The Bermuda Sandcastle Competition will be held on August 31 at Horseshoe Bay Beach. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Sandcastle Competition returns on Saturday, August 31, 2024. This is the big family event you have been waiting all summer for on Horseshoe Bay Beach. The organizers of the competition are excited to hold this event […]

The annual Bermuda Sandcastle Competition took place yesterday [August 31] at Horseshoe Bay Beach, with a wide array of examples of sand art on display for spectators and sculptors alike to enjoy. We will update with the results as able Related Stories Photos, Video & 360: Sandcastle Contest Photos: Sandcastle Mother’s Day Greetings Photos & Video: […]

The Bermuda National Trust and Sompo International are launching their 4th annual Student Art Competition, under a theme of ‘Worth Protecting’. “We are excited to invite Bermuda’s young people to use their artistic talents to show aspects of Bermuda’s natural and cultural heritage that they think are worth protecting. Hopefully the theme will inspire students […]

The National Museum of Bermuda [NMB] is inviting local students to participate in The Grundy Youth Photography Competition. A spokesperson said, “The National Museum of Bermuda is inviting all local students to participate in the sixth year of The Grundy Youth Photography Competition. In honour of Mrs. Joy Grundy’s passing last year, the competition’s title […]

“If Premier Burt wants a fairer Bermuda – he needs to stop wasting time complaining about the ‘combined opposition’ and start fixing the problems that his government created,” Opposition Leader Jarion Richardson said. Mr Richardson said, “Bermudians must have listened to Premier Burt’s comments to PLP party delegates wondering if he’s on the same planet. […]

“Beyond a general feel-good, this Government doesn’t seem to know why it is even joining Caricom,” Opposition Leader Jarion Richardson said, while the PLP said “instead of being distracted by the OBA’s fearmongering, the PLP is focused on building a fairer Bermuda for Bermudians.” OBA Statement Mr Richardson said, “This Government continues to force Bermudians […]

The City of Hamilton welcomed President of the Azores José Manuel Bolieiro for a special visit today. A spokesperson said, “Today, the City of Hamilton was honored by an impromptu visit from His Excellency José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Azores, as he joined Bermuda in celebrating the 175th anniversary of the first Portuguese immigrants arriving on […]

“We believe it would be more beneficial for the economy and society overall if the Government focused on strengthening its existing responsibilities before extending its reach into further areas of the private sector,” the Chamber of Commerce said following today’s Throne Speech. A spokesperson said, “It was positive to see a couple of points that […]

Did you know? Star Trek turns 55 this year, and to coincide with the anniversary of Trek first...

[Updated with PDF] Former commanding officer of the Royal Bermuda Regiment [RBR] David Curley has been sentenced to six months in jail after admitting to a charge of official corruption A ZBM report said, “The 55-year-old former Lieutenant-Colonel had pleaded guilty to a charge of official corruption last July. His sentence totals 18 months, with […]

The Women’s Resource Centre said they are “heartened by the guilty verdict in the Chavelle Dillon-Burgess case,” noting it “is a landmark case for Bermuda, and we recognise the efforts of the Bermuda Police Service in bringing Mr. Worrell before the courts and we wait with anticipation for his sentencing next month.” Their statement follows […]

“We respect the integrity of the judicial process and accept the court’s decision,” the police said following the recent trial in the Supreme Court, adding that “it is essential that we come together as a community to show empathy and understanding, as we navigate the aftermath of this trial.” This follows after Raheem Wray was found not guilty of […]

Bermuda-based Coralisle Group [CG] has acquired a 100% interest in Massy United Insurance Ltd. of Barbados [United]. A spokesperson said, “United now operates within the Coralisle Group as CG United Insurance Ltd. [CG United]. The acquisition significantly expands CG’s presence across the Caribbean, adding 14 new markets where CG United operates. “These include Anguilla, Antigua & […]

Monument Re announced today that its Isle of Man subsidiary Monument International Life Assurance Company Limited [MILAC] has completed the acquisition of the closed book portfolio of Zurich International Life Limited’s [ZILL] Singapore long term life insurance business. A spokesperson said, “The ZILL Singapore branch portfolio and employees have transferred into the Singapore branch of […]

International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. [IGI] announced the completion of the acquisition of Norway-based managing general agency Energy Insurance Oslo AS [EIO]. A spokesperson said, “The transaction included the acquisition of all outstanding shares of EIO. The entity, which is expected to be renamed IGI Nordic AS [IGI Nordic], is a subsidiary of Bermuda-based International […]

Clarien Bank Limited has signed an agreement to acquire Omnium Trust Company Limited [Omnium Trust] and Omnium Corporate Services Limited [Omnium Corporate Services], a boutique practice offering quality trust and corporate administration services. A spokesperson said, “The terms of the acquisition, which strengthens Clarien’s aspiration to be Best Wealth Manager in Bermuda, are private and […]

Nascent Group Ltd. announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Bermuda Compliance Consultants Ltd, and the acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023. A spokesperson said, “Founded and headquartered in Bermuda, Bermuda Compliance Consultants Ltd. [BCCL] provides compliance advisory services to the insurance and the fund markets. Alison Morrison, […]

Arch U.S. MI Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Capital Group Ltd., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RMIC Companies, Inc. [RMIC] and its subsidiaries that together comprise the run-off mortgage insurance business of Old Republic International Corporation. A spokesperson said, “Once the transaction is closed, RMIC’s $1 billion risk in force […]

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. today announced the completion of Brookfield Reinsurance’s acquisition of Argo in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion. A spokesperson said, “Under the terms of the transaction, Brookfield Reinsurance acquired all issued and outstanding common shares of Argo at a price of $30 per share. Argo’s common shares have ceased […]

Compre, the Bermuda-domiciled international legacy group, today announces the acquisition of two portfolios of European casualty and motor liabilities from separate undisclosed international insurance groups. A spokesperson said, “All necessary approvals have been granted by Bermudian and European regulators, allowing Compre’s class 3B Bermudian reinsurer Pallas Reinsurance Company Ltd. to reinsure approximately €200m of reserves […]

Apex Group has acquired IP Management Company, a South African unit trust management firm. A spokesperson said, “Apex Group Ltd. [Apex Group or The Group], a global financial services provider, today announces its acquisition of IP Management Company [RF] [Pty] Ltd [IPMC], a South African unit trust management company [ManCo]. “This follows the recent acquisition […]

Arch Insurance North America, part of Arch Capital Group Ltd. announced it has closed the acquisition of the U.S. MidCorp and Entertainment insurance businesses from Allianz originally announced on April 5. A spokesperson said, “Nearly 500 former Allianz MidCorp and Entertainment employees have joined Arch and will provide continuity to clients and brokers as Arch […]

The Bermuda Diabetes Centre and the island’s tourism community recently came together to help a teenage visitor make a return trip to the island after a previous visit was cut short due to a health scare. A spokesperson said, “A recent visit to Bermuda that took a heartbreaking turn for a young traveler has transformed […]

James Acaster explores his love/hate relationship with standup by relinquishing control of his set and accepting a healthy dose of audience interference - aka heckling.

Busy day, no chance to get out birding or togging, even. Moreover, it was dull and grey, so not great for capturing avian beauty. That said, I was setting up the new lens on my Canon R7 adjusting the customised settings buttons, a Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM. Once I’d done that I snapped … Continue reading "Photographing birds from the comfort of the settee"

Upcoming Companies No applications have been received since the last update. Finished Companies No finished forms have been received since the last update. Moved Companies No moved forms have been received since the last update. Closed Companies (Open for application) Chevys Fresh Mex; Dollar Tree; Outback Steakhouse; Wal-Mart Troubled Companies (Not open for application) The […]

What kind of website is predatorwallpaper.com?

Predatorwallpaper.com is the address of a fake search engine that we discovered while investigating the Predator Search browser hijacker. It modifies browser settings to cause redirects to this search engine, which cannot provide search results.

It is pertinent to mention that predatorwallpaper.com could be endorsed by other browser hijackers, and the same is true of Predator Search (i.e., redirect to different sites).

What is guardflares.com?

We have inspected guardflares.com and discovered that it is a fake search engine. We also found that guardflares.com is promoted through a browser hijacker, an extension known as SpeedyLook. Search engines promoted through such extensions should not be trusted. If guardflares.com and (or) SpeedyLook are present within a browser, they should be removed.

Do you or your Scout have an interest in attending the 2026 National Jamboree? ...

Austrian smart lock maker Nuki has announced its new Smart Lock Ultra, featuring a smaller design and claiming significantly faster operation than its predecessor.


The Smart Lock Ultra is one-third the size of previous Nuki models. This has been achieved through a new built-in battery design that eliminates the need for a bulky battery compartment, according to the company. The lock features a new brushless motor, similar to those used in electric vehicles, enabling it to unlock in under 1.5 seconds, which could make it one of the fastest smart locks available.

Built-in Wi-Fi eliminates the need for a separate bridge, while Matter-over-Thread and Bluetooth connectivity options are also included. The lock supports all major smart home platforms including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. Battery life is rated at six months per charge, with charging handled via an included two-meter magnetic cable.


The European version requires replacing the entire lock cylinder and comes with three physical keys, while an upcoming US model will work as a retrofit solution similar to August smart locks. The lock can be controlled through multiple methods, including geofencing, via the smartphone app, or compatible smart home platforms, and it works with Nuki's existing accessories like key fobs and keypads.

The fifth-generation Nuki Smart Lock Ultra will be available in Europe this December for €349, with the US version planned for the second quarter of 2025.

OWC today announced its new Thunderbolt 5 Hub, one of the first accessories to support Intel's latest Thunderbolt standard, and offering Thunderbolt 5 compatibility with Apple's new Mac mini and MacBook Pro Models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.


The hub converts a single Thunderbolt port into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, and delivers up to 80Gb/s bi-directional data transfer speeds. It can achieve speeds up to twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4, with bandwidth up to 120Gb/s available for display connections, and supports connecting up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with Display Stream Compression, making it suitable for demanding visual workflows.


In terms of charging output, the hub provides up to 140W power delivery, which is enough for a 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the aluminum enclosure features passive cooling for silent operation.

OWC is keen to emphasize backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB-C devices, allowing users to connect both newer and legacy peripherals. The hub also enables the creation of three separate device daisy chains that can operate independently.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub opens a new world of workflow possibilities and performance with compact perfection. By turning a single cable connection into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub breaks the connectivity handcuffs of host machines not offering enough Thunderbolt 5 ports. With up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed – up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 – and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub redefines productivity. Connect portable SSDs exceeding 6000MB/s, up to three 8K displays @ 60Hz with DSC, today's USB-C connector compatible devices, and yesterday's USB-A desktop accessories. All while keeping modern notebooks powered and charged up for mobile use with 140 watts.

Apple plans to add more health-related features to future AirPods models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and the upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2 might offer a hint.


We previously reported that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, and perhaps that feature will extend to AirPods in the future. Based on our iOS 18 code findings, you will be able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, and the data will be visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone. Apple previously announced that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will be released in 2025, and AirPods Pro 3 are also rumored to launch next year.

Heart rate monitoring has in fact been rumored for the AirPods Pro multiple times, but the feature has yet to come to fruition. With the feature now seemingly ready for Powerbeats Pro 2, though, it could finally come to AirPods too.

AirPods are also rumored to gain body temperature sensing in the future, after the Apple Watch Series 8 and newer gained a wrist temperature feature.

Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers for playing music and a built-in rechargeable battery.


Apple will offer the hub in silver and black, and it will use a touch-based interface. The operating system will look like a mix of the iPhone's StandBy mode and watchOS, though it will primarily be controlled by voice. Apple plans to integrate Apple Intelligence for accessing apps and controlling smart home products, and it was designed around App Intents, a Siri system that will be able to control apps and tasks.

Apple designed a customizable home screen with widgets that can be used to show things like the weather and upcoming appointments, a photo slideshow, or important home controls. A software-based dock will be available for launching apps, and multiple systems in different rooms will work as intercoms. Apple plans to focus on security as well, providing alerts and camera footage from connected smart home cameras.

Built-in sensors will be able to determine how close a person is standing to the device, and it can adjust features from there. When no one is nearby, for example, it might show the temperature, but as someone approaches, it can switch to an interface for adjusting the thermostat, much like Nest thermostats. It could also detect how many people are nearby using external sensors that plug into outlets throughout the home, but Apple may or may not manufacture these extra sensors.

In addition to offering smart home controls and FaceTiming features, the device will include several Apple apps like Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Notes, Calendar, and Photos, but there will not be a dedicated App Store. Apple is designing different attachments, such as a plate for attaching it to the wall and a base with additional speakers for using it in a central location in the home.

Apple plans to position the smart display as a "command center," with the aim of furthering Apple's position in the smart home market. The smart home hub has been in development for more than three years, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has been pushing the engineering and design teams to prioritize the device. It will be a standalone device, but it is meant to work in concert with other Apple products and will require an ‌iPhone‌ for setup.

With the smart home hub, Apple is looking to compete with Amazon and Google, who have similar devices. Amazon has the Echo Hub, and Google offers the Nest Hub Max. Apple will likely need to price the device similarly to these products, and the Echo Hub costs $150, while the Nest Hub Max costs $230.

While Apple has considered creating its own line of smart home accessories like an indoor security camera, it is not yet clear if the company will do so. Apple could get into accessories if the smart home display is a success. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working on a smart home camera with wireless connectivity and deep integration with ‌Apple Intelligence‌, with Apple planning to launch the device in 2026.

In the future, Apple plans to release a robotic version of the smart home hub that can move the screen around, Gurman reports.

Animalities have returned to Mortal Kombat. Players of the infamous fighting game series can finish a defeated opponent off by transforming into an animal and brutally mauling them death for the first time since 1995's Mortal Kombat 3 with the "Khaos Reigns" update to Mortal Kombat 1.

So, what follows is a list of every Mortal Kombatant's fursonas, basically, from Mortal Kombat 1. Two warnings: In explaining different characters roles, there may be spoilers for the games, and also, extreme, over the top violence and gore is the point of Animalities.

read more

Google, Facebook and Twitter should be treated as state actors under existing legal doctrines. Using a combination of statutory inducements and regulatory threats, Congress has co-opted Silicon Valley to do through the back door what government cannot directly accomplish under the Constitution. Congress is giving Big Tech immunity and more power in exchange for it censoring whatever Congress wants censored. Continue reading →

The government is instructing social media companies what should and shouldn't be allowed to be on the internet, these are the people least competent to judge what is misinformation. Continue reading →

And so that is what I call the birth of this woke industrial complex. It is a new leviathan, a new monster, that is far more powerful than what Thomas Hobbes might have envisioned 400 years ago, and it is the biggest threat to individual liberty today. It is not big government alone. Its conservatives are reciting lines that they memorized in 1980, thinking that big government was the threat to individual liberty. Maybe it was in 1980. It's not today. It is this new hybrid of big government and big business and big government not just in the United States but big government in places like China, co-mingled with big business creating the actual threat to our liberty and our prosperity. Continue reading →

TRUMP TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THERE ARE THE SECURITY STATE AGENTS WHO THINK THAT THEY RUN THE GOVERNMENT AND HE STOOD UP TO THEM AND CHALLENGED THEIR ORTHODOXIES AND PIETIES AND SHOWED AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ON THE RIGHT, THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT NOBLE OR BENEVOLENT BUT ARE HIGHLY PERNICIOUS. THEY WANT TO INTERFERE IN OUR DOMESTIC POLITICS AND THEY OUGHT TO BE DEEPLY DISTRUSTED. Continue reading →

Shinichiro Watanabe compares COWBOY BEBOP to LAZARUS but admits nothing beats his experience on SPACE DANDY in this interview.

This week's Top Comics to Buy for November 13 features buzzy books like Absolute Batman, G.I. Joe, and more!

Henry Barajas' Death To Pachuco , a Chicano noir set in the Zoot Suit Riots, is now live on Kickstarter

Due to demand from vendors, The Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase (BICS) is going to a two day show in 2025

Years ago we were doing some work in the roofing business. In one study, we were working on the asphalt shingle roofing manufacturing business. At the time, this was a terrible business. Returns were low, growth rates were modest, at best, and there was a good deal of overcapacity in the industry. Then the industry caught a break. A shortage in asphalt developed. This shortage of asphalt rolled through the asphalt shingle plants and restricted their output. Immediately, prices jumped, returns became attractive and industry participants breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, this asphalt shortage did not last very long. The industry shortly returned to its previous hostile condition. (See the Perspective, “What Ends Hostility?” on StrategyStreet.com.)

A shortage in any component, or labor, will restrict industry capacity and tend to raise prices. A labor shortage is, in part, responsible for some of the high prices in mining today. Miners work in areas that are often hard to reach. They also are skilled employees. The run-up in commodity prices, especially those related to ores such as silver, gold and copper, has increased the demand for these skilled miners. In addition, the mining industry faces competition for skilled workers from the oil and natural gas industries, which are also growing.

Mining companies are now going to great lengths to attract and retain these skilled workers. Some of these miners are now earning 25% more in compensation than they were a year ago. Some companies are flying workers to and from remote mines. For example, BHP Billiton plans to fly 500 workers from Brisbane, about 500 miles away, to a coal mine site that they are opening and then fly them back home after a couple of weeks.

If this commodity boom continues, the industry’s total capacity will be determined more by labor availability than by its more traditional measures of capacity. (See “Audio Tip #117: Capacity Constraints and Pricing” on StrategyStreet.com.)

Don’t look now, but we are entering the world of F-commerce. What is that, those of you older than thirty will ask? F-commerce is selling through a Facebook page.

The trend is early yet, but likely to turn into a stampede. JC Penney and 1-800-Flowers.com both have established full E-commerce stores within their Facebook page. The stores include check-out and other features you typically find on an E-commerce web site. Facebook claims that twenty-five of the largest retail sites are already integrated with Facebook, as are seventeen of the twenty-five fastest growing retail sites.

Think of Facebook as a virtual mall. There are all kinds of people wandering around there, talking to one another. Facebook offers a nice opportunity for a company to interact with customers and allow them to bring their friends into the conversation to evaluate styles and colors and so forth. If a company integrates its storefront with the Facebook page, its Facebook “friends” will never have to leave the virtual mall in order to purchase. This is an important product innovation.

Product innovations reduce customers’ effective costs in one of three ways: add information about the product and how it is to be used, reduce the resources the customer must use with the product, or improve the customer’s experience with the product.

This innovation improves the customer’s experience with the product by increasing the customer’s sense of security in using the product. It allows the customer to get her friends’ opinions on what she is purchasing. Secondarily, the Facebook store reduces the customer’s resources used with the product by reducing the time the customer must spend in using the product. The innovation reduces the steps the customer must take to make a purchase and it places the company’s product closer to the customer’s location.

This is going to be a train to the destination of millions of customers. Every mainstream retailer has to get on board.

The Facts You Need To Know About Supplements that have proprietary blends.

Nearly 75% of the world population takes some type of supplement each day. There are literally thousands of brands and millions of products to choose from. Is there really a difference between them?

The FDA allows questionable fillers and binders such as; cork by products, chemical FD&C dyes, sodium benzoate, dextrose, ethycellulose, and propylene glycol to name only a few. Although these ingredients may be legal, what are the nutritional benefits? Reports have indicate that some of these ingredients can be toxic at certain levels with prolong use.
The FDA does not monitor the contents or purity of a supplement nor the source of a nutritional ingredient.

Purity: What does it really mean? ---Defined: The quality or state of being pure or unmixed with any other element.

In most cases, Impure ingredients are used by many companies. The FDA does not require manufacturers to list these ingredients (on the nutritional labels) if they are not added when making the final dosage form. Many times the raw materials may contain only 90% or less of the listed ingredients along with 10% or more corn starch and lactose. Lactose and corn are known allergens for some people. These items have been known to cause digestive disturbances and weaken the immune system. A conscientious company will not compromise the integrity of a product with such raw materials.  There are 3 types of grades but, we are going to talk about 1 here for the purpose of this article.

1.  Pharmaceutical Grade supplements meet exacting pharmaceutical production standards.
Pharmaceutical Grade supplements are manufactured to a very high standards of potency, purity, dissolution, and a higher degree of bioavailability – the degree at which the vitamin is absorbed into a living system.The term pharmaceutical grade was originally taken from the standard of certification of the facilities in which pharmaceutical grade supplements were made.  Pharmaceutical grade also refers to the ingredients in the supplement. Pharmaceutical grade vitamins meet the highest standards for purity and concentration.

Finally, pharmaceutical grade supplements have a high bioavailability. This means that when you take a pharmaceutical grade products, your body absorbs an optimal amount of nutrients. Better nutrient absorption means greater health benefits.

If you want to know what supplements to buy, look for the "GMP" or "CPMG" stamps on the container.  These two stamps indicate that they were manufactured in a pharmaceutical company.  Be careful with products that have proprietary blends.  Proprietary blends have ingredients that are not listed on the container so you really don't know what you are consuming.

choose-health.org 
pharmanutrients.com 2009
healingedge.net 2012