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How Intel’s AI platforms can help identify untapped athletic talent – NBC Los Angeles

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How Intel’s AI platforms can help identify untapped athletic talent – NBC Los Angeles


The following content is created in partnership with Intel. It does not reflect the work or opinions of the NBC Los Angeles editorial staff. Click here to learn more about Intel.

What is athletic talent? Where can we find it? And how can we make sure we don’t miss it?

It’s long been clear that current scouting methods miss a huge amount of athletic potential. Consider football (that’s soccer, for Americans), the world’s most popular sport, with more than 300 million athletes of all ages and skill levels playing, but only 130,000 elite and professional footballers. Finding the best players—who could be in any town or village around the world—has, traditionally, been like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s very likely that some of the most talented athletes have never and will never find their way to elite competition at all.

But what if finding that talent was as easy as capturing video on a smartphone?

Intel’s AI platforms, access and the future of sport

This past March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Intel representatives toured five villages in Senegal, where they measured the physical and cognitive abilities of a thousand children—recording video during a series of jumping, speed, and strength drills. A video analytics system powered by Intel® AI platforms was able to identify 40 promising young athletes, who the Senegalese National Olympic Committee hopes to help train in advance of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026.

The system, which analyzes sporting performance entirely from video, begins with smartphone video, and upstream from that, the entire stack is made possible by Intel® AI platforms. On the backend, custom computer vision models run on servers powered by Intel® Gaudi®accelerators, making training fast, scalable, accessible and affordable. The 3D motion capture video analysis system can analyze up to 1,000 biomechanics data points, thanks to optimizations with OpenVINO™ and the power of Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors.

The point ultimately is that talent is shared equally, and opportunity is often not. “Certain areas of the world may have the best talent; however, these individuals may go undiscovered due to a lack of resource or opportunities,” says Caroline Rhoades, Intel Olympic Games Marketing Manager. “This is the gap we are hoping to bridge with Intel-powered AI sports performance technology.”

The AI platform can identify, analyze and engage talent faster than ever, helping level the playing field on a scale that hasn’t been possible in the past. Since the system is accessible via a free smartphone app, anyone that has access to a smartphone can capture and upload video, and access performance metrics to help them improve. Beyond that, with clubs and programs beginning to use the technology as part of their scouting efforts, it potentially broadens the pool of athletes beyond what would be possible with older, travel-intensive methods of assessing talent.

The beauty of this technology is that it’s accessible to everyone. You do not need to be a professional athlete to leverage this technology to improve your athletic ability.

Caroline Rhoades, Intel

Marginal gains for all

During the Olympic Games Paris 2024, guests can visit the Intel AI Platform Experience in collaboration with Samsung in Stade de France. The fan activation has five different training zones and allows fans to experience a taste of what it means to train as an elite athlete and getting some insight into their own athletic performance and potential.

“Visitors will have an opportunity to do a series of activities and compare themselves to key athletes and understand where their potential is,” says Sarah Vickers, head of Intel’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Program. “And beyond that, it will really help give the average person an idea of where are they most athletically inclined.”

“Utilizing a series of AI-driven drills, this innovative technology constructs a personalized athletic profile for every participant, aligning them with their optimal Olympic event,” says Rhoades.

Leveling the playing field

Beyond the Olympic Games, Intel AI platforms can automate and increase access to opportunities for the next wave of sports stars and future Olympian hopefuls. But the benefits can extend to all athletes, from fitness enthusiasts to top professionals.

The AI platform can provide performance analysis based entirely on camera input, helping serious athletes realize their goals. The video analytics system, which can capture and track metrics continually during training and play may not interfere with performance or distract athletes as much as sensors might.  

It’s also possible to capture critical data that might otherwise be missed. Rhoades said, “A professional coach told me that if this system can use video to predict an ankle injury in my top player, I can start their physical therapy immediately, prevent them from missing games, and possibly win a championship instead of having my star player on a bench.”


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How to add California driver’s license to iPhone, Apple Watch – NBC Los Angeles

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How to add California driver’s license to iPhone, Apple Watch – NBC Los Angeles


California driver’s license holders can now add their state ID to Apple Wallet on their IPhone and Apple Watch, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

The digital IDs will be accepted at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check points, including Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco Airport, as well as select businesses. 

“With this new integration, we’re working to better serve the people of California in the 21st Century,” Newsom said in a statement.

Here’s how to add your ID to Apple Wallet

  1. Go to Apple Wallet
  2. Click the + button on the top right-hand corner
  3. Under the “Add to Wallet” section, tap “Driver’s License or State ID” to select “California mDL Pilot.
  4. Scan the front and back sides of your California ID
  5. Scan your face
  6. Take a picture
  7. Wait for verification from the California DMV.

But there’s a catch

The mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program is currently only limited to 1.5 million participants. 

If your license is expired or suspended, your mDL will be rejected.

Other factors that could impact your mDL applications are:

  • Wearing headwear
  • Not using plain background
  • Lack of consistent lighting
  • Other faces in the frame
  • Wearing sunglasses

More tips can be found here.

Last month, the state announced the DMV addition of Google Wallet as an option to hold driver’s licenses and identification cards. 



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New LA City Council president begins leadership role – NBC Los Angeles

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New LA City Council president begins leadership role – NBC Los Angeles


Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian will hand over the position Friday to Council President Pro Tem Marqueece Harris-Dawson in a leadership shakeup for the 15-member panel.

First elected to in 2015, the 54-year-old Harris-Dawson represents Council District 8, where he won his first election with 62-percent of the vote in an area that includes Baldwin Hills, Chesterfield Square, Crenshaw, Jefferson Park and other communities.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Harris-Dawson won his bid for the top council post in May and vowed to focus on the city’s homeless crisis. The chair of the city’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee co-authored Prop HHH, which was a $1.2 million bond measure to provide permanent supportive housing.

The council voted 14-0 to name Harris-Dawson as Krekorian’s successor as president.

As president, Harris-Dawson will preside as chair over council meetings, have the power to assign council committees and handle parliamentary duties such as ruling motions in or out of order. He was elected president pro tempore to replace Curren Price, who stepped down after he was charged in June 2023 with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest.

Harris-Dawson is expected to serve as president through mid-December. Following November’s election and once new council members assume their offices, another election will be held to elect a council president for a new term.

Krekorian received an ovation Thursday at his final meeting as council president. The Council District 2 representative will leave the body in December due to term limits. Councilman Bob Blumenfield unveiled plans to rename two sites in honor of Krekorian — the Victory Valley Child Care Center at 6451 Saint Clair Ave., and the Valley Plaza Sports Fields at 6980 Whitsett Ave. in North Hollywood.

Krekorian, whose district includes east San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, was first elected to the council in late 2009. He was elected council president in the wake of a leaked audio recording of colleagues, including then-President Nury Martinez, that shook City Hall.

Martinez resigned in 2022 after being heard in a recorded racially charged conversation with two other council members and a county labor official discussing the council’s redistricting process. The recorded conversation included racist comments about a colleague’s young Black adopted son.

Krekorian stepped into the council presidency during the tumultuous time at City Hall.

“I couldn’t do the work for the next 79 days and I couldn’t do the work as council president, and I couldn’t have done the work as an Assembly member or anything else without the support, guidance and love that I’ve received from my wife, Tamar, for the last quarter of the century almost,” Krekorian said.

He also thanked his staff.

“To all my staff, I hope you noticed that a number of members of this council specifically recognized you and that’s because you do extraordinary work — not only for me, our constituents, but for the entire city of Los Angeles,” Krekorian said.





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Find Riverside County Airport Fire recovery assistance – NBC Los Angeles

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Find Riverside County Airport Fire recovery assistance – NBC Los Angeles


Residents impacted by the Airport Fire in Riverside County can visit a local assistance center in Lake Elsinore.

Residents seeking assistance with food, health care support and more are welcomed to visit the one-stop resource center located at the Lake Community Center. The center will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Housing & Workforce Solutions and other local agencies will be joined by representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services and several nonprofit organizations to provide information on how to get financial, medical and related aid.

Residents seeking help also can click here.

On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency declaration, enabling the county to seek state and federal allocations for infrastructure repairs or improvements and general recovery of expenses stemming from the blaze.

As of Thursday, the Airport Fire was 41% contained at more than 23,500 acres in Orange and Riverside counties.

For information about Orange County recovery resources, click here.



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