FinTech Innovation Lab Demo Day: ESG, Crypto, and Managing Risk - InformationWeek

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Last week, the FinTech Innovation Lab held a demo day in New York for its latest class of startups that were mentored to help them further their concepts and find potential backers.

Alice Neumann, head of corporate bank Americas and global head of strategic corporate lending for Deutsche Bank Americas, kicked off the demo day hosted at Deutsche Bank’s offices. The lab was co-founded by Accenture and the Partnership Fund for New York City.

Neumann said this year’s cohort of 10 graduates was chosen from nearly 200 applicants from around the world. The startups, she said, focused on such areas as creating sustainable investments, meeting ESG (environmental, social, and governance) outcomes, improving transparency around cryptocurrencies, and managing security and compliance risks.

“Their solutions use technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud, blockchain, and advance data analytics,” Neumann said. In addition to mentoring and supporting the startups, Deutsche Bank also funds some of the graduates of the lab in their later stages, she said, via a corporate venture capital program. This includes SkyHive, a labor analytics platform, which received an equity investment of an undisclosed amount earlier this year from Deutsche Bank. “We continue to be on the lookout for further investments and further solutions so that we can reimagine banking,” Neumann said.

The work of the lab continued through the pandemic, said Maria Gotsch, president and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City, with alumni startups actively raising funding. “Collectively they raised $1 billion since 2019,” Gotsch said. The total amount raised to date by all alumni of the lab is $2.2 billion, she said.

Participants in the lab were mentored and advised for three months, Gotsch said. Some members of the latest class have already raised series C funding, she said, and some are also remaining in the area after graduation. “A number of them are moving their headquarters to New York City or setting up an office,” Gotsch said.

The demoing companies:

CoverForce -- Works with national property and casualty carriers to standardize their APIs and build customized platforms for independent agency networks.

Draivn -- developed a platform that collects and analyzes any type of telematics data from fleets and converts that into solutions and tools for commercial auto insurers and brokers.

Evercity -- A blockchain-based sustainability measurement and investment platform that automates issuance, management, and monitoring of sustainable finance.

Ion Channel -- A software supply chain management platform that identifies and monitors third-party security risk from software suppliers that include vendors, outsourced app developers, contractors, and open source.

LeapXpert -- A platform that creates an accessible digital record of all business interactions carried out over mobile messaging applications to ensure that organizations’ data will meet compliance requirement.

Mark Labs -- An AI/ML stewardship platform asset managers can use to define impact metrics, engage with investors and portfolio companies, and link their capital allocations to the pursuit of ESG outcomes and targeted financial returns.

Messari -- A provider of market intelligence products that help professionals navigate crypto, used by individuals and institutions alike. Combines deep analysis, data, news, and tools to improve industry transparency and drive smarter participation in crypto.

Railz -- An API provides financial institutions and fintechs with instant, real-time access to their business customers’ financial data from different sources such as accounting, banking, tax, and e-commerce to make better data-driven decisions.

SoLo Funds -- An on-demand marketplace that lets members request and fund loans for emergency needs, providing an equitable, community-driven lending alternative.

Straylight Systems -- An AI solution that creates reliable, secure software code automatically.

What to Read Next:

LendingClub CEO Discusses Building a Digital Marketplace Bank

Can Regulators and Fintech Find the Right Formula for Innovation?

NY Fintech Week: Crypto Regulation, Fraud, and Venture Capital

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 30, 2022 at 07:10PM
https://ift.tt/PNRTAyU

FinTech Innovation Lab Demo Day: ESG, Crypto, and Managing Risk - InformationWeek
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZuoFweG
https://ift.tt/joMiKud

Checkmate for Papaya King: Extell files demo plans on UES - The Real Deal

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Extell Development’s Gary Barnett and 171-179 East 86th Street (Extell Development, iStock)

UPDATED June 30, 2022, 1 p.m.: Hot dog connoisseurs aren’t relishing the likely loss of Upper East Side institution Papaya King.

Gary Barnett’s Extell Development filed demolition plans for 171-179 East 86th Street, Patch reported. The site is home to the flagship Papaya King, which has been serving up hot dogs at the location for nearly a century.

Or, at least, it was home to the flagship: The previous landlord alleged in 2020 that the original proprietor’s lease was terminated, after which former Papaya King management company Grab & Go broke in, reopened the shop and continued to operate it without authorization. Litigation is ongoing.

The developer’s plans for the site are unknown, as it didn’t respond to requests for comments from the publication. The low-rise corner site was purchased in the fall for $21 million; the buyer was masked behind an anonymous LLC at the time.

The future of Papaya King also isn’t clear, but it’s not looking good. The phone number was not functioning on Wednesday and the eatery’s website appeared to be down.

The one-story commercial site has several other businesses, but most of them have closed down in recent years. The lot is only 50 feet by 100 feet and there are no indications that Extell has acquired any of the adjacent parcels.

Papaya King has been in trouble on the Upper East Side for some time. The store has been involved in a lease dispute since the onset of the pandemic as losses mounted. Extell has taken over in the dispute, claiming Grab & Go Convenience has refused to depart the building, despite “monetary incentives” to do so.

An attorney for Grab & Go claims former landlord Imperial Sterling didn’t even have the right to sell the building, since it only had a 50 percent stake in the property.

The demolition site is a mere two avenues away from another Extell development site at 1637 First Avenue. Extell has plans for a 22-story, L-shaped building at the site to work around a pair of tenant holdouts. The building will be 215 feet tall and include 543 apartments, as well as commercial space.

The developer recently landed a $125 million debt package from German commercial lender Helaba to refinance the First Avenue project.

Extell is also developing a 30-story medical building on the Upper East Side on a vacant lot between 79th and 80th streets on First Avenue. The 400,000-square-foot development is already partially pre-leased to the Hospital for Special Surgery.

This article has been updated with information about a 2020 lawsuit.

[Patch] — Holden Walter-Warner

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 30, 2022 at 08:45PM
https://ift.tt/sqbYtiD

Checkmate for Papaya King: Extell files demo plans on UES - The Real Deal
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZuoFweG
https://ift.tt/joMiKud

City seeks bids for Edgewater demo - Point/Plover Metro Wire

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point is now taking bids for the demolition of Edgewater Manor.

The City Council voted in 2020 to draw down tenancy of...

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 30, 2022 at 03:15PM
https://ift.tt/WnHlfBV

City seeks bids for Edgewater demo - Point/Plover Metro Wire
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZuoFweG
https://ift.tt/joMiKud

Product Demo Experience Platforms Reviewed – Reprise, Walnut & Demostack - Finance Magnates

Live A Live Demo Arrives Today, Save Data Transferrable - Nintendo Life

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Image: Square Enix

Update: The demo is now available to download on the eShop! Head on over there right now to check out the start of three of the game's chapters, and prepare yourself for the game's full release next month.

---

Original article: HD-2D remake Live A Live launches on Switch next month, and classic JRPG fans got a nice little surprise for the upcoming SNES classic, as later today a demo will be available to download.

Revealed during today's Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase, the demo will allow you to play through the start of three of the game's chapters — Imperial China, Edo Japan, and The Distant Future — and you'll be able to transfer save data to the main game when it releases on 22nd July.

After the Direct, Nintendo also dropped a Treehouse video with around 40 minutes of gameplay. The two chapters on show during this video are the Wild West and the Near Future, with Live A Live composer Yoko Shimomura also making an appearance

You'll be able to download the demo from the eShop at some point today. But if you're not sure whether it's your cup of tea, check out the Treehouse video below!

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube

Will you be diving in to the Live A Live demo? Let us know!

---

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 28, 2022 at 08:40PM
https://ift.tt/UMx5D2O

Live A Live Demo Arrives Today, Save Data Transferrable - Nintendo Life
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZuoFweG
https://ift.tt/joMiKud

Arise Ghana youth demo: Police arrest 29 protestors, promise to arrest leaders of protest wey turn violent - BBC

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Wia dis foto come from, Favour Nunoo/BBC

9 hours wey don pass

Police for Ghana say dem arrest 29 protestors wey participate in de Arise Ghana demonstration on Tuesday. 

De arrests according to police be sake of dem participate in “violent attacks as well as inviting violence.”

Inside statement wey dem release, Police day dem also go arrest Organisers of Arise Ghana demonstration den out dem before court for de attacks and damage to public property.

Dem also reveal say videos wey show anybody who dey participate in de violence go chop arrest.

Organizers of de protest say dem go meet again for Day 2 of de protest den March to Parliament of Ghana.

Wia dis foto come from, Favour Nunoo/BBC

Wia dis foto come from, Favour Nunoo/BBC

Some public properties like police de riot control vehicles, police bus den stuff chop some damages during de cross fire.

Police say dem go arrest people wey dem capture on video who dey destroy tins during de protest.

12 Police Officers injured

Wia dis foto come from, Ghana Police Service

12 officers according to Ghana Police sustain various injuries during de protests very turn chaotic.

De officers according to Police dey receive treatment.

Meanwhile, leadership of de protestors also say some of dia people also sustain various injuries.

Arise Ghana leaders accuse police of starting de violence

One of de leaders of de protest, Sammy Gyamfi talk media after de protest say dem get evidence to show say one of dia own people start de stone throwing.

Inside press conference wey dem organize, Sammy Gyamfi talk say dem identify one police officer wey dress in red like protestor who throw de first stone.

De police inside statement deny de allegation which dem describe as “calculated falsehood and misinformation” by de Arise Ghana leaders.

Wia dis foto come from, Favour Nunoo/BBC

Why Arise Ghana dey protest

De pressure group, Arise Ghana say dem dey protest against “persistent and astronomical fuel price hikes” in de country.

According to de group, dis demonstration go register dia frustrations about de “economic hardships on Ghanaians.” 

Dem also dey protest against de introduction of E-levy on Ghanaians which dey stress de already impoverished.

Also, de declassification of de Achimota Forest reserve by govment dey on dia agenda. 

De group de accuse de police service of needless brutality on civilians and state sponsored killing of innocent Ghanaians.

Dem dey call for de cancellation of de Agyapa deals, investigation into COVID-19 expenditure den other tins.

De group be combination of spare parts traders, okada riders, drivers den traders den young politicians.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 29, 2022 at 03:59PM
https://ift.tt/omKMfnC

Arise Ghana youth demo: Police arrest 29 protestors, promise to arrest leaders of protest wey turn violent - BBC
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZuoFweG
https://ift.tt/joMiKud

By air and ice: Victor mine demo crews used all types of resources - constructconnect.com - Daily Commercial News

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Creative thinking and utilizing both air and ice were key aspects to the success of the De Beers Canada Victor mine demolition in northern Ontario.

Despite running into a few challenges along the way, including getting equipment to the remote location, COVID-19 shutdowns and the cold weather, the demolition portion was completed ahead of schedule.

The key to success, said Enrique Bayata, general manager of Priestly Demolition Inc. (PDI) – Dakota, was over a year of planning that went into it. The project was highlighted recently during the RemTech East event held in conjunction with the Canadian Water Summit.

“That is really one of the key takeaways of a project of this magnitude is early engagement and open communication with the client,” he explained. “That is how we were able to come up with the Hercules (cargo plane) plan; that’s how we were able to come up with the schedules; that’s how we were able to do all that stuff that helped us achieve success for both De Beers and for us. Being honest, being open and planning, planning, planning from a very early stage.”

The demolition and decommissioning of the mine, the first and only open diamond mine in Ontario, was done in a partnership between the De Beers Group and PDI. Priestly was brought on board to tear down all the production facilities onsite, including about 75 structures of all different sizes from a small storage shed to a large processing plant.

Although they had 18 months to complete the demolition, Priestly finished the project after 11 months in November 2020. This past winter, Priestly used the ice road that was built to haul 4,000 tonnes of material off the site to be recycled.

PRIESTLY DEMOLITION — The goal of the demolition and remediation of the De Beers Victor Mine, the first and only diamond mine in Ontario, was to return the site to a functioning ecosystem. Priestly Demolition was contracted to remove the infrastructure while adhering to strict environmental standards.

“We had a lay down area where we separated the scrap materials by different types of metals: steel, aluminum, copper, so we were ready when we needed to come back when the ice road was built to remove it,” said Bayata, adding the ice road had not been built for two years. “For the stuff that wasn’t able to be recycled, we did have a specific landfill onsite which was approved by the First Nations and the Ministry of the Environment, but it was a very limited landfill so we had to really work to separate the materials and make sure we were able to recycle the absolute maximum amount.”

One of the biggest challenges was the remote location of the site. The closest urban area was Timmins, which was about 575 kilometres away.

“It posed a lot of challenges of how do we get our equipment out there,” said Bayata, adding the ice road was the obvious choice but didn’t work in terms of timing. “We came up with the idea of why don’t we put them on a cargo plane (Hercules). That started a whole process of trying to retrofit our machines, taking them apart in order to be able to fit them into a Hercules plane.”

The team came up with a plan to truck the machines from Priestly’s head office in King, Ont. to Timmins and load them on the Hercules plane and fly them to the site. The demolition started in January 2020 and by March the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“We actually stopped the project for a month-and-a-half,” said Bayata. “Being in a remote location you do not want to have an outbreak. Back then we just didn’t know what we were dealing with so we decided to take a step back, come up with a plan of how we were going to be dealing with it.”

The schedule was a tight one with two weeks on, two weeks off for the crews working 12-hour days.

“We were able to meet the schedule even with the challenges that were presented so it was a successful project for us,” said Bayata, adding having in-house engineers provided the team with an advantage, especially in terms of schedule. “We were able to react very quickly, we’re not constrained to having to reach out to a third party and waiting for them to get back to us.”

When it came to working in the -30- and -40-degree temperatures of the northern Ontario winter, the team had to get creative.

“When you go into to demolish a building one of the first things you do is to cut power and all the heat was turned off on these buildings so we had to get creative on how we were going to do the demolitions, not only for our machines but for our crews,” Bayata explained.

“We retrofitted some heat cannons De Beers had. We would heat the area with these cannons, make an environment where we could have our workers work and then we would do 30 or 40 minute bursts of work.”

Areas like the old construction camps were easier to take down than other buildings such as the processing plant, which took two to three months, Bayata noted.

“That required very detailed engineering demolition plans,” he noted. “We were fortunate that it was one of the last things we did there. After we were able to clear all the insides of the processing plant then we moved into the structural demolition which is more straightforward and what we’re used to doing.”

Follow the author on Twitter @DCN_Angela.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 28, 2022 at 03:20PM
https://ift.tt/HjUSnvb

By air and ice: Victor mine demo crews used all types of resources - constructconnect.com - Daily Commercial News
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3YcJEn9
https://ift.tt/N2cm3YW

Go-With-the-Flow Wind Turbine, Conceived by UVA Prof, Completes Successful Demo - UVA Today

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Bigger (and Lighter) Is Better

Loth, who next month steps down as chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, is a Rolls-Royce Commonwealth Professor and also director of UVA’s Fluids Research Innovation Lab. He illuminated SUMR’s advantages as compared to other wind turbines. (And for the record, he said, it’s pronounced “summer” – not that he would ever dispute anyone who said it differently.)

SUMR’s secret is a patented, aero-elastically flexible downwind design. “Typical turbines are upwind,” Loth said. “We flip the script and place them downwind.”

Doing so lightens the load and permits their longer length, as does the construction of the blades themselves, which are built in segments and hinged. This reduces the mass of the rotor relative to the power it can generate.

“Saving system mass saves money,” Loth said, quoting an aerospace engineering truism.

However, a downwind orientation has traditionally caused some problems – namely noise, wind flow obstruction issues (due to the closeness of the blades to the tower, which is upwind) and electronic-controlling issues.

SUMR has overcome all three concerns, Loth said.

“In terms of noise, our demonstrator turbine turns out to be very quiet,” he said. “And we designed the blades to be far enough apart, so we got rid of the tower-shadow effect. It also has more intelligent control systems. The software is levels above what we could do 10 or 20 years ago.”

Loth said the project had to be scaled down to fit within the Department of Energy’s $6 million project budget. Sizing up, he noted, is just a matter of careful extrapolation.

The Wave of the Future

Given the size of the turbines, their ultimate rollout in perhaps a decade or more won’t be in your backyard, but more likely about 25 miles out to sea. There, the turbines would be less visible to coastal residents and vacationers, and mostly out of the path of migratory birds, which tend to hug the coastline during their travels.

“I think that’s going to happen for sure,” Loth said of U.S. widescale offshore wind farming, which he expects to see span the Eastern coastline from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

Dominion Energy is currently endeavoring to build a large offshore wind power project in the United States, off Virginia Beach.

SUMR is one example of the type of projects UVA is encouraging through its Grand Challenges Research Investments, which are meant to leverage the capacity for the University’s brightest minds to innovate solutions to some of the biggest problems that confront the world. UVA announced recently it will apply $60 million toward the development of clean-energy research and other measures to promote environmental resilience and sustainability.

Loth joined the UVA faculty in 2010. In 2015, Popular Science named him one of its 12 “Brilliant Minds Behind The New Energy Revolution” for his promising turbine design.

Then and now, he gives ample credit to his partners, who have helped him solve problems and publish papers that have moved the project forward. Current or recent UVA doctoral students who worked on the demonstration project include Chao “Chris” Qin, now a UVA research scientist, and Vanessa Awate, Michael Jeong, Meghan Kaminski, Carlos Noyes and Juliet Simpson.

“Like so many others, we want to do whatever we can to save the planet, and we are excited to do so with wind,” Loth said.

Loth first worked on wind turbine projects as an undergraduate in aerospace engineering at West Virginia University nearly 40 years ago. His graduate degrees are in aerospace engineering as well. He earned his master’s from Pennsylvania State University and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.

But wind left his life as he worked on other types of engineering projects, not only for major universities, but for the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and other employers. He has developed jet propulsion systems, even spacecraft nozzles. He holds several U.S. patents.

Like a turbine, though, his career has circled back. SUMR could be the innovation of his that changes the world, although Loth remains modest about the possibility.  

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 27, 2022 at 06:41PM
https://ift.tt/OaqoWHZ

Go-With-the-Flow Wind Turbine, Conceived by UVA Prof, Completes Successful Demo - UVA Today
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3YcJEn9
https://ift.tt/N2cm3YW

Demo For Super Mario Galaxy 2 Mod 'Super Mario Starshine' Now Available - Nintendo Life

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Image: SPG64

Super Mario Starshine, the fan-made project that brings together the world of Super Mario Sunshine and the gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy, now has a playable demo!

As reported by TheGamer, the project is the work of Mario fan @SPG642, who has stripped away Mario's trusty F.L.U.D.D. and thrown the world of Sunshine and Delfino Plaza into a Mario Galaxy-style game. Specifically, the project uses Super Mario Galaxy 2's engine as a base, and it looks stellar.

SPG642 shared a trailer for the mod over the weekend to celebrate the demo's release, and it shows off snippets from the beginning of the game, Bianco Hills, and you can even play as Luigi in this one like in Galaxy!

Super Mario Starshine Demo Release Trailer! pic.twitter.com/3chcbtr0Hk— SPG64 (@SPG642) June 25, 2022

Mario's power-ups from Galaxy will be available, such as the Bee Mushroom and the Cloud Flower, and Yoshi will also be returning (who was playable in both Galaxy 2 and Sunshine).

The lack of F.L.U.D.D.for the whole game and not just Sunshine's special stages means platforming will require a bit more thought, and the 100 purple coins and Cosmic Clones are making another appearance. Basically, there's a mix of some of the best parts of Galaxy 2 and Sunshine, so it's a dream come true for us. And, if you have a Wii and want to play the demo on official hardware, you can!

Head on over to SPG642's Twitter to find out more about the project. Otherwise, share your thoughts on Super Mario Starshine with us in the comments!

Further reading

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 27, 2022 at 09:30PM
https://ift.tt/gLcin09

Demo For Super Mario Galaxy 2 Mod 'Super Mario Starshine' Now Available - Nintendo Life
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3YcJEn9
https://ift.tt/N2cm3YW

Super Mario Starshine Is Galaxy Meets Sunshine And There's A Demo Out Now - TheGamer

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Super Mario Starshine Is Galaxy Meets Sunshine And There's A Demo Out Now  TheGamer

"Demo" - Google News
June 26, 2022 at 11:20PM
https://ift.tt/aHTWeEY

Super Mario Starshine Is Galaxy Meets Sunshine And There's A Demo Out Now - TheGamer
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VSvTt2r
https://ift.tt/gWTmvV8

Downloadable Demos Are Great, But I Miss Demo Discs - DualShockers

Cyberpunk 2077 Mod Brings Back The E3 Demo Visuals - TheGamer

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Cyberpunk 2077 Mod Brings Back The E3 Demo Visuals  TheGamer

"Demo" - Google News
June 26, 2022 at 09:04PM
https://ift.tt/OYLNcfk

Cyberpunk 2077 Mod Brings Back The E3 Demo Visuals - TheGamer
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VSvTt2r
https://ift.tt/gWTmvV8

FREE: Music Together With Ms. Mary Demo Class-Mixed Ages (0-5yrs) - macaronikid.com

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie7180 Perry Hwy.Erie PA 16509
Google Map

Notes regarding time

5:30pm - Please Arrive 5 minutes Early

Description

Music Together with Ms. Mary - Free Preview Mixed Ages (0-5yrs) Class.

Who

Ages 0-5yrs and their Grown-Ups Who Love Them

Cost

FREE

How

Register at the website for your Free Preview Class: https://musictogetherwithmsmary.com/demos.aspx?mode=G 

Our research-based music classes are designed to be non-formal and non-performance oriented, so your child can learn at his or her own pace, in a way that’s developmentally appropriate. Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children birth through 2nd Grade. The Music Together curriculum offers programs for families, schools, at-risk populations, and children with special needs in more than 3,000 communities in over 40 countries. The company is passionately committed to bringing children and their caregivers closer through shared music-making and helping people discover the joy and educational value of early music experiences. Register for your Free Trial Preview Class at the website!

More Info

45-minute classes are led by Ms. Mary, who holds Certification Level I status as a Music Together teacher, having demonstrated outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy, and parent education. Mary has been teaching Music Together since 2014! If you enroll, tuition includes the Semester Songbook, CD and a personal code to download the corresponding music into our free “Hello Everybody” App. You'll also get exclusive online access to Music Together’s Family Music Zone® where you’ll find videos, content, and more activities to go with the songs, and a Family Newsletter full of resources and music-making ideas. Families new to Music Together will also receive a book called “Music & Your Child,” which is an amazing resource guide to understanding music development in your child.

+ Add to Google Calendar   + Add to Apple Calendar

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 26, 2022 at 03:48PM
https://ift.tt/yvT2x1F

FREE: Music Together With Ms. Mary Demo Class-Mixed Ages (0-5yrs) - macaronikid.com
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VSvTt2r
https://ift.tt/gWTmvV8

PSA: Monster Hunter Rise Switch eShop Demo Getting Removed Next Week - Nintendo Life

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Image: Capcom

Next week sees the long-awaited release of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This is new DLC for Monster Hunter Rise adding new monsters and much more to the existing game.

Ahead of the launch, Capcom shared some news about the game's demos. As of 30th June (the same date as the DLC release), the original Monster Hunter Rise game demo will no longer be available on Nintendo Switch or Steam.

Capcom is now focused on the new Sunbreak DLC and the recently released demo for it:

"The Monster Hunter Rise DEMO will no longer be available on June 30, 9pm PT / July 1, 5am BST for both Nintendo Switch and Steam. The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo will continue to be available for download."

The Monster Hunter Rise DEMO will no longer be available on June 30, 9pm PT / July 1, 5am BST for both Nintendo Switch and Steam. The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo will continue to be available for download. pic.twitter.com/tjZWCE55UB— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) June 24, 2022

The new demo for the DLC is bigger and better - allowing players to access the Jungle location and hunt Malzeno, Astalos, Tetranadon and Great Izuchi. There are also training quests to try out, and both solo and multiplayer is supported - with no limits on the number of times you can attempt quests.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube

See our previous post on how to access the new demo. Have you tried it out yourself yet? Tell us below.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 25, 2022 at 06:46AM
https://ift.tt/xAjFQT9

PSA: Monster Hunter Rise Switch eShop Demo Getting Removed Next Week - Nintendo Life
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/kMtbSov
https://ift.tt/KU7hwso

Main Street to reopen after hospital demo work - WANE

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Main Street to reopen after hospital demo work  WANE

"Demo" - Google News
June 25, 2022 at 04:07AM
https://ift.tt/TM1oFdH

Main Street to reopen after hospital demo work - WANE
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/kMtbSov
https://ift.tt/KU7hwso

LaunchVT Demo Night celebrates entrepreneurs, dishes out cash - Vermont Biz

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Grand prize was won by wasted*, founded by Thor Retzlaff, Kelsey McWilliams, Brophy Tyree, and Taylor Zehren of Burlington. Courtesy photos

Vermont Business Magazine  Over 200 business-minded community members gathered at Hula on Tuesday to support LaunchVT’s 2022 cohort at Demo Night, the program’s annual pitch night and celebration of entrepreneurship. The 2022 cohort pitched their businesses to the audience and a panel of investor judges, including Bridget Croke, John Howard, and Matthew Upton. Two businesses walked away with cash awards and all seven will receive professional services from local businesses worth over $100,000.

Demo Night marks the end of LaunchVT’s annual 10-week intensive accelerator program where entrepreneurs in the cohort work with dedicated business coaches and strategic advisors to address their startup’s most pressing needs, including refining their business models, developing their go-to market strategies, and preparing for future fundraising and investment. 

This is the tenth year LaunchVT has run the accelerator program and annual Demo Night. “Working with seven phenomenal founders during the 10th anniversary of LaunchVT’s accelerator program has been one of the greatest privileges I’ve experienced during my career, “ said LaunchVT Director Lauren Bass. “Demo Night was a resounding success, which showcased our brightest stars in our startup community. These outstanding entrepreneurs and their ventures all stand a terrific chance of becoming household names.” If you missed their pitches on Demo Night you can replay the live stream by visiting launchvt.com.

Taking home the $15,000Lake Champlain Chamber Award grand prize, was wasted*. Founded by Thor Retzlaff, Kelsey McWilliams, Brophy Tyree, and Taylor Zehren of Burlington, wasted* is reimagining portable sanitation to make it better for the user and the planet. 

Winning the $5,000 Audience Choice Award was Little Patakha. Founded by Akshata Nayak of Jericho, Little Patakha sparks curiosity in eager young minds by introducing them to diverse worlds, ideas, sounds and people.

LaunchVT Director Lauren Bass, left, MC Tom Messner and Akshata Nayak of Jericho, founder of Little Patakha.

In addition to the cash awards, the 2022 LaunchVT cohort has been matched with LaunchVT’s generous service partners to provide them with expert professional support where they need it most. “The Lake Champlain Chamber’s mission is to create economic opportunity for all Vermonters and LaunchVT is one of the ways we do that,” said Lake Champlain Chamber President Cathy Davis. “None of this could be possible without the remarkable support of our sponsors and the exceptionally generous time provided by our coaches, learning session guest facilitators, and mentors. They are the engines that fuel our program and provide the tools and guidance shared with each of the entrepreneurs.”

LaunchVT is a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber with community support from our amazing partners, including: Vermont Department of Economic Development, Hula, People’s United Bank - A Division of M&T Bank, Ruth & Peter Metz Foundation, FreshTracks Capital, JH Capital, Rival Brands, Gallagher Flynn & Company LLP, Northfield Savings Bank, VSECU, Burlington Telecom, Dudley Fund, The University of Vermont Vice President for Research, Merrill Family Foundation, Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC, Scout Digital, Vermont Federal Credit Union, Vermont Economic Development Authority, Tom Messner, Silverlake Wealth Management, Leonardo’s Pizza, Delta Dental, Laury Saligman, Dinse, Think Dynamic Digital, Moulton Law Group, Burlington Code Academy, Forecast LLC, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, Merritt & Merritt, The Great Northern, Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, Whitmyer IP Group, Bindle, and Mila’s Flower Farm. To see a full list of our partners and the foundations supporting our work visit our partners page.  

LaunchVT provides business acceleration programs and resources that empower Vermonters to solve problems and create economic opportunities in their communities. LaunchVT is a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber, Vermont’s largest business advocacy organization. The Lake Champlain Chamber powers prosperity in the Lake Champlain region through five distinct points: seeking economic opportunity for all; celebrating business ownership and entrepreneurship; promoting a robust, diversified visitor economy; cultivating community leadership; and nurturing emerging talent.

To learn more about LaunchVT, visit www.launchvt.com

To learn more about the Lake Champlain Chamber, visit https://lccvermont.org

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 25, 2022 at 02:56AM
https://ift.tt/OXywZr0

LaunchVT Demo Night celebrates entrepreneurs, dishes out cash - Vermont Biz
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/o5JNkgU
https://ift.tt/mhDk0Su

PSA: Monster Hunter Rise Switch eShop Demo Getting Removed Next Week - Nintendo Life

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Image: Capcom

Next week sees the long-awaited release of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This is new DLC for Monster Hunter Rise adding new monsters and much more to the existing game.

Ahead of the launch, Capcom shared some news about the game's demos. As of 30th June (the same date as the DLC release), the original Monster Hunter Rise game demo will no longer be available on Nintendo Switch or Steam.

Capcom is now focused on the new Sunbreak DLC and the recently released demo for it:

"The Monster Hunter Rise DEMO will no longer be available on June 30, 9pm PT / July 1, 5am BST for both Nintendo Switch and Steam. The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo will continue to be available for download."

The Monster Hunter Rise DEMO will no longer be available on June 30, 9pm PT / July 1, 5am BST for both Nintendo Switch and Steam. The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo will continue to be available for download. pic.twitter.com/tjZWCE55UB— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) June 24, 2022

The new demo for the DLC is bigger and better - allowing players to access the Jungle location and hunt Malzeno, Astalos, Tetranadon and Great Izuchi. There are also training quests to try out, and both solo and multiplayer is supported - with no limits on the number of times you can attempt quests.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube

See our previous post on how to access the new demo. Have you tried it out yourself yet? Tell us below.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 25, 2022 at 06:45AM
https://ift.tt/xAjFQT9

PSA: Monster Hunter Rise Switch eShop Demo Getting Removed Next Week - Nintendo Life
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/o5JNkgU
https://ift.tt/mhDk0Su

Amazon uses kid’s dead grandma in morbid demo of Alexa audio deepfake - Ars Technica

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Enlarge / The 4th-gen Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker.

Amazon

Amazon is figuring out how to make its Alexa voice assistant deepfake the voice of anyone, dead or alive, with just a short recording. The company demoed the feature at its re:Mars conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, using the emotional trauma of the ongoing pandemic and grief to sell interest.

Amazon's re:Mars focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and other emerging technologies, with technical experts and industry leaders taking the stage. During the second-day keynote, Rohit Prasad, senior vice president and head scientist of Alexa AI at Amazon, showed off a feature being developed for Alexa.

In the demo, a child asks Alexa, "Can grandma finish reading me Wizard of Oz?" Alexa responds, "Okay," in her typical effeminate, robotic voice. But next, the voice of the child's grandma comes out of the speaker to read L. Frank Baum's tale.

You can watch the demo below:

Amazon re:MARS 2022 - Day 2 - Keynote.

Prasad only said Amazon is "working on" the Alexa capability and didn't specify what work remains and when/if it'll be available.

He did provide minute technical details, however.

"This required invention where we had to learn to produce a high-quality voice with less than a minute of recording versus hours of recording in a studio," he said. "The way we made it happen is by framing the problem as a voice-conversion task and not a speech-generation task."

Enlarge / Prasad very briefly discussed how the feature works.

Amazon/YouTube

Of course, deepfaking has earned a controversial reputation. Still, there has been some effort to use the tech as a tool rather than a means for creepiness.

Audio deepfakes specifically, as noted by The Verge, have been leveraged in the media to help make up for when, say, a podcaster messes up a line or when the star of a project passes away suddenly, as happened with the Anthony Bourdain documentary Roadrunner.

There are even instances of people using AI to create chatbots that work to communicate as if they are a lost loved one, the publication noted.

Alexa wouldn't even be the first consumer product to use deepfake audio to fill in for a family member who can't be there in person. The Takara Tomy smart speaker, as pointed out by Gizmodo, uses AI to read children bedtime stories with a parent's voice. Parents reportedly upload their voices, so to speak, by reading a script for about 15 minutes. Although, this notably differs from Amazon's demo, in that the owner of the product decides to provide their vocals, rather than the product using the voice of someone likely unable to give their permission.

Besides worries of deepfakes being used for scams, rip-offs, and other nefarious activity, there are already some troubling things about how Amazon is framing the feature, which doesn't even have a release date yet.

Before showing the demo, Prasad talked about Alexa giving users a "companionship relationship."

"In this companionship role, human attributes of empathy and affect are key for building trust," the exec said. "These attributes have become even more important in these times of the ongoing pandemic, when so many of us have lost someone we love. While AI can't eliminate that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last."

Prasad added that the feature "enables lasting personal relationships."

It's true that countless people are in serious search of human "empathy and affect" in response to emotional distress initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Amazon's AI voice assistant isn't the place to satisfy those human needs. Alexa also can't enable "lasting personal relationships" with people who are no longer with us.

It's not hard to believe that there are good intentions behind this developing feature and that hearing the voice of someone you miss can be a great comfort. We could even see ourselves having fun with a feature like this, theoretically. Getting Alexa to make a friend sound like they said something silly is harmless. And as we've discussed above, there are other companies leveraging deepfake tech in ways that are similar to what Amazon demoed.

But framing a developing Alexa capability as a way to revive a connection to late family members is a giant, unrealistic, problematic leap. Meanwhile, tugging at the heartstrings by bringing in pandemic-related grief and loneliness feels gratuitous. There are some places Amazon doesn't belong, and grief counseling is one of them.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 24, 2022 at 12:14AM
https://ift.tt/wmZnMo8

Amazon uses kid’s dead grandma in morbid demo of Alexa audio deepfake - Ars Technica
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/o5JNkgU
https://ift.tt/mhDk0Su

DS Audio To Demo ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer At Quintessence Audio In Chicago This Saturday - AnalogPlanet.com

depolitikblog.blogspot.com
It's demo time! Garth Leerer of Musical Surroundings will demonstrate the new DS Audio ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer, which was introduced at the Munich High End show, at Quintessence Audio in Chicago this Saturday, June 25, from 1 to 6 pm (Central time).

For further event information, you can contact Quintessence Audio directly by phone at 847-966-4434, or by email at sales@quintessenceaudio.com.

Here's more info about the ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer and what it does, as described in DS Audio's own words on the company site:

The overall wow and flutter of the entire system cannot be significantly reduced unless the eccentricity of the record is corrected. With an eccentricity width value of 0.34mm, even if there is no inherent wow and flutter (speed error) produced by the turntable in use, it reaches around 0.15% (WTD RMS) on the innermost grooves of the records playing surface.

Put simply, when using even the finest quality turntables, these factors combined can result in an overall wow and flutter value 20 times worse than that of the turntable in isolation. available, the overall wow and flutter of the entire system cannot be significantly reduced unless the eccentricity of the record is corrected. In order to faithfully reproduce the source material it is imperative to reduce the record eccentricity as much as possible.

Excessive wow and flutter presents two problems. The first is that the unstable rotation causes fluctuations in pitch across the frequency range. The second is that if the record eccentricity is not corrected, the cartridge and tonearm will be forced to sway from side to side as they follow the groove. This impairs the stylus ability to accurately track the groove and results in a muddy sound and an unstable sonic image.

As a result, the full potential of even the highest quality systems will not be realized by the listener. Correcting this eccentricity as much as possible you to unlock far more of the potential performance of your equipment.

When the record player is rotated, the upper part of the stabilizer is held to stop the rotation of the stabilizer, and the stabilizer detects the rotation and shifts to the measurement mode.

Next, when you press the [Tap to start measure] button, the display changes to the [Measuring] button and the measurement is completed in about 2 seconds.

Next, while looking at the stabilizer screen, press the record board to bring the cross mark (center of rotation) as close as possible to the absolute center position.

The degree of eccentricity of the record is indicated by the color of the screen (outer circumference, cross mark, and ​​display bar at the bottom).

When the center of rotation is aligned with the absolute center position, rotate the record player again to check. Be sure to rotate the record player (33 rotations or 45 rotations) when measuring. If the record player is not spinning, the stabilizer will not be in measurement mode.

SPECS
ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer
Size: φ80 × H70mm
Weight: 620g (including batteries)
Material: Aluminum & Tungsten
Power supply: Two AA batteries
User Interface: Touch panel (2.4inch)

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 23, 2022 at 12:45AM
https://ift.tt/yUqt7xF

DS Audio To Demo ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer At Quintessence Audio In Chicago This Saturday - AnalogPlanet.com
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/yI5ESBL
https://ift.tt/ZlnkBq0

Tim Draper’s Bitcoin Studio Hosts Demo Day - Bitcoin Magazine

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

On June 16, 2022, the Draper Decentralized Studio hosted a demo day for their accelerator candidates to propose solutions to an invite-only group of 60-plus investment funds, angel investors and media. With Tim Draper, Alyse Killeen of Stillmark and Nic Carter of Castle Island forming the investor panel, this was an exciting opportunity for early-stage companies to share their work in contributing to bitcoin adoption on a global scale.

According to the website, Draper Decentralized Studio is a “three-month program for teams working on making Bitcoin not only a firm asset class, but also a global payment network, global money network and, eventually, a global social network.”

This program is evolving into what they are calling a “Bitcoin Club,” a format of working and pitching for early-stage startups, where experienced investors, advisers and operators focus on a certain mission that supports the companies in the club. The club hosts events, podcasts and other means of spreading the word about participating companies.

By participating in the program, startup founders worked closely with relevant industry experts from Advanced Blockchain AG, BDO, Texas Blockchain Council, Sovryn, HODL Capital, Galoy, Mimesis Capital, Fulgur Ventures, a41 Ventures and ONG Bitcoin Argentina, receiving guidance on strategy, compliance and fundraising.

DraperX Bitcoin Studio launched its pilot program in February 2022 with 11 teams on board. After the completion of the program, candidate companies pitched their products to a panel of investors: Draper, Killeen and Carter, with private equity firms, family offices, venture capital and angel investors in the audience.

Below are 10 companies that went through the program and some brief information about what they do.

Lightning Escrow

Lightning Escrow is a fast, secure, affordable and non-custodial escrow built on top of the Lightning Network.

Geyser

Geyser is a Lightning-native crowdfunding platform. They offer reward-based crowdfunding as well as a slew of services for a worldwide audience of creatives and supporters.

The Bitcoin Company

The Bitcoin Company is a private and easy-to-use app which combines Bitcoin-native tools with traditional financial tools aiming to create the bitcoin-native bank of tomorrow.

Voltage

Voltage is a leading infrastructure provider for the Bitcoin network and Lightning. They offer cloud-hosted node services.

Oshi

Oshi is a Lightning-native, node-agnostic and hyper-verticalized local promotions marketplace introducing businesses and consumers to bitcoin commerce and rewards.

Diba

Diba is an open and curated marketplace for NFTs on Bitcoin using Really Good For Bitcoin (RGB) smart contracting Network. The product offers a gateway wallet supporting the marketplace.

Coinplus

Coinplus is a ready-to-use secure physical wallet for gifting and storing bitcoin.

ShockNetwork

ShockNetwork is a way for users to receive bitcoin through a stack of next-generation applications for the Lightning Network by using the ShockNetwork advertising platform as a proof-of-concept to the larger stack.

Eggschain

Eggschain is the first biotech company on the Bitcoin blockchain with patented blockchain-integrated inventory management and chain of custody technology for tracking biospecimens.

BlockSurvey

BlockSurvey is a decentralized and end-to-end encrypted data collection network that offers the ability to conduct private surveys (with sensitive data being kept by the respondent). It empowers users to create wealth from the data they share with businesses.

Global Residency and Citizenship Group

Global Residency and Citizenship Group is a platform of mobility assets (passports, residency permits, digital nomad visas, virtual residencies) in 50 countries with the goal of enabling individuals to be truly sovereign.

Summary

While the pitch day did not conclude with final investment agreements, these companies had the chance to share their exciting products being built on Bitcoin. After witnessing the presentations, it is difficult to claim that exciting things aren’t happening in the Bitcoin ecosystem. These companies have original and innovative business models that will likely make big waves in the coming years of further bitcoin adoption.

In his closing remarks, Draper noted that he was, “Thrilled and excited to learn more about the teams. People have observed a lot of things happening on other chains. Now, builders are claiming and moving their best to Bitcoin.”

Killeen concluded, “After meeting these teams, It is impossible not to be bullish on the space and the impact everyone can have.”

Carter highlighted the role of Lightning Network which, “Opens up big design space. Exposure to the demo day’s startups is another proof that Lightning is a key catalyst for creating solutions which are non-custodial, yet have a monetization element. I am very impressed by the quality of today’s teams.”

DraperX Bitcoin Studio will start accepting applications in mid-July for its next cohort. Upon acceptance, teams will work closely with industry experts to receive guidance in strategy, compliance and fundraising. The best-performing startups will be introduced to the Bitcoin Club to benefit from the resources it has to offer.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 22, 2022 at 03:30AM
https://ift.tt/283V9Yv

Tim Draper’s Bitcoin Studio Hosts Demo Day - Bitcoin Magazine
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VmhtPnJ
https://ift.tt/MkqStBH

Wilmington Police Department hosts Demo Day for the public - WECT

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department hosted Demo Day at their headquarters at 615 Bess Street, where the public was open to see the station’s new equipment and facilities that would help keep the community safe.

On display were police helicopters, bomb squad robots and 90lb bomb suits, police jet skis, mobile command center, and mounted units using police horses.

“You have to have relationships and this is about building relationships and building bridges within our community,” Police Chief Donny Williams said. “It is very important for our modern law-enforcement agency to get out and build relationships.”

Chief Williams says that it is also important to show the community what they do aside from routine traffic stops. The parts of the department you don’t see on a daily basis, such as the hurricane vehicle or the police jet skis, are just as important to put on display.

Copyright 2022 WECT. All rights reserved.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 22, 2022 at 04:30AM
https://ift.tt/2PkBfsJ

Wilmington Police Department hosts Demo Day for the public - WECT
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VmhtPnJ
https://ift.tt/MkqStBH

CNN has smallest weekday audience among advertiser-coveted demo in 22 years - Fox News

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

CNN had its smallest audience in 22 years on Friday among the demographic most coveted by advertisers as the network continued its ongoing struggle to attract viewers.

CNN averaged only 56,000 viewers between ages 25-54 on June 17. The last time CNN had a smaller turnout among the critical category was July 10, 2000. 

Friday was also CNN’s smallest weekday audience among total viewers since June 2014, as the network settled for only 283,000 average viewers. By comparison, Fox News averaged 1.4 million total viewers and 209,000 in the key demo. It was Fox News' largest advantage over CNN since August 6, 2015. 

CNN had its smallest audience among the demographic most coveted by advertisers in 22 years on Friday. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/REUTERS/Mike Segar/CNN)

CNN WILL 'REIMAGINE' LONG-STRUGGLING MORNING SHOW 'NEW DAY,' CEO SAYS

The dismal turnout capped a miserable three-day stretch for CNN, as the Warner Bros. Discovery network averaged only 88,000 demo viewers June 15-17 for its worst three-weekday performance since June 2014. 

Things weren’t much better for CNN on Sunday when "Reliable Sources" with left-wing host Brian Stelter averaged only 421,000 total viewers and a mere 56,000 among the demo. It was the smallest audience for "Reliable Sources" since December 27, 2015, among total viewers and the smallest since Dec. 29, 2013, among the demo. 

Stelter’s program was crushed by its timeslot competition on Fox News Channel, as "MediaBuzz" averaged 1.2 million viewers and 176,000 from the range of adults age 25-54 to outdraw CNN by 185% among total viewers and 214% among the demo at 11 a.m. ET. 

Reruns of "Family Matters, "Roseanne, "The Office," "Shark Tank" and "Family Guy" all outdrew Stelter’s program among the 25-54 demo, as did children's programming such as "Peppa Pig" and "Spongebob SquarePants." Over 5,000 cable telecasts topped "Reliable Sources" in the demo last week. 

CNN REPORTER DEFENDS BIDEN'S MENTAL STRENGTH, SAYS THE 'GEARS OF HIS MIND ARE WORKING'

CNN’s viewership issues come as recently appointed CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht is assessing who should stick around, and who should be shown the door, as he is "determined to tamp down spectacle" and restore the network’s once-proud reputation. 

CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht is currently evaluating all anchors and executives. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)

"Chris is the midst of an entire org evaluation, which includes a review of talent and executives," a CNN insider told Fox News Digital last week. "He’s determined to tamp down spectacle and has discouraged the presentation of content in an alarmist fashion." 

CNN’S ‘RELIABLE SOURCES’ WITH BRIAN STELTER DRAWS SMALLEST AUDIENCE SINCE 2019

Licht has already toned down the network’s use of the "Breaking News" on-screen graphic that became commonplace during the previous regime, and he informed staffers that he preferred not to refer to former President Trump’s unfounded 2020 election claims as the "Big Lie," as many CNN anchors continue to do.

CNN averaged only 56,000 viewers between ages 25-54 on July 17.  (CNN)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

It’s unclear what other changes will be made aside from the previously announced decision to "re-imagine" CNN’s morning show "New Day" later this year. Licht is thought to be more concerned with restoring the brand’s reputation than he is with viewership, but a two-decade low among the demo most coveted by advertisers certainly isn’t going to help the status quo. 

Licht isn’t afraid to shake things up and famously pulled the plug on CNN+ in April, mere weeks after the costly streaming service was launched. The daily version of Stelter’s "Reliable Sources" was canceled as a result of the streaming service shuttering. 

All ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research. 

Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood. 

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 21, 2022 at 09:27PM
https://ift.tt/Hp0eTsO

CNN has smallest weekday audience among advertiser-coveted demo in 22 years - Fox News
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VmhtPnJ
https://ift.tt/MkqStBH

Badge-farming might be behind some big Steam Next Fest demo player numbers - Rock Paper Shotgun

depolitikblog.blogspot.com

Yesterday I wrote about eco-strategy game Terra Nil’s demo, which went gangbusters during last week’s Steam Next Fest and shot up into the top 50 most played games on Valve’s storefront. Well, turns out that might be at least partly down to a practice called badge-farming. That’s according to industry pundit Simon Carless’ latest GameDiscoverCo newsletter, anyway.

Here are our top 10 recommendations for games coming to PC in June.

Looking at SteamDB, the Terra Nil demo peaked at 96,520 concurrent players around 6pm BST on June 14th, climbing from 10,260 at 4pm BST. It then very rapidly dropped back down to 11,675 by 9pm that day. Until very early last Saturday morning, when numbers rose again to 23,637 at midnight, player counts didn’t rise higher than 8,737 on June 15th at 8pm BST. Player counts peaked again at 30,042 at 10am BST on Saturday, and then fell more steadily over the past few days to hover around 11,000. It's a big wobbly line that goes up quickly and back down just as quick, basically.

What’s happening here? Is it weird, or just an immediate flurry of interest after Steam Next Fest began last week? Carless rightly points out that Valve incentivised this Next Fest by offering badges, which levelled up higher the more demos any individual account holder played during the week. Badge XP maxed out after 10 demos but some people were playing hundreds of demos, even more than a thousand in some cases. Players were using third-party apps such as Archi’s Steam Farm to level their Next Fest badge automatically without having the games installed, or even the Steam client open.

Carless expands on the badge-farming explanation using the example of another demo from Next Fest beginning with Terra: Pavonis Interactive’s alien conspiracy 4X Terra Invicta. Stats show that 489,000 individual account holders played Terra Invicta’s demo, but around 250,000 of those did so for less than ten minutes. That seems more than a little odd. Carless advises devs not to be too chuffed if their game’s demo saw a lot more interest than they would’ve expected, putting it down to Valve’s gamification of Steam and the resulting shenanigans by some players to make numbers go up.

Sometimes it's difficult to see the wood for the trees.

This might mean that fewer people than appeared played Terra Nil’s demo over the course of Next Fest, but I had a fun time with it nonetheless. It does seem to be generating a fair bit of buzz among denizens of Twitter too, and I don’t think the badge-farming hypothesis can explain that away. I see the sharp increase in concurrent players last Tuesday as probable badge-farming, but the second peak over the weekend followed by a shallower tail-off seems more like legit interest in the demo. We’ll have to see whether the game goes down as well when it’s eventually released.

Speaking of which, Terra Nil doesn’t have a release date yet. You can still play the demo on Steam for yourself, if you’re environmentally minded.

Adblock test (Why?)

"Demo" - Google News
June 21, 2022 at 10:31PM
https://ift.tt/pKzhfFk

Badge-farming might be behind some big Steam Next Fest demo player numbers - Rock Paper Shotgun
"Demo" - Google News
https://ift.tt/VmhtPnJ
https://ift.tt/MkqStBH