Month: August 2022

Categories
Technology

The Hidden Way to Monitor Your Mac’s Temperature for Free

The Hidden Way to Monitor Your Mac's Temperature for Free

Image for article titled The Hidden Way to Monitor Your Mac's Temperature for Free

photo: pisaphotography (Shutterstock)

Apple silicon—including the M1 and new M2 chips—has a reputation for staying cool even under intense workloads. Intel Macs, on the other hand, run notoriously hot. They’re still capable computers, but they heat up fast, which, in turn, slows things down. If you have an Intel-based Mac, you’ve probably experienced this computational heatwave for yourself. Rather than guessing how hot your computer is getting, however, there’s a hidden monitor built into every Intel-based Mac that lets you know exactly what the internal temperature is.

Why your Mac overheats (and why it’s bad)

I talked about this subject beforewhen I mostly focused on laptops. Whether you have a MacBook or an iMac, however, the general principle is the same: You don’t want your machine to overheat.

Computers heat up because the internal components, namely the CPU and GPU, generate heat as they work. Depending on your computer, you might not notice it while performing light tasks. Once you start pushing the machine, however, you’ll feel the temperature ramping up.

It’s not that this heat will damage or break your computer. I mean, it absolutely could, but manufacturers make sure that will never happen. A little heat is okay; the parts are designed to operate normally within a wide range of temperatures. However, when the chips start to get too hot—usually around 90 degrees FAhrenheit—your computer will slow down its processing speed in order to cool things down, a process referred to as “throttling.”

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Throttling sucks, because it means you’re not getting the performance you expect from your machine. Truea slow machine is better than a burnt and broken one, but avoiding the overheating problem in the first place can help you prevent throttling before it kicks inand push your Mac to its maximum potential.

While there are many ways to combat overheating, one is to keep tabs on your Mac’s temperature. And if you have an Intel Mac, you already have a monitor built right into macOS.

macOS’ hidden temperature monitors for Intel Macs

You won’t find these temperature monitors by searching through the apps installed on your Mac. You won’t even find them in Activity Monitor, as useful a utility as it is. Rather, your Mac’s temperature monitor is found in Terminal. Using Terminal likely seems intimidating to many users, because it allows you to control your Mac using only text-based commands. But you don’t actually need to memorize any of thosee commands to use Terminal; a copied and pasted command works just as well.

There are plenty of useful Terminal commands everyone can use (we covered many of them in this piece) but we’re focusing on the temperature monitors this time. There are two commands you can use here. The first lets you see temperature stats for your Mac’s CPU. Copy and paste the following command exactly as-is into a new Terminal window (quotation marks and all):

sudo powermetrics —samplers smc |grep -i “CPU die temperature”

If done right, Terminal will ask for your password. Enter it (you won’t be able to see what you’re typing, unfortunately), then press the return key. After a moment, you’ll begin seeing temperature readings, updating roughly every five seconds. The temperatures are written in Celsius, so you’ll need to convert to Fahrenheit on your own, but, after a while, you start to pick up which temperatures are cool, warm, hot, and too hot.

Speaking of which, you will also get access to one of my favorite data points in macOS: When things start to get too hot and your Mac decides it needs to cool things down, you’ll see (fan) written next to the temperatures (if your Mac has fans, that is). That lets you know the fans are starting to work harder to move hot air out of your machine. Fans are obviously a good tool for cooling computers, but they aren’t perfect: If your CPU is still heating up to unsafe levels—usually 98 degrees Fahrenheit, going by my experience in Terminal—you’ll start to see (power) instead. When this reading appears, it means macOS is throttling your CPU to keep the temperature from going overboard.

You can also check your GPU temperatures with the following command:

sudo powermetrics –samplers smc |grep -i “GPU die temperature”

Notice that you won’t see (fan) or (power) appear on this Terminal windowonly temperature readings.

Options for Apple silicone

While Apple’s suite of silicon chips don’t face as many heat ramps as Intel-based Macs, they can still overheat and throttle like any other chip. Unfortunately this built-in Terminal command won’t work on M1 and newer, since those chips are designed differently than Intel chips in how they handle heat.

The only solid temperature monitor for Apple silicon available rright now is TG-Prowhich comes at a cost. It’s usually $20, though at the time of this writingit’s on sale for $10. If you’re looking for a temporary solution, the app offers a two-week free trial, so you can monitor your temperatures on M1, M2, or any other Apple silicon variant for 14 days free of charge.

Hopefully, as Apple silicon is adopted by more and more of the Mac user base, developers will write more temperature monitoring apps for the platform. Hey, maybe Apple will even make their own—for free.

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Categories
Sports

Canberra Raiders vs Penrith Panthers, Api Koroisau crowd drama, preview, news, Viking clap,

Canberra Raiders vs Penrith Panthers, Api Koroisau crowd drama, preview, news, Viking clap,

The Raiders will welcome the Penrith Panthers to the nation’s capital for the first time in four years – where an increasingly heated recent rivalry will come to the fore once again.

Since the Panthers last visited GIO Stadium in 2018, tensions between the two sides have ratcheted up multiple levels thanks to a series of incidents, from Panthers fans mocking the Green Machine’s famous Viking Clap on Penrith soil, to the heated failures after Raiders prop Joe Tapine was caught in the middle of a Panthers try celebration.

Now both sides are ready to summarize what has become one of the most fierce showdowns in the past two seasons, with plenty on the line for both sides.

According to Nine, an unnamed senior Canberra staff member declared the club had been waiting for this match all season – and are out to ‘ambush’ a Panthers side they labeled ‘arrogant’.

“We don’t like their attitude – plain and simple,” the senior Raiders official said.

“We have been waiting for this game and are planning an ambush.

“They are arrogant and we aim to bring them down a few pegs.”

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Panthers fans perform the ‘Viking Clap’ when hosting the Raiders at BlueBet Stadium in April.Source: Getty Images

But it’s not just the home side who is fired up for the clash against ladder-leading Penrith, needing to bounce back from a defeat to Parramatta but missing Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.

Panthers hooker Api Koroisau said his side was more than ready for the heat coming their way.

Koroisau told the Western Weekender: “I just remember the last few times we’ve played Canberra; it’s always been very hostile – we’ve started a mini rivalry I think.

“To go down there, I think their crowd has always been a bit hostile, so I’m not expecting much of a reception from them on Saturday.”

Canberra sit ninth on the ladder on for-and-against, but have put together three-straight wins in their hunt for a finals spot.

“They have so much to play for, they are a really dangerous team and, when they do get it right, they do really challenge teams,” Koroisau said.

“We’re going to have to be at our best. Obviously, we’ve got a few people out but that’s no excuse these days because there’s so many good players around and so many people coming up in the team.

“We’re going to have to be up for the challenge this weekend.”

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Categories
Australia

WA infrastructure advisory body floats per-kilometre charge to ease traffic pressure

WA infrastructure advisory body floats per-kilometre charge to ease traffic pressure

Infrastructure WA, the body charged with advising the Premier’s Department on the state’s medium and long-term infrastructure needs, has proposed overhauling road funding by eventually replacing the fuel excise with a road-user charge that also creates incentives to reduce congestion.

The wide-ranging 20-year plan, Foundations for a Stronger Tomorrow, was tabled in State Parliament on Wednesday.

One of the 93 recommendations involves planning for the eventual transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles and how road infrastructure will be funded with the decrease of the fuel excise.

Nicole Lockwood, chair of Infrastructure WA, told Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth that while the switch to electric vehicles would be “fantastic for the environment and climate change,” it also posed challenges.

“It does mean that the revenue source that comes from our fuel at the moment, that goes towards paying for our roads, will diminish over time,” she said.

“SW [the recommendation] is trying to find a mechanism where the government still has the ability to fund that infrastructure in a way that doesn’t disincentivize people from moving towards electric vehicles.”

EV tax coming in 2027

While the state government has already announced it will introduce a 2.5 cent per kilometer charge for EV’s from mid-2027, Infrastructure WA’s recommendation 58 goes further, proposing that WA work with other states to develop a nationally consistent road user charge that could influence driver behaviour. .

“The scheme has the potential to include vehicle mass, distance, location and time-of-day pricing elements,” the recommendation says.

Such a scheme could potentially charge different rates for road usage in peak hours, or differential rates for different roads.

A mix of cars and trucks fill four lanes of peak hour traffic on the freeway.
Ms Lockwood says the report recommends looking at ways to influence congestion and road use.(ABC News: Andrew O’Connor)

“What we’ve said is, let’s design a mechanism that has flexibility, so that in time if we wanted to use those levers we could,” Ms Lockwood said.

“We saw it very starkly during COVID, when people were not using the roads during the day, at certain times suddenly we had huge amounts of capacity.

“In the future, when we can’t continue to build more lanes, we will need other mechanisms to be able to manage demand on the system.”

The proposal met with a mixed response from ABC Radio Perth listeners:

Mike: “Again lower socio-economic people who cannot afford to live close to work will pay the most, the system working to keep the gap between the haves and the have nots.”

Greg: “The state government is not incentivizing enough the use of electric vehicles. The proposed road tax is a major disincentive. The benefit to the environment is the major issue and there won’t be the gains there should be. We pay for our roads Mainly via our local government rates so EV drivers will be paying double if we get this bad policy.”

Cynthia: “Surely a toll on cars with only one occupant would make sense? Or a fast lane for cars with two occupants.”

An artist's impression of people walking on Hay Street Mall with light rail lines in the background and a train in the background.
While Max Light Rail was shelved in 2016, Infrastructure WA recommended future planning around light rail and rapid bus networks.(Supplied: PTA)

Planning for light rail mooted

The report also recommends the state government look again at the role of light rail and rapid bus transit in Perth’s public transport mix.

A previous plan to link Perth suburbs through the Max Light Rail network was shelved by the Barnett government in 2016, and the McGowan government has been focused on delivering its expansion of the heavy rail network, Metronet.

Ms Lockwood said a plan to link people across suburbs and between stations was still needed.

“We very much back the government’s commitments to Metronet and the heavy rail system, but what we see in the future is a need to look at the next tier of connection for the city,” she said.

“That mid-tier public transport system that links buses and other parts of the network into the Metronet network is really important.

“Part of that is about making sure that the [already identified transport] corridors are protected.

“We really have to think about the spaces we’ve got and how we use them… then the state government needs to then pull a plan together to map that out for the whole of the metro area,” she said.

The infrastructure report also recommended a new desalination plant at Alkimos, a whole-of-government emissions reduction target and a package to reform hospital emergency departments.

The WA Government has six months to respond to the report and is obliged by legislation to respond to each recommendation as well as provide an implementation plan for the ideas that it accepts.

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Categories
US

Why IRS’ $80B expansion is a ‘nightmare’ for small businesses

Why IRS' $80B expansion is a 'nightmare' for small businesses

Small business owners may soon be in for a lengthy and expensive battle with the IRS, tax experts warn.

A key provision in the Inflation Reduction Act — which throws an extra $80 billion to the IRS to improve the agency’s collection of under-reported income — will end up targeting small business owners to pay for the legislation, according to nonpartisan watchdog the Joint Committee on Taxation.

The group estimates that between 78% and 90% of the estimated additional $200 billion the IRS will collect will come from small businesses making less than $200,000 annually.

Just 4% to 9% would come from businesses making north of $500,000 a year — meaning the legislation is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s longstanding claim that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.

“The IRS will have to target small and medium businesses because they won’t fight back,” Joe Hinchman, executive vice president at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, told The Post. “We’ve seen this play out before … the IRS says ‘We’re going after the rich’ but when you’re trying to raise that much money, the rich can only get you so far.”

I.R.S.
Increasing the number of IRS agents could hurt small businesses most.
Getty Images

In fact, going after the lower and middle class can actually be more lucrative for IRS auditors than trying to get more money from the wealthy. “The rich have their lawyers and fight it — that’s why the poor are easier to go after,” Hinchman adds.

Accordingly, tax experts warn that the IRS’s audits will be far more painful and costly for small business owners — even for those who think they’re filing their taxes correctly.

manchin
Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer have reached a deal that would give the IRS an extra $80 billion.
Getty Images

“Most small businesses aren’t doing anything wrong,” Daniel Bunn, executive vice president at the Tax Foundation, told The Post. “We don’t make the tax code simple and the complicated tax code makes it difficult for small business owners to comply with all the requirements.”

Even if small business owners get everything right, they may still be faced with a headache since part of the IRS expansion will involve sending out more notices and letters to businesses, Bunn adds. For individual contractors or small businesses, an IRS letter that they owe more money or made an error on their taxes can put them underwater.

“Anytime you get an IRS letter, it could take months or years to get it settled — we’re talking many thousands of dollars to address,” Bunn added. “Large companies have constant reviews and lawyers going through everything… small business doesn’t have the resources to fight back in the way.”

The White House has dismissed claims the bill will hurt lower- and middle-income Americans, instead noting the JCT estimate doesn’t take into account how much the bill will offset costs for average Americans like prescription drugs.

But tax experts aren’t so sanguine about the reality of giving the IRS more resources.

“The approach here is to double the IRS workforce, take the leash off, and see how much they can collect,” Hinchman adds. “I think they’ll collect it but it will be quite painful.”

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Categories
Business

Why Citi bank thinks Qantas can’t outrun poor service

Why Citi bank thinks Qantas can't outrun poor service

“If industry constraints have caused on-time performance issues, logically, we expect a flatter capacity profile in 1H23 (the current half-year period) as more realistic, which is less than what guidance and the market is indicating,” Citi said in the note to investors.

According to Citi’s estimates, Australia’s flight cancellation rate was 5.8 per cent in June and 38 per cent of flights were delayed. But Qantas was above average at 8.1 per cent and had 46 per cent of flights delayed.

Qantas domestic passengers queue for security at Sydney Airport in June.

Qantas domestic passengers queue for security at Sydney Airport in June.Credit:Louise Kennerley

To be fair, the turboil is not confined to Australia; it’s an international scourge. That said, Citi notes that in June, only 2.2 per cent of flights by US carriers were cancelled, and the delay rate was about 22 per cent.

Seow has taken a knife to his previous estimates on Qantas’ underlying pre-tax profit for financial year 2023 – cutting it from $740 million to $514 million. On the back of this, he has lowered Citi’s target share price for Qantas by more than 20 per cent to $4.28 and placed a sell recommendation on the stock. In doing so, Seow managed to knock a bit of the gloss from Qantas’ share price. It fell by 0.3 per cent against the broader market that was up.

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This represents a significant divergence from the broker pack – only one other analyst has a sell on Qantas and the majority have a buy recommendation. The consensus for Qantas’ 2023 earnings sits at about $837 million.

In three weeks, Qantas will report its 2022 financial year results and its chief executive (hopefully) will provide some clarity on how the airline is faring financially since the start of the 2023 financial year in July.

We will then get a better picture of whether Seow is sitting too far out on a limb or whether the rest of the pack has been unduly optimistic.

Citi is broadly supportive of the positive longer-term trends for Qantas and sees a strong profit bounce in the 2024 financial year – higher than the airline made in the last full year before COVID-19 annihilated its performance.

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But Seow is clearly questioning the length of the COVID tail’s impacts on Qantas’ profit performance.

“In summary Qantas charges a premium for tickets, so we expect performance will be a key priority. However, doing so economically appears to be difficult.”

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Categories
Technology

7 Smart Bulbs Under $60 to Drench Your Room in Rainbow Brilliance

7 Smart Bulbs Under $60 to Drench Your Room in Rainbow Brilliance

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like it too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

If you want to transform your bedroom from a drab, personality-less rental into something like a rave cave, a couple of smart light bulbs can go a long way. Not only are they a fun way to revamp your living space, but from a more practical side, they’ll immerse you in the neon-lit, sci-fi movies of your wildest dreams.

Smart lighting will allow you to control it using either an app or voice command (if you have a virtual assistant device set up, that is). You’ll never have to flip a light switch again. If you’re chucking on a movie, you can dim your lights without leaving your couch. Throw in some multicolored bulbs and you can change the entire vibe of a room, or tone it to suit.

If you’re looking for a more economical choice when it comes to smart lighting, we’ve put together a small list of smart bulbs that’ll get the job done without leaving your bank account high and dry. There’s nothing over $60, with a few bulbs on sale too. This way, you can deck out your home with some slick LEDs that won’t cost you an arm and leg to wash your room in a sea of ​​purple.

One thing you should do before committing to any of these lighting options is to ensure that you can actually plug them into your chosen fixture. Most bulbs come in two-socket styles — an E27/Edison screw or a B22/bayonet mount — so keep that in mind before running along to checkout.

This article has been updated since its original publication.

Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulb

smart bulb
Image: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf is pretty well known for its range of modular LED light panels, but much like the Philips Hue line, these premium smart lights come with a premium price tag. While these panels do look great, picking up one of Nanoleaf’s Shapes starter kits will set you back a few hundred dollars.

However, Nanoleaf also has its Essentials line, which includes a smart bulb and a light strip. The aim of the Essentials line was to combine the quality of Nanoleaf’s high-end smart lighting with more affordable prices – and the results are very impressive. You can check out Gizmodo Australia’s full review of the Essentials bulb here.

Like the other pieces of smart lighting on this list, you control your Nanoleaf via an app, which will allow you to set a schedule for your lighting, along with having the option to download new designs and lighting modes. The bulb uses over 16 million colors, so you’re bound to find something that suits your mood.

Where to buy Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulb

Amazon ($25.07) | Nanoleaf ($39.99) | Mobilecity ($38)

TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb

7 Smart Bulbs Under $60 to Drench Your Room in Rainbow Brilliance
Image: TP-Link

If you’re after a smart bulb with a wide variety of color customization, this is the bulb for you. This TP-Link Smart Bulb is available in a variety of multi-colour options that will provide more than enough aesthetic choices. Installing one of these is the first step to converting your living room into an old school speakeasy.

where to buy TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb

Amazon ($45) | eBay ($46.99)

HaoDeng Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb (E27)

Haodeng Smart Bulb
Image: Hao Deng

If you’re looking to upgrade to a smart lighting set-up, but are looking for one of the cheapest options available, these HaoDeng bulbs might be what you’re after. They come with all of the features you want with a smart bulb: you can schedule routines, customize color settings, and you can sync them with your music.

It’s also controllable via an app and voice commands with Alexa and Google Assistant. The only downside is that the HaoDeng bulbs aren’t as bright (500 lumens), and their colors aren’t as vibrant as the other smart bulbs listed here.

Where to buy HaoDeng Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb (E27)

Amazon ($37.99)

meross Wi-Fi Smart Bulbs (B22 Bayonet)

Meross-bulb
Image: meross

Chuck your frosted light bulbs in the bin and instead, grab yourself these dimmable meross smart bulbs – a fantastic budget-friendly alternative to the expensive Philips Hue range.

With one, you’ll be able to save 78.3% of electricity by running with this 9W LED bulb, since most regular bulbs sport a whopping 60 watts.

Where to buy meross 2-pack of smart bulbs

Amazon ($27.99) | eBay ($34.19)

Xiaomi Mi LED Light Bulb

7 Smart Bulbs Under $60 to Drench Your Room in Rainbow Brilliance
Image: Xiaomi

Xiaomi has done a really solid job with their Mi Smart Bulb. It comes with both white and color options, a brightness of up to 950 lumens, with a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours. The color range has 16 million options, and the white’s temperature is adjustable between 1,700K to 6,500K.

These bulbs connect directly with your Wi-Fi, so getting them set up and ready to go is fairly simple. Your customizable lighting options are a bit limited when compared to the more expensive competitor bulbs, but that’s not to say it totally lacks adjustability. You can pair it with yourself Google Assistant or Alexa, allowing you to live your best hands-free life.

where to buy Xiaomi Mi LED Light Bulb

Amazon ($26.99) | eBay ($17.99)

Yeelight W3 Color LED Light Bulb (E27)

7 Smart Bulbs Under $60 to Drench Your Room in Rainbow Brilliance
Image: Yeelight

Yeelight’s W3 smart bulb is a good mid-range choice. You can adjust the brightness or color choice by using a companion app, which also works with smart home devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Homekit. You’ll get a solid 15,000 hours of life out of a single bulb, shining at 900 lumens at 8W.

Yeelight’s app comes with eight preset color modes, so you can easily slip into an appropriate brightness for something like a movie night. There’s even an option to sync the bulbs with your music, so you can turn your home office into a micro-club.

Where to buy Yeelight W3 Color LED Light Bulb

Amazon ($51.83) | MyDeal ($34.83)

LIFX A60 Smart Bulb

smart bulb
Image: LIFX

In terms of competitors, LIFX’s A60 smart bulbs are the ones that give Philips a run for their money. The A60 shines at a bright 1,000 lumens, has access to 550 billion different color steps and can last up to 25,000 hours of use. It also has adjustable cool to warm whites. Controlling a group of lights via the LIFX app is pretty simple, and you can easily set up an automated routine.

You don’t need a bridge or hub to run these light bulbs – however, if you have a smart speaker on hand already, you’ll be able to pair it with the LIFX A60, allowing you to control it with your voice.

Where to buy LIFX light bulb

Amazon ($46.55) | eBay ($59)

Categories
Sports

Rugby News: Stewart shocker – Reds ace leaving but NOT for the Rebels, Holloway to debut for Wallabies, Porecki OUT

Rugby News: Stewart shocker - Reds ace leaving but NOT for the Rebels, Holloway to debut for Wallabies, Porecki OUT

Hamish Stewart is set to leave the Queensland Reds but he’s not heading to the Melbourne Rebels as had been controversially flagged last month.

Nine reports that the Australia A representative is joining the Western Force on a two-year deal where it’s expected he will attempt to return to a No.10 role after playing inside center at the Reds.

Last month, the Reds asked Rugby Australia to investigate a bid by the Rebels to sign Stewart and said in a statement that the QRU and RA “recently executed a binding agreement” with Stewart to remain at the Reds for 2023.

“We have been made aware of another club’s attempt to allegedly induce a breach of this agreement which we have asked RA to investigate,” the QRU said in statement.

The Reds had been alerted to Stewart’s potential move to the Rebels when it was spoken of by his former Queensland teammate Alex Mafi on a podcast.

Nine said it was understood the Reds were happy to allow Stewart to join the Force, who recently suffered a long-term injury to No.10 Reesjan Pasitoa.

Stewart started his Super Rugby career at flyhalf and was the No.10 under Force’s new coach Simon Cron for Australia at the under 20s World Cup.

Holloway set for debut

Waratah Jed Holloway will make his debut at No.6 ahead of Rob Leota when the Wallabies play Their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina, while coach Dave Rennie has suffered another injury set back to his starting team.

Channel Nine rugby reporter Michael Atkinson wrote Holloway was certain to be named at blindside flanker.

The 29-year-old was expected to win his first gold jumper against England in July, but he missed all three games with a calf injury.

Fox Sports suggested meanwhile that Tom Wright was locked in to play at fullback with Jordie Petaia returning on a wing and Jake Gordon and Reece Hodge the two backs to be named in a 6-2 bench split.

Hooker Dave Porecki suffered a concussion in training and will have to undergo a 12-day stand down. Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard has been called up as an emergency replacement and is heading to Mendoza for Sunday’s match, although Folau Fainga’a will star with Lachie Lonergan on the bench and the timing of Porecki’s head knock means he should be available for the second Test on Sunday week.

‘devastated for him’

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said Samu Kerevi remains in World Cup calculations despite the season-ending ACL injury suffered at the Commonwealth Games.

Wallabies fans have been questioning how Kerevi was allowed to pursue a sevens medal as the Rugby Championship was about to get underway, but the destructive center was honoring a commitment made after the Tokyo Olympics.

Rennie said Kerevi would not have been picked for this year’s Spring Tour due to Japanese club commitments, meaning he misses six Tests, with the Wallabies due to play 11 more in total.

“We are devastated for him. The point of him going to sevens was we thought he could make a genuine difference for them in winning a medal,” Rennie told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We will miss him big time, and not just as a player but his experience and the influence he has on others. And it’s disappointing for him, obviously, it cut short his Commonwealth Games and the international window, and it is a reasonably long recovery. So yeah, it’s a bugger.”

Rennie said he expected Kerevi could get back up to speed ahead of the World Cup next year.

“He is smart and he has a good understanding of what we’re trying to do,” Rennie said. “As you saw last year, he might have only played five Tests but he got nominated as one of the players of the year. That says a bit. We know he will come out of the Japanese program in good condition and we will get our hands on him reasonably early.

“We are confident he will be in a good place. We will try and strengthen our relationships with the Japanese clubs, just to ensure he is getting everything he needs.”

Kerevi suffered his injury in a pool match against Kenya, and Australia ended up out of the medals as he was unable to play in the final rounds.

His Wallabies teammate Len Ikitau said he had spoken to Kerevi since the incident.

“Obviously disappointed for Samu, I just chatted with him before,” said Ikitau. “I guess for him it’s getting his body right, getting surgery and then getting into rehab. So very disappointing but the type of person he is I know he’s going to bounce back and be right for next year.

“It was awesome to play with Samu. The kind of player he is, he’s direct. And then for me, it’s more just playing off that kind of ball that someone produces which is go forward and just reacting and playing on top there, so that’s something that I took out from playing with Samu.”

Kerevi’s absence is expected to see Hunter Paisami step in alongside Ikitau at 12 when Rennie names his 23 on Friday morning AEST for the first Test in Argentina on Sunday.

“He’s a different player to Samu,” said Marika Koroibete about Paisami. “He’s got his own game from him. He’s an extra playmaker for us as well, different energy. I reckon if Hunter is picked this week he’s going to do a good job.”

Ikitau said the Wallabies were expecting to see a different style from Argentina than they encountered in last year’s two victories over the South Americans.

“We’ve watched some footage of them the way they counter,” Ikitau said. “They don’t really kick as much as recent years but we know that they’re going to be dangerous from all over the park. So I guess for us it’s fronting up in defense and just staying switched on.

“Two games against Argentina are going to be very tough two games and then against the world champs of South Africa in Australia. We need to play the footy we know we can play and keep building on it every week.

“It was disappointing we didn’t get the series win over England. We did a lot of video footage to see what we needed to work on. But for us as a team, being in Argentina, it’s a new competition and now, this trophy is up for grabs.”

Boks legend calls out Cane

South African World Cup winner Joel Stransky says All Blacks captain Sam Cane is “battling” and needs to put his hand up if the team is to avoid double defeat against the Boks.

“If the captain is battling a little bit as a player, the other players can’t help but look around and think we could be better if someone else was there,” Kransky told NZ radio.

“He is coming back from a bad injury and trying to find that form again – but that’s where he finds himself. If you are playing against South Africa you want the best 15 on the field, and I’m not sure he’s quite there at the moment.

“Ardie Savea was sensational in that (Irish) series but Ian Foster is under pressure because he’s got the talent and not made the best use of it. There’s not a great attacking structure.”

Foster has survived for now, but Stransky believes he is walking a tight rope.

“He has got two weeks left to try and right the ship and that’s not exactly a show of confidence – it’s a stay of execution,” he said of NZR’s qualified support of the coach.

Stransky is expecting an uplift from the Kiwis after their sovereign defeat against Ireland.

“I do think they will raise their game and come back from the defeat against Ireland,” he said. “But that is so hard to do against a Springbok side that dominates up front.

“If the All Blacks are weak anywhere at the moment, it’s the ability to handle the confrontation. And we just deliver pain and suffering in the confrontational areas.

“That’s our game – mauling you out of the game, scrumming you into the penalty situation.

Sam Cane of New Zealand looks on during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland at Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 09, 2022 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Sam Cane of New Zealand looks on during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland at Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 09, 2022 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

“It’s not particularly pretty, it’s not exactly positive, but it is effective and we are really, really good at it. We force the penalties and we force the points.

“I think the All Blacks need to play fast and expansively. The Welsh – who are not the best attacking team in the world – found ways through our defense and the All Blacks need to learn from that.

“They need to catch South Africa off guard when our defense is not organized and structured, avoid the big confrontational areas.

“They need to find space in the midfield and out wide… around the fringes and forwards they won’t find anything.
“But it’s easier said than done because you need a good solid foundation to do that, and we stop the opposition from getting that foundation.”

Cane, meanwhile, has reflected on the difficult days that followed the Ireland defeat.

“Whenever you don’t get a result you’re looking for, the first thing you do is look in the mirror and look at your own performance,” he told reporters in South Africa.

“When you get to this level, players are always going to look at themselves and what they could have done better, rather than look outside.

“There have been a few tweaks within the coaching staff which should hopefully help, but without doubt a few of us need to be stepping up on the field.”

He knows what to expect on Sunday.

“That’s a confrontational, physical battle. You just have to look at the footage – big men coming round the corner, running hard, cleaning hard, and some of the skill and speed in midfield and the outside backs is right up there with the best in the world. They’re the full package,” Cane said.

On a personal level, Cane said it had been tough for the players’ families.

“I’ve been doing all right,” said Cane. “The key is not to engage or read any articles or stuff online, and focus on your close group of friends and team-mates. As long as they have your back and believe in you, and you believe in yourself, then you’re in a pretty good spot.

“It’s probably harder sometimes on loved ones. But I’ve been all good. When we come in and get into our work, it’s almost like we’re in our own little bubble, just focusing on getting things right.”

South Africa reveal team

South Africa recalled hooker Malcolm Marx and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk to the starting line-up for their Rugby Championship opener.

In a third change from the side that beat Wales 30-14 in Cape Town last month, rookie wing Kurt-Lee Arendse replaced injured Cheslin Kolbe, who is nursing a broken jaw.

Marx will earn his 50th cap, matching the feat of the man he replaces in the starting side, Bongi Mbonambi, who reached that mark last time out against the Welsh.

“He (Marx) is a true warrior and epitomizes what we stand for as the Springboks,” coach Jacques Nienaber said in a statement.

“We are preparing for a challenging Test which will be vital in setting the tone for our Rugby Championship campaign this year and that is our focus.

“The All Blacks are strong all around and they will come to Nelspruit desperate to avenge their (2-1 home) series defeat
against Ireland and to prove that they remain one of the powerhouses in world rugby, so we believe experience and
physicality will be vital in this Test.”

Marx will have props Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe either side of him, while there is an experienced lock pairing
of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager. Captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and No.8 Jasper Wiese make up the back row.

De Klerk will be alongside flyhalf Handre Pollard, with Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am the centres, and a back three of Arendse, Makazole Mapimpi and fullback Damian Willemse.

Categories
Australia

‘Magnificent’ jellyfish found off coast of Papua New Guinea sparks interest among researchers | marine life

A diver has captured footage of an unusual-looking jellyfish off the coast of Papua New Guinea, sparking interest among researchers.

The video was captured by Dorian Borcherds, who owns Scuba Ventures in Kavieng, in the New Ireland province of PNG.

Borcherds, who has been diving in the area for more than two decades, said he saw about three or four of the jellyfish and was struck by their intricate detail and the way they seemed to move decisively through the water.

“They don’t have brains, so I don’t know how they do that,” he said.

Looking for answers, he sent the footage to his wife in South Africa, who uploaded it to the Jellyfish app, a project Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, a jellyfish expert at Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services, co-founded.

In her words, the app’s purpose is to “answer the age-old question: what is that blob and should I pee on [its sting]?”

“As soon as I saw this one, honestly, I could barely contain my excitement,” she said. “I almost fell out of my chair.”

Gershwin initially thought the footage was the second sighting of a mysterious jellyfish – Chirodectes maculatus – found decades ago on the Great Barrier Reef, but she now believes the “magnificent” creature is a new species.

While Gershwin is confident in her findings, her paper on the species classification is yet to undergo peer review.

Prof Kylie Pitt, a marine ecologist who specializes in jellyfish from Griffith University, said it could be a new species, but doesn’t think it would be possible to know for sure based only on a video.

She said she had certainly never seen it before, but said a researcher would “need to hold the animal in your hand” to be sure of its species.

“It would be great if we got the specimen and could describe its morphology, coupled with genetic testing,” she said.

Prof Jamie Seymour, a toxicologist from James Cook University who specializes in Australia’s venomous animals, says he prefers Gershwin’s earlier theory, believing the jellyfish is a Chirodectes maculatus.

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Gershwin had helped reclassify Chirodectes maculatus – a jellyfish that has been sighted only once off the coast of far north Queensland, after a cyclone in 1997.

She said it had remained a mystery where the invertebrate had come from ever since. At first glance, she thought the new video could provide the answer. She listed the help of Peter Davie, a now retired – but still active – curator from the Queensland museum, where the original jellyfish specimen was kept.

The pair pored over the footage from PNG frame by frame, and noticed the jellyfish had different markings, it was much larger – about the size of a soccer ball compared with something that could fit in your hand – and various other technical differences.

To their delight, they decided this was probably a new species of jellyfish, probably belonging to the same genus as the one seen in 1997.

Categories
US

China’s forces encircle Taiwan as live fire drills begin

China's forces encircle Taiwan as live fire drills begin

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said it conducted long-range, live-fire training in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Earlier in the day, Chinese state media said that exercises to simulate an air and sea “blockade” around Taiwan had started Wednesday, but offered little solid evidence to back up the claim.

The military posturing was a deliberate show of force after Pelosi left the island on Wednesday evening, bound for South Korea.

On Thursday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said its military was remaining in a “normal” but wary posture, and called the live-fire drills an “irrational act” that attempted to “change the status quo.”

“We are closely monitoring enemy activities around the sea of ​​Taiwan and that of outlying islands, and we will act appropriately,” the ministry said in a statement.

Exercises exerting pressure

Well in advance of Pelosi’s near 24-hour visit to Taiwan, China had warned her presence was not welcome. The ruling Chinese Communist Party claims the self-governed island as its own territory, despite never having controlled it.

China issued a map showing six zones around Taiwan that would be the site of drills in coming days. But on Thursday, Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau said in a notice that China had added a seventh military exercise area for ships and aircraft to avoid “in the waters around eastern Taiwan.”

Chinese state media on Thursday outlined a broad range of objectives for the exercises, including strikes on land and sea targets.

“The exercises (are) focused on key training sessions including joint blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control operation, and the joint combat capabilities of the troops got tested in the military operations,” said an announcement from the Xinhua news agency attributed to the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, which has responsibility for the areas near Taiwan.

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island in Fujian province on Aug. 4.

Meanwhile, the Global Times tabloid said the drills involved some of China’s newest and most sophisticated weaponry, including J-20 stealth fighters and DF-17 hypersonic missiles, and that some missiles may be fired over the island — a move that would be extremely provocative.

“The exercises are unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time,” the Global Times said, citing experts.

“The PLA forces will enter areas within 12 nautical miles of the island and the so-called median line will cease to exist.”

Does Taiwan have its own airspace? China sets military drills close to island after Pelosi visit

Accounts from Taiwan of Chinese military movement included the fighter jets crossing the median line and a report from Taiwan’s government-run Central News Agency, citing government sources, that two of China’s most powerful warships — Type 55 destroyers — were sighted Tuesday off the central and southeastern coast of the island, the closest being within 37 miles (60 kilometers) of land.

But there was little corroboration or firm evidence provided by China to back up the sort of claims posted in the Global Times.

China’s state-run television offered video of fighter jets taking off, ships at sea and missiles on the move, but the dates of when that video was shot could not be verified.

Some analysts were skeptical Beijing could pull off what they were threatening, such as a blockade of Taiwan.

“The official announcement (of the blockade) refers to just a few days, which would make it hard to qualify it on practical terms to a blockade,” said Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy at King’s College in London.

“Blockades are hard to execute and long to implement. This exercise is not that,” he said.

Patalano said the biggest impact of the exercises would be psychological.

“During the period of time in question, ships and aircraft will likely reroute to avoid the area, but this is one primary objective of the chosen locations: create disruption, discomfort, and fear of worse to come,” he said.

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan on August 4, 2022.

Rerouting plans and ships

China’s retaliatory exercises have already caused disruption to flight and ship schedules in Taiwan, though the island is trying to lessen their impact.

Taiwan’s transportation minister said agreements had been reached with Japan and the Philippines to reroute 18 international flight routes departing from the island — affecting about 300 flights in total — to avoid the PLA’s live-fire drills.

And on Wednesday, Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau issued three notices, asking vessels to use alternative routes for seven ports around the island.

China’s planned live-fire drills were also causing unease in Japan.

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said the drills posed a threat to his country’s security.

China hits Taiwan with trade restrictions after Pelosi visit

One of the six exercise areas set up by China was near Japan’s Yonaguni Island, part of Okinawa prefecture and only 68 miles (110 kilometers) off the coast of Taiwan.

That same Chinese exercise zone is also close to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, a rocky uninhabited chain known as the Diaoyus in China, and over which Beijing claims sovereignty.

“In particular, a training area has been set up in the waters near Japan, and if China were to conduct live ammunition exercises in such an area, it could affect the security of Japan and its people,” Matsuno said.

Meanwhile, the United States military was silent on the Chinese exercises and did not provide any answers to CNN questions on Thursday.

Pelosi met Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Aug. 3.

Besides keeping a close eye on Chinese military movements around the island, Taiwan also said it would strengthen security against cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

Taiwan’s cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said in a Wednesday news conference that the government had enhanced security at key infrastructure points and increased the level of cybersecurity alertness across government offices.

Taiwan is anticipating increased “cognitive warfare,” referring to disinformation campaigns used to sway public opinion, Lo said.

CNN’s Wayne Chang and Eric Cheung contributed to this report.

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Categories
Business

Inflation-fighting BoE poised to unleash big rate hike

Inflation-fighting BoE poised to unleash big rate hike

The Bank of England is expected Thursday to follow other major central banks with an aggressive interest rate hike to tackle surging inflation.

The BoE is tipped to lift its main rate by 0.50 percentage points — the biggest amount in more than a quarter of a century.

With inflation spiking globally following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank sprang large hikes last month of 0.75 and 0.50 percentage points respectively.

“After the ECB and the Fed delivered oversized hikes at their July meetings, the Bank of England is likely to feel similar pressure to up the ante at its August meeting,” said BNP Paribas economist Amarjot Sidhu in a note to clients.

The BoE, granted operational independence from the government over monetary policy in 1997, will reveal its latest rate decision at 1100 GMT on Thursday alongside its latest outlook.

That would take borrowing costs to 1.75 percent, at a level last seen in December 2008.

Inflation has also raced higher on supply-chain woes, including labor market shortages in the wake of Brexit, and strong demand for goods and services as the Covid pandemic recedes.

Yet the bank predicts UK inflation will spike to 11 percent later this year — and it was expected to lift this guidance on Thursday.

That could take the average UK household energy bill above £3,000 ($3,600) per year.

“Higher inflation for even longer is the kind of scenario that spooks central banks.”

Economists meanwhile argue that a large rate hike damages the nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic — and risks the prospect of recession.

“The… anticipated hike would be harmful to the economy and pile on the pain for people across the country,” said Nigel Green, deVere’s boss of financial consultants.

Until now, the BoE has not hiked its rates by more than 0.25 percentage points each time.

Liz Truss is currently ahead in the polls against fellow Conservative and former finance minister Rishi Sunak.

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