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Technology

Twitter Is Tweaking the Design of Spaces, Experimenting With New Features

Twitter has confirmed it’s currently experimenting with the design and features on offer to users of Spaces audio chat rooms.

Screenshots of an early test version, published by TechCrunch, suggest an updated concept which has yet to be finalized; Twitter noted that these images are “inaccurate and outdated,” representing “an initial version” of the new experience. However, a new look, personalized daily digest, and themed stations are teased in the shots.

The redesign looks set to reorganize the audio chat room into different topics, for example Music and Sports. Topics were launched last year for creators to tag their audio programs, but were limited. They could now become a core feature of the Spaces experience.

As to when we’ll get to see the “new” Spaces, an official announcement is expected “further down the road,” according to Twitter, but no time frame was given.

Twitter introduced Spaces to a “very small” feedback group in late 2020, inviting select members to join its experimental audio chat rooms. By the summer of 2021, Spaces was available to mobile and desktop accounts with over 600 followers, with the option to include co-hosts and charge for exclusive live audio experiences.

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US

MBTA announces 4-week shutdown of Green Line Extension

Less than five months after part of the Green Line Extension began operations, the MBTA is announcing plans to close the tracks for four weeks and delaying the opening of a new branch. Green Line service in both directions between Government Center and Union Square will be replaced by free shuttle buses from Aug. 22 through Sept. 18, the MBTA announced Friday. Officials said the disruption is necessary to allow for work at the Government Center Garage project. Scheduled projects during this time include overhead wire adjustments on the East Cambridge Viaduct that will eliminate a speed restriction, installation of sound barriers and testing of track and communication infrastructure. Also Friday, MBTA officials pushed the start date of the Green Line Extension’s Medford Branch back to late November. It was originally expected to open in late summer. It’s another blow for riders in Medford who are also impacted by the MBTA’s plan to shut down the whole Orange Line for 30 days of maintenance and repair work starting at 9 pm on Aug. 19. ” Much of the work to be performed during the diversion in service from August 22 to September 18 is tied to the opening of the Medford Branch,” officials wrote in a statement. “The start date has also been affected by the availability of Safety and Operational support crews that were previously prioritized for GLX, but are now re-allocated to other critical MBTA construction work, including in the MBTA’s response to the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection directives.”At a recent MBTA Board of Directors meeting, members voted unanimously to authorize a deal worth up to $37 million with Yankee Line Inc. to provide shuttle buses during the Orange and Green Line projects. Federal Transit Administration issued four multifaceted directives in June after completing a safety review of the system. It issued an additional order for a “safety standdown” in July, impacting all employees who work with disabled rail vehicles in the T’s maintenance facilities and rail yards. Among the issues identified by the FTA in June were backlogs of thousands of known defects related to the rail infrastructure and a shorthanded Operations Control Center.

Less than five months after part of the Green Line Extension began operations, the MBTA is announcing plans to close the tracks for four weeks and delaying the opening of a new branch.

Green Line service in both directions between Government Center and Union Square will be replaced by free shuttle buses from Aug. 22 through Sept. 18, the MBTA announced Friday. Officials said the disruption is necessary to allow for work at the Government Center Garage project.

Scheduled projects during this time include overhead wire adjustments on the East Cambridge Viaduct that will eliminate a speed restriction, installation of sound barriers and testing of track and communication infrastructure.

Also Friday, MBTA officials pushed the start date of the Green Line Extension’s Medford Branch back to late November. It was originally expected to open in late summer.

It’s another blow for riders in Medford who are also impacted by the MBTA’s plan to shut down the whole Orange Line for 30 days of maintenance and repair work starting at 9 pm on Aug. 19.

“Much of the work to be performed during the diversion in service from August 22 to September 18 is tied to the opening of the Medford Branch,” officials wrote in a statement. “The start date has also been affected by the availability of Safety and Operational support crews that were previously prioritized for GLX, but are now re-allocated to other critical MBTA construction work, including in the MBTA’s response to the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection directives.”

At a recent MBTA Board of Directors meeting, members voted unanimously to authorize a deal worth up to $37 million with Yankee Line Inc. to provide shuttle buses during the Orange and Green Line projects.

Federal Transit Administration issued four multifaceted directives in June after completing a safety review of the system. It issued an additional order for a “safety standdown” in July, impacting all employees who work with disabled rail vehicles in the T’s maintenance facilities and rail yards.

Among the issues identified by the FTA in June were backlogs of thousands of known defects related to the rail infrastructure and a shorthanded Operations Control Center.

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Technology

Nintendo Download Updates (Week 31) Hot to Frog

Time to kick off August with a tidy amount of new games. There’s no huge releases this month, so it’ll be a little bit of grazing as we go. This week there’s a surprise with MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS, an Aussie made game Hot Lap League: Deluxe Edition which plays a lot like Trackmania, Frogun is cute and Before We Leave and South of the Circle also look good.

By the way, whenever a game is in capital letters, it’s the publisher doing it, not us! Anything for you this week?

New release highlights: Before We Leave, Frogun, QUByte Classics: Thunderbolt Collection by PIKO, Hot Lap League: Deluxe Edition, South of the Circle and MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS.

✚ 90” Soccer – $5.99 (Usually $7.49)
✚ AAA Clock Platinum Edition – $2.88 (Usually $16.95)
✚ After Wave: Downfall – $22.50
✚ Animal Fun Puzzle – Preschool and kindergarten learning and fun game for toddlers and kids – $11.99
✚ Arcade Archives DIG DUG – $10.50
✚ Before We Leave – $22.39 (Usually $27.99)
✚ Celestian Tales – $22.50
✚ Clumsy Rush: Ultimate Guys – $2.94 (Usually $10.50)
✚ Counter Bunny Hop – Strike Go Simulator Xtreme Deluxe 3D Shooter – $19.99
✚fig. – $15.00
✚ Fightro – $9.00 (Usually $11.25)
✚ Frogun – $18.00 (Usually $22.50)
✚ Frogun Deluxe Edition – $30.00 (Usually $37.50)
✚ Gale of Windoria – $20.25 (Usually $22.50)
✚ Gigapocalypse – $15.00
✚ Hindsight – $19.95
✚ Hot Lap League: Deluxe Edition – $29.99
✚ Japanese Escape Games The Retro House – $6.74 (Usually $13.49)
✚ Jump The Car – $15.00
✚ Kells – $7.99
✚ Ki11er Clutter – $15.00
✚ KOKORO CLOVER Season 1 – $25.24 (Usually $28.05)
✚ Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia + Comic Coloring Book – Complete Edition – $4.32 (Usually $48.00)
✚ Logic Pic – $8.85 (Usually $11.80)
✚ MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS – $12.00
✚ My Dangerous Life – $19.50
✚ Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again x2 – $5.70
✚ Pure Crosswords – the best Crossword Puzzle Word Game ever! – $22.50
✚ Quarry Truck Simulator – $11.99 (Usually $14.99)
✚ QUByte Classics: Thunderbolt Collection by PIKO – $11.99
✚ Roll The Cat – $6.39 (Usually $7.99)
✚ Sofia and the Ancient Clan – $9.59 (Usually $11.99)
✚ South of the Circle – $17.55 (Usually $19.50)
✚ Star Seeker in: the Secret of the Sorcerous Standoff – $8.40
✚ Super Snake Block – $3.00 (Usually $7.50)
✚ Super Space Serpent SE / Perpetuum Mobile Bundle – $19.50
✚ Thibalryn – $1.50
✚ Ultimate 4×4 Offroad Trucks :Car Racing Driving Simulator 2022 – $39.99
✚ Viki Spotter: Megapolis – $5.25 (Usually $7.50)
✚ Wavecade – $8.00 (Usually $10.00)
✚ Zen Mindfulness: Meditation and Relaxation – $4.50

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US

Texas governor sends migrants to New York City as immigration standoff accelerates

Texas Governor Greg Abbott holds a news conference with state agencies and local officials at Uvalde High School, three days after a gunman killed nineteen children and two adults in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, Texas, US May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Marco Bello

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NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Friday he has started to send buses carrying migrants to New York City in an effort to push responsibility for border crossers to Democratic mayors and US President Joe Biden, to Democrat.

The first bus arrived early on Friday at the city’s Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. Volunteers were putting groups of migrants in taxis headed to a nearby intake center, where they said some would be processed for admission to city homeless shelters.

Abbott, who is running for a third term as governor in November elections, has sent more than 6,000 migrants to Washington since April in a broader effort to combat illegal immigration and call out Biden for his more welcoming policies. read more

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Abbott said New York City Mayor Eric Adams could provide services and housing for the new arrivals.

“I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief,” Abbott said in a statement.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, another Republican, has followed Abbott’s lead and bused another 1,000 to Washington.

US border authorities have made record numbers of arrests under Biden although many are repeat crossers. Some migrants who are not able to be expelled quickly to Mexico or their home countries under a COVID-era policy are allowed into the United States, often to pursue asylum claims in US immigration court.

New York City Mayor Adams’ office has in recent weeks criticized the bussing efforts to Washington, saying some migrants were making their way to New York City and overwhelming its homeless shelter system.

On Friday the mayor’s Press Secretary Fabien Levy said Abbott was using “human beings as political pawns,” calling it “a disgusting, and an embarrassing stain on the state of Texas.”

Levy said New York would continue to “welcome asylum seekers with open arms, as we always have, but we are asking for resources to help do so,” calling for support from federal officials.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has also said her city’s shelter system has been taxed by migrant arrivals and last month called on the Biden administration to deploy military troops to assist with receiving the migrants, a request that has frustrated White House officials. read more

A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had declined a request for the DC National Guard to help with the transportation and reception of migrants in the city because it would hurt the troops’ readiness.

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Reporting by Sofia Ahmed in New York and Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Daniel Wallis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Technology

The Rotom Phone is finally getting a second camera

The Rotom Phone is getting a big upgrade. Following its introduction in the Galar region three years ago, the updated version of the smartphone-that’s-inhabited-by-a-Pokémon is finally making the jump from one back camera to two. The handset will soon be available in the new Paldea region as well.

It’s difficult to tell exactly what kind of second lens is for — all I can really see is that the main lens remains blue while the new second lens is black. I don’t think that’s enough information to make an informed guess about whether this new lens is a telephoto, an ultrawide, or something else, though I’m hoping I’ll be able to use that second camera to take pictures of the new best boy Fidough.

Beyond that, it seems like this new Rotom Phone is a largely iterative upgrade from the previous one. One new feature is a mysterious glowing blue ring in the middle of the device. Maybe that’s for wireless charging? The ring is set pretty much exactly where you’d expect a wireless charging coil to be, after all. Though I don’t remember ever having to charge the Rotom Phone in Galar, I guess it’s nice that wireless charging could be an option while I’m at one of Paldea’s trainer schools.

Disappointingly, the large points on the top and bottom of the Rotom Phone have stuck around for this next generation. That means it’s probably still not comfortable to slip into your pocket, but in Paldea, backpacks seem to be all the rage — I guess I’ll have to pick one up as a place to stash my phone. (Maybe someday we’ll get a Rotom Phone Mini.)

Who needs a selfie stick when your Rotom Phone can float?
Image: The Pokemon Company

No word on 5G support, which could make it easier to stay in touch with your friends while you’re traveling across Paldea. But I really hope the race to 5G doesn’t become a thing in Paldea like it has in other regions.

The company that makes the Rotom Phone confirmed in a press release that the Pokédex and a map will once again be loaded on the device. But we’ll have to wait and see what other new functionality might be available until we can try the new Rotom Phone for ourselves on November 18th.

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US

Kyrsten Sinema says she will support Manchin-Schumer spending bill: Here is what Arizonans had to say

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Arizonans are sounding off on whether they think Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., should support the massive Democrat-backed social spending and taxation bill that was agreed upon as part of a deal between Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Sinema announced Thursday evening that she would “move forward” with the bill, officially called the Inflation Reduction Act, after previously signaling changes would have to be made in order for her to agree to support it.

Fox News Digital spoke to a number of residents on the streets of Arizona to get their take on the bill, as well as whether Sinema should agree to it considering it would lead to tax hikes on middle class Americans.

“I believe she should, yes, if only because it’s going to help the economy,” said resident Willis Daychild. “I’m all for it because this inflation is pretty outrageous right now, and if they can do something to curb that somehow, then I’m all for it.”

BIDEN COMEBACK? MEDIA HYPES ‘SUCCESS’ FOLLOWING SCHUMER-MANCHIN DEAL WHILE SINEMA HAS YET TO BACK CLIMATE BILL

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, announced she will support the Manchin-Schumer spending bill.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, announced she will support the Manchin-Schumer spending bill.
(Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Resident Gary Kuznia disagreed, saying, “No way,” and suggesting he had such strong feelings about the bill that he was intentionally keeping his language clean for the camera.

He predicted the bill would not do anything to help fix the massive level of inflation currently facing Americans, and that it would lead to increased taxes on Americans despite promises that it would not.

“I hope she doesn’t cave. I really do. I like her. Even though I’m a conservative, I really like her. I hope she doesn’t,” he added.

Resident Richard Carrillo expressed that he was not worried about the likelihood of increased taxes from the bill, claiming that Sinema should support it “if it’s going to help us out.”

“Yeah, I would. I would support it… I think she should back it,” he said.

MANCHIN BANKROLLED BY OUT-OF-STATE DONORS, JUST 1% OF INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGN DONATIONS ARE FROM WEST VIRGINIANS

Sen.  Joe Manchin, DW.Va., surprised the political world by announcing his agreement on a spending bill with Chuck Schumer.

Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., surprised the political world by announcing his agreement on a spending bill with Chuck Schumer.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“As far as I’m concerned, you just don’t know if that much money is going to combat inflation,” resident Joseph Nunez said. “But without solid, concrete evidence on how it’s going to work, I really don’t think she should back something that’s three quarters of a trillion dollars. That’s a lot of money.”

“I just don’t know if she should back that without details in how that money is going to be spent and where it’s going to be spent, so it can trickle down to the places where it needs to go,” he added.

Sinema’s support for the bill means it will likely pass through the Senate in a narrow vote that could see Vice President Kamala Harris forced to break a 50-50 tie.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said the Senate will move quickly to pass the spending bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said the Senate will move quickly to pass the spending bill.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Earlier on Thursday, Schumer announced that the Senate would reconvene Saturday afternoon and would vote to begin debate on the bill.

Fox News’ Jamie Brennan, Lance LaraLin, Tyler Olson, Kelly Phares, and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

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Technology

Fitbit’s entire 2022 wearables lineup has just been leaked

Fitbit hasn’t announced any new products this year, but good times are yet to come for fans of the brand. Three unannounced Fitbit wearable devices have just emerged, which suggests the Google-owned company is close to making them official.

It’s hard to tell whether or not all three will be announced at the same time, but we can safely assume they will be introduced throughout 2022. Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa 4, and Fitbit Inspire 3 will be coming soon and 91mobile has the scoop on all of them courtesy to @OnLeaks (aka Steve Hemmerstoffer).

Several press renders of Fitbit’s upcoming wearables show that little has changed for the company’s products in terms of design. All three unannounced devices look very much like the previous models, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Versa 4 will be Fitbit’s top of the line wearable device, so it’s safe to assume it will be more expensive than the other two. No details about specs are available at the moment, but based on the leaked images, the Fitbit Versa 4 will be available in Graphite and Rose.

Moving on to Fitbit Sense 2, this one looks very much like the Versa 4 and the original Sense. However, the additional button on the side differentiates it from the previous model. We can probably assume that it will inherit all the good features of the original Sense, but as to whether or not Fitbit will include new ones, this remains a mystery. Unlike the Versa 4, the Fitbit Sense 2 will be available in three different colors: Gold, Graphite, and Platinum.

Finally, the cheapest of the three upcoming Fitbit wearable devices, the Inspire 3, will probably be the company’s top tier fitness tracker when it launches this year. Although no specs are available for this one either, the press renders confirm the Inspire 3 looks pretty much different than any of its predecessors. We also know that the fitness tracker will be available in three colors: Black, Pink, and Yellow.

All three Fitbit wearable devices are expected to be revealed in the coming months, so if you’re in the market for a smartwatch or fitness tracker, you might want to wait a bit for the US company to reveal the specs and prices for its new products.

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Entertainment

Elle Macpherson’s son Flynn is the spitting image of his billionaire financier father Arpad Busson

Flynn Busson, the son of billionaire Arpad Busson and Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, appears to be the spitting image of his father in new photos.

Flynn, 24, shared pictures on Instagram of himself the same speedboat that his financial father drove him around in as a toddler.

“22 years apart… 2022, 2012, 2000,” he posted alongside three photos of himself aboard the boat.

The first two images show Flynn driving the boat as an adult, the third from 2000, is a throwback to him as a child, sitting on his fathers lap at sea.

Elle and dated Arpad from 1996 until they spilled in 2005. But they remained friends and appeared together when Flynn graduated after studying finance and real estate at Boston University last year, with his mother sharing family photos to Instagram.

“Where did the time go? You boys are a credit to your selves, and your dad and I are so in awe of the men you have become,” she wrote at the time.

Flynn, who is also a licensed pilot, is the former couple’s oldest son. They also share another son, Cy, 19

According to both Elle and Flynn, the mother and son share a close relationship. In recent years, they’ve appeared at various events together, including the Christian Dior Haute Couture 2022/2023 fashion show in Paris, France.

The 58-year-old and her son wore complimentary Dior designs. Busson’s girlfriend Anna de Ferran was also in attendance.

The star, who is famously known as “The Body,” posted several snapshots of the outing on her Instagram account, Fox News reported.

“My favorite date,” she boasted in one post.

“Loved sharing these special moments with my sons,” she wrote in another, noting that her other son Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson, 19, was greatly missed.

Despite living in the public eye, the model previously revealed she has been determined to give her children a more low-key life. It was not until 2019 that Macpherson appeared alongside her sons de ella on the cover of Vogue Australia.

“We kept the children out of the public eye,” she explained to the outlet at the time. “It was a decision that their dad and I made. We didn’t think it was necessary for them to be recognized in public. Of course, you can’t stop paparazzi.”

Macpherson told the outlet that “for years” many asked her to model with her sons. But up until then, she had always said no.

“We had one experience where a family shot was used on the cover of a magazine without our permission, and at the time it was terrible, but actually I am strangely grateful now because it’s so beautiful,” she said.

“Now, with Instagram, the boys are public, and they make their own choices,” she continued. “[And] they are amazing company. Who wouldn’t love taking them places?”

In an interview with Vogue Australia in 2019, Flynn – who reportedly divides his time between London, New York and Miami – spoke glowingly of his mother: “I know everyone says that about their mum, but it really is true. My mother has always been so incredibly devoted to me and my brother.”

“I always knew we were her number-one priority.

“It has shone through everything from the way she chooses her jobs to the way she cooks dinner.”

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US

New Mexico: several arrested after SUV drives into Native American parade | new Mexico

Police have arrested several people who were in a large SUV that drove through a Native American celebration in New Mexico, causing multiple injuries along a parade route crowded with families. Two local police officers were among those hurt.

Videos show the large brown vehicle speeding down a main street in Gallup, close to the border with Arizona, against the direction of the parade.

Children performing traditional dances at the parade, to celebrate the town’s 100th annual inter-tribal ceremony, appear to have been among the first to see the vehicle rushing toward them.

They ran to the side as people screamed and families scrambled to get out of the way.

The vehicle then swerved on to a side street and pulled into a parking spot before trying to pull out again, hitting a police car. Officers then converge on the vehicle, pulling at least two people out and handcuffing them on the pavement.

Lt Mark Soriano of the state police said no one was killed, but could not elaborate on the extent of the injuries, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

New Mexico state police said on Twitter the driver was in custody.

“Multiple people, including two Gallup police officers, injured and are being treated on scene,” the tweet said.

The parade and celebration were founded in 1922 to honor Native American and Indigenous heritage.

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Technology

Quest’s Most Popular Basketball Game on App Lab ‘Gym Class’ Secures $8M – Road to VR

IRL Studios announced that Gym Classits popular VR basketball game on Meta Quest App Lab, has raised $8 million in a seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from Y Combinator.

Other participants include Founders Inc., Todd and Rahul’s Angel Fund, Balaji Srinivasan, Zaza Pachulia, and a number of other angel investors.

named in Road to VR’s top 20 free games on Quest, Gym Class lets you shoot hoops and dunk on friends like you probably can’t on a physical court.

The free early access version is highly rated on App Lab for good reason, in part thanks to it’s physics-based gameplay and full-body kinematics, but mostly because it offers one of the most realistic basketball playing experiences that lets you go toe-to -toe with up to eight other online players. Gym Class has also claimed the number two spot on Meta Quest App Lab, garnering a [4.9/5] user rating from more than 14,000 reviews.

The studio hasn’t specified precisely what it plans to do with the funding, although the team’s mission includes building a digital sports ecosystem “indistinguishable from what you see IRL. One that delivers on deep needs for friendship, identity, entertainment, creation, fitness, fashion, and even competing to become a superstar,” its Y Combinator profile reads.

Gym Class is more than a game, it’s a digital sport.” said Paul Katsen, studio co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gym Class. “It lets you dunk like a pro, become a basketball star, watch, compete, cheer, and get involved in the whole experience of the sport. Just like with real sports, we believe digital sports will see thriving global communities, leagues, entertainment and events, fashion, commerce, fitness, and more.”

“We are convinced that games, virtual worlds and digital sports will be the new social networks,” said Andrew Chen, partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). “Gym Class signals the dawn of digital sports. It has the traction, and has the right team behind it to realize the true potential of social VR. We are strong believers in the vision and the team who have already proven Gym Class has a massive audience and opportunity.”

Gym Class is slated to of the official Quest Store sometime in fall 2022.