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‘Our Dream’: K-pop boy band BtoB to hold fan-con in April
The K-pop boy band BtoB, also known as Born to Beat, is poised to come back to Manila on April 7 at the SM Mall of Asia for a fan-con labeled as “2024 BTOB Fan-Con Our Dream.”.....»»
Aloguinsan nabs back-to-back wins in Cabaron hoops
Aloguinsan nabs back-to-back wins in Cabaron hoops.....»»
Junior Altas claim top spot, ‘win-once’ bonus
University of Perpetual Help unleashed a 45-point barrage in the third quarter as it came back to smash San Sebastian College, 111-80, yesterday and claim the top seed and twice-to-beat Final Four bonus in NCAA Season 99 junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Stephen Curry bounces back with big game to help Warriors beat Knicks, 110-99
Stephen Curry bounces back with big game to help Warriors beat Knicks, 110-99.....»»
Scorpions get back at Dolphins
Centro Escolar University exacted sweet revenge versus Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, 62-53, and boosted its bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters of the Universities and Colleges Athletic League-PG Flex Linoleum Season Thursday at the Paco Arena in San Juan......»»
CEU gets back at PCU, boosts bid for UCAL semis bonus
Centro Escolar University exacted sweet revenge over Philippine Christian University-Dasmarinas, 62-53, and boosted its bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters of the Universities and Colleges Athletic League-PG Flex Linoleum Season 6 held Thursday at the Paco Arena in San Juan......»»
Beat the Holiday Blues: 3 Tips to Get Back to Working Shape
As the holiday season winds down, many of us are saying goodbye to lazy days and hello to work again. It might feel a bit tough, but it’s also a chance to kickstart a fresh beginning. So, how can you make this shift and come back to work without too much stress? Let’s check out […].....»»
Bulldogs back in Top 2 hunt
National U revamped its twice-to-beat bid with a repeat win over reigning champion Ateneo, 65-61, as Adamson gained solo fourth in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena......»»
USJ-R Jaguars bags three wins in Week 2 of the Cesafi Esports League
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars dominated week two of the Cesafi Esports League’s (CEL) Mobile Legends Bang Bang on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Lahug campus. The Jaguars clinched three wins and one draw in their four-scheduled matches. They started with a lackluster draw against the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 1-1. Joseph “Wanji” Burgos paced the Jaguars with 10 kills, 3.5 assists, and 5.25 kill, death, and assist (KDA) average. After the draw, the Jaguars didn’t look back and won all their three remaining matches. They started off with a 2-0 win against the Southwestern University-Phinma Cobras with Steve Pritz “Stevensanity” Casas emerging as the top player with a KDA average of 1.67. They went on to beat the host team, the USP-F Panthers, 2-0, behind Edrian Vince “Sera” Arriesgado, who had averaged 15 KDA. Lastly, USJ-R capped off their fruitful day with another 2-0 win against the University of the Philippines (UP- Cebu), with Burgos leading them anew with his 5.58 KDA. On the other hand, CIT-U clinched two wins despite losing one of their matches to USJ-R. They beat UP Cebu, 2-0, and SWU-Phinma, 2-0. Also, UP Cebu snagged a victory over USP-F, 2-0, while SWU-Phinma prevented a winless day by beating USP-F, 2-0. RELATED STORIES Jaguars lead Cesafi Esports League pre-season tourney Mandaue City, USJ-R, UCLM, shine in two separate Esports events Cesafi: USJ-R Jaguars now 3-0.....»»
Gilas heartbreakers
The FIBA World Cup games have begun with an opening night of flag-waving, music-filled entertainment proudly showcasing our much-heralded love for singing and dancing. And for the next two weeks, basketball fanatics will be focused on the best of the best hoopsters in the world. Political leanings will be set aside and diplomatic disagreements among competing nations momentarily ignored by 32 countries bannered by a record number of 55 NBA players amicably but surely passionately battling for national pride on the hardcourts of Manila, Jakarta and Okinawa. Undoubtedly, the Philippines has prepared long and hard. Undoubtedly, our Gilas pool of an exciting combination of youthful and seasoned cagers possessed finally with enough height, girth, and basketball savvy to be internationally competitive have stepped up and put their individual professional careers on hold for the opportunity to don the colors of the country. Undoubtedly, MVP, the godfather and financial backer of SBP, has done his utmost best to deliver for the Filipino people the much-cherished dream of returning our basketball team to the Olympics by topping other Asian countries in the World Cup. Undoubtedly, the Filipino fans have continued to pour their hearts out for Gilas, desperately hoping for the much-fantasized victories over the top teams of the world starting with the higher-ranked countries in our group, namely, #10 Italy and #23 Dominican Republic versus our #40 rank. And certainly, a win against lower-ranked #41 Angola would not be an outsized expectation. So, what has happened so far? As of this writing, I must say that, surely, like millions of our countrymen, my heart is utterly heartbroken. Why? Two Gilas games have just been concluded and much to our lament, although we still have one more game to play against Italy, our aspirations for moving up to the second round of 16 have been shattered for all intents and purposes. We still have a long shot for a Hail Mary miracle if the Dominicans beat the Angolans, our tormentors in the second game of Gilas, and IF we beat Italy. This slimmest of slim scenarios will have Gilas tied with Italy and Angola at one win and two losses each, which will have to be settled on point differentials. We first lost to the Dominican Republic 87- 81 in a tightly contested match-up. Our team stood toe to toe against NBA star Karl Anthony Towns, an unstoppable behemoth every time he drove in on his strong side against the defenses of AJ Edu and our own man mountain June Mar Fajardo. Both defenders nevertheless stood out with their steady shooting and defensive efforts. The first game against the Dominicans, to the credit of our undersized team, was a nip-and-tuck affair all throughout that could have gone either way until our scoring machine, NBA star Jordan Clarkson, fouled out with about three minutes left. Without Clarkson to respond to Towns, the game of Gilas quickly unraveled and the outcome became inevitable. The game against Angola started and ended quite differently. With dimming hopes for moving up to the next round, Gilas ferociously came out strong, even leading by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. Clarkson’s shooting, however, was not as sharp, hitting only 32 percent compared to his 38 percent clip against the Dominicans and Gilas’ penchant for turnovers continued to hurt. By the start of the fourth quarter, Angola took control and never looked back. Some lessons to be learned. No matter how great a player Clarkson is, other players will have to step up more consistently. Basketball after all is and will always be about team play. Fajardo was marvelous in the Dominican game but couldn’t maintain his strong play in the match-up against Angola’s NBA Atlanta Hawks center, Bruno Fernando. On the other hand, Edu, Dwight, and Pogoy showed intermittent flashes of brilliance but lacked game-long consistency. The much heralded Kai Sotto, perhaps through no fault of his own since he was denied sufficient playing time to show his stuff, was flat and didn’t really wow the crowd. But perhaps the biggest question asked by basketball pundits is if coach Chot Reyes is up to par compared to the brilliant bench tactician Tab Baldwin who unexpectedly stepped down as Gilas coach. Until next week… OBF! *** For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com. The post Gilas heartbreakers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Golden sports opportunities
Dominican Republic led by Karl Anthony Towns won over Gilas of the Philippines by a score of 87-81. I felt sad for our country. It should have been an easy win for us, for an outright berth to the Paris Olympics in 2024. If coached skillfully, our 2023 Gilas Five, the best basketball team the Philippines has ever assembled in over half a century, could have “slaughtered” the opposition. The team suffered from lapses in coaching, faulty substitutions and, worst of all, failure to execute to our best advantage the alley-oop arc passes to Kai Sotto. Many times in the past, I witnessed Sotto perform this move with amazing success. All the Gilas players led by Jordan Clarkson have the skill to make the arc pass for an alley-oop shot to the basket. But how can we have the alley-oop when Sotto was benched in the crucial quarter of the game? The fourth quarter belonged to us. What was surprising was why, with five minutes remaining, Sotto, our 7-foot-2 superstar, was not sent in to help control the board, to stop Karl Anthony Towns from scoring from long range, and to save our most precious player, Jordan Clarkson, from fouling out. With Kai Sotto out of the court, what I feared would happen did happen. The Dominicans controlled the board, 17 for them, only 3 for us. Towns went to town scoring, and Jordan Clarkson, in a desperate bid to stop him, fouled out. We lost the game and the outright berth to the Olympics in Paris in 2024. The Philippines–Dominican Republic game, the most watched last Friday, 25 August, established a new world record of 38,115 fans in attendance, surpassing the 32,616 that witnessed the US-Russia final at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Canada. Our defeat at the hands of Karl Anthony Towns and his team dashed any hopes of repeating or surpassing what happened seventy years ago. The world was sweeter then. That was once upon a time when bronze glittered like gold, when the Philippines in a stunning performance at the 1954 World Basketball Championship — now known as the FIBA World Cup — in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil beat France for third place to achieve the highest finish ever by an Asian team on the world stage. The 6-foot-3 center, Carlos Loyzaga, led the golden age of Philippine basketball back in the 1950s. His best record was that bronze finish in 1954 — to date the country’s, or any Asian country’s for that matter, best in global basketball. Loyzaga fired 19 points to steer the Herminio Silva-mentored Philippine squad to victory over France, 66-60. Still, let us celebrate the victory of the Dominican Republic. Playing basketball in a global setting is a celebration of humanity, regardless of faith, race, culture, belief, gender and ability. Basketball brings us together — to meet across borders and boundaries, to learn to compete as friends, to respect and trust one another even in opposition. After the game, Karl Anthony Towns was warmly congratulated by the Filipino fans, young and old alike, who shook his hand, saying, “Mabuhay ka Karl Anthony” (Long live Karl Anthony). The big tall man responded, “Salamat po. Mabuhay kayo lahat.” (Thank you, long live to all). The Dominican Republic may have captured the game, but the Filipinos captured the heart of its captain. Sport is always the winner! The post Golden sports opportunities appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japanese turn to wearable tech to beat the heat
Selling jackets with built-in fans, neck coolers and T-shirts that feel cold, Japanese firms are tapping into a growing market for products to help people handle the summer heat. Japan -- like other countries -- is seeing ever-hotter summers. This July was the warmest in 100 years, with at least 53 people dying of heatstroke and almost 50,000 needing emergency medical attention. Workman, which makes clothes for construction workers, launched a version of their fan-fitted jackets adapted for the high street in 2020 as demand grew. The mechanism is simple -- two electric, palm-sized fans powered by a rechargeable battery are fitted into the back of the jacket. They draw in air to then deliver a breeze -- at variable speeds -- onto the wearer's body. The jackets retail for 12,000 to 24,000 yen ($82-164). "As the weather gets hotter, people who have never worn fan-equipped clothing before want to find ways to cool down... so more people are interested in buying it," Workman spokesman Yuya Suzuki told AFP. "Just like you feel cool when you are at home with a fan, you feel cool just by wearing (the jacket) because the wind is blowing through your body all the time," he said. Aging population at risk Japanese summers are known to be hot and humid, but this July Tokyo really sweated. The average temperature was 28.7 Celsius (83.7 Fahrenheit), the highest on record since 1875. Heatstroke is particularly deadly in Japan, which has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco. More than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years have been among senior citizens. "Some people die from heatstroke," said Nozomi Takai of MI Creations, a company selling neck-cooling tubes mainly to factory and warehouse workers. "Individuals as well as companies are putting more and more effort into measures against it every year," Takai said. The gel inside his firm's brightly colored tubes -- priced at 2,500 yen -- is cool enough to use after 20 minutes in the fridge. Wearing it on the neck will "considerably cool the whole body" for about an hour, she said. Takai's company joined an expo this year on "measures against extreme heat" in Tokyo to showcase new products that help users stay cool in the scorching heat. At another booth, Tokyo-based company Liberta had a series of clothing including T-shirts and arm sleeves using prints that make users feel cool -- especially when they sweat. The prints use materials such as xylitol that feel cool when reacting with water and sweat, they said. Chikuma, an Osaka-based company, has even created office jackets and dresses equipped with electric fans. "We developed them with the idea that it could be proposed in places where casual wear is not allowed," Yosuke Yamanaka of Chikuma said. Regular fan-fitted clothes can make the wearer look puffy, as they need to be zipped up, and cuffs are tight. But jackets developed jointly by Chikuma, power tool maker Makita and textile giant Teijin do not need to be buttoned up, thanks to a special structure that sandwiches the fans in two layers and keeps the cool air in, Yamanaka said. Men adopting parasols Parasols, which are commonly associated in Japan with skin-tone-conscious women protecting against a summer tan, are now proving more popular with men too. Komiyama Shoten, a small, luxury umbrella maker in Tokyo, began making parasols for men around 2019 after the environment ministry encouraged people to use them. Before, many male customers thought parasols "were for women and they were embarrassed", the owner Hiroyuki Komiya said. "Once you use it, you can't let go," he added. On the busy streets of popular tourist destination Asakusa, Kiyoshi Miya, 42, said he decided to "use his umbrella as a parasol". "It's like I'm always in the shade and the wind feels cool," he said. Another visitor, Shoma Kawashima, wore a wearable fan around his neck to stay cool under the blazing sun. "It's so hot I want to be naked," the 21-year-old said. Gadgets are helpful, but "not a solution" to rising temperatures, he added. The post Japanese turn to wearable tech to beat the heat appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lasers, drones vs China
If you may remember, the Afghans beat back the superior Russians from Afghanistan by secretly obtaining portable heat-seeking missiles from the US, which eventually changed the tide of the war. The missile device was so portable, it was smuggled by donkey to remote mountains. It was so user-friendly, even ordinary foot soldiers could use it. The missiles destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes, and eventually forced the Russians to withdraw from Afghanistan. We can use the same tactic in the West Philippine Sea against the superior Chinese warships and warplanes. If Marcos Jr. can somehow obtain lasers and drones, not necessarily from the US, not necessarily in secret, for the Philippine Coast Guard, Chinese warships may think twice before bullying us with their lasers and water cannons. China is currently harassing Filipinos in the Ayungin Shoal, triggering diplomatic protests. This aggression is virtually an act of war. Responding with legal arguments for China to respect the UNCLOS and The Hague court decision is useless. Social media exposés and campaigns cannot solve the problem. We have to face them in our territory in the West Philippine Sea. If we do not, we might as well concede. If we do, are we ready for the consequences of escalation? Has China secretly discovered oil in Ayungin, so it has to keep Filipinos away? Another strategy is to get a US firm as a partner in oil exploration in the Ayungin Shoal, escorted by US warships. Let’s get to the oil before China does. If there are competing explorations and oil rigs, this will prevent war. There is, however, a risk of a full-blown US-China naval confrontation. If we up the ante, China may back out or resort to an unpredictable escalation. Can we handle the escalation? Are we ready to go into this new stage of war, not just physically in terms of possible collateral damage, but also spiritually in terms of the political will to fight? This remains to be seen. Asymmetrics as a Game Changer “Asymmetric” weapons refer to small cheap high-tech weapons that can take out big expensive weaponry. For example, hypersonic missiles taking out aircraft carriers, killer drones neutralizing an entire naval base, super lasers shooting down satellites in outer space, silent electro-magnetic pulse bombs jamming an enemy assault. This is called the equalizer, the use of asymmetrics against far superior foes. Lasers and drones on our coast guard ships are asymmetrics. Asymmetrics are becoming popular. Ukraine is using them against Russia, and Iran against the US in the Strait of Hormuz. China is now able to jam the electronic signals of US warplanes in the WPS. These new sophisticated asymmetrics have evolved as powerful game changers in modern warfare in favor of the underdog. The Vietnam Model Vietnamese water cannons faced Chinese water cannons, forcing the latter to abandon an oil rig close to the Vietnamese shore. We can learn from the Vietnamese, adopt its warrior ways, its spiritual orientation of defiance and belligerence. But we must be cautious as there may be consequences we are not yet ready for. Vietnam has been fighting China for centuries. China respects Vietnam’s audacity while it looks down on Filipinos whose leaders can easily be offered quid-pro-quo deals (Duterte) and whose tin can coast guard vessels they can easily step on. Can we change China’s attitude through a new type of belligerence using asymmetrics? Vietnam is the epitome of David defying Goliath, two Goliaths, in fact, the French and the Americans. France surrendered its colonization of Vietnam in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Americans gave up Vietnam after a 20-year guerrilla war, an embarrassing blow for a superpower falling to its knees to a “lowly” Third World country. Centuries before that, at its birth, Vietnam defied and splintered from the powerful Chinese Empire. Viet means south, nam means kingdom — the kingdom south of the empire. From where does Vietnam draw its strength? Vietnam is monolithic, one solid land mass. The Philippines is granulated, a scattered archipelago. It took more than 10,000 years of slow migration (the so-called Austronesian Dispersal) for Malays in improvised boats (balanghays) to populate the Philippines. While this was happening, Vietnam was growing in strength by defying the Chinese empire. Vietnam is a single neutral gray, the Philippines a rainbow. Vietnam has one central language, the Philippines 125-odd dialects. Except for the Hmong, Vietnam has few ancient ethnic groups. We have 85 ethnic groupings. Anthropologically, Vietnam and the Philippines are complete opposites. The Vietnamese is a natural warrior, the Filipino a natural adventurer. The French and the Americans failed to colonize Vietnam. The Filipino was conquered by the Spaniards, Americans and Japanese. The Vietnamese was defiant, the Filipino subservient. The Filipino absorbed colonization and foreign culture, the Vietnamese kept its culture intact. The post Lasers, drones vs China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Canada’s far north speeds up evacuations as fire approaches main city
Residents of Yellowknife in Canada's far north on Friday raced to evacuate ahead of a midday deadline as wildfires bear down on the remote city and other parts of the vast country. Since authorities in the Northwest Territories issued the city-wide evacuation order late Wednesday, long lines of cars have snaked along the lone highway connecting the area to Alberta province to the south ahead of the 12:00 pm (1800 GMT) cutoff. About 1,500 people have so far left Yellowknife, the regional capital, by plane, with an increased number of flights scheduled Friday to evacuate more of the city's 20,000 residents. The nearest evacuation center is 1,150 kilometers (700 miles) away, in Alberta, where several sites have been set up. Crews have scrambled to erect fire barriers as the flames approached Yellowknife, while water bombers have been seen flying low over the city and swooping in to fill up at a nearby lake. Northwest winds over the next two days will send the fire, already close to the city's perimeter, "in directions we don't want," Northwest Territories' fire information officer Mike Westwick said Thursday. Several military aircraft have already been dispatched, along with more than 120 soldiers to help beat back the flames. In what had already been declared the Northwest Territories' largest-ever evacuation, the emptying of Yellowknife now means half the population of the near-Arctic territory will soon be displaced. Several towns and Indigenous communities were also already under evacuation orders. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interrupted his summer vacation Thursday to convene an incident response group. In British Columbia in western Canada, evacuation orders were also put in place for areas near Kelowna, as a different fire threatened the city of around 150,000. Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them both more frequent and more deadly. The evacuation of Yellowknife is the second time a sizeable Canadian city has been cleared due to wildfires since 100,000 residents of Fort McMurray in Alberta's oil and gas-producing heartland were forced out in 2016. Earlier this year, suburbs of Halifax on the Atlantic coast were also evacuated. Canada is experiencing a record-setting wildfire season, with official estimates of over 13.7 million hectares (33.9 million acres) already scorched. Four people have died so far. Waves of smoke have also intermittently descended on the United States, prompting several air alert warnings in large swaths of the country's center and east. The Yellowknife evacuation comes amid heightened awareness about the deadly speed of wildfires after a town on the Hawaiian island of Maui was razed by a fast-moving inferno, killing more than 100 people. The post Canada’s far north speeds up evacuations as fire approaches main city appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Scotland’s Graham at the double against Italy in Rugby World Cup warm-up
Darcy Graham marked his return from injury with two tries as an experimental Scotland side beat Italy 25-13 on Saturday in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match at Murrayfield. The 26-year-old Edinburgh wing missed the Six Nations with a knee injury but, after scoring a hat-trick in his last match for the Scots against Argentina in November, he picked up where he left off. Replacement Josh Bayliss sealed the victory with the Scots' third try in the last play of the match after Monty Ioane's score just after the hour had given the Italians hope. Graham was one of the few established internationals in Gregor Townsend's starting XV as the Scotland coach rested key players ahead of a double-header against World Cup hosts France. The visitors started well, but Scotland made the breakthrough in the 13th minute when Graham, on the right wing, collected Ben Healey's kick and helped himself to a straightforward touchdown. The Azzurri edged in front by half-time courtesy of two penalties from Harlequins stand-off Tommaso Allan. Scotland were back in front eight minutes after the interval when Healy scored a penalty. In the 56th minute, Graham claimed his second try of the match when he received a reverse pass from Ali Price and bounded over the line. Healy was accurate with the conversion as the Scots opened up a 15-6 advantage. Italy got back into the match just after the hour when Ioane went over on the left after a lovely pass from Allan, who converted. The hosts regained control when Healy kicked another penalty in the 74th minute. They finished on a high note, with substitute Bayliss scoring his first international try, converted by the impressive Healy. "It was a bit of a mixed bag," Scotland captain Rory Darge told Amazon Prime. "Loads of good stuff, especially in defense. "The shots and physicality were really good but we'll have a lot to work on come Monday, especially taking care of the ball. It was tough conditions but we could have done a bit more, especially around the breakdown." The post Scotland’s Graham at the double against Italy in Rugby World Cup warm-up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Meta earnings beat market expectations as ads revive
Facebook parent Meta on Wednesday beat market expectations for quarterly earnings powered by a reviving digital ad business. Meta reported a profit of $7.8 billion on $32 billion in revenue during the recently ended quarter, as the number of people using Facebook monthly rose to 3.03 billion. "We had a good quarter," Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings release. "We continue to see strong engagement across our apps and we have the most exciting roadmap I've seen in a while..." Meta had suffered a rough 2022 amid a souring economic climate, which forced advertisers to cut back on spending, and Apple's data privacy changes, which allowed users to block ad targeting, the pillar of Meta’s business. But like the other big US tech companies, Meta's share price has had a stellar 2023 that Zuckerberg in January said would be the "year of efficiency". "With two straight quarters of positive revenue growth and the first quarter of double-digit revenue growth since late 2021, Meta’s year of efficiency is off to a strong start," said Insider Intelligence analyst Debra Aho Williamson. "There's a lot to feel good about when it comes to Meta right now," Williamson added. In its earnings release, the company said that the number of ads on its various applications rose by 34 percent year-on-year in the second quarter. Analysts noted the greater interest from advertisers in Reels, the video format copied from TikTok, and a less gloomy economic context conducive to marketing spending. VR costs Meta's vow of austerity on spending brought an unprecedented round of cost-cutting that saw the company lay off tens of thousands of workers since last November. Meta said it had 71,469 employees at the end of June, a decrease of 14 percent from the same time a year earlier, according to the earnings report. The company has faced criticism over its gamble on the metaverse, the world of virtual reality that Meta believes will be the next frontier online and led it to change its name from Facebook in 2021. This to date has proved to be a bad bet with customers so far unenthused by the technology, even though Apple will enter the space some time next year with the release of its expensive VisionPro headset. Meta said in the earnings report that it expects its operating losses at the unit responsible for VR to "increase meaningfully" in the months ahead. The company has also jumped to take advantage of the chaos at Twitter, which has now been renamed to X. Earlier this month Meta rushed out the release of Threads, a text-only app that saw more than 100 million downloads in just days, though the users' long term interest remains unproven. On AI, Zuckerberg has chosen a different track than Microsoft and its partnership with OpenAI. Meta instead has endorsed a more "open source" approach and made its Llama generative AI technology available to researchers and companies to adapt to their own needs. However, investors will be curious to know how Meta expands use of generative AI for its own products. Zuckerberg indicated in a recent podcast that his company is working on an AI platform that would allow creators and advertisers to more efficiently work together. The post Meta earnings beat market expectations as ads revive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy
Tech titans Google and Microsoft announced better-than-expected earnings on Tuesday as the frenzy over artificial intelligence stokes investor excitement and breathes new life into the sector. The release of ChatGPT last year landed as technology giants were embarking on major layoffs and cost-cutting plans, with share prices hammered after flying high during the coronavirus pandemic. For the second consecutive quarter, Microsoft has more than reversed the trend, seeing profits and sales soaring to the highest levels ever for the 48-year-old company co-founded by Bill Gates. An earnings statement reported that net profit for Microsoft was $20.1 billion in the April to June period, up 20 percent year-on-year and above expectations. The company posted $56.2 billion in sales, which also beat expectations, though the growth slowed from the previous quarter. And even though its share price slipped in after-hours trading, the Windows-maker remains the world's second most valuable company after Apple, with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion. Once again, business in the latest quarter was driven by the cloud, which relies heavily on artificial intelligence and accounts for more than half of the company's sales. Cloud sales grew by 21 percent year-on-year. Microsoft shares lifted off last week when the company said it would charge $30 extra per user to turbocharge its Microsoft 365 product -- which includes Word, Excel and Teams -- with AI powers. "Every customer I speak with is asking not only how, but how fast they can apply next generation AI to address the biggest opportunities and challenges they face and to do so safely and responsibly," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday also reported profits that beat market forecasts as digital advertising revenue revived and its cloud business grew. The search engine giant reported net income of $18.7 billion on revenue of $74.6 billion in the recently ended quarter. "There's exciting momentum across our products and the company, which drove strong results this quarter," Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release. Alphabet shares jumped more than six percent to $129.57 in after-market trades following the results. Microsoft saw its share price slip more than three percent to $337.99 as earnings showed it will take a bit of time and investment to fulfill its AI visions. "I think people got overly excited by AI, but now the reality is that it is not going to be instant," said independent analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "We are talking a few years before the full benefit starts to materialize." Brin is back While the latest talk has surrounded AI, what matters most for Google earnings currently is digital advertising -- where it gets the bulk of its revenue. The company said that advertising revenue hit $58.1 billion, which outshined analysts' expectations of $57.45 billion. Google is also a player in the cloud computing industry, where revenue came in at $8 billion, compared with $6.3 billion the unit took in during the same period a year earlier. "Our continued leadership in AI and our excellence in engineering and innovation are driving the next evolution of Search, and improving all our services," Pichai said. Google has played a close second to the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI in rolling out its AI products following the release of ChatGPT. The company has largely been seen as playing catch up with Microsoft, with questions over whether the mighty Google search engine will withstand developments in AI. Microsoft was quick to beef up its Bing search engine with AI powers, but Google's search has yet to see a real threat to its dominance -- which remains about 90 percent of the market worldwide. Google, though not as dramatically as Microsoft, has seen its share price rise steeply in 2023 as investors expect AI to generate new revenue and open new markets. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is back at the company headquarters in California helping teams develop even more AI products. He and co-founder Larry Page stepped down from active roles at Google in 2019 when Pichai was chosen to replace them as chief executive. The post Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Swiatek saves two match points to reach Wimbledon quarters
Iga Swiatek saved two match points to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday, battling back to beat Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3. The Polish world number one had reached the fourth round without losing a set but faced a tough battle against the Swiss 14th seed on Centre Court. Swiatek was unable to capitalise on any of the six break points on offer in the first set, looking increasingly rattled and gesturing towards her coaching team. Bencic, the Olympic champion, raced into a 6-1 lead in the tie-break, snuffing out Swiatek's mini-comeback to take control of the match. Swiatek, who had looked pleadingly towards her coaching staff, disappeared off court with a notebook in hand, searching for a workable game plan. She returned to the court with a spring in her step and broke at her first opportunity, only for the tenacious Bencic to return the favor in the sixth game. Swiatek appeared to be on the brink of a shock exit when she ballooned a backhand long to hand Bencic two match points at 15-40 in the 12th game. But the top seed saved them both, forcing a tie-break, which she won easily to level the match. The four-time Grand Slam champion broke in the fourth game of the decider and then held to stretch her lead to 4-1. She was made to work for her win but eventually served out to take the third set 6-3 and seal the match. Swiatek, 22, said she felt was able to play without fear when facing a shock exit. "It's actually a little bit easier because on the other hand you feel like she's leading anyway so you play those shots more fearlessly because you know you have nothing to lose." Swiatek, who has won three French Open titles on clay, said she was learning to love the grass. "Every day my love is getting bigger so hopefully I'm going to have as many days as possible to stay here and play on this court," she said. jw/dj © Agence France-Presse The post Swiatek saves two match points to reach Wimbledon quarters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Strickland, Dawson beat back Russian foes in UFC Fight Night
The challenge from Russian mixed martial arts fighters is real and will continue to do so. But a pair of American fighters in the co-main events of UFC Fight Night held at the Apex in Las Vegas beat back a pair of tough challenges......»»
‘Spider-Man’ swings back to top of the box office
Jostling for the top three spots in North American theaters this weekend was the same films from last week, with "The Flash" overtaken by the latest "Spider-Man" iteration. The debut of the raunchy comedy "No Hard Feelings," as well as that of "Asteroid City," the latest offering from cult director Wes Anderson, failed to get past last weekend's top-earning films, although analysts said they performed well for their respective genres. Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" took in $19.3 million over the weekend, according to Sunday estimates from Exhibitor Relations, bringing its domestic total to more than $317 million, with showings in international theaters pushing the cumulative global earnings to $560 million. The film, a sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and the latest spin on the Marvel Comics superhero, picks up the story of half-Black, half-Latino Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore. Pixar's animated immigrant fable "Elemental," which also held last week's No. 2 spot, earned $18.4 million, bringing its total to $65 million. Warner Bro.'s "The Flash" took the third spot, earning $15.2 million a week after it opened at number one, bringing its box-office war chest to $87.6 million so far. "No Hard Feelings," Sony's R-rated offering starring Jennifer Lawrence, debuted this weekend in fourth place. The movie's $15.1 million haul is "a good opening for an original romantic/sex comedy, at above-average levels for the genre," said analyst David A. Gross, writing for industry newsletter FranchiseRe. "After a long decline between 2015 and 2022, romantic/sex comedies are growing again," Gross said, with "Joy Ride" and "Barbie" coming out next month. Amid the spin-offs and sequels dominating the box office this weekend, Paramount's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" brought in $11.6 million, for fifth place. Next in line, following a limited release last week, was Focus Features' "Asteroid City," from off-beat director Anderson, for $9 million. While that's a far cry from the $120 million netted by "Spider-Man" its opening weekend, it represents "a very good opening for a specialty independent comedy," Gross said. Rounding out the top 10 were "The Little Mermaid" ($8.6 million), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($3.5 million), "The Blackening" ($3 million), and "The Boogeyman" ($2.5 million). The post ‘Spider-Man’ swings back to top of the box office appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»