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Colorado - Thu. 10/22/26 |
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COLORADO TECH HONORED ON TIME'S LIST OF BEST INVENTIONS
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A device to translate nonverbal cues and a sustainable way to produce carbon black pigment were recognized as two of the best inventions of 2026 by Time magazine. And they both have roots in Colorado. Hapware, based in Golden, and Living Ink Technologies, based in Berthoud, were two of the 300 products recognized by Time. The annual awards honor inventions across a number of categories, including accessibility and sustainability. Time says winners are evaluated on originality, efficacy, impact and innovation. Both grew out of research done at Colorado universities, and they add to a handful of other companies from the state honored for their inventions by Time in recent years.
- Hapware, which grew out of a project at Colorado School of Mines, has developed a system that uses AI to read nonverbal cues and convert them into patterns of vibrations and motions on a haptic wristband. The system, called Aleye, translates facial expressions, gestures and other unspoken communication into different patterns of motion. The system requires a camera to work, with the company recommending that users buy smart glasses. The initial market for the device has been blind and low-vision people, but it also has potential for neurodivergent individuals as well.
- Living Ink Technologies, which grew out of research at Colorado State University, makes sustainable pigment. Algae Black, the specific invention recognized by Time, is being positioned as a replacement for carbon black pigment, which requires burning petroleum at temperatures around 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit and emits millions of tons of carbon every year. Living Ink’s product is actually carbon negative, as carbon is trapped in the algae biomass used to make the pigment. That pigment can be used in apparel, cosmetics, ink and more.
Several Colorado-based companies have been recognized in more than 25 years that Time has done a list of best inventions. Recent honorees:
- AMP Robotics, a Louisville-based maker of AI-powered waste-sorting robots, was recognized in 2023 and 2025 for different systems.
- Infleqtion, then known as ColdQuanta, was recognized in 2022 for Albert, a quantum matter machine. The company was spun out of the University of Colorado and is headquartered in Louisville.
- Boom Supersonic, a Centennial-based company aiming to bring back supersonic passenger air travel, was honored in 2021 for its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft.
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COLORADO GETS 27.4 MILLION UNWANTED ROBOCALLS MONTHLY AS CALL PROTECTIONS LAG
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Colorado residents receive an average of 27.4 million unwanted spam and scam robocalls a month, according to the CoPIRG Foundation, a statewide consumer advocacy group. Now, the group is calling on phone companies and government regulators to take additional steps to address unwanted calls and texts. Nationwide, Americans receive more than 2.1 billion unwanted robocalls a month. In Denver, that’s over 15 million unwanted robocalls a month, while Colorado Springs residents receive an average of 6.4 million unwanted calls. Gaps in caller ID authentication can allow fraudulent calls to get through, including calls from people impersonating banks, law enforcement agencies and other trusted institutions. Even calls labeled as spam may reach consumers.
- Federal Trade Commission data cited in the report shows that people who lost money through phone call scams in the first half of 2026 reported average losses of $3,973, an increase of $283 per incident, or nearly 8 percent, from the same period in 2025.
- Average reported losses from text message scams were $1,960, an increase of $508 per incident, or 35 percent compared with the first half of 2025.
- About 21 percent of people answer phone calls from numbers they do not recognize at least half of the time, according to a survey released in April 2026 by AARP.
- Common phone scams include debt-consolidation loan offers, Medicare and health insurance pitches, bank impersonation, calls claiming to be from courts or law enforcement and tax scams.
Coloradans can report scams and suspected or actual fraud to the FTC and the state’s Attorney General’s Office at coag.gov/file-complaint. Unwanted calls can also be reported to the FCC.
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SUNDANCE PICKS NEW FESTIVAL HQ
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The Hotel Boulderado is out as Sundance’s official festival headquarters, and The Rink, a 14th Street office building converted from an old skating rink, is in. “This will be our amazing year-round home, and we can’t wait to welcome you all to the Festival in January 2027,” Sundance said of The Rink, a roughly 17,000-square-foot space at 1722 14th St. that, according to landlord W.W. Reynolds Cos., was “built in 1955 and renovated by renowned architect Charles Haertling in 1975.” Sundance officials this summer had touted the Hotel Boulderado — Boulder’s first luxury hotel, which opened in 1909 — as the festival’s homebase, but are now backing away from the iconic downtown lodge.
Hotel Boulderado was bought for $102 million last spring by Nashville-based Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners, also known as AJ Capital Partners or AJCP, an investment firm that plans to renovate the hotel and bring it under the Graduate by Hilton portfolio. When AJCP bought the hotel, the company brought Schulte Hospitality Group onboard to manage staffing and operations. In the months after the AJCP takeover, Boulderado staff launched a unionization effort aimed at securing better job security and working conditions.
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ASPEN HOME FETCHES $30 MILLION
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As a prominent power couple, Slack co-founder Stewart Butterfield and Away co-founder Jen Rubio assembled a portfolio of trophy homes across the country. Now, following the August announcement of their split, one of those properties has been sold off. Butterfield and Rubio sold their home in Aspen for $30 million earlier this month, property records show. The identity of the buyer couldn’t immediately be determined. According to property records, Butterfield and Rubio paid $25 million for the property in 2021, the same year Slack, a messaging app, was acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion. The property came on the market before the couple parted ways. It was listed in June 2025 for $45 million, but the price was later lowered to $39.5 million. The site listed the property as being in contract Aug. 14, roughly a week after Butterfield and Rubio announced their split on Instagram.
The Aspen estate sits on about 5 acres, with views over the Castle Creek Valley. Completed in 2013, the roughly 10,600-square-foot house has six bedrooms. When the couple bought it, the listing said it had a home theater, a gym, a bar and billiards area and a wine cellar and tasting room. Butterfield and Rubio’s extensive property portfolio once included a ranch in New Mexico, an architecturally significant property with a skybridge in New York, a record-setting New York townhouse and a historic gabled brick home in the Hamptons. They sold their San Francisco Victorian mansion for $19.155 million in October 2022.
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A CLOTHING DRIVE WITH HEART
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For a third year, the owners of Ilium-based Telluride Storage, Chris Chaffin and Kristina Lamb, are operating a winter clothing drive, which continues until Oct. 27. Drop off gently used or never used winter clothing and accessories at Telluride Storage, at 650 S. Park Rd. There is a drop box out front, making it easy to donate 24/7. Donations of coats, gloves, winter hats, scarves, neck warmers, sweaters, warm socks, boots and other cold-weather necessities are welcome. The initiative is a collaboration between Telluride Storage and Sveri May, a Ridgway-based volunteer and PeaceJam coordinator. Together, they work to ensure that clothing is collected and then distributed to those who can use it. For her part, May — who was named Ridgway-Ouray Community Council’s volunteer of the year in 2024 — described herself as a retired educator working to ensure kids “see and understand that their efforts can and do make a difference in their communities.”
Past and current recipients of clothing from the drive are programs and nonprofits including the San Miguel Resource Center, Navajo Nation in Shiprock, Haven House in Olathe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Towaoc and White Mesa, Abraham House in Delta, Homeward Bound in Grand Junction and more. For questions about the winter clothing drive, call Telluride Storage at 970-728-1747 or email manager@telluride-storage.com.
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SKA'S BELGIAN-STYLE BEER WINS BRONZE AT THE GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL
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Ska Brewing Co. was honored for its WestSKAlle at the Great American Beer Fest this month. The brewery added a bronze medal in the Belgian Style Abbey Ale category for the Trappist-style beer Oct. 11, its 18th time picking up a prize at the annual industry festival. The brewery, which treats employees to trips on notable work anniversaries, took a group of 10-year staff members to Belgium in 2023. While touring breweries and beer halls in the European country, the group was inspired to try its hand at a version of Belgian beer, and a couple of years later produced the WestSKAlle. Ska describes the amber-brown ale as rich, balanced and complex, with a creamy head and aromas of caramel and dark fruit.
WestSKAlle joins Ska’s True Blonde, Mexican Logger and Oktoberfest as the fourth beer recognized at GABF for its international-inspired style. True Blonde was honored in the English pale ale category, Oktoberfest in the Vienna lager field and Logger in the international lager group. Between GABF and the World Beer Cup – two of the more prestigious craft beer festivals – Ska now has 22 awards.
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COLORADO HOUSING & FINANCE AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES DONATION RECIPIENTS
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The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority has announced the recipients of its 2026 Round Two Direct Effect Awards. Nonprofits across Colorado received awards including two Yampa Valley organizations, the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Colorado and The Next Page Learning Center, formerly known as Steamboat Reading. The Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Colorado serves kids and teens in Craig, South Routt and Steamboat Springs. Their programs are fun and educational, offering each child opportunities to make connections, discover new interests, build self-confidence and find a sense of belonging.
The Next Page Learning Center was founded in 2017 by two community educators who were determined to fill the gaps they saw in our community’s educational system. The center is proud of the children they’ve served throughout the Valley and beyond. Colorado Housing and Finance Authority awards recognize Colorado nonprofit organizations whose missions align with CHFA’s work to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development. In this round, the authority donated almost $1.5 million to 134 nonprofits across Colorado and, including this latest round of awards, it has donated more than $13.8 million to more than 670 Colorado organizations since 2021.
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WHERE SHOULD YOU TRAVEL IN 2027? THE SAFEST DESTINATIONS
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A new risk analysis from Global Guardian ranks travel destinations based on factors like crime, conflict, and political stability. The analysis found that nearly half of the world's countries now have multiple risk levels within their borders. The United States was ranked as a moderate-risk country due to its high murder rate and environmental dangers. Over the years, numerous international travelers have told USA TODAY they’re afraid to visit America due to concerns ranging from detention at the border to gun violence.
10 Most Dangerous Destinations:
- Ethiopia
- Gaza Strip
- Haiti
- Iran
- Mali
- Myanmar
- Niger
- Somalia
- Ukraine
- Yemen
Five Safest Destinations:
- Iceland
- Japan
- Malta
- Monaco
- Singapore
Travelers are urged to consider:
- If you have a medical emergency, how will you get care?
- If you purchase travel insurance, what does it actually cover?
- If there is a conflict of any kind, who will you call to help get you to safety?
- If you are detained abroad, who is going to legally represent you internationally?
- If you are kidnapped, who is going to negotiate getting you to safety and what will that cost?
- If your devices are stolen, how do you shut them off to keep bad actors out?
- If you are hacked, who's going to remediate that?
- Do you have an encrypted VPN to protect your online activity and prevent tracking?
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FIVE FAST-RISING CITIES THAT SHOULD BE ON TRAVELERS' RADARS RIGHT NOW
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A new global report spotlights the world's emerging urban hotspots. From thriving cultural scenes to changing neighborhoods, locals reveal what makes them worth exploring now. New York, London and Paris have once again topped Oxford Economics' annual ranking of the world's leading cities. But beyond these familiar names, its 2026 Global Cities Index has identified 28 "cities to watch" – places whose rapid growth and rising fortunes could see them become increasingly influential in the years ahead.
- Toulouse, France: With its population forecast to grow by 57,000 over the next four years – more than anywhere else in France – Toulouse is one of Europe's fastest-growing cities and is attracting younger, skilled newcomers with its mild climate, relatively affordable cost of living and high quality of life. Toulouse is also major aerospace hub, home to hundreds of companies, including Airbus's global headquarters. Visitors can explore that heritage at the Cité de l'Espace space-themed discovery center or Aeroscopia aviation museum beside the Airbus runways. For something more unusual, La Halle de La Machine brings art and engineering together through giant mechanical creatures created by a local street theatre company.
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Vietnam's largest city is on a remarkable trajectory. Oxford Economics predicts Ho Chi Minh City will be among the world's 50 fastest-growing cities over the next five years, with an economy that could rival Berlin's by 2050. Tourism is booming too, with more than eight million international visitors last year, exceeding projections. Travelers should visit the French-colonial Central Post Office and Opera House, and then the War Remnants Museum for context on the country's history, before turning to one of the city's greatest strengths: its food.
- Warsaw, Poland: The Polish capital has made one of the fastest jumps in the Global Cities index, climbing more than 100 places to 61st. Its quality-of-life score now surpasses London, New York and Tokyo, while its economy is projected to expand by around 3 percent annually – nearly twice the European city average. First-time visitors should go for a walk that takes in both the old and new city. Start at the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science and follow Nowy Świat boulevard into the Old Town, painstakingly rebuilt after World War Two. Along the way, stop for pączki (Polish doughnuts) and a meal at a bar mleczny, one of the city's traditional, no-frills milk bars.
- Medellín, Colombia: Medellín's remarkable transformation is reflected in its economic fortunes. Employment in business and financial services has more than doubled over the past 20 years, and Oxford Economics predicts that the Colombian city's average income will overtake Buenos Aires and São Paulo by the 2040s. The city's Metrocable, the first urban cable car system designed for mass public transport, carries commuters and visitors up the surrounding hillsides, while emerging creative districts are giving travelers new reasons to explore. Try the creative district, Perpetuo Socorro, for design shops, galleries and specialty coffee.
- Abu Dhabi, UAE: Once heavily dependent on oil, Abu Dhabi has transformed its economy through investment in technology, renewable energy, property and finance. The UAE capital now ranks sixth in the Global Cities index for the skills and education of its workforce, ahead of Paris and Boston, while its non-oil economy and job market are projected to grow faster than neighboring Dubai's. On Saadiyat Island, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum both opened in 2025, while the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open on Dec. 11, 2026.
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FIVE WAYS EL NIÑO IS AFFECTING THE WEATHER AROUND THE WORLD
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El Niño has been strengthening for several months now and is already having a significant impact on global weather patterns. Countries including Indonesia, India and the United States have been experiencing droughts, floods and heatwaves in line with projections about how extreme weather events will be supercharged by the phenomenon. The World Meteorological Agency says the record-breaking El Niño will strengthen further and persist until at least 2027.
Here are five ways its impact is already being felt around the world:
- Indonesia battles worst wildfire season since 2015: Indonesia, which typically trends drier and hotter in El Niño years, is battling its worst wildfire season since 2015. This year, since January, at least 895,657 hectares of land – nearly six times the size of Greater London – have been burned. This is more than twice the area burned last year without the influence of El Niño. Millions of people in Sumatra and Kalimantan have been exposed to toxic haze from the fires and around 175,000 people have suffered from respiratory illness. More than 40,000 cases – which range from coughs to bronchitis and more serious conditions like pneumonia – involve toddlers.
- East Pacific explodes with hurricane activity: In the eastern Pacific, where El Niño tends to strengthen hurricane activity, it has been a very active season so far. There have been 22 named storms and 12 hurricanes, including 10 major hurricanes. This is already above the number that would typically develop in the whole of an average season, with two months left to go until its end. Here, El Niño provides the ingredients of higher ocean temperatures and weaker winds high in the atmosphere, making it easier for storms to gain strength.
- Atlantic hurricane season remains eerily quiet: El Nino tends to increase wind shear in the north Atlantic, a factor which tears apart storms and limits formation. There has only been one hurricane - Isaias - which made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama. This was the latest forming hurricane on record in the satellite era (1960s onward). Before this year, the record was Sept. 11, set in 2002 and 2013. In an average season, there would have been 10 named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes by this point. This year, however, there have only been eight tropical storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo and Hanna.
- Reduced monsoon rain threatens agriculture in India: The drier and warmer theme has also taken hold in India, where the essential monsoon rainfall has been 13 percent below average. While Central India had around its normal expected rainfall, the east and north-east were around 26 percent drier than average and put into 'exceptional' drought. Southern states of India were 24 percent drier than average.
- Strong typhoons target east China and Japan: Further west in the Pacific, it's also been an active season in eastern China and Japan as storms including Maysak and Dujuan have brought recent widespread floods and landslides. There have been 10 tropical cyclones forming in the western Pacific Ocean - the highest number in a season since 1966.
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THE WORLD'S BEST AIRLINES & AIRPORTS OF 2026
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Several commercial airlines this year expanded their premium offerings, from introducing cabin tiers like basic business to outfitting first-class suites with even more luxuries than before. Forbes Travel Guide’s third annual Verified Air Travel Awards recognizes those airlines and airports that provide passengers top-of-the-line service, comfort and style. The 18 awards for 2026 encompass everything from the best first-class cabins to top airport dining. Delta Air Lines racked up six wins—the most of any carrier—including Best U.S. Airline and Best U.S. Airline Lounge for its Delta One space at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Singapore Changi, with its dramatic indoor waterfall, earned Best International Airport, while New York’s LaGuardia was recognized as the Best U.S. Airport. The Innovation of the Year award went to Air New Zealand, which achieved an industry first: lie-flat options for economy passengers.
2026 Forbes Travel Guide Verified Air Travel Awards:
- Best International Airline: Emirates
- Best U.S. Airline: Delta
- Best Small Airline: JSX
- Best International Airport: Singapore Changi Airport
- Best U.S. Airport: LaGuardia Airport
- Best International First-Class: Emirates First Class on the Boeing 777-300ER
- Best U.S. First-Class: Delta Air Lines First Class on the A321neo
- Best International Business Class: Qatar Airways Qsuites on the Airbus A350-1000
- Best U.S. Business Class: Delta One
- Best Independent Airport Lounge: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Hamad International Airport
- Best International Airline Lounge: Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai
- Best U.S.-Airline Lounge: Delta One, JFK Airport
- Best Airport Dining: Singapore Changi Airport
- Best In-Flight Culinary Collaboration: Air France and Daniel Boulud
- Innovation of the Year: Air New Zealand's Economy Skynest
- Best Private Airport Experience: The Windsor by Heathrow, London, LHR
- Best Loyalty Program: Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
- Best Airline App: Delta Air Lines Fly Delta
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MARKET UPDATE - 10/21/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 10/15/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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