Former cricketer Dwayne Bravo and CG’s Aunt Angie have teamed up to release “West Indies Deyah,” a new anthem celebrating West Indies cricket for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. A spokesperson said, “Former cricketer Dwayne Bravo, also known as DJ Bravo, and CG’s Aunt Angie have teamed up to launch a new track titled […]

Armand & Paiva LLC, co-founded by T.J. Armand and Carl H. Paiva, has announced a series of new global entertainment projects, including ventures in New York, London, and Bermuda. A spokesperson said, “Armand & Paiva LLC, an entertainment company co-founded by award-winning producer T.J. Armand and esteemed Bermudian entrepreneur Carl H. Paiva JP, is proud […]

The Free Democratic Movement [FDM] announced that Omar Dill was elected as Party Chairperson by acclamation. A spokesperson said, “The Free Democratic Movement [FDM] proudly announces a new chapter of leadership, with Omar Dill elected as Party Chairperson by acclamation. This transition introduces a refreshed executive team dedicated to advancing the FDM’s mission of empowering […]

The RMS beauty brand has launched the Bermuda Rose Kit, a limited-edition blush collection inspired by Bermuda, with a special shopping evening scheduled for October 26 at the Cassine store. A spokesperson said, “Join the Bermuda Blush global launch at Cassine. The Hamilton based clean beauty boutique launches the RMS Bermuda Rose Kit in the country […]

Team Bermuda will dazzle today [July 26] at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, as the Bermuda Olympic Association announces local fashion designers Courtney Clay, Channing Dill, and Alana Wade as the official designers for the 2024 Olympic Games. A spokesperson said, “Clay is credited with the custom scarf, tie, and pocket squares. Dill created a […]

Bermudian clothing brand Pressure ‘Til We Perish has launched a special line of pink t-shirts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Brand owner Vincent Darrell explained that a portion of the sales would go directly to the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre charity. “This campaign truly reflects the community Pressure ‘Til We Perish is building […]

Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Fenty Fragrance will officially launch at 59 Front in Hamilton today [Oct 24]. A spokesperson said, “Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Fenty Fragrance have officially landed at 59 Front, with the full collection available starting at 4:30 PM on Thursday, October 24, the company announced today. “To celebrate, the line […]

Phoenix Stores held its Fenty Beauty launch event yesterday [Oct 24] at its 59 Front Street location. A spokesperson previously said, “Our team put in the work to craft a proposal to secure our spot as Bermuda’s go-to retail destination for the hottest beauty trends. “To celebrate, the line will debut at a special launch […]

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the UK has formally quashed Julian Washington’s conviction for murder and attempted murder. A spokesperson said,, “To secure Julian’s conviction, the prosecution in Bermuda relied upon the testimony of a DNA expert at trial. The jury were told Julian’s DNA was found on bullet casings recovered from […]

Apex Group Ltd. announced it has acquired the technology platform and conference business of Context365, “an established global provider of technology and events that connects alternative asset class investors with high quality asset managers.” A spokesperson said, “Context365 connects LPs and GPs through its software as a service [SaaS] digital networking and research platform, further […]

In a filing with the Bermuda Stock Exchange [BSX], Somers Limited announced the “shareholder approval of merger with SNB Investments.” The full filing stated: “Somers Limited, a financial services investment holding company, announces that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $4.55 per share to be payable to shareholders of record on 4 […]

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 […]

BF&M and Argus Group announced today that they “have signed a definitive amalgamation agreement, pursuant to which BF&M and Argus will combine in an all-stock transaction.” A spokesperson said, “The transaction is subject to required regulatory approvals and shareholder approval with a planned completion date for the amalgamation in the fourth quarter of 2024. The amalgamation “Under […]

In a filing with the Bermuda Stock Exchange [BSX], Somers Limited announced that, effective November 1, 2024, Somers’ largest shareholder, Union Mutual Pension Fund Limited [UMPFL] has merged with General Provincial Life Pension Fund Limited [GPLPFL], with GPLPFL being the continuing entity. The full filing stated: “As a result, the 14,424,184 ordinary shares of Somers, representing […]

The Bermuda Tourism Authority announced a collaboration with Oprah Daily to feature Bermuda’s natural beauty and culture on the travel series Adventures with Gayle and Adam, which premiered on August 9, 2024. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] has announced the culmination of its collaboration with Oprah Daily, resulting in a featured segment […]

BermudAir has launched a new promotion, with travellers booking a BermudAir Holiday package in September set to “receive complimentary second airfare.” A spokesperson said, “BermudAir announced today that its latest travel promotion is making waves by boosting tourism to Bermuda during the fall season. With enticing savings and exclusive perks, the airline is drawing more visitors […]

“While we are disappointed that the anticipated 110 units at Bermudiana Beach Resort will no longer be added to our hotel stock, we remain committed to promote Bermuda’s hospitality offerings,” the BTA said. This follows after Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch announced that a “decision was made to pivot the Bermudiana Beach Resort […]

After a shocking Season Two finale cliffhanger that left audiences on the edge of their seats, the news is finally out that Harlem will return for Season Three at the top of next year on January 23, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Steve Burton announced as the 2024 Distinguished Citizen. The celebration will take place Dec. 5th at Ocean Edge Resort. ...

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.

This article, "Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mophie has three new Qi2 charging accessories available as of today from Apple retail stores, including a 3-in-1 Travel Charger, a Wireless Charging Vent Mount, and a Magnetic Vent Mount.


The $150 3-in-1 Travel Charger features a Qi2 MagSafe charging surface for the iPhone, which can provide up to 15W to a compatible ‌iPhone‌. It also has an Apple Watch charger that offers up to 7.5W for fast charging Apple Watch Series 7 models and later, and a 5W AirPods charging surface.

A 40W wall adapter is included for charging all three devices at once, and it comes with international plug configurations for the United States, UK, European Union, and Australia. The ‌iPhone‌ charging surface can be used while flat or while lifted up, and in the lifted mode, it is compatible with StandBy.

The charger folds up in half so that it can easily be tucked away in a backpack or a suitcase when traveling, plus Mophie includes a Travel Case that holds the charger and the power adapter that comes with it.

Mophie's $70 Wireless Car Vent Mount provides up to 15W for charging a compatible ‌iPhone‌ with Qi2. It is designed to connect to a vent using an adjustable hook, and it has a wide base that holds the ‌iPhone‌ securely in place.


The mount can tilt and swivel so that the viewing angle can be optimally adjusted, and one hand can be used to mount the ‌iPhone‌ and remove it. The vent attachment works on car vents up to 41mm deep, and Mophie includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 20W USB-C car adapter, and two cable management clips.

If in-car charging isn't needed, Mophie also has a $30 Car Vent Mount that holds an ‌iPhone‌ in place via ‌MagSafe‌, allowing it to be used for navigation, hands-free calls, and more. With the exception of charging capabilities, it is identical to the Wireless Mount, featuring multiple viewing angles, one-handed operation, and a strong magnetic hold.

Mophie's new products can be purchased from the Apple online store or in Apple retail locations.

This article, "Mophie Launches New Qi2 Car Charger and 3-in-1 Travel Charger" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Lunch Break

By: Tim Ernst

I've been noticing a trend lately at my job of what people are eating for lunch. The people I've been noticing are people in their 20's who have very unhealthy eating habits. Most of these people are skinny guys that appear to be either lazy to eat right or trying to gain weight. I think that in their minds they think that by eating anything they want it will some how help them to gain weight or does it?

These guys are known as hard gainers. They can eat anything they want and not gain weight. What they don't realize is what their putting into their body's will eventually do more harm than good.

Just the other day while I was eating my lunch I saw a guy who looked pretty skinny throw down a whole box of twinkies and washed it down with a bottle of soda. I watched him eat one by one until he was finished. I thought if only he knew what he was doing to himself he might rethink what he was doing. He looked pale, skinny, and just unhealthy.

You see anything you put into your body, it has to break it down. So what happens when you put something unhealthy into your body? Your body needs certain nutrients to break down food so if you are eating unhealthy foods that do not have certain nutrients, your body has no choice but to pull those nutrients from somewhere.
Your body is going to pull those nutrients from either muscle or bones to break it down leaving you looking unhealthy, skinny, and pale.

So the next time you think that by eating a twinkie is going to somehow help with gaining weight, you might want to consider replacing those foods with more nutritious foods. Its like they say, "Garbage in Garbage Out".

Have questions? Post them here and I'll do my best to get back with you.

Alt Text: Two dog walkers, walking two dogs. (It looks as if I've whimsically made it look like one of the dogs is interested in a butcher's signboard advertising sausages, but actually it wasn't me who did that. It was the dog.)

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1. North Melbourne announces three-year Western Australia agreement  North Melbourne Football Club
2. Roos end 14-year relationship amid bold new location for AFL games  Fox Sports
3. North Melbourne takes 'home' AFL matches to Western Australia  ABC News
4. Eagles set for extra WA game  West Coast Eagles

1. As it happened: Donald Trump ally taunts Kevin Rudd; WiseTech shareholders launch class action  Sydney Morning Herald
2. Ditching Rudd over Trump insults would be ‘worst possible signal’: Turnbull  Sydney Morning Herald
3. Senior Liberal calls for Rudd to be sacked after Trump advisor suggests US ambassador is on thin ice  9News

As of November 10, 2015, BORROWED TIME (the sequel to CHRONAL ENGINE) is now available in bookstores everywhere as well as online (in hardcover and ebook)!  Signed copies are available from BookPeople.

In an article titled, 'Borrowed Time' mixes paleontology and fantasy, Saturday's Austin American-Statesman had a great review of BORROWED TIME, stating it's "a slam-dunk for dinosaur aficionados and will appeal as well to those who are fans of literary time travel and outdoorsy adventure."

Sunday was the launch party at BookPeople! I had great fun doing a presentation discussing the connections between the book, Charles Umlauf, dinosaurs, Johnny Weissmuller, and me (really).

The dinosaur standees for the photo booth were a hit, as were the refreshments including water, soft drinks, wine and cheese, and crackers. (The wine, from the Languedoc region of France, is made from grapes grown in Cretaceous clays where dinosaur fossils have have been found).

But the real eye-opener was the mosasaur cake by author/cakelustrator Akiko White. About two feet high, it featured a mosasaur sculpted from modeler's chocolate on a chocolate cake base with buttercream frosting! She'll be doing a youtube video on the making of it soon (and I'll link when it's available).  Suffice to say that still pictures don't do it justice -- it was mounted on a motorized turntable and illuminated with a blue strobe that made it look like it was underwater!

Here are the pics:

Me and cake

Carmen Oliver and T.rex

Akiko assembles! (photo courtesy Akiko White)

Presenting (photo courtesy Akiko White)

Cake!

Refreshments

Signing

Frances Hill and Lindsey Lane (photo courtesy of Shelley Ann Jackson)

Shelley Ann Jackson and Lindsey Lane (photo courtesy Shelley Ann Jackson)

 Many thanks to BookPeople for hosting the event, to everyone who came for the event, and to everyone who helped out: Akiko, for making the awesome cake; Cynthia Leitich Smith; Carmen Oliver; Lindsey Lane; Shelley Ann Jackson; and Cory Putnam Oakes!

Cake topper in its natural habitat

NASA is preparing to launch its flagship mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa. Launching sometime in October 2024 and arriving in 2030, the mission will explore the icy world with a subsurface ocean that scientists think could have conditions favorable to life.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch a mission to study the aftermath of DART's impact on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos.

The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft launched on Oct. 7, 2024, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It will travel to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system to study the aftermath of the first-ever field test of an asteroid deflection technique.

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft launched today aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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