Tuesday, July 14

Blog

Oura’s AI Chatbot Really Makes You Think—About Yourself
Life Style

Oura’s AI Chatbot Really Makes You Think—About Yourself

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Lots of apps are getting built-in AI features these days, and they’re often disappointing. They’ll summarize (sometimes incorrectly) the same data that’s already available in charts or graphs elsewhere in the app. But the AI advisor that was recently added to the Oura ring's app takes a different strategy, one that I’ve come to appreciate over the past few weeks since its launch. Instead of just reporting data, it asks questions. It asks you to do a little analysis, a little introspection. And I think Oura is really onto something here. Some of the questions the Oura Advisor has asked meI’ll admit that, at first, I was interested in what the Advisor could tell me. Anytime I asked it a question, it would give an ans...
Scientists find cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat
Health

Scientists find cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat

A team of US researchers has uncovered the cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat, providing new insights into why our midsections widen with middle age.  Published in the journal Science, the findings suggest a novel target for future therapies to prevent belly flab and extend our healthy lifespans. Preclinical research by City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organisations in the US, has done this research. “People often lose muscle and gain body fat as they age — even when their body weight remains the same,” said Qiong (Annabel) Wang, an associate professor of molecular and cellular endocrinology at City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute.  “We discovered aging triggers the arrival of a new type of...
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Jiggly Caliente dies after ‘severe infection’ – National
Entertainment, Movies

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Jiggly Caliente dies after ‘severe infection’ – National

Drag performer Bianca Castro-Arabejo, who was known as reality television star Jiggly Caliente on RuPaul’s Drag Race, died Sunday at age 44, days after her family reported hospitalization for a serious infection. Castro-Arabejo, who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in 2022, scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a recent hospitalization for a “severe infection” and a leg amputation surgery, her family said in a statement on her Instagram page. Story continues below advertisement She died early Sunday, her family said in another statement.“A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity,” her family said Sunday. “She touched c...
This Cyber Attack Targets Microsoft 365 Accounts
Life Style

This Cyber Attack Targets Microsoft 365 Accounts

A new cyberattack is targeting Microsoft 365 users through Signal and WhatsApp messages, with hackers impersonating government officials in order to gain access to accounts. According to reporting from Bleeping Computer, bad actors—who are believed to be Russians pretending to be European political officials or diplomats—are contacting employees of organizations working on issues related to Ukraine and human rights. The end goal is to trick targets into clicking an OAuth phishing link leading them to authenticate their Microsoft 365 credentials. This scam, first discovered by cybersecurity firm Volexity, has focused specifically on organizations related to Ukraine, but a similar approach could be used more widely to steal user data or take over devices. How the Microsoft 365 OAuth attack w...
Liberals hold four-point lead over Conservatives heading into Monday’s vote: Ipsos – National
Politics

Liberals hold four-point lead over Conservatives heading into Monday’s vote: Ipsos – National

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is holding a four-percentage point lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives on the eve of Monday’s general election, new data from Ipsos suggests. But the tight national race obscures the Liberals’ advantage in the key provinces of Ontario and Québec that will likely determine if the party receives a fourth consecutive mandate from Canadian voters.The Ipsos polling, conducted for Global News and released Sunday, has the Liberals at 42 percent support nationwide, followed by 38 per cent for the Conservatives and single-digit support – just nine per cent – for Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats.The poll also suggests that, with a day to go, most Canadian voters have made up their minds.“At this late juncture, just five per cent of Canadians remain undecided, and 71 p...
Screening for both active and dormant TB infection key to improve detection
Health

Screening for both active and dormant TB infection key to improve detection

Screening for both active and dormant tuberculosis (TB) infection simultaneously can help improve detection, which is key for better outcomes, according to a study.  The new strategy, proposed by a team of researchers led by Queen Mary University of London, can curtail infection rates, potentially save lives. It provides a solution to problems with current TB screening, which does not always accurately detect disease. "Global TB control requires early identification and treatment of TB in risk groups. Our novel screening algorithms show that screening for active and dormant TB can be done simultaneously with high accuracy for migrants from countries where TB is common to improve individual and population benefits,” said Dr Dominik Zenner, Clinical Reader in Infectious Disease Epidemiolog...
Ayyana Mane web series review: Interesting premise let down by aged treatment
Entertainment, Movies

Ayyana Mane web series review: Interesting premise let down by aged treatment

The Kannada film industry, after making a strong mark nationally with blockbuster films like KGF and Kantara, has now ventured into the web series arena with Ayyana Mane. Rooted deeply in the region’s cultural ethos, this debut series had all the ingredients for an engaging supernatural thriller. Unfortunately, despite its intriguing premise, the execution feels dated and reminiscent of early 2000s television dramas. Set in the 1990s in Chikkamagaluru, Ayyana Mane tells the story of Jaaji (Kushee Ravi), a cheerful young woman who marries Dushyanta (Akshay Nayak) and moves into his ancestral home. The house, overseen by her strict mother-in-law Nagalambike (Manasi Sudhir), holds a sinister history that Jaaji is initially unaware of. On her first day itself, tragedy strikes as her father-in...
LAPD releases tense body cam footage in shooting of Weezer bassist’s wife – National
Entertainment, Movies

LAPD releases tense body cam footage in shooting of Weezer bassist’s wife – National

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Los Angeles police have released video from the shooting of author Jillian Lauren, the wife of a Weezer band member, during a chaotic backyard confrontation that culminated in a volley of gunfire. Lauren’s wounds were not life-threatening in the April 8 shooting in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock, where the 51-year-old wife of Weezer base player Scott Shriner emerged from her home with a gun as city police and the California Highway Patrol searched the area for three people who fled a car wreck. In a separate segment of silent surveillance video from Jillian Lauren’s backyard, Lauren can be seen exiting the home barefoot and carrying a pistol in...
Reverse Searing a Steak Is Faster in the Air Fryer
Life Style

Reverse Searing a Steak Is Faster in the Air Fryer

After years of pan frying steaks to the charming tune of Brooklyn smoke detectors, I was delighted when I finally learned about reverse searing—a cooking method where you slowly bring the steak up to temperature in the conventional oven, and sear it briefly afterward. This method keeps the billowing smoke to a minimum, cooks the protein more evenly, and can prevent overcooking. The trade off: a comparatively long cooking time. Since I’m always interested in trying to make a good thing work better for me, I set out to try and speed up the reverse searing method. I just needed something to bake gently, but faster. Luckily, there is an appliance that does exactly that—the air fryer. Not only can you reverse sear with great success in your air fryer, but you’ll save time too.  ...
Antibiotic exposure before age two linked to childhood obesity: Study
Health

Antibiotic exposure before age two linked to childhood obesity: Study

Administering antibiotics within the first two years of life can raise children`s risk of developing higher body mass index (BMI), according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland found that children exposed to antibiotics in the first two years of life had a 9 per cent greater risk of being overweight; and a 20 per cent greater risk of becoming obese than children who were not exposed to the drugs. However, the study found no correlation between BMI and antibiotic use before pregnancy, during pregnancy, or at birth. "Antibiotic exposure in the first two years of life has a stronger association with childhood weight gain than exposure during pregnancy stages or other early ages," said Sofia Ainonen, a medical doctor at the University of Oulu. "Providers need...