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The Great American Eclipse
I grew up in Northern New Mexico where there was no light pollution. The night sky was glorious with stars. On hot summer nights, trying to take in the sheer number of them would so occupy your mind that every other thought and trouble was washed away by the beauty of the thing that would happen slowly but surely once the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.
I moved from New Mexico to Northern California, where I could still enjoy the night sky. Every evening it was possible, I got in my car and drove somewhere, usually the beach, to enjoy the sunset and the appearance of billions and billions of stars. But when I moved from San Francisco to New York City, that nighttime pleasure became virtually impossible, the lights of the city's buildings and its continually energized presence competing with nature's own light show every night.
But there were occasions that allowed one to witness the magic of the night sky without a trip to the Rose Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. One, the Northeastern blackout of 2003, stressed the city to the edges of its nerves, giving way at night to street gatherings and imaginings of what life was like for those who would never see such a thing as electrified city lighting. I was almost jealous of those who lived so long ago, and their deep connection to, and ruling by, the mysteries of the planets and the stars.
But my own favorite memory of the splendor of the universe came with Comet Hale-Bopp, the last 'great' Comet seen in the Northern Hemisphere between 1996 and 1997. There are giant rocks in Central Park, one of them called Umpire's Rock, another Lounging Rock, Rock with a View, Cat's Rock (my favorite), and scores of others, all of them perfect for comet gazing, that is if you weren't the sort to sneak your telescope into the Sheep Meadow (with a blanket and bottle or beer or wine...) to get a closer glimpse of that magnificent mass hurtling through the sky.
Every night that I could, I would venture into the park, safe in the company of so many other New Yorkers eager for mystical respite from their lives. There were no cell phones or laptops or any other distracting devices. Just the warm night air, the sight of city folk gathering on the grass, the benches, the rocks, the trees, wherever anyone could find an appropriate viewing perch, looking up at that beautiful comet.
And now comes another opportunity, on Monday afternoon, August 21, 2017, to contemplate the wonder of the Universe. What is being referred to as The Great American Eclipse will be viewable across the United States and, if it isn't cloudy where you live and you have proper shades to protect your eyes, you will be able to see it, more or less partial/full depending where you are geographically.
I've included a link of an interactive map that shows the Eclipse's path. Click anywhere on this map and you will find the obscuration details - the start, maximum and end times. Simply put, the Moon will come between the Earth and the Sun.
And if you cannot see it outside, if you have not planned to protect your eyes, you can watch it online, the details for which are in this article from the Times.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning and looked up...more than a sliver of the Moon reminding me what will happen on Monday and couldn't help wondering...
...what would it be like if every American were to stop what they are doing on Monday...literally stop whatever it is they are doing. Put down cellphones, laptop computers, take off headsets...disconnect from technology, work and worries. And look up into the sky and think about the magic and beauty of the Universe.
What would it be like?
What will it be like?
It is also a perfect opportunity to contemplate the word 'eclipse,' and to ponder the metaphorical meaning of what it might mean for the light to be dimmed during the day.
But I digress...for that is another subject matter entirely.
Google Map of The Great American Eclipse:
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=32.87959&Lng=-82.90283&Zoom=6&LC=1
Map of Central Park:
http://www.centralparknyc.org/maps/
I grew up in Northern New Mexico where there was no light pollution. The night sky was glorious with stars. On hot summer nights, trying to take in the sheer number of them would so occupy your mind that every other thought and trouble was washed away by the beauty of the thing that would happen slowly but surely once the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.
I moved from New Mexico to Northern California, where I could still enjoy the night sky. Every evening it was possible, I got in my car and drove somewhere, usually the beach, to enjoy the sunset and the appearance of billions and billions of stars. But when I moved from San Francisco to New York City, that nighttime pleasure became virtually impossible, the lights of the city's buildings and its continually energized presence competing with nature's own light show every night.
But there were occasions that allowed one to witness the magic of the night sky without a trip to the Rose Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. One, the Northeastern blackout of 2003, stressed the city to the edges of its nerves, giving way at night to street gatherings and imaginings of what life was like for those who would never see such a thing as electrified city lighting. I was almost jealous of those who lived so long ago, and their deep connection to, and ruling by, the mysteries of the planets and the stars.
But my own favorite memory of the splendor of the universe came with Comet Hale-Bopp, the last 'great' Comet seen in the Northern Hemisphere between 1996 and 1997. There are giant rocks in Central Park, one of them called Umpire's Rock, another Lounging Rock, Rock with a View, Cat's Rock (my favorite), and scores of others, all of them perfect for comet gazing, that is if you weren't the sort to sneak your telescope into the Sheep Meadow (with a blanket and bottle or beer or wine...) to get a closer glimpse of that magnificent mass hurtling through the sky.
Every night that I could, I would venture into the park, safe in the company of so many other New Yorkers eager for mystical respite from their lives. There were no cell phones or laptops or any other distracting devices. Just the warm night air, the sight of city folk gathering on the grass, the benches, the rocks, the trees, wherever anyone could find an appropriate viewing perch, looking up at that beautiful comet.
And now comes another opportunity, on Monday afternoon, August 21, 2017, to contemplate the wonder of the Universe. What is being referred to as The Great American Eclipse will be viewable across the United States and, if it isn't cloudy where you live and you have proper shades to protect your eyes, you will be able to see it, more or less partial/full depending where you are geographically.
I've included a link of an interactive map that shows the Eclipse's path. Click anywhere on this map and you will find the obscuration details - the start, maximum and end times. Simply put, the Moon will come between the Earth and the Sun.
And if you cannot see it outside, if you have not planned to protect your eyes, you can watch it online, the details for which are in this article from the Times.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning and looked up...more than a sliver of the Moon reminding me what will happen on Monday and couldn't help wondering...
...what would it be like if every American were to stop what they are doing on Monday...literally stop whatever it is they are doing. Put down cellphones, laptop computers, take off headsets...disconnect from technology, work and worries. And look up into the sky and think about the magic and beauty of the Universe.
What would it be like?
What will it be like?
It is also a perfect opportunity to contemplate the word 'eclipse,' and to ponder the metaphorical meaning of what it might mean for the light to be dimmed during the day.
But I digress...for that is another subject matter entirely.
Google Map of The Great American Eclipse:
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=32.87959&Lng=-82.90283&Zoom=6&LC=1
Map of Central Park:
http://www.centralparknyc.org/maps/
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Well, here it is! The phone that most Android fans have been waiting for: Essential Phone
I'm not sure if this phone's worth the asking price of $699, especially when the Note 8, iPhone 8, and the Pixel 2 phones are just around the corner which will offer a lot more for your money.
"Rubin has said that he expects to provide software updates for two years for the Essential Phone and security updates for another year after that."
When Essential was first revealed to the public, Rubin mentioned the phone will stand out from the rest, I guess that statement is false. Any $700+ Android phone (including Google) should be supported for more than 3+ years, especially a phone from the 'Father of Android' — This just leaves the Essential Phone to stay afloat in a sea of Android devices with no real advantages over its competitors.
Verge Score: 8
Good Stuff:
Edge-to-edge screen
Clean Android
Good battery life
Bad Stuff:
Somewhat disappointing camera
Module system unproven
No headphone jack
Video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t5CxKxlTOA
I'm not sure if this phone's worth the asking price of $699, especially when the Note 8, iPhone 8, and the Pixel 2 phones are just around the corner which will offer a lot more for your money.
"Rubin has said that he expects to provide software updates for two years for the Essential Phone and security updates for another year after that."
When Essential was first revealed to the public, Rubin mentioned the phone will stand out from the rest, I guess that statement is false. Any $700+ Android phone (including Google) should be supported for more than 3+ years, especially a phone from the 'Father of Android' — This just leaves the Essential Phone to stay afloat in a sea of Android devices with no real advantages over its competitors.
Verge Score: 8
Good Stuff:
Edge-to-edge screen
Clean Android
Good battery life
Bad Stuff:
Somewhat disappointing camera
Module system unproven
No headphone jack
Video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t5CxKxlTOA
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Large Asteroid to Safely Pass Earth on Sept. 1
Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles, (7.0 million kilometers, or about 18 Earth-Moon distances). Florence is among the largest near-Earth asteroids that are several miles is size; measurements from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and NEOWISE mission indicate it’s about 2.7 miles (4.4 kilometers) in size.
“While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on September 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began.”
This relatively close encounter provides an opportunity for scientists to study this asteroid up close. Florence is expected to be an excellent target for ground-based radar observations. Radar imaging is planned at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar in California and at the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The resulting radar images will show the real size of Florence and also could reveal surface details as small as about 30 feet (10 meters).
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/large-asteroid-to-safely-pass-earth-on-sept-1
Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles, (7.0 million kilometers, or about 18 Earth-Moon distances). Florence is among the largest near-Earth asteroids that are several miles is size; measurements from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and NEOWISE mission indicate it’s about 2.7 miles (4.4 kilometers) in size.
“While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on September 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began.”
This relatively close encounter provides an opportunity for scientists to study this asteroid up close. Florence is expected to be an excellent target for ground-based radar observations. Radar imaging is planned at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar in California and at the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The resulting radar images will show the real size of Florence and also could reveal surface details as small as about 30 feet (10 meters).
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/large-asteroid-to-safely-pass-earth-on-sept-1
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Raspberry PI-TIMOLO #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi
https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/08/18/raspberry-pi-timolo-piday-raspberrypi-raspberry_pi/
From pageauc on GitHub:
pi-timolo is a python picamara module application for a Raspberry PI computer (RPI). A RPI camera module must be attached. pi-timolo can take timelapse and motion detection images/videos, separately or together. Takes Long exposure Night (lowlight) images for Time Lapse and/or Motion. Has smooth twilight transitions based on a threshold light setting, so a real time clock is not required. Customization settings are saved in a config.py and conf files. The application is primarily designed for headless operation and includes sync.sh that can securely synchronize files with a users google drive. This works well for remote security cameras. Camera config.py settings can be administered remotely from a google drive using sync.sh. Includes makevideo.sh to create timelapse or motion lapse videos from images, convid.sh to convert/combine h264 to mp4 format, a simple minumum or no setup web server to view images or videos and menubox.sh to admin settings and stop start pi-timolo and webserver as background tasks.
See more
https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/08/18/raspberry-pi-timolo-piday-raspberrypi-raspberry_pi/
https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/08/18/raspberry-pi-timolo-piday-raspberrypi-raspberry_pi/
From pageauc on GitHub:
pi-timolo is a python picamara module application for a Raspberry PI computer (RPI). A RPI camera module must be attached. pi-timolo can take timelapse and motion detection images/videos, separately or together. Takes Long exposure Night (lowlight) images for Time Lapse and/or Motion. Has smooth twilight transitions based on a threshold light setting, so a real time clock is not required. Customization settings are saved in a config.py and conf files. The application is primarily designed for headless operation and includes sync.sh that can securely synchronize files with a users google drive. This works well for remote security cameras. Camera config.py settings can be administered remotely from a google drive using sync.sh. Includes makevideo.sh to create timelapse or motion lapse videos from images, convid.sh to convert/combine h264 to mp4 format, a simple minumum or no setup web server to view images or videos and menubox.sh to admin settings and stop start pi-timolo and webserver as background tasks.
See more
https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/08/18/raspberry-pi-timolo-piday-raspberrypi-raspberry_pi/
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The Multidimensional Brain
"A sensational discovery has been made by experts as scientists have found that the human brain is home to structures and shapes that have up to 11 dimensions. Neuroscientists welcome the discovery saying: “We found a world that we had never imagined.”"
#consciousness #brain
"A sensational discovery has been made by experts as scientists have found that the human brain is home to structures and shapes that have up to 11 dimensions. Neuroscientists welcome the discovery saying: “We found a world that we had never imagined.”"
#consciousness #brain
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Corrections - In an Aug. 15 Brow Beat, Matthew Dessem misstated that Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs live. It is pre-taped. Due to an editing error, an Aug. 14 Brow Beat misspelled Game of Thrones character Jaime Lannister’s first name. In an Aug. 14 Jurisprudence, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern misstated that Klansmen marched in Skokie, Illinois, in 1977. It was neo-Nazis who marched. In an Aug. 13 Politics, Tom Perriello misstated that Corey Stewart came within 1 percent of winning the Rep...
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#NASCAR Furniture Row Racing takes over management of its pit crews https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nascar-furniture-row-gibbs-pit-crew-942119/ via @motorsport
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Is Justin Bieber's New Song 'Friends' about Selena Gomez? Here's what we Dug Up! #celebs #celebrities #entertainment #music
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After 10 years, Brad Keselowski Racing is closing it's doors https://racingnews.co/2017/08/18/brad-keselowski-racing-closing-2017-nascar-truck-series/
Tags: #nascar #bradkeselowski #racingteam
Tags: #nascar #bradkeselowski #racingteam
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Jupiter: A New Point of View
This striking Jovian vista was created by citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA’s Juno spacecraft.
The tumultuous Great Red Spot is fading from Juno's view while the dynamic bands of the southern region of Jupiter come into focus. North is to the left of the image, and south is on the right.
The image was taken on July 10, 2017 at 7:12 p.m. PDT (10:12 p.m. EDT), as the Juno spacecraft performed its seventh close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was 10,274 miles (16,535 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a latitude of -36.9 degrees.
JunoCam's raw images are available for the public to peruse and process into image products at:
www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam
More information about Juno is at:
https://www.nasa.gov/juno and http://missionjuno.swri.edu
Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran
This striking Jovian vista was created by citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA’s Juno spacecraft.
The tumultuous Great Red Spot is fading from Juno's view while the dynamic bands of the southern region of Jupiter come into focus. North is to the left of the image, and south is on the right.
The image was taken on July 10, 2017 at 7:12 p.m. PDT (10:12 p.m. EDT), as the Juno spacecraft performed its seventh close flyby of Jupiter. At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was 10,274 miles (16,535 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a latitude of -36.9 degrees.
JunoCam's raw images are available for the public to peruse and process into image products at:
www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam
More information about Juno is at:
https://www.nasa.gov/juno and http://missionjuno.swri.edu
Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran
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How Westbrook and Paul George Will Run the West
Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
Projected Record: 60-22
Projected Playoff Seed: 2nd
While Russell Westbrook has once been paired with a far superior player in Kevin Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder will find more success with Paul George on the wing with Westbrook. The best way to understand why this will be such a success is looking at why Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook did not find more success. The Thunder did face constant major injury year after year, but when Westbrook and Durant were healthy and playing together, there were clear chemistry issues. The players were capable of playing together, but late game tension over who would take over plagued the Thunder for years, costing them countless wins. This stemmed from both players striving to be the #1 option and closer, and the result was only 1 60 win season and no championships.
This is where the Paul George pairing looks to differ. Paul George, while a star and arguably a top 15 offensive talent in the league, is not on the level of Russell Westbrook. This is a situation where George should be expected to take a backseat to Russell Westbrook, focusing on off ball play and being an impactful two-way player for the Thunder. Paul George could lead the second unit when Westbrook sits, and the defense in general. A lineup defensively of Westbrook, Roberson, Grant, George, and Adams is one that is versatile and more capable than any other of guarding the best Golden State lineups. Also, unlike last season, spacing will be provided by George, Abrines, Patterson, and Felton, making this the first season in which Russell Westbrook would play with real court spacing.
In totality, the 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder look to be one of the most versatile defenses, one of the deeper and diverse offenses in the league, with next to no significant weaknesses. Assuming the chemistry between Westbrook and George clicks as expected, a great season should be expected from this team.
Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
Projected Record: 60-22
Projected Playoff Seed: 2nd
While Russell Westbrook has once been paired with a far superior player in Kevin Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder will find more success with Paul George on the wing with Westbrook. The best way to understand why this will be such a success is looking at why Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook did not find more success. The Thunder did face constant major injury year after year, but when Westbrook and Durant were healthy and playing together, there were clear chemistry issues. The players were capable of playing together, but late game tension over who would take over plagued the Thunder for years, costing them countless wins. This stemmed from both players striving to be the #1 option and closer, and the result was only 1 60 win season and no championships.
This is where the Paul George pairing looks to differ. Paul George, while a star and arguably a top 15 offensive talent in the league, is not on the level of Russell Westbrook. This is a situation where George should be expected to take a backseat to Russell Westbrook, focusing on off ball play and being an impactful two-way player for the Thunder. Paul George could lead the second unit when Westbrook sits, and the defense in general. A lineup defensively of Westbrook, Roberson, Grant, George, and Adams is one that is versatile and more capable than any other of guarding the best Golden State lineups. Also, unlike last season, spacing will be provided by George, Abrines, Patterson, and Felton, making this the first season in which Russell Westbrook would play with real court spacing.
In totality, the 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder look to be one of the most versatile defenses, one of the deeper and diverse offenses in the league, with next to no significant weaknesses. Assuming the chemistry between Westbrook and George clicks as expected, a great season should be expected from this team.
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New Apple Watch model with LTE nears mass production - The next version of the Apple Watch is in the final test phases before entering mass production and it will be manufactured exclusively by Quanta, the same company that made the first two Apple Watches, according to a report citing supply chain sources for the Chinese Economic Daily. The report also confirms that the new Apple Watch will have a version with cellular data connectivity that will make it an independent device that does not...
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18/08/2017
3 Photos - View album
Morning all...
Well, having got a little breakfast inside me, and apart from a break around lunchtime for an errand I need to run, I intend to devote the rest of the day to watching the first 8 episodes of The Defenders - the new Netflix series, featuring DareDevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones & Iron Fist and many of the peripheral characters from each of their four respective series; (also later on: The Punisher if the trailers are anything to go by, is also featured, though this might be just a guest appearance to promote his own series - coming soon.)
This promises to be one of the better Marvel spin-off TV series, on a par with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with seriously complex plot lines and a vein of humour throughout.
I'll see you all when I come up for air around lunchtime; meanwhile, anyone who fancies this and hasn't had chance to see each of the individual series yet, it might be a good idea to start watching them now for a little background.
Well, having got a little breakfast inside me, and apart from a break around lunchtime for an errand I need to run, I intend to devote the rest of the day to watching the first 8 episodes of The Defenders - the new Netflix series, featuring DareDevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones & Iron Fist and many of the peripheral characters from each of their four respective series; (also later on: The Punisher if the trailers are anything to go by, is also featured, though this might be just a guest appearance to promote his own series - coming soon.)
This promises to be one of the better Marvel spin-off TV series, on a par with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with seriously complex plot lines and a vein of humour throughout.
I'll see you all when I come up for air around lunchtime; meanwhile, anyone who fancies this and hasn't had chance to see each of the individual series yet, it might be a good idea to start watching them now for a little background.
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NBA Draft Prospects - Michael Porter Jr.
Preseason Breakdown
NBA Comparison: Kevin Durant
With Brandon Ingram, Johnathan Isaac, Kevin Knox coming along in very recent draft classes, I personally stayed away from the Kevin Durant comparisons as they were either not at that level or missing a significant skill/ability that makes Kevin Durant the player he is. However, watching Michael Porter, this all changes. Porter is the definition of a transcendent, generational talent. He is the best scorer to come out of high school since Durant, and has the potential to become just as versatile in that aspect. One of Porter's strongest assets in his game is his pull-up jumper, which he uses very similarly to how Durant utilizes it. He looks to come into the league and immediately become an impactful scorer with the potential to become a solid defender due to his length. The taller ball handling wings are almost always compared to Durant eventually, but Porter is the one truly deserving of the comparison.
Strengths:
Averaging 37 PPG on 50% in high school, Porter Jr. is one of the best scoring prospects of the decade. His 6'10" frame and 7' wingspan allow him to finish easily at the rim, and his evasive/acrobatic finishes allow him to be highly efficient at the rim. The same size advantage allows Porter's jumpshot to prosper, as he can simply shoot over the majority of his defenders, a skill he has seemingly mastered at the high school level. The jumpshot itself is elite, with a lethal pull up game that will translate to all levels. Porter shot 69.7% from the 3PT line during his senior season at Nathan Hale, which is absolutely insane efficiency. His ball handling is also improving, as Porter has gone through more point guard-style training recently. This has allowed him to have a low amount of turnovers, averaging only 0.7 turnovers per game on a relatively high usage during his high school season. Defensively, Porter projects to be a very great help defender, with potential to be a decent rim protector. This, along with his dominant rebounding will give Porter the ability to consistently play the Power Forward. This rebounding wasn't only great at the high school level, (14.3 RPG in HS) but also against national competition, (14.0 RPG per 40 minutes at Nike EYBL), and internationally (10.6 RPG per 40 minutes at 2016 FIBA Chile Tournament).
Weaknesses:
Porter's ability as a complete player limits his weaknesses, as he has nothing that truly stands out as problematic, but there a only a few low points in his game. Porter's off ball play on the perimeter and as a cutter could improve due to how good he is as a lob target. Porter's handles are improving as already stated, but they still could be worked on if he wants to become the dominant scoring wing he is projected to be. And lastly, Porter looks to be a fairly mediocre on-ball defender, which is still something that he could improve over time.
Preseason Breakdown
NBA Comparison: Kevin Durant
With Brandon Ingram, Johnathan Isaac, Kevin Knox coming along in very recent draft classes, I personally stayed away from the Kevin Durant comparisons as they were either not at that level or missing a significant skill/ability that makes Kevin Durant the player he is. However, watching Michael Porter, this all changes. Porter is the definition of a transcendent, generational talent. He is the best scorer to come out of high school since Durant, and has the potential to become just as versatile in that aspect. One of Porter's strongest assets in his game is his pull-up jumper, which he uses very similarly to how Durant utilizes it. He looks to come into the league and immediately become an impactful scorer with the potential to become a solid defender due to his length. The taller ball handling wings are almost always compared to Durant eventually, but Porter is the one truly deserving of the comparison.
Strengths:
Averaging 37 PPG on 50% in high school, Porter Jr. is one of the best scoring prospects of the decade. His 6'10" frame and 7' wingspan allow him to finish easily at the rim, and his evasive/acrobatic finishes allow him to be highly efficient at the rim. The same size advantage allows Porter's jumpshot to prosper, as he can simply shoot over the majority of his defenders, a skill he has seemingly mastered at the high school level. The jumpshot itself is elite, with a lethal pull up game that will translate to all levels. Porter shot 69.7% from the 3PT line during his senior season at Nathan Hale, which is absolutely insane efficiency. His ball handling is also improving, as Porter has gone through more point guard-style training recently. This has allowed him to have a low amount of turnovers, averaging only 0.7 turnovers per game on a relatively high usage during his high school season. Defensively, Porter projects to be a very great help defender, with potential to be a decent rim protector. This, along with his dominant rebounding will give Porter the ability to consistently play the Power Forward. This rebounding wasn't only great at the high school level, (14.3 RPG in HS) but also against national competition, (14.0 RPG per 40 minutes at Nike EYBL), and internationally (10.6 RPG per 40 minutes at 2016 FIBA Chile Tournament).
Weaknesses:
Porter's ability as a complete player limits his weaknesses, as he has nothing that truly stands out as problematic, but there a only a few low points in his game. Porter's off ball play on the perimeter and as a cutter could improve due to how good he is as a lob target. Porter's handles are improving as already stated, but they still could be worked on if he wants to become the dominant scoring wing he is projected to be. And lastly, Porter looks to be a fairly mediocre on-ball defender, which is still something that he could improve over time.
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Prem Watsa's Fairfax Financial Holdings is in advance negotiations with Infibeam Incorporation Limited, India's only listed and profitable ecommerce company, to pick up a minority 10-12 per cent stake for around Rs 1,200-1,500 crore, said three people with direct knowledge of the development.
The move is aimed at creating the war chest to fund the expansion plan of the e-retailer through the inorganic route.
ounded by former Amazon employee Vishal Mehta a decade ago, Infibeam is the only listed and profitable ecommerce company in the country. The company offers a platfor m to vendors through its BuildaBazaar offering.
The move is aimed at creating the war chest to fund the expansion plan of the e-retailer through the inorganic route.
ounded by former Amazon employee Vishal Mehta a decade ago, Infibeam is the only listed and profitable ecommerce company in the country. The company offers a platfor m to vendors through its BuildaBazaar offering.
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How Google plans to solve the Android update situation
The latest episode of the Android Developers Backstage [1] contains lots of interesting info about Project Treble. To summarize a few highlights (you might also want to head over to my linked article! - at least if you can read german):
# This is really just a first step. The long term plan is to modularize Android further and further to provide OEMs ways to modify Android to their liking without making huge, invasive changes. Basically continually reducing the (relevant) delta between AOSP and OEM Android versions.
# Treble shifts the Android update situation closer to the PC model. Thanks to stable interfaces Google is now focused on working with the chipset vendors to provide universal drivers for their chips - that should work with all devices that are using them. This should reduce complexity in the update process considerably (and hopefully bring more significant updates to drivers during their lifetime)
# All those interfaces between vendor parts and Android Framework are versioned and can tell you about the capabilities of a certain device.
# Google had to do a lot of reshuffling to make Android more flexible. After all they now have to make sure that new Android releases work with all the older vendor parts.
# Having all the communication between vendor parts and Android Framework being handled by Binder is great for security (because of isolation), not so much for performance (because of the overhead it generates). So they also had to shuffle stuff around to make that impact minimal.
# There was a last-minute change in Android 8 for the Pixel devices to prevent a significant performance regression (at least in all the micro-benchmarks) caused by Treble.
# Talks about treble started in May 2015, development took most of the second half of 2016 until now, more than 300 developers worked on it.
[1] http://androidbackstage.blogspot.co.at/2017/08/episode-75-project-treble-for-hal-of-it.html
The latest episode of the Android Developers Backstage [1] contains lots of interesting info about Project Treble. To summarize a few highlights (you might also want to head over to my linked article! - at least if you can read german):
# This is really just a first step. The long term plan is to modularize Android further and further to provide OEMs ways to modify Android to their liking without making huge, invasive changes. Basically continually reducing the (relevant) delta between AOSP and OEM Android versions.
# Treble shifts the Android update situation closer to the PC model. Thanks to stable interfaces Google is now focused on working with the chipset vendors to provide universal drivers for their chips - that should work with all devices that are using them. This should reduce complexity in the update process considerably (and hopefully bring more significant updates to drivers during their lifetime)
# All those interfaces between vendor parts and Android Framework are versioned and can tell you about the capabilities of a certain device.
# Google had to do a lot of reshuffling to make Android more flexible. After all they now have to make sure that new Android releases work with all the older vendor parts.
# Having all the communication between vendor parts and Android Framework being handled by Binder is great for security (because of isolation), not so much for performance (because of the overhead it generates). So they also had to shuffle stuff around to make that impact minimal.
# There was a last-minute change in Android 8 for the Pixel devices to prevent a significant performance regression (at least in all the micro-benchmarks) caused by Treble.
# Talks about treble started in May 2015, development took most of the second half of 2016 until now, more than 300 developers worked on it.
[1] http://androidbackstage.blogspot.co.at/2017/08/episode-75-project-treble-for-hal-of-it.html
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14 Best Markdown Editors for #Linux. Which one is your favorite?
https://itsfoss.com/best-markdown-editors-linux/
https://itsfoss.com/best-markdown-editors-linux/
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Scientists Improve Brown Dwarf Weather Forecasts
Dim objects called brown dwarfs, less massive than the Sun but more massive than Jupiter, have powerful winds and clouds -- specifically, hot patchy clouds made of iron droplets and silicate dust. Scientists recently realized these giant clouds can move and thicken or thin surprisingly rapidly, in less than an Earth day, but did not understand why.
Now, researchers have a new model for explaining how clouds move and change shape in brown dwarfs, using insights from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Giant waves cause large-scale movement of particles in brown dwarfs' atmospheres, changing the thickness of the silicate clouds, researchers report in the journal Science. The study also suggests these clouds are organized in bands confined to different latitudes, traveling with different speeds in different bands.
"This is the first time we have seen atmospheric bands and waves in brown dwarfs," said lead author Daniel Apai, associate professor of astronomy and planetary sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Just as in Earth’s ocean, different types of waves can form in planetary atmospheres. For example, in Earth’s atmosphere, very long waves mix cold air from the polar regions to mid-latitudes, which often lead clouds to form or dissipate.
The distribution and motions of the clouds on brown dwarfs in this study are more similar to those seen on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Neptune has cloud structures that follow banded paths too, but its clouds are made of ice. Observations of Neptune from NASA's Kepler spacecraft, operating in its K2 mission, were important in this comparison between the planet and brown dwarfs.
"The atmospheric winds of brown dwarfs seem to be more like Jupiter’s familiar regular pattern of belts and zones than the chaotic atmospheric boiling seen on the Sun and many other stars," said study co-author Mark Marley at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
Brown dwarfs can be thought of as failed stars because they are too small to fuse chemical elements in their cores. They can also be thought of as "super planets" because they are more massive than Jupiter, yet have roughly the same diameter. Like gas giant planets, brown dwarfs are mostly made of hydrogen and helium, but they are often found apart from any planetary systems. In a 2014 study using Spitzer, scientists found that brown dwarfs commonly have atmospheric storms.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/scientists-improve-brown-dwarf-weather-forecasts
Dim objects called brown dwarfs, less massive than the Sun but more massive than Jupiter, have powerful winds and clouds -- specifically, hot patchy clouds made of iron droplets and silicate dust. Scientists recently realized these giant clouds can move and thicken or thin surprisingly rapidly, in less than an Earth day, but did not understand why.
Now, researchers have a new model for explaining how clouds move and change shape in brown dwarfs, using insights from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Giant waves cause large-scale movement of particles in brown dwarfs' atmospheres, changing the thickness of the silicate clouds, researchers report in the journal Science. The study also suggests these clouds are organized in bands confined to different latitudes, traveling with different speeds in different bands.
"This is the first time we have seen atmospheric bands and waves in brown dwarfs," said lead author Daniel Apai, associate professor of astronomy and planetary sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Just as in Earth’s ocean, different types of waves can form in planetary atmospheres. For example, in Earth’s atmosphere, very long waves mix cold air from the polar regions to mid-latitudes, which often lead clouds to form or dissipate.
The distribution and motions of the clouds on brown dwarfs in this study are more similar to those seen on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Neptune has cloud structures that follow banded paths too, but its clouds are made of ice. Observations of Neptune from NASA's Kepler spacecraft, operating in its K2 mission, were important in this comparison between the planet and brown dwarfs.
"The atmospheric winds of brown dwarfs seem to be more like Jupiter’s familiar regular pattern of belts and zones than the chaotic atmospheric boiling seen on the Sun and many other stars," said study co-author Mark Marley at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
Brown dwarfs can be thought of as failed stars because they are too small to fuse chemical elements in their cores. They can also be thought of as "super planets" because they are more massive than Jupiter, yet have roughly the same diameter. Like gas giant planets, brown dwarfs are mostly made of hydrogen and helium, but they are often found apart from any planetary systems. In a 2014 study using Spitzer, scientists found that brown dwarfs commonly have atmospheric storms.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/scientists-improve-brown-dwarf-weather-forecasts
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