody declines, however, to share the companys viewership goals.

I have expectations for numbers, of course, he said. But its easy to get somebody to come; whats important is what they do when theyre here. I dont need to see X million people, but I need to see a rabid audience that has taken to this brand and really held on to it.

To some extent, were competing for peoples time with the Netflixes and Hulus of the world, Cody continued. But we want you to turn this on as a streaming service, not just as a medical service. I think were going to surprise some people.

Continue reading here:

Behind the evolution and launch of Digital Health Networks - Medical Marketing and Media

The Lynx R1 MR headset.

XR typically refers to the spectrum of spatial technologies that cover the gamut between virtual (VR) reality and augmented reality (AR). The world is largely familiar with the concept of VR, the complete immersion in a digital space. It helps that VR is already available on consumer platforms such as Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR. Less understood is AR, which seeks to enhance the real world by overlaying the digital world on top it. Even within these two categories of XR, there are additional levels of immersionsome smart glasses feature a single monochrome display. Others, such as Hololens or Magic Leap, provide more advanced iterations of AR.

While many are familiar with the concept of VR, the market and the world are still becoming acquainted with AR. While VR is already available on consumer platforms such as Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR, consumer AR that everyone wants is still years away. People want AR glasses to have the graphical capabilities of todays Oculus Quest, inside the fashionable form factor of todays Ray Ban Stories. However, thats simply not possible with todays optical, wireless, battery and processing capabilities. Qualcomm is at the forefront of enabling headworn AR and VR solutions, including the Oculus Quest, Ray Ban Stories, and many other headsets.

I recently spoke with Qualcomms GM of XR, Hugo Swart about the companys vision and foundational work on Mixed Reality. The company has been building chipsets and platforms for XR since the early days and had one of the earliest AR platforms called Vuforia in 2012 and enabled pioneers in headworn AR like ODG. Qualcomm Technologies were also pivotal in enabling early smartphone VR solutions as well as the first Standalone VR headsets including the wildly popular Oculus Quest 2.

Why we need Mixed Reality

In the meantime, technologies like RGB video pass-through AR or Mixed Reality are bridging the gap on the way to AR. You may have heard Microsoft use the term Mixed Reality to describe its XR platform. While this is similar, in the context of this column, Mixed Reality refers to enabling both AR and VR within a single VR device. Microsofts definition refers to different devices sharing the same spatial computing platform and potentially space. In addition to possessing VR capabilities, Qualcomms vision for a Mixed Reality device must be able to use passthrough color cameras to recreate a feed as close to the real world as possible for the purpose of AR.

Mixed Reality capable VR devices must also be lighter and more compact than current VR devicesthey need to feel almost invisible to the user much like a pair of AR glasses would be. Were already seeing this in devices targeted towards Mixed Reality, such as the Lynx R-1 which runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset. I expect that well see similar devices from Facebook, Apple and other tech giants pursuing AR very soon

Right now, Qualcomm believes there are four paths within AR that are evolving in parallel, on different parts of the XR spectrum:

Eventually, these capabilities will merge to the point where it becomes difficult to tell the difference between each category. The lines will become very blurry, like what were seeing with VR today.

Mixed Reality features

In speaking with Hugo I learned that there are a common series of challenges that must be overcome in order to fully enable this new form of spatial computing. First, Mixed Reality headsets require the lowest latency possible along the entire image processing pipeline, since they must capture whats happening in the real world, process it, render it and then display it inside of the headset, in almost real-time. If things are too out of sync, the user will feel like they are drunk or have motion sickness. There cannot be any weak links in the chain, not even in the display. Every millisecond matters in Mixed Reality, even more than in VR or AR. This is a problem that Qualcomm recognizes and is working to mitigate. According to Hugo Swart, the companys GM of XR, Qualcomm has managed to bring photon-to-photon latency down to under 10 milliseconds from the previously standard 30ms+.

Second, Mixed Reality needs to have a deep understanding of the environment and be able to utilize AI algorithms to recognize objects and map the users surroundings. This is what allows the headset to overlay digital information over the real-world environment for AR functions. Additionally, even if the user is using the headset in VR mode, it needs to be able to help with boundaries and object avoidance. Snapdragon XR2 chipset, which is the standard for todays XR headsets, has these capabilities built-in.

In addition to low-latency and environmental awareness, a Mixed Reality device needs to have enhanced interactivity. In other words, users should be able to interact in AR, VR and MR experiences using different user interfaces and control schemesfor example, hand tracking for base-level interactions and controllers for more intensive applications like gaming and creative work.

A Mixed Reality device must also consider how the user interacts with both virtual and physical objects while inside of the headset and what that might mean for the users immersion. For example, it will need to understand the differences between different types of objects, applying the proper level of opacity to them depending on their degree of relevance. When you look at the previous generation of XR chipsets, the Snapdragon XR2 increased AI performance by 11 times, which is crucial in enabling such features.

Last but certainly not least is the fact that Mixed Reality headsets require a fundamentally better field of view (FoV) than most AR headsets, which typically feature between 30 and 50 degrees. This is because bending light is difficult, and these devices light engines are limited by what can fit inside their necessarily lightweight and compact form factors. Todays technology simply cannot produce anything beyond 50 degrees, for the most part. There are a few exceptions, but these solutions tend to be more appropriate for engineering environments versus consumer, due to their size and weight.

One workaround to this bottleneck is RGB pass-through technology, which delivers the FoV that users expect, on a much more accessible timeline. Snapdragon XR2 chipset was specifically designed to support up to 7 different simultaneous camera streams including ultra-low latency processing to enable a lag-free RGB passthrough experience. Qualcomms powerful Adreno is designed to enable the higher resolutions of Mixed Reality displays to mitigate the loss of visual fidelity that results from an increase in FoV. People want access to AR and MR today, not in three to five years when lightweight AR headsets finally support an acceptable field of view and levels of performance. For AR to be accessible, Mixed Reality headsets must flourish. This will allow developers to build AR experiences on todays available hardware for tomorrows AR headsets.

Mixed Reality: a consumer or enterprise technology?

With how much Mixed Reality borrows from both VR and AR, it would not be surprising for it to inherit many of the same use cases. In fact, consumer and enterprise use cases for AR and VR translate almost perfectly to Mixed Reality. However, there are some use cases that are even better in Mixed Reality than VR or AR by themselves.

One of those is enterprise training. Imagine being able to take advantage of Mixed Realitys wide FoV, overlaying graphics onto, but still very much seeing the real world. This makes Mixed Reality a powerful proposition for job training.

There are additional Mixed Reality applications already in use in the enterprise, such as remote assistance and guided work instructions. However, these stand to become much more powerful and capable than the simple 2D head-mounted solutions we have today. There are also consumer use cases aplenty, since a user can turn virtually any surface in their home into a gigantic display without losing their real-world spatial and situational awareness.

Final thoughts

Many in the industry agree the convergence of AR and VR is inevitable. Mixed Reality is still in its early days, but much of the XR industry appears to be moving in that direction in the near term. Mixed Reality will not only benefit from the technological developments of AR and VR, but also facilitate them at the same time. There will be many users who will want a single, Mixed Reality device to cover the gamut of XR. Qualcomms technological innovations inside of the XR2 are at the core of making that possible today. However, not everyone will want this unified device and may prefer to only have AR or only have VR. Users want choice and hopefully the market will give them that with a diversity of XR devices and approaches. Much like the XR headsets and Android smartphones of today, many will likely be powered by Qualcomm technologies.

Disclosure:My firm, Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided research, analysis, advising, and/or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Qualcomm. I do not hold any equity positions with any companies cited in this column

Read more:

Qualcomm And Mixed Reality: The Next Step In The Evolution Of XR? - Forbes

by Gary Kennedy

Halloween will occur on October 31, 2021. This holiday occurs the day before the Christian holy days of All Hallows Day. In some countries this is known as All Saints Day or Hallowmas which occur on November 1 and 2, respectively.

In Germany, when I was assigned there, it was also referred to as Totensonntag or Blue Christmas, Thursday of the Dead. Costume parties, jack-o-lanterns and huge festive bon fires were part of the fanfare. The why of that is unclear but it just seemed to be part of the evolution of the holiday. Trick or treat just seemed to jump in there as well.

By todays standards, I dont believe we would consider this a religious holiday. The advent of costumes seems to me to be a competition between good and evil, for the most part, in a fun, peaceful way. However, many of we ancients can remember 1950-70 in which if you didnt give a treat then you stood a good chance of having your house, car and other personal property pulverized with eggs or bad things being written on your walls with crayons, magic markers and even paint, by the real evil ones. Some of us with hopes of avoiding this would keep a light on, maintain a smile and give treats to the little monsters and some not so little.

The police were always on high-alert during this time. I should add it wasnt all bad as some of the children were adorable and sweet. Some of us even loved the event so as to enjoy the children and to say hello to their parents. For the most part the event was territorial. Some of the older unaccompanied children figured out that the more affluent sections of the town gave the best treats, some even money. So, they being mobile and unattended would head for these locations to cash in on the better goodies. Those that would cause the damage were usually of the older groups with no adult supervision.

All Hallow tide, the time in the liturgical year (relating to liturgy or public worship) in which the dead are acknowledged, especially saints, martyrs and other revered individuals. This is strongly a religious attempt of defining this holiday. Obviously, Jesus and testimony for him were death sentences which consisted of swains, burning at the stake, crucifixion as well as various forms of torture. The first Christian martyr was Saint Stephen who was taken out of the city of Jerusalem and stoned to death. Final words echoed those of Jesus, a prayer of forgiveness for his attackers. (Acts of Apostles 7:60) Jesus (Luke 23:24) Stephen is the patron saint of deacons and stone masons both Christian and Secular.

So as you can see, Halloween is not just a day of door knocking and treats giving, but also has religious overtones far more significant than the Halloween we celebrate. We have allowed it to evolve into something totally different from what it was intended. There is so much more to this holiday than what I have given you here.

In any case we are still under the influence of this terrible Covid epidemic and that leaves us with many questions to resolve before we knock on doors and accept food stuff from strangers. Some folks known to each other will have small gatherings at their homes where there is some semblance of safely. In my opinion, all should not be lost during these hard times regarding our children.

This is a time when memories are created and shared throughout the years to come. Its up to us to make them good and safe. God bless and enjoy your holiday. Also, remember there are more than just treats; we have family, friends and the one who makes all things possible. Im not sure exactly what he thinks of this holiday but he reads the heart. So I am pretty sure he knows we mean no harm or disrespect.

The Town Line is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private foundation, and all donations are tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Service code.

To help, please visit our online donation page or mail a check payable to The Town Line, POBox 89, South China, ME 04358. Your contribution is appreciated!

Originally posted here:

MY POINT OF VIEW: The evolution of Halloween - Town Line

According to NBA.coms defensive rating, it has been nearly a decade since the Minnesota Timberwolves finished the regular season with a top-15 defense (2013-14: 12th; 105.2). Its been almost two decades since they finished with a top-10 defense (2003-04: 6th; 98.5). In what should not surprise anyone who has followed the team closely since their conception in 1989, they have never finished with a top-five defense.

Yet, within the top-five (99.0) is precisely where the 2021-22 Wolves find themselves through a paltry four games this season.

Unbelievable performance for us tonight from start to finish, Wolves head coach Chris Finch told the media following his teams 113-108 win over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night. Offense dried up a little bit as we went along, but our defense never really let down.

Burgeoning star both on the court and the podium Anthony Edwards was a little more, shall we say, energetic about the Wolves defensive performance.

Man, we lock up, man. I dont care what nobody say about us. We play the best defense in the league. I stamp that. We gonna have two, three people on the All-Defensive Teams, no what Im saying. And I might be on one of them, Edwards joked after the victory. We definitely been winning games on the defensive end, man.

While their new system remains a work in progress Finch likened it to algebra compared to the Bucks calculus on Wednesday a couple of essential tweaks and a renewed sense of focus on that side of the ball have the Wolves playing championship-level defense.

Perhaps the most significant and impactful change was how they attack pick-and-rolls, as highlighted in the video posted by Dane Moore below.

Save for the first game against the Pelicans, the Wolves have swapped out their big man drop coverage for applying pressure at screen level. This is something that Dane and other media members have spoken on and written about extensively, but making this switch accomplishes a couple of tasks.

The new scheme takes advantage of the overall length and athleticism of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaden McDaniels, in effect constricting the passing lanes available to the ball-handler as he comes off the screen. It also prevents the ball-handler from getting a head of steam towards the hoop and allows the Wolves defenders to dictate the opposing offenses actions rather than reading, reacting, or predicting what they will do.

Attacking the screen is particularly a boon for Towns, who would often look like a deer in the headlights in seasons past when defending the pick-and-roll as his ability to react to the actions of the ball-handler was poor, to put it lightly. However, the scheme also plays to the strengths of Vanderbilt and McDaniels, namely their elite lateral quickness, long limbs, and nose for getting their fingertips on the ball, which has resulted in the Wolves accumulating an average of 11.5 steals per game (third-best overall).

(Quick side note: Another change seen in the video above is that the Wolves have drastically cut down their number of switches off screens. Finch has said that refraining from switching increases individual accountability to stepping up on defense, something easily seen through four games.)

Another adjustment the Wolves have made is stressing the importance of contesting 3-point shots. Vanderbilt, McDaniels, Edwards, and Josh Okogie have been exemplary at quickly closing the gap and getting a hand in the face as they rise, which has resulted in opponents shooting a trifling 28.6% from beyond the arc (tied for second-best overall). Opponent 3-point field goal percentage is one of the more volatile defense stats, so it should be taken with more than a grain of salt. However, the numbers back up what the eye has perceived in this instance, which lends greater credence to the stat.

The last significant change made by the Wolves is placing an increased emphasis on protecting the paint.

You got to stop something, and most good teams are stopping the rim, Finch said. We feel we got to win that battle as much as we can, first and foremost.

The Wolves have held opponents to 43 points in the paint on average (tied for eighth-best overall) and a 55.3% field goal percentage within six feet of the rim (third-best overall), of which Towns deserves the lions share of the credit. Theyre also blocking an average of 7.8 shots per game, placing them second in the NBA.

Finch and his coaching staff have wholly revamped the Wolves defense by making common-sense adjustments that play to his athletes strengths while minimizing their deficiencies. While the regular season is a slog, and there is still a long road ahead of them, the Wolves odds of finishing with a top-15 defense are much better now than ever thought possible before the start of the season.

Continued here:

We lock up, man: On the Evolution of the Wolves Defense - Canis Hoopus

Tusks are uniquely mammalian structures, found in a variety of animal species, including elephants, walruses, warthogs, wild boars and hippopotamuses.

Mammals with tusks find an array of uses for their modified teeth, including fighting, digging, defense, burrowing, pushing over trees, and even assisting with locomotion as in the walrus that uses its tusks to lift itself up onto the ice. And yet, there has been little research on the evolutionary origins of tusks or what may have led to the development of this dental phenomenon.

In a new study, published today in theProceedings of the Royal Society B,researchers trace the first tusks back to dicynodonts, ancient relatives of mammals that lived before the dinosaurs, and they shed light on the evolution of mammalian tusks.

Tusks are this very famous anatomy, but until I started working on this study, I never really thought about how tusks are restricted to mammals, said study lead author Megan Whitney, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.

Whitney recalls that the idea for the study of dicynodonts arose while she and other researchers were taking a lunch break during a paleontological dig. We were sitting in the field in Zambia, and there were dicynodont teeth everywhere. I remember Ken picking them up and asking how come they were called tusks, because they had features that tusks dont have.

Dicynodonts are not mammals, but are mammal-like reptiles that lived between 270 and 200 million years ago, before the radiation and proliferation of the dinosaurs. They are very distant relatives of modern mammals and are characterized by having two tusks that protrude from their upper jaws, in the position of the canine teeth. The name of the group, dicynodont, literally means two dog teeth.

As a group, they were very successful, becoming distributed throughout the world and radiating into many different habitats. There were more than 70 different genera of these fascinating vertebrates, varying from mouse-sized to elephant-sized.

The researchers had to define exactly what was meant by a tusk, as there was clearly confusion between the terms teeth and tusks. Not all protruding teeth are technically tusks.

For this paper, we had to define a tusk, because its a surprisingly ambiguous term, said Whitney. The researchers determined that for a tooth to be a tusk it must extend out from the mouth, be made entirely of dentine lacking the enamel covering most mammalian teeth and be ever-growing.

Some of the dicynodont teeth that the team observed in Zambia didnt seem to fit the definition of a tusk either they were coated in enamel instead of dentine. There are many different kinds of dicynodonts and they appear to mostly all have tusks, said Whitney, however, when you look at the micro-structural details theyre very different in those groups.

The researchers used micro-CT scans to examine the fossilized tissues of the dicynodont tusks. Paper-thin slices of fossilized tusks from 19 dicynodont specimens, representing ten different species, were examined in this way.

The histological sections showed that the oldest groups of dicynodonts had a big tooth, rather than a true tusk. It was only much later in their evolutionary history that dicynodonts evolved a true tusk that was ever-growing.

Mammals face a paradox when it comes to their teeth. Most mammals, like humans, replace their baby teeth with adult teeth only once in a lifetime. Mammalian teeth are covered with enamel, and so are very durable, but if an adult tooth is lost, it is irreplaceable.

In addition, mammalian teeth are attached to the jaw by means of pegs that fit into sockets in the jaw the attachment involves soft, fibrous tissue or ligaments.

By contrast, the teeth of other vertebrate groups are attached to the jaw by hard-tissue fusion of bone to tooth, and may also have several sets of tooth replacements during a lifetime.

It appears that the mammalian conditions of soft tissue attachment and few replacement teeth sets the scene for the development of an ever-growing tusk. This tusk is covered with dentine, which is less durable than enamel, but it can continue to grow throughout the life of the animal.

The dicynodont specimens in the current study, which came from South Africa, Antarctica, Zambia, and Tanzania, appeared to have the mammalian conditions of reduced number of replacement teeth at the canine position and a soft tissue attachment of teeth to the jaw. Interestingly, this is a combination of features that is unique to mammals.

If you have these two things, a reduced amount of tooth replacement and a soft-tissue attachment, an ever-growing tooth allows the animal to get around the fact that it cannot replace the tooth. Instead, it evolves to continuously deposit the same tooth tissues, said Whitney. And as the animal continues to deposit the tissue, the tooth begins to move outside of the mouth to become functional.

The dicynodonts examined in the current study show the first known examples of true tusk development in vertebrates. We dont really know what functions the dicynodonts tusks may have had because we cant observe them and see what they were doing with them, said Whitney. Thats a lingering question about dicynodonts, even more so now.

The study also showed that dicynodonts evolved ever-growing tusks multiple times in different groups, indicating convergent evolution during their history. I kind of expected there to be one point in the family tree where all the dicynodonts started having tusks, so I thought it was pretty shocking that we actually see tusks evolve convergently, said Whitney. This is a similar story to what we see in elephant evolution in that it mirrors a lot of the patterns that have been studied on how elephants got their tusks.

We were able to show that the first tusks belonged to animals that came before modern mammals, said Kenneth Angielczyk, co-author and curator at Chicagos Field Museum.

Dicynodont tusks can tell us a lot about mammalian tusk evolution in general. For instance, this study shows that reduced rates of tooth replacement and a flexible ligament attaching the tooth to the jaw are needed for true tusks to evolve. It all ladders up to giving us a better understanding of the tusks we see in mammals today.

By Alison Bosman, Earth.com Staff Writer

Read the rest here:

New secrets revealed about the evolution of mammal tusks - Earth.com

TOKYO -- Even in today's digital society, ballpoint pens remain an essential tool in our daily lives, whether at work or for jotting down our deepest personal thoughts in a journal.

In Japan, stationery stores typically carry a huge selection of ballpoint pens. Tip sizes, for example, typically range between 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm, to as little as 0.38 mm. While the sheer number of choices can flummox buyers, it also tells us something about Japan's unique writing instrument culture.

The ballpoint pen is a surprisingly new invention, dating back to 1943. The first model used oil-based ink developed by Hungarian inventor Laszlo Biro. Ballpoints came to Japan later, with manufacturers competing to roll out new products. Ohto, a company in Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture, marketed a pen that used water-based ink in 1964. In 1984, Sakura Color Products in Osaka launched a gel-ink pen that it said allowed people to write smoothly, like water-based ink pens, but whose ink, when dry, offered the water resistance of oil-based ink.

In the early days, pen tip sizes ran from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. Overseas, bold was best: "People in Europe and the U.S. use signatures a lot, and as they write with Roman letters, they tended to prefer thick lines," according to a spokesperson of the Japan Writing Instruments Manufacturers Association.

By contrast, Japanese is written mostly with kanji, as Chinese characters are called. They tend to have many strokes, so thick lines make for messy writing. That led Tokyo-based Zebra to introduce a pen in 1959 with an oil-based ink and a tip measuring 0.7 mm. It later expanded the range of tip sizes to include 1.0 mm and 0.5 mm pens.

Although the typical scribbler might think the number refers to the width of the line a pen lays down, it actually indicates the diameter of the tiny roller in the tip that gives the ballpoint its name. The width of the line a pen produces is actually about half the ball's diameter.

But not all pens are created equal: The thickness of the line "differs if you use different products, even if they have same tip size, like, for example, a 0.5 mm pen, because the ink quality and the amount of ink flow vary," according to the Writing Instruments Manufacturers Association spokesperson.

Although they are both sold as 0.5 mm tip, gel ink ballpoint pens, Mitsubishi Pencil's Uni-Ball Signo's line is 0.3 mm wide, while that of Pilot's Hi-Tec-C is slightly thinner, at 0.25 mm. Line widths also vary depending on whether the ink is oil- or water-based.

The top-selling ballpoint pens are those with 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm tips, but in the last few years pen makers have introduced products with smaller and smaller rollers. After Pilot introduced a Hi-Tec-C model with a 0.3 mm tip, rivals followed suit.

Making such tiny rollers for pens that use oil-based ink is difficult because of its viscosity, but Mitsubishi Pencil successfully developed a 0.38 mm version of its Jetstream pen, putting it on sale in 2013.

"When carbon copies were still used widely, pens with thicker tips were often preferred, but the purpose of [pens'] use in work has shifted. People now use them to make notes in the narrow spaces between the lines of printed materials, or to make notes in a tiny notebook," a spokesperson for Mitsubishi Pencil said. "That led to an increased preference for pens with thinner tips."

The 0.38 mm tip size of the Jetstream may seem random, but it is the result of the company's efforts to create a comfortable feel with an oil-ink pen and the optimum balance in line thickness, the spokesperson said.

Last year, Mitsubishi Pencil introduced a 0.28 mm version of the Jetstream. The technology for making ballpoint pen tips has advanced to the point where manufacturers can fashion tips that are minuscule yet resist wear and tear, and they are pushing smaller tipped, oil-ink products. Incidentally, young Japanese increasingly prefer 0.3 mm tips for mechanical pencils.

Despite growing digitization and a falling birthrate, sales of pens and pencils remain solid in Japan. According to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, sales of ballpoint pens totaled about 63.5 billion yen ($559 million) in 2020, an increase of 2.4 billion yen versus a decade ago, although sales of ballpoint pens for office supplies fell over the period, hit by the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, said Tomoo Ikeda of Zebra's public relations department, "There are increasing numbers of people who buy them for themselves, with their primary focus being design and functionality factors [as an expression of] individuality."

Japanese ballpoint pens have a worldwide reputation for quality. Japan exported about 750 million ballpoint pens using water-based ink in 2020. Pilot sells nearly 90% of its ballpoints overseas.

"Even as the nation digitizes, people are enjoying analog aspects of things as they seek what is special to them," Zebra's Ikeda said.

Excerpt from:

A fine line: The evolution of the ballpoint pen in Japan - Nikkei Asia