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Larry Magid: Google doubles down on sleep sensing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

I have to admit, I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to sleep technology. Partially because I find it interesting and like to write about it, but also because I have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, which is an incentive to monitor and try to improve my sleep.Related ArticlesBusiness | Magid: Is the internet responsible for increased anxiety? Business | Magid: Is artificial intelligence the next search engine? Business | Magid: Scammers get trickier in pursuit of your money Business | Magid: Using tech to help with taxes My most recent sleep sensors are a Google Pixel Watch, and Google’s new 2nd generation Nest Hub with sleep detection. Prior to the Pixel Watch, I wore a Fitbit Sense to bed which actually has even more sleep sensing technology than the watch because it also measures oxygen saturation and reports on atrial fibrillation (A-fib) events during sleep. Google acquired Fitbit in 2019.In addition to th...

Tech executive Bob Lee’s final moments on SF streets captured on video, local news site reports

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

By Taylor Romine | CNNThe moments following the San Francisco stabbing attack of Cash App founder Bob Lee were captured on surveillance video and in a 911 call to authorities, according to a local Bay Area news portal.The surveillance footage, reviewed by the online news site The San Francisco Standard, was recorded early Tuesday morning in the Rincon Hill neighborhood and shows Lee walking alone on Main Street, “gripping his side with one hand and his cellphone in the other, leaving a trail of blood behind him.”The video, the Standard reports, shows Lee making his way up the street and stopping by a parked Toyota Camry with its hazard lights flashing. He lifts up his shirt in an apparent attempt to ask for help from the driver. The driver of the Toyota pulls the car away and Lee collapses to the ground. Lee manages to get up and walk a bit further before he collapses in front of an apartment building.The Standard also reviewed records of a 911 call Lee made at 2:34 a.m....

All lanes open on eastbound I-80 following fatal crash on Yerba Buena Island

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

All lanes of eastbound Interstate 80 have reopened early Thursday about 90 minutes after a fatal collision briefly blocked them on the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as it enters Yerba Buena Island, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP announced the reopening at 3:30 a.m. Video: San Francisco street turns into ‘Wild West’ at 2 a.m. Officers had responded to a 2:02 a.m. report of the collision and all lanes were blocked for about 30 minutes until one lane was reopened. No further details were immediately available. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Methane big part of ‘alarming’ rise in planet-warming gases

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

Methane in the atmosphere had its fourth-highest annual increase in 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported, part of an overall rise in planet-warming greenhouse gases that the agency called “alarming.”Though carbon dioxide typically gets more attention for its role in climate change, scientists are particularly concerned about methane because it traps much more heat — about 87 times more than carbon dioxide on a 20-year timescale. Methane, a gas emitted from sources including landfills, oil and natural gas systems and livestock, has increased particularly quickly since 2020. Scientists say it shows no sign of slowing despite urgent calls from scientists and policymakers who say time is running out to meet warming limits in the Paris Agreement and avoid the most destructive impacts of climate change.“The observations collected by NOAA scientists in 2022 show that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at an alarming pace and will persist in the atmosphe...

Police: Woman abducted in NY killed in shootout after police chase in Va.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

A woman who police say was abducted from her home in New York was killed in a shootout following a police chase in Prince William County, Virginia, Wednesday night.The man suspected of abducting 34-year-old Tatiana David — identified as Michael C. Davis of Richmond — was also shot and suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.More Virginia NewsMore Local NewsAuthorities said David and Davis had been in a previous relationship and had a four-year-old child together.A news release from New York State Police said Virginia state troopers spotted the white Jeep Cherokee that Davis was driving crossing into Virginia at about 9:25 p.m. Wednesday.When Virginia troopers tried to pull the Jeep over on Interstate 95 near the Backlick Road exit in Springfield about 9:40 p.m., they said the driver sped away, crashing into a guardrail in Dumfries and continuing south toward Exit 148 in Stafford.The Jeep then crashed into a wooded area at about 10:05 p.m., police said, at which point Davis e...

Magnitude 4.0 earthquake recorded in central Oklahoma

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

CARNEY, Okla. (AP) — A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was among a series of six tremors that struck central Oklahoma on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No injuries or serious damage were reported following the quakes that also included a magnitude 3.3 temblor and began early Thursday near the town of Carney, about 40 mile (64 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.The other quakes ranged from 1.6 to 2.3 in magnitude, according to the U.S.G.S.“I know the earthquake was definitely felt here because I received a lot of phone calls early this morning,” said spokesperson Dawn Jones with the city of Stillwater, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of quake’s epicenter.No damage or injuries were reported in the city, Jones said, or on the campus of Oklahoma State University, according to OSU spokesperson Shannon Rigsby.Thousands of earthquakes of varying magnitudes have been recorded in Oklahoma during the past decade and have been linked to oil and gas produ...

Native activist LaDuke resigns from environmental group

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Native American activist Winona LaDuke has resigned as executive director of the Indigenous-led environmental group Honor the Earth after the organization lost a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee.LaDuke announced her resignation Wednesday in a Facebook post, saying she failed Margaret Campbell by not responding sufficiently to her allegations of sexual harassment by a coworker in 2014 and 2015. A Minnesota jury awarded Campbell $750,000 last week in the suit against Honor the Earth. “I take personal responsibility for the mistakes made,” LaDuke wrote. “I was the executive director, and it was my job to create a good foundation to heal and move forward.”LaDuke, 63, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, is best known for leading opposition to Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota in 2021 and participated in protests against the Dakota Access pipeline near North Dakota’s Standing Rock Re...

Live Updates| Tiger Woods struggling early at the Masters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The Latest from the first round of the Masters (all times local):11:40 a.m.Tiger Woods is off to a rough start at the Masters.The 47-year-old five-time champion is 2 over after five holes following bogeys at the par 4 third and fifth holes. Woods has fallen five shots behind leader Cameron Young, who leads the field at 3 under.Woods is competing in his 25th Masters.___10:40 a.am.Tiger Woods opened his 25th Masters with a par on the first hole at Augusta National while playing in front of a huge crowd, many stacked rows deep standing on tippy toes hoping to catch a glimpse of the generational star.Even before Woods took to the course, fans flocked to see him on the practice tee.The five-time champion is now 47 and admitted earlier this week he’s not sure how many more Masters tournaments he has in him.Woods, who walks with noticeable limp at times, is still recovering from a car crash in suburban Los Angeles where he crushed bones so badly in his legs that doctors...

Man found in crawl space grave killed over catalytic converter altercation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — After the body of a 36-year-old man was found in a “clandestine grave” in the crawl space of an Aurora condo Wednesday, police have released an affidavit explaining the man was allegedly killed by his "best friend" after he assumed he was a police informant. On Tuesday, Casie Bock, 29, was arrested after a Crime Stoppers tip was submitted about a man who had been murdered six to eight months ago and buried in her crawl space. King Soopers security guard fired after he was punched by shoplifter FOX31 obtained the arrest affidavit from the Aurora Police Department outlining the circumstances surrounding the homicide investigation. Police identified the victim as Karl Beaman Jr. Victim's relative had concerns about his whereaboutsOn April 1, an officer with APD received a call from a woman in Phoenix who identified herself as a relative of Beaman. They told the officer they were worried about him and had not talked to him since May, which was unusual.The relati...

‘It’s an especially bad time’: Tech layoffs are hitting ethics and safety teams

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

(CNN) — In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, as online platforms began facing greater scrutiny for their impacts on users, elections and society, many tech firms started investing in safeguards.Big Tech companies brought on employees focused on election safety, misinformation and online extremism. Some also formed ethical AI teams and invested in oversight groups. These teams helped guide new safety features and policies. But over the past few months, large tech companies have slashed tens of thousands of jobs, and some of those same teams are seeing staff reductions.Twitter eliminated teams focused on security, public policy and human rights issues when Elon Musk took over last year. More recently, Twitch, a livestreaming platform owned by Amazon, laid off some employees focused on responsible AI and other trust and safety work, according to former employees and public social media posts. Microsoft cut a key team focused on ethical AI product development. And Facebo...