by Taylor Griggs

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

Good morning, Portland. I need to keep it real with you—I'm not doing too hot on an emotional level. I know I'm not alone in that feeling. But it's going to be 60 degrees and sunny out today (ahead of cold and rain for days to come) so I recommend going outside, taking a walk, trying to breathe. Now, am I going to do that? HELL NO! Just as your elementary school teachers lived in the school, I live in the computer and I cannot get out, even when it would serve me and others to do so. Okay, fine—I will try to take a short walk today. But you have to, too. I'm going to stop talking to myself now because I know what you came here for was the NEWS, not little platitudes about self-care. But, I mean, we should take care of ourselves. 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• THE SECOND ROUND OF CITY COUNCIL RESULTS ARE IN...and nothing has changed. Well, okay, the candidates who were leading on election night are still in good positions to win, though Multnomah County has more than 100,000 ballots left to count (and more are likely en route to the Elections Office).

Right now, it's looking like there's going to be a pretty solid progressive majority on City Council, with candidates Tiffany Koyama Lane and Mitch Green (both endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America) in good positions to win a seat. Other notable progressive candidates in the top three of their districts include Candace Avalos (D1), Sameer Kanal (D2), and Angelita Morillo (D3). This evening's drop should bring a bit more certainty, but there's good reason for optimism.

Business poured a ton of money into these races and money was unable to compete with community, a strong ground game, and the literal power of love and friendship (yes I’m talking about me and Tiffany ????)

— Angelita for PDX (@pnwpolicyangel) November 7, 2024

BUT! I buried the lede here, because we do know one thing: Keith Wilson is going to be Portland's next mayor. Current Mayor Ted Wheeler posted his congratulations on social media, and mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez said he conceded the race. We ranked Wilson second on our list of endorsements, and his win is a pretty resounding disapproval of our current City Council members, three of whom ran mayoral campaigns of their own. Also...our city sure has a type. 

• Commissioners Rene Gonzelez, Mingus Mapps, and Dan Ryan have dropped their controversial, expensive plan to terminate the city's homeless services agreement with Multnomah County. Why? Well, as much as I'd like to think common sense prevailed, it seems more likely that Gonzalez and Mapps are just not in the mood for political stunts following their poor showing in Tuesday's mayoral election. The trio pulled the agenda item to consider terminating the joint homeless response agreement a little more than 24 hours before it was set to be considered by Council today.

And folks, this is a win! Terminating the Homelessness Response Services Intergovernmental Agreement between the city of Portland and Multnomah County would've cost about $40 million in cold hard cash and even more in wasted energy and political capital. Plus, with the intergovernmental agreement dissolution off the table, it's official: Gonzalez really did not do ANYTHING during his short time in Portland City Hall. (And I feel confident saying he will not be productive in his lame duck period.) No matter what happens with the new City Council, it's only uphill from here.  

Last night was a repudiation of this kind of politics. Good to pull it as 2/3 of its sponsors will not even be on the next council. I'm calling on council to also pull the Clean and Safe ESD vote from next week's agenda. Let the next council take that up. https://t.co/I0e6DXbDCB

— Mitch Green for Portland City Council, District 4 (@mitch4portland) November 6, 2024

• If you're looking for some non-election related news, our Corbin Smith has you covered with a wonderful recap and stunning photos from the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Global Championship this past weekend, where Portland's roller derby squad won the day. Smith says the roller derby championship was "sports. Major sports." So READ ALL ABOUT IT RIGHT HERE. 

• There's really not much local news available right now that's not related to the election (which is fair and good and obviously important but I figure you guys might want to read about something else for a second of your day). But there is this: Intel is bringing back free coffee and tea for employees. This was an employee benefit it slashed during budget cuts last summer, but in an attempt to improve employee morale, it's back. The chipmaker is currently doing layoffs at its Oregon facility and has cut other, more important employee benefits that will likely not return, but I guess a cost-benefit analysis showed saving money on coffee wasn't worth the fight. If Mike Rogoway at the Oregonian deems it important, who am I to disagree? (That wasn't sarcasm, Rogoway's a great reporter.) 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: 

• The country is reacting to the news of a second Trump presidency, and there are obviously some different takes. I took note of a few notable perspectives during the rare moments when I was able to make the outrageously difficult effort to lift my head from my pillow yesterday. Senator Bernie Sanders (of "Bernie would've won" fame) probably said it best, IMO.

Sanders wrote in a statement yesterday that "It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change." He also acknowledged the futility of asking the "big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party" to "learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign."

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Bernie Sanders (@berniesanders)

"Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful Oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not," Sanders wrote. 

DAMN. That's harsh but real. I hope others will join Bernie in calling on the Democratic Party to meet the moment instead of handing their ass to the increasingly fascistic Republicans. I do believe the election results also need to fall on the MAGA fools who have sold their soul to the devil in exchange for the promise of cheaper gas, but we aren't going to win by further alienating the working class. The Democrats better start bringing something to the table, or it'll be even more Joever than it is right now. 

• Among the MANY deep concerns I have about Trump's reelection, the climate crisis ranks at the top. Trump is a known climate denier and has stated his desire to boost oil production, get rid of subsidies for electric cars, and overall do a bunch of damage to any small amount of progress we've been able to make on the climate crisis in the last four years. So I'm freaking out, because this issue isn't exactly something we have time to fuck around on. 

Something that made me feel a bit better: Clean energy analysts and activists say though a second Trump administration will make it harder to transition to renewable and clean energy, it won't make it impossible. The market has already embraced clean energy for its financial benefits and the economic devastation that climate change is and will continue to cause. And that's not changing. (Obviously, the free market is not going to solve the climate crisis, but that reality would remain the same under any capitalist president.) 

Also, there are a lot of climate activists and scientists and lawyers who are a lot smarter than I am and already planning their resistance to Trump's inevitably horrible policies. If you, too, are deeply worried about climate action under Trump, consider supporting or joining an environmental organization or law group. Also, ride your bike more. Even if it won't solve the climate crisis on its own, it'll make you feel a little better. 

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by NRDC (@nrdc_org)

Now, topic change needed for my sanity. Sorry.

• A federal labor judge ruled Amazon workers in Alabama should get a third chance to vote on unionizing. The first time warehouse workers at a facility in Bessemer voted about unionizing in 2021, they voted no, but labor officials ruled that Amazon influenced the vote and the result shouldn't be expected. Workers voted again in 2022, but the election was too close to call and has remained in limbo. Now, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge has ordered a third election. But Amazon, AKA Union Busters R US, will surely contest the decision and continue to stomp union activity wherever it can. And under a Trump NLBR...ugh. The doom is creeping in. Sorry. Just here to report the news. 

• There's a major wildfire in Southern California, just northwest of Los Angeles, prompting evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people. Powerful winds are fanning the flames and the fire has already destroyed dozens of homes and blanketed neighborhoods in smoke. Hoping for more favorable fire-fighting conditions soon.

• Finally, there's this. Happy Thursday. TTYL.

Many people will continue struggling to come to terms with the election results, but there’s still a lot you can do:

1) Be irritable at work
2) Withdraw from people who love you/need you
3) Make an impulsive and self destructive major life decision

— Noah Garfinkel (@NoahGarfinkel) November 6, 2024

University of Florida cybersecurity professor Kevin Butler developed the framework, which spells out guidance for countries to prevent fraud and abuse on mobile cash apps.

Truck route GPS apps are powerful tools that help commercial truck drivers plan and navigate their routes effectively. Unlike traditional GPS apps, truck route GPS apps take into account the specific requirements of commercial vehicles, such as weight restrictions, low bridges, and truck-friendly parking. These apps provide accurate turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, and advanced route optimization algorithms to ensure that truck drivers reach their destinations efficiently and safely.

In a world where digital privacy is increasingly important, finding the right tools to protect your data is essential. With mobile phones becoming central to our lives, it's crucial to choose apps that prioritize privacy.

Boxo has partnered with global payments infrastructure firm

ESET researchers discovered Arid Viper espionage campaigns spreading trojanized apps to Android users in Egypt and Palestine

What if your favorite dating, social media or gaming app revealed your exact coordinates to someone you’d rather keep at a distance?

Outage reports had come down to less than 500 as of 6:30 p.m. ET (2230 GMT), according to Downdetector.

Both the companies are working to optimise the execution of Meta’s LLMs directly on-device without the need of cloud services. According to the chipmaker, the technology will enable applications, powered by Snapdragon, to work in areas with no connectivity or even in airplane mode. This will essentially bring generative AI capabilities from large companies using powerful processors to users’ hands.

About 73% of Instagram business accounts that self-identify as a women-owned business were set up in the last three years in India, the company revealed.

Apple has announced that starting today, its global community of developers will be able to create spatial computing apps for Vision Pro.

On existing devices, users can switch to the new Outlook for Windows from a toggle in the Mail and Calendar applications.

Social media giant Meta is looking to challenge Apple and Google's dominance in the app marketplace by considering the creation of its own app store. The move is motivated by the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which calls for tech giants to open their platforms and allow alternative methods of app downloading. Meta aims to allow users to download apps directly from Facebook ads, resulting in higher conversion rates for developers. Failure to comply with the DMA can result in fines and possible acquisition bans.

Apple has removed 25 VPN apps from its App Store in Russia, complying with orders from the communications regulator. This move comes amidst Russia's crackdown on VPNs and ongoing tensions with big tech companies over content regulation and censorship.

Three years ago, the Federal Trade Commission dimmed hopes for the Brightest Flashlight app for Android, slapping its developer with charges of consumer deception. Why? The app was transmitting users' locations and device IDs to third parties without telling the users or getting their permission.

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While the company will sell SiliconDust's HD HomeRun boxes pre-loaded with FreeCast Home, current device owners will be able to download the software as well.

License Plating version 1.97 expands mixed item tracking capabilities, boosts inventory accuracy, and optimizes workflows for manufacturers and distributors.

Atlanta video production company DCD Complete Marketing Solutions has begun producing professional Indiegogo videos for iPhone and iPad Apps.

With over 15,000 combined downloads and a stellar rating, Insith Works' user-friendly apps provide unprecedented functionality and flexibility to enhance business processes.

Insight Works offers Microsoft Partners cutting-edge, free apps that seamlessly integrate with Business Central, enhancing operational workflows, reducing costs, and driving competitive advantages.

Cybersecurity With Robust Threat Protection for Mobile Game Apps

Last August, SwifDoo PDF was officially added to Microsoft AppSource. Users can now download SwifDoo PDF on Microsoft AppSource.

Enhanced Mobile App Experience: AirKast and Audience Forge Collaborate on Contest Integration

Two-week-long Design Thinking & STEM summer program will teach high school students how to design and build life-changing products for individuals with disabilities.

Orientation and navigation in a unknown city can be hard, can these wayfinding apps help you along?

Exploring unknown cities for business or pleasure, for me, is always a joyful experience, walking around and getting into the city will enlighten your vision and makes you connect to the culture. Visiting the beautiful and exciting elements a city has to offer makes your trip an unforgettable visit. Getting information on how to get around in a city is essential for easy orientation and navigation.

Actually one of the most important factors that you will remember after visiting a city is how did you get around.

What items did you use to navigate through a city? How did public transport interacts with the navigation possibilities that you have? What was your feeling and with the items you used to navigate and did you find your way? Where did you get your information from and was it sufficient enough?

All of these questions make or break a your vision on city exploration.

Exploring a unknown city

When visiting a city there are different ways you can get there and after arriving you need to know where you are in the spatial environment in order to locate yourself and make decisions on where to go next. The provided information at that point of entry is critical for easy city exploration, if the provided information is insufficient, you might turn the wrong way and not finding the locations you want or need to visit. Going the wrong way increases feelings of disorientation, distraction and anxiety. The feeling that you are loosing time on exploring a city trip is one of the worst psychological emotions you experience.

City information

When visiting a new city is can be useful to check the cities website and obtain information about:

• Public transport and available connections between the various transportation services
• Getting a map of the city and locate your hotel, maybe even plan a trip from your city point to entry to the hotel
• Maybe plan your trip via google maps and mark all the points your want to visit
• Opening hours of the facilities you want to visit
• I’m that kind of guy that doesn’t do any of the suggested items as described above… I just try to explore the city using my senses and trying to find where I need to go next. Sometimes this is a great and joyful experience, sometimes it causes disorientation and arguments with the people I travel with at that time.

Orientation and navigation in an unknown city

When using your senses to guide yourself in a unknown environment you need eye-level directional information and possibly a map to locate and navigate through the city. City often uses directional signs on streets to point you in the right direction and sometimes information panels are providing you with an orientation overview. In future posts I will go deeper into pedestrian navigation and city wayfinding. Other forms of navigation is through a mobile phone powered with for instance Google Maps or specific applications enhanced to bring you information about the city you want to visit.

City marketing and visitors information

As city marketing is the nr. 1 way of promoting your city, providing information to the visitors is also part of the branding strategy. Currently many cities worldwide are producing mobile applications to improve the visitors experience and this will make it easier to navigate through a city. I have compiled a list of iPhone applications which will let you navigation through a city using your own personal map.

iPhone apps are a huge extension to the workflow of every professional designer. This list is a large collection of work apps for your iPhone to manage your online files, create a mindmap, record messages, send business cards, pick a color and convert it into another, make calculations and much more. This list provides over 20+ iPhone applications, some are paid, some are free, let me know what iPhone App you use.

The importance of mobile design really cannot be exaggerated these days. In 2014, 60 percent of web traffic came from a mobile device. That’s well over half, and more than enough reason to convince any sane person of the importance of mobile first design.But building a top smartphone app is tough. Contrary to what most […]

The post 6 main elements of beautifully designed smartphone apps first appeared on TECH Intelligence and is written by Drew Hendricks.

Apps can really help your business grow, or they can be your entire business.  Flappy Bird anyone?  But no matter which route you go, it’s worth an audit to be sure you are making as much money as you possibly can from your company’s apps.  Otherwise, you are just leaving money on the table, and […]

The post Are you making enough money from your apps? first appeared on TECH Intelligence and is written by Brian Wallace.

View and Vote

ETSI’s new group on COVID-19 tracing apps interoperability moving fast: officials elected and work programme set up

Sophia Antipolis, 11 June 2020

The ETSI E4P group, “Europe for Privacy-Preserving Pandemic Protection”, launched a month ago has already held two meetings. The work of ISG E4P aims to facilitate the development of backward-compatible and interoperable proximity tracing applications to be used to combat pandemics by helping to break viral transmission chains.

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Here is a Storify round up of the SpotOn London session: Enhanced eBooks & BookApps: The

Paul N. Gardner USA (Gardco) announced two new custom Gardco mobile apps to enhance efficiency and precision, the Gardco Viscosity Calculator App and the Gardco Psychrometric Calculator App.

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning provides a list of some of the best iPad apps curated for learning and instructional purposes.

The list is divided into 19 sections with each containing a list of apps for a specific need. The sections include apps that facilitates:

1. presentation
2. screencasting
3. video creation
4. file storage
5. whiteboard
6. PDF annotation
7. audio recording
8. note-taking
9. blogging
10. book creation
11. comic apps
12. digital storytelling apps
13. apps for grading
14. mindmapping apps
15. portfolio apps
16. apps for creating posters
17. apps for creating timelines
18. apps for creating word clouds
19. speech-to-text apps

1. Book Creator
2. Handouts
3. Remind
4. Google Keep
5. ClassDojo
6. Nearpod
7. Socrative Teacher
8. Edmodo
9. Google Classroom
10. Explain Everything

A panel of experts in mobile app development and Oracle ADF Mobile share their insight into meeting the challenges of developing mobile apps for the enterprise.

Bridging the gap between existing developer skills and the specific skills needed to develop successful enterprise mobile applications may not be as difficult as you think.

Preparing the enterprise back end to support a mobile strategy has benefits beyond mobile; How mobile is reinvigorating the SOA world.

What can you do to future-proof efforts to bring mobility to the enterprise; resources for learning more about the role Oracle ADF Mobile can play in developing enterprise mobile applications.

Beyond the buzz, what impact is IoT having in the real world? How is it changing enterprise IT? A panel of experts shares their experience and insight.

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Java developer and JavaOne 2022 speaker Emily Jiang from the UK.

Emily is a Java Champion and Developer Advocate. She's doing three sessions at JavaOne in October on microservices and cloud native development and she previews them in this discussion. She also talks about her experiences with the Java community and JavaOne. 

JavaOne 2022 from October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne 2022 Updates at Inside Java

Emily Jiang, Developer Advocate, IBM 

• @emilyfhjiang

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

Comments

From creating comic strips to selfie photoshoots, Google’s new apps show the capabilities of our smartphone cameras.

Read more: Google launches three new photography apps for iOS and Android

The project was described by judges as a 'creative and inspiring submission that will spark curiosity in space exploration'.

Read more: ‘Runtime Terror’ wins Dublin’s NASA Space Apps Challenge

Mobile voice interface development requires a clear objective with a lot of customer insight.

La protesta expresada antes y después de los partidos por haber jugado no estuvo acompañada por peticiones ante Liga o AFE. La situación refleja su descoordinación y nulo poder frente a los clubes Leer

By Terri Knowles, freelance writer.

In the internet age, it’s sometimes easy to forget that customer service sometimes requires an old-school approach. Your clients have a problem, you make a work order, and your field team goes there to resolve it. While this process sounds simple, it could become a proper logistical nightmare, a nightmare that simple mobile apps could solve. With that in mind and without further ado, here’s how mobile apps can help revolutionize service management.

Food and drink IT specialist CSB-System has introduced a series of apps to enable customers to easily access their system at any time and from anywhere via smartphone, tablet or PC. This enables them to check the latest reports, approve process steps and carry out other tasks remotely or while on the move – which increases efficiency and convenience.

Homegrown, modernized legacy and software as a service applications all benefit from continuous testing for performance and functionality.

The post Continuous code testing ensures enterprise apps keep working first appeared on Federal News Network.