Latest news with #OPERA
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA unveils incredibly precise new satellite tool that anyone can use: 'You can zoom in to your country, your state, your city block'
NASA unveils incredibly precise new satellite tool that anyone can use: 'You can zoom in to your country, your state, your city block' NASA's new web portal reveals ground movements across North America with precision that captures tiny shifts smaller than an inch, reported NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This tool helps people monitor the Earth's movements, whether caused by natural phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic activity or human activities such as the extraction of underground resources. By converting complex satellite radar signals into user-friendly visual maps, NASA has made what was once specialist knowledge available to everyday users. The project comes from NASA's Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis team working with the Alaska Satellite Facility. They've created a program that handles satellite information collected since 2014, with plans to include new data from another space mission launching this year. "You can zoom in to your country, your state, your city block, and look at how the land there is moving over time," said David Bekaert, OPERA project manager and radar scientist. "You can see that by a simple mouse click." Right now, you can explore data for areas such as the American Southwest, parts of Mexico's northern region, and greater New York. The portal displays information for millions of spots on the map. When you click anywhere, you'll see a chart showing that location's movement history back to 2016. Water experts have already started using this mapping tool. Take Arizona, where tracking the gradual sinking of land helps manage precious groundwater supplies. "It's a great tool to say, 'Let's look at those areas more intensely with our own SAR processing,'" said Brian Conway, principal hydrogeologist at the Arizona Department of Water Resources. The technology works by bouncing radar signals off Earth's surface from satellites. When these signals return, special computer programs analyze them to determine if the land is rising or sinking. What once took specialists many days to calculate now happens automatically within seconds. NASA plans to roll out coverage beyond its current regions. According to its timeline, people across North America will gain access as the map grows to include all U.S. states, neighboring areas in Canada, and countries throughout Central America before 2026 arrives. Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Business Wire
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Down Hall Hotel & Spa Selects DNA Payments to Improve Guest Payment Experience
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Down Hall Hotel & Spa, one of the UK's most prestigious country house hotels, has selected DNA Payments as its new integrated payments provider. Located in Hatfield Heath, Down Hall is renowned for its luxurious accommodation and dining and was named an AA Hotel of the Year for England in 2024. To further improve its complete guest experience, Down Hall chose to move from its existing payment solution which used the OPERA on-premise technology solution to OPERA Cloud, replacing its existing stand-alone payments provider with a more robust and flexible integrated solution. DNA Payments' services, which fully integrate with Oracle's OPERA platform, delivered this frictionless experience for guests and staff. "We're delighted to be working with DNA Payments," says Linden Beattie, General Manager at Down Hall Hotel, Spa & Estate. "Their Oracle OPERA integration has genuinely transformed and improved our payment process for both guests and staff, delivering an effortless and highly secure experience.' 'We were particularly impressed that setup and onboarding progressed without a single hitch, leading directly to significant operational efficiencies and reconciliation improvements across the board." "Payments are a make-or-break moment for the hotel guest experience. They're often one of the last interactions that a guest has with a hotel, so the experience must be seamless and secure," said Jan-Pieter Lips, CEO at DNA Payments. "It's been a real pleasure to work with Down Hall to bring simple, unified payments to their guests." About DNA Payments DNA Payments is a leading independent, full-service omnichannel payments provider, offering a wide range of payment solutions to businesses of all sizes. With a focus on innovation and customer service, DNA Payments empowers businesses to accept payments seamlessly across all channels.
Hospitality Net
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Accor Simplifies Event Selection and Booking Process with Oracle Cloud
Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, has selected Oracle OPERA Cloud Sales and Event Management to maximize the ongoing expansion and support of its multi-billion-dollar meetings and events business1. Sales and Event Management is an integrated component of Oracle OPERA Cloud, Accor's chosen property management system that unifies all of its hotel departments. Sales and Events Management will be offered in three versions: Premium for luxury hotels as well as large meetings and events properties, Standard for small and medium hotels, and an Essential version will be offered to cover hotels that manage accommodation only groups. Accor is planning a soft launch in late 2025, with full functionality of the new digital meetings and events ecosystem in early 2026. Oracle Sales and Event Management will enable Accor to create a digital ecosystem that unites event space across its 5,600 global hotels and resorts, spanning 2.5 million square meters of event space and 800,000+ guestrooms. In addition to staff having a clear view into available venues, guests and third-party event coordinators will be able to use modern digital self-service tools to easily view and book event space, guestrooms, and catering services. Hotels need to be able to maximize revenue on the increasing demand for meeting and event spaces. Whether professional event planners are selecting from options around the globe, to those looking to host a small event at a local hotel, Oracle Cloud will help make it easier for clients to find and book the ideal venue from Accor's extensive portfolio. Alex Alt, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Consumer Industries 1 Accor selected Oracle Sales and Event Management in Q2 FY25. About Oracle Hospitality Oracle Hospitality brings more than 45 years of experience in providing technology solutions to independent hoteliers, global and regional chains, gaming, and cruise lines. Our hardware, software, and services enable customers to act on rich data insights that deliver personalized guest experiences, maximize profitability, and encourage loyalty. Cloud-based, mobile-enabled, with open APIs, Oracle's OPERA Cloud property management and distribution, Simphony point-of-sale, reporting and analytics, and Nor1 upsell solutions accelerate innovation, increase revenue, lower IT cost, and maximize operating efficiency. To learn more, please visit About Oracle Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at Trademarks Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing. Scott Porter Oracle Corporate Communications View source
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, See In
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! See In Constructor: Kapil Mehta Editor: Anna Gundlach Kapil: Here is what I liked about "See In." The word "See" for starters is so evocative. For me, it conjures up the idea of looking deeply and relating to things around me. Then I enjoyed building in two theme answers that span the entire grid with 15 letters. Such long answers make constructing the puzzle a bit more difficult but the visual and literal impact is high. And finally, the last clue [60D: Fitting place for this clue's answer] is just right. The credit for that clue goes to the editors though! MEN (9D: "X-___ '97" (superhero cartoon)) X-MEN '97 is an animated Disney+ TV series that debuted last year. The show is a revival of X-MEN: The Animated Series, which aired from 1992-1997. Although I'm not familiar with this specific show, the answer here was inferable, as I am familiar with the X-MEN characters, humans born with the X-gene, a mutation that confers superhuman abilities. TBS (46D: "Dinner and a Movie" network) The TBS TV series Dinner and a Movie originally aired from 1995-2011, and was revived last year. Each episode includes – as the name suggests – a movie and a themed dinner to go along with it. The revised series is hosted by Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen. MRS (1A: "___ Robinson" (Simon & Garfunkel hit)) "MRS. Robinson" is a 1968 song by Simon & Garfunkel. Fragments of the song were used in the 1967 movie The Graduate (before the song's release as a single). "MRS. Robinson" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. "And here's to you, MRS. Robinson..." CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (17A: "___ of the Third Kind" (sci-fi movie)) CLOSE ENCOUNTERS of the Third Kind is a 1977 sci-fi movie written and directed by Steven Spielberg. As the movie's title suggests, it is about people who have CLOSE ENCOUNTERS with UFOs. Interesting fact: Apparently Steven Spielberg received a 20-page letter from NASA (which turned down the opportunity to be involved in the film) asking him not to release the movie. LIRA (23A: Turkish currency) Turkey is a country mostly located in West Asia (a part of the country extends into Southeast Europe). The capital of Turkey is Ankara, and its currency is the Turkish LIRA. OPERA (33A: "Tosca" or "Porgy and Bess") Giacomo Puccini's OPERA, Tosca, premiered in Rome in 1900. The title character, Tosca, is the only female character in the OPERA. Porgy and Bess is an OPERA composed by George Gershwin, with libretto by Dubose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. It was first performed in Boston in September 1935 and premiered on Broadway a couple of weeks later. MISE-EN-SCENE (35A: Staging and design) MISE-EN-SCÈNE is a French phrase that means "placing on stage." The term is used in theater and film production to refer to staging and design. I've heard this term before, but definitely needed the help of crossing answers to remind me of it. SARONGS (43A: Southeast Asian body wraps) SARONGS are loose garments that consist of long strips of fabric wrapped around the body. They are often wrapped around the waist and are worn by women and men. HMONG (53A: Indigenous Southeast Asian people) The HMONG people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. As I have previously written, many HMONG immigrated to the United States following the Vietnam War. RALEIGH (2D: North Carolina's capital) I believe I was in the fifth grade when I learned all of the U.S. state capitals. That was a year or two ago (and getting longer every year!), so when presented with a clue such as this I sometimes need to dust off some little-used parts of my brain. All this is to say that I'm thankful for the opportunity to review that RALEIGH is the capital of North Carolina. It's the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. WESLEY (12D: "Blade" actor Snipes) The 1998 movie Blade is the first movie in the Blade franchise, which currently includes three movies and a TV series. WESLEY Snipes portrays the title character in the movies, a daywalker (half-vampire) who hunts vampires. SEA (18D: Sargasso or Caspian) The Sargasso SEA is an area of the Atlantic Ocean characterized by the growth of Sargassum seaweed and blue water that is often calm. Unlike other SEAs, the Sargasso SEA has no land boundaries. The Caspian SEA is the world's largest inland body of water. It is located between Europe and Asia, and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. CAT (19D: Pet that might chirp at squirrels) My CAT, Willow, likes to sit at the window and watch the squirrels and birds in our yard. She doesn't usually chirp at them; she generally reserves that for stray cats that wander into her territory. EL DORADO (38D: Legendary city of gold) The legendary city of gold known as EL DORADO is said to be located somewhere in the Americas. Stories of this mythical city surfaced in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, but although many have searched for it, none have found it. BIG BEN (47D: Great Clock of Westminster) BIG BEN is located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster (also called the Houses of Parliament) in London, England. BIG BEN is the nickname of the clock's bell, and is also used to refer to the clock tower itself. ADA (57D: programming pioneer Lovelace) It's been just over a week since we saw ADA Lovelace mentioned in a puzzle, so it's time. I'm always happy to see a mention of ADA Lovelace (1815-1852). A mathematician and computer programmer, she is considered to be one of the first to recognize the full potential of computers. END (60D: Fitting place for this clue's answer) It's a little thing, but it always makes me smile to see END in the lower corner of the puzzle. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (17A: "___ of the Third Kind" (sci-fi movie)) MISE-EN-SCENE (35A: Staging and design) PLEASE ELABORATE (56A: "Could you clarify?") SEE IN: IN each theme answer, the word SEE is found: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, MISE-EN-SCENE, and PLEASE ELABORATE. The title of today's puzzle allowed me to make a confident guess about the theme. Always enjoyable to have a guess prove correct. In Kapil's note, he mentioned appreciating that two of the theme answers are grid-spanning. I agree that, although it doesn't affect the effectiveness of the theme at all, grid-spanning theme answers are especially satisfying. Thank you, Kapil, for this excellent puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for January 28, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
