The Australian government said it will hand more than AU$47 million to digitise and preserve at risk archive material held by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), and seven other national collecting institutions, and to maintain the National Library of Australia's (NLA) Trove website. Of the total, NFSA will receive AU$41.9 million over four years to digitise and store audio-visual collection material held across eight national collecting institutions, and AU$5.7 million over two years will be used to support and enhance the NLA's trove website to 30 June 2023. The NLA launched a revamped version of its online culture and research portal Trove last year, following a four-year modernisation and digitisation project that received AU$16 million in backing from the federal government. Around 240,000 known audio‑visual collection items will be digitised and preserved under the program. This will include material such as the Australian War Memorial's peacekeeping collection, … [Read more...] about Australia’s audio-visual archive gets AU$42m from Canberra to preserve at-risk collection
Microsoft Office has a fresh new look – here’s how to update
If you've upgraded to Windows 11 and want Microsoft Office to match the look of the company's latest operating system, then you're in luck as Microsoft's visual update for its office software is now available. Back in June, the software giant announced a new look for Office designed for Windows 11 though it will also improve your experience if you're running Windows 10 according to a new blog post from Microsoft. At its core, Microsoft's new visual update for Office delivers a simple and more coherent experience across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook. It's worth noting that the update isn't available for some of the company's other software including Access, Project, Publisher and Visio. Once enabled in one of the compatible Office apps such as Word, the visual refresh will also be applied to the others so Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook will have a new look as well. Enabling the visual update for Office Microsoft's new … [Read more...] about Microsoft Office has a fresh new look – here’s how to update
Quantum processor swapped in for a neural network
It's become increasingly clear that quantum computers won't have a single moment when they become clearly superior to classical hardware. Instead, we're likely to see them becoming useful for a narrow set of problems and then gradually expand out from there to an increasing range of computations. The question obviously becomes one of where the utility will be seen first. The quantum-computing startup Rigetti now has a white paper that identifies, at least theoretically, a case when quantum hardware should offer an advantage. And it is actually useful: replacing a neural network that's used for analyzing weather data. How’s the weather? The problem the people at Rigetti looked at involves taking a partial set of weather data and inferring what the rest looks like. Plenty of areas of the planet lack good coverage, and so we only get partial information about local conditions. And, if we have things like commercial aircraft going through said remote areas, we'll often want a more … [Read more...] about Quantum processor swapped in for a neural network
Kennedy Rips Build Back Better ‘Spending Orgy’ — ‘Only Way I Know How to Improve That Is with a Shredder’
In an interview on this week’s Fox News Channel’s broadcast of “Sunday Morning Futures,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) slammed President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Kennedy described the $4.9 trillion spending package as a “spending orgy.” He added that the only way to improve the bill “is with a shredder.” “When I first heard about the Build Back Better bill, I thought to myself, ‘This is satire, right?’ And then I took a look at it, and I was amazed beyond imagination,” Kennedy told host Maria Bartiromo. “I mean, it’s breathtaking. Trillions of dollars of new spending, new taxes, new debt, new welfare programs — the only way I know how to improve that is with a shredder. It’s going to fuel inflation. When a Hot Pocket costs you $10, remember, we’re building back better.” He continued, “A new welfare program for illegal immigrants, amnesty for illegal immigrants, federal takeover of early childhood education and child care. Eventually, the federal government is going to … [Read more...] about Kennedy Rips Build Back Better ‘Spending Orgy’ — ‘Only Way I Know How to Improve That Is with a Shredder’
CNN’s Tapper on Peng Shuai: IOC ‘Behaving Like a Mob Lawyer,’ Has Blood on Its Hands
On Sunday, CNN “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper sounded off on Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose safety and welfare have been in question since accusing Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of raping her in 2019. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended China, claiming that she appeared “safe … given the difficult situation.” According to Tapper, “the IOC is behaving like a mob lawyer” by “helping the Chinese government.” “Not only is the International Olympic Committee, which will hold the 2022 Winter Games in China, not only is the IOC not raising its voice in solidarity and protest, the IOC is helping the Chinese government by providing them cover on November 21 and then again last Wednesday,” Tapper outlined. “The IOC told the world that they had held video calls with Peng Shuai; for neither call did the IOC release the video or even a transcript. The IOC has not mentioned her allegations of sexual assault, nor would the IOC explain who set up these … [Read more...] about CNN’s Tapper on Peng Shuai: IOC ‘Behaving Like a Mob Lawyer,’ Has Blood on Its Hands