Today is a big day for the folks at be quiet!, as the company is now officially celebrating their 20th anniversary. With that comes a new product launch – a new series of ‘FX’ RGB hardware, including a new case and two new CPU coolers.
Up first is the new Pure Base 500 FX, which prominently features in Leo’s be quiet! anniversary PC build, which you can see HERE. Highlights from the case include pre-installed Light Wings ARGB high airflow fans, an ARGB/fan hub capable of syncing up to six ARGB components and six PWM fans, room for up to 360mm liquid cooling radiators and an easy layout for putting your system together .
The be quiet! Pure Base 500 FX will be available starting this month for £119.90.
The Pure Loop 2 FX is a new version of the popular AIO liquid cooler, offering up to three Light Wings PWM fans, a doubly decoupled PWM pump to keep noise levels low, an easy-access refill port if you want to top up your coolant and a nickel-coated cold plate, making this AIO suitable for use with liquid metal thermal compound.
The Pure Loop 2 FX will also be available starting this month, priced at £99.90 for the 240mm version, £109.90 for the 280mm version and £124.90 for the 360mm version.
Finally, if liquid cooling isn’t your thing, then be quiet! has also announced the Pure Rock 2 FX Black CPU air cooler, combining vibrant RGB illumination with a stealthy black heatsink and high cooling efficiency. The cooler has a 150W TDP cooling efficiency and ships with a Light Wings 120mm PWM fan. The heatsink has four 6mm heat pipes with HDT technology and is constructed in a way to avoid blocking your memory slots.
The Pure Rock 2 FX will be available starting this month for £39.90.
You can find more details, including retail availability, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Are you currently planning your next PC build? Will you be considering to be quiet! cooler, case or power supply?
Hello everyone. Some news from the track to kick us off.
Athletics: Scotland’s Laura Muir, the Olympic 1500m silver medalist in Tokyo and a bronze medalist in the same event at the worlds in Eugene last month, has eased through into the final of the women’s 800m. Keely Hodgkinson, Olympic and world silver medalist in the 800m and favorite to pick up gold in Birmingham, also cruised through in the third and final heat.
Righto, my watch is over; here’s John Ashdown to ease you into your afternoon.
Athletics: With the men’s 100m heats done, now under way we have the heats of the women’s 800m and the long jump of the women’s heptathlon.
Cricket: England lose another wicket, a mix-up leading to the run out of Maia Bouchier! It’s now 94-5 off 13, and from a position of apparent impregnability, we have ourselves a ball-game!
Cricket: England are now 93-3 off 12.4; Alice Capsey has reached her half-century, but Nat Sciver is out… and now so is Capsey, flogging Malaba a return catch! Mlaba is delighted!
Maya Lylor of Canada takes gold in the women’s 76kg weightlifting!
Taiwo Liadi of Nigeria nabs second, Maximina Nuepa of Nauru bronze – and Deborah Alwode of DEngland is just out of the mdeals in fourth.
Athletics: More sprinting joy for Kenya: Samuel Imeta wins heat nine, Rohan Browning of South Africa taking second.
table tennis: In the men’s team bronze-medal match, England have taken the lead against Nigeria thanks to a doubles win.
Cricket: England are going nicely, 78-2 off 9.4; Alice Capsey is 39 not out and Nat Sciver 11 not out.
Athletics: Conroy James of Jamaica wins heat eight of the men’s 100, Adam Thomas of Scotland following him home.
Weightlifting: Deborah Alawode of England takes out 119kg – that puts her second overall – then Taiwo Liadi of Nigeria gets up 120kg.
Athletics: Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati streaks away with heat seven of the men’s 100m. Three more to go, and I don’t think we’re any the wiser as regards who might win.
Weightlifting: It’s getting tense in the women’s final 76kg. We’re into the clean-and-jerk portion – mmmm, jerk – and Maximina Uepa of Nauru has just nailed 117kg.
Cricket: i should remind you, England beat Sri Lanka in their first match, while South Africa – who are missing the excellent Marizanne Kapp, home for personal reasons – lost to NZ.
Cricket: England are playing South Africa and, having been inserted, have just lost Danni Wyatt. They’re 43-2 off 5.1.
Swimming: Kylie Masse, who’s already won silvers in the 100 and 200m back just won her 50m heat.
Athletics: Yupun Abeykoon powers home to win heat six; Oghenebrume comes second. Well done him.
Athletics: Ach, Godson Oghenebrume seems to overbalance on the falling blocks, and will he be disqualified for that? The runners are called back, but he stays. Good. Can he keep the heid?
Athletics: Omanyala’s time of 10.07 is, we’re told, perhaps the fastest recorded at this stage of the Games. He tells BBC he’s hoping to put Kenyan sprinting on the map.
Athletics: Omanyala of Kenya and Esseme of Cameron streak away in heat five of the men’s 100.
Swimming: Ben Proud of England, the world and Commonwealth 50m free champ, has eased through to the semis.
Athletics: Raymond Ekevwo of Nigeria wins the heat in 10.14, a hundredth in front of Kemar Bailey-Cole of Jamaica, who turns to stare as they cross line – essentially saying he could’ve won that race he had chosen to. And it’s a great picture because Ekwevwo is about 5 ”7 and Bailey-Cole 6” 3, so he it’s like a Dad and lad.
Athletics: Raphael Ngaguele Mberlina false starts in heat four of the men’s 100m, and really that is a nonsense rule. As far as I recall, it’s to ensure that races fit into prescribed TV schedules, and it makes no sense to punish a slight infraction so severely.
Swimming: England’s Holly Hibbert is into the women’s 200m butterfly final, but Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers is a strong favorite for gold; she was the fastest qualifier, and followed home by her teammate, Abbey Connor.
Athletics: Ojie Edoburun of England wins heat three of the men’s 100m, while Denise Lewis reflects on Johnson-Thompson’s performance. She says the speed between hurdles is n’t there, but she did n’t hit any and it’s not her best discipline. The long jump is next, starting in 15 or so minutes.
Athletics: Johnson-Thompson gets away well, but Taneille Crace of Australia powers through to win, Holly Mills of England behind her; Johnson-Thompson finishes fifth, and didn’t look great in so doing.
Athletics: Ah, the 100m hurdles in the women’s heptathlon have, I think, already been, but we’ve not been shown them until now. So let’s go with them, while also doing the heats of the men’s 100m; Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the defending champion, is taking her mark from her.
Athletics: Akani Simbine of South Africa doesn’t get a great start, but eases through the field to win heat two of the men’s 10m by a street, in 10.10.
Wales win gold in the men’s pairs bowls!
They beat England 19-18; Jarrod Breen and Daniel Salmon go absolutely wild. And rightly so – they almost chucked it away, but responded really well to pressure and potential devastation. Jamie Walker and Sam Tolchard almost pulled off a comeback for the ages, but will have to make do with silver.
Men’s bowls: STRAIN! Wales are in front in the final end. England have one effort to try and steal…
Athletics: Favor Ashe of Nigeria storms out of the blocks and leads England’s Mitchell Blake home, easing up.
Swimming Brodie Williams, silver medalist in the 100m back, has won his head in the 200m version. He’ll fancy himself to podium again, yes I just used podium as a verb.
Athletics: In the women’s T37/38 100m qualifying, Sophie Hahn streaked clear to win in 12.80, her best time of the season.
Athletics: The first round of the men’s 100m is soon to get going; there are 10 [ten] heats.
Men’s bowls: But a terrific saving bowl from Jarrad Breen knocks one of England’s out of the way, taking the end with a oner. Wales now lead 19-17 after 17!
Men’s bowls: England reduces the deficit to 18-17 at 16, and are looking strong through 17, a potential two there for them. The Wales lads look nervous, I must say.
Women’s hockey: Australias have beaten NZ 1-0. But both will likely make the last four, and could easily meet again in the gold-medal match.
Men’s bowls: Wales responded! They lead 18-16 after 15 ends, which makes some sense: England were so far behind, and though momentum was with them, it’s almost impossible to pile up points with no reply.
Athletics: Sreeshankar of India is first through in the men’s long jump, recording 8.05m – the mark is 8.00m. He’s got a chance of a medal, reckons Rob Walker.
Athletics: We’re away in the stadium, the men’s long-jump heats in progress. The heptathlon will also soon get going; the 100m hurdles is first up.
Men’s bowls: Have a look! Two for England, and the scores are level at 16-16! Wales had the gold in their fingertips, but now have to seize it all over again, in the knowledge that if they cannot, they’ll be haunted by the last four ends until they day they die.
Women’s hockey: Just at the end of the Q3, Australia hit the post, but with 13 minutes left they still lead NZ 1-0 – and are a player down.
Men’s bowls: They cannot! Wales hit all the balls, alter nowt, and after 13 ends, it’s 16-14; not that long ago, it was 15-6, but two fours in three ends and it’s up for grabs now!
Men’s bowls: England are closing! 16-10 behind after 12 ends, a delicious delivery from Sam Tolchard gives them four, and you could cut the atmosphere with an atmosphere cutter. Can Wales find something to disrupt the momentum?
Athletics: We’re just 15 minutes way from the start of the competition. oooh yeah!
Women’s hockey: With three minutes left in Q3, it’s still Australia 1-0 NZ.
This is an important piece by Kieran Pender.
Men’s bowls: A colossal end for England sees them claw back four points, but with seven ends to play, they still trail Wales 15-10.
Women’s weightlifting: The end of the 76kg is away.
Men’s bowls: Wales are storming away from England now, 15-6 in front of 10 ends – but England are well placed in the 11th, with two on top of the of the jack.
Women’s hockey: It’s still Australia 1-0 NZ at half-time. So far in the competition, Australia have beaten Kenya 8-0 and South Africa 5-0; NZ have beaten Kenya 16-0 and Scotland 1-0.
Women’s hockey: It’s a tight one in Pool B, where Australia lead New Zealand 1-0 with 90 seconds left in Q2.
Bowls: I’m watching the finals of the men’s pairs; Wales lead England 11-6, while Scotland lead Northern Ireland 17-4 in the bronze-medal match.
Preamble
Morning all, and welcome to day five of the Commonwealth Games! With the track cycling finished, now is the perfect time for track and field to spring into action … and it does, the centerpiece Joshua Cheptegei’s attempt to add another gold to augment the 10,000m gold he won a fortnight ago in the world championships. But we’ve also got Holly Bradshaw and Hannah Cockroft in action, all of which makes for a terrific evening session.
Otherwise, there are absolutely loads of goings-on in the pool – can Adam Peaty rebound from his shock defeat in the 100m breast with gold in the 50m? – in the 3×3 basketball, which has both men’s and women’s finals – and the end of the gymnastics. Jake Jarman, who has three golds already, is after another in the vault, while Joe Fraser, with two, chases a third in the parallel bars.
As the United States enters a recession following two quarters of negative growth, Sen. Joe Manchin is disputing data that shows his bill would raise taxes on the middle class during such the tough economy.
“We have to agree to disagree, a difference of opinion,” Manchin, DW.Va., said when asked by Fox News Digital about an analysis from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on taxation showing his bill would hike middle class taxes.
The committee’s analysis said Manchin’s bill, officially titled the “Inflation Reduction Act,” would raise 2023 taxes on six of eight income categories lower than $200,000.
Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., disputes data from the Joint Committee on Taxation that his reconciliation bill would raise taxes on the middle class during a recession. (The Associated Press)
SINEMA STILL UNDECIDED ON MANCHIN SOCIAL SPENDING BILL, WILL MAKE DETERMINATION AFTER PARLIAMENTARIAN REVIEW
Manchin quickly pivoted away from Fox News Digital’s question to discuss parts of the bill he says should be bipartisan.
“My Republican colleagues are my friends and I’ve worked with them tremendously. And I will continue to work with them any way, shape or form,” Manchin said. “But these are things that we’ve all talked about in bipartisan groups. How can we start paying down our debt and… take our finances seriously, our financial house in order? These are things every time we get together as a group, bipartisan support, this is what we talk about. How can we get more production?”
Nevertheless, Republicans say Manchin’s legislation, which he announced with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., last week, makes no sense during a technical recession after two quarters of the economy shrinking.
WHAT’S IN THE MANCHIN-SCHUMER TAX HIKE AND CLIMATE CHANGE BILL?
“The median household income in West Virginia is $48,037. This bill will raise taxes of Americans making well below those levels in order to help families making more than five times those levels purchase electric cars,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, tweeted this weekend.
Cornyn was citing a provision in the bill that would provide up to a $7,500 tax credit for families making up to $300,000 to buy certain electric vehicles.
Manchin also pushed back on the idea that his bill will raise taxes on the middle class in separate comments.
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“There’s not one penny of change in taxes, I have no idea where they’re coming down,” Manchin said. “The only thing that was done… if you are a company of a billion dollars or more… you should pay at least a minimum of 15%.”
Manchin further said that, “I can’t believe that they would say” the bill would affect average Americans’ taxes.
“It’s not going to affect… not at all,” he said.
Tyler Olson covers politics for Fox News Digital. You can contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @TylerOlson1791.
VMLY&R Australia and New Zealand, Squeak E. Clean Studios Recruit For Aussie Navy
Global audio company Squeak E. Clean Studios and agencies VMLY&R Australia and New Zealand created a challenge which serves as a sophisticated recruitment effort for the Australian Navy.
Squeak E. Clean Studios’ head of sound in Melbourne, Paul Le Couteur, converted an image into sound and then embedded that into an audio message complete with voice and sound effects which challenged prospective Navy recruits to find the hidden visual message. The coded message appealed to these would-be intelligence professionals who had to recognize the puzzle and then find the tools required to solve it.
To reveal the hidden missive, the audio, discovered by only the most clever, had to be processed in a spectrogram, which is often used in sound production to repair background noise, crackles, hums and glitches or to isolate elements within a sound file. This is the same technology used by the Australian Navy to intercept, analyze and identify threats at sea. The message connected a tech audience to Navy intelligence roles and targeted the narrow field of intelligence professionals suited to work in the Navy.
This behind-the-scenes film explains “The Audio Ad You Can See.”
Credits
customer Australian Navy Agency VMLY&R Australia and New Zealand Paul Nagy, chief creative officer; Jake Barrow, executive creative director; James Wills, Robyn Bergmann, creative directors; Simon Grey, Mr. designer; Fiona Newman, Annie Thiele, producers; Leigh Cooke, editor. Music/Sound/Audio Post Squeak E. Clean Studios, Sydney, Melbourne, NY, LA Paul Le Couteur, head of sound, mixer; Ceri Davies, exec producer.
We have just witnessed one of the most insane days to ever unfold in Aussie cycling with Matthew Glaetzer winning gold in the men’s 1000m time trial.
The Aussie team was expected to be wiped out from the medals when they were inadvertently sabotaged by their own team in another farcical equipment blunder unfolding just hours before the event.
AusCycling officials announced its handlebars for the event were not safe at the eleventh hour—forcing the Aussie riders to use inferior, bulkier, slower bars at the Lee Valley VeloPark.
Aussie cycling legend Katey Bates said the decision to use heavier, less aerodynamic handlebars could cost the riders up to 1.5 seconds in the event that takes 60 seconds to complete.
Nobody could have predicted what came next.
Despite the last-minute equipment sabotage, Glaetzer produced one of the great rides to take gold in the final ride of the event, knocking Aussie teammate Tom Cornish to silver.
A fifth Commonwealth Games gold medal taken Glaetzer equal with Aussie cycling icon Anna Meares for career gold medals won.
Aussie Matthew Richardson, who won gold in the men’s sprint on Monday, was relegated to fourth spot after Nicholas Paul took bronze for Trinidad and Tobago.
Richardson would almost certainly have won the bronze if able to use the handlebars he was expecting to.
It’s why Bates was absolutely stunned when Glaetzer powered to the gold medal.
“I cannot believe my eyes. I cannot believe what I’m seeing here,” she said.
“That was absolutely staggering. This is becoming the velodrome where records are broken and dreams are made.”
Earlier, an AusCycling review into the handlebars was only completed at the last minute. The review found the bars could not handle the force that the riders put through them, particularly when exploding off the start line.
Aussie legend Scott McGrory said the decision was a “devastating blow” to the Aussie trio.
“It’s a major hindrance,” he told Channel 7.
“The aerodynamic bars are so much faster.
“It’s a devastating blow for the Australians.”
AusCycling executive general manager of performance Jesse Korf spoke to Channel 7 before the event and defended the late decision. He said the review was started earlier this year, but could not have been completed earlier because of testing issues with its suppliers and other officials.
Korf said in a statement released by AusCycling the decision was made after testing revealed the riders would generate significantly more power than the bars could handle.
“We acknowledge that this decision has created a degree of disappointment, but the riders and the broader team understand that safety is our top priority,” Korf said.
“We have made significant changes to procedures, team structure and process since the Tokyo Olympics and this decision is reflective of a new and thorough approach to long-term engineering excellence, competitive success, and athlete welfare.”
Bates said the decision would be a hammer blow to the Aussies, who have dedicated their lives for moments like this one.
“We’re talking 1 second to 1.5 seconds, it won’t just cost a gold medal, it will cost a medal,” she said.
“That’s devastating. When you look back on your career, these are the moments that define it, for good or for bad. I really feel for the athletes, to be honest.”
McGrory suggested there were other options that the Aussies could have used, including equipment readily available at the track, rather than going with such heavy handlebars.
Richardson was the first Aussie to hit the track and he left McGrory and Bates stunned when he shot straight to the top spot on the time sheets with a 1:00.152.
Tom Cornish then pushed into first place with a 1:00.036.
Glaetzer then took the gold when he smashed to 59,505.
Glaetzer was on Monday robbed of a bronze medal after being relegated in the third race of the bronze medal event following marginal contact with his opponent in the men’s sprint race.
The handlebar disaster in Birmingham comes after the Aussie equipment failed at the Tokyo Olympics.
Richardson was seen looking distressed after his ride and collapsed to the floor while appearing to suffer from cramping and other issues. Bates suggested he was about to vomit from the exhaustion and build up of lactic acid.
It was truly an unforgettable day in Australian cycling.
He had suffered a laceration to the skull, bruising of the face and abrasions across his body, Hollingworth said on Tuesday, but authorities were unable to determine a cause of death because Mammone had ice and cannabis in his system and had prior heart problems.
The woman went to police about a month later and was later jailed for armed robbery. McEachran was initially charged with murder, but this year pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery.
Hollingworth jailed him for nine years and nine months. With two years served since his arrest, the 44-year-old will be in prison for another five years before he is eligible for parole.
Police investigate outside Rangebank Primary School in June 2020.Credit:Joe Armao
The judge said: “Mr Mammone was lured to a remote location in the middle of the night by someone he knew and trusted. Having been tricked into getting out of his car, he was confronted by two offenders who were attempting on taking his car from him.
“He was unarmed and did nothing to start the violence that you [McEachran] influenced on him. Despite Mr Mammone’s resistance, you overpowered him and knocked him to the ground.”
Mammone was a grandfather and a father of three daughters, the court heard. Hollingworth said his family of him “are heartbroken that they will not be able to share the rest of their lives with him”.
McEachran had a disadvantaged childhood, with a violent father, used drugs and alcohol from his teens, left school early and had no work history, the court heard.
He has previous jail time for violent assaults, and Hollingworth said his rehabilitative prospects were poor because he had no family support other than contact with his teenage daughter and former partner.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s back to the White House balcony and the Treaty Room for President Joe Biden as he contends with a “rebound” case of COVID-19.
Trapped in the White House for the second time in as many weeks, the president knows the drill this time: He’s got an office in the residence and his dog Commander to keep him company while he governs by Zoom and FaceTime.
Biden’s latest bout with COVID-19 came with a new wrinkle: how to announce a major counterterrorism operation in Afghanistan from isolation.
Biden, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, walked to a lecture that had been wheeled onto the balcony of the Blue Room on Monday evening and informed the American people of the killing of Ayman al-Zawahri, the top al-Qaida leader, in a US strike in Afghanistan over the weekend.
The White House allowed just one print reporter to watch Biden deliver his speech, by looking through a window in the adjacent Red Room. A TV cameraman filmed the president and a still photographer took photos — a smaller footprint than the group of journalists that is usually at the president’s appearances.
Biden’s initial COVID-19 diagnosis left him with a lingering cough and runny nose, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. His rebound case from him — labeled such because he tested positive on Saturday just three days after being cleared from isolation with two negative tests last Tuesday and Wednesday — has left him antsy about returning to a normal schedule.
Biden’s rebound disrupted a trip home to Wilmington, Delaware, to meet with first lady Jill Biden, who has been there since Biden’s initial diagnosis. A trip Tuesday to Michigan to promote a $280 billion high-tech manufacturing bill he intends to sign was also scuttled.
Instead, Biden is stuck in COVID-19 isolation through at least Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and perhaps longer under the White House’s stricter protocols, which require a negative test to return to work.
“He’s someone who likes to be out there with the American people,” said Jean-Pierre on Monday. “He’s looking forward to being out there again.”
White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a Monday letter that the president “continues to feel well” this time around, even as he tests positive.
Shortly after Saturday’s announcement that he was returning to isolation, the president tweeted a picture of himself masked, tieless and signing a declaration that added individual assistance for flood survivors in Kentucky.
He followed up by tweeting a 12-second video of himself on a White House balcony with Commander.
“I’m feeling fine, everything is good,” said Biden, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand. “But Commander and I got a little work to do.”
Minutes later, he called Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on FaceTime as he visited with people camping outside the US Capitol in a bid for health benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic substances from burn pits during their service.
Biden tweeted that he had planned to visit the group in person on Saturday before he tested positive again, but instead sent McDonough with a delivery of pizza. I have invited the advocates to the White House once he’s cleared by his doctors to receive visitors.
“It doesn’t stop him from doing his job and doing the work of the American people,” Jean-Pierre said of the president’s rebound infection.
During his course of isolation, Biden told reporters that his canine companion served as his alarm clock while the first lady was away.
“Matter of fact, my dog had to wake me up this morning,” he said last Tuesday. “My wife’s not here. She usually takes him out in the morning while I’m upstairs working out. And so, I felt this nuzzle of my dog’s nose against my chest about five minutes to seven.”
Biden has been working from the ornate second-floor Treaty Room or stepping onto the adjacent Truman Balcony overlooking the South Grounds and the Washington Monument.
A limited number of essential staff are with him in the residence, including security and medical personnel and a small number of aides, who remain masked for their protection. Biden’s usual in-person meetings, including his daily national security briefing, have shifted to virtual formats.
Plans for enabling a president to work in isolation were first developed when then-President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2020, which required him to be admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. As the highly infectious omicron variant spread and cases closed in around Biden, his administration refined plans for Biden to carry out his duties while isolating at the White House, according to two aides.
Biden, 79, was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid after he first tested positive on July 21. He tested negative for the virus last Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27, and was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests of him put him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.
The CDC says most rebound cases remain mild.
Jean-Pierre said 17 people initially identified as close contacts of Biden when he first tested positive, as well as six people deemed at risk from his rebound infection, have continued to test negative for COVID-19.
An appealing photo of a pizza or other menu item can help a restaurant increase sales — especially if the right filter is used, a new study suggests.
Photos high in color saturation make food look fresher and tastier to viewers, which increases their willingness to order the menu items, researchers found.
Color saturation refers to the intensity of the color in the image — the vividness and richness of the reds and greens and blues.
But how well color saturation works to make food appealing depends on the visual distance of the food in the photo — and even on whether consumers plan to dine alone or with others.
In the cutthroat restaurant business, these results provide a simple method to increase sales, said Stephanie Liu, lead author of the study and associate professor of hospitality management at The Ohio State University.
“On Instagram, it means using the ‘X-Pro II’ filter on your food photos rather than the ‘Earlybird’ filter,” Liu said. “It is not difficult and doesn’t cost a tell me, so it is an easy win for restaurant marketers.”
The study was published online recently in the Journal of Business Research.
The researchers did two online studies.
In one study, 267 participants were asked to imagine themselves browsing through options on an online food ordering platform.
They were shown photos of a poke bowl, a Hawaiian dish featuring chunks of raw, marinated fish, vegetables and sauce over rice. They were from a fictitious restaurant named Poke Kitchen.
Study participants were randomly assigned to view one of the four different photos with either high or low color saturation and either close or farther away visual distance.
The photos with high color saturation were edited with professional graphic design software to be 130% more saturated than the low-saturation photos. The up-close photos were 130% larger in radius and appeared closer to the observer than the more distant photo.
Participants were asked to rate how fresh the food in each photo looked, how tasty it looked and how likely they would be to purchase it.
The food in the more highly saturated photos looked fresher and tastier to participants, and that led them to be more likely to purchase the food, results showed.
But color saturation had a stronger effect when the food appeared more distant in the photos, Liu said.
“When the food is shown close up, it is already easy for viewers to imagine how fresh and tasty the food would be,” she said. “Color saturation is not as necessary.”
The second study involved 222 online participants. In this case, the participants were asked to imagine they were browsing Instagram and came across images of pizza from a fictitious restaurant near their home named Pizza City. They were shown photos either high or low in color saturation.
People in the study were also told they would either be eating alone or with family that night and were again asked to rate the pizza on perceived freshness and taste and on whether they would likely purchase the menu item.
As in the previous study, the food in the color-saturated photo was always seen as fresher and tastier and one that people would be more likely to buy. But that effect was stronger for people who were told they would be eating alone and weaker for those who would be eating with family.
“When people are eating with others, the social experience is a big part of what people look forward to,” Liu said.
“But when they anticipate eating alone, they focus more on the food itself. They want the food to be fresher and tastier and that’s why color saturation is more important in this context.”
These findings are more important now than ever before, with people ordering online and looking at photos to help them decide what to eat, Liu said.
“Restaurants have to post pictures of their food on social media and online ordering platforms,” she said.
“They should be paying as much attention, or maybe more, to the photos they post as they do to the text. Color saturation is one key element they need to focus on.”
Co-authors on the study were Laurie Luorong Wu of Temple University, Xi Yu of the City University of Macau and Huiling Huang of the University of Macau in China. Xi Yu and Huiling Huang are recent doctoral graduates of the hospitality management program at Ohio State.
Collingwood midfield star Taylor Adams will resume running this Friday having “had a sook” over the groin injury which he’s adamant won’t keep him out of this year’s finals.
Adams was subbed out of the Magpies’ six-point win over Port Adelaide at half-time last Saturday and subsequent scans confirmed he suffered a groin strain.
The 28-year-old said on Tuesday he was extremely disappointed when the initial prognosis was delivered with the Magpies on a 10-game winning streak and a chance to finish in the top four under first-year coach Craig McRae.
But he quickly focused on the “silver lining” which was the chance to return in time for the first final, aided by the pre-finals bye which should give him enough time to be ready to play.
“I’ve got all the sooking out of my system. It could be better but it could be far worse,” Adams told RSN.
“I’m seeing the silver lining. I will start running again on Friday and that will give me a really good lead in to make sure that I come back fit and strong and able to sustain a full game.
“You have to shift your mindset from a situation that’s not ideal to turning it into something which is really positive. I’ve been in this situation before .. you can either sook about it for four or five days or you can get over it and put a plan in place and get back to work.
“I’m in that headspace at the moment and I’m confident if I put the work in I’ll be right. I’ve got a plan in place now and I’ll get to work and get ready to come back.”
Adams had until now played every game this season bar two, missing the round 4 defeat to West Coast while in the AFL’s Covid protocols then sitting out the narrow round 18 win over Adelaide because of a concussion.
He is first at the club for contested possessions this season, second in tackles and inside 50s, third in groundball-gets and sixth in disposals, so he is a significant loss for Craig McRae’s team at a crucial juncture.
The Magpies have won 10 matches in a row, including seven by single-digit margins, to move into third place on the ladder with reigning premier Melbourne, in-form Sydney and Carlton to come.
Only eighth-placed St Kilda, which has three fewer victories, has a worse percentage than Collingwood’s 106.2, so it will likely need to win at least twice in the final three rounds to maintain a top-four spot.
There are reinforcements on the way, with Brodie Grundy (knee) successfully negotiating his VFL comeback on Saturday, while McRae said after the Power victory that he expected Brody Mihocek (hip) to be available.
The coach stopped short of guaranteeing Grundy’s return but he played almost a full match while amassing 11 disposals, 21 hit-outs and eight tackles.
Mason Cox will be the player to make way if Grundy is recalled, unless Mihocek fails to prove his fitness.
Defender Jeremy Howe (corked buttock) sat out most of the last quarter at the weekend but should be fine for Friday night’s clash with his old side the Demons.
Large parts of Victory are facing a severe weather event, with authorities urging residents to prepare for damaging and destructive winds.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned winds could peak up to 100 km/h, reaching 110 km/h over elevated areas.
The strongest winds are expected this afternoon and will continue into Wednesday morning.
weather-warning (Bureau of Meteorology)
The bureau said a strong cold front will enter the west of the state late today, bringing a “vigorous north to north-westerly flow.”
Showers and thunderstorms are also likely for the affected areas.
A Watch and Act warning is now in place for resident’s to “prepare to take shelter” for the Central Highlands, Dandenong, Great Dividing Range.
A severe weather warning is in place for areas including Stawell, Hamilton, Warrnambool, Portland, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Ballarat, Frankston, Bacchus Marsh, Bright and Falls Creek.
Victorians urged to “prepare now”
The State Emergency Service has urged impacted residents to “prepare now” ahead of the wild conditions.
VICSES Chief Officer Operations Tim Wiebusch said it was important for residents to remain vigilant.
“Our volunteers across the state are prepared to assist communities with the severe weather conditions forecast for overnight tonight,” he said.
“However with damaging to destructive winds possible, it’s vital you remain vigilant and up to date on the latest warnings and advice.”
“Ensure you listen to the advice of emergency services, and secure loose items in and around your home, park your vehicle undercover, away from trees and remain indoors until the severe weather has passed.”
‘River City’ wakes to white-out as fog swallows city
Wiebusch said residents should ensure gutters, downpipes and drains are not blocked to cope with the potential of heavy rainfall.
There’s a high chance of showers in Melbourne tomorrow, and a possibility of a thunderstorm.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a top of 19C.
Call 132 500 for emergency assistance from VICSES.
