Latest news with #Stability
CNET
21-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
The Best Savings Strategy in an Uncertain Economy Is a Boring One
Stability can be a wonderful thing, especially when it comes to your money. Deagreez/Getty Images We've all had enough economic excitement this year. From tariffs and inflation to layoffs and recession fears, daily headlines are a nonstop barrage of bad news that threatens our financial security. That's one of the reasons I'm all for opening a certificate of deposit right now. CDs aren't as sexy as investments like cryptocurrency or timing the stock market. But that's what makes them perfect in today's precarious economy. Here's why you should consider opening a CD as part of your money strategy. Read more: The Economy Sucks Right Now. Take Your Revenge With This New Money Trend Stability in this economy? Yes, please CDs have long been a go-to option for people who want a safe place to keep their cash. But they're especially valuable when the economy is as rough as it is right now. Your annual percentage yield is fixed when you open a CD, so your earnings stay the same regardless of where interest rates go after that. That means you can predict precisely how much your CD will be worth when the time is up. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates this year, so now's the time to lock in an APY up to 4.50%. It can help you maximize your returns and shield your money from stubborn inflation. Plus, CDs are protected by federal deposit insurance if you open one at an FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. That means your money is safe (up to $250,000 per deposit, account category and institution) if the bank fails. Don't overlook high-yield savings accounts CDs are ideal for savings goals with a specific timeline, like buying a car or throwing a wedding. However, you must keep your money in a CD for the full term, or you'll face an early withdrawal penalty that will cut into your total earnings. If you're building an emergency fund, you're better off opening a high-yield savings account. Your APY will be variable, which means it could change at any time, but you'll be able to take out cash whenever you need it, penalty-free. And many top high-yield savings account APYs are on par with today's best CD rates. HYSAs also allow you to add money over time. Wth a CD, most banks require you to have all your funds in hand the moment you open an account.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Test-Riding the XOTO Three-Wheel Leaning Electric Scooter
The XOTO Electric Scooter For as all-encompassing as the laws of physics are in our daily lives, especially behind the wheel, humankind really has taken them for granted. We experience lateral and longitudinal G force so frequently that our nervous systems' internal G meter naturally adjusts when we accelerate, brake or corner too quickly. However, put only two wheels beneath us with a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle, and we become quite cognizant of physics, as having less contact patch with the road could quickly spell disaster. But what about three wheels? Not only that—three wheels that articulate to seemingly break the laws of physics and provide way more stability than we're used to? Southern California company XOTO harnesses this concept in its debut Three-Wheel Leaning Electric Scooter, which sports one wheel on the front axle and two on the rear, and with with the goal of making scooters more accessible and fun. It's designed to give consumers a solid step up in safety and utility from the increasingly popular electric bike, yet offer a significantly cheaper and more environmentally friendly option than a conventional car. These folks may be onto something. The XOTO Electric Scooter The Build Tim Huntzinger, XOTO's founder/CEO, recently invited me out to pore over and test-ride the company's emissions-free steed in a big, hazard free environment. The first thing to know about the XOTO electric scooter is it looks like a normal scooter, save for the dual wheels out back. Otherwise, its overall shape, front end, and seat follow the same design that we've all become quite familiar with from the likes of Yamaha, Honda, Vespa, Piaggio, and more. A lot of parts aren't proprietary to XOTO; shock absorbers, wheels and brakes, as well as various frame components are common in the scooter industry, and common electrical components comprise its powertrain. The swing-arm rear suspension is hooked up to sturdy heim joints to harness its articulating movement with as much assurance and precision as possible, and engineered into the overall suspension is anti-dive technology that helps keep it upright and evenly balanced, front-to-rear, under hard braking. What's fascinating is all of this can easily be scaled up to future, bigger models in XOTO's lineup, expanding its market reach even further. The XOTO Electric Scooter at near-full tilt. Beneath the seat is a compartment with space for two 72V 30Ah lithium ion batteries. Range is rated at 45 miles per battery, so it's possible to net as much as 90 miles in one sitting. Factor in a four-hour charging time via a conventional 110-volt outlet, and users would be hard-pressed to need much more in a week's worth of commuting, grocery and errand runs, and so on. Top speed is limited to 45 miles per hour, but it's not rated for highway driving anyway. In fact, like any common sub-50cc scooter, a motorcycle license isn't required to operate it on public roads. The XOTO Electric Scooter Controls are simple and well laid-out, with a touchscreen for monitoring specific data and even operating a video camera, and a conventional screen for keeping an eye on speed, charge level, trip, and the odometer. The former's Bluetooth seamlessly connects to any common in-helmet headset for playing music via Apple CarPlay, as well as connecting a cell phone. Rear cameras with proximity alerts are also optional. Hand controls follow the same user-friendly theme, with a conventional twist grip to operate the throttle, turn signals, big side mirrors, and sturdy levers controlling the front and rear brakes. Unlike gasoline-powered fare, a switch on the right bar offers three power levels: 1 is the least powerful, 3 is suited for higher-speed streets. Overall dimensions are comfortable, too, as I found it to be a good one-size-fits-all package, with ample leg room, an upright riding position, and a comfortable handlebar width. Finally, the rear wheelbase doesn't extend beyond the handlebars' ends, so it's easily keep track of the whole unit's width while out and about. XOTO CEO/founder Tim Huntzinger riding the XOTO electric scooter. Going for a Spin Hopping on and blazing off down the road was a cinch, too. The parking brake was easy to disengage, then simply turn it on, twist the grip, and go. What's cool is it will stay upright with the parking brake locked, even with a rider on the seat—it's got a kickstand, but it's there as a safeguard rather than a necessity. Power comes from a compact motor attached to the front wheel—that's right, its front-wheel drive as opposed to bicycles and conventional scooters. Once underway, I found the XOTO incredibly easy to acclimate to. It's comparably very light to any internal combustion scooter, and I could tell that engineers took their time with throttle and power output calibration. It doesn't dump electrons if you twist the throttle too aggressively, but rather has a gradual torque curve that wouldn't overwhelm anyone, regardless of their comfort level. It's just right; riders wouldn't annoy anyone behind them, but wouldn't be in over their heads, either. Finally, the brakes were amply strong and ready for any potential split-second on-road decision—bringing the XOTO to a stop from 45 mph was not only brisk, but well-balanced and confident, too. The XOTO Electric Scooter The real 'wow' factor came when I went for a tight slalom, followed by hucking it into an especially tight turning radius. I got a real lesson in XOTO's patented self-stabilizing technology: it effortlessly gripped and supported my 200-pound stature with all the assurance. The experience became especially fascinating when I went to weave around at high-speed, as I could feel the rear wheels articulate and provide added support. This is where it really felt like it was breaking physics. With strong enough turning inputs, the rear wheels took turns splaying out on the Y axis, lined up more in succession with the front wheel than triangulated with it. At least it felt that way—the overall feel was a little bizarre, but in a good way—it makes a lot of sense when you see it in action, and it was very easy to get used to from behind the bars. The XOTO Electric Scooter Easy and Fun Green Transportation While XOTO keeps the intricacies of its technology close to its chest, Huntzinger was quite enthusiastic in explaining how it works and benefits society; taking it for a fun rip certainly proved his points. He himself has an extensive background in industrial engineering and has been a motorcycle enthusiasts for most of his life. 'The target audience is pretty broad,' Huntzinger said. He explained that even people with 10-15 years of motorcycling experience would like it, because something like a high-powered Ducati doesn't make for a good around-town rig. However, because the XOTO is so light, agile, fun-to-ride, easy to stop in an instant and above all easy-to-ride, it's appealing to all walks of life who are curious about environmentally friendly transportation. What Huntzinger and his team at XOTO have created in its three-wheeled scooter is quite cool. Standard retail pricing starts at $7,500, and the company also took part in Los Angeles' Electrify Expo in June—be sure to look for them at a future stop on EE's calendar. XOTO CEO/founder Tim Huntzinger and the three-wheel leaning electric scooter.
The National
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Syria blames US-backed Kurds for instability after failed meeting
The Syrian government has accused the Kurdish-led and US-backed militia of delays in implementing a March deal to integrate into the country's armed forces, warning that the inaction would undermine newly-found stability. The mostly Kurdish, secular militia, called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has emerged as the most powerful rival to Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), a splinter group from Al Qaeda led by Mr Al Shara. HTS has taken central power since the ouster of former president Bashar Al Assad in December. The accusation came after a failed meeting on Wednesday between the two sides during a visit to Damascus by Thomas Barrack, the American envoy to Syria. Mr Barrack is a key figure in the normalisation that started in May between Washington and the post-Assad order in Syria. An official in the SDF said that while Mr Abdi left Damascus on Wednesday without meeting Mr Al Shara, he did meet Mr Barrack together with senior Syrian officials, including Interior Minister Anas Al Khattab, one of Mr Al Shara's closest subordinates. That meeting "was tense and did not go well", the official said, without elaborating. Asked about the Syrian government reaction, the official said that Damascus, egged on by Turkey, "is escalating and trying to show the Kurds as the problematic partner". An official Syrian statement thanked Washington for its efforts to implement the March 10 agreement. It recognised that although SDF faces "challenges", delaying the deal "will complicate the scene, and hinder the efforts to bring back security and stability." The SDF has warded off encroachment by HTS and its militia allies, who are backed by Turkey, on its strongholds in eastern Syria, and repeatedly demanded federalism to solve the country's fragmentation. The central authorities "insist on one army, one government" and refuse any form of federalism, because it "contrasts with Syrian sovereignty and territorial unity," the statement said. For reasons that still remain unclear, a meeting failed to take place as scheduled on Wednesday between Mr Al Shara and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi, to solve differences that has prevented implementing the March 10 deal. The US-and Turkish-brokered agreement stipulated in general terms bringing the SDF military and administrative units into the new Syrian state, without setting a timetable. Syrian media reported that a Turkish security delegation had arrived in Damascus on the same day Mr Al Shara was due to meet Abdi. Security threat Turkey regards the SDF as a national security threat, partly because it has links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group that has been waging a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, and received support from the former regime in Syria during the time of its inception. The SDF also collaborated with the Syrian regime on several occasions during the 13-year civil war. The SDF, unlike the PKK, which in recent months has taken steps to disband, refuses to dissolve itself. It has agreed to join the new Syrian army as long as it retains its Kurdish commanders, Kurdish sources said. However, Mr Barrak appeared to blame the SDF for a lack of progress on solving the Kurdish issue in Syria, saying that the new Damascus authorities have 'done a great job' by giving the SDF an option that the group should "quickly" consider. Mr Barrack was also quoted by local Syrian media as saying that federalism is not a viable solution in Syria, and that the SDF has been a "slow" party in the negotiations. The United States set up the SDF in 2015 as the main ground component in the American-led war on ISIS in Syria. Last month, the Pentagon allocated $130 million for the anti-ISIS militias in Syria, mainly the SDF. The forces have played a pivotal role in the fight against ISIS in the country and are currently in charge of overseeing the camps and prisons hosting remnant fighters.
South China Morning Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Duty of Hong Kong civil servants to identify security breaches under new rules: Chris Tang
Civil servants, from cleaners to policymakers, will need to fulfil their duty to identify national security breaches under new guidelines that will soon be released, Hong Kong's security chief has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that even though Hong Kong had returned to stability after the 2019 anti-government protests, national security risks remained as Western countries continued to use the city as an avenue to blockade China. 'External forces, like the West, in a bid to oppress us, will use Hong Kong for acts of blockade and suppression on our country. That won't change under the current geopolitical climate,' Tang said, citing a white paper on national security issued by the State Council, the country's cabinet, last month. The paper accused 'external forces' and 'certain individual countries' of posing threats to the mainland's security, including stirring up trouble in Hong Kong. Tang's comments come as the national security law approaches its fifth anniversary at the end of this month. The Beijing-imposed law came into effect on June 30, 2020, and criminalises secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign forces.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Getty drops copyright allegations in UK lawsuit against Stability AI
Getty Images dropped copyright infringement allegations from its lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Stability AI as closing arguments began Wednesday in the landmark case at Britain's High Court. Seattle-based Getty's decision to abandon the copyright claim removes a key part of its lawsuit against Stability AI, which owns a popular AI image-making tool called Stable Diffusion. The two have been facing off in a widely watched court case that could have implications for the creative and technology industries. Tech companies have been training their AI systems on vast troves of writings and images available online. Getty was among the first to challenge those practices with copyright infringement lawsuits in the United States and the United Kingdom in early 2023. Getty's trial evidence sought to show the painstaking creative work of professional photographers who made the images found in Getty's collection, from a Caribbean beach scene to celebrity shots of actor Donald Glover at an awards show and Kurt Cobain smoking a cigarette. It juxtaposed those real photographs with Stability's AI-generated outputs. But it was a hard case to make in the U.K., in part because of a technicality. Stability, though based in London, did its AI training elsewhere on computers run by U.S. tech giant Amazon. 'It was always anticipated to be challenging to prove that connection to the U.K. because we know that most of the training happened in the U.S.,' said AI legal expert Alex Shandro, who observed the trial for the law firm A&O Shearman. Getty's abandoning of the key infringement claim in its U.K. case marks the second legal setback this week for creative industries attempting to challenge the generative AI industry's business practices. In the U.S., a federal judge in California found that San Francisco-based Anthropic didn't break the law for training its chatbot Claude on millions of copyrighted books, but the company will still face a trial for taking those books from pirate websites instead of buying them. In its U.K. lawsuit, Getty alleged that Stability's use of its images infringed its intellectual property rights, including copyright, trademark and database rights. However, Getty's move indicates that the company didn't think its copyright allegations would succeed. After witness and expert testimony, Getty made the 'pragmatic decision to pursue only the claims for trade mark infringement, passing off and secondary infringement of copyright,' according to a written copy of its closing arguments. Getty continues to accuse Stability of infringing its trademark because its AI model was trained on images that included Getty's watermarks, which were sometimes reproduced by the image generator. Getty also alleges that Stability indirectly infringed its copyright because even if Stability's AI models were trained outside of Britain, it still faces local laws if the models produced images in the country. Shandro said removing that part of its U.K. complaint might also be a strategic decision by Getty to focus on a similar copyright claim that's still pending in a U.S. court. London-based Stability said it welcomed Getty's move. 'We are pleased to see Getty's decision to drop multiple claims after the conclusion of testimony,' the company said in a statement. "We are grateful for the time and effort the U.K. court has put forth to address the important matters in this case. We look forward to the court's final judgment.' Closing arguments are expected to last until the end of the week. A written decision from the judge is expected at a later date. How the judge addresses the remaining claims could be significant because they go to the heart of how the U.K. handles the distribution of AI tools that might have been lawfully trained in the U.S., said Nina O'Sullivan, a partner at British law firm Mishcon de Reya.
