Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy Ratings Drop to Lowest Ever, Down 16% from Last Week, Fans Exit with Fired Actors – Showbiz411

Home Television Greys Anatomy Ratings Drop to Lowest Ever, Down 16% from Last Week,...

Meredith woke up just in time to say goodbye to two cast members on Greys Anatomy last night.

The result was a nearly 16% drop in the key age group and 11% in overall audience. The fans tuned out.

Last nights episode was the lowest rated ever, just 4.4 million, down from 4.925 million last week. The demo was down 15.77% and the audience was off 10.66 million.

Thats a steep drop. And there are still two more episodes left. The show can go lower.

Renewed for another season, Greys has so far let three actors go this season. With two more episodes, there are undoubtedly more surprises. With budget cuts and lower ratings, Greys is headed toward being just about Meredith Grey whose house, Im paraphrasing, was last night described as smelling like hot cocoa and newborn puppies. Or cotton candy and death.

EP Krista Vernoff, who just saw ABC cut her off at the knees by cancelling Rebel for no reason, says in finale on June 2 well see Merediths new role at the hospital. Her title will be Empress. Jo Wilson, played by Camilla Luddington, is going to make a life changing decision. Luddington may be headed to the unemployment line to join the others.

Should be fun!

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. He wrote the Intelligencer column for NY Magazine in the mid 90s, reporting on the OJ Simpson trial, as well as for the real Parade magazine (when it was owned by Conde Nast), and has written for the New York Observer, Details, Vogue, Spin, the New York Times, NY Post, Washington Post, and NY Daily News among many publications. He is the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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Grey's Anatomy Ratings Drop to Lowest Ever, Down 16% from Last Week, Fans Exit with Fired Actors - Showbiz411

Anatomy

Anatomy of . . . Rafael Nadal | Sport | The Sunday Times – The Times

The Spaniard rules supreme on clay, having won his tenth Italian Open title last week and heads to Roland Garros in search of a 14th French Open success.

FactfileAge 34Born Mallorca, SpainHeight 1.85mWeight 85kgWorld ranking 3 (highest, 1)Career prize money $124,480,032

The king of clayThe most important thing on clay is patience, lex Corretja, a two-times runner-up at the French Open, told The Times in 2019. You need to accept you need to spend a lot of time on the court because points last longer, matches too. The fitness, conditioning, mental strength, his game is perfect for that, Corretja added of Nadal. He stands far back your service is useless. When you know your service is going

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Anatomy of . . . Rafael Nadal | Sport | The Sunday Times - The Times

Anatomy

The anatomy of the health service cyber attack – RTE.ie

The National Cyber Security Agency is hoping that by next week it will be able to begin to ease the misery of the millions of sick people and their loved ones who have had their lives disrupted, their treatment delayed, their appointments cancelled and their healthcare worries exacerbated by the cruel and callous actions of an organised cyber crime gang.

The State's Cyber Security Response Team along with commercial IT contractors FireEye and international partners have been working 24 hour shifts on a decryption key supplied by the criminal gang so they can use it on the HSE systems. It is complicated and painstaking work.

Criminal gangs spend millions on designing and inserting malware into IT systems all over the world that enables them to encrypt data and steal it for ransom. They dont spend as much time or money on the decryption key, the result being that while the codes when handed over may work to some extent, they may also contain 'bugs which do more damage to the systems and the data theyre supposed to restore.

Colonial Pipeline, the company providing almost half of the fuel for the East Coast of the United States, discovered this to its cost after it was hacked by a criminal gang referred to as Darkside on 7 May last. It paid the criminals $4.4m for the key to unlock the encryption and while the code provided was of some use, it didnt immediately restore the pipelines systems.

Timeline of the attack

Six days after the US attack officials at the Department of Health here noticed suspicious activity on their computer systems and contacted the National Cyber Security Agency. Based at the Department of the Environment in Adelaide Road in Dublin and with a staff of about 30 IT specialists, its job is to manage cyber security incidents across Government and provide guidance and advice to citizens and business on these incidents.

The cyber attack first on the Department of Health and then on the HSE turned out to be the most serious ever attack on the States critical infrastructure. The health service IT systems here had avoided another ransomware attack four years ago when the WannaCry virus infected a quarter of a million machines in 150 countries including the UKs NHS.

The National Cyber Security Team activated its crisis response procedures and called in FireEye, a commercial specialist IT incident response company. Investigators found a remote access tool known as cobalt strike Beacon on the system, which hackers use to move within computer networks before launching their virus and demanding a ransom - or as its known in computer parlance "execution of a ransom payload". Unknown to anyone the hackers had already been in the IT systems before this for at least a week.

The Department of Health acted quickly enough to prevent the cyber criminals from detonating their malware, known as Conti, on its systems. The IT specialists were able to detect, through a combination of anti-virus software and the deployment of tools, an attempt to execute ransomware and stop it. The result is that the systems at the Department of Health have not been as badly damaged and should be up and running again sooner.

The HSE however was not so lucky. They first realised they were under attack in the early hours of Friday morning, 14 May, and by that time it was too late. The criminals had executed their ransom payload and the HSE systems had been disabled.

The attack has badly damaged the HSE and the health services. It has had to shut down its systems and bring in specialists to carefully go through each part of its network, step by step, find the malware, block malicious IPs and domain names, protect privileged accounts, clean, rebuild and update all infected devices, ensure antivirus is up to date on all systems, makes sure all devices are patched and ultimately restore the data.

CEO Paul Reid has admitted he fears all the HSEs data has been compromised.

A digital ransom note was also left for the HSE. Much like a kidnapper inviting someone to drop the money off, the note contained a link with an invitation to "chat" with the criminals on the darknet with a view to paying a ransom to get the data back.

The darknet is equivalent to the criminals back alley. The message stated:

"YOU SHOULD BE AWARE! Just in case, if you ignore us. Weve downloaded your data and are ready to publish."

Such a threat has been made and acted upon before. Hackers attacked a psychiatric hospital in Finland in October of last year and stole the medical records of 40,000 people. In what is known as a double extortion they not only sought a ransom from the hospital, they also emailed individual patients and threatened to publish their therapy and mental health treatment records if they werent paid.

Wizard spider

The organised cyber crime group behind the cyber attacks here is a highly technically proficient gang of criminals known as Wizard Spider. The criminal gang has been responsible for hundreds of cyber attacks all over the world; since 2019 it has carried out more than 300.

The organised crime group, according to the intelligence agencies, is based in and around St Petersburg in Russia and consists of approximately 80 employees, some of whom are unaware they are working for a criminal organisation.

It employs skilled computer programmers and hackers on a part-time and temporary basis as part of a modus operandi that involves regular changes in staff.

Wizard Spider has for many years been a target of the FBI, the UK National Crime Agency, Interpol, Europol and other international law enforcement agencies. It does not carry out attacks on systems in Russia and the groups key members do not travel outside Russia.

It specialises in inserting malware into computer systems all over the world and targets government, healthcare, aerospace, agriculture, academic, retail and commercial bodies by encrypting their data and making high ransom demands. It is known to belittle its victims.

Cyber criminals buy and sell their services and capabilities, such as fraud or hacking abilities, on underground websites, but the Wizard Spider group is very security-conscious. It does not openly advertise on the darknet and will only sell access to or work alongside trusted criminals. This has enabled it to continue to operate covertly for years.

The criminal gang first came to the attention of law enforcement seven years ago when key figures were suspected of being involved in cyber attacks in 2014 and 2015 involving malware known as Dyre.

The Dyre malware was at the time the pre-eminent virus enabling cyber criminals to steal money online.

In 2018, however, international agencies identified a significant upgrade in the criminal organisations technical ability and its primary use of three types of ransomware, Trickbot, Ryuk and Conti. These were used to target large organisations for a high value return in a criminal activity. This is known online as big game hunting.

Conti is the ransomware that was used to disable the HSE and the Department of Healths IT systems and law enforcement agencies say there is no known case of success in relation to generating a decryption key for the ransomware.

Ransom demand

A document was published online in the aftermath of the cyber attacks here claiming to show that the gang wanted $20m dollars. The figure has been dismissed by security specialists involved but they concede the gang is looking for millions to enable the HSE and the Department of Health to retrieve the data that has been stolen.

However, the Governments position from the start has remained the same - Ireland will not pay. This was repeated several times this week.

All parties involved insist that no money has changed hands and that no agency, representative, or private individual, directly or by proxy has or will pay any ransom and that none will be paid or disguised in any fees paid to a commercial company. The Government cannot be seen to capitulate to the demands or support the business model of organised crime.

The National Cyber Security Centre and the private IT specialists contractors also say they have not engaged at all with the criminal gang responsible. They are satisfied that this criminal gang knew that it had attacked a health service and that its crime would impact on sick, elderly and vulnerable people including children.

Digital notes left by the hackers were addressed to the Health Service Executive and investigators are satisfied the gang targeted the health system. "This attack," said one of the specialists working to restore the data systems, "was not an accidental discharge."

The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau is in charge of the criminal investigation and is liaising with Europol and Interpol. While they may identify individuals within the gang responsible, these people are believed to be in countries beyond the reach of this jurisdiction. They also say that while its "probable" that personal information that appeared online this week may be from the HSEs files, that has not been verified.

The gang members may be put on no fly and international watchlists which would confine them to their own countries. They may even be liable to international financial sanctions within their own country and have their accounts and assets frozen. However, these potential sanctions are unlikely to deter them and its unlikely that any of them will be brought to justice here.

But in spite of this harsh reality, the prosecution authorities did not stand idly by this week. The State made a pre-emptive strike to limit the gangs options and devalue their stolen data. The gangsters could not keep the crime out of the Irish courts.

Super injunction

The HSE took the imaginative and proactive step of securing a High Court injunction against the hackers, referred to in the order as "persons unknown". The court order restrains any person or company from sharing, processing, selling or publishing the data stolen from the HSEs computer systems. The application is unprecedented. The courts dont usually make orders against "persons unknown".

The main purpose of the super- injunction is to put legitimate information service providers such as Google, Twitter, and Facebook on notice of a legal prohibition on the sharing and publication of the HSE information.

The hackers have threatened to publish personal and confidential HSE records if they dont get paid but the injunction severely limits the effectiveness of such a strategy. It shuts down, to them and others, the main domestic and international platforms for disseminating the stolen data.

The criminals can still put it on the darknet, the marketplace for cyber criminals, but any individual or business who subsequently circulates it on social media potentially faces a large fine and or jail for contempt of court.

Ironically, the hackers have 42 days to enter an appearance to the proceedings after which the matter will return before the court, a civil right they are unlikely to avail of. Mr Justice Kevin Cross referred to their use of blackmail as "particularly heinous" and "always the remedy of a coward".

The National Cyber Security Centre continued working to restore the healthcare systems but it came as a complete surprise to them, the Government, the Gardai, the IT specialists and the HSE that out of the blue and for no apparent reason, last Thursday afternoon, the gang posted a decryption tool online.

Decryption key

The National Cyber Security Agency and the IT specialists from Ireland and abroad immediately examined the decryption key, a complicated algorithm. They established it was "a valid decryptor", "a binary solution" which they validated by programming it into a "sandbox" which is a safe cyber environment in which to open the key.

IT specialists were then able to use the key within that safe environment on a sample of the HSEs encrypted data. They discovered that the key worked because it decrypted the data. However they also discovered that it was "highly flawed" and needed to be "debugged".

The organised cyber crime gang had spent hundreds of thousands of euro designing and placing the ransomware in the Irish health systems but far less money on the decryption tool which would solve the problem, hence the bugs.

The criminal gang had inserted "a rolling encryption" as part of its ransomware into the HSEs systems to capture the data but had also pushed the encryption down through the entire computer system. IT specialists say it is therefore a complicated task to unlock the data even with the algorithm code because the code changes or "reiterates" every time they go into the system.

They must therefore recommence at the exact same place. They say it is a complex procedure which if not done carefully could corrupt the data. And while they have the algorithm, the decryption code, they now need to build "an engine" to "house" the decryption. The "engine" must be compatible with the HSE systems to work. Only then will they be able use the code to unlock the systems and safely restore the stolen data.

"We have the cargo but we now have to build the truck" one specialist said.

The IT specialists also have to undo some of the protections that they had put into the system to protect it against further attacks. They need to take down these protections in order to use the decryption key "a long string code".

As one specialist put it, "we have had to reverse engines and take one step back to move five steps forward".

Why did the gang hand over the key?

Security specialists working to restore the systems have described the decision of the criminal gang to publicly release a decryption key as "highly unusual". It is not clear why they did this and why they did it publicly. Criminal gangs like to operate covertly, make their demands, take their money and move on quietly to the next target.

However one of the problems the gang has created for itself is that it has drawn international attention upon its criminal activities. This is now a global story. Another problem is not just the unwillingness of the Government to pay any ransom, it is the unwillingness of any agency here apart from law enforcement to engage with them.

A third problem is the fact that they have attacked a state agency which has led to the attack becoming a political and diplomatic issue. The Taoiseach has said that diplomatic channels were not used to secure the release of the encryption code but the Minister for Foreign Affairs has raised the matter with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

In addition, the Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov has said that the authorities in Russia are looking for this gang, that Russian law enforcement is constantly watching for this kind of activity and that he is pretty sure that this recent incident is being investigated fully. He also disagreed with a suggestion that Russia was a safe haven for cyber criminals, pointing out that cyber crime has no borders and is not exclusively a product of Russia.

All that may have put pressure on the criminal gang but it may not be enough to stop it from dumping the data on the darknet next week to protect its reputation for ruthless extortion.

It has the data and it can also recoup some of its expenses by selling it on to other criminals for fraud and blackmail.

In many ways the offer of the online decryption code following the theft of the data is akin to a burglar handing back the key of a house after he has ransacked it. The burglar may have lost some money because the householder wouldnt pay to get the key back but the burglar can still sell the television, the jewellery, the laptops, the mobile phones and anything else he stole from the house. Hell also keep the cash he found in the upstairs bedroom.

Its not possible to predict what the cyber crime gang will do with the valuable assets they have stolen from the HSE. But much like the burglar, while Wizard Spider may not make as much as they hoped and may have to cut their losses, its clear they have other means of making money, primarily by "fencing" the goods stolen from the HSE in the cyber crime marketplace.

Its not unusual for healthcare to be targeted by cyber crime gangs. Six hospitals in the US were attacked by ransomware last October, another in Germany in November. It is however unprecedented for a criminal gang to target the systems of a national health service.

IT specialists say once the decryption key that can be used on the HSE systems has been built they can begin rolling it out online. They can also put it on USB keys and send officials to hospitals and health clinics where they can use it to restore systems onsite. They are warning however that this will take some time and some systems will take longer to restore than others.

What systems are restored and when will be a matter for the HSE.

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The anatomy of the health service cyber attack - RTE.ie

Anatomy

It’s time to let ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ go and move on to a Jackson and April spin-off – the viewers deserve it – Yahoo News

Give Jackson and April the spin-off they deserve. ABC/Richard Cartwright

Jesse Williams' exit from "Grey's Anatomy" saddened fans but also set up the perfect spin-off.

A show centered on Jackson, April, and their work in marginalized communities is vitally needed.

ABC hasn't announced any plans for a spin-off - just an 18th season for "Grey's" - but they should.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Longtime "Grey's Anatomy" viewers will recall the heartbreaking moment Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew) lost their son Samuel Avery in the season 11 episode "All I Could Do Was Cry."

On the night that episode aired in 2015, I called a friend sobbing.

"April has nothing and I have nothing and what am I gonna do?" I asked, crying real tears over my keyboard.

In my defense, I had drank a lot of wine to prepare for the episode, but I was not precisely just absorbing a fictional character's pain. I was one journalism project away from my Master's degree and advisers kept quitting on me or rejecting my proposals. Some of my pain was real.

My friend understood that fictional characters can be very real kindred spirits and told me, "You are going to finish your degree. And April has Jackson."

But I wasn't so sure about that last part: "You know how TV works - the writers are going to break them up!"

Turns out, we were both right.

I did finish my Master's degree, with a final project examining authentic representation of disability on TV. And following the loss of their child in that season 11 episode, "Grey's Anatomy" did choose to use Drew and Williams' natural chemistry against them for most of Drew's subsequent three seasons on the show. Instead of thriving together, Jackson and April flailed apart until Drew's nonsensical exit two years later at the end of season 14.

But the couple's recent on-screen reunion reminded viewers just how magnetic the two are, and how they're the perfect candidates to anchor a spin-off focusing on more marginalized and diverse stories - if only ABC were ready to let "Grey's Anatomy" go and make space for a show like that happen.

Story continues

Jackson and April in "Look Up Child." ABC/Richard Cartwright

Williams' recent exit finally gave "Grey's Anatomy" the chance to bring April back and right its wrongs in its handling of that relationship, and the show certainly takes its best shot to do so.

April's second marriage is essentially annulled in the May 6 episode "Look Up Child," which shows the exes reuniting onscreen for the first time since Drew's exit in 2018. But since Jackson doesn't know about April's separation until the end of that episode, there is a limit to the amount of reconciliation that can happen (no kiss, much to the chagrin of Japril fans everywhere).

But the path to a future reconciliation is clear, at least: April is moving to Boston with Jackson and their daughter Harriet to help her ex realize his dream of running his family's foundation and creating measurable change for marginalized communities within medicine. So, there is hope for them in all aspects of their lives.

It's the perfect ending for both Jackson and the actor who's played him for over a decade.

Off-screen, Williams has built his career around activism work as much as acting. But the more I think about it, the more the end of Jackson's story hurts.

It's understandable that Williams wants to move on from "Grey's Anatomy," where his character has been thrown from one inconsequential relationship to the next since April was written off.

But, here's the thing: Why is "Grey's Anatomy" continuing on?

Jackson is departing "Grey's Anatomy" to help underserved communities - why not follow him there? ABC/Richard Cartwright

Why are we gearing up for the 18th season of a show centered around a privileged white woman when the writers have informed us that Jackson and April are leaving to work for oppressed people, who need better medical care in real life - and who also need to see their stories represented on TV?

By "represented," I don't mean given five minutes of screen-time in between scenes of doctors hooking up in supply closets. We need our stories to be the focus of multi-episode and multi-season arcs; we need more marginalized actors to be recurring guest stars and series regulars.

Jackson's mission as the head of the Fox Foundation in Boston presents Disney, ABC, Hulu, or any network with an opportunity to develop a Japril-centered spin-off show that is more than just entertaining - such a show is desperately needed.

And Drew wholeheartedly agrees.

"This is the moment when Jackson realizes 'I have this incredible opportunity to make real change in the world,'" she said in a May 7 Instagram Live with Williams, after "Look Up Child" aired, discussing a hypothetical spin-off. "Both of their hearts are pulling towards serving the community and changing it for the better and here [Jackson is] head of the foundation with resources to be able to actually do these things. How amazing to really kind of dive into medical justice?"

"Grey's Anatomy" even unintentionally gave this hypothetical spin-off the perfect name in one of Jackson and April's last scenes together in "Look Up Child."

Jackson is leaving April's house after she's told him she is single and will go to Boston with him. "Fingers crossed for new horizons," she says, which Jackson echoes.

Jackson and April are going to Boston together. ABC/Richard Cartwright

The "New Horizons" show in my head features a diverse cast of doctors and social-justice leaders, working with Jackson and April to address the most pressing issues facing marginalized communities.

The maternal mortality rate for Black women, gender reassignment surgery costs within the transgender community, and access to specialized care for disabled adults are just three examples of topics that such a show could - and should - bring to our screens.

There would be personal drama, too, of course. Romances and friendships between new characters would flourish, and Jackson and April would obviously have to find a path back to each other, plan a real wedding, and potentially have another child if they want one. But instead of will-they-won't-they, stale love triangles, and baits-and-switches, the "New Horizons" core would be made of the real issues that matter every week.

The show could also touch upon other impactful storylines, like the reality of being in an interracial relationship and what it's like to experience child loss. Jackson and April have never really had nuanced discussions about race on "Grey's Anatomy," nor have we seen them grieve their son together in many years.

Drew and Williams have done their best with the material they've been given in the past. But as leads, executive producers, and/or directors of their own show, I have no doubt they would help elevate storytelling standards on TV.

I often think about the night their son Samuel Avery died and I drank a bottle of wine about it.

The truth is, that storyline has impacted many viewers' lives and made many grieving parents feel seen. It isn't exactly used as a device to break up Jackson and April's marriage, but as a disabled woman who has done academic work about how disability is represented on the small screen, I maintain that Samuel should have lived.

Drew and Williams are such dedicated acting partners, especially when the material matters. They would have handled playing parents of a disabled son with the care it deserves.

But as much as so many of us may want to, we can't rewrite "Grey's Anatomy." One fact that remains is that Jackson and April, along with the actors behind their stories, have always brought magic to even the most mundane material they were given.

So, ABC, my fingers are crossed for "New Horizons" to be on the air by 2023, whether or not "Grey's Anatomy" is still trundling onward at that point. Because there are far more vital (and interesting) stories that can and need to be told, far beyond the walls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

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It's time to let 'Grey's Anatomy' go and move on to a Jackson and April spin-off - the viewers deserve it - Yahoo News

Anatomy

The anatomy of the worlds first electric flying racing car – sUAS News

Some of the very first Mercedes, Bentleys and Renaults were racing cars. The pioneers of these marques knew that in order to advance a mobility revolution, they must build their machines for racing. At Airspeeder, we proudly echo that philosophy. To accelerate the arrival of advanced air mobility technology we must leverage sporting competition. The Airspeeder Mk3 is the result ofyears of engineering, testing and development with the pure purpose of creating the ultimate performance electric flying car.

Matthew Pearson, Founder, Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics

At Goodwood Speed Week, Airspeeder unveiled to the world the Mk3 racing prototype. This remotely-piloted craft showed the form of the worlds first full-scale and functional electric flying racing car. Today, the production version of this revolutionary vehicle is being created at the sports technical headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia. Airspeeder is proud to confirm the technical specifications of these craft before they participate in remotely piloted races throughout the second half of 2021.

Airspeeders mission is to accelerate a zero-emissions, advanced air-mobility revolution through intense sporting competition. This approach reflects the work of pioneers such as C.S Rolls, W.O Bentley and Karl Benz who built acceptance for what was then a revolutionary new technology, and accelerated their development, by going racing.

Alauda Aeronautics, sister-company to Airspeeder, is currently building ten of these vehicles for races set to take place on three continents in the coming months.

The eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) sector, which is predicted by Morgan Stanley to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040, is already transforming logistics and even providing medical supplies to remote regions. However, the passenger transport side of the industry has been very much focused on what is termed electric flying taxis. These promise to transform urban environments and free them from congestion with safe and sustainable transport.

To realise the potential of this technology, a space and place must be created to rapidly accelerate the key elements that will underpin global mass-adoption of advanced air mobility for passenger applications. Racing, as it was for the motorcar and aeroplane, is the answer.

Airspeeder will pioneer a suite of technologies that will refine and demonstrate safety requirements, build acceptance for eVTOL and, as a form of future transport, answer key questions around battery technology, noise and regulation.

The Mk3 remotely-piloted electric flying racing car is at its heart a performance machine. At maximum power it delivers 320kW, equalling an Audi SQ7 performance SUV. The Audi weighs 2,500kg while an Airspeeder racing craft (without pilot) weighs just 130kg. It can lift a weight of more than 80kg, proving the viability of the powertrain for piloted races. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 2.8 seconds and the Speeder can climb to 500 meters.

A Speeder can turn with extraordinary speed when compared to a traditional fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. The Mk3 vehicle has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 3.5, which exceeds that of an F-15E Strike Eagle (thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.2), one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. The thrust-to-weight ratio, along with other powertrain characteristics, has been verified as part of the exhaustive testing and development programme that preceded the start of full production. Indeed, the rapid hairpin turning potential achieved through an octocopter format has been compared to that of a Formula 1 car, generating up to 5Gs, with the added capability to manoeuvre vertically.

The Airspeeder engineering and technical team is drawn from some of the leading names in performance and racing vehicle engineering including Mclaren, Tom Walkinshaw Racing and Brabham. On the aviation side of the garage, members of the team have led major projects in both civil and military aviation, including Project Lead Brett Hills experience as a flight dynamics specialist on the Boeing 747-8 programme.

Together they have developed an advanced carbon fibre structure, carrying strength and weight-saving benefits. Indeed, there is an obsession at Alauda with shedding grams to gain critical seconds in performance. An Airspeeder vehicle consists of a chassis and carbon fibre moulded tub-style skin. This ensures overall strength to maintain the structural integrity of the vehicle under extreme racing conditions and manoeuvres.

Batteries have been re-designed versus the previous iteration of the Airspeeder to have 90% more capacity with only a 50% increase in weight. The specification of these cells also delivers an exciting strategic layer. Power delivery profiles can be changed by ground-crews to respond to the different requirements of the electronically governed sky-tracks that Airspeeder pilots will follow. For example, a lay-out that demands rapid maneuvers through sharp turns and ascents will require a different power delivery curve from those that demand outright straight-line speed. Ground crews will have to make instant decisions around sacrificing raw power for outright range.

Every Airspeeder includes rapid pit stops. To facilitate this, Alaudas engineers have developed an innovative slide and lock system for the rapid removal and replacement of batteries when on the ground. This technology debuts on the Mk3. Intense internal competition between inhouse pit-crews has driven the pitstop time down to just 14 seconds, which is entirely compatible with any form of ground-based legacy motorsport. This is expected to continue to fall. For context, a Formula 1 pitstop used to take more than a minute.

Airspeeder employs a systems-based approach to safety. This is a recognised methodology from military, civilian and performance aviation. This means that no single operational failure can lead to loss of the primary function of the vehicle, which is controlled flight.

In the early stages of the Mk3s development simulation, bench testing and integration testing techniques were employed to fully map out these systems. Ahead of live testing, this gave engineers confidence that in the event of a systems failure, vehicles will remain in the air but at reduced performance to ensure the pilot, whether operating remotely in the case of the Mk3, or in the cockpit in future iterations, will be able to safely return to the ground.

During flights, all systems are monitored on the ground through state-of-the-art telemetry. This means that groundcrew are immediately aware of issues and can take appropriate action to bring the craft to ground under control.

Prioritising safety is also inherent to the architecture of the vehicle. The octocopter layout ensures stability in the event of rotor failure or breakage, while the carbon fibre structure of the Speeder has been engineered for overall structural integrity.

The Mk3, which will be operated by an expert remote operator from the ground, features a suite of technologies and engineering elements never before seen on an eVTOL craft. These innovations will be validated in this key uncrewed proving phase and include LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems that create a virtual forcefield around the craft to ensure close but ultimately safe racing.

THE AIRSPEEDER Mk3 | DRIVEN BY DATA:

Terabytes of data from sensors within every area of the Speeders architecture is drawn over any testing or racing cycle. This means on-the-ground pit crews are able to constantly analyse and react to even the smallest variance in performance. From a racing perspective this dictates strategy and pilot approach, and in overall technical terms allows engineers to understand details like aerodynamic performance and even adjust propeller settings in accordance with Speeder behaviour in a multitude of conditions.

Airspeeder works with global cyber protection leader Acronis and their delivery partner Teknov8 to secure this data.

Continue reading here:
The anatomy of the worlds first electric flying racing car - sUAS News

Anatomy

Former Grey’s Anatomy star Sara Ramirez joins Sex and the City revival – Digital Spy

Former Grey's Anatomy star Sara Ramrez is joining the cast of Sex and the City.

Ramrez has been cast in a recurring role in HBO Max's event series And Just Like That as a podcaster named Che Diaz who frequently has Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) on their show.

Che is queer and nonbinary, and their views on gender identity have made their podcast extremely popular in the world of Sex and the City (via Entertainment Weekly).

Ramrez's casting comes on the heels of reports that Sex and the City boss Michael Patrick King would be adding several characters from diverse backgrounds to the cast to better represent Carrie and friends' social circle.

Nicholas HuntGetty Images

King has now said: "Everyone at And Just Like That is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramrez has joined the Sex and the City family.

"Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show."

Ramrez is best known for playing one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ characters in TV, Dr Callie Torres, on Grey's Anatomy.

Since leaving Grey's, they starred in the political drama series Madam Secretary as policy advisor Kat Sandoval for two seasons.

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And Just Like That will bring back original cast members Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon without Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones for a brand new chapter.

John Corbett has also announced that he will be returning as Carrie's one-time boyfriend Aidan Shaw.

The Sex and the City revival series will be airing on HBO Max in the US for 10 all-new episodes, with filming set to begin this summer.

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Former Grey's Anatomy star Sara Ramirez joins Sex and the City revival - Digital Spy

Anatomy

15 years of Google Trends, and Americans are still mostly searching for the same things – WFAA.com

Google Trends turned 15 in May 2021.

DALLAS Editor's note: The above video is from 2019.

Harry Potter, "American Idol" and "Grey's Anatomy" may seem unrelated on the surface, but they have at least one thing in common: American Google users were searching for those terms back when Google Trends first launched in May 2006 - and they're still searching for them now in May 2021.

Google Trends, the search engine's tool for seeing what Google users are searching for at any given moment, turns 15 this month. It launched in May 2006, when high-speed internet was first becoming widespread, Houston rapper Chamillionaire was burning up the charts with "Ridin' Dirty," and Texan George W. Bush was in the Oval Office.

A lot has changed in 15 years, but apparently, America's pop culture tastes and Google searches have stayed somewhat the same. In addition to Harry Potter, "American Idol" and "Grey's Anatomy" (which just got renewed for an 18th season), Americans are still searching for thriller and fantasy books, like 2003's "The Da Vinci Code" and 1993's "Without Remorse," which just got a search bump because it was adapted into a movie at Amazon Prime starring Michael B. Jordan.

Many actors that were popular in Google searches in 2006 are also still popular today, like Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and Zac Efron.

Worldwide, people are still asking the big questions in the past 15 years, like:

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Reports like these aren't just fun lists of what people search on Google each year; they're also mini-time capsules, showing us what we thought was worthy of our attention at any given moment. Fifteen years from now, we may look back at our fascination with "Game of Thrones" the same way we look at "The Da Vinci Code."

Take a trip down Memory Lane, see what's changed and check out Google's list of top searches in May 2006 vs. May 2021 below.

Top English-language questions, past 15 years, Worldwide

Most searched song lyrics, May 2006, U.S.

Most searched song lyrics, May 2021, U.S.

Most searched books, May 2006, U.S.

Most searched books, May 2021, U.S.

Most searched actors, May 2006, U.S.

Most searched Actors, May 2021, U.S.

Most searched TV shows, May 2006, U.S.

Most searched TV shows, May 2021, U.S.

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15 years of Google Trends, and Americans are still mostly searching for the same things - WFAA.com

Anatomy

Anatomy of an NBA champion: Which 2021 teams fit the statistical profile? – theScore

What does a champion look like?

Anyone familiar with the pantheon of NBA champions knows that certain teams have dominated - only 12 franchises have won the last 41 titles. But what do those champions have in common? Do they provide a statistical profile we can use to learn about this year's playoffs?

When we're looking for statistical similarities among championship teams to help us evaluate this year's postseason field, we'll use the last 16 seasons. The NBA's current 30-team, six-division scheduling format has been in place since 2004-05. The league had already adopted rules that prioritized offense by eliminating hand-checking and illegal defenses. And it's also recent enough to account for the modern importance of 3-point shooting.

Let's dig into the numbers that link these NBA champions and see what they say about this year's playoff teams.

Modern champions compiled a minimum win percentage of .634 - the equivalent of 52 wins in 82 games - and a top-five overall record during the regular season.

Even that might be a bit conservative, as the winning percentage outlier, the 2005-06 Heat, were on a 55-win pace (41-20) after Pat Riley took over coaching duties from Stan Van Gundy and a 58-win pace (42-17) with Shaquille O'Neal in the lineup after the big man missed 18 of 20 games to start the season. You'll also notice that the last eight champs finished with top-three records.

Who fits the bill? Jazz, Suns, 76ers, Nets, Nuggets

Who doesn't measure up? Bucks, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Hawks, Knicks, Heat, Celtics, Warriors, Grizzlies, Wizards, Pacers

Potential outlier: Clippers

The Clippers won more than 65% of their games this season, so they meet the win-percentage threshold of a champion, but they technically finished behind the Nuggets in the standings - sixth overall - due to Denver owning the tiebreaker. From a record perspective, however, the Clippers tied for a top-five mark this season, which would put them in title-contending territory.

An NBA champion needs to boast a top-eight scoring differential and top-eight net rating per 100 possessions. Specifically, the previous champions have outscored opponents during the regular season by at least 3.9 points per 48 minutes or 4.1 points per 100 possessions. The 2011 Mavs are an obvious outlier here, and a top-five differential might be the more accurate cutoff.

Who fits the bill? Jazz, Clippers, Bucks, Suns, 76ers, Nuggets, Nets

Who doesn't measure up? Hawks, Knicks, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Celtics, Heat, Grizzlies, Warriors, Pacers, Wizards

Potential outlier: Lakers

The defending champions boasted a top-eight point differential and net rating, but their actual metrics fell short of the specific plus-3.9 and plus-4.1 cutoffs for modern champions. However, the Lakers played a significant chunk of their season without one or both of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and when they did share the court, L.A. walloped teams by more than 11 points per 100 possessions (Utah's league-leading net rating was plus-9.0). With James on the floor in general, the Lakers still posted a higher net rating (plus-9.2) than the Jazz.

In other words, the healthy Lakers we expect to take the court for the postseason would more than meet our threshold for point differential.

Notwithstanding last year's Lakers and the 2009-10 Lakers, a top-nine offensive rating (points per 100 possessions), a top-six effective field-goal percentage, and a top-20 3-point percentage are all requirements for a championship offense. Dig deeper and you'll find that as NBA offenses have shifted to emphasize the 3-point shot, eight of the last nine champions finished in the top nine in 3-point shooting.

However, in the interest of consistency, we'll include the 2020 and 2010 Lakers and say that the 2021 champion only requires a top-11 offensive rating, a top-15 eFG%, and a top-23 3-point percentage.

Those very modest cutoffs don't really discriminate.

Who fits the bill (expanded version)? Nets, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Jazz, Bucks, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, Celtics

Who doesn't measure up? 76ers, Knicks, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Warriors, Grizzlies, Wizards, Pacers

If we do ignore the 2010 and 2020 Lakers, we could use the 14 other modern champions to determine the requirements are a top-nine offense and top-six effective field-goal percentage. That leaves these teams.

Who fits the bill (limited version)? Nets, Clippers, Jazz, Bucks, Nuggets, Suns

Although offense gets all the attention, every champion in our sample finished in the top 11 on the defensive end, with at least a top-13 mark in opponents' effective field-goal percentage. Also, 13 of the last 14 champions finished in the top eight in limiting opponents' effective field-goal percentage.

Who fits the bill? Jazz, Knicks, 76ers, Lakers, Clippers, Suns, Bucks, Warriors, Grizzlies

Who doesn't measure up? Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Nets, Hawks, Celtics, Wizards, Pacers

Potential outliers: Heat, Nuggets

Both the Heat and Nuggets finished in the top 11 on the defensive end but failed to meet the necessary cutoffs by ranking 19th and 21st, respectively, in opponents' effective field-goal percentage. In addition, Miami didn't rebound well enough on the defensive end, and Denver sent opponents to the free-throw line too often - both issues that are often remedied by postseason attention to detail and officiating. These teams may not meet our defensive cutoff points, but they're both capable of defending well enough to contend.

The postseason, not to mention The Finals, is about transcendent talent. Depth can carry you to the playoffs and an All-Star can perhaps drag you into the second or third round. But if you want to compete in June (or, in the case of 2021, July), you need a Hall of Fame-type, generational superstar. There's a reason 38 of the last 41 Finals has featured at least one of LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird. Throw in names like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Isiah Thomas, and you get 41 of 41.

There's obviously no way to quantify with 100% accuracy where players rank individually in the NBA, but one fun tool determines how stars stack up based on their average rank across a plethora of catch-all stats. Andy Bailey made this measure famous on Basketball Twitter. According to that data, each of the last 16 champions has had a player rank in the top 15 during the regular season. When you consider how flawless the 2014 Spurs were, and how much better than the 15th-best player Leonard was in 2019 (when regular season games played held him back in the rankings), you realize that a top-10 player - if not top five - is probably what's truly necessary.

You'll also notice every champion featured at least one All-Star, with 13 of the last 16 teams employing more than one.

All 16 champions featured at least one All-NBA selection (10 of 16 had multiple players on the year-end list), and 14 of the last 16 champions boasted at least one All-Defensive team selection. But those awards won't be handed out for weeks, so we can't use them to filter here.

Let's look for playoff teams with a top-15 player this season, according to the average of those aforementioned catch-all stats.

Who fits the bill? Nuggets, Bucks, 76ers, Mavericks, Heat, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Jazz, Lakers, Suns, Nets, Celtics, Warriors

Who doesn't measure up? Knicks, Hawks, Grizzlies, Wizards, Pacers

Potential outliers: Hawks, Knicks

No catch-all method or statistical cutoff is perfect, so does it really matter that Atlanta and New York's best players ranked just outside the top 15? After all, Julius Randle is almost certain to nab an All-NBA spot, and will likely even garner some down-ballot MVP love.

Nevertheless, if we also want to incorporate the fact that 13 of 16 modern champions boasted multiple All-Stars, then only the Sixers, Clippers, Lakers, Jazz, Suns, and Nets qualify.

Home-court advantage may not mean as much in 2021 as it did in 2019, but with fans slowly returning to arenas, we inch closer to postseason normalcy. At the very least, home court - and all that comes with it, beyond just fan support - means a lot more this spring than it did in the 2020 restart bubble. Historically, a team that excels no matter where it plays usually has a good chance to contend, so let's look at the home/road splits of recent champions and then compare that to the splits of 2021 playoff teams.

We're looking for teams that dominate at home and, at the very least, still win on the road. Modern champions post a minimum home win percentage of .707 (equivalent to a 29-12 home record in a full season) while also recording a winning record on the road.

Who fits the bill? Jazz, Suns, 76ers, Nets, Clippers, Bucks

Who doesn't measure up? Nuggets, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Knicks, Hawks, Heat, Celtics, Warriors, Wizards, Grizzlies, Pacers

Potential outliers: Everyone

Again, it's tough to use home/road splits from a season that was played in front of mostly empty arenas while heading into a postseason that will only feature moderately filled stadiums. Still, there's something to be said for the consistent excellence of the teams that made the cut.

If you're wondering why some other measurements were left out of this research, I discovered that assist metrics, rebound rates, turnover measures, free-throw frequency, and opponent 3-point percentages didn't produce championship trends as consistently as the statistics cited above. The championship teams we examined often finished in the bottom third in at least one of those categories.

Only two teams managed to check every box, with the Jazz and Suns entering the playoffs as the clear-cut favorites when considering the statistical profiles of modern NBA champions (though neither team is a betting favorite).

In addition, the only thing holding the Clippers back is that every modern champion finished top five in the overall standings, while the 2021 Clippers officially finished sixth. Again, however, L.A. did match the record of fifth-place Denver - and shamelessly tanked the final weekend of the season to seemingly avoid the Lakers' side of the West bracket - so I'm including the Clippers alongside Utah and Phoenix as having met the historical requirements of a contender.

Phoenix being in this category is most remarkable, as the Suns haven't played a postseason game in 11 years, and hadn't even cracked the 40-win mark in seven years. Not since the 2007-08 Celtics - who went on to win the title after acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen - has a team become a full-blown contender so swiftly (although I suppose you can make an argument for last year's Lakers, who ended a seven-year postseason drought to win the title).

Potential outliers: Lakers, Nets

We've already noted how dominant the Lakers are when James and Davis are healthy, and the defending champs almost certainly would've met the necessary championship cutoffs had the star duo not missed a combined 63 games. Needing to win a play-in game against Steph Curry's Warriors before drawing the rested Suns changes the equation, however.

As for the Nets, the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving played just eight games together, and even Brooklyn's lagging defensive metrics measured as surprisingly competent at high points of the team's season. If the Nets or Lakers emerge victorious a couple months from now, it won't be the tale of a team bucking the championship trend as much as it will be the tale of a team whose regular season wasn't indicative of its potential.

Wondering where the Sixers, Bucks, and Nuggets are? Philadelphia didn't score efficiently enough to qualify, Milwaukee finished outside the top five in the overall standings, and the (Jamal Murray-less) Nuggets didn't meet the necessary defensive requirements.

Just happy to be here: Hawks, Wizards, Pacers

Atlanta's the only surefire playoff team without a single championship indicator, though the Hawks only narrowly missed the thresholds on offense and in the "star talent" category. One of Washington or Indiana will join them in this category once the East play-in is decided.

Joseph Casciaro is a senior writer for theScore.

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Anatomy of an NBA champion: Which 2021 teams fit the statistical profile? - theScore

Anatomy

This former ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star is joining the HBO Max ‘Sex and the City’ reboot – Yardbarker

Sara Ramrez won over millions of hearts during a 10-year run as Dr. Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, and now the 45-year-old is crossing over into another iconic television franchise.

According to Deadline'sDenise Petski,Ramrez has been cast in HBO Max'sSex and the Cityreboot limited series titled And Just Like That...,where she will star alongside OG cast members Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon.

Petski provided context:

Ramrez made history as Grey'sTorres, an orthopedic surgeon who came into her sexuality during Season 4 through a surprise romance with Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), and became the longest-running LGBTQ+ character across 241 total episodes.

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This former 'Grey's Anatomy' star is joining the HBO Max 'Sex and the City' reboot - Yardbarker