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Humanoid robots are here, but they’re a little awkward

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

Building a robot that’s both human-like and useful is a decades-old engineering dream inspired by popular science fiction.While the latest artificial intelligence craze has sparked another wave of investments in the quest to build a humanoid, most of the current prototypes are clumsy and impractical, looking better in staged performances than in real life. That hasn’t stopped a handful of startups from keeping at it.“The intention is not to start from the beginning and say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to make a robot look like a person,’” said Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer at Agility Robotics. “We’re trying to make robots that can operate in human spaces.”Do we even need humanoids? Hurst makes a point of describing Agility’s warehouse robot Digit as human-centric, not humanoid, a distinction meant to emphasize what it does over what it’s trying to be.What it does, for now, is pick up tote bins and move them. Amazon announced in October it will beg...

The best airlines for 2023 holiday travel on points

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

(NerdWallet) - With flights getting more expensive around Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, you may be inclined to use accumulated points and miles to try to save some money. About 30% of holiday travelers plan to use points and miles to pay for travel expenses in 2023, according to a NerdWallet survey conducted by The Harris Poll of more than 2,000 adults.That might have been a dependable money-saving strategy five or 10 years ago, back when airlines published award charts that clearly showed how many points or miles you'd need to book a flight. But most U.S. airlines have switched to dynamic award pricing, meaning the cost in points can fluctuate as much as cash prices do.So in many cases, holiday flights on points are no longer the deal they once were — and can be high enough to make your jaw drop. In fact, you might get a lower cent-per-point value than usual if you’re not careful.What the data says about holiday travel on milesNerdWallet does an annual analysis of the value...

American Airlines to cut routes from Austin airport

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — American Airlines will make some route changes that affect departing routes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, an airline spokesperson said. An American Airlines spokesperson said AUS is "an important market for American as we continuously evaluate our network." The spokesperson did not confirm the number of routes affected or when changes will go into effect. AUS Data Hub: How many passengers have flown out of AUS so far this year? An AUS spokesperson confirmed that American Airlines plans to cut routes at AUS and that the airline will adjust its AUS flight schedules starting next year. "We’re grateful for their offerings, which provide more nonstop departures and more seats to Central Texas travelers than in 2019," the statement continued. The airline said it will keep its service levels with nonstop flights to its eight hubs, and the airline will contact affected customers.The American Airlines service changes also include 53% more seats daily and ad...

Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw ruled out for game against Falcons

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

ATLANTA — In the first start of his NFL career on Sunday afternoon, rookie quarterback Jaren Hall was without the man that was supposed to be blocking his blindside.After suffering a groin injury late this week, left tackle Christian Darrisaw was ruled out for the Vikings in the game against the Atlanta Falcons.The likely replacement for Darrisaw is veteran left tackle David Quessenberry.The other inactives for the Vikings included safety Lewis Cine, running back Kene Nwangwu, linebacker Brian Asamoah, tight end Nick Muse, receiver Jalen Nailor, and defensive tackle Dean Lowry.

To win Big Ten West, Gophers need Iowa to lose twice

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

For a fan base which chants “Who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa!,” the final three weeks of the Big Ten regular season should be pretty straight forward for the Minnesota football team.With a 27-26 home loss to Illinois on Saturday, the Gophers fell to 3-3 in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, Iowa improved to 4-2 with a 10-7 win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field.After being in pole position, Gophers will likely now need the first-place Hawkeyes to lose at least two of their final three games for Minnesota to win the Big Ten West division.The Gophers also need to beat Purdue (1-5) in West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday and likely top Wisconsin (3-3) at home in the regular-season finale on Nov. 25. In between, the U will be a huge road underdog against No. 1 Ohio State (6-0) on Nov. 18.The Hawkeyes’ final three games are at home against Rutgers (3-3) and Illinois (2-4), and at Nebraska (3-3). Given their plodding offense, dropping two of those isn’t outside the realm of possibilities.If the Gophers a...

PHOTOS: St. Louis gears up for the 11th Annual Cherokee Street JazzCrawl

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Cherokee Street came alive with jazz music from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 6 for the 11th annual JazzCrawl on Cherokee Street.Cherokee Street was filled with the sounds of jazz music from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the street crawl, attendees enjoyed various musical performances. Following the street crawl, the event concluded with the Jazz Crawl Grand Finale, featuring more jazz music and a dance battle.

Inmate escapes from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

A group of juvenile inmates were involved in a confrontation at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, and during the commotion, one of the inmates was briefly able to escape. According to a release from the Los Angeles County Probation Department, six youth were involved in an “incident” that resulted in a staff member being assaulted shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday night. During the altercation, one male inmate was able to escape from the juvenile hall, officials confirmed.  Video: Car plows into group of people in front of restaurant in Santa Clarita The L.A. County Probation Department’s Special Enforcement Operations, along with the Downey and South Gate police departments, launched a search for the juvenile. He was apprehended within ten minutes and returned to the facility. Visiting hours for Sunday have been canceled, and the facility is set to remain on lockdown until further notice in order to ensure the safety of the public, youth and staff, the probation department...

'Strong' El Niño likely to bring more snow to these states

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

El Niño has arrived. There's 100% certainty El Niño will last through early winter, the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently said, and a 90% or higher chance it lasts into spring. El Niño typically divides the country in half, but where the dividing line falls varies from year to year. The southern third to half of the United States, including California, is likely to be wetter during an El Niño winter. The Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley are usually dry and warm. While El Niño's impacts are never a guarantee, the climate pattern tends to influence weather across the U.S. as it reaches peak strength in the winter. Here comes El Nino: It’s early, likely to be big, sloppy and add even more heat to a warming world Does that mean El Niño will bring winter storms and feet of snow? Not everywhere and not necessarily, explains Michelle L'Heureux, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center, in an article last wee...

Daylight Saving: Why didn't these 2 states change their clocks?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

If you’re reading this, you (hopefully) got a little extra sleep last night. Or maybe, you had a rude awakening, waking up an hour earlier than you expected. It’s all thanks to daylight saving time. At 2 a.m. Sunday, our phones, laptops, TVs, smartwatches, and any other clock connected to the Internet switched back to 1 a.m. as daylight saving time ended. But, for residents in two states, it’s just another Sunday morning. Can daylight saving time affect your health? Hawaii and most of Arizona stay in one time zone year-round, meaning they don’t switch their clocks in March and November like the rest of us. Since 1968, Arizona has observed Mountain Standard Time year-round, with the exception of the Navajo Nation. For Arizona, the decision was based largely on the amount of sun the state already gets. If you’ve ever been to Arizona, it’s easy to understand why they prefer the nighttime hours to come a little sooner in the summer. As The Arizona Republic explains...

Bay Area birdwatching tips for newbies

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:09:16 GMT

So you want to try birdwatching, or as some of us call it, birding.Something about our feathered friends has grabbed your attention. A great-horned owl, perhaps, hooting outside your window after dusk. Or an American robin slurping worms from your lawn. Maybe you spied a group of birdwatchers at the park across the street, hot on the trail of a rare warbler and, well, you want in on the action.Could be you simply overheard the ongoing debate of birb, borb or floof. Translation: which bird is cute, which bird is round, which bird is fluffy? You will have opinions on this – I know I do.Or maybe you’ve had a “spark bird,” a creature so magnificent, it sparked your interest in birding.BirdNote, a popular radio show, provides wonderful two-minute stories on how birds capture our imaginations. When I was on the show, I told interviewer Mark Bramhill my spark bird was a Vermillion Flycatcher, a glorious ruby. It’s a shining jewel of plumage and attitude. This bird is a show-off...