Electronics
Irish Actor Ray Stevenson, Of ‘Rome’ And ‘Thor’ Movies, Dies At 58
Ray Stevenson, the Irish actor most known for his roles as the wicked British governor in “RRR,” an Asgardian warrior in the “Thor” movie, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBO’s “Rome,” has died. He was 58.
Stevenson’s representatives told The Associated Press that he died on Sunday but had no additional facts to give on Monday.
Stevenson was born in 1964 in Lisburn. After completing the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and working in British television for several years, he made his film debut in Paul Greengrass’ 1998 feature “The Theory of Flight.” In 2004, he played a knight of the round table in Antoine Fuqua’s “King Arthur,” he later played the protagonist in the pre-Disney Marvel adaptation “Punisher: War Zone.”
Though “Punisher” received mixed reviews, he’d get another taste of Marvel in the first three “Thor” films when he played Volstagg. Other notable film roles include “Divergent,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and “The Transporter: Refuelled.”
Stevenson, a 6-foot-4 imposing presence who has portrayed his share of soldiers past and present, once stated in an interview, “I guess I’m an old warrior at heart.”
On television, he played the roguish Titus Pullo in “Rome,” a role that launched his career in the United States and earned him a SAG card at 44. The popular series aired between 2005 and 2007.
Representatives told The Associated Press that he died on Sunday but had no additional facts to give on Monday.
“That was one of the major years of my life,” Stevenson recalled in an interview. “It forced me to sit in my own skin and say, just do the job.” “The job is sufficient.”
According to Brian Lowery’s Variety review of “Rome,” “the imposing Stevenson certainly stands out as a brawling, whoring, and none-too-bright warrior — a force of nature who, despite his excesses, somehow keeps landing on his feet.”
He played Blackbeard in Starz’s “Black Sails,” Commander Jack Swinburne in Germany’s “Das Boot,” and Othere in “Vikings.”
Stevenson also appeared as Gar Saxon in “Star Wars Rebels” and “The Clone Wars,” and will play Baylan Skoll in the upcoming Star Wars live-action series “Ahsoka.” The eight-episode season is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in August.
Stevenson told Backstage in 2020 that his acting idols were “the likes of Lee Marvin (and) Gene Hackman.”
“Never a bad performance, and brave and fearless within that calibre,” observed Stevenson. “It was never the young, hot leading man; it was men who I could identify with.”
Stevenson has three boys with Elisabetta Caraccia, an Italian anthropologist whom he met while working on “Rome.”
SOURCE – (AP)
Dyson, a vacuum cleaner company, will slash approximately 1,000 positions in Britain as part of a global restructuring.
Dyson | NY Times Image
Dyson To Axe Around 1,000 Jobs In Britain
James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless cleaner, founded the company, which employs 3,500 people in Britain, including at its R&D facility in Malmesbury, West England.
On Tuesday, Chief Executive Hanno Kirner stated, “We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures on a regular basis to ensure we are prepared for the future.” As a result, we are suggesting organizational modifications that may lead to redundancy.
Dyson | Joe Graham Image
Dyson To Axe Around 1,000 Jobs In Britain
“Dyson works in highly competitive global marketplaces where innovation and change are fast. We understand that we must always be entrepreneurial and adaptable – characteristics that Dyson has long valued.
SOURCE | AP
TOKYO — Sony, a Japanese electronics and entertainment company, says it will focus on innovation in movies, animation, and video games rather than traditional gadgetry.
Its CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, described the company’s plan Thursday, saying Sony was assisting creative workers in delivering what he called “kando,” a moving experience.
Yoshida would not comment on claims that Tokyo-based Sony and Apollo Global Management are interested in acquiring Paramount Global.
Sony | Pixa Bay Image
Sony Says Focus Is On Creativity, With Games, Movies, Music, Sensors, IP, And Not Gadgets
Yoshida stated that the business now focuses on the creative process rather than valuing prior items such as the Walkman portable music player and Trinitron color televisions. He stated that “synergies” are no longer defined by entertainment and electronics but by intellectual property encompassing animation, music, gaming, and films.
In an online briefing, he stated, “We will continue to support people’s creativity through our technology.”
Sony is adapting to harsher circumstances, as competitors produce cheaper but competitive gadgets. According to critics, pursuing careers in film, music, and other forms of entertainment can be financially difficult.
Beginning with the acquisition of EMI Music Publishing in 2018, Sony has invested over 1.5 trillion yen ($10 billion) in the last six years to boost its content creation.
Sony | Pixa Bay Image
Sony Says Focus Is On Creativity, With Games, Movies, Music, Sensors, IP, And Not Gadgets
In 2021, it bought Crunchyroll, which has over 13 million paid customers and distributes Japanese cartoons worldwide. Another was Yoasobi, a Japanese music duet that uses Vocaloid technology, or singing voice synthesizer software, and has gained a global following.
Sony’s real-time computer technology, which records “this moment,” as Yoshida called it, is employed in sports cameras because it can catch fast-moving subjects without distortion
According to Yoshida, it is also utilized for news coverage and editing, 3D video and computer graphics, including successful movies like “Godzilla Minus One” and games based on human athlete movements
Sony | AP News Image
Sony Says Focus Is On Creativity, With Games, Movies, Music, Sensors, IP, And Not Gadgets
Sony recently recorded a quarterly profit of 189 billion yen ($1.2 billion), up from 141 billion yen the year before. The PlayStation gaming machine manufacturer’s quarterly revenue increased 14% to 3.48 trillion yen ($22 billion).
However, for the fiscal year ending March 31, Sony’s profit fell 3% to 970 billion yen ($6.2 billion) due to poor performance in its financial services sector, which will be largely split off next year.
SOURCE – (AP)
Business
Amazon’s Self-Driving Robotaxi Unit Zoox Under Investigation By US After 2 Rear-End Crashes
DETROIT — The US government’s highway safety department is looking into Amazon’s self-driving robotaxi company after two vehicles braked unexpectedly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday that it will assess Zoox’s automated driving system.
Both accidents occurred during the sunlight, and the riders sustained minor injuries. In all cases, the agency established that the Amazon vehicles operated in autonomous mode before the crashes.
AP – VOR News Image
Amazon’s Self-Driving Robotaxi Unit Zoox Under Investigation By US After 2 Rear-End Crashes
According to the government, the investigation will focus on the performance of the company’s automated driving system during the crashes and how it operates in crosswalks near pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
A message was left early Monday requesting a response from the company.
Zoox reported the crashes by a requirement granted to automated vehicle firms in 2021.
Zoox – VOR News Image
Amazon’s Self-Driving Robotaxi Unit Zoox Under Investigation By US After 2 Rear-End Crashes
According to estimates, Amazon paid more than $1 billion for Zoox in June 2020. In 2023, the Foster City, California-based business announced that one of its unique-looking four-person shuttles would automatically transport personnel on public highways along a mile-long (1.6-kilometer) route between two facilities.
The corporation then planned to develop an exclusive shuttle service for its employees. Analysts believe Amazon will deploy the system for autonomous deliveries.
The cars feature no steering wheel or pedals. The interior is carriage-style, with two benches facing each other. It is a little under 12 feet (3.7 meters) long, about a foot (a third of a meter) shorter than a conventional Mini Cooper, and can reach 35 mph (56 km/h).
Zoox – VOR News Image
Amazon’s Self-Driving Robotaxi Unit Zoox Under Investigation By US After 2 Rear-End Crashes
The company was already under investigation by the NHTSA. In March 2022, the government began investigating the company’s certification that its car fulfilled federal safety standards for motor vehicles.
The agency stated at the time that it would investigate if Zoox used its testing techniques to establish that certain federal criteria did not apply due to the robotaxi’s unique configuration.
SOURCE – (AP)
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