Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

Cale Makar has difficulty recognizing the college hockey landscape in the wake of a seismic shift that has transformed the sport in the mere five years since he left UMass to join Colorado in the NHL.From the introduction of name, image and likeness money to the NCAA lifting its ban on Canadian Hockey League players in November, Makar was captivated by the sheer number of players committing to Division I programs this offseason. It seemed like a mass exodus culminating with Gavin McKenna — the NHL’s prospective 2026 No. 1 draft pick — committing to Penn State.“It’s a crazy world.…

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Rory McIlroy still remembers his tears from losing so badly in the Ryder Cup. What stung even more were the words from that Sunday four years ago at Whistling Straits.The Americans won 19-9, the biggest Ryder Cup blowout ever over Europe. Yes, the gallery was one-sided because of travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. And yes, that was a powerful U.S. team with all 12 playing at a high level. That never seems to happen. This was a team that was going to change the course of the Ryder Cup.“I was trying to tell the guys,…

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles sent a message to the NFL and the 31 other teams in Week 4.The reigning Super Bowl champions don’t need a tush push to win. And for those who consider it a boring play, now there’s a new twist. The fake makes it even more difficult for opponents to stop and more interesting to watch.Facing a team that had their number and one that actually had some success against Philadelphia’s signature play, Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo mixed things up.Saquon Barkley scored a touchdown on a fake tush push…

Manny Medina, previously best-known as the founder of sales automation startup Outreach ($4.4 billion valuation), has wowed investors with his young startup, Paid. Paid just closed an oversubscribed $21.6 million seed round led by Lightspeed. With the €10 million pre-seed round it raised in March, London-based Paid has already raised $33.3 million and hasn’t even hit its Series A yet. A source familiar with the deal says the startup’s valuation is over $100 million. Paid came out of stealth in March offering an interesting contribution to the AI agentic world: The company doesn’t offer agents. It offers a way for…

In the absence of stronger federal regulation, some states have begun regulating apps that offer AI “therapy” as more people turn to artificial intelligence for mental health advice.But the laws, all passed this year, don’t fully address the fast-changing landscape of AI software development. And app developers, policymakers and mental health advocates say the resulting patchwork of state laws isn’t enough to protect users or hold the creators of harmful technology accountable.“The reality is millions of people are using these tools and they’re not going back,” said Karin Andrea Stephan, CEO and co-founder of the mental health chatbot app Earkick.___EDITOR’S…

Venture capitalists have convinced themselves they’ve found the next big investing edge: using AI to wring software-like margins out of traditionally labor-intensive services businesses. The strategy involves acquiring mature professional services firms, implementing AI to automate tasks, then using the improved cash flow to roll up more companies. Leading the charge is General Catalyst (GC), which has dedicated $1.5 billion of its latest fundraise to what it calls a “creation” strategy that’s focused on incubating AI-native software companies in specific verticals, then using those companies as acquisition vehicles to buy established firms — and their customers — in the same…

You won’t find much about the modern Luddite movement online.By design, those embracing it are ditching smartphones and deleting their social media accounts. My editors, however, spotted a Substack post that mentioned a coming rally and dispatched me to learn more about this offline movement the only way you should: IRL.And so I found myself on a sunny early fall Saturday on the High Line, an elevated public park in Manhattan that is often crowded with tourists posing for selfies, at an anti-tech event called the Scathing Hatred of Information Technology and the Passionate Hemorrhaging of Our Neo-liberal Experience rally.That’s…

In April, the French National Research Agency, which is part of the Education Ministry, announced an initiative to attract scientists from abroad called “Choose France for Science.” The initiative aims to open up more government funding for universities, schools, and research organizations to entice foreign talent.The announcement came after the Trump administration said it planned to make major cuts to federal research funding at the National Institute of Health, as well as other agencies and universities.While some of those cuts have been made, others have been restored by court order. The confusion, however, presented an opportunity for France and others,…

On her first full day of preschool, Alexander Lane’s 3-year-old daughter stayed in the car for an hour at drop-off because she didn’t want to go inside. On the second day, she entered class in tears. But by the third day, she eagerly ran into the classroom. Starting preschool or kindergarten is a milestone, but also a source of anxiety for some children, including many who are experiencing their first extended period of time away from a parent or guardian. Lane already knew his daughter was nervous about being away from her parents. She had resisted going to a couple…

Apple’s famed designer, now working with OpenAI, has unveiled a must-have for the yacht set.Ive’s design collective, LoveFrom, partnered with Japanese manufacturer Balmuda to create the Sailing Lantern — a $4,800 limited-edition yachting light built to withstand the harshest maritime conditions.The lantern is made from stainless steel and glass and includes LEDs with rechargeable batteries.”I would have just bought a lantern for my yacht — I wanted to. But there isn’t anything on the market. So instead, I spent two years hard at work designing it,” Ive told Boat International.With only 1,000 units available, the lantern is as much a…