mikeleonardvisualarts has added a photo to the pool:
stan.jernigan has added a photo to the pool:
I took this photo with my iPhone 17 Pro Max at the entrance to the “Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street” while walking around the Dotonbori River Shopping Area during my visit to Osaka, Japan...
stan.jernigan has added a photo to the pool:
I took this photo of the “Osaka Museum of History and the NHK Building” with my iPhone 17 Pro Max while walking around Osaka Castle Park in Japan. I love the architecture and clean lines of both buildings…
BertvB posted a photo:
An Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) perched alertly on a weathered, textured tree stump, captured from the low perspective of a bird hide. The beautiful, soft-focused background perfectly isolates the bird, highlighting the sharp details and subtle iridescent sheen of its black and white plumage.
Nascar says it is ‘heartbroken’ to share news of Busch’s death after he was hospitalized with a severe illness
Two-time Nascar Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness, Nascar said in a Thursday statement.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old,” the racing organization wrote on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”
Continue reading...CAPELLE AAN DEN IJSSEL (ANP) - Voor het eerst in jaren stijgt het gemiddelde hypotheekbedrag onder starters nauwelijks meer. Ze lijken hun financiële grens bereikt te hebben, meldt De Hypotheker. Tegelijkertijd zijn woningen in maart gemiddeld 5 procent duurder geworden dan een jaar eerder.
Om de maandlasten betaalbaar te houden, wijken starters steeds vaker uit naar kleinere woningen, ziet de hypothekersorganisatie. Het gemiddelde hypotheekbedrag van starters bleef vrijwel stabiel op 347.900 euro.
"De cijfers laten zien dat starters steeds vaker concessies moeten doen om toegang te krijgen tot de koopwoningmarkt. Terwijl starters vaker kiezen voor kleinere woningen of goedkopere regio's, profiteren doorstromers juist van opgebouwde overwaarde en gunstige hypotheekvoorwaarden", stelt De Hypotheker. Hierdoor groeit de kloof op de woningmarkt.
Doorstromers hebben meer financiële ruimte door overwaarde en hogere inkomens. Het gemiddelde hypotheekbedrag onder deze groep is licht gestegen naar ruim 373.500 euro.
MONTREAL (ANP) - Max Verstappen ziet met de nieuwe regels voor de Formule 1 in 2027 de kans toenemen dat hij volgend jaar in de koningsklasse van de autosport actief blijft. De viervoudig wereldkampioen noemde de aanpassingen van de huidige motorreglementen een stap in de goede richting.
Op de vraag in de persconferentie in aanloop naar de Grote Prijs van Canada of de wijzigingen hem helpen in de Formule 1 te blijven, antwoordde hij met "ja, absoluut". "Ik wil dat de Formule 1 een goed product is en deze veranderingen zullen de sport zeker verbeteren. Dit was waar ik op hoopte en het is ook wat de sport nodig heeft."
Verstappen heeft nog een contract bij Red Bull tot eind 2028. De coureur was aan het begin van het huidige seizoen echter niet te spreken over de nieuwe technische regels in de Formule 1 met de half-elektrische auto's en sprak zijn twijfels uit over zijn toekomst in de Formule 1. Autosportbond FIA zei vorige week dat de rol van de verbrandingsmotor in 2027 groter wordt.
Voor de GP van Canada op het Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal zei Verstappen zich te richten op verbeteringen aan de auto om het gat met de drie teams Mercedes, McLaren en Ferrari verder te dichten. "Ik denk dat de Grote Prijs van Miami al een grote stap vooruit was voor ons. Maar het wordt elk weekend een 'ontwikkelingsrace', een ander gevoel en een andere set-up, dus er zullen verrassingen zijn."
De 28-jarige Nederlander keek ook nog even terug op zijn debuut in de 24 uur van de Nürburgring. In de langeafstandsrace lag hij met de Mercedes-AMG GT3 tot drie uur voor het einde aan de leiding, toen het team te maken kreeg met een defect. "We hebben niet gewonnen, maar het was cool", zei hij.
Fat Burns ☮ has added a photo to the pool:
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
The common glider, Tramea loewii, is a species of dragonfly in the Libellulidae family It is found in the Cocos Islands, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia, and the western Pacific. Since 2005, Tramea loewii has also been recorded in New Zealand.
Description: Tramea loewii is a medium to large dragonfly (wingspan 85 mm, length 45 mm). Its synthorax is striped yellowish to brown on a purplish background. Males have a red abdomen, and the last two segments have black markings. Females are a dull brown colour. Dark patches at the base of their hindwings are a characteristic feature of this species; males have red patches and females have brown. Tramea loewii is very similar to Tramea stenoloba which has a darker synthorax, and larger genital dimensions.[3]
Habitat: Tramea loewii inhabits a wide range of still waters, ponds and swamps, and may breed many times in a year. In Australia it is widespread except for the far south-west of the continent.
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An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Quantum Insider: The Trump administration is preparing a new round of industrial policy aimed at quantum computing, with roughly $2 billion in grants expected to go to nine companies developing quantum hardware and related technologies. According to Reuters, citing a Wall Street Journal report, the U.S. Department of Commerce plans to distribute the funding through deals that also give the federal government equity stakes in the companies receiving the awards. The approach would expand Washington's increasingly direct involvement in sectors viewed as strategically important to national security, advanced manufacturing and competition with China.
Reuters reported that IBM is expected to receive the largest share of the package at about $1 billion. Semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries is slated to receive approximately $375 million, according to the report. Other recipients are expected to include D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, Quantinuum and Infleqtion, with each company potentially receiving around $100 million, Reuters reported. Australian quantum startup Diraq could receive about $38 million, according to the Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters. Fast Company notes in its reporting that IBM will invest the funds it receives into a new IBM company called Anderon. It will also match the grant with another $1 billion in cash.
"Anderon will operate as a state-of-the-art 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry," IBM stated in an announcement. "It will help the nation solidify its leadership at the center of a thriving new quantum industry that is estimated to generate up to $850 billion in economic value by 2040 and spur American economic growth while also bolstering national security."
Quantum computing stocks soared after the news. As of publication, IBM is up about 9.7%, D-Wave is up about 28.1%, and Rigetti is up about 26.7%. Meanwhile, Global Foundries rose about 13.8% and Infleqtion jumped about 30.9%.
Reuters reported that IBM is expected to receive the largest share of the package at about $1 billion. Semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries is slated to receive approximately $375 million, according to the report. Other recipients are expected to include D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, Quantinuum and Infleqtion, with each company potentially receiving around $100 million, Reuters reported. Australian quantum startup Diraq could receive about $38 million, according to the Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters. Fast Company notes in its reporting that IBM will invest the funds it receives into a new IBM company called Anderon. It will also match the grant with another $1 billion in cash.
"Anderon will operate as a state-of-the-art 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry," IBM stated in an announcement. "It will help the nation solidify its leadership at the center of a thriving new quantum industry that is estimated to generate up to $850 billion in economic value by 2040 and spur American economic growth while also bolstering national security."
Quantum computing stocks soared after the news. As of publication, IBM is up about 9.7%, D-Wave is up about 28.1%, and Rigetti is up about 26.7%. Meanwhile, Global Foundries rose about 13.8% and Infleqtion jumped about 30.9%.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.