Latest news with #LATech
Phone Arena
15-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Google RCS Business Messaging gets flashy, but is this what we wanted?
Following Google's celebration of hitting 1 billion RCS messages sent daily in the U.S., a new chapter in the RCS story is unfolding — and it's being driven by businesses. That massive number includes more than just everyday texting between friends and family. Increasingly, companies are tapping into RCS (Rich Communication Services) to send out more visually engaging marketing week, a new kind of RCS experience rolled out in North America through a partnership between Clerk Chat, Google, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Once recipient, a Los Angeles Rams fan, shared that what was received at first seemed like a regular text message, but then with the second message it was clear it was a promotion. This message came complete with photos, call-to-action buttons, swipe-right carousel interactions, and even an option to buy single-game tickets. Promotional RCS message by the LA Rams received. | Image credit — Judy_Gamble on Reddit The technology behind this campaign allows businesses to push rich content like images, videos, interactive buttons, and branded templates directly into the same messaging app you use to chat with friends. It's like SMS on steroids, and companies are clearly eager to jump in. This represents a major shift in how brands could interact with consumers on mobile, moving beyond generic SMS blasts to full-screen, colorful experiences. Igor Boshoer, co-founder and CTO of Clerk Chat But is everyone as excited about it? While it's true that these campaigns could be a more dynamic way to promote offers or connect with fans, they also raise questions about consent and privacy. RCS campaigns like this might feel intrusive if users haven't explicitly opted in. And depending on how easy it is to opt out, this could end up blurring the line between creative marketing and plain old spam. Thankfully, Google appears to be taking some precautions. As we recently reported, Google Messages is working on adding an "unsubscribe" button to RCS business messages, giving users a clearer way to manage what they receive. This small but important update could help prevent misuse of the platform as more businesses join in. Ultimately, whether RCS for business turns into a valuable new channel or an annoying source of clutter will depend on how responsibly it's used — and how much control users are given over their inboxes.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LA Tech holds spring practice in Bossier
BOSSIER, LA (KTAL/KMSS) – On Tuesday, Louisiana Tech had its second to last spring practice in Bossier at Freedom Field, with an open invite to the community hoping to gain some support from LA Tech fans and alumni in the Shreveport area. 'I thought it was really cool just that you know Coach Cumbie and the community of Freedom Fields is wanting to do this,' Northwood alum Mason Welch and LA Tech QB. ' It was really cool just to get back, a lot of us are from this Shreveport. So it just means a lot to us and I know it means a lot to the community around here.' With practices not typically open to friends and family it gives families an opportunity to see into the life of their favorite player. 'We had a good practice today. It's always good to be back in front of the family and let them see a side of my life they don't normally get to see,' long snapper and Loyola Alum Ean Burch said. On Tuesday night, those Shreveport locals stood out. 'Jay Simon made some big plays from Calvary Baptists, we've signed Kolby Thomas from Calvary Baptists,' head coach Sonny Cumbie said. 'We've got Kendrick Rucker from Huntington on our football team. We've got several guys from this area. I think for to have those guys to come back home, there's obviously a little bit more bounce in their step too to be able to play in front of their friends and family and practice anyways in front of all the people that know them.' After a disappointing outing last time the Bulldogs were in Shreveport for the Independence Bowl against Army, LA Tech was excited to showcase what's to come this season. The Bulldogs also feel like the momentum from the post season play is carrying over into this spring. 'I feel like it allowed us as a team to take a step forward towards this year,' Welch said. 'It changes a lot of guys' minds about what we can be and what we've been,' Burch said. 'It shows people that we have, we have a foot to stand on now.' The Bulldogs have been making an effort to prioritize Shreveport because of its close proximity to Ruston. Doing so by inviting the community to be up close and personal with the team, as close as standing on the sidelines for practice and the Spring Showcase on Saturday, May 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
First up: NMSU women take on LA Tech at CUSA tournament
HUNSTVILLE, Ala. – The Aggies have ended the regular conference season and will go head-to-head for a third time this season against LA Tech in the quarterfinals of the 2025 CUSA Tournament. The winner of the two teams will move on to face the Liberty Flames in the semifinal round in this single elimination bracket. Advertisement HOW TO FOLLOW Who: #4 NM State (17-14, 10-8 CUSA) vs #5 LA Tech (15-14, 8-10 CUSA) Where: Propst Arena – Hunstville, Ala. When: Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 10:30 p.m. MST Live Stream: ESPN+ Live Statistics: StatBroadcast All-Time Series Record: LA Tech leads 16-8 Last Meeting: NMSU won 87-80 (March 6, 2025) LAST TIME AGAINST LA TECH Molly Kaiser capped the Aggies' victory tying her career high in points, putting up 35 points on 14-20 shooting – while also recording four rebounds, four assists, and a steal. This was the 16th recorded 20+ point game of the season for Kaiser and the sixth 30+ point game this season. She also produced career-high in Free throw made and Free throw attempted, ties career-high field goals made. Advertisement Finishing with 18 points on the night, Lucia Yenes recorded a new season-high, surpassing her previous best of 16 points set against WKU on March 1. Similarly, Yenes recorded three steals on Thursday, her second-most in a single game this season behind a career-high five steals in last Saturday's game against WKU. This becomes Yenes' first time scoring double-digits in back-to-back games this season. NM State forced the Lady Techsters into 20 turnovers, scoring 17 points off the giveaways. This is the 10th time the Aggie defense has forced an opponent into 20+ turnovers. THE PRODIGY Molly Kaiser has spent all five seasons with the Crimson & White, making her the longest-tenured Aggie on the 2024-25 roster. The Watauga, Texas, native has 1,865 points across her career and has moved into third all-time in scoring for the Aggies in program history. Scoring over 1,800 points, she's also currently the active leader in career points among CUSA players. She now sits just 66 points shy of moving into second on the Aggies all-time scoring list. Advertisement Last month, Kaiser was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the fifth time this season after dropping 35 points against LA Tech. This marked the fifth CUSA weekly award for Kaiser, which is most by an Aggie in program history. This season, Kaiser has also hauled in two NCAA Starting Five accolades, which recognizes the nation's top five performers each week. She has also recently been selected as the 2025 CUSA Player of the Year along with being selected for a spot on the CUSA's All-Conference team. Kaiser sits at 15th in the nation in points per game (20.7) and 13th in total points (643). FANTA-STIC Fanta Gassama's eight double-doubles thus far marks the first time that an Aggie has recorded five or more double-doubles in a single season since Bigue Sarr tallied 12 double-doubles in the 2021-22 season. Advertisement Fanta tallied her second highest game in rebounds this season, snagging down 14 against the Gamecocks. She currently sits at 23rd in the nation and second in CUSA in defensive rebounds per game (7.1). D-UP At the moment, NM State ranks third in the conference in steals per game (9.67), which has led their opponents into 584 total turnovers. This has carried over in league play as the Aggies currently rank second in turnovers forced per game (19.2) against CUSA opponents. FROM DOWNTOWN Entering Saturday, the Aggies rank third in 3-point percentage in CUSA play, shooting 30.8%. This mark is led by Jaila Harding who is currently shooting an impressive 38.0% from the perimeter against league opponents. Harding has also moved into third on CUSA league leaders in 3-point percentage. Advertisement FRESH FISH Madi Gewirtz picked up her second Conference USA Freshman of the Week last month. Previously, Madi Gewirtz became the first and only player in Aggie program history to earn the honor. February 1st, she scored 17 points over Western Kentucky and picked up four defensive boards along with two assists to serve as a catalyst in the Aggies' win over the Hilltoppers. VETERAN LEADERSHIP The Aggies are led by 11 upperclassmen, including nine seniors. Molly Kaiser and Diarrah Sissoko are each in their fifth season of collegiate basketball, headlining a 15-person roster that has 50 combined seasons of experience, including 32 at NM State. Four Aggies are on at least their third season in the program: Molly Kaiser (five), Sylena Peterson (four), Sianny Sanchez-Oliver (four) and Lucía Yenes (three). Advertisement INTERNATIONAL AGGIES There are seven Aggies with international backgrounds on the 2024-25 roster. Four of those seven hail from Spain (Fanta Gassama, Noah Garcia, Marta Guilera, Lucía Yenes). Hungary (Anna Csenyi), Netherlands (Loes Rozing) and Mali (Diarrah Sissoko) are also represented on this year's squad. Four of six Aggie newcomers are from overseas. 632 of the Aggies' 2,023 points this season have come courtesy of international members, accounting for over 32.3% of the team's production thus far. GUESS WHO'S BACK… BACK AGAIN Nearly every rotational guard and wing has returned in action in 2024-25, with 75.66% of the 2023-24 point production still on the roster. Additionally, the returning Aggies accounted for 85.14% of all assists and 97.71% of 3-pointers made (128 of 131) a season ago. Advertisement ONE LAST RIDE This iteration of the Aggies revolves around fifth-year legend Molly Kaiser. The Watauga, Texas, native exercised her extra year of eligibility that she earned from the NCAA's response to COVID-19, electing to spend her fifth and final campaign with the Crimson & White. In 2023-24, Kaiser led the Aggies in games played (31), games started (31), points (463), points per game (14.9), minutes per game (34.2), field goals made (165), free throws made (107) and free-throw percentage (86.3). Last season, Kaiser drove and buried a patented elbow jumper shot to give her 1,000 career points, with every bucket coming as a member of the Crimson & White. She became the 25th member of the 1,000-point club, and the first since Gia Pack, who played for the Aggies from 2016-2020. LAST TIME OUT… With the win against Sam Houston, NM State finished with an 11-3 record inside the Pan American Center – the team's best home record since the 2018-2019 season (11-2). Advertisement The NM State defense held the Bearkats to 0% from three-point range – the most attempts without a make for an opponent since 2/12/22 against UVU (0-11). Aggies led for 38:41 of the games' 40 minutes and contained a 14-4 fastbreak advantage over the Bearkats. SOME CUSA POSTSEASON HISTORY This is just the Aggies' second time competing in the CUSA tournament. Last year, NM State took on No. 3 FIU in the first round after finishing sixth in conference play. The Aggies defeated the Panthers, 63-58. The Aggies later faced the Liberty Flames in the semi-final round and fell, 63-58. UNDER ADAMS' LEADERSHIP Before finding her way to Las Cruces, Jody Adams had a successful career first at Murray State, then Wichita State. Advertisement While coaching the Racers, Adams was able to lead her team to an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2007-08 season. After leaving Murray State, she was able to lead the Shockers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in Wichita, Kansas from 2013-2016. As a student-athlete, the Tennessee native competed in the NCAA tournament herself under Pat Summit and helped the Lady Vols win the NCAA National Championship in 1991. SCOUTING LA TECH Brooke Stoehr leads the Bulldogs as she enters her fifth season as head coach. Stoehr now sits third all-time in program wins behind Leon Barmore and Sonja Hogg after the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 191-150, including a 120-91 mark in Ruston. Advertisement During the 2021-22 season, Stoehr led the squad to a 21-12 record, winning the Conference USA West Division crown and earning an automatic birth in the WNIT. The Bulldogs also reached the CUSA finals for the first time since joining the conference after beating UAB and completing an 11-point fourth-quarter comeback over Middle Tennessee in the tournament semifinals. The leading scorer for this team is their outstanding Freshman, Paris Bradley, who currently averages 13.9 points per game. She also leads the team in FG percentage, assists, and steals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lafayette High School alumni bid farewell to beloved campus
LAFAYETTE, La. () — Alumni of walked through the school's hallways for the final time Wednesday evening. 'We are the lions! The mighty, might lions!' a group of LHS cheerleaders from the graduating class of 1964 cheered. The LHS Alumni Memory Walk was hosted prior to the school being demolished to make way for the new campus scheduled to open next school year. Thousands of former students, like Helen Turner who graduated in 1960, came back to their alma mater. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'It's good memories,' Turner said. 'Just to reminisce. To see how many of my classmates would be here and go through all the classrooms.' Former teachers also jumped at the opportunity to get one last look at the school. 'I started in 1955, and I taught until the pandemic started,' Emile Concienne, a teacher for more than 60 years, said. 'It's like being back home.' Concienne taught medical life science for all those years. On Wednesday, he walked through his classroom he spent so many decades teaching. Other teachers, like Marcella Baudoin and Larry Aucoin, taught at Lafayette High School for 35 years. 'Marcella and I came here together. Every pep rally, we were dancers together. We dressed up. There's nothing we didnt do for the kids,' Aucoin recalled. 'It's heartbreaking because we spent so much of our lives here,' Baudoin chimed in. With sadness, however, also comes happiness. Lafayette High School became the place where she met her future husband, though they didn't reconnect until 2023. 'Our lunch lasted four hours and five minutes. Fast forward, wedding bells are ringing,' Baudoin's fiancée said. 'It's absolutely full circle.' While the building will soon be demolished, hundreds of people enjoyed one last walk down memory lane. 'It was the best four years of my life,' one woman from the 1964 graduating class said. 'We've enjoyed being together again and looking forward to seeing the school one last time.' Louisiana blanks LA Tech in midweek action Lafayette High School alumni bid farewell to beloved campus Attorney General speaks on lawsuit against St. Martinville Fire and Police Civil Service Board Driver arrested in connection to Livingston Parish hit-and-run injuring pedestrian Vehicle fire on I-10 westbound causes traffic jam Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LA Tech defeats UTEP for 20th win of the season for the 11th time in 13 years
RUSTON, LA (KTAL/KMSS) — Louisiana Tech put on a shooting clinic in its final game of the regular season, knocking down 12 three-pointers in route to a 76-58 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center. The win meant a lot of things for LA Tech (20-11, 9-9 CUSA). It was win No. 20, a milestone the program has now reached in 11 of the last 13 seasons. It was a bounce-back win following a disappointing loss to New Mexico State two days ago. And it was a win that solidified a No. 6 seed and first-round bye in the CUSA Tournament. It was the three-ball that helped LA Tech gain some separation early in the first half as Al Green buried his first two attempts and then Sean Newman Jr. drilled a triple to give the 'Dogs a 22-14 advantage. Then it was Sean Elkinton who came off the bench and went back-to-back from downtown. He would tack on two free throws to account for eight straight points as LA Tech built a 34-22 halftime lead over UTEP (17-14, 7-11 CUSA). Along with the five first-half three-pointers was the stifling defense by the Bulldogs, limiting the Miners to just 28.1 percent shooting in the stanza and just one three-pointer out of 13 attempts. LA Tech kept its foot on the gas to start the second half, opening the stanza on a 12-2 run that was anchored in large part by Sean Newman Jr. and Amaree Abram. One of the nation's top assist leaders dished out two of his five dimes during the stretch and added a jumper in the paint while Abram drilled two triples to help make it a 46-26 lead with 15:16 to play in the home finale. The Miners meanwhile could just get to the foul line for the most part, making 15 second-half free throws. While UTEP was getting free throws, LA Tech was getting threes to put the Miners away. Green hit four more from beyond the arc in route to a game-high 20 points. As a team, LA Tech shot 44.4 percent from the field (24-54) and a staggering 70.6 percent from three-point range (12-17). Abram and Newman Jr. joined Green in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. UTEP finished the contest at 31.7 percent shooting (19-60) and were just 2-of-20 from deep. KJ Thomas came off the bench to score a team-high 12 points. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
