'It’s a lot better': 'The Zone' clean-up in Phoenix leaves residents happy after homeless camp is removed
The camp known as 'The Zone' in Phoenix has now been cleaned up and more than 600 homeless individuals living there are being rehabilitated
2023-11-08 21:57
Switzerland ends electric car tax exemption
Switzerland on Wednesday scrapped a tax exemption for imports of electric cars, whose growing presence on Swiss roads has...
2023-11-08 21:56
Manchester United must pass Copenhagen test to stop their Champions League rot
Over the last few weeks, in what has been a highly pressurised period in games, the Manchester United squad have noted a shift in training. Erik ten Hag has been doing a conspicuous amount of fitness work. Some players feel this has been more of a focus than tactical sessions. Critics and opposition analysts might well say that’s obvious, given that even FC Copenhagen dominated the ball for long periods of that Champions League-saving win at Old Trafford. One of the themes of the season has been how United just haven’t played anything close to Ten Hag’s supposed tactical ideal. Many of the recent games have actually been reminiscent of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time, especially in how individual inspiration has brought wins out of unconvincing collective displays. That’s also why their fitness work may be important. Durability has been one of the few current qualities keeping United going, and may well prevent Ten Hag from emulating Solskjaer in another way. It may stop them from going out in the group stage again, just as they did in 2020-21. Early elmination isn’t just something that should be put at Solskjaer’s feet, though, nor is it the sole motivation for Wednesday’s game in the Danish capital. United are in some way playing for their modern Champions League legacy. The club’s dismal recent record in the world’s elite competition is as telling a measure as any other of their recent malaise. They may have never dropped out of thhe Deloitte Football Money League top five in terms of revenue, but they barely trouble the Champions League last eight. United haven’t even been to the last four since 2011, which was also the last time they reached the final. In the time since, United have qualified for the competition eight times and gone out at the group stage three times. That is more than they’ve reached the quarter-finals, which has been just twice. Among the clubs to finish above them in their groups since then are Benfica, Basel, PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg, Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain. One of a few ambitions for Copenhagen here is to become another name on a fairly moderate list. They’re well aware they can claim a potentially decisive result, as performance in the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford showed. Copenhagen got significant confidence from it, despite is ending. They know they should have claimed at least a draw, only for Andre Onana to stop Jordan Larsson’s penalty in what could yet prove to be a hinge moment in the campaign. For the moment, the feeling in Copenhagen is one of huge excitement. It can be sensed in all of their pre-match talk, and how they consider themselves favourites. Ten Hag was diplomatic there. “They are entitled to feel like they are favourites,” the United coach said, before playing all that down. “We’ll go into the game with confidence and aiming to win as well.” That latter point may have raised more eyebrows than Copenhagen’s proclamation since United just do not look like a confident side right now. They instead seem to be playing with the knowledge that one thing going wrong can lead to everything going wrong. A relatively fortuitous late 1-0 win at Fulham doesn’t wave away what happened against Manchester City and Newcastle United. A second victory in a row would admittedly help a bit more, especially one so important for their Champions League future. That sums up where United are right now. It’s like they’re constantly just trying to just get through it, to get to the next step in order to give themselves, the many injured players and their manager some breathing space. Bigger ideas about tactical philosophies can wait. Ten Hag referenced this when he discussed how to improve performance. “By getting more to our best 11 and getting routines in the team. So far, we’ve had to change a lot. The midfield balance is also not there. I'm sure once we get there, we’ll play better.” This is one match when they can’t afford to wait. Otherwise, it will be more of the same in the Champions League, while making that record worse. Ten Hag badly needs to avoid defeat. Physical form can be decisive there, since United do just have higher quality than Copenhagen. That might make it another of those where superior execution late on proves decisive. It shouldn’t really be coming down to games like this, though, when the financial gap between the two clubs is so vast. You just wouldn’t guess it from United’s Champions League record. Read More Rumours: Chelsea and Man Utd want £43m full-back as Arsenal delay Toney chase Jacob Neestrup: Parken atmosphere is 100 times more intense than Old Trafford Manchester United receive devastating Casemiro injury update Alejandro Garnacho to face no punishment over Andre Onana gorilla emoji post What do Arsenal, Man City, Man United and Newcastle need to reach last UCL 16? Christian Eriksen’s trip to Copenhagen is a homecoming with a difference
2023-11-08 21:55
What is the Uncanny Valley make-up trend on TikTok?
The hashtag #uncannyvalley has over 500 million views on TikTok - but what is it? The term 'uncanny valley' refers to "a common unsettling feelings people experience when androids (humanoid robots) and audio/visual simulations closely resemble humans in many respects but are not quite convincingly realistic" according to TechTarget. Now on TikTok, creators are trying to give viewers the same unsettling feeling through makeup and filters in order to try and make themselves look like androids. Creator Zara (@alkiiwii) posted herself wearing 'uncanny valley makeup', where her features have been eventuated to look, well, uncanny. It is one of the most liked videos under the hashtags with 1.8 million likes since posting the video five days ago. In the video she lip-syncs an audio from the video game Detroit Become Human which follows three androids in the year 2038. The audio, from the android Chloe, says: "I only exist thanks to the intelligence of the humans who designed me. You know, they have something I could never have [...] a soul." With Zara's lip-syncing slightly stilted to make her mannerisms even more robotic. @alkiiwii UNCANNY VALLEY #uncannyvalley #uncannyvalleymakeup #uncannyvalleyeffect Comments under Zara's video include "the first uncanny valley that's worked for me." "The difference between the mouth movements and voice make it even better," commented another creeped out viewer. A third added: "This one actually scared me." Another popular audio used in the trend comes from a TIME article from 2013, where a robot telemarketer denied it was a robot. "No, I am a real person," the robot says. "Maybe we have a bad connection, I'm sorry about that." "Will you tell me you're not a robot? Just say I'm not a robot, please." The human on the phone asks. "I am a real person." The Robot claims. @beautybyzoeg #uncannyvalley #uncannyvalleyeffect #makeup #fyp The eiree feeling induced by the uncanny valley makeup and accompanying audios has viewers hooked though. "This is so good," commented one user under a video. "This is so terrifying I love it," wrote another. For those of us who lack the makeup skills required for this trend. User @art_by__alyssa made a filter to give us all that uncomfortable feeling. @art_by__alyssa make a tiktok filter with me?✍? #art #artist #procreate #facepaint #makeup #uncannyvalley #uncannyvalleyeffect #uncannyvalleymakeup #filter #filters #effects #effect #effecthouse #effecthousecreator #fyp #foryou #foryoupage Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
2023-11-08 21:54
GM employees return to work after 17-day strike in Brazil
SAO PAULO Metalworkers at Brazilian plants of General Motors have decided to suspend a 17-day strike and returned
2023-11-08 21:53
Las Vegas hotel workers union reaches tentative deal with Caesars, but threat of strike still looms
The Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas has reached a tentative deal with casino giant Caesars Entertainment that could help avert a sweeping strike
2023-11-08 21:52
Germany to recover only slightly in 2024 -Council of Economic Experts
BERLIN The German economy will contract in 2023 and can only expect a slight recovery next year, according
2023-11-08 21:47
Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray live stream, schedule preview: Watch Champions League online
Bayern Munich could make it four wins from four in the Champions League if they beat Galatasaray today.
2023-11-08 21:46
NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Chet and Wemby trade blows, Ausar on the rise
The latest NBA Rookie of the Year ladder features the two-horse race between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, as well as a few risers on the perimeter.
2023-11-08 21:46
Airbnb creates 'guest favorites' collection to improve traveler satisfaction
By Doyinsola Oladipo NEW YORK Airbnb on Wednesday announced new upgrades to its booking platform to make it
2023-11-08 21:29
Newcastle discover brutal truth – it’s so much harder in the Champions League
Newcastle United may have had a close-up view of Borussia Dortmund’s two best performances of the season but Eddie Howe rued: “I don’t think Dortmund have seen the best Newcastle.” Paris Saint-Germain have, but that might not be enough to spare his side. The Champions League may not see much more of Newcastle for this season and the group of death might lead to an early autopsy. After Tuesday night’s 2-0 reversal made it twin defeats to Dortmund, Howe conceded Newcastle probably need two wins – away to PSG, at home to AC Milan – to extend their participation beyond Christmas. His downcast air suggested it is unlikely. From topping their pool two weeks earlier, Newcastle prop it up. And there was a death of sorts in the Signal Iduna Park on a night to showcase where, after it went spectacularly right on the night against PSG, it has gone wrong for Newcastle. Callum Wilson had four touches and went off at half-time, Howe citing a tight hamstring, others wondering if an ineffectual performance was the reason. Kieran Trippier, so good for much of the campaign, had a second underwhelming outing against Dortmund, his poor free kick leading to their second goal. Bruno Guimaraes, without Sandro Tonali to share the load, was no better; Newcastle had looked over-reliant on each to conjure something. Lewis Hall’s Champions League debut was curtailed after 45 minutes in which he was booked and because Howe was concerned he might be sent off. Tino Livramento’s bow at this level was more encouraging but he had to play three different positions and Joelinton wasted the chance he made. Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almiron began on the bench, players who are reliant on sharpness suffering from their recent workload, and without Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy, there were no alternative forwards. The eventual analysis may be that Newcastle were wounded before they suffered a fatal blow. They ran out of players, losing some of those who may have made a difference. Isak played only 14 minutes at home to Dortmund, none away. Barnes has played one minute in the competition. Sven Botman has a lone appearance, and it brought Newcastle’s sole clean sheet. Without Dan Burn, three different players took turns at left-back in the Signal Iduna Park. Injuries have been compounded by another absence, and the prospect of it: but for his impending betting ban, Tonali may have started when Dortmund visited St James’ Park. Their build-up disrupted, that defeat deprived Newcastle of momentum. The Italian was supposed to add Champions League experience. Should the standings stay the same, should Dortmund progress, the knowhow of annual entrants may appear crucial; Newcastle are rookies at this level and Howe did not dispute that his side have not always replicated their domestic form in continental competition. There is a contrast between their fortunes in England and Europe. Edin Terzic had studied the statistics. “We manged to win twice against Newcastle, their only two defeats in 13 matches, every time with a clean sheet,” noted the Dortmund manager. Only Manchester City and Brighton have shut Newcastle out in the Premier League or Carabao Cup; Milan have done once and Dortmund twice in the Champions League. Newcastle have not scored away in Europe. “I think we have had chances in both games,” said Howe. “Maybe haven’t been as clinical as we would like.” Yet they had a lone shot on target in San Siro, from Sean Longstaff in injury time, and if Joelinton was profligate in the Signal Iduna Park, others did not get the opportunity to be. Newcastle felt insufficiently creative. Maybe it would have been different had Gordon been able to set the tone by rousing, riling and rattling. “Anthony played 90 minutes against Arsenal and gave everything,” Howe explained. “The turnaround was too quick for him to start so we wanted to use him as an impact player.” There was reason behind the rotation but it backfired. Yet Dortmund showed what they lacked. Newcastle have no player of the inventiveness of Julian Brandt, no specialist in picking the lock. Their system contains no space for a No 10; their squad has no one with that skillset, though Brandt excels playing off the left for Dortmund. Perhaps European football necessitates more of an artist; maybe a future spending spree should be focused around someone with those qualities. That lack of a genuine creator in the final third is a partial explanation of their inability to score in three of four Champions League games. Some of the goals they did score in the other - Burn’s magnificent header, Fabian Schar’s long-range strike – were the most special because they had the feel of one-offs. In contrast, Nick Pope’s heroics have come to seem the norm. The goalkeeper has been Newcastle’s finest player in three of their other supposed elite players were out of sorts, on the bench or absent altogether, it wasn’t enough. Maybe Newcastle’s efforts won’t be, either: and if this is a learning curve, a lesson may be that overachieving in England is one thing. Doing it in Europe is altogether harder. Read More Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit What do Arsenal, Man City, Man United and Newcastle need to reach last UCL 16? Borussia Dortmund v Newcastle LIVE: Champions League result and reaction Lascelles hits out at Jorginho after Arsenal star snubs handshake Arsenal decry ‘unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors’ after Arteta outburst How Anthony Gordon became central to Newcastle’s Champions League hopes
2023-11-08 21:29
Ralph Lauren beats quarterly sales estimates on steady demand
Ralph Lauren beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday as its younger, wealthier customer base continued
2023-11-08 21:29
