Say you picked up a shiny new TV this holiday season. You unbox it like a kid at Christmas and prepare yourself to binge-watch Squid Game 2 . You think to yourself, "This is 2024. TV technology is sizzling, and it's going to look amazing no matter what." So you plug it in and don't take one look at the default settings. Big mistake. I've been guilty of it. And I'm okay with that because it's widely accepted that the majority of consumers neglect to alter the most basic settings when setting up their TVs. Even if your TV is a few years old, you may have never modified its defaults. Also: I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and here's why it might be worth the $13,000 For Samsung TVs , in particular, you can change a few settings to improve your viewing experience and make a dystopian survival thriller look that much more appealing. Following are six tips for doing just that. 1. Turn off Eco Mode Pretty much all TVs now come with a form of "Eco Mode" turned on by default. Eco Mode is designed to limit power usage by attenuating the TV's brightness and reducing its contrast level. A recent study found that enabling Eco Mode saves as little as $7 a year on your electric bill. (That's literally less than two cents per day.) Whether "eco" is short for economy or ecology , that's not a significant saving, and there are myriad ways to more effectively reduce your carbon footprint. Also: I changed these 5 TV settings to lower my electric bill. Here's why they work To disable Eco Mode, click the gear button on your Samsung remote to access the settings. Then follow this path: All Settings > General and Privacy > Power and Energy Saving > Energy Saving Solution. Lastly, toggle Energy Saving Solution off. 2. Turn off Brightness Optimization While you've already navigated to Power and Energy Saving, go ahead and disable Brightness Optimization by toggling it off as well. Many TVs now come with optical sensors that can detect how bright your room is and how warm or cold that light may be. Then, the TV adjusts automatically, supposedly optimizing brightness and color temperature based on that data. This isn't always reliable, and the feature might end up giving you worse results, especially in a room where illumination may change, like on a sunny day with big clouds darkening the sky. 3. Choose a Picture Mode designed for film I find that Movie, Cinema, or Filmmaker modes are generally best because they aim to provide the most accurate and faithful representation of the content creator's vision. Also, by reducing unnecessary image processing, these modes minimize the risk of introducing artifacts and other image quality issues. Go to All Settings > Picture Mode. Then flip through these three options (Movie, Cinema, or Filmmaker) to find your favorite. Also: Samsung Frame TV 2024 vs. 2023: Comparing the key differences The default Standard mode tends to yield a cooler or bluer color temperature. TVs often come with a Vivid mode, which Samsung calls Dynamic mode. I'd advise staying away from that, as both Dynamic and Sports modes can make colors look too intense, with the whole picture having a harsh radiance. These modes are more commonly used by retailers when setting up display TVs, as the colors will pop more vibrantly in storefronts. 4. Adjust Brightness levels to suit your eyes Finding an ideal brightness level will depend on what kind of content you're watching. While HDR (high dynamic range) is steadily becoming more prevalent, decades of film are still limited to SDR (standard dynamic range). However, you can easily adjust your brightness levels for both scenarios. For SDR, open any app, such as Prime, and don't start playing a video yet. Now go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Brightness (Note that on certain Samsung models, this is found under Picture Setup.) Move the sliders to find the sweet spot (in your opinion) for SDR brightness. Also: The next big HDMI leap is coming next month - what the 2.2 standard means for you To adjust HDR brightness, you'll first need to find a video displayed in high dynamic range. Going to YouTube TV is a quick way to ensure you are watching HDR content because many of its videos are labeled with short descriptions indicating their type. Alternatively, you can simply search for "HDR video." The brightness level you choose is a matter of personal preference, but you will see a distinction when viewing both technologies (SDR/HDR). HDR looks best to me with the brightness maxed out. You might find that SDR looks ideal when set at a lower level. 5. Experiment with Local Dimming Another setting that impacts brightness levels is Local Dimming, which is available on Samsung TVs in three options. Go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Local Dimming. Experiment with this by sampling Low, Standard, and High to see which one suits you best. Set to Low, Local Dimming provides less halo and blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds. On Samsung TVs, my preference is High because it keeps flashpoints bright without surrounding images with a halo. Now that you've modified Local Dimming, you might want to go back and check your brightness levels on both SDR and HDR content to see if they're satisfactory. 6. Turn off Motion Smoothing for cinematic viewing Most movies are (and always have been) filmed at 24 frames per second. The purpose of Motion Smoothing is to interpolate images in footage shot at 24 FPS in order to reduce blur and juddering. This can be beneficial when watching sports because live television is shot at 30 FPS. Another common default feature, however, is Motion Smoothing, which has earned the reputation of giving TVs a "soap opera effect." By that description alone, you probably get the idea. I think of it as glossy vs. matte in photographic prints, with glossy describing the soap opera effect, which resembles a live broadcast. While I'm always aiming for an immersive viewing experience, I don't need to feel like I'm on the set with the actors and crew shooting the scene. Also: The best Samsung TVs of 2024: Expert tested Go to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Picture Clarity Settings (Note that on Samsung TVs, Motion Smoothing is called Picture Clarity or Auto Motion Plus.) From here, you can entirely turn Picture Clarity (Motion Smoothing) off or choose Custom Settings. There, you can adjust the sliders for Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction, which you might opt to increase if watching a soccer match or playing a video game. For conventional (filmic) aesthetics, though, turning off Motion Smoothing is the way to go. If you get a new Samsung TV this Christmas, congratulations! Now, take a few minutes to maximize its potential. If you have an older model, you can still treat yourself to a better-looking picture with a few clicks of the remote. ZDNET's product of the year: Why Oura Ring 4 bested Samsung, Apple, and others in 2024 I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and watching Hollywood movies on it left me in awe I let my 8-year-old test this Android phone for kids. Here's what you should know before buying This ThinkPad checks all my boxes for a solid work laptop. Here's why it stands outMy love of movie scoundrels has been sorely tested this year. When I was young, I daydreamed of exotic heists, slick con artists and lovable crooks I’d seen on screen. For most of my moviegoing life, I’ve been a sucker for larceny done well. Most of us are, probably. Related Articles Movies | ‘Nightbitch’ review: Amy Adams goes feral in a cautionary tale of love and parental imbalance Movies | Review: Angelina Jolie glides through ‘Maria’ like an iceberg, but a chilly Callas isn’t enough Movies | ‘Sweethearts’ review: Breakup-focused romcom is largely engaging Movies | Making ‘Queer’ required openness. Daniel Craig was ready Movies | 18 most anticipated movies in holiday season 2024 But now it’s late 2024. Mood is wrong. In the real world, in America, it’s scoundrel time all the time. Maybe Charles Dickens was right. In “American Notes for General Circulation” (1842), the English literary superstar chronicled his travels and detected a widespread, peculiarly American “love of ‘smart’ dealing” across the land. In business and in politics, Dickens observed, slavish admiration of the con men among them “gilds over many a swindle and gross breach of trust.” And here we are. It’ll pass, this scoundrel reprieve of mine. In fact it just did. All it took was thinking about the conspicuous, roguish outlier on my best-of-2024 list: “Challengers.” It’s what this year needed and didn’t know it: a tricky story of lying, duplicitous weasels on and off the court. The best films this year showed me things I hadn’t seen, following familiar character dynamics into fresh territory. Some were more visually distinctive than others; all made eloquent cases for how, and where, their stories unfolded. “All We Imagine as Light,” recently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, works like a poem, or a sustained exhalation of breath, in its simply designed narrative of three Mumbai hospital workers. Fluid, subtly political, filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s achievement is very nearly perfect. So is cowriter-director RaMell Ross’ adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel “The Nickel Boys,” arriving in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 3, 2025. “Nickel Boys,” the film, loses the “the” in Whitehead’s title but gains an astonishingly realized visual perspective. If Ross never makes another movie, he’ll have an American masterpiece to his credit. The following top 10 movies of 2024 are in alphabetical order. Both a mosaic of urban ebb and flow, and a delicate revelation of character, director and writer Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai story is hypnotic, patient and in its more traditional story progression, a second feature every bit as good as Kapadia’s first, 2021’s “A Night of Knowing Nothing.” Mikey Madison gives one of the year’s funniest, saddest, truest performances as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who takes a shine to the gangly son of a Russian oligarch, and he to her. Their transactional courtship and dizzying Vegas marriage, followed by violently escalating complications, add up to filmmaker Sean Baker’s triumph, capped by an ending full of exquisite mysteries of the human heart. As played by Adrien Brody, the title character is a visionary architect and Hungarian Jewish emigre arriving in America in 1947 after the Holocaust. (That said, the title refers to more than one character.) His patron, and his nemesis, is the Philadelphia blueblood industrialist played by Guy Pearce. Director/co-writer Brady Corbet’s thrillingly ambitious epic, imperfect but loaded with rewarding risks, was shot mostly in widescreen VistaVision. Worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. Opens in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 10, 2025. Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor play games with each other, on the tennis court and in beds, while director Luca Guadagnino builds to a match-point climax that can’t possibly work, and doesn’t quite — but I saw the thing twice anyway. In Bucharest, production assistant Angela zigzags around the city interviewing people for her employer’s workplace safety video. If that sounds less than promising, even for a deadpan Romanian slice-of-life tragicomedy, go ahead and make the mistake of skipping this one. llinca Manolache is terrific as Angela. Like “Do Not Expect Too Much,” director Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing slice of recent history was a 2023 release, making it to Chicago in early 2024. Set along the densely forested Poland/Belarus border, this is a model of well-dramatized fiction honoring what refugees have always known: the fully justified, ever-present fear of the unknown. A quiet marvel of a feature debut from writer-director Annie Baker, this is a mother/daughter tale rich in ambiguities and wry humor, set in a lovely, slightly forlorn corner of rural Massachusetts. Julianne Nicholson, never better; Zoe Ziegler as young, hawk-eyed Lacy, equally memorable. I love this year’s nicest surprise. The premise: A teenager’s future 39-year-old self appears to her, magically, via a strong dose of mushrooms. The surprise: Writer-director Megan Park gradually deepens her scenario and sticks a powerfully emotional landing. Wonderful work from Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Maria Dizzia and everybody, really. From the horrific true story of a Florida reform school and its decades of abuse, neglect and enraging injustice toward its Black residents, novelist Colson Whitehead’s fictionalized novel makes a remarkable jump to the screen thanks to co-writer/director RaMell Ross’s feature debut. Cousins, not as close as they once were, reunite for a Holocaust heritage tour in Poland and their own search for their late grandmother’s childhood home. They’re the rootless Benji (Kieran Culkin) and tightly sprung David (Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote and directed). Small but very sure, this movie’s themes of genocidal trauma and Jewish legacy support the narrative every step of the way. Culkin is marvelous; so is the perpetually undervalued Eisenberg. To the above, I’ll add 10 more runners-up, again in alphabetical order: “Blink Twice,” directed by Zoe Kravitz. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. “Dune: Part Two ,” directed by Denis Villeneuve. “Good One ,” directed by India Donaldson. “Hit Man,” directed by Richard Linklater. “Joker: Folie a Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips. “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, opens in Chicago-area theaters on Dec. 25. “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheidt. “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” directed by Johan Grimonprez. “Tuesday,” directed by Daina O. Pusić. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.Google renews push into mixed reality headgear
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Joseph P Kelley , Executive Vice President at Nordson NDSN , disclosed an insider purchase on December 23, based on a new SEC filing. What Happened: Kelley's recent move, as outlined in a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, involves purchasing 1,401 shares of Nordson. The total transaction value is $293,831. The latest update on Tuesday morning shows Nordson shares up by 0.11%, trading at $209.53. Get to Know Nordson Better Nordson manufactures equipment (including pumps, valves, dispensers, applicators, filters, and pelletizers) used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, and other materials. The firm serves a diverse range of end markets including packaging, medical, electronics, and industrial. Nordson's business is organized into three segments: industrial precision solutions, medical and fluid solutions, and advanced technology solutions. The company generated approximately $2.7 billion in revenue in its fiscal 2024. Key Indicators: Nordson's Financial Health Positive Revenue Trend: Examining Nordson's financials over 3 months reveals a positive narrative. The company achieved a noteworthy revenue growth rate of 12.53% as of 31 October, 2024, showcasing a substantial increase in top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the company achieved a growth rate higher than the average among peers in Industrials sector. Key Profitability Indicators: Gross Margin: The company excels with a remarkable gross margin of 54.11% , indicating superior cost efficiency and profitability compared to its industry peers. Earnings per Share (EPS): Nordson's EPS is notably higher than the industry average. The company achieved a positive bottom-line trend with a current EPS of 2.14 . Debt Management: The company faces challenges in debt management with a debt-to-equity ratio higher than the industry average. With a ratio of 0.75 , caution is advised due to increased financial risk. Exploring Valuation Metrics Landscape: Price to Earnings (P/E) Ratio: The Price to Earnings ratio of 25.81 is lower than the industry average, indicating potential undervaluation for the stock. Price to Sales (P/S) Ratio: A higher-than-average P/S ratio of 4.48 suggests overvaluation in the eyes of investors, considering sales performance. EV/EBITDA Analysis (Enterprise Value to its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization): With an EV/EBITDA ratio of 17.44 , the company's market valuation exceeds industry averages. Market Capitalization: Indicating a reduced size compared to industry averages, the company's market capitalization poses unique challenges. Now trade stocks online commission free with Charles Schwab, a trusted and complete investment firm. The Impact of Insider Transactions on Investments In the complex landscape of investment decisions, investors should approach insider transactions as part of a comprehensive analysis, considering various elements. Exploring the legal landscape, an "insider" is defined as any officer, director, or beneficial owner holding more than ten percent of a company's equity securities, as stipulated by Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This encompasses executives in the c-suite and major hedge funds. These insiders are required to report their transactions through a Form 4 filing, which must be submitted within two business days of the transaction. Highlighted by a company insider's new purchase, there's a positive anticipation for the stock to rise. But, insider sells may not necessarily indicate a bearish view and can be motivated by various factors. Unlocking the Meaning of Transaction Codes Investors prefer focusing on transactions that take place in the open market, indicated in Table I of the Form 4 filing. A P in Box 3 indicates a purchase, while S indicates a sale. Transaction code C indicates the conversion of an option, and transaction code A indicates grant, award or other acquisition of securities from the company. Check Out The Full List Of Nordson's Insider Trades. Insider Buying Alert: Profit from C-Suite Moves Benzinga Edge reveals every insider trade in real-time. Don't miss the next big stock move driven by insider confidence. Unlock this ultimate sentiment indicator now. Click here for access . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Initial plans released for 75th season in 2026, including 75th anniversary logo and rings, commemorative ticket and more INDIANAPOLIS , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Set to celebrate its landmark 75th season in 2026, NHRA officials revealed a series of special plans today to kick off the campaign for the historic year in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. NHRA revealed a special 75th anniversary logo for the 2026 season to launch the campaign, as NHRA looks to celebrate 75 years of incredible racing, founder Wally Parks and the incredible legends that have played a huge role in NHRA's illustrious history. The buildup to the landmark 75th season in 2026 will take place throughout the 2025 campaign with several initiatives set to take place this year, starting at the season-kickoff NHRA Gatornationals on March 6-9 at Gainesville Raceway. Some of the items introduced today at the 75th anniversary campaign launch include: 75TH ANNIVERSARY RINGS: NHRA also revealed special 75th anniversary replica rings that will be given to fans who renew their tickets for the 2026 race throughout the upcoming season. These rings will be a replica of the 75th anniversary rings given to the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world champions in 2026. COMMEMORATIVE TICKETS : Each fan can purchase a special commemorative ticket for 2026 events to celebrate the landmark 75th season. SPECIAL 2026 WALLY TROPHY: The NHRA will introduce a new and unique Wally trophy that will be given to all race winners during the 2026 season. The 75th anniversary Wally will only be given out during the 2026 year. WALLY PARKS DOCUMENTARY: A comprehensive and first-time full-length documentary on iconic NHRA Founder Wally Parks will be released during the 2026 season. TOP 75 DRIVER LIST: Much like the Top 50 NHRA Driver List that was released during the 50th anniversary season in 2001, the NHRA will release its Top 75 Driver List during the 2026 season. The Top 75 Drivers list will also be released in book form. 75TH ANNIVERSARY COFFEE TABLE BOOK: A high-quality hardcover coffee table book will be released in alignment with the 75th anniversary as a must-have for any fan, detailing the incredible history of the NHRA, from its humble beginnings to its current status. "The 75th anniversary of NHRA drag racing marks a landmark moment in our sport's history and we're excited to kick off the campaign for that historic season in 2026 throughout our upcoming 2025 season," NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. "From a special logo and 75th anniversary rings, we're thrilled to introduce several initiatives already for that celebratory season in 2026 and we will have many more to announce throughout 2025 in this exciting year-long buildup. NHRA has an incredible history – as well as a bright future – and we look forward to celebrating that with our fans, race teams, member track and partners." Additional announcements and initiatives for the 75th anniversary season in 2026 will be released throughout the 2025 campaign. NHRA legends will also be included in the year-long celebration that year, with appearances and special celebrations to be announced in the coming weeks and months. For more information on NHRA, including the full 2025 schedule, please visit www.nhra.com . About Mission Foods MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world's leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/ About NHRA NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States . NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock ShowdownTM, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle and Johnson's Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street LegalTM. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA's Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA's streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida ; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California . For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com , or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nhra-announces-launch-of-landmark-75th-anniversary-campaign-for-2026-season-302330705.html SOURCE NHRA © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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(Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) is planning to switch to a homegrown chip for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections for its devices starting next year, a move that will phase out some parts currently supplied by Broadcom, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The chip, code-named Proxima, has been under development for several years and is now slated to go into the first iPhones and smart home devices produced in 2025, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The iPhone maker's in-house chips will be produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the report added. At its annual developer conference in June, Apple said that it plans to use its own server chips to help power artificial intelligence features on its devices. The move is separate from Apple's reported plans to launch its long-awaited series of cellular modem chips next year, which will replace components from longtime partner Qualcomm, the report added. However, the two parts will eventually work together, Bloomberg said on Thursday. Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. The company is working with Broadcom to develop its first server chip, which is internally code-named Baltra, specifically designed for AI processing, the Information reported on Wednesday. The iPhone maker, along with some other big technology companies, has found it hard to cut reliance on Nvidia's pricey and short-in-supply processors despite in-house efforts to develop their own chips to power compute-heavy AI services. Last year, Broadcom, a major supplier of wireless components to Apple, had signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with the company to develop 5G radio frequency components. (Reporting by Priyanka.G in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)Hisar: Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said the state govt had given jobs on the basis of merit to more than 1.71 lakh youths without any “parchi-kharchi (nepotism and bribery)”. Now in the third term, the target is to give permanent govt jobs on the basis of merit to three lakh youths, the CM said while addressing a function organised at Chhaju Ram Memorial Jat College on the occasion of completion of 100 years of Jat Shikshan Sanstha and 159th birth anniversary of Chaudhary Chhaju Ram. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise Ministers Ranbir Gangwa and Mahipal Dhanda, Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar and BJP general secretary Surendra Poonia also addressed the gathering. Hansi MLA Vinod Bhyana, Hisar MLA Savitri Jindal, Seth Chhaju Ram’s grandson Arvind Chaudhary, former minister Anoop Dhanak, Jat Shikshan Sansthan president Dildar Poonia, and former Rajya Sabha MP D P Vats were also present. The CM inaugurated the yoga and indoor activity multipurpose hall at Chhaju Ram Memorial Jat College and also announced a grant of Rs 31 lakh to the Jat Shikshan Sansthan from his discretionary fund. Education minister Mahipal Dhanda announced a grant of Rs 21 lakh, while Gangwa announced a grant of Rs 11 lakh for Shikshan Sansthan. Saini said the Haryana govt was committed to make every youth of the state skilled and financially prosperous by the year 2030. For this, the govt is stressing on skill development of the youth along with education, he said. We also published the following articles recently BJP cracks caste riddle in Jat belts, beats Cong, RLP The BJP's unexpected wins in Rajasthan's Jat-dominated Jhunjhunu and Khinvsar bypoll constituencies, after over a decade, signal a shift in the state's political landscape. Following losses in the same region's Lok Sabha elections just months prior, the party adopted a winning "OBC-Farmer-Jat" strategy, honed in Haryana, to secure these traditionally challenging seats. Govt to promote dying arts in Youth Mahotsav Rajasthan's Youth Festival, starting November 25th, will showcase the state's fading arts alongside science, technology, and sports. The festival aims to revive traditional music, dance, painting, and puppetry forms like ravanahattha, Rammat, and Manganiyar puppet shows. Officials hope to preserve these unique cultural elements and potentially promote them globally. At least 5 lakh jobs in IT industry in Andhra Pradesh in 5 years: IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh is determined to establish the state as a premier IT hub, projecting the creation of 500,000 IT jobs within five years. Lokesh highlighted upcoming TCS operations in Visakhapatnam and ongoing efforts to secure an Infosys branch.The View remains an integral part of the 2024 TV schedule , even after more than 25 years on the air . Its discussions about current events, politics, celebrities and more — led by moderator Whoopi Goldberg , mainstay Joy Behar and several others — have resulted in dozens of Daytime Emmy Awards. One can see how choosing the right co-hosts would be important to ABC, and apparently, when the network wants you, they get you. Former co-host Candace Cameron Bure revealed that she turned down The View “multiple times” before her one-season stint and explained how they eventually won her over. Candace Cameron Bure — best known for Full House and Great American Family’s TV rom-coms (she’s got three on the 2024 Christmas movie schedule ) — joined The View in 2015, but she stayed for just one season. The co-hosts are typically of varying ages, races, economic backgrounds and political leanings, but at the time Bure was the only panelist with a conservative view. She opened up recently to Allie Schnacky on a clip from The JWLKRS Podcast , revealing just how hard they fought to get her on the show, despite her objections. The actress said: I tried to turn that job down multiple times. I know they talk so much politics on the show, and I’m not comfortable with that, so no. And then they came back and they were like, ‘We’re actually switching it. We’re not really gonna talk about politics that much.’ Well I live in L.A. and I’m not moving to New York, so no. And they said, ‘We’ll fly you back and forth every week.’ They just kept upping the ante. Like everything I tried to say no to, they had a solution for it. It sounds like ABC really wanted Candace Cameron Bure’s contribution, and the powers that be were willing to make any and all arrangements for it to happen. In the end, she agreed, saying she felt God was calling her to do the show, but that certainly didn’t make it easy. For one thing, the co-hosts did not back away from the subject of politics as she’d been promised, which she’s said resulted in her doing hours of homework each night to be able to contribute to the conversation. The network did keep its promise regarding travel, but flying back and forth from Los Angeles to New York every week proved to be too much, and she said The View was the “ most difficult job I’ve had .” CCB blamed that constant travel when she left the daytime talk show in 2016, but she has since opened up about the other aspects that she said gave her PTSD . She’s voiced her opinion that the show needs more than one conservative co-host , because she often had to fight to speak her mind, which was especially difficult knowing she was the only one at the table to have her opinions. Needless to say, Candace Cameron Bure has no interest in returning to The View full-time , but she maintains that she’s grateful she accepted the opportunity because of how much she learned and grew. I guess ABC’s persistence was worth it then? CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
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Road Town, British Virgin Islands–(Newsfile Corp. – December 24, 2024) – In a significant move for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, LBank Exchange, a premier global digital asset trading platform, has announced the listing of TON Station (SOON) on December 22, 2024. The SOON/USDT trading pair ( https://www.lbank.com/trade/soon_usdt ) is available to users of LBank Exchange. SOON Listing Banner To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/234896_319f78a534dbcab2_001full.jpg The crypto market has been suffering from the high-FDV, low-liquidity VC-backed tokens for so long, with retail investors having limited access and little control over the token’s price dynamics. In response to these challenges, TON Station presents a unique opportunity. By creating a platform where token ownership is more decentralized and transparent, TON Station aims to address the flaws of traditional VC-funded projects. Its low FDV and commitment to community-driven growth present a more equitable model for token distribution. TON Station: Redefining Blockchain Gaming with Community-Driven SOON Token and Transparent Economy TON Station (SOON) is a blockchain-based platform integrated with Telegram, designed to combine elements of GameFi and SocialFi. By enabling users to earn cryptocurrency rewards through social interaction and gaming activities, TON Station has created an ecosystem that is both engaging and rewarding. The platform was created by gaming trailblazers Sidus Heroes and EllioTrades’ SuperVerse and features partnerships with other leading Web3 projects. At the heart of this ecosystem is the SOON token, which serves as the primary means of exchange and reward. By leveraging Telegram’s massive user base, TON Station provides a seamless and rewarding experience for participants. TON Station features unique games designed to drive user engagement. It aims to be the largest and most efficient game distribution platform on Telegram. With a rapidly growing community, the platform has gained traction with 7.2 million subscribers and 19 million miniapp users, USA, CIS, Europe and some emerging markets such as Nigeria and Bangladesh. Revenue is generated through a combination of game payment fees, advertisement views, affiliate programs, and paid placements within the platform. Additionally, TON Station promotes a deflationary model, with revenue allocated to regular buybacks of SOON tokens. The emphasis on transparency ensures that a large portion of the supply remains circulating in the market, benefiting the community rather than centralized entities. The SOON token is central to the TON Station platform, serving as both a utility and reward token. It is used by gaming companies to create quests, tournaments, and marketing campaigns, while external companies can also purchase SOON for marketing activities within the app. One of the key differentiators of the SOON token is its community-driven distribution model. Unlike many other tokens that are subject to lockups or vesting schedules, SOON offers immediate access to holders, allowing for a more fluid and transparent token economy. This setup eliminates the traditional bottleneck of locked tokens. SOON Tokenomics With a total supply of 70 billion tokens, SOON has a low FDV of $7.5 million at launch. The tokenomics model is notable for its simplicity and transparency: there are no vesting periods, no lockups, and no involvement from venture capitalists. The entire token supply is available since its listing day, with no restrictions on when users can access or trade their tokens. As part of its deflationary strategy, TON Station will buy back SOON tokens using a portion of its revenue. Learn More about TON Station: Website: https://tonstation.app/ X: https://x.com/tonstationlabs Telegram: https://t.me/+MU0Iw3DQkpw4ZDhi About LBank Founded in 2015, LBank is a top crypto exchange offering financial derivatives, asset management, and secure trading. With over 15 million users across 210+ regions, LBank ranks in the top 20 for spot trading and top 15 for derivatives trading globally, ensuring fund integrity and supporting global crypto adoption. Leveraging its acute market insight and expertise, LBank always takes the lead in spotting and listing Alpha altcoins. The platform was among the first to list popular gem coins like BONK, BOME, and FLOKI, as well as emerging favorites like NEIRO, MOODENG, GOATSEUS, and PNUT. Start Trading Now: lbank.com Community & Social Media: Telegram Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234896 #distroBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood. Read More How to make Masala Chicken Curry at home 10 beautiful animals that are pink in colour 10 easy-to-care-for beautiful freshwater fish for home aquariums 9 vegetarian dishes shine in the ‘100 Best Dishes in the World’ list 10 rare animals found only in Asia In pics: Sai Pallavi's vacation to Australia 8 books that will help develop discipline and good habits in 2025 Sanskrit names for baby boy that sound modern 18 stews and soups shine among the '100 Best Dishes in the World' 9 foods that provide over 30 grams of protein when cooked
CBC resurrects plans for live New Year's Eve broadcast specialsSupport Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. Support Hyperallergic’s independent arts journalism for as little as $8 per month. Become a Member How often do you think of music when viewing a visual artwork — a painting, photograph, or collage mounted and framed? Scholar Nikki A. Greene’s new book, Grime, Glitter, and Glass: The Body and the Sonic in Contemporary Black Art , explores this juxtaposition, putting the visual into conversation with the aural and the tactile. Fittingly, the book’s structure follows the five main components of a song’s composition: “Prelude,” “Verse One,” “Verse Two,” “Verse Three,” and “Coda.” Greene focuses each verse on a single artist — Renée Stout, Radcliffe Bailey, and María Magdalena Campos-Pons, respectively — and dissects specific works in terms of musicality and sonic resonance as much as visual aesthetic. While the focus seems narrow, each verse does not rest with just one artist. Instead, it ambitiously presents the artist’s particular regional context of Black art, music, and people at large. In order to delve into Stout, for example, Greene frames the realities of the United States mid-Atlantic throughout the 20th century. For Bailey, the American South; for Campos-Pons, Cuba and Caribbean diasporic relations to the US. Thus each chapter blends mini-artist biographies with a socio-political historical account, mapping out a lush and generative artistic family tree. When writing about Stout, Greene references Betye Saar. Much of Campos-Pons ’s chapter is dedicated to Carrie Mae Weems. Bailey’s chapter is dotted with connections to Romare Bearden, David Hammons, Todd Gray, and director Barry Jenkins among others. Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities And then, of course, there’s the music. Complete with an accompanying playlist , Greene maps sonic affect by relating artistic intention to musical artists, identifying musical influences for visual work, and highlighting actual music within work and performances. In “Verse One,” Greene compares Stout’s use of the physical form and the provocation of Black feminine sexuality in sculpture to that of funk and rock pioneer Betty Davis . For both artists, she draws out the ways in which defiance is often marked by stigma and society’s delayed understanding. “Verse Two” sees a more abstracted effort to explore Bailey’s mixed-media work within the dual reality of Black excellence and anti-Black violence demonstrated by the South, where the late artist was based. Greene first details the music video for hip-hop group Arrested Development’s “Tennessee” (1992) in which Bailey appears, drawing a line to jazz greats Miles Davis (invoking his aforementioned ex-wife Betty) and Sun Ra. “Verse Two” feels slightly unwieldy and disjointed, perhaps due to Greene’s effort to outline the weight of Black masculinity and shine with which these artists wrestle. More successfully, Campos-Pons’s “Verse Three” tackles the Western lack of recognition of Black validity: in contributions to art, in the power and gift of Black women, in Cuba’s struggle for autonomy, and more. Greene brings in saxophonist Neil Leonard’s heavily researched compositions for Campos-Pons’s work, such as the performance piece Identified (2016), connecting the dots with late Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz’s distinctive use of sugar — ¡Azucar! — as a claim of feminine, Black, and Afro-Caribbean power. For all its feats, this book is ultimately a scholarly work and occasionally veers into academic language. The coda, in particular, is a possibly too-dense display of social theories and observations from Greene. But while the style demands some additional effort from the reader, it also means that the numerous Black names in the book — of both visual and musical artists — are now forever published and etched into the record of increasingly interdisciplinary approaches to creative fields. Sun Ra’s Afrofuturistic jazz does interact with Romare Bearden’s collage style, which in turn impacts Bailey’s glittering “Pullman” heart. Exploring the sonic grime via funk, glitter via shine, and glass via colonial histories of Black contemporary art through these selected artists, Greene adds a novel component to Black American cultural critique. Grime, Glitter, and Glass: The Body and the Sonic in Contemporary Black Art (2024) by Nikki A. Greene is published by Duke University Press and is available online and through independent booksellers. We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn Facebook