Latest news with #Cope
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Spanish police cause uproar over photo of older women enjoying alfresco chat
A Spanish police force have faced a public backlash after asking residents not to sit on the pavement, then posting a photo of six older women enjoying an alfresco chat. Police in the small Andalucían town of Santa Fe requested that people refrain from putting chairs and tables outside their door, out of respect for neighbours and others using the pavement. Accompanying the post on X, was a photo of six older women sitting on chairs on a pavement in front of a typical Spanish looking home. The women are smiling and look like they're enjoying each others friendship. What police don't appear to have considered, was how protective Spanish people are of the tradition known as, 'tomando el fresco', which translates to taking the cool air. The ritual, seen up and down the country and in other Mediterranean countries, sees individuals or groups of friends, usually the older generation, take chairs and sit outside in evening as the air cools down. In their post, the police wrote: 'We know that putting chairs or tables outside the door is a tradition in many towns, but the publics road is regulated. 'If police ask you to remove them, do so out of respect and in the interests of coexistence. With civility and common sense, there's no harm done. Thank you for your cooperation!' The post on its own may have been better received, but the image of the six older women touched a nerve. Several people took to social media to vent, some with angry messages saying older people should not be stopped from from taking their tomando el fresco, while others took a more tongue in cheek approach. One wrote: 'Colleagues, if you need back-up for such a dangerous mission, I'll be there. 'We need to put an end to this serious issue – no more impunity for grannies who sit out to enjoy the fresh air. The full weight of the law should fall on them.' After the story was picked up by national media, the town's mayor Juan Cobo said people were misinterpreting the plea. Speaking on Cope radio he said: 'No one is going to stop our older people popping out of their houses and sitting down and enjoying the cool air. No way. 'This only applies to those people who head outdoors on the pretext of enjoying some fresh air and who then cut off the street and engage in unneighbourly activities such as having barbecues, singing and playing the guitar.' He said the the police were just reminding people to be considerate of others, especially 'people who have to get up for work at five or six in the morning and who have a right to their rest'. Cobo said Santa Fe residents would be 'totally safe in the knowledge that they can carry on cooling off outdoors', and criticised what he described as 'populist and sensationalistic' reporting. More Trending 'All this has been totally manipulated and its seems there's nothing more important news-wise on a national scale for some media than reporting that people are being stopped from enjoying the fresh air on their doorsteps in Santa Fe,' he said. 'That isn't true. We're just reminding people who are behaving in an uncivil way and disturbing people's sleep that they can't do that and that there's a law against it.' In 2021, the mayor of another Andalucían, Algar told El País that tomando el fresco should be added to Unesco's list ofintangible cultural heritage. 'My mother's 82 and she sits out on her street every day,' he said at the time. 'Some days, I finish work, pop down, take a seat and catch up on things. It's the nicest moment of the day.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Sunbed Wars 2025 arrives in Benidorm after holidaymakers 'stampede' for best loungers MORE: Your favourite places to eat in Europe that aren't the usual tourist traps MORE: British woman takes sunbed wars to 'new level' with cunning move
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Chris Cope Joins CADDi as Vice President of Engineering
CHICAGO & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CADDi, the AI-powered data platform transforming manufacturing by democratizing supply chain and design data, today announced the appointment of Chris Cope as Vice President of Engineering. Cope brings over 20 years of expertise in building technology with a strong focus on artificial intelligence, security, and automation. "There is no company better positioned (than CADDi) to deliver AI-driven transformation to the world's manufacturers for the years to come. " Share Before joining CADDi, Cope held critical leadership roles at high-growth technology companies including Xometry and Aledade. At Xometry, he served as Senior Director of Software Engineering and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), playing an instrumental role in scaling the world's largest AI-driven manufacturing marketplace from its Series B funding round through IPO. Cope successfully led software development and site-reliability teams, ensuring stringent compliance and security requirements essential for Aerospace and Defense customers. At Aledade, an innovative AI-enabled healthtech startup, Cope led DevOps and Security initiatives, driving the implementation of secure, scalable systems that supported rapid growth. 'I have admired CADDi for a long time," said Cope. "There is no company better positioned to deliver AI-driven transformation to the world's manufacturers for the years to come. I look forward to accelerating our technological capabilities and further cementing CADDi's position as a global leader in manufacturing technology.' With Cope's appointment, CADDi strengthens its commitment to scaling its engineering operations, enhancing security, and leveraging automation to maintain the highest standards demanded by leading manufacturers worldwide. 'Chris's track record in hyper-growth environments and his deep expertise in AI and secure platform development make him an ideal fit for CADDi as we continue our rapid expansion,' said Yushiro Kato, CEO and Co-Founder of CADDi. 'His strategic insights and obsessive focus on automation will help propel our engineering team forward, enhancing our platform's value to our global customer base.' About CADDi CADDi is an AI-powered data platform transforming manufacturing by making design and supply chain data accessible, insightful, and actionable. Founded in 2017 by industry veterans Yushiro Kato (McKinsey) and Aki Kobashi (Apple, Lockheed Martin), CADDi converts decades of scattered and unstructured manufacturing data into actionable intelligence, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating innovation across manufacturers globally. Headquartered between Tokyo and Chicago, CADDi has operations in Japan, the United States, Vietnam, and Thailand. CADDi supports key sectors including automotive, medtech, biotech, robotics, industrial machining, industrial electronics, and prototyping. Recognized for innovation, CADDi was named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list in 2024 and won the 2024 SaaS Award for Best Business Intelligence and Engineering Management Software. For more information, visit Additional Resources:
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Online Safety Crisis Solved: Filmmaker And Advocate Proposes Game-Changing New Law
Press Release – Case Basket Communications Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual. Another recognisable voice has just joined the legislative conversation about kids' online safety this week. Kiwi filmmaker and online safety expert Rob Cope has revealed that he wrote his own long-considered bill over the summer holidays. While he fully supports efforts to protect minors from the ills of social media, he proposes a more impactful and long-lasting place to start solving this problem. 'I definitely support MP Catherine Wedd's proposed bill to ban social media for children under 16 and I'm really encouraged to see the Prime Minister setting aside resources for this area of work,' says the co-founder of Our Kids Online who has spoken before tens of thousands of parents and teachers over the last seven years. 'But before we tackle social media – a complex beast with boundaries that are hard to define – we need to start at the very first rung on the ladder, which is providing access to safe internet for children and youth under 18 in Aotearoa.' Cope agrees that social media is 'a massive concern' but dealing with this as if it's the whole solution would be like building a house before the foundations are laid. The basic protections our children need are found in filtering harmful and explicit content for all minors – on phones, at home, and in public, he says. This is exactly what is proposed in Cope's The New Zealand Child Internet Safety Act: Protecting Minors from Harmful Online Content. 'You could see this as the foundation, and then social media protections built on top of this. Ideally, New Zealand would filter the internet for minors as I've proposed and, then afterwards, look at how to protect our tamariki from social media. 'For 30 years, the internet has remained unfiltered for most of our kids and, naturally, we've asked ourselves and countless others why the majority of parents haven't already seriously considered filtering. I think it's a natural subconscious belief that 'If it was really that bad, the government would've done something by now.' But they haven't – not for 30 years. It's long overdue, and our kids are paying the price,' says Cope. Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual. To those who would argue that filtering legislation is too hard or too expensive to implement, the dad of four responds with a challenge: 'How can we afford not to? We're pouring millions into mental health support for our youth every year and we now know that a growing proportion of that distress is down to an unfiltered online world. If we can stop the harm before it happens, we'll not only protect our children – we'll ease the pressure on families, schools, and already overwhelmed mental health services.' Cope stresses that this mess is not a technology issue – the tools already exist in various forms; it is a legislative issue. 'Let's not fail our tamariki because of a lack of creativity or effort. We're a nation of pioneers — Kiwis are known for their hard work and innovation. Let's roll up our sleeves, collaborate, innovate, and do what it takes to keep our kids safe online.'
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Online Safety Crisis Solved: Filmmaker And Advocate Proposes Game-Changing New Law
Press Release – Case Basket Communications Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual. Another recognisable voice has just joined the legislative conversation about kids' online safety this week. Kiwi filmmaker and online safety expert Rob Cope has revealed that he wrote his own long-considered bill over the summer holidays. While he fully supports efforts to protect minors from the ills of social media, he proposes a more impactful and long-lasting place to start solving this problem. 'I definitely support MP Catherine Wedd's proposed bill to ban social media for children under 16 and I'm really encouraged to see the Prime Minister setting aside resources for this area of work,' says the co-founder of Our Kids Online who has spoken before tens of thousands of parents and teachers over the last seven years. 'But before we tackle social media – a complex beast with boundaries that are hard to define – we need to start at the very first rung on the ladder, which is providing access to safe internet for children and youth under 18 in Aotearoa.' Cope agrees that social media is 'a massive concern' but dealing with this as if it's the whole solution would be like building a house before the foundations are laid. The basic protections our children need are found in filtering harmful and explicit content for all minors – on phones, at home, and in public, he says. This is exactly what is proposed in Cope's The New Zealand Child Internet Safety Act: Protecting Minors from Harmful Online Content. 'You could see this as the foundation, and then social media protections built on top of this. Ideally, New Zealand would filter the internet for minors as I've proposed and, then afterwards, look at how to protect our tamariki from social media. 'For 30 years, the internet has remained unfiltered for most of our kids and, naturally, we've asked ourselves and countless others why the majority of parents haven't already seriously considered filtering. I think it's a natural subconscious belief that 'If it was really that bad, the government would've done something by now.' But they haven't – not for 30 years. It's long overdue, and our kids are paying the price,' says Cope. Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual. To those who would argue that filtering legislation is too hard or too expensive to implement, the dad of four responds with a challenge: 'How can we afford not to? We're pouring millions into mental health support for our youth every year and we now know that a growing proportion of that distress is down to an unfiltered online world. If we can stop the harm before it happens, we'll not only protect our children – we'll ease the pressure on families, schools, and already overwhelmed mental health services.' Cope stresses that this mess is not a technology issue – the tools already exist in various forms; it is a legislative issue. 'Let's not fail our tamariki because of a lack of creativity or effort. We're a nation of pioneers — Kiwis are known for their hard work and innovation. Let's roll up our sleeves, collaborate, innovate, and do what it takes to keep our kids safe online.'
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Online Safety Crisis Solved: Filmmaker And Advocate Proposes Game-Changing New Law
Another recognisable voice has just joined the legislative conversation about kids' online safety this week. Kiwi filmmaker and online safety expert Rob Cope has revealed that he wrote his own long-considered bill over the summer holidays. While he fully supports efforts to protect minors from the ills of social media, he proposes a more impactful and long-lasting place to start solving this problem. 'I definitely support MP Catherine Wedd's proposed bill to ban social media for children under 16 and I'm really encouraged to see the Prime Minister setting aside resources for this area of work,' says the co-founder of Our Kids Online who has spoken before tens of thousands of parents and teachers over the last seven years. 'But before we tackle social media – a complex beast with boundaries that are hard to define - we need to start at the very first rung on the ladder, which is providing access to safe internet for children and youth under 18 in Aotearoa.' Cope agrees that social media is 'a massive concern' but dealing with this as if it's the whole solution would be like building a house before the foundations are laid. The basic protections our children need are found in filtering harmful and explicit content for all minors - on phones, at home, and in public, he says. This is exactly what is proposed in Cope's The New Zealand Child Internet Safety Act: Protecting Minors from Harmful Online Content. 'You could see this as the foundation, and then social media protections built on top of this. Ideally, New Zealand would filter the internet for minors as I've proposed and, then afterwards, look at how to protect our tamariki from social media. 'For 30 years, the internet has remained unfiltered for most of our kids and, naturally, we've asked ourselves and countless others why the majority of parents haven't already seriously considered filtering. I think it's a natural subconscious belief that 'If it was really that bad, the government would've done something by now.' But they haven't – not for 30 years. It's long overdue, and our kids are paying the price,' says Cope. Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual. To those who would argue that filtering legislation is too hard or too expensive to implement, the dad of four responds with a challenge: 'How can we afford not to? We're pouring millions into mental health support for our youth every year and we now know that a growing proportion of that distress is down to an unfiltered online world. If we can stop the harm before it happens, we'll not only protect our children – we'll ease the pressure on families, schools, and already overwhelmed mental health services.' Cope stresses that this mess is not a technology issue - the tools already exist in various forms; it is a legislative issue. 'Let's not fail our tamariki because of a lack of creativity or effort. We're a nation of pioneers — Kiwis are known for their hard work and innovation. Let's roll up our sleeves, collaborate, innovate, and do what it takes to keep our kids safe online.'
