All posts tagged: forges

Putin forges a Russian society built on regressive, militarized values

Putin forges a Russian society built on regressive, militarized values

Published by skeptic

MOSCOW — As Vladimir Putin persists in his bloody campaign to conquer Ukraine, the Russian leader is directing an equally momentous transformation at home — re-engineering his country into a regressive, militarized society that views the West as its mortal enemy. Putin’s inauguration on Tuesday for a fifth term will not only mark his 25-year-long grip on power but also showcase Russia’s shift into what pro-Kremlin commentators call a “revolutionary power,” set on upending the global order, making its own rules, and demanding that totalitarian autocracy be respected as a legitimate alternative to democracy in a world redivided by big powers into spheres of influence. Press Enter to skip to end of carousel About this series “Russia, Remastered” examines how Vladimir Putin, stoking conflict with the West and risking a new world war, is harnessing his invasion of Ukraine to transform Russia and fulfill his revanchist vision of a restored superpower. End of carousel “Russians live in a wholly new reality,” Dmitri Trenin, a pro-Kremlin analyst, wrote in reply to questions about an essay in …

How the Universe forges stars from cosmic clouds

How the Universe forges stars from cosmic clouds

Published by skeptic

Like humans, the birth of stars is a messy affair. Beginning with vast interstellar clouds that collapse under their own titanic gravity, the story of how stars like the Sun are born involves great paroxysms of light and sound (yes, there is sound in space). But when the dust clears, (literally), what remains is a nuclear-powered stellar furnace that will burn brightly for billions of years surrounded by a family of planets using that same energy to do everything from powering climates to creating life. This star-formation story is one that astronomers have only recently assembled via hard-won observations made by the world’s most powerful telescopes. It’s a narrative that not only explains the star-strewn night sky but also puts Earth and its inhabitants into their proper cosmic context. The interstellar medium To understand the story of star formation, we need to set the cosmic stage. In the current cosmological epoch, much of the “normal matter” in the Universe (excluding the “dark” stuff) resides in galaxies like the Milky Way (though there’s still a lot …

How Molding Character in Childhood Forges Adult Leadership

How Molding Character in Childhood Forges Adult Leadership

Published by skeptic

Thomas B. Modly, former Acting Secretary of the Navy (left) with Navy midshipman Gary Young. Source: Photo courtesy of the United States Navy and Wikimedia Commons. “Strive for excellence without arrogance. Be a person of integrity.” —The Superintendent’s Guidelines to Live By, introduced in 1997 by Admiral Charles Larsen, superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, “for everyone at the (Naval) Academy.” Good advice, especially for military personnel and athletes. and everyone else. A person who exudes those qualities is former Acting Secretary of the United States Navy Thomas B. Modly who led the Navy from November 24, 2019, to April 7, 2020. Modly resigned from his job in the aftermath of the USS Theodore Roosevelt controversy involving the handling of the COVID outbreak aboard the Roosevelt aircraft carrier to remove the inflammatory attention created, which Modly believed was a distraction for the Navy. Thomas B. Modly during his tenure as Acting Secretary of the United States Navy. Source: Courtesy of Thomas B. Modly, used with permission Resigning placed Navy and country interests above his …

Forge’s API raises bar for player rewards and engagement

Forge’s API raises bar for player rewards and engagement

Published by skeptic

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here.  Forge has launched its application programming interface (API) for game developers to engage and reward players for their gaming habits. San Francisco-based Forge said the API enables game developers to better interact with their audiences, offering a seamless solution for integrating “battle pass” experiences and fostering long-term player engagement. The toolkit is available today. With the Forge API, developers gain access to a toolkit that facilitates the creation and management of rewarding, multi-week quests within their games. These quests not only attract new players but also keep them invested over extended periods, offering a continuous stream of challenges and rewards. “At Forge, we understand the challenges faced by game developers in today’s competitive market,” said Kun Gao, CEO at Forge, in a statement. “With the Forge API, we’re empowering developers to craft captivating campaigns that forge lasting connections with players. From immersive quest lines to personalized rewards, Forge is dedicated to enhancing …

Lynk forges ahead with public market debut despite SPAC’s dwindling reserves

Lynk forges ahead with public market debut despite SPAC’s dwindling reserves

Published by skeptic

Satellite-to-phone connectivity provider Lynk Global will head to the public markets via a merger with a shell company led by former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez. The two companies confirmed the deal on Monday after announcing a non-binding LOI with Rodriguez’s special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Slam Corp, in December. According to an investor presentation filed with regulators, the deal could give Lynk a $913.5 million post-money valuation. Much of the capital from the transaction will not come from the SPAC itself, however. In that same presentation, Lynk says around $800 million of the new capital will come from existing shareholder equity rollover, $110 million from private-investment-in-public-equity (PIPE) and a scant $25 million from cash held in trust by the SPAC. Lynk, which has already entered some international commercial markets including Palau, is looking to compete on an even larger scale with initiatives like Starlink’s emerging sat-to-cell, Apple’s Globalstar partnership and AST Space Mobile (which completed its own SPAC merger in April 2021). Lynk has launched eight satellites that it calls “cell towers in space,” …

Samsung forges ahead with AI for all message

Samsung forges ahead with AI for all message

Published by skeptic

Do you want to get the latest gaming industry news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily and weekly newsletters here. Samsung put much of the marketing punch of its CES 2024 event behind the idea of making AI for all, using the transformational force of AI in the cause of democratizing technology. It was a familiar theme of the day at the press day for the big tech trade show in Las Vegas, where AI has become a horizontal wave that is changing all companies and industries. Samsung CEO JH Han said at a press event that Samsung’s investments in AI span over a decade. But he said today these “investments are coming to life not only in our products but in service too.” He added, “We embrace the great social responsibility that comes with AI technology.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Getting to an AI Governance Blueprint – Request an invite for the Jan 10 event.   Learn More One of the big investments is in security technology in the …