As Samsung's unionized workers grow ever bolder, egged on by the rapidly fattening purse of its memory business, which has spurred calls for pay/bonus hikes from other divisions as well, Samsung is eyeing the nuclear option of definitively splitting up the conglomerate by spinning off its semiconductor-focused Device Solutions (DS) division. Irked by rising calls for pay/bonus hikes from its less profitable business units, Samsung is eyeing a spin-off of its very lucrative DS division into an entirely different company The top echelons of Samsung's management appear to be in a panic mode ahead of an impending workers' strike, so [โฆ]
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The LIV Golf event scheduled to be played in Louisiana in June has been postponed, state officials said on Tuesday.
News of the postponement comes less than two weeks afterย LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neilย said the breakaway circuit's 2026 season would proceed as planned amid reports that the series was at risk of losing its funding.
The announcement comes a day after sources with knowledge of LIV Golf operations told Reuters the eventย may be postponedย due to concerns the soccerย World Cupย could impact attendances and viewership, while issues such as high temperatures and course condition were also factors.
Also in the news: Worker Dies During Stage Assembly For Shakira Concert In Brazil
Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in a joint statement that the state had already paid $3.2 million under its contract with LIV Golf, of which $2 million has already been invested in upgrades for the Bayou Oaks at City Park course that was scheduled to host the event from June 25-28.
They also said the Saudi-funded circuit was expected to return the remaining $1.2 million in state incentive funds.
"We appreciate LIVโs good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year," Landry and Bourgeois said.
According to the statement, Bourgeois spoke with OโNeil last Friday and was informed the organisation was looking to postpone the New Orleans tournament to explore a potential event this fall.
In a separate statement, LIV Golf said it was a "strategic" decision to explore moving the event to later in the year.
"This shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect," said LIV Golf.
"We are grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall.
"Our team is focused on maintaining the strong momentum of the 2026 season and we look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future."
Granada goalkeeper Luca Zidane has suffered fractures to his jaw and chin in a 4-2 LaLiga 2 defeat by Almeria, leaving his participation in theย World Cupย with Algeria in doubt.
The son of France great Zinedine Zidane left the pitch late on Sunday after suffering a concussion in a clash with an opponent.
Local media reports said the goalkeeper could miss playing for his country at the tournament, which will be held in North America from June 11 to July 19.
"Medical tests performed on Luca Zidane, following the concussion he suffered in the last match against UD Almeria, reveal that the goalkeeper also suffered a fracture in his jaw and chin," Granada said in a statement on Monday.
Luca Zidane, who was born in Marseille, switched allegiance to Algeria after playing for France at junior level. He helped his side reach the quarter-finals of the most recent Africa Cup of Nations.
The 27-year-old has played 26 matches in LaLiga 2, with Granada sitting 14th on 45 points.
Algeria will face defending champions Argentina on June 16 before taking on Jordan and Austria in Group J.
WTCE 2026 Crowned Saudia: Airline Receives Twelve International Awards, Redefining the Future of Luxury Travel and Passenger ComfortSaudia, Saudi Arabia's...
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JetBlue Switches To Numbered Boarding Groups And Reshuffles Early Access: What You Need To KnowJetBlue is replacing lettered boarding groups...
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Ugreen has launched its new HiTune X8 clip-on wireless earbuds in China. The earbuds are now available on JD.com, priced at 399 yuan (~$58).
The HiTune X8 earbuds feature 11mm dual-magnet dynamic drivers with titanium-coated diaphragms, offering a wide frequency range exceeding 40kHz and delivering detailed, high-clarity audio. These are Hi-Res Audio certified, support the LDAC codec for playback at up to 96kHz/24-bit, and provide a balanced audio profile with clear mids, deep bass, and crisp highs. Ugreen collaborated with a Grammy-level audio engineer to fine-tune the sound.
The earbuds use the companyโs proprietary C-bridge structure, which distributes pressure evenly across the ear. The structure includes a 0.5mm titanium-nickel memory alloy wire that flexes and returns to its original shape, ensuring durability and comfort. The design has been tested for over 10,000 bending cycles.
For calling, the HiTune X8 utilizes a six-microphone system, including four standard microphones and two VPU bone-conduction microphones. These also leverage Ugreenโs advanced noise reduction to ensure clear voice quality in noisy environments.
The earbuds include AI-powered features like real-time translation in over 40 languages and voice-to-text transcription. Ugreen claims the earbuds can automatically generate meeting summaries, which makes them useful for business and travel scenarios.
The HiTune X8 provides 10 hours of playback on a single charge and up to 46 hours with the charging case. It supports fast charging, delivering 3 hours of playback in 10 minutes, and the case fully charges in 1.5 hours via USB-C.
For connectivity, the earbuds feature Bluetooth 6.0 for improved stability and low latency. These also support dual-device pairing, customizable audio via a companion app, IP56 dust and water resistance, wear detection for automatic playback, and hearing protection alerts.
In related news, Baseus has recently introduced the MC2 clip-on earbuds, offering up to 60 hours of battery life, along with IP67-rated durability and LDAC audio support.
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Vivo has launched a new pair of budget true wireless earbuds, the TWS 5i. The focus here is to cover the basics while keeping the price low enough that most people do not have to think twice.
Battery life is easily the main highlight. Vivo claims up to 11.5 hours on a single charge, and around 50 hours in total with the case. That should comfortably get through a few days of regular use. You probably will not be reaching for the charger too often.
They use Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity and support dual-device pairing, so switching between devices should be fairly straightforward. There is also a low-latency mode rated at 42ms, which might help a bit if you play games.
Audio is handled by Vivoโs DeepX 3.0 tuning, with a few different sound profiles to choose from. Spatial audio is listed as well, though it is probably more of a bonus than a standout feature. For calls, there is AI noise reduction to help keep voices clearer in noisy places.
The earbuds weigh 4.2 grams each, and use a standard in-ear design. Itโs fairly lightweight, meaning they shouldnโt feel uncomfortable during longer sessions.
Pricing and availability:
The earbuds are priced at 119 yuan in China (equivalent to $17 or Rs 1,642), which puts them firmly in the entry-level segment. Still, the spec sheet is not bad for the price. They come in three colors: Ink Black, White, and Sky Blue. Thereโs no word on the global availability as of writing.
At the end of the day, the TWS 5i feels like one of those products that is not trying too hard to impress on paper. It just focuses on the basics, especially battery life, which is still what a lot of people care about most in this segment.
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FinalWire has released the updated AIDA64 software, offering support for next-gen CPUs such as AMD Zen 6 APUs & Intel Nova Lake. AMD Zen 6 "Ryzen" CPUs & Intel Nova Lake Get Early Support In AIDA64 v8.30 The latest AIDA64 release has some major updates. One of these is AIDA FPS, which expands the feature set of the software suite with a new module that captures real-time FPS data from DX11 and DX12 games. The data can be displayed across all existing outputs, including SensorPanel, OSD, tray icons, and logging. The full change log is listed below: New in AIDA64 [โฆ]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/aida64-v8-30-next-gen-amd-zen-6-apus-expo-1-2-intel-nova-lake-cpus-support/
Google donates the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to the FIDO Alliance to help secure the evolution of AI-driven commerce.
Samsung walked out of the Red Dot Design Award 2026 with 16 wins out of 16 submissions. The company also took home two Best of the Best honors, the awardโs highest distinction.
Two โBest of the Bestโ wins in Product Design
Samsung won the top โBest of the Bestโ awards in the Product Design category for:
The OLED TV S95H earned Best of the Best. Its slim display floats visually above the main body, framed in silver metal that reads more like gallery hardware. The Bespoke AI laundry lineup took the other top prize.
Products such as:
were highly rated for their ability to blend seamlessly with usersโ home interiors.
A washer, a dryer, an integrated One Body unit, and the all-in-one Combo all carry a unified design language while still feeling distinct. The 7-inch touchscreen controlling SmartThings and AI features didnโt hurt either.
All 16 of Samsungโs submitted products were selected as Red Dot Design Award Winners.
Award-winning products include:
Additionally, innovative products delivering new user experiences also received awards, including:
โExpressive Design is our way of putting people at the center, celebrating their identity, emotions and diversity,โ said Mauro Porcini, President and Chief Design Officer (CDO) of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. โWe design not only to function, but to create meaning and connection. Our ambition is to enrich peopleโs lives through experiences that are both purposeful and deeply human.โ
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European Summer Travel Intentions Hit Record Levels Despite Tighter Budgets: What You Need To KnowEuropean travel sentiment hits a postโ2020...
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Travel Trend Watch: Mud Kitchens Transform U.S. Backyards Into Emerging โMicro-Travelโ DestinationsThe โmud kitchenโ trend is reshaping U.S. family lifestyle...
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Discover Komodo Islands, Indonesia A Paradise of Dragons, Scenic Beauty, and Marine Life: All You Need To KnowExplore the stunning...
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Washington Wizards point guard Bub Carringtonclosed the 2025-26 season with 20 points and nine assists in an unassuming loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The stat line stands out as one of his stronger performances of the year โ but thatโs not the impressive part. The appearance marked Carringtonโs 82nd game of the season, adding him to a list of just 18 players league-wide to do so this year.ย
The season finale also kept his two-year streak alive. The sophomore has never missed a game in his NBA career โ a rare feat in a league where the pace of play is rising, and availability is falling.
His durability also puts him in exclusive company within franchise history. So, looking back, who is Bub chasing to land among the Wizardsโ greatest iron men?
The franchiseโs most decorated player was exhibiting greatness in more ways than outlet passes and relentless rebounding. Wes Unseldโs reliability anchored the Bulletsโ identity as one of the leagueโs toughest teams throughout the 1970s.
Spending his entire 13-year career in Baltimore and D.C., Unseld led the franchise in total games played (984). Like Carrington, he played in every game in his first two years. Unlike Carrington, Unseld played at least 70 games 11 times and all 82 in four of them, all while capturing MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same campaign.
The 6-foot-7 center transformed the franchise right away. He boosted the Bullets by 21 wins in his rookie year and led them to the associationโs second-best defensive rating.
In the 1977-78 championship season, Unseld played 80 games and delivered tireless efforts in the Finals series against the Seattle SuperSonics. He logged 40 minutes in Washingtonโs Game 7 victory away from home, barely scraping by Seattle 105-99, and earned Finals MVP.
Across his career, Unseld played an average of 36 minutes per game and put Washington on the map before the team fell into irrelevance in the years to come.
The Big E formed the other half of Washingtonโs two-headed snake in its glory days. Elvin Hayes was a dominant interior force on both ends of the floor. He made eight consecutive All-Star games in Baltimore/Washington and led the champion Bullets in scoring.ย
What isnโt discussed as much is how consistently he played to get there.
In his 16-year NBA career, Hayes incredibly never played fewer than 80 games in a season. He totaled eight seasons without missing a game and didnโt miss a contest until his fifth year. The astounding longevity helped him accumulate the second most games played in franchise history with 731.
Hayes appeared in all 21 games of Washingtonโs championship run, averaging 21.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while logging a heavy 41.3 minutes per game. In Game 7, he tallied 12 points and eight boards before fouling out, helping secure the championship.
In 1984, Hayes retired as one of the best players in franchise history and one of the greatest power forwards ever. And through only missing nine games in 16 years, he became the epitome of on-court dependability.
Greg Ballard wonโt be found on many leaderboards. The small forward was nothing more than a strong role player early in his career. But the one leaderboard he sits near the top of is total games played in Washington, in fourth with 643.
Ballard became such a reliable option through efficient scoring, 47.2% for his career, and energy on the glass, averaging as much as eight per game. He recorded five 82-game seasons in Washington and never played fewer than 75 during his tenure.
Following Unseldโs retirement and Hayesโ departure, Ballard stepped into a larger role.
His scoring skyrocketed to 18.8 points per game in 1981-82, and his usage rate rose four percent from his rookie year. He was no longer the benchwarmer on the 1978 championship squad. Ballard played 37 minutes per game and became the face of a struggling team.
One of the standout games of Ballardโs career came in an overtime loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. He erupted for a career-high 38 points and 15 rebounds on 59% shooting. Fittingly, he played every game that season, reflecting the consistency that defined his career.
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Realmeโs Buds T series has built a reputation in the budget segment, with the Buds T200 and T300 often seen as reliable picks for everyday users. Early sales data for the new realme Buds T500 Pro suggest that the same trust is now extending to its latest model.
The company says the Buds T500 Pro recorded a 230 percent increase in first-day sales compared to its predecessor. The figures cover purchases across realmeโs website, Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon, and offline mainline retail stores. While realme has not shared absolute numbers, the jump points to strong early demand during the first sale window.
Pricing appears to be a key factor. The Buds T500 Pro launched at an introductory price of INR 2,599, which has now jumped to INR 2,799. Buyers can still find the earbuds across the same online platforms and offline channels.
On the hardware side, the Buds T500 Pro brings a noticeable upgrade over previous T-series models. It uses 12.4mm titanium-plated drivers and supports Hi-Res Audio with the LHDC 5.0 codec. The addition of 360-degree spatial audio places it closer to features usually seen in higher-priced options.
Noise handling is another focus area. The earbuds include 50dB Ultra-Wideband Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation along with a six-microphone system for call clarity. This is a step up from what was offered in the Buds T200 and T300, which helped build the seriesโ value-first appeal.
Battery life is rated at up to 56 hours in total. Fast charging is also included, with a 10-minute charge claimed to deliver up to 10 hours of playback. Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 6.1, with support for connecting up to three devices at once and a Game Mode with 45ms latency.
Additional features include AI translation support for 34 languages and โMindFlowโ audio modes. Each earbud weighs 4.5 grams and carries an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, rounding out a feature set that appears to be driving early buyer interest.
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Royal Caribbean Joins Carnival Corporation, Norwegian, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and More Cruise Companies Leading in American Tourism Sector:...
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Top 30 Best Airlines in the Americas and Caribbean for 2026 Revealed by TTWTravel And Tour World (TTW) has unveiled...
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Supercharge performance across the shopper journey by connecting Albertsons data with Googleโs AI and scale.Paid search platforms are getting better at deciding who should see your ads, often without relying on the keywords you choose.ย
As that shift accelerates, optimization is moving away from query-level control and toward signals like audience data, landing page context, and conversion behavior. Understanding that change is key to knowing what to actually optimize for now.
A decade ago, our world was defined by the illusion of control. Every decision we made was anchored in the keyword. Hypersegmentation and single keyword ad groups (SKAGs) ruled the land.
If possible, weโd build a unique landing page for every single keyword in every single ad group. The process was tedious, manual, and we loved it because we felt like we were the ones driving the machine.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how much you miss spreadsheets and Editor), times have changed. Weโve long speculated about whether Google and Microsoft would finally sunset keywords altogether. That day feels closer than ever.
From Performance Max to the emerging AI Max solutions โ and even the shift toward contextual, LLM-driven search like ChatGPT โ the industry is moving toward a keywordless reality.
But if we take a step back, we have to admit why the keyword is so vital. Itโs a window into clear intent that tells us exactly where a user is in their journey:
If those signals are now handled behind the scenes by a black box, the role of the marketer changes. So what are we actually optimizing for?
Dig deeper: Beyond keywords: Mastering AI-driven campaigns
Intent is inferred from a complex web of signals that have rendered the individual keyword secondary. To win in 2026, your optimization focus must shift toward three core pillars.
Googleโs algorithms now prioritize customer match and first-party data over the query itself. With the full integration of the Data Manager API, the system knows which users in the auction match your closed-won deals.
You no longer bid on the query โcloud security.โ You bid on the director of IT (because youโre sharing first-party data) who has a history of researching SOC 2 compliance, even if their current search is as vague as โscaling infrastructure.โ
B2B match rates are notoriously stubborn. But this is exactly where you need to evolve your strategy. Move beyond one-to-one list matching and get creative with integration partners to enrich your signals.
Start by clustering individuals by shared pain points, then use on-site experiences to allow them to self-identify. By the time they hit a remarketing list, you arenโt just targeting a โuser,โ youโre targeting a verified intent state.
Your landing page is a data source. Googleโs AI scans your page to understand the nuance of your offering. Creative assets are also important signals and need to complement your targeted themes and keywords, plus your landing page content.
If your landing page clearly articulates a โmid-market manufacturingโ use case, the AI will automatically find those users, even if they never type the word โmanufacturing.โ Your โkeyword strategyโ is now your content strategy.
You might think looking at Meta is a deviation here, but the parallels are impossible to ignore. Metaโs Andromeda retrieval engine now influences a massive portion of the social auction by using the creative itself as the primary targeting signal.ย
If both platforms are moving toward a world where your assets (whether itโs a 15-second video or a high-value landing page) are what actually define your audience, you have to ask: How much weight are you giving your creative inputs versus your technical ones?ย
With journey aware bidding and value-based bidding, the algorithm isnโt just looking for the final click. Itโs analyzing the historical sequence of a userโs journey.
Optimization now happens against โhigh-value need states.โ Youโre feeding the system data on which mid-funnel behaviors (like a whitepaper download or a webinar sign-up) actually lead to six-figure contracts.
Dig deeper: Why better signals drive paid search performance
The most significant mental hurdle for digital marketers is the shift from query-level intent to user-level intent.
| Feature | Query-level intent (legacy) | User-level intent (2026 and beyond) |
| Primary driver | The specific words typed. | The userโs historical behavior and context. |
| Logic | โThey are in state X, so they need Y.โ | Triggered by a predicted โneed state.โ |
| Measurement | CTR and CPC. | Pipeline value and predicted LTV. |
| Auction entry | Triggered by a keyword match. | Triggered by a predicted โneed stateโ |
In the old model, a query like โhow to manage payrollโ might have been ignored by an enterprise SaaS company as โtoo informational.โ In 2026, the AI knows if that user is a student or a VP of finance at a 5,000-employee firm.
If itโs the latter, the user-level intent is commercial, regardless of the query-level phrasing, assuming youโre providing the right signals (see what I did there?). If youโre advertising on Microsoft Ads, you can leverage LinkedInโs profile targeting.
Now that AI is handling the matching, your job has evolved from a mechanic to a data architect.
The future of search isnโt about finding the right words. Itโs about being the best answer for the right person at the exact moment their need state evolves.
Keywords were the training wheels. Now, the wheels are off. Itโs time to see how fast your data can take you.
Dig deeper: Why PPC teams are becoming data teams
Canada Joins Mexico, Italy, Maldives, Sweden, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Other Countries in Attracting More Foreign Tourists...
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It wasnโt smooth or easy, but Hawaii school administrators, students and surfing advocates made a successful big drop this year with the introduction of wave riding as a statewide high school sport.
Close to 600 students at around 60 public and private schools are participating in the inaugural season of surfing under the Hawaii High School Athletic Association less than nine months after the state Legislature appropriated funding for the sport and less than seven months after HHSAA announced that enough schools would participate to hold a state championship.
The achievement represents what many supporters regarded as long overdue when considering Hawaii as the cradle of surfing.
Student-athletes in three divisions each for girls and boys โ shortboarding, longboarding and bodyboarding โ competed in three or four contests from February to April, leading to individual league championship events where top finishers will get to compete in the state championship scheduled for Friday and Saturday on Maui.
The biggest of the five HHSAA leagues, the Oahu Interscholastic Association, held its championship Monday at Kewalos where 108 slots were filled by students competing in 30 heats, each running 15 minutes for six surfers at a time. Two qualifying rounds led to a final round with one heat for each division.
A points system was used to recognize a school team as champion.
โWeโre going to crown a champion today,โ event announcer Iolani Adams declared shortly after the competition began with clean, often shoulder-high waves. โFirst time in Oahu history over here.โ
The all-day event at the break along the Diamond Head side of the Kewalo Basin Small Boat Harbor channel in Kakaako followed three earlier OIA contests where about 200 students from 20 public schools competed.
Thirty OIA schools have sports programs, and the 10 not participating in surfing this year were six charter schools and four regular schools. The otherwise strong turnout led organizers to divide two of the earlier OIA contests into separate two-day events with half the schools competing one day and the other half the next day.
Reid Yoshikawa, the athletic director at Kaimuki High School who became the OIAโs surf league adviser, said he didnโt know going in what he would encounter.
โWe had a lot of participation โ more participation than what I thought,โ he said.
Yoshikawa said he received much help from an advisory committee that included two parents involved with club-level surfing in schools: Joslyn Sato, whose daughter Kylie was an instrumental advocate for the legislative funding, and Amy Schiffner, whose daughter Elliana attends Kaiser High School and has been a competitive surfer since she was a small child.
Amy Schiffner said sheโs heard a lot of chatter at the contests from parents and students that they canโt believe surfing is now a high school sport โ and that they are part of it.
โThe kids feel incredibly stoked and also honored,โ she said.
Schiffner added that student athletes also have a lot of pride in being able to represent their schools and Hawaii, which is the birthplace of surfing and the only place in the United States where surfing is a statewide school sport.
Building up
Getting there wasnโt easy. Many schools needed to recruit coaches, who were required to obtain safety certifications before being able to hold practices. Students wanting to participate had to obtain junior lifeguard certifications.
For contests, county permits had to be obtained for surf breaks, some of which have limited slots that were already full. The events also needed to be managed, scored by experienced judges and monitored by safety crews on watercraft.
Students provided their own boards, but school buses couldnโt transport longboards and other equipment. Colored jerseys featuring school logos also had to be made.
All of it was accomplished with many contributing hands that included an offshoot of the Hawaii Surfing Association running OIA events and instant scoring results carried on .
Former pro surfer Shawn Sutton agreed to become the head surf coach for Campbell High School in Ewa Beach after another prospect couldnโt do it, and his friend Matthew Kenny, who competes in amateur contests, is assistant coach.
โIt was a little last minute,โ Kenny said.
Sutton wanted to hold practices at White Plains Beach in Kalaeloa but the timing of certifications got in the way. Instead, a school official was able to arrange three days of practice at the Wai Kai wave pool at Hoakalei Resort in Ewa Beach.
โEvery session they got way, way, way better,โ Sutton said of the school surf team.
Ten students โ seven boys and three girls โ competed at Campbell, and Sutton expects the number to grow next year because there were other interested surfers at the school who wanted to participate this year but couldnโt get certified in time.
Campbell, like other high schools that didnโt already have club surfing teams with volunteer coaches and competitions, had a harder time gearing up to participate in the new statewide league sport. Some OIA schools had only one or two competitors this year, including Kaimuki with one and Castle with two.
Some of the dozen or so Oahu schools with established club teams fielded the most competitors. One of those, Waialua, had 16 students competing in events this year and four coaches.
Waialua surf head coach Spencer Suitt said the team tried to train twice a week, including sessions at Haleiwa, Chunโs Reef and Kewalos along with cardio workouts on land. He said the schoolโs club is decades old and has a lot of talent, given proximity to so many premier contest breaks on the North Shore.
Suittโs daughter Skai, a sophomore, won the girls shortboard event Monday and placed second in bodyboarding and fifth in longboarding.
During Mondayโs first shortboard heat, coach Suitt was on a jetty cheering on Wyatt Falk, who placed second and advanced to the semifinal round. Sunny Drill of Kalani High School topped Falk and ended up placing second in the final.
Drill, a sophomore, started seriously surfing four years ago and considers Kewalos his regular surf spot. โIt was fun,โ he said after the first heat. โJust really fun, perfect waves.โ
Kaipoโi Koa, a senior at Kalani, has more of a wave-riding bloodline as part of a family from Palolo Valley where four generations have been big into bodyboarding. Koaโs mother, Kawena Garcia, said her daughter was catching waves in the womb.
โThe doctor told me at seven months I should stop,โ Garcia said.
Koa, who has competed since she was 3 years old, was beaming after posting the high score in the first of three qualifying girls bodyboarding heats.
โItโs just crazy,โ she said. โItโs, like, making history.โ
โThis is a huge win and journey for us,โ her mom added.
After two more heats, Koa became the OIAโs first girls bodyboarding champion and is headed to Maui for states.
Long journey
Teri Ushijima, an assistant superintendent in the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design at the state Department of Education, also described the sportโs entry in Hawaii high school athletics as a journey.
Ushijima, who watched part of Mondayโs contest and hadnโt attended earlier ones, was impressed with the turnout and operation.
โWeโre really excited that so many schools are here and that our young female and male athletes have an opportunity to engage in a sport they have a passion for,โ she said. โAnd at the same time, like any of our athletics, you know we want them to really develop all their skills โ of course their athletic side, but really itโs about teamwork, supporting others and showing good sportsmanship, being a role model to their peers.
โItโs a journey,โ Ushijima continued, โand weโre very pleased that weโre making progress.โ
The state Board of Education approved surfing as a league sport in 2004, and two years later established regulations for it.
Those regulations, which were modified in 2016, allow each regional league to add surfing as a sport if more than half a leagueโs member schools vote to do so. Requirements also include ocean rescue training and other safety certifications for coaches and junior lifeguard-level qualifications for students.
Standing in the way for so long were concerns from school administrators about costs, access to good surf, an inability to control surf conditions, potential for serious injuries and drowning, and even fear of shark attacks.
Before this year, only the Maui Interscholastic League had surfing as a high school sport, which happened in 2014 after many years of frustrating efforts by surfing advocates.
The MIL, where 12 of 15 public and private member schools participate in surfing, had club-level surfing at some schools for 19 years and demonstrated that so much of the fear was overblown.
In 2024, a push at the Legislature to fund surfing as an incentive for expansion fizzled. But in 2025, a redoubled effort led to the passage of House Bill 133 to appropriate $685,870 this fiscal year and the same amount next fiscal year to help cover public school expenses for surfing if adopted as an interscholastic league sport.
How many schools and leagues would do so was uncertain after Gov. Josh Green signed the bill into law May 30 and even after HHSAA announced in July there would be a state championship.
Confluence
The Big Island Interscholastic Federation has about 100 students participating at 11 of 20 public and private member schools. Contests have been held at Honolii in Hilo and Kohaniki in Kailua-Kona.
Oahuโs private school league, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, had 10 of 20 member schools participating with about 100 students. To accommodate varying surf conditions, ILH scheduled contests within four-day windows. Contests were held at Ala Moana Bowls, Sandy Beach, Rock Piles and Queenโs.
On Kauai, four of eight member schools of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation are participating with close to 100 students. KIF held its first two contests at the Waioli Beach Park break Pine Trees and at Kealia. A third contest was canceled due to weather before the KIF championship event.
Surfer and Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami attended one of the KIF contests and joked from the beach that he wanted to surf in the first heat.
โTo all the student athletes, todayโs history,โ he said in a recent Kauai County Facebook video post. โAnd what this league is about is not about the best surfers and bringing out the folks that are going to go pro. Itโs really a sport for everybody. So, even if you donโt think that youโre ready, paddle out there and do a heat because thereโs only one time you can do it for the first time and go down in the history books.โ
Kawakami said KIF received valuable help with its participation in the sport from Kim Ball, who helped spearhead Mauiโs effort more than a decade ago. Ball, a former Lahainaluna High School wrestling coach who has a chain of surf stores on Maui, said in an interview that heโs glad the sport is now statewide at high schools.
โWeโre stoked that itโs finally a reality,โ he said.
The state championship is slated to take place at Mauiโs Hookipa Beach between Paia and Haiku.
โWe couldnโt be more thrilled to host the first one,โ Ball said.
Baseus officially launched its new MC2 clip-on earbuds in China. These are priced at 349 yuan ($51) and are now available on Jd.com. The MC2 is the successor to the MC1, which debuted in 2024. These will hit the global market soon.
The earbuds come with the Cloud Airbag 2.0 system, providing 360-degree cushioning and detachable silicone airbags in various sizes for a tailored fit. These also feature a 0.5mm nickel-titanium alloy C-bridge with an extended arc, ensuring stability, comfort, and an improved fit for diverse users.
Baseus has designed the MC2 with a four-point support structure to evenly distribute pressure across the ear. This design keeps the earbuds stable during movement, allowing users to wear them during activities like running or jumping without discomfort. Each earbud weighs only 5.1 grams, offering long-term wear with minimal fatigue.
The earbuds are equipped with a triple magnetic circuit driver and a gold microcrystalline diaphragm, offering LDAC codec support for high-resolution audio. These also feature directional sound technology to reduce audio leakage, with SuperBass 3.0 and HiFi-grade processing delivering clear and balanced sound.
The MC2 earbuds offer up to 60 hours of total runtime with the charging case, with 13 hours of playback on a single charge. The 600mAh charging case supports fast USB Type-C charging, providing 3 hours of playback after a 10-minute charge and fully recharging in two hours.
In terms of smart features, the MC2 includes AI-powered real-time translation, voice assistant support, dual-device connectivity, and touch controls for playback, calls, and volume. It also features a quad-microphone system with AI noise reduction and ultra-low 38ms latency for gaming and video playback.
The device is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, ensuring durability for outdoor use. The earbuds are available in three colors: Cloud White, Obsidian Black, and Tahiti Gray.
In related news, Edifier has recently introduced the Hecate CP2 clip-on earbuds featuring 11mm drivers and up to 26 hours of battery life, while Honor has unveiled the Choice MouseBuds Pro, a unique mouse with built-in earbuds and ANC support.
For more daily updates, please visit ourย News Section.
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(Baseus)
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An air and sea search has been called off for a missing guest who went overboard during a cruise from Australia, likely confirming a second death onboard within hours.
A man is believed to have climbed the railings and jumped from Carnival Splendor, according to reviewed CCTV footage.
The manโs family had earlier reported him missing. The incident came just a few hours after a woman died while snorkeling at Moreton Island, off the Queensland coast, during a port call.
Neither of the two guests has been officially named, and the incidents are not related, the cruise line said.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) conducted a search and rescue operation lasting approximately 16 hours but called it off in the early evening without success. The man is now presumed dead.
โFollowing an intensive air and sea search involving multiple assets, the missing person was not located and AMSA has now released all assets from tasking,โ a Maritime Safety Authority spokesperson said.
The cruise line also issued a response, โAll appropriate authorities have been alerted and Carnival will assist in their investigation upon the shipโs return to Sydney. Carnivalโs Care Team is supporting the guestโs family and our thoughts and prayers are with them.โ
Carnival Cruise Line stated it believes the act was deliberate. The guest โclimbed over the safety railing and jumped overboard. A review of the CCTV footage confirmed the guestโs action.โ
The man overboard alert sounded just before 2 a.m. on April 18. The approximately 3,000-guest Carnival Splendor returned to Sydney on Sunday, where it is homeported year-round.
Just a few hours before the overboard incident, a 67-year-old female guest from Tasmania experienced difficulty while snorkeling at Moreton Island. She was pulled from the water but did not respond to resuscitation efforts.
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