The Chicago Journal

Peeking Into Sophiaverse: Today’s Ultimate Metaverse That Aims to Innovate the NFT Realm

Claire Peterson Claire Peterson on May 30, 2022

The rapid emergence of the digital era has pushed several entities worldwide to become even more pressed to embrace changes, particularly those that cater to the needs of thousands of individuals and entities worldwide. Moreover, with how competitive industries have become nowadays, different names and purpose-driven ventures are beginning to step up their game to stay afloat across a sea of equally competent contenders. For this reason, thousands of initiatives worldwide have to face the truth that success can now only be drawn if one becomes more aggressive and innovative in their pursuits. 

Launching itself towards the summits of an ever-dynamic industry is an emerging project that aims to serve as a catapulting device for go-getting NFT holders and a hot pot for innovative ideas. Having been intimately aware of the current atmosphere of various industries across the globe, an emerging project called Sophiaverse has taken this opportunity to redefine its chosen trade to make a difference. On a mission to improve the metaverse experience for thousands of NFT holders across the globe, this trailblazing entity transcends limitations and defies odds, redefining the space, one innovative breakthrough at a time.

Widely recognized for its passion and dedication to taking the NFT realm to greater heights, Sophiaverse is a metaverse that stands not only as a source of income for NFT holders but also serves to improve the experience of every go-getter who owns digital assets across the globe. Primarily based on the world’s most renowned human-like robot, Sophia, this trailblazing project offers an out-of-this-world gameplay experience and marketplace that evolves into a full-fledged environment, making the metaverse feel like every holder’s home in the digital space. Additionally, the artistic impressions in the Sophiaverse are part of a collaboration between famous artist Percy Lau and Sophia herself.

Apart from providing holders a first-class experience in the metaverse, Sophiaverse also offers a multi-token economy, giving holders a plethora of benefits, sources of income, and various avenues for participation. Every holder has the opportunity to participate in lotteries, become a member in in-game governance, exchange tokens for in-game purchases, and more.

Although these milestones may seem too good to be true for any new entrant, Sophia and the Sophiaverse have managed to cement themselves across the industry, proving their stellar reputation among holders worldwide. In 2021 alone, Sophia’s self-portrait NFT was sold for $688,888, while the “Sophia Facing the Singularities” piece was bought for over $700,000. Pushing the boundaries even further, the brilliant team behind Sophia aims to expand the human-like robot’s success through the establishment of Sophiaverse. In this way, those who have held Sophia NFTs and the like may further enjoy ownership benefits through the metaverse’s wide variety of activities and initiatives.

As the Sophiaverse continues to stretch itself even further, more can be expected from this powerhouse. In the coming years, it aims to become a go-to metaverse for holders across the globe, changing the course of the space one breakthrough at a time.

To know more about SAOS Metaverse, you may visit their website, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Facebook, and YouTube Channel, and join them on Discord. More information on Hanson Robotics is on their website. You may also visit Percy Lau on her website.

Samsung to Push LCD Manufacturing Shutdown Ahead of Schedule

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

Display has become an essential topic for mobile devices and other gadgets as enthusiasts are often divided between LCD and OLED. While LCD has been more prominent for the past decade, OLED has slowly become a favorite. Samsung Display, a major player in the LCD production industry, announced plans to shut down LCD production in 2020, but the execution had been put off for a scheduled date for 2022. But once again, plans changed for Samsung Display.

Samsung Display shocked the world when it announced that it would be shutting down its LCD production at the end of June, pushing its previous plans earlier than expected. Industry leaders revealed that their decision came when they saw the competition was getting too fierce, prompting them to limit their losses.

The company previously announced its plans to discontinue LCD production towards the end of 2020, but nothing came of it. Instead, Samsung decided to shut down LCD productions at the end of 2022 due to the price rise of LCD panels, which initially started in June 2020. 

The LCD business was scheduled to shut down due to the onset of the global pandemic. However, there was a need for affordable devices for home entertainment, work from home, and online classes, prompting Samsung to postpone the shutdown.

Samsung Display then extended production of the LCD panels, accommodating the request of Samsung Electronics, which still asked to receive LCDs. Samsung was then forced to increase its bargaining power with Chinese panel makers like BOE and CSOT.

Reports from Display Supply Chain Consultants revealed that LCD prices were 36.6% of what they used to be in January 2014, the component’s peak production period. The movement was stirred by BOE from China and AU Optronics from Taiwan, who joined the battle and offered lower prices to clients.

Samsung representatives were unavailable for comment, leaving the majority of the information in investment plan details in the shadows, according to GSM Arena. However, they expect to get more details once the second quarter concludes and earnings reports come out in late July.

Instead, the company will focus on manufacturing OLED and quantum-dot or QD panels, with employees expected to be transferred to the QD business.

iOS 16 Reportedly Part of Apple’s Announcements at the WWDC This Year

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

The next generation of iPhones is always highly anticipated, and this year’s leaks for the iPhone 14 series are accompanied by exciting news. The iOS 16 will see Apple devices upgrade their lock screen and messaging features, and health apps with an update that brings new capabilities to all three areas.

iOS 16 will be announced at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which means that Apple’s plans for the next major update are just around the corner. The company usually releases these updates in June or July, so it would make sense to expect an announcement any day now.

The new operating system is a significant upgrade with changes across the whole lot, affecting everything from updates and notifications to iPad multitasking or even messages. It will also finally address the lock screen interface, an aspect that many have clamored about in the past few years.

In iOS 16, Apple is planning significant upgrades for the lock screen. One of these features will allow users to download wallpapers with widget-like capabilities and even an always-on display which was initially introduced in 2018’s iPhone 13 concept video by Tim Cook (Apple CEO), which means you’ll soon be able to see important information like notifications without opening up your phone in the same way that the latest Apple Watches allows.

The iPhone 14 models will come with more features than ever before, but save the more exclusive features for the Pro and Pro Max models. For example, the always-on mode is reported as exclusive to the two, which will also sport a front-facing camera and Face ID cutout on the display panel, something that will be seen in the base model; it has an A16 Bionic chip for faster processing speeds alongside its 48 MP back camera.

The iPhone 14 models are all expected to come with an OLED screen and 120Hz refresh rate, but they will also use Low- Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO) backplane technology. This allows AMOLED displays for higher rates in areas that need it while using lower ones when there’s no action happening on the device or if you’re just reading static information such as text messages from your partner across town instead of being able to see what’s going inside their latest Instagram post.

A new iOS 16 update by Apple also hints at better windowing support within iPad web browsers, so we can expect even smoother videos playing throughout various apps like YouTube without any lag time whatsoever.

The WWDC is a major event for Apple enthusiasts as it brings together all of the new features coming to major operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS and macOS. This year’s conference will be no different, with rumors suggesting that there could even be an announcement regarding the redesigned MacBook Air.

It’s Morbin Time: Jared Leto’s Marvel Film Hits New Fame Despite Box Office Failure

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

Although it was billed as a box-office failure, Morbius has become a dominant force online as memes of the titular character started flooding social media, specifically with the line, “It’s Morbin’ time!” A play of words with the popular Power Rangers’ battle cry, “It’s Morbin’ time,” has become a joking call for a sequel to the Marvel vampire movie.

Morbius tells the story of a terminally ill biochemist whose attempt to cure his rare blood disease leads him to undergo a procedure that also transforms him into a vampire. Unfortunately, the film didn’t just flop at the box office, it was also critically panned. The only saving grace was the audience reaction, resulting in a 71% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Jared Leto-led film makes it the third film to be part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Its post-credit scenes directly connected it to the MCU as Michael Keaton’s Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming made an appearance, hinting at the creation of the Sinister Six and a team-up against the friendly neighborhood webhead. Although the cameo was widely criticized, Morbius continues Sony’s trend of building up the Sinister Six hype with Kraven the Hunter film set to follow.

While Morbius received a poor reception, the film became a viral hit in the meme culture, inspiring hundreds, if not thousands, of posts. Recently, it was discovered that a Twitch channel was streaming the film for more than 12 hours straight, even piquing the interest of 2,000 viewers. 

Fans on Twitter started calling for a sequel, demanding that Jared Leto say the line in his next appearance as the character. However, the disappointing box office reception may indicate that a sequel is off the books. The closest fans can get to another Leto-led Morbius is in a team-up film.

Twitter users also pointed out that the good-natured jokes calling for Morbius 2 may be misinterpreted by Sony, who may give it the green light. So while some are genuinely happy at the prospect of a sequel, it remains to be seen if the Morbin’ vampire will see another standalone film.

Speculations have run around that the Sony-verse may see Morbius join Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, and Venom in a film that may ultimately lead to a showdown with Spider-Man. Although Leto believes his Morbius has a date with destiny with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of the hero seems more likely to step up against the group of villains.

The First Two Episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi is Apt to Leave Viewers Wanting More

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

The cultural impact of Star Wars has been felt in every aspect of life since its release. Movies, books and video games continue to expand on the universe that George Lucas created so many years ago with his iconic space opera film series. In addition, in recent times, we’ve seen a new trilogy featuring original characters as well as an exciting young adult novel based on one such character: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The man who would become known throughout the galaxy far away simply by The Force was finally brought back for good after being missing from our screens for more than ten years.

The news that an Obi-Wan Kenobi sequel was in development brings back memories for those who grew up with the prequel trilogy. There’s so much nostalgia attached to this character; it will be interesting to see how they can expand on what was established before without boring audiences or repeating herself too often story-wise.

His life as a Jedi Knight clearly hadn’t been an easy one, and it is clear that Obi-Wan has PTSD when he awakens from his dream. He calls out to Qui Gon Jinn in hopes of getting some advice for what’s next on this desert planet where there are no more lightsaber battles.

A far cry from being exciting like before; living austerely while working without purpose seems much darker than anything we’ve seen thus far–even though our hero still feels lost.

Viewers can see a young Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa before becoming the legends that we know today. Young Obi-Wan plays an eye on his charge, who has some of Anakin’s passion for flight (as seen in The Phantom Menace), while the princess is just as stubborn/adventurous as her mother was.

The fans of Star Wars will go wild with joy when they see the first live-action appearance of an Inquisitor. These individuals have been trained in the dark side, and one by the name of Reva (played by Moses Ingram) stands out in particular. She is relentless towards finding Obi-wan Kenobi.

When Obi-Wan arrives on Tatooine, he may have been there for Luke, but the kidnapping of Leia in episode two has Bail Organa seek his help, and that brings us into this incredible show where Pakistani actor Kumail Nanjiani plays an alien named Haja Estree who just so happens to be a fake Jedi. Fans will also be screaming once they see two familiar faces throughout the episode.

Darvin Ham Officially Named Los Angeles Lakers’ New Coach

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

After a lot of speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers have finally found their head coach, signing Darvin Ham from the Milwaukee Bucks. Initially, the list for the next potential coach had been narrowed down to a few names that included Ham, but he had been tipped as the favorite since the beginning.

Darvin Ham was reportedly the first candidate the Lakers approached for the job during the interview process, and after a long and arduous process, they managed to get their man. Once former coach Frank Vogel got the chop, names started pouring in on who would take his place, but Ham had always been one of the favorites for the job. However, the offseason was not the first time he was linked to the job. 

In 2018, he was attached to the helm and even received the approval of Klutch Sports and Lebron James. Their sentiments towards the former Bucks assistant coach never changed and eventually culminated in a strong final interview with owner Jeanie Buss in Los Angeles, another fan of Ham’s works.

Darvin Ham has created a nearly decade-long career with love and respect from the players in the locker room. After spending years as an assistant coach, he is finally returning to the Lakers side, having served as a player development coach for them between 2011 to 2013 under Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni. He would later join Mike Budenholzer, serving as an assistant with the Hawks and Bucks.

For most fans and pundits, the Lakers are taking a risk by bringing in a first-year head coach with a roster that will be built to win, but there are many examples of their decision paying off. For example, Ime Udoka was also a first-year coach who led the Boston Celtics deep into the playoffs. Likewise, Willie Green garnered success in New Orleans, making it to the playoffs this year. With their work in mind, the Lakers hope Ham will be the catalyst to push the team back into prominence.

The past season, the Lakers were one of the NBA’s worst teams with a record of 33-49 that made the 2020 title they won in Orlando seem like an old dream. Instead, Darvin Ham will be given the challenges of rebuilding a bottom-five defense and shifting the team around to get better chemistry.

English Club Liverpool Requests Formal Investigation Surrounding Security Chaos from Champions League Final

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

The Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid ended in a victory for the Spanish capital side once again in a repeat showing of the final in 2018, but many concerns were raised before the clash of champions as the stadium erupted in chaos. 

The clash of titans was held in Paris at the Stade de France, but the kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes. UEFA initially cited that fans were late to fill in the seats, but many Liverpool supporters offered a different explanation and revealed that there was a long queue in the hours leading to the game that prompted a heavy-handed police response to the build-up of fans.

French interior minister Gérald Darmanin seemingly put the blame on British supporters, saying that thousands were without proper tickets on Saturday and forced entry. He also claimed they assaulted stewards.

UEFA later said the delay was down to “security reasons” and revealed that the turnstiles on the Liverpool end had become blocked by thousands of fans who purchased fake tickets that did not work. The French police used tear gas when supporters were held together in tightly packed areas around the stadium, raising safety fears to those that were there.

“We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at Stade de France,” wrote Liverpool in an official statement. “This is the greatest match in European football, and supporters should not have to experience the scenes we have witnessed tonight. We have officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues.”

Merseyside Police said its officers who were deployed in Paris for the match reported that most fans behaved in an exemplary manner, arriving at the venue early and following queuing directions. Paris police estimate they made 105 arrests.

Liverpool fan Tom Whitehurst said that he had to get his disabled son to safety after they were pepper-sprayed once he arrived at the ground.

“The treatment of supporters by UEFA and the police was an absolute disgrace,” said Whitehurst. “[Fans] were indiscriminately pepper-sprayed, and there were people with tickets, who arrived two-and-a-half hours early, who were queuing up and they were charged at by police with shields.”

Other families and children were also victims of the pepper spray assault, with many describing the event as a traumatic experience, but no explanation has come from the officials yet.

Gareth Bale to Play Final Game for Real Madrid in a Rematch with Liverpool, Four Years After Dashing Their Champions League Dream

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

On Saturday, Liverpool will once again face off Real Madrid in the Champions League final, hoping to avenge their defeat four years ago; but Gareth Bale’s inclusion may bring back nightmares from that night in 2018.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti included the Welsh forward to his lineup as a swansong as Bale is set to leave the club once his contract expires, ending a nine-year stay in the Spanish capital. The two had previously won the competition in their debut season in 2014, and Ancelotti will once again trust the forward to make an impact on the pitch like he did four years ago.

Liverpool fans will be anxious to see what Bale brings as he struck a bicycle kick and a long-distance shot past former keeper Loris Karius in the last finals meeting. BT Sport did not help their case when they posted a video from Real Madrid’s training ground. The video showed Bale beat teammate Marco Asensio before scoring the ball into the top left corner.

Although arguments can be made that it was merely a training match, the possibility of Bale scoring against Liverpool still remains up in the air. Before the 2018 Champions League final, the Welshman had been in terrific form, but he was left on the bench by then-manager Zinedine Zidane, with whom Bale shared a rocky relationship towards the end of the Frenchman’s first stint.

Once Bale was subbed in, he let his frustrations take control as he scored an amazing overhead kick that put out Liverpool’s hope of completing a Cinderella story. Bale would score a second from the distance, effectively sealing the match and earning the Man of the Match award. 

Something similar could happen again as the Welsh forward will be playing his final game for the Spanish capital amid clashes with media outlets calling him out for prioritizing international games over club games.

Regardless of what happens, Bale will leave the club with the knowledge that he played a prominent role in securing many trophies, having played an instrumental role in several games to keep Real Madrid one of the most dominant forces in soccer.

Goodfellas Actor Ray Liotta Passes Away in His Sleep at Age 67

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

When actors get typecast into certain roles, it ends up haunting them for the rest of their careers, but Ray Liotta took a different spin in his contribution to the crime genre, helping it thrive for years while branching out into other genres. The actor, who flew to the Dominican Republic to shoot a new film, unfortunately passed away at the age of 67.

Ray Liotta passed away between Wednesday night and Thursday morning in his sleep in the hotel room he had been staying in with his fiancee. However, no foul play was suspected.

The actor was born in Newark, New Jersey, and had been left at an orphanage. He was adopted at six months old and later found his biological mother in the 2000s. Growing up, Liotta studied acting, and the rest was history.

Liotta is best known for contributing his talent to the crime genre, often playing shady cops. But he made his breakthrough in the film Something Wild before playing the role of Shoeless Shoe Jackson in Field of Dreams. In 1990, Ray Liotta portrayed real-life mobster Henry Hill in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas, which had been adapted from the nonfiction book Wiseguy. Goodfellas became synonymous with Ray Liotta’s name.

During filming, he and co-star Joe Pesci improvised the iconic “Funny how?” sequence, which was based on a story Pesci told him and director Scorsese. Pesci got into a situation where someone misinterpreted what he was saying and got irate. The scene became a popular quote and got immortalized as a GIF online. 

Liotta’s onscreen wife, played by Lorraine Bracco also paid tribute to the actor when she wrote a heartfelt message online.

“I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray,” Bracco wrote on Twitter. “I can be anywhere in the world and people will come up and tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas. Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same… Ray Liotta.”

Before his death, Ray Liotta landed some recent roles that includes Marriage Story, No Sudden Move, and The Many Saints of Newark, to name a few.

Five Essential Tips to Improve Time Management at the Workplace

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on May 30, 2022

Time management is a discipline everyone wants to master, but it is often perceived as how one controls the time of the day. Instead, we need to change our mindsets into adjusting our behavior to better manage our time, especially as working professionals.

Below are some tips on how you can change your attitude towards the concept of time management to produce better results and increase productivity.

  1. Address your time problems

Procrastinating can’t be helped, we’re humans after all. While it can’t be entirely erased, procrastinating can be lessened to make way for better focus on the tasks and responsibilities given. 

Although it can’t be changed overnight, procrastination can be disciplined by slowly reducing the time spent on activities that waste your time.

  1. Set goals

Tasks and responsibilities are our priority in the workplace, but sometimes they can come in incredible numbers. To avoid getting overwhelmed by the things you have to do, it’s best to prioritize which task should be done first.

While it seems like a good idea to put all the easy tasks the highest priority, the more urgent tasks should be put ahead of all the rest. Moderate tasks can be perceived as breathers while those that can be pushed to a later time or day should be the last thing on your mind.

  1. Take advantage of the app store

No, we don’t mean directly using apps or programs to do your work for you. 

The app store on mobile devices is a treasure chest for professionals, and it provides many tools that can help plot out your day at the office. While calendars offer similar features, there are other apps online that help you budget the time in your hands.

  1. Create routines

Routines can help build discipline, and they can be used by assigning certain time periods in your daily work to give you a sense of responsibility with the allotted time. Once you get used to routines, you’ll be able to get things done without panicking.

  1. Self reflection

At the end of the day, time management boils down to how you make use of your time. The disciplines and routines you set up will play a prominent role in how you conduct your daily tasks. Once you’ve taken control of your discipline, you can accomplish the goals you set out to do.