Author: admin

  • Bonita Gibson, 113, says potatoes and smiling are keys to long life

    Bonita Gibson, 113, says potatoes and smiling are keys to long life

    What’s older than a blender, penicillin, and the U.S. moon landing? A Michigan woman celebrating her 114th birthday on July 4.

    Bonita Gibson, a resident at Waltonwood Carriage Park just outside of Detroit, is believed to be the oldest living person in Michigan, according to a Waltonwood representative.

    Gibson is part of a small population of supercentenarians in the United States, or someone who is at least 110 years old.

    Other supercentenarians across the country include 114-year-old Naomi Whitehead of Pennsylvania, 114-year-old Mary Harris of Tennessee, and 113-year-old Winnie Felps of Texas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

    Gibson became the oldest known living person in Michigan after the death of 114-year-old Irene Dunham on May 1, 2022. The Gerontology Research Group validated her age the following year on May 4, 2023, two months shy of her 112th birthday.

    More on longevity: I am 96 and the picture of longevity. These are my tips for living longer and better.

    Michigan woman flew for the first time at 100 years old

    Gibson drove until she was 99 years old, and took her first plane ride at the age of 100, flying to San Diego, a lifelong dream of hers, Waltonwood said.

    Gibson told USA TODAY some of the keys to her living such a long life include:

    • Eating potatoes (seemingly a nod to her late husband and the business he worked in)
    • Healthy eating
    • Staying positive and always smiling
    • No smoking or drinking

    Michigan woman survived multiple historical events, spent great deal of her life in Idaho

    Gibson was born on July 4, 1911 in a northwestern Kansas city called Hoxie, according to the Gerontology Research Group. She grew up in rural Missouri, and lived through the Spanish Flu Pandemic. 

    As a child, she survived the mumps, measles, and whooping cough, said a representative for Waltonwood Carriage Park. Most recently, she survived COVID-19 in 2020, making her one of the oldest known survivors of the disease, according to the research group.

    Gibson married Kenneth Gibson, her high school sweetheart, in April 1930 in Oregon, Missouri; the pair married during the Great Depression. The couple lived on a farm at the time.

    “We had chickens and a huge garden and all kinds of fruit trees,” Gibson told CBS Detroit in July 2023. “We had plenty to eat. We just didn’t have any money to spend.”

    They eventually moved to Idaho, where her husband’s relative had a farm. The move is what introduced them to the potato industry.

    “He said Kenny can help me in the field and you can be the cook,” Gibson told CBS Detroit. “I hadn’t cooked a thing in my life.”

    After seven years of marriage, the pair had a son, Kenneth Richard, in January 1937. After that, the couple moved to Newdale, Idaho and later, Idaho Falls as her husband worked as a potato farmer. He later worked as a potato broker until he retired in 1977. He died in 2003.

    After decades in Idaho, a move to Michigan

    At the age of 102, she began living in a nursing home in Canton, Michigan, where her grandson lives. As her grandson was moving her to Michigan, Gibson had a request for him, Waltonwood Executive Director Angie Hanson told McKnight’s Senior Living. 

    “She wanted to ride on the back of his Harley, but he wouldn’t let her,” Hanson said.

    Gibson still speaks to her son, 88-year-old Kenneth Richard, every night. She also has three grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

    Today, she loves reading and cards, watching “Price is Right” each day, and catching up with her friends at Waltonwood.

    This year, she plans to celebrate her birthday by participating in the downtown Plymouth Fourth of July Parade. There will be a banner announcing her birthday, Waltonwood said.

    As Gibson reflected on her life back in 2023, she recalled being married for over 70 years. She and Kenneth made it a point to enjoy themselves, having the most fun in the 1950s and 1960s, she told CBS Detroit.

    “We would go dancing every Saturday with a group of friends,” she told the outlet.

    When asked what helped to hold their marriage together, she tried to answer from the perspective of her high school sweetheart.

    “I would’ve taken her back home several times, but we didn’t have any money, so we had to stay together,” she said.

    Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

    Continue Reading

  • What David Beckham’s Knighthood Says About Modern Britain

    What David Beckham’s Knighthood Says About Modern Britain

    Academics in politics, sociology and history at Northeastern University in London look at the significance and origins of the U.K. honors system.

    David Beckham greeting King Charles III with a laugh while King Charles III is in the middle of saying something.
    Ex-footballer David Beckham was given a knighthood in King Charles’ Birthday Honours. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

    LONDON — “Arise Sir David,” will come the call from King Charles when he formally makes ex-footballer David Beckham a knight of the British realm.

    The former free-kick maestro and co-owner of Inter Miami football club will have a sword ceremonially “dubbed” on each shoulder by the British sovereign as he joins a modern brigade of sport stars, musicians, TV personalities and everyday citizens to be given a U.K. honor.

    Due to join him in the rank of knight at a royal investiture ceremony will be Roger Daltry, lead singer of the rock band The Who, and actor Gary Oldman, who starred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

    All three were announced as part of the King’s Birthday Honours in which more than 1,200 people from across the U.K., ranging from age 11 to 106, were recognized, with knighthoods and damehoods being two of the highest ranking awards handed out.

    Josephine Harmon, an assistant professor in political science at Northeastern University in London, says the knighting is partly about modern Britain’s projection of itself on the world stage.

    “The knighthood system is sending out signals about Britain’s cultural exports,” says Harmon, “whether it is soccer and David Beckham, The Beatles or whether it is Gary Oldman being known for playing all these different acting parts.

    “It says something about the country and the fact that we think of ourselves as punching above our weight in cultural terms. After the economic and relative decline after the age of empire, Britain pivoted its image of itself and what it does as a country within the world. 

    “Part of that was famously about financial services and other services. But another major part is our cultural sector and the way that we export our music, our films, our playwrights and whatever else. The honors system is related to that image of modern Britain.”

    People can be nominated, and the monarch announces a new set of recipients twice a year in the birthday and New Year’s lists. The choices are vetted and approved by a committee beforehand. Other times, honors are given when Parliament has completed a full term, known as dissolution honors, or when a prime minister resigns. 

    “Gongs,” as they are colloquially known, are typically given to well-known personalities, government employees and ordinary people who have served their community with distinction.

    Beckham, who previously played for Manchester United and Real Madrid and is estimated to be the eighth highest-paid athlete of all time, is a rare breed in that he is known to have publicly courted a knighthood. Leaked emails from 2013, published four years later, used colorful language to express his displeasure at being snubbed for a knighthood, allegedly calling the British knighting system an expletive.

    A “red flag” had reportedly been raised by the U.K. tax office concerning Beckham’s financial investments, an issue that held up any chance of a knighthood until it was cleared in 2021. But after having been a regular attendee at royal events and weddings — along with Spice Girl wife Victoria — carrying out charitable works and having already been bestowed with the lesser honor of Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, he has been given the top accolade of a knighthood.

    Beckham’s elevation, says Gergana Dimova, associate professor in politics and sociology, gives the monarchy a chance to align itself with one of Britain’s most-recognized and high-profile cultural stars and offers the opportunity to modernize itself in the process.

    “The modern monarchy is constantly reinventing itself,” says the London-based Northeastern academic, “and one of the most viable ways for it to stay relevant in the age of social media is to reach out to celebrities. 

    “David Beckham is the ultimate celebrity as he has managed to galvanize his sports success into a palpable public presence. A testimony to the power of his image is that he has 88.2 million followers on Instagram and earns around $40 million from brand endorsements. He is the epitome of the good looking, successful, modern man.”

    Dimova says a knighthood and damehood can also allow the recipient to reform or reinforce their own image. In Beckham’s case, it offers the chance for the newly minted “Sir David,” who comes from a working-class background, to align himself with the establishment.

    “Knighthood is mutually beneficial,” continues Dimova. “By accepting the knighthood, Beckham moves from the realm of new money to the polished world of tradition.”

    Beckham, 50, seemed to recognize that journey himself when he said after the announcement: “Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honor.”

    Similarly, others, such as pop star David Bowie and film director Danny Boyle, turned down knighthoods so as not to be seen as tied to the establishment or the institution of the monarchy. 

    While becoming a knight or dame does not come with any formal elevated position, Harmon argues that there is still an undefined authority that arises from being afforded the distinction. In fact, people who fall below the standard expected of those holding the rank can be stripped of their honor, as was seen when Queen Elizabeth II’s courtier Anthony Blunt was ousted as a spy for Russia.

    “I think there are certain forms of power which are not tangible,” Harmon says. “An honor doesn’t involve legal powers over people. But there is this cultural, social authority that you get just from this title and from this recognition that people are impressed by it.”

    The U.K. is not alone in having such a system for recognizing citizens’ achievements, Harmon points out. In the U.S., the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal are given to citizens for their merits. But it is the history of the British honors system that helps to set it apart.

    Chloe McKenzie, assistant professor in medieval history, explains that the concept of bestowing knighthoods can be traced to the eighth century in Western Europe, and that it became ingrained in British life after the Norman conquest in 1066.

    “In medieval society, there was a three-tiered society, which comprised of those who fight, those who pray and those who work,” says McKenzie. “And those who fought were the knights, and they were the natural leaders of society.

    “The Norman conquest solidified that social structure. William I used his knights by rewarding them with lands and they in turn subjugated the local population in the decades after the conquest. But things really start to shift, I would say, in the 13th and 14th centuries when the honors system, as we would recognize it, comes into being.”

    McKenzie says that, prior to the 1300s, it was mainly military men from a certain class or background who were knighted. But around 1348, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter, which remains to this day the pinnacle of the U.K. honors system, with the likes of Tony Blair, the former prime minister, inducted in 2022.

    The Order of the Garter started off as a way of rewarding Edward’s military leaders after his victory over the French at the Battle of Crecy in 1346, with the knights belonging to the order “supposed to be beyond reproach,” explains McKenzie, who is currently researching the order’s early history.

    As time went on, the order’s function changed to being first about promoting King Edward’s family and helping create family unity before turning political.

    “As the 14th century wears on and goes into the 15th century, the Order of the Garter takes on more of an overtly political function, and that evolves over time,” says McKenzie.

    “You stop having people who are military commanders, and you might have somebody who is politically useful to reward.”

    Other honors rankings would go on to be formed, such as the Order of the Bath in the 18th century and the Order of Merit in 1902, but, according to McKenzie, they can all trace their origins to those medieval rulers wanting to celebrate their most impressive subjects.

    “They are part of that same system of rewarding people for different purposes,” McKenzie adds.

    Society & Culture

    Recent Stories


    Continue Reading

  • DRIVEN BY WORDS: Help Create The New Gulf x Atlassian Williams Racing Livery

    DRIVEN BY WORDS: Help Create The New Gulf x Atlassian Williams Racing Livery

    Fans around the world are invited to help create an iconic one-of-a-kind livery for Atlassian Williams Racing!

    Celebrating the passion and emotion that fuels racing at the pinnacle of motorsport, we need you to submit the words that best capture what Williams and Gulf mean to them.
    These messages of support, pride and love will be woven into a unique design fusing bold typography with the instantly recognisable Gulf colours that will transform the FW47 driven by Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz at this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix in November.

    Starting today, fans will have until August 25 to make their voices part of this standout livery. Follow the link below to start submitting five words a day that encapsulate the moments, ambitions and memories that make Williams and Gulf special – in any language, and from around the world.

    Gulf Driven By Words

    Submit five words a day that encapsulate the moments, ambitions and memories that make Williams and Gulf special

    “We are delighted to unveil this new campaign with Gulf, uniting two icons of motorsport in a tribute to the people who fuel F1: the fans,” James Vowles commented.

    “Driven by Words is the latest example of our commitment to bring fans closer to the team than ever before, whether that is through fan zones, behind-the-scenes social media content or exclusive online experiences.

    “Atlassian Williams Racing has one of the most loyal and passionate fanbases in sport, and I can’t wait to see their words transformed into an unmissable livery for the Brazilian Grand Prix.”

    Fans can submit their entries right here. Submissions open on July 2 and close on August 25.

    Continue Reading

  • Google Chrome Warning—Update Or Stop Using Browser By July 23

    Google Chrome Warning—Update Or Stop Using Browser By July 23

    Google has confirmed that Chrome is under attack again, and has issued another emergency update for all users following the mandatory “configuration change” it pushed out last week. Whatever device you’re running, you need to ensure you have downloaded the latest software and then you need to restart your browser.

    As I suggested would happen, America’s cyber defence agency has now mandated federal employees update or stop using Chrome within 3 weeks, on or before July 23. The warning also applies to Microsoft Edge and other Chromium-based browsers.

    ForbesDo Not Use Your Credit Card Online If You See These 2 ThingsBy Zak Doffman

    CISA warns that Chrome’s V8 Javascript engine “contains a type confusion vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker to perform arbitrary read/write via a crafted HTML page.” That means just visiting the wrong website could put you at risk.

    In confirming CVE-2025-6554, Google explained that it would not release any further details at this time, “until a majority of users are updated with a fix.” But the fact it was discovered by Google’s own Threat Analysis Group just five days before the fix was released — with a config change even faster than that — tells you how urgent this is.

    The assumption is that this will have been found in highly targeted attacks, the kind that use specialized websites to lure specific victims or links and other social media, email or text messages to deploy its attacks. But the fact this is now public domain and being fixed means the risks are high as attackers deployments before it’s too late.

    This is the fourth actively exploited zero-day this year, and it highlights how important it is to keep all browsers updated at all times. While CISA’s mandate only applies to federal agency staff, its remit extends to all organizations to help them “better manage vulnerabilities and keep pace with threat activity.”

    ForbesChange Your Browser Settings Now—‘Massive Security Risk’By Zak Doffman

    You will see a flag within Chrome telling you an update has been downloaded and you need to restart. All your tabs should reopen, albeit your Incognito private browsing tabs will not. So make sure there’s nothing unsaved in any of those.

    Following Google’s warning that it’s “aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-6554 exists in the wild,” we can expect more detail on the vulnerability over the coming weeks.

    Continue Reading

  • Who Ends Alex Palou-Kyle Kirkwood Streak at Mid-Ohio?

    Who Ends Alex Palou-Kyle Kirkwood Streak at Mid-Ohio?

    Today’s question: Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood are the only drivers to win an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this season. Which driver is most likely to end that streak this Sunday in The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport?

    Curt Cavin: Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward has been among the closest to derailing this year’s Palou-Kirkwood train, and Mid-Ohio will be a return to the scene of one of his three race wins from a year ago. O’Ward leads this season in second-place finishes in 2025 – he has three – and one of those was a brilliant drive at The Thermal Club in which he led 51 of the 65 laps. He also finished second on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and at World Wide Technology Raceway. Nine drivers in this field have won NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Mid-Ohio, including eight in the past eight races, but it feels like O’Ward will break several trends this weekend.

    Eric Smith: I’m predicting the upset. One could consider two winners in nine NTT INDYCAR SERIES races an upset in and of itself. So could Robert Shwartzman winning the pole for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. To continue that theme, how about more chaos? Wouldn’t it be fitting if a rookie ended this Palou/Kirkwood domination? I’m going with Louis Foster for the win on Sunday. It’s not as far-fetched as it seems. He became the second rookie NTT P1 Award winner of the season the last time out in Road America. Foster is also good at Mid-Ohio. He finished first and second, respectively, in USF Pro 2000 competition in 2022. He earned his first INDY NXT by Firestone win here in 2023 and finished second last year. RLL typically produces strong cars on its home track, and Foster has been fast on natural road courses this season to the tune of qualifying 10th, 12th, third and first, respectively. With a fast car, a strong track for him and the team, plus the ability to go off strategy if needed, give me the upset. Bobby Rahal earned his first Mid-Ohio victory 40 years ago. His son and Foster’s teammate, Graham Rahal, won 10 years ago. The year of the “5s” is kind to the Rahal’s at Mid-Ohio, so how about the No. 45 RLL Honda to victory lane on Sunday.

    Arni Sribhen: You can’t talk about an INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio and not begin a list of favorites to win with Scott Dixon. But I’m going to focus on another Kiwi who runs well at Mid-Ohio – Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin. Scotty Mac has history at Mid-Ohio. He’s the only driver not named Alex Palou to finish in the top five in each of the last three seasons at Mid-Ohio and he knows how to win at there, notching a victory in 2022. Chevrolet’s still looking for win No. 1 for one of its drivers this season and winning in Honda’s backyard with the Team Penske driver and the “Thirsty 3s” would be an ideal place to get it done.

    Paul Kelly: It’s Will Power’s time to end the Palou-Kirkwood duopoly and put Team Penske back into victory lane for the first time since Scott McLaughlin won last Sept. 1 at Milwaukee, as crazy as that sounds. Power has successful recent history at Mid-Ohio, and I think recognizing that recent success is more important due to the changes in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES car since 2019, namely the addition of the aeroscreen and the hybrid. Power won in 2020 with the aeroscreen and finished third in 2022 and 2023. Plus, Power has been the best of the three Team Penske drivers in this disappointing season, with more top-five and top-10 finishes than teammates McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden. There’s also the well-known matter that Power is in a contract year, and who knows what his future with the team is at this point? But delivering the first winner’s trophy to Roger Penske this season might not hurt Willy P’s chances at an extension if a decision hasn’t been made already.


    Continue Reading

  • Uterine Cancer Expected to Rise Significantly Over the Next 25 Years – Inside Precision Medicine

    1. Uterine Cancer Expected to Rise Significantly Over the Next 25 Years  Inside Precision Medicine
    2. Fresh fears as doctors chart explosion in cancer that’s surging more rapidly that colon cancer – food favourite could be to blame  Daily Mail
    3. Study Predicts Uterine Cancer Incidence May Significantly Increase by 2050  American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
    4. Womb cancer deaths may soar by 98% in next 25 years – and everyday foods in Britain could be to blame  GB News
    5. This already-common cancer — and its deadliness — will significantly increase in the next 25 years: study  New York Post

    Continue Reading

  • Microsoft laying off about 9,000 employees in latest round of cuts

    Microsoft laying off about 9,000 employees in latest round of cuts

    Microsoft said Wednesday that it will lay off about 9,000 employees. The move will affect less than 4% of its global workforce across different teams, geographies and levels of experience, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

    The announcement comes on the second day of Microsoft’s 2026 fiscal year. Executives at the Redmond, Washington-based company typically unveil reorganizations at the time of the new fiscal year.

    “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email.

    Microsoft has held several rounds of layoffs already this calendar year. In January, it cut less than 1% of headcount based on performance. The 50-year-old software company slashed more than 6,000 jobs in May and then at least 300 more in June. As of June 2024 it employed 228,000 people. In 2023, it laid off 10,000.

    Perhaps the largest culling of Microsoft workers came in 2014, when the company eliminated 18,000 after acquiring Nokia’s devices and services business.

    As was the case with the May layoffs, Microsoft is looking to reduce the number of layers of managers that stand between individual contributors and top executives, said the person who asked not to be named while discussing internal matters.

    “To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness,” Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s CEO of gaming, wrote in a Wednesday memo to employees in that division.

    Microsoft reported nearly $26 billion in net income on $70 billion in revenue for the March quarter. The numbers were well ahead of Wall Street’s consensus, keeping Microsoft ranked as one of the most profitable companies in the S&P 500 index, according to data compiled by FactSet.

    Executives called for about 14% year-over-year revenue growth in the June quarter, thanks to expected expansion in Azure cloud services and corporate productivity software subscriptions

    Microsoft stock closed at a record high of $497.45 per share on June 26. At the start of Wednesday’s trading session, the shares were down about 0.6%, while the S&P 500 was roughly flat.

    Autodesk, Chegg and CrowdStrike are among the other software providers that have slimmed down in 2025. Earlier on Wednesday, payroll processing company ADP said the U.S. private sector lost 33,000 jobs in June. Economists polled by Dow Jones had predicted an increase of 100,000.

    Continue Reading

  • The private sector lost 33,000 jobs in June, badly missing expectations for a 100,000 increase, ADP says

    The private sector lost 33,000 jobs in June, badly missing expectations for a 100,000 increase, ADP says

    Private sector hiring unexpectedly contracted in June, payrolls processing firm ADP said Wednesday, in a possible sign that the economy may not be as sturdy as investors believe as they bid the S&P 500 back up to record territory to end the month.

    Private payrolls lost 33,000 jobs in June, the ADP report showed, the first decrease since March 2023. Economists polled by Dow Jones forecast an increase of 100,000 for the month. The May job growth figure was revised even lower to just 29,000 jobs added from 37,000.

    “Though layoffs continue to be rare, a hesitancy to hire and a reluctance to replace departing workers led to job losses last month,” Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist, said in a press release published Wednesday morning.

    To be sure, the ADP report has a spotty track record on predicting the subsequent government jobs report, which investors tend to weigh more heavily. May’s soft ADP data ended up differing significantly from the monthly jobs report figures that came later in the week.

    This week, the government’s nonfarm payrolls report will be out on Thursday with economists expecting a healthy 110,000 increase for June, per Dow Jones estimates. Economists are expecting the unemployment rate to tick higher to 4.3% from 4.2%. Some economists could revise down their jobs reports estimates following ADP’s data.

    Weekly jobless claims data is also due Thursday, with economists penciling in 240,000. This string of labor stats comes during a shortened trading week, with the market closing early on Thursday and remaining dark on Friday in honor of the July Fourth holiday.

    Service roles hit hardest

    The bulk of job losses came in service roles tied to professional and business services and health and education, according to ADP. Professional/business services notched a decline of 56,000, while health/education saw a net loss of 52,000.

    Financial activity roles also contributed to the month’s decline with a drop of 14,000 on balance.

    But the contraction was capped by payroll expansions in goods-producing roles across industries such as manufacturing and mining. All together, goods-producing positions grew by 32,000 in the month, while payrolls for service roles overall fell by 66,000.

    The Midwest and Western U.S. saw the strongest contractions in June, declining by 24,000 and 20,000, respectively. Meanwhile, the Northeast shed 3,000 roles. The Southern U.S. was the sole region tracked by the ADP to see payrolls expand on net in the month, recording an increase of 13,000 positions.

    The smallest firms tended to see more job losses in the month than their larger counterparts. In fact, businesses with more than 500 employees saw the biggest payroll growth in the month with an increase of 30,000, per ADP. By comparison, businesses with fewer than 20 employees accounted for 29,000 lost roles on net.

    Annual income growth decreased modestly from May for both job stayers and hoppers. The rate of pay increase for those staying in their jobs ticked down to 4.4% from 4.5%, while those getting new roles slid to 6.8% from 7%.

    The S&P 500 is up more than 4% for the year, posting a stunning comeback in the second quarter after worries about President Donald Trump’s tariff fights nearly sent the benchmark into a bear market.

    Continue Reading

  • British and Irish Lions 2025: Daly blow, Itoje’s reminder and Test team taking shape

    British and Irish Lions 2025: Daly blow, Itoje’s reminder and Test team taking shape

    Jac Morgan needed a big game – and he delivered. His energy levels were tremendous, his aggression in the tackle, his subtle touches and, of course, his try were of the highest quality.

    Morgan rose up the ranks while Tom Curry fell down. He has lost his mojo at the wrong time. Close to a Test certainty during the season, Curry will now be lucky if he makes the 23. It’s all beginning to look very cut-throat.

    Will Stuart had a chance to propel himself into the box seat at tighthead but he got done in defence and gave away three penalties. It wasn’t the audition he wanted.

    Against all odds, Finlay Bealham, not even in the original squad, might just be favourite for a Test spot because the great Tadhg Furlong still hasn’t stirred in the way Furlong can.

    Offering up sweet thoughts for Daly’s fitness, there’s a Test 23 beginning to emerge through the fog of uncertainty. Skin and hair will fly in protest, but…

    Kinghorn (Daly), Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe, Russell (F Smith), Gibson-Park (Mitchell); Genge (Schoeman), Sheehan (Cowan-Dickie), Bealham (Furlong), Itoje, McCarthy, Chessum (Beirne), Van der Flier, Conan (Pollock).

    How’s that for a Lions Test match squad?

    Such is the nature of this trek that what happened in Brisbane will be an afterthought later on Thursday when Farrell names the team to face the Waratahs. So much build-up and yet the Lions have to move on from it in a relative instant.

    To Sydney, then…

    Continue Reading

  • Crestron Home OS 4.6 Puts Music Control at the Forefront of Smart Home Experience

    Crestron Home OS 4.6 Puts Music Control at the Forefront of Smart Home Experience

    Crestron has unveiled version 4.6 of its Crestron Home OS, bringing a host of new user experience enhancements that place music and personalization at the center of the platform. The update introduces a revamped audio interface, a redesigned multi-room music control system, and several usability improvements designed to make smart home control more intuitive.

    Music Control Central to Latest Home OS Update

    The most visible change in OS 4.6 is a dedicated “Music” tile on the home screen, which displays album artwork and offers quick access to audio controls. Tapping the tile launches a simplified four-step process for selecting locations, sources, and playlists, minimizing the time it takes to start playing music throughout the home.

    The updated interface also includes a “Music Circle” feature within the “Now Playing” tile, allowing users to add rooms or change sources without exiting the current view. These changes are designed to reduce friction in multi-room audio navigation.

    “We obsessed over every detail of the multi-room experience,” said Michael Short, vice president of marketing operations and residential at Crestron, in a blog post. “The goal was to make it so intuitive that it disappears into the background.”

    In addition to streamlined navigation, OS 4.6 brings music favorites — including top playlists, stations, and artists — directly to the source selection screen, eliminating the need to browse multiple layers of menus.

    Additional Features Added to Crestron Home OS 4.6

    Beyond audio, the release also includes several broader improvements to the Crestron Home platform, such as:

    • Simplified DALI Lighting Control via the new DIN-DLI hardware and web interface.

    • Expanded door lock support, including international compatibility with Yale, August, and Emtek models.

    • Improved intercom capabilities, with options for direct response, auto-answer, and custom tones.

    • Customizable touch screen font sizes for accessibility.

    • Support for DM NVX 385, expanding network AV distribution options.

    Crestron emphasizes that OS 4.6 is the result of extensive beta testing and feedback from users.

    “We meticulously analyzed every step of the process,” said Chase Bouchard, product owner for software applications, in the company’s blog. “Our focus was on reducing taps while increasing control and flexibility.”

    Availability

    The update is available now for Crestron Home systems, continuing the company’s push to simplify and enhance the smart home experience through regular software improvements.

    Continue Reading