HolidayBlogging

Tag: aligncenter

See Sarah Langlie Share Highlights of Her Remarkable Freshman Season at Barry University
Langlie batted .384, recorded an OPS of .935, and posted a .492 slugging percentage

Fresh‑Caught and Thriving: Sarah Langlie’s Breathtaking First Season

From the sunny shores of Brevard County to the buzzing campus of Barry University, Sara Langlie has made a splash that can’t be ignored. The former Eau Gallie star powered her way into the Sunshine State Conference spotlight with a performance that spell‑bound fans and coaches alike.

All‑Day, Every Day: No Shortcuts Taken
- Started every one of 57 games – that’s 57 baseball days in the sun‑burnt dugout.
- Played both catcher and outfield roles without breaking a sweat – you’d think she’d be playing dodgeball instead of baseball!
- Demonstrated durability and consistency; no game was left behind.
Batting Brilliance – Numbers That Shine
- Hoisted her bat to hit a .384 batting average – that’s hitting roughly 38 chances out of 100.
- Achieved an impressive .935 OPS (On‑Base Plus Slugging) – a metric that shows she’s not only getting on base but also bringing the fireworks.
- Posted a .492 slugging percentage, meaning she’s turning singles into a steady stream of extra‑bases.
The Impact on Barry’s Offense

Sarah’s on‑field hustle turned Barry’s lineup into a cut‑throat machine. Her “power” fueled the team’s run production, giving the crowd something to cheer about each and every inning. Opposing pitchers had a new nightmare to contend with.

Bottom Line

With a breakout freshman year that shows she can catch every ball and hit every pitch, Sarah Langlie is officially a rising star in the Sunshine State Conference. Stay tuned: this is just the beginning of a brilliant career.

Langlie Lights Up the Field in Her First Season

When you combine a rock-solid defense, a slugging mouth, and a dash of cheeky confidence, you get Laura Langlie—the newest star brightening up Barry College softball.

The All‑Around Impact
- 57 starts, 57 games, no tears – she stuck it out in every match.
- Bats: .384 – that’s 384 hits per 1000 at‑bats, a tiny little winner for the bullpen.
- OPS: .935 – a sweet mix of on‑base help and power that made fans cheer.
- Slugging: .492 – numbers that say she can hit a homer with the same hand that throws a perfect pop‑foul.
Plate Blood, Heart, and Hustle
- Runs: 41 — she got on base and let her teammates score.
- RBIs: 46 — she knew when to bring her guys home.
- Walks: 20 — patience is key, and she had it.
- HBPs – 2: she didn’t shy away from a wild pitch.
- Stolen bases: 10‑for‑13 – 77% success rate; that’s a slick side‑step only a real athlete can pull off.
Not Just Hits, But Clutch Hits

She hit 21 multi‑hit games and 9 multi‑RBI games. Two of those were five‑RBI show‑downs—a direct shot to the clutch‑hitter trophy shelf.

Defensive Drama‑Free

Out of 42 chances, zero errors. She finished the season with a 1.000 fielding percentage. That means any fielder could look at her and think: “Whoa, do I need a memo?

A Freshman and a “Fresh‑Star”

After a season that helped Barry stay competitive, Langlie has earned both conference and regional accolades. She’s already cruising toward the top of the NCAA Division II talent list, and we’re certain the rest of the league has caught wind of the rookie powerhouse.

Laura Langlie: catching, hitting, stealing, and not making a single blunder—the perfect recipe for a softball superstar. The icing on the cake? She’s only just starting. Happy training, folks—your future Hall of Famer’s on the field!

Barry’s 2025 Powerhouse: Langlie’s Debut Season

Once the storm hit the diamond, it was obvious that the game had changed. In her first season, Kaitlin Langlie didn’t just play the role of catcher‑turned‑outfielder; she became the season’s unstoppable engine.

Striking Consistency
- Started all 57 games—no slumps, no noticing her missing in action.
- Tackled the full schedule, keeping both catches and outfield points covered.
- Her durability was a blue‑print for teammates.
Batting Brilliance
- Hit an impressive .384 batting average, turning every at‑bat into a potential highlight reel.
- Surged to a .935 OPS, placing her among the league’s top performers.
- Maintained a .492 slugging percentage, ensuring that each hit had power behind it.
Impact on Barry’s Offense

Langlie’s explosive line helped the entire roster climb the leaderboard. Whether she was blocking a fly ball or spotting a fly‑by, her presence amplified every run drive.

In short, when the 2025 season rolled out, it was Langlie’s name that kept echoing across the park—proof that a seasoned player with a chip on her shoulder can indeed bring the whole team an extra spark.
2025-09-12
Your last chance to exhibit at Disrupt 2025 is today

If you’re a founder who planned to wait until the last minute … this is it.

Today is the final day to secure your exhibit table at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. If you want to get in front of more than 10,000 startup and VC leaders, connect with media, and generate a nonstop pipeline this October, you need to act now.

There are only a few tables left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Don’t let your competitor take the last table with your startup’s name on it. Book yours now.Image Credits:Halo Creative

Here’s what you get when you exhibit at Disrupt

Full-time exhibit presence: Three full days at the center of the Disrupt show floor — the heart of Disrupt.

Your dedicated space: A 6’ x 30” table with linen and chairs included.

On-site visibility: Your logo featured on an 11” x 14” tabletop sign and highlighted across venue signage.

Powerful lead generation: Access to lead capture through the Disrupt app, in-person Expo Hall interactions, and networking opportunities throughout the venue.

All-access for your team: Enjoy 10 complimentary passes so your team can fully experience Disrupt and take advantage of attendee benefits.

Extended brand amplification: Silver Tier sponsorship ensures maximum exposure across TechCrunch and Disrupt channels, including TechCrunch.com, the partner page, and the event app.

This is your chance to be part of the Disrupt experience — not just as an attendee, but also as a brand that is front and center in the ultimate tech event of the year.

Disrupt 2025 takes place October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Let your startup be seen. Secure your table before today ends!

2025-08-21
Cocoa Tigers Head to Sarasota Friday Night for Class 2A State Semifinal vs. Cardinal Mooney – Catch the Replay
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Cocoa Tigers Gear Up for a Big Showdown in Sarasota

The Cocoa Tigers are packing their bags for Sarasota next Friday, ready to face the unstoppable Cardinal Mooney Cougars in the State Semifinal. The stakes are high, but so is the excitement!

Recent Highlights
- Rivalry Rebounds – After sweeping Newberry 40‑3 last week, the Tigers added a bang to their win with QB Brady Hart throwing four dazzling touchdowns. That game was a touchdown parade!
- Brady Hart leads the team with over 3,200 passing yards and 32 touchdowns this season. His arm is a true artillery—aim-wise, it’s all about hitting the target.
Cardinal Mooney Cougars: Sweet Tooth for Success
- They’re in a fierce 12‑0 winning form, dominating every opponent they’ve faced. Their least fierce opponent was Bishop Verot, who took a beat-down 35‑14.
- Powerhouse running back Connail Jackson has racked up 1,400+ yards and seven touchdowns this year. He’s the kind of guy who runs like he’s got the world’s airbags—absorb every obstacle!
Game-Day Details

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night. If you’re at the stadium or watching from home, get your popcorn and bragging rights ready. It’s going to be a night of high-flying plays, fierce competition, and a whole lot of cheering!
2025-06-26
Google launches a new Pixel Journal app

Google launched a new journaling app called the Pixel Journal at its Pixel 10 launch event, which comes nearly two years after Apple introduced its Journal app in 2023 with the arrival of iOS 17.

Google said its Pixel Journal uses on-device AI models to prompt users to fill out journal entries. The app can also suggest writing prompts based on memories, past entries, or your goals.

Plus, you can add photos, locations, and activities to a journal entry apart from logging your mood.Image Credits:Google

The company said that the Journal app will learn about your patterns based on your writing habits and provide you with different insights — such as when you usually write your entries, the longest entry by word count in a month or a week, and the number of entries in a month or a week.

It noted that you can also lock your journal app to prevent others from accessing your entries.Image Credits:Google

While the app is available only to Pixel 10 series devices, Google may release it for older Pixel phones in the future.

We’re always looking to evolve, and by providing some insight into your perspective and feedback into TechCrunch and our coverage and events, you can help us! Fill out this survey to let us know how we’re doing and get the chance to win a prize in return!

Techcrunch event

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise.

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025

REGISTER NOW

2025-03-26
Threads tests a way to share long-form text on the platform

Threads is testing a new feature that makes it easy to share long-form text on the social network, Meta confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The feature lets users attach a block of text to a post instead of creating a thread of several different posts when looking to share more in-depth thoughts and ideas.

App researcher Radu Oncescu first spotted the new “text attachment” feature on iOS and shared a screenshot of it. According to the app’s description of the new feature, it’s designed to allow users to “attach longer text and get creative with styling tools to share deeper thoughts, news snippets, book excerpts, and more.”

The ability to share long-form content could help Threads retain creators and writers who want more distribution for articles that would otherwise be posted on their blogs or newsletter platforms like Substack. The feature also gets rid of the need for workarounds when looking to share text that goes beyond the word limit for posts, such as sharing a screenshot of a block of text in your phone’s Notes app.

Threads user Robert P. Nickson shared a post using the feature to show what it looks like to viewers. A snippet of the long-form text is displayed in a gray box within the post, which people can then click on to read and scroll through the full content.Image Credits:Roberto P. Nickson/@rpm

Threads competitor X already offers a way for users to share long-form content on the platform with “Articles.” While X’s feature is only available for Premium subscribers, Threads’ feature is accessible to everyone, but that could change in the future.

Additionally, Threads only allows users to share text, whereas X’s lets people incorporate images and videos. Considering that the feature is still in the testing phase, it’s possible that Threads could add support for multimedia in the future.

Meta says it plans to bring this to more users in the future.

Techcrunch event

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise.

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025

REGISTER NOW

Support for long-form posts is the latest addition among a series of new features Threads has introduced over the past year, including DMs, fediverse integrations, custom feeds, AI enhancements, and more.

Threads recently topped 400 million monthly active users just two years since its launch. X, on the other hand, has north of 600 million monthly active users, according to previous statements made by former CEO Linda Yaccarino.

2024-11-21
Pronto's 10-minute house-help pitch sparked a 3.6x valuation jump in just 90 days

In 2025, the average urban Indian no longer needs to wait very long for much (except at government offices and in traffic): They simply have to order what they need from an app, and it’ll be delivered within minutes. The explosion of quick-commerce in the country has meant that millions of Indians are getting increasingly used to not having to wait for deliveries, or step out of their homes, as startups vie to make almost everything, from food and groceries to smartphones and gaming consoles, available within minutes.

It seems investors, too, don’t want to wait long: A budding startup out of New Delhi called Pronto, which lets users book and avail cleaning, laundry, and home services within 10 minutes, has tripled its valuation in less than 90 days.

It was only in May when Pronto raised a $2 million seed round at a $12.5 million valuation. The startup has now raised an $11 million Series A round at a post-money valuation of $45 million, co-led by General Catalyst and Glade Brook Capital. Existing investor Bain Capital Ventures also participated in this round.

The new funding comes in the wake of solid traction: Pronto claims its revenue has risen by nearly five times, founder and CEO Anjali Sardana told TechCrunch, since it came out of stealth barely three months ago.

The startup now has bookings numbering in the “four-digits” every day, and expects annual recurring revenue in the range of $750,000 to $1.5 million, Sardana said, though she declined to disclose exact figures.Pronto founder and CEO Anjali Sardana with workersImage Credits:Pronto

“It largely comes down to two things: one being momentum and the insane speed at which we were scaling, as well as just investors recognizing the quality of the team and how fast we were executing,” Sardana said, explaining what led investors to fund the Series A so soon after its seed round.

For investors, Sardana seems to be the primary reason they bet this early. “We were very impressed by Anjali,” said Rahul Garg, a partner at General Catalyst. “Given how young she is, given that she spent a lot of her time in the U.S. after she’s come to India, what she’s been able to achieve, the feedback from supply partners, the feedback from customers, her thought process, and how she wants to build and scale this business, we found it very inspiring.”

Techcrunch event

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise.

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025

REGISTER NOW

Pronto is not the only startup connecting domestic workers with consumers. Lightspeed Venture Partners recently backed Snabbit, and IPO-bound Urban Company also offers a similar service.

Garg told TechCrunch that India has 180-190 million nuclear families who are potential customers for household services, and a semi-skilled and unskilled workforce of 35 million that could tap a $35 billion cumulative wage pool in this space.

“Whichever way you look at the market, this is large enough for multiple players to build an endurable business,” he said.

Expansion plans

Pronto now has six hubs in Gurugram, a satellite city of New Delhi, up from two in May. Each of these hubs serves customers within 1.5 miles.

The startup initially met 70% to 80% of demand from within 500 meters of households, as its first two hubs were located in densely populated residential areas. It has now set up hubs at intersections so its workers can reach multiple smaller, spread-out sectors quickly.Pronto AppImage Credits:Pronto

Pronto’s primary customers are working professionals, and it is seeing high demand. “Household help is very prevalent in India. And therefore, these are use cases where demand is quite concentrated, even in small catchment areas,” Garg said.

The startup now plans to expand both within Gurugram and into new markets, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other major cities, in the next 12-18 months.

Pronto has a headcount of 33 people and has around 750 workers signed up on its platform.

We’re always looking to evolve, and by providing some insight into your perspective and feedback into TechCrunch and our coverage and events, you can help us! Fill out this survey to let us know how we’re doing and get the chance to win a prize in return!

2023-08-06
This app just raised $14M to take on the loneliness epidemic

One Friday evening, Alyx van der Vorm couldn’t stop thinking, “I should do something with someone.”

But she found herself alone once again on a Friday night, thinking about just heading to the gym. That was when she realized that trying to make plans with people these days is incredibly hard.

“Figuring out who’s around, texting, waiting, researching options … It felt absurd that staying home and watching a movie was one tap, but seeing a friend was ten steps,” van der Vorm said.

At 25 years old, van der Vorm is very much Generation Z, that overly connected demographic that somehow also self-reports as feeling overwhelmingly isolated and lonely. Van der Vorm studied computational neuroscience at Harvard University and later worked at a lab where she studied how social connections impact mental and physical health.

“The data is stark. Isolation can be as physically damaging as things we universally agree are bad for us,” she said. “That gave me the confidence that working on friendship isn’t ‘soft.’ It’s a real health problem.”

So in 2020, van der Vorm started working on Clyx, a social platform that helps users find community events to join. Five years later, the app today has 50,000 active users buying tickets for events, and more than 200,000 users browsing events. The company has now raised $14 million in a Series A round led by Blitzscaling Ventures, with participation from other investors, including Iqram Magdon-Ismail, the co-founder of Venmo, and F1-driver-turned-investor Nico Rosberg. Alyx van der Vorm.Image Credits:Alyx der Vorm

Clyx itself is quite simple: It pulls event data from sites such as Ticketmaster and TikTok and shows its users events in their cities that they can sign up for. It also offers suggestions for places to try, and users can upload their contacts to the app to see which events their friends are going to.

Techcrunch event

Join 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025

Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before Sept 26 to save up to $668.

Join 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025

Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before Sept 26 to save up to $668.

San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025

REGISTER NOW

The company has also built a compatibility engine that recommends people users can connect with at events. “So instead of walking into a room of strangers, you walk in already knowing, ‘Hey, Thomas is into the same things I am; we should connect,” van der Vorm said.

The app even nudges people to connect and reconnect, which van der Vorm says takes away “the awkward burden of reaching out cold,” or alleviates what some might perceive as the tedious task of nurturing a new friendship. Clyx also has a feature called Programs, essentially a series of events that leads people to hang out with the same group of people while at workshop sessions.

“That repetition is where acquaintances turn into real friends, and it’s been one of the most exciting things we’ve rolled out,” van der Vorm said.

“People do have friends,” she continued. “What they lack are friends who are nearby, free at the same time, and up for the same things. We remove the planning tax and nudge the right next step so the momentum doesn’t die after ‘we should hang soon.’”

Van der Vorm told TechCrunch she met her lead investors through personal connections, including through a chance meeting with a stranger at a coffee shop who connected her with an investor friend.

She met Magdon-Ismail after someone heard her give a talk at the Harvard Club and thought the two should meet. To hear van der Vorm speak of this, it seems to be a case of “right place, right time.”

“Simon Sinek was another,” she said. “Someone heard me speak about friendship, said I sounded just like him, and made the intro.”

Clyx is currently operating only in Miami and London, and van der Vorm aims to launch the app in New York this month and in Sao Paulo this year. The company is also investing heavily in product development, brand and cultural partnerships, and, of course, expanding its team.

Clyx isn’t the first app to try to help people get outside and meet new folk. Posh, Meetup, Dice, and even Eventbrite have done that for years; Bumble has an option to look for friends, and even Hinge is trying to get people to go outside more. But van der Vorm hopes Clyx can stand out.

“My dream is to create a world where it’s as easy to go out and spend time with your friends as it is to sit home and scroll,” she said. “And if that helps people feel happier, healthier, and like they truly belong somewhere — that’s the impact I want Clyx to have.”

2023-07-30
Trump Announces Liberation Day Tariffs at Make America Wealthy Again Rally in D.C.
new set of reciprocal tariffs aimed at reviving the American economy

Trump Takes the Stage at the “Make America Wealthy Again” Rally

The Event in a Nutshell

In a backyard of a full‑scale carnival vibe, President Donald Trump stepped up to announce “Liberation Day” tariffs at the Make America Wealthy Again event. The crowd was ready to cheer while the TV cameras rolled—Fox News had a front‑row seat.

Key Moments from the Speech
- Trump kicked off with a playful jab at “tariff nerds” who think global trade is a matter of math only.
- He dropped the “Liberation Day” terminology, coining a new day that’s as quirky as it is political.
- During the announcement, the President used that classic Trump swagger: loud, bold, and unapologetically loud.
- Attendees threw confetti while the stage lights flashed in sync with every booming exclamation.
What That Means for the Economy

These tariffs are a puzzle piece in Trump’s plan to pull American jobs back to domestic shores. Basically, it’s a strategy to squeeze big foreign companies and bring the fun back to factories.

Why Everyone Is Talking About It

With every campaign announcement, people do a quick Google search, share a meme, and then debate on what it might do to the stock market. This “Liberation Day” feels like a wildcard with a name that’s easy to share on Twitter.

Bottom Line: A Talk That Spurred Conversation

Trump’s speech wasn’t just a campaign pop‑up; it was a full-on television spectacle. Folks left with a mix of curiosity, skepticism, and a whole lot of jaw‑dropping chatter. Whether you’re a supporter, a critic, or just a curious onlooker, this event is one to remember—you’ll probably still have the headline in mind for days to come.

Trump Shakes Up Trade Talk in the Rose Garden

From the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, President Donald Trump cranked up the drama and declared a brand‑new set of reciprocal tariffs. His goal? Revive the American economy, protect home‑grown industries, and churn out jobs for folks in the U.S.

Why It Matters to Workers
- Steelworkers, auto veterans, farmers, and skilled tradespeople were in the front row.
- Trump reminded them, “You’ve seen your jobs stolen abroad, factories pulled back, and that American dream crumble.”
- He promised, “It’s back—just like it did four years ago. And it’s rolling again, now.”
Tariffs as Tax‑Cutting and Debt‑Reducing Play

He said the new tariffs are designed to generate trillions in revenue, which will slash taxes and help bring the national debt down. “This is a turning point,” he said. “We’re getting stronger, jobs are coming back, and our factories are getting a super‑boost.”

The Strategy Behind the Tariffs

Trump laid out his plan for cracking down on unfair trade:
- Measure the impact of a country’s tariffs, trade barriers, and other sneaky tactics.
- He’ll counter with tariffs that are roughly half of what they’re doing to the U.S.–just enough to level the playing field.
- Full reciprocity would hurt many nations, so he chose a more balanced approach.
Country‑by‑Country Breakdown
- European Union: 20% tariff versus the 39% they charge U.S. goods.
- Japan: 24% tariff compared to the 46% they levy.
- China: 34% tariff in response to its 67% rate.
Trump called these actions the “first steps” toward restoring fairness and prosperity for American workers.

Looking Ahead

With this move, he’s setting the stage for a stronger, more resilient economy—one that keeps the jobs and factories on home soil and gives workers the chances they deserve.
2022-04-30