Anne Hathaway fans divided over controversial Colleen Hoover ‘Verity’ movie casting news

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Anne Hathaway’s fans are divided after she was cast as the lead in the movie adaption of Colleen Hoover’s book “Verity.”

Deadline reported Wednesday that the Oscar-winning actress was teaming up with her “The Idea of Us” director for the upcoming adaptation, which is set to be released on Amazon Prime.

Following the news, fans of both the actress and the movie took to social media to express their feelings about the decision.

Anne Hathaway has been cast in the upcoming movie adaptation of “Verity.” GC Images

“Verity” is a book by Colleen Hoover released in 2018.

Some people were not happy that Hathaway was associating herself with Colleen Hoover. Getty Images

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Some people were ecstatic over the news with one person writing via X, “I’m very much tuned in for anne hathaway in verity I’m so sorry #guilty”

“OKKK so now I can’t wait that for the film adaptation of CH’s book ‘Verity’ to be starred by Anne Hathaway,” another person excitedly shared on social media.

Meanwhile, a third person recognized that although they didn’t like Hoover as a writer, they’d watch the movie for Hathaway.

“listen i hate colleen hoover but verity was a good book and ANNE HATHAWAY is starring in it omg,” they wrote.

Others, however, were happy with Hathaway being cast. VCG via Getty Images

“I can actually see Anne Hathaway playing Verity. It’s a good fit IMO,” one person shared via X. Getty Images

Others applauded the casting decision, “I can actually see Anne Hathaway playing Verity. It’s a good fit IMO.”

“There’s gonna be a film adaptation of Verity and Anne Hathaway is going to star in it? Yes, waaay! 😲🖤📖,” another fan shared.

However, others had strong feelings about the casting and Hathaway’s decision to be part of the movie.

“HOW DID THEY BAG ANNE HATHAWAY FOR VERITY??? ANNE DOMT [sic] DO THJS [sic],” one person tweeted.

On the other hand, one person said, “not anne hathaway staring in a colleen hoover film 😭😭😭😭” Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

“I’m more concerned for Anne Hathaway wasting her talent on this kind of s–t,” a third person shared on social media. Paul Zimmerman/Shutterstock

Meanwhile, a second shared, “Watch them butch this like they did with it ends with us.

“And the other was blake lively and they butchered that, I love Anne Hathaway but how Colleen went with it ends with us there’s no way she won’t change key parts in verity and that’s a shame cause I loved that book,” they continued, referencing the controversy behind casting Blake Lively as Lily Bloom in Hoover’s “It Ends With Us.”

A third also candidly wrote, “I’m more concerned for Anne Hathaway wasting her talent on this kind of s–t.”

“anne hathaway is literally THEEE anne hathaway what is she doing, i excused the harry styles [sic] famfic but colleen hoover?” a fourth said, referencing her movie “The Idea of You,” which many speculated was based on One Direction’s Harry Styles.

“not anne hathaway staring in a colleen hoover film 😭😭😭😭”a fifth person tweeted.

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Hoover was previously wrapped in controversy over her “It Ends With Us” movie adaption. Getty Images for Sony Pictures

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred in 2024’s “It Ends With Us.” GC Images

The 2018 book “Verity” follows Lowen Ashleigh, who accepts a job ghostwriting for famed author Verity Crawford after she’s been injured. While staying and working at Crawford’s home, Lowen finds a manuscript with several disturbing anecdotes she begins to believe may not be a work of fiction.

The casting news comes just months after the release of “It Ends With Us,” which was wrapped in controversy over the feud between its main stars, Justin Baldoni and Lively, as well as the actress publicizing her hair care line while promoting a film about domestic violence.

Videos from behind the scenes surfaced online seemingly showing Baldoni, who was also the director, fighting with Lively. It was said that the two often butted heads over creative decisions.

However, fans seemed to take a bigger issue with Lively and Hoover diminishing Bloom as a domestic violence survivor.

Many fans slammed Hoover and Lively for treating the movie lightly. Variety via Getty Images

Fans also had an issue with Lively asking people to wear florals for the movie. GC Images

During the press tour, Lively was slammed for promoting the movie as a fun girls’ night out activity where they could wear their best florals. They also criticized the movie’s absence of a trigger warning or not including a helpline for victims.

The actress was also slammed for telling reporters that domestic violence does not define her character.

“She is not just a survivor, and she’s not just a victim, and while those are huge things to be, they are not her identity,” she said. “Lily is not defined by something someone else did to her or an event that happened to her, even if it’s multiple events.”

The movie is about a domestic violence survivor, which many fans thought was glazed over. ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Baldoni, on the other hand, raised awareness about abusive relationships during the press tour. ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

The “Gossip Girl” alum noted, “She defines herself, and I think that’s deeply empowering. … No one else can define you. No experience can define you. You define you.”

Lively was also slammed at the time for her past “rude behavior” to reporters.

However, many praised Baldoni for how he chose to raise awareness about domestic violence and abusive relationships during the tour.

New Cruel Intentions series is a love letter to the original film but without the salacious buzz

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Open this photo in gallery:Cece Carroway (Sara Silva), Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess) in Cruel Intentions.Jasper Savage/Amazon PrimeThe world was a different place when Cruel Intentions debuted in theatres 25 years ago. Sarah Michelle Gellar was at the height of her Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon were dating. Someone convinced Joshua Jackson to bleach his hair. And teens had not yet been exposed to the exploits of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or Euphoria.This is all to say that step-siblings making sex bets and Gellar and co-star Selma Blair exchanging saliva was scandalous. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the risqué book on which the movie was based, wasn’t exactly required reading in school, and many teens wanted to see what the buzz was about.Fast-forward a quarter of a century though, and the world has been desensitized to such storylines and scenes. So Prime Video unleashing its version of the IP with a new eight-episode series doesn’t hit in quite the same way. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth checking out.The series takes place at a Washington, DC college where a hazing incident puts Greek life in jeopardy. To maintain their power and status quo, step-siblings Caroline (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lucien (Zac Burgess) make a bet to woo the vice-president’s daughter, freshman Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith). If Caroline can get her in the sorority, its future is safe. But she needs her brother dearest to help seduce Annie into that life.From there the viewer can expect callbacks and Easter eggs, from a pool scene and Lucien’s car to a memorable first kiss and a drug-filled cross necklace. The finale even features a rendition of Bittersweet Symphony that evokes instant nostalgia. Those moments are fun to spot, but it’s the exploration of Greek life that differentiates this show.Most of Caroline’s plotting revolves around keeping her sorority, of which she’s the president, intact as criticism mounts. It somewhat mirrors what’s happening in real life, as sororities and fraternities confront their problematic pasts and the calls to end dangerous rushing practices grow louder. (If you haven’t checked out Netflix’s documentary Bama Rush yet, it’s a deep dive into what’s going on over at the University of Alabama, for example.)It’s an interesting thread but would not be sustainable in a second season. (And after investing time to get to the open-ended and somewhat unsatisfying finale, not having a second season would be frustrating for many.) That’s why interesting supporting characters, strong performances and side stories are necessary anchors in Season 1. Unfortunately, there are some lows along with the highs.As is always the case with a series versus a movie, the show has time to dive deeper. Caroline is drawn as a more complicated character with sympathetic undercurrents. The actor Hook easily commands attention in every scene. The movie’s signature tone can be a hard one to nail, but she slides into it easily.She’s particularly great opposite her No. 2, Cece (Sara Silva), an anxious overachiever whose storyline with an older prof (original film star Sean Patrick Thomas, in a new role) keeps the series moving as the main plot involving Annie unfolds.Open this photo in gallery:Prime Video is unleashing its version of Cruel Intentions with a new eight-episode series.Jasper Savage/Prime Video/Amazon PrimeThen there’s Blaise (John Kim), who could be the Chuck Bass of the bunch, if Chuck Bass moonlit as a rich frat party planner. His desperation to continue living among his wealthy counterparts adds conversation about class and wealth, but it’s his one-liners to watch out for. His interactions with a dumb-but-sweet politician’s son named Scott (Khobe Clarke) add to the complex scheming and show twists, but their overall relationship is one we’ve seen on TV before.Where the show really goes off the rails is with the Beatrice (Brooke Lena Johnson) character. Her politicking to take down the sororities while constantly talking over everyone else is just annoying – to the other characters and the audience. There are no soft moments to balance her out, which is a lost opportunity to represent the complex feelings of rejection and anger so many girls in her situation face.As for Lucien, Burgess plays him with a disarming charm. As an audience you slowly begin to root for him despite his past deeds (including his many sex videos uploaded to the cloud). That’s partially thanks to the way Annie is written and how she is played by Smith. She’s naive and innocent, but by no means dumb. There are plenty of moments in the dialogue where other characters might disregard a hint to a past storyline, but Annie pushes and demands answers. By the time you get to the final episode you can’t help but want her and Lucien to make it.Whether that’s enough to capture modern audiences or retain nostalgic viewers remains to be seen. Creators Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman have created a love letter to the original film, but younger streamers might not care, especially since there’s nowhere to currently purchase or stream the 1999 film in Canada.Then again, pretty rich kids doing terrible things continues to be an escapist theme that many viewers love unwinding with. This might not be the Cruel Intentions of your past, but it’s certainly doing its best to modernize the cult of Greek life while presenting its own sexy scandals and twists. Just don’t expect the same shock value.All eight episodes of Cruel Intentions are now available to stream on Prime Video.

bKash wins ‘Mastercard Excellence Award’ in Digital Business 4th time in a row

Business News

bKash, the country’s largest MFS provider, has won the ‘Excellence in Mastercard Digital Business 2023-24’ award for the 4th consecutive time in recognition of its exceptional contributions to advancing financial inclusion and fostering a robust digital economy.The 6th edition of ‘Mastercard Excellence Awards’, themed ‘Leading by Resilience’, was given to 26 organisations in 18 categories based on their contribution to financial transactions in the FY 2023-24, according to a media release. 
The event held at a hotel in the capital on Saturday (November 16, 2024), where Nishat Rahman, Chief Customer Service Officer of bKash, received the award from Bangladesh Bank governor Dr. Ahsan H Mansur.
Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager, Mastercard Bangladesh; Adnan Kabir Rocky, Head of Banking Partnership & Operations of bKash and Shaker Bin Khorshed, Head of bKash Centre were also present.

New on the Caltech Science Exchange: Neuroscience

Science and Health

The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. (Its name comes from the Greek word for almond.) The amygdala is involved in many aspects of emotional processing and regulation, particularly fear and anxiety. It receives input from sensory systems, such as those that control vision and hearing, and sends output to various regions of the brain to coordinate reactions to danger and other emotional triggers.​​

An axon is a long, thin fiber that extends from a nerve cell, or neuron, and carries electrical signals away from the cell to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

The basal ganglia are a group of structures deep within the brain that are involved in movement and also play a role in procedural learning, habit formation, reward processing, and emotional processing. Neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and addiction have been associated with problems in the basal ganglia. The study of these structures is an active area of neuroscience research.

Brain mapping is the process of creating a detailed map or model of the structure and function of the brain, and is often used to understand, identify, and treat neurological disorders. Structural methods focus on the brain’s anatomy and use imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Functional methods seek to understand areas of the brain involved in functions such as speech or sight. These use techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG) to identify parts of the brain that are activated during specific tasks.

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the brain and is made up of gray matter. It is divided into two hemispheres, left and right, which are connected by a thick bundle of nerves called the corpus callosum. The cerebral cortex is involved in a wide range of processes—including sensation, attention, memory, thought, and language—with different regions, or lobes, specializing in different functions. Problems in the cerebral cortex have been linked to disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

A connectome is a map, or diagram, of all the connections among nerve cells in the brain. The term is inspired by the word “genome,” which describes an organism’s complete genetic information.

Dendrites are branch-like projections that extend from nerve cells, or neurons. They receive input from other neurons and transmit it to the cell body.

An EEG, or electroencephalogram, is a test that measures the brain’s electrical activity using sensors attached to the scalp. EEGs can be used to diagnose and monitor disorders such as epilepsy.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an imaging technique that indicates brain activity, in part by measuring and comparing blood flow in different areas. fMRI is used to understand how the brain works as well as in preparing for brain surgeries.

The hippocampus is a small seahorse-shaped structure in the brain’s temporal lobe that plays a major role in memory, receiving input from sensory systems and other brain regions, and sending output to the cerebral cortex to coordinate memory formation and retrieval. The hippocampus is also involved in processes including spatial navigation, decision-making, and learning. Problems with the hippocampus are linked to disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and depression.

Lateralization describes how each side, or hemisphere, of the brain tends to dominate or specialize when it comes to different functions, such as speech and language (left hemisphere for most humans).

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a technique that creates detailed images of organs and tissues inside the body using powerful magnets and radio waves.

Myelin is a fatty substance that covers the axons of nerve cells. This myelin sheath acts as an insulator and allows for faster and more efficient transmission of electrical signals along the axon. In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system attacks the myelin sheath causing loss and damage, or demyelination, which results in impaired nerve function and symptoms such as weakness, numbness, and cognitive difficulties.

Neurons, or nerve cells, are the fundamental units of the nervous system. While neurons vary in size and shape, they include three main parts: branch-like dendrites, which receive signals from other cells; a soma, or cell body, which integrates those signals; and an axon, which transmits signals. Scientists estimate there are 86 billion neurons in the human brain.

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences and other stimuli. It is an important process that shapes learning, memory, and behavior.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that nerve cells use to send signals across a synapse to other nerve cells, muscles, and glands. They convey messages that control breathing, digestion, sensation, emotions, learning, and much more. Serotonin, for example is a neurotransmitter with a role in mood.

The peripheral nervous system includes the network of nerves that runs throughout the body, carrying information to and from the brain and spinal cord (which make up the central nervous system).

Synapses are tiny gaps between nerve cells, where nerve cells communicate with one another via neurotransmitters. Information is sent across synapses to other nerve cells or to muscles or glands.

Orillia woman pens book to help parents navigate ‘bewilderment’ of life with adult children

Arts & Culture, Books

A former local high school teacher and life coach has found a new way to support parents with adult children through her new book.

Gill Tillman, the author of Pour the Wine, We’re Talking About Our Adult Children Again, began her writing career through journals.

“I was sort of facing a time of bewilderment and confusion with my own adult kids,” she explained. “When I have any sort of unease I like to go to my journal.”

Tillman, a first-time author, decided it was important to share her thoughts with other parents facing similar feelings or challenges.

“I started to realize I wasn’t alone,” she said. “I began thinking I would love to assist others in realizing they aren’t alone and there is power in sharing.”

Tillman, 67, says nobody has a perfect family, and everybody could use some support with managing their relationships.

“I compiled some of the journals and went out and did some research,” she explained. “I really enjoy helping other people by providing some tools and strategies that they might employ as they deal with life with adult children.”

Tillman, an Orillia resident for more than three decades, has two sons and a daughter aged 37, 35, and 32. Each lives in a different country.

Tillman says the book isn’t a how-to guide, but rather an open discussion about what other people are doing, how they are communicating with their children, and when they are deciding to “hold back.”

“It really is more conversational,” she said. “It talks about different situations that you may or may not find yourself in.”

Tillman says adult children can sometimes clash with parents about lifestyle choices, employment choices, and mental health issues.

“The book is organized so I speak first to what the differences are with this generation that are real,” she said. “We think this generation of children, 19 to 30, are taking longer at meeting what parents would consider to be life’s milestones.”

Tillman says it is taking longer for today’s generation to find their footing in relationships and careers.

“The traditional milestones don’t come at the same time,” she said. “Marriage can come in a different variety of ways and I know some parents have issues with how grandchildren are looked after.”

Tillman says it can be challenging for parents to navigate the period when their child becomes an independent adult because it’s taking “much longer” than it did in the past.

Tillman hopes her book will allow parents to realize they aren’t alone and understand it’s a difficult time for people of this generation as they enter the adulthood.

“We all know that mental health is on the rise,” she said. “Employment is tough and the economy is hard.”

Tillman says the hardest part of parenting is the work she’s had to do on herself, which she talks about in the book.

“As parents, we have to take responsibility that there is work for us to do,” she said. “We are not always right and don’t always understand, and that’s OK.”

Tillman hopes the book will inspire people to stop and think, particularly over the holiday season when “everybody is being pressured in every which way.”

Tillman will be selling Pour the Wine, We’re Talking About Our Adult Children Again at the Couchiching Craft Brewing Co. on Sunday, Nov. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. The book is also available on Amazon and at Manticore Books in downtown Orillia.

DOL probe gets green light as company argues it would ruin its business

Business News

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su | UD DOL official portrait
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Legal Newsline) – A company hoping to show the Department of Labor is wrecking its business with an investigation that would involve its clients has gotten very little help from a federal judge.

Michigan judge Paul Maloney on Nov. 19 “largely” adopted the recommendations of a magistrate judge, finding Forge Industrial Staffing has not shown it will be irreparably harmed if the DOL starts contacting its clients.

Forge sends temporary employees to nearly 600 companies in Michigan and Indiana but has lost 17 clients since a 2023 New York Times article kickstarted the DOL’s probe into whether it is providing underage workers and/or committing other labor violations.

The clients Forge has lost account for $9.5 million of its annual revenue. It felt if the DOL were allowed to inspect its clients’ workplaces to ask about Forge temps, it would lose even more.
“It seems that the damage has already been done, and considerable time has passed since the article’s publication,” Maloney wrote.
“Further, Forge does not explain how providing its client information will add to previous losses. Regarding the last two factors, the DOL’s interest in enforcing the (Fair Labor Standards Act) mirrors the public’s interest; these two factors also do not favor a stay.”
The DOL wants access to a list of Forge’s clients to determine whether employees provided by Forge are of age and are being compensated fairly. Forge says having federal investigators roaming its clients’ facilities would ruin its reputation.
It’s an investigation that was fueled by a New York Times article and is overseen by acting Labor secretary Julie Su, who has failed to win confirmation in the U.S. Senate but still gets to head the agency.
The New York Times published an article in February 2023 on possible child labor violations in 20 different states. It quoted a former Forge employee, Nubia Malacara, who said a Forge client – Hearthside Foods – was knowingly employing minors.
“Hearthside didn’t care,” Malacara is quoted as saying.
Fake IDs are a concern, Forge says. The company placed Malacara with Hearthside in 2011 for a three-day stint – the only job Malacara was placed into by Forge, the company says.
Malacara said her birthday was in November 1992, which would have made her 19. But 10 years later, Forge hired her to a full-time administrative position and she reported a birthday in 1995 this time. She resigned after less than a year.
She also used a different social security number than the one she used 10 years earlier. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services says employers should accept documentation that “reasonably appears to be genuine.”
Forge employees are periodically tested when the company intentionally sends “applicants” who are out of compliance with company policy to try to gain employment, the company says.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Phillip Green rejected Forge’s complaints in a February report and recommendations, which permitted the DOL to enforce its subpoenas.
Green wrote Forge “offers nothing to suggest” providing the client list would be burdensome according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
“Instead, Forge argues that the Court should consider ‘burden’ in the form of embarrassment and interference with client relationships,” Green wrote.
“But Forge is unable to cite any authority for the proposition that this is the type of burden the Court may consider, and the undersigned (Green) has found none.”
Maloney agreed with Green on everything except Green’s recommendation Forge should have to pay the DOL’s legal costs for challenging the subpoenas. Maloney said he isn’t convinced Forge has a likelihood of prevailing on the merits.
“(I)t is improbable that the circuit would expand the current subpoena enforcement jurisprudence to account for potential economic harms to a business,” Maloney wrote.
“As the DOL points out, Forge could not cite any pointed authority in support for its view, and Forge itself acknowledged as much in a footnote… Forge’s financial burden argument is a poor fit in this context.”

Costs of doing business

Business News

DEAR Mr. President:

Thank you for your efforts to make “ease of doing business” possible, but could you please also look at the other angle of what we could call the “costs of doing business”?

It appears, however, that both are two sides of the same coin, meaning that they are closely related to each other.

It seems possible that the cause of that is corruption at the local government level, made possible by local officials that add on too many requirements for local business permits. The more requirements are added, the more costs are imposed upon startup businesses, and because of that, there is lesser “ease”, and there are more “costs”.

Perhaps it is not reported in the news, but the rumor mill is full of stories about some corrupt people who supposedly harass new business applicants or small business owners, reportedly representing the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Department of Health, among others. That does not include local government units (LGU) such as the local sanitation office and even the garbage collectors.

Because of that, it becomes more difficult for startups to open their new businesses, and they must spend a lot of money before they could get a business permit.

I also would like to thank you, Mr. President, for spearheading the campaign towards the automation of both the national government agencies (NGAs) and LGUs. I say that, because I believe that automation is the solution to corruption.

I say that, because the more automation there is, the less discretion there is. As everyone knows, discretion is one cause of corruption. As the saying goes, “do not tempt the mortals”.

In line with that, I also say that the more automation is in place, the lesser temptation there is. I do understand, Mr. President that local officials do not have jurisdiction over NGA officials who are assigned to the LGU levels.

However, I believe Sir that with the proper instructions from you, these NGA officials and the LGU officials could work together in joint committees or task forces to realize the two goals of “ease of doing business” and lesser “costs of doing business”.

Would it be possible Sir, for you to issue an executive order to that effect?

In addition to the mobile apps that were launched by the DICT to support the goal of “ease of doing business”, there are also several apps that were developed by private companies that LGUs could also use. These apps are being offered for free by the private companies. As usual, they generate their incomes and recover their costs from advertising, training, logistics and payment services.

The good news, Mr. President, is that both the NGAs and the LGUs could now automate their services without spending so much money. Perhaps it is just a difference in culture, but in many other countries, their governments would go out of their way to make it easy for anyone to start a new business.

Some countries even make it possible to get a business permit in one day, without any problems. Here in our country Sir, the opposite seems to be happening, because those who want to start a business here are seemingly required to go through an obstacle course.

Can you do something about that Sir?/PN

Mastering Business Intelligence with Open-Source Tools: A Guide for Secure and Cost-Effective Linux Solutions

Business News

Business intelligence platforms are specific technologies based on creating a system that enables companies to monitor and analyze data like never before. What is the goal of these systems?

It is simple to collect data from multiple sources onto a single platform (a great solution, especially for the lazy!). This data can include sales, financial data, accounting, and more. The data is then organized and sorted into a visualization that makes it easy to understand, often with the help of data visualization tools, enabling companies to make strategic decisions using insights derived from real-time data analytics and efficient data integration tools.

Why organizations need BI platforms
To succeed in the dynamic corporate world, today’s organizations must be data-driven and foster a data-driven culture. For this to be possible, leaders need a modern business intelligence platform that enables everyone to observe and understand data. Business intelligence platforms go beyond business analytics software packages. They support the organization’s BI strategy by making accessing and analyzing data easier. Basic analytics platforms import, clean up, analyze, and forecast data. On the other hand, business intelligence platforms are more effective and dynamic and adapt to the development of your BI strategy.
Standard features of BI platforms
A platform for enterprise use supports business agility without compromising governance or security. Here are five aspects to consider when evaluating a modern BI platform.
Total cost of ownership without surprises
Open Open-source BI tools are often customizable and work seamlessly with data integration tools to support complex business environments. Many organizations, especially smaller ones, switch to open-source software to meet their data mining and ad hoc reporting needs. When evaluating platforms, however, consider the total cost of ownership. Do not decide based on the price alone. Do a complete comparison. To all the other extra elements, add the need to make that “free” platform work in your business environment (today and in the future). Free tools are anything but free and can contribute to a sizeable total cost. Often, they make other products, subjects, and infrastructure necessary to meet enterprise-wide requirements. Although there are online resources for learning how to use open-source software, those resources will not tell you how to use the platform for your organization’s specific needs. In other words, no matter how customizable, an open-source solution cannot be as flexible as your organization is dynamic. In contrast, superior commercial open-source BI tools have built-in resources, support, and enterprise scalability.
Dynamic dashboards
One of the most popular features of a BI platform is the ability to create and customize dashboards. People can create forms, charts, and graphs that can be updated almost in real-time. It is also possible to publish dashboards on separate internal platforms. One should choose a platform offering self-service capabilities, allowing users to leverage data visualization tools to create intuitive and interactive dashboards. This way, everyone can access the data, create their analytics, and assist the organization in creating a culture of analytics.
Intuitive visual analytics
 Choose an intuitive visual analytics platform. This allows you to explore data, offering visual information wherever you are visually. The platform should also allow you to share results by creating beautiful visualizations, all from the same intuitive interface, without switching between different products for different types of analytics. Do not just watch a demo. Sign up for a free trial version and test the platform. Try answering multiple questions to test the processing power and efficiency of the tool.
The power to drive your BI strategy
Even the most potent BI reporting platform is only valid if it can easily connect to the data. The right analytics platform provides optimized native connections to the data, and it does not matter if you are in Hong Kong or Beijing. You can easily access analytics wherever you are. 
The platform must allow access and analysis of data in real-time without downloading it, and it must be possible to run a query with little or no coding effort quickly (we do not like to overwork ourselves!). The BI platform must also allow you to deploy analytics wherever you want: in the cloud, on the local server, or hosted off-site. The platform must also integrate seamlessly with your existing data strategy, combining real-time data analytics and data integration tools to revolutionize your current data infrastructure. 
In addition, it must be easily integrated into other companies’ portals and business applications. In this way, you can cater to users wherever they are. This flexibility is critical when evaluating business intelligence programs and choosing a BI platform. Tools that are not flexible increase the total cost of ownership.
Data Integrity and Security with Open Source BI Tools
As Linux admins, we know that securing our systems is a top priority. Data protection is critical when it comes to open-source BI tools. While open-source platforms may seem risky, many tools like Apache Superset and Metabase have robust security features. They allow us to store and transmit encrypted data, ensuring our analytics are as secure as any commercial offering. These tools help us maintain data integrity and protect our insights, all while ensuring compatibility with modern business intelligence platforms for seamless performance. 
Managing Total Cost of Ownership with Open Source BI Tools
Open-source BI tools might appear free, but we Linux admins recognize there can be hidden costs. Sometimes, additional products or infrastructure are needed to meet all business needs. However, great tools like KNIME and Redash scale well and integrate advanced data visualization tools and real-time data analytics for optimal performance. These features help us predict and manage costs better than some proprietary solutions. By leveraging these tools, we avoid unexpected expenses and get the support we need without blowing our budgets.
Flexibility and Integration of Open Source BI Tools
Flexibility is critical in our dynamic business environments. Open-source BI tools like Metabase and KNIME shine here, offering powerful data integration tools that align perfectly with leading business intelligence platforms. They integrate smoothly with other business applications and portals, making our lives easier. We can cater to users wherever they are without compromising performance or security. These tools are adaptable, helping us keep up with ever-changing business demands without being locked into a rigid system.
Examples of Open Source BI Tools
As Linux administrators, understanding and implementing the right open-source BI tools can significantly transform your data analysis and decision-making processes. This section explores industry-leading options like Apache Superset, with its cutting-edge data exploration capabilities; Metabase, known for its intuitive, user-friendly analytics interface; KNIME, which excels in comprehensive, scalable data workflows; and Redash, celebrated for its effortless data connectivity and query execution. By diving into these tools, you’ll learn how each can enhance your data infrastructure, making it more secure, scalable, and efficient. Discovering these BI solutions’ unique strengths and features will empower you to make informed choices that drive better insights and business outcomes, ensuring you’re equipped with the best tools to handle the complexities of modern data environments.
Apache Superset
Apache Superset is a modern and intuitive platform for exploring and visualizing data. It integrates real-time data analytics with user-friendly data visualization tools. It is easy to navigate, supports a wide range of data connectors, and very skillfully handles high-volume data. Its flexibility and solid security features make it a great choice for embedding powerful analytics into our setups. 
Metabase
Metabase lets us ask questions and get answers from our data quickly. It’s designed to be simple so everyone in our organization can use it, not just the data experts. It also secures data access, ensuring only authorized users can view sensitive information.
KNIME
KNIME is perfect for data analytics and integration. It’s scalable, which means it grows with our team’s needs. KNIME offers robust security features, so we can be confident our data transformation processes stay protected. 
Redash
Redash helps democratize data access while emphasizing secure sharing, making it a perfect addition to any organization’s suite of business intelligence platforms. It connects multiple data sources and supports real-time interaction, making it a versatile and safe option for all our data needs.
It Makes Us More Efficient Users While Keeping Data Secure
The right platform for your organization must enable everyone to interact with and benefit from the data, regardless of skill level. It allows your organization to foster a data culture, putting data at the center of everyone’s business decisions. To maximize the value of your data, you must deploy controlled self-service analytics on a scale. In addition, to make the entire organization more efficient, you need an analytics tool that the business loves and the IT department trusts. The right business intelligence software allows the organization to equip itself with a business-centric, IT-enabled approach to analytics. It enables the IT department to establish a secure and controlled environment that protects data and ensures its integrity without compromising business agility and innovation.

Former James Bond Daniel Craig talks about new movie Queer

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowDaniel Craig said he would have been “terrified” to make a film like Queer during his time as James Bond.Former James Bond star Daniel Craig said he would have been “terrified” to make a film like Queer during his time as 007. The 56-year-old revealed all while discussing his latest movie centred around a gay romance.Craig appeared as Bond five times in Casino Royale in 2006, Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012, Spectre in 2015, and No Time to Die in 2021. Explaining how he felt he should ‘stay in his lane’ while playing the famous MI6 spy, he said: “I wouldn’t have done [Queer 10 years ago]. I was so wrapped up in Bond and what that was, I would have been terrified of doing something like this. Especially early on with Bond, I was like, ‘This is enough. Stay in my lane.’”The actor was speaking in an interview with The New York Times about his up and coming release, Queer, directed by Italian film director and producer, Luca Guadagnino.Daniel Craig has been talking about his latest movie, Queer

Colorado Sees 60.6% Surge in New Business Applications Since 2019

Business News

Despite economic headwinds in recent years, including high prices and interest rates, one bright spot has been a surge in new businesses. Across cities nationwide, aspiring and existing entrepreneurs are launching businesses at rates not seen in recent history. This trend defies pressures from high operational costs and limited access to capital, signaling a wave of innovation and adaptability.Many of these new ventures are born out of necessity—a reminder that challenging times often inspire fresh ideas and creative solutions. Whether driven by shifts in the labor market, evolving consumer needs, or a desire for greater autonomy, entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries have turned obstacles into opportunities and are reshaping local economies in the process.New Business Applications Over TimeAfter rapidly rising during COVID, new business applications remain elevatedSource: Simply Business analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data | Image Credit: Simply BusinessNew business applications have surged to unprecedented levels over the past five years. For much of the 2000s and 2010s, business applications hovered between 2.5 million and 3.5 million annually. In 2020, however, applications spiked dramatically, reaching 4.35 million—a roughly 25% increase from the previous year. This trend accelerated further in 2021, with applications exceeding 5.3 million, and has since stabilized.The economic shifts brought on by the pandemic spurred a renewed wave of entrepreneurship, fueled by the rise of remote work, digital transformation, and shifting consumer demands. Despite inflation and increased borrowing costs since 2022, applications have continued to exceed pre-pandemic norms, with 5.45 million applications filed in 2023. Early 2024 figures show a potential year-end total near 5.2 million.New Businesses Applications by IndustryHolding companies, retail see largest growth in new business applicationsSource: Simply Business analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data | Image Credit: Simply BusinessAcross the 15 largest industry sectors, management of companies and retail trade have experienced the most significant growth in new business applications since 2019—indicating strong opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in those areas of the economy. Applications in the management of companies sector, which includes holding companies and corporate offices, rose by 88.1% from 2019 to 2023. Retail trade followed closely, with an 85.9% increase, indicating strong entrepreneurial activity in these areas. Other industries seeing significant growth include administrative and support services (up 70%), accommodation and food services (66.3%), and transportation and warehousing (65.1%).While certain sectors show high growth in applications, some are more likely than others to convert these applications into employer businesses. Among the top industries, accommodation and food services leads, with 15.6% of its new business applications projected to become employer businesses. Health care and social assistance follow at 11.1%, with construction (7.8%), professional services (7.5%), and manufacturing (7.1%) rounding out the list. By contrast, management of companies, despite its significant growth, has a lower conversion rate, with only 0.9% of applications expected to become employer businesses.Geographical Differences in New Business ApplicationsBusiness-friendly states Wyoming and Delaware see the biggest surge in new business applicationsSource: Simply Business analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data | Image Credit: Simply BusinessAt the state level, Wyoming and Delaware stand out for their growth in business applications. Wyoming business applications more than tripled between 2019 and 2023, resulting in an additional 39,609 applications. Delaware business applications grew by 113%, adding 29,244 new applications. Both states are known for business-friendly policies, encouraging people to incorporate and start businesses there.Outside of Wyoming and Delaware, states in the southern half of the country generally recorded larger increases in new business applications than those in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, or Midwest. Leading Sun Belt states include New Mexico (+92.1%), South Carolina (+77.9%), Alabama (+72.2%), and Florida (+69.5%). New business applications in Texas also posted an above-average increase of 63.4%. These states tend to have either favorable tax rates, privacy laws, filing requirements, or some combination of the three that make them appealing to business owners.At the local level, these geographic patterns are less distinct, reflecting variations in local economies. For example, several California metropolitan areas rank highly despite California as a state recording below-average growth in business applications. Among the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, Sacramento, CA (+127.8%) and Fresno, CA (+101.1%) ranked first and second, with Riverside, CA (+80.4%) ranking fourth. Rounding out the top five were Tampa, FL and Indianapolis, IN. Tampa business applications increased by 84% between 2019 and 2023, while Indianapolis business applications grew by 77.5%.Understanding which areas are experiencing new business growth is useful for both current and aspiring business owners. High-growth areas often reflect favorable conditions such as supportive local policies, growing populations, and affordability, which can impact a business’s chances of success. This information allows business owners to assess where opportunities may be strongest based on recent activity.This analysis was conducted by Simply Business—a small business insurance marketplace—using 2019 and 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Researchers ranked locations based on the percentage change in new business applications between the annual figures for 2019 and 2023.Here is a summary of the data for Colorado:Percentage change in new business applications (2019–2023): +60.6%Absolute change in new business applications (2019–2023): +52,389New business applications in 2019: 86,479New business applications in 2023: 138,868Estimated employer businesses created from 2019 applications: 6,541Estimated employer businesses created from 2023 applications: 7,834For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:Percentage change in new business applications (2019–2023): +55.8%Absolute change in new business applications (2019–2023): +1,952,088New business applications in 2019: 3,498,833New business applications in 2023: 5,450,921Estimated employer businesses created from 2019 applications: 280,716Estimated employer businesses created from 2023 applications: 354,090For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, see Cities Experiencing a Surge in New Business Applications on Simply Business.