Pelican Press

Spotify is now the default music player in the Opera One browser Spotify is now the default music player in the Opera One browser It has long been possible to listen to music from within Opera’s browser. If you go down its sidebar, you’ll see a player icon where you can choose from Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer and then log into any of them with your account details. But now Opera has teamed up with Spotify and has made the music streaming service the default option on the company’s flagship browser with generative AI features, Opera One. After logging into your account and activating the player, you’ll be able to detach it from the sidebar and move it around the screen to a place that wouldn’t interrupt your workflow. The player will float inside the browser and will not disappear if you tab away. It also automatically fades out the audio that’s currently playing when you join meetings and calls. Your songs will remain paused for the duration of the call or meeting and will resume as soon as it’s over. Perhaps the best thing about the companies’ teamup, if you live in a certain location at least, is that you can get Spotify Premium for free if you don’t have a subscription yet. If you’re in Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the ***, the US or Vietnam, you can redeem two to three months of Spotify Premium at no cost from within the browser’s sidebar. Source link #Spotify #default #music #player #Opera #browser Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nationwide Building Society backs HPE GreenLake for hybrid cloud push Nationwide Building Society backs HPE GreenLake for hybrid cloud push Nationwide Building Society is drawing on HPE’s private cloud capabilities to help deliver on the next phase of its multi-year hybrid cloud strategy. The company, which has more than 17 million customers in the *** and employs 18,000 people, is in midst of a hybrid cloud-focused digital transformation project, geared towards improving the online experience for its customers. As previously reported by Computer Weekly, this work, which began in 2018, has seen the firm use public cloud technologies, such as those offered by Amazon Web Services, and embrace the use of DevOps-style software development methodologies within its teams. The project has also seen Nationwide adopt different cloud technologies based on what is best for that particular type of data or workload, which is why the company is now adding the HPE Greenlake private cloud setup to its supplier mix too. “Nationwide’s hybrid cloud strategy is vital to our ability to compete and means we can continue to meet the needs and expectations of our customers – HPE GreenLake cloud is a core component of our hybrid cloud strategy,” said Paul Walsh, director of infrastructure and service delivery at Nationwide. “With them, we’re building a cloud platform that will further improve our resilience and agility, enabling us to provide even better levels of service and deliver new capabilities to our developers faster than ever before.” Specifically, Nationwide will use HPE GreenLake management services to automate and orchestrate its infrastructure management workloads and deliver infrastructure-as-code, the company said. “This [will] enable [Nationwide] to focus on innovation, value-add activities and gain better control over application builds and security,” said the company, in a statement. “Faster release cycles will accelerate the time to market, providing consistent customer experiences across all digital platforms.” The HPE GreenLake cloud setup will also provide Nationwide with an overview of its energy consumption and emissions, so that it can take proactive steps to reduce its environmental footprint, the company added. Matt Harris, senior vice-president and managing director for the ***, Ireland, Middle East and ******* at HPE, said the complexities of the deployment highlight why taking a public cloud-only approach would not work for a company like Nationwide. “Nationwide’s modernisation journey showcases the effectiveness of HPE GreenLake cloud, with the storied institution transitioning from complex, legacy technology to a modern, future-proofed hybrid cloud operating model where a one-size-fits-all public cloud could never be the only answer,” said Harris. Nationwide is not the only financial services company tapping into HPE GreenLake to deliver on its hybrid cloud strategy, as Barclays Bank also set out plans in September 2024 to ramp up its use of the technology for that purpose. Source link #Nationwide #Building #Society #backs #HPE #GreenLake #hybrid #cloud #push Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Honduras punished after Mexico coach Javier Aguirre hit with ***** can Honduras punished after Mexico coach Javier Aguirre hit with ***** can Honduras have been ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors after Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was hit by a full can of ***** when the two countries played each other in a Concacaf Nations League match. Aguirre was left with blood pouring down his face when he was hit by the can as he approached opposing manager Reinaldo Rueda for a post-match handshake, after hosts Honduras won the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final 2-0. Concacaf, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, opened an investigation and have taken action against Honduras for “failing to implement adequate stadium security measures”. The governing body added: “The disciplinary committee has also fined the federation and warned them that more severe sanctions could be taken should similar incidents occur during future matches.” The ******** football federation had said the behaviour which resulted in their manager being hit had “no place in our sport”, while Honduras manager Rueda said the incident soured his side’s victory. Concacaf also added it was looking into “a separate disciplinary case investigating the conduct of Javier Aguirre during the aforementioned match”. The second leg of the tie is on 20 November, with the winner of the quarter-final qualifying for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup in Canada and the ******* States. Source link #Honduras #punished #Mexico #coach #Javier #Aguirre #hit #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Perplexity AI ‘Buy With Pro’ and ‘Snap to Shop’ Features Rolling Out for Paid Subscribers Perplexity AI ‘Buy With Pro’ and ‘Snap to Shop’ Features Rolling Out for Paid Subscribers Perplexity added two new features to its platform on Monday to offer users a new shopping experience. The artificial intelligence (AI) search engine is rolling out ‘Buy with Pro’ and ‘Snap to Shop’ features for paying subscribers. With the former, Perplexity Pro users can now purchase products directly on the platform after asking for recommendations. The latter is similar to Google Lens and allows users to capture an image of a product and share it with the AI search engine to find a match. In a blog post, the AI firm detailed the two new features. Both of these AI commerce features are currently available to Perplexity Pro users in the US. Buy with Pro will allow users to run a query about a specific product or product recommendations for a particular scenario. When the results show, users will also see a curated list of recommended products that they can purchase with a single click. Perplexity’s Buy with Pro interface Photo Credit: Perplexity Users will first have to add shipping and billing information on Perplexity’s portal. Once that is done, they can click on the Buy with Pro button next to the products to directly make a purchase without having to leave the app. The company is also offering free shipping on all orders made on the platform. In case Buy with Pro is not available for a product, the AI firm says it will redirect the user to the merchant’s website. Alongside this, the company is also introducing a Snap to Shop feature. Just like Google Lens, users can use this feature to point their smartphone’s camera at a product and run a search on it. The AI will either find the exact match or similar products, which can then be purchased using the Buy with Pro button. Perplexity says this feature is aimed at times when one does not know the name of the product or can think of its description. On the retailer side, the AI firm has started the Perplexity Merchant Programme which allows retailers to share product specifications and similar data with the AI firm without paying anything. The company is also offering payment integrations and free application programming interface (API) access to let them create a seamless experience for buyers. Recently, AI commerce has emerged as a new online shopping experience for buyers. With this, the AI streamlines and automates processes such as product discovery, customer support, setting dynamic pricing, AI assistants to answer product queries and more. Amazon’s Rufus AI, Shopify Magic, and Salesforce’s Einstein AI are some examples of tools enabling AI commerce. Source link #Perplexity #Buy #Pro #Snap #Shop #Features #Rolling #Paid #Subscribers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South ******* captain Bavuma fit to face Sri Lanka South ******* captain Bavuma fit to face Sri Lanka South ******* captain Temba Bavuma has been cleared to face Sri Lanka in two home Tests starting in Durban on November 27 after missing out on the series sweep in Bangladesh last month with an elbow injury. Bavuma has been a key part of South *******’s middle order in recent years and his return is a boost for the side as they seek to earn a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s next year. Allrounder Marco Jansen (rested) and fast bowler Gerald Coetzee (injury) are also back in the squad after missing the comprehensive win in Bangladesh. “We’ve picked the strongest possible side to ensure we stay competitive and keep our hopes alive for a place in the World Test Championship final,” coach Shukri Conrad said. “We’ve named a squad of 14 instead of the usual 15 to allow players on the periphery of selection the opportunity to play first-class cricket for their respective provincial teams. “It’s great to have Temba back leading the side after his recovery. His leadership and skill are invaluable to the team.” Australia and India are the top two in the WTC and South ******* will likely have to win both matches against Sri Lanka, and two home Tests against Pakistan to reach the final. South ******* Squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne. Source link #South #******* #captain #Bavuma #fit #face #Sri #Lanka Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police disperse and arrest protesters in Tbilisi as calls for new elections intensify Police disperse and arrest protesters in Tbilisi as calls for new elections intensify Police disperse and arrest protesters in Tbilisi as calls for new elections intensify Source link #Police #disperse #arrest #protesters #Tbilisi #calls #elections #intensify Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Even Now, Loyal Fans Crucify Hitman 3 for a Controversial Change That Spits on Franchise Values Even Now, Loyal Fans Crucify Hitman 3 for a Controversial Change That Spits on Franchise Values Hitman 3 is one of the greatest stealth games of all time. Besides Splinter Cell and Dishonored, this franchise from IO Interactive has made a special place in everyone’s hearts. The game right now has become part of Hitman: World of Assassinations clubbed with the previous two Hitman titles. Hitman 3 was released on 20 January 2021. | Credit: IO Interactive. The huge popularity of this game is solely based on its badass character, Agent 47, and its intricate stealth gameplay. People liked the pure single-player experience. However, IO Interactive too followed a path, that most developers have delved in. Hitman 3 Had to Follow the Live-Service Model Hitman 3‘s Season 1 was criticized. | Credit: IO Interactive. Fortnite or Apex Legends may come to mind when you think of live service games. Perhaps you’re a huge Marvel Snap fan or have mixed feelings about EA FC. Nowadays, live service games are commonplace, and most players spend hours playing Warzone, Final Fantasy 14, or any other game they want. But who could ever think Hitman 3 would eventually enlist its name amongst the popular live-service titles? Although, fans never liked this aspect of a long-hailed standalone single-player franchise. This is what the Communications Manager at IO Interactive, Travis Barbour, thinks about the future of the live service model of the game (via VG247): It could be, but not definitively. I don’t want to say that’s what we’re going to double down on and that’s it – I think it worked for what we wanted to do for Hitman. That basically came out of the back end of Absolution. I remember being at the Absolution E3s where we had the game designer at the time saying the way we made Absolution was that it was like a suitcase where you jam everything in, you pack it down – and then you manage to go on holiday, but you can’t fit anything else in the case. If you try to change something, the whole thing explodes and all your clothes go flying everywhere. Live-service components can be found in even conventional single-player games. Although ranked ladders have been a feature of Pokemon games for years, Game Freak has introduced rotating raids directly from Pokemon Go to entice players to return. A similar thing was done in Hitman 3, where the developers added a variety of missions that changed with the seasons, added new targets, or gave missions festive makeovers. How Was Hitman 3 in a Wrapper of a Live-Service Title? You would become a Santa in Hitman 3‘s Festive update. | Credit: IO Interactive. Hitman 3 placed us in the shoes of Agent 47, who wore a bald cap, and led us through missions that were based on the seven deadly sins. These time-limited missions made use of the game’s various modes. Wrath, an Escalation mission, gave you devastating firepower to defend Dartmoor and locate a new Elusive Target in Chongqing known as “The Rage.” Considering that there are only a certain number of locations to use, this was the seventh such act of the season (obviously), and none of it felt dated, repurposed, or phoned in. For me, Hitman‘s festive seasonal update was the clincher. IO Interactive had you hunt Santa and decked out Hitman‘s Paris location with Christmas trees and decorations. No, really. Okay, so the real targets were Harry and Marv, who were named after the cheesy Home Alone villains, but I’ll ***** him if you put a Santa who can teleport at a Hitman level, okay? When you’re dressed as Saint Nick, it feels so much better to poison wine and set off C4. Source link #Loyal #Fans #Crucify #Hitman #Controversial #Change #Spits #Franchise #Values Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Georgian police clear protesters challenging ‘stolen’ election Georgian police clear protesters challenging ‘stolen’ election Police in Georgia have clashed with demonstrators in the centre of the capital Tbilisi protesting against last month’s disputed election which they say was stolen by the government. The protesters had set up tents and barriers at a major junction near Tbilisi State University and security and riot police detained a number of people as they moved in to clear the area. Georgia’s pro-Western opposition accuses the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party of using voter intimidation and ****** to win last month’s parliamentary elections. Georgian Dream denies rigging the vote. The result has been rubber-stamped by the central election commission even though it was not corroborated by Western polling groups. The ********* Union and US have backed opposition calls for an investigation into the 26 October election which was seen in Georgia as a choice between a future within the ********* Union or a return to Russia’s orbit. After years of increasingly authoritarian rule under Georgian Dream, it was widely considered the most crucial vote since Georgians backed independence from the ******* Union in 1991. Tens of thousands of Georgians had already taken to the streets to protest against the disputed result, but the election commission’s decision on Saturday to confirm the ruling party’s victory prompted further demonstrations in the centre of the capital. The commission said GD had won 53.9% of the vote and 89 seats in the 150-seat parliament. But Edison Research, one of two respected US firms who carried out exit polls for opposition TV channels, said the commission’s figure could not be explained “by normal variation”. After opposition protesters, many of them students, set up tents and barriers near Tbilisi State University, police moved in early on Tuesday to disperse them by force. A cameraman working for an opposition TV channel was among those arrested and several people were reportedly hurt. One of the opposition leaders, Helene Khoshtaria, told the BBC that the protests would continue because they were fighting for the votes of the people and struggling for Georgia’s ********* future. The EU has said it will send a mission to Georgia to discuss “the irregularities” of the vote, warning that the government in Tbilisi will not be able to move towards membership of the ********* Union “without strong changes”. Source link #Georgian #police #clear #protesters #challenging #stolen #election Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zoe Ball to leave BBC Radio 2 breakfast show Zoe Ball to leave BBC Radio 2 breakfast show Zoe Ball has announced she is stepping down as presenter of Radio 2’s Breakfast Show in December. Ball said: “After six incredible years on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it’s time for me to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family.” She will remain on the station, and said more news on what that would involve would be announced in the new year. Her last show will be on Friday 20 December, “just in time for Christmas with plenty of fun and shenanigans,” she told listeners on her Tuesday show. She added that she would reveal her replacement host later in the programme. Telling her listeners about her decision, she said: I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter. “We’ve shared a ***** of a lot, the good times, the tough times, there’s been a lot of laughter. And I am going to miss you cats.” She added she would also miss her colleagues, saying they were “like family to me”. Source link #Zoe #Ball #leave #BBC #Radio #breakfast #show Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Machete wielding man in custody after violent rampage in Bayswater leaving pedestrian critically injured Machete wielding man in custody after violent rampage in Bayswater leaving pedestrian critically injured Police have taken a man into custody over a violent rampage by a machete-wielding assailant who allegedly terrified innocent residents before hitting a man with his car, leaving him fighting for his life. Source link #Machete #wielding #man #custody #violent #rampage #Bayswater #leaving #pedestrian #critically #injured Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AI cloning of celebrity voices outpacing the law, experts warn | Artificial intelligence (AI) AI cloning of celebrity voices outpacing the law, experts warn | Artificial intelligence (AI) It’s the new badge of celebrity status that nobody wants. Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey and Kylie Jenner have all had their voices cloned by fraudsters. Online blaggers used artificial intelligence to fake the Tiggerish tones of Martin Lewis, the TV financial adviser. And this weekend David Attenborough described himself as “profoundly **********” to have discovered that his cloned voice had been used to deliver partisan US news bulletins. AI-generated David Attenborough voice used to report on Donald Trump – video Now experts have warned that voice-cloning is outpacing the law as technologists hone previously clunky voice generators into models capable of emulating the subtlest pauses and breathing of human intonation. Dr Dominic Lees, an expert in AI in film and television who is advising a *** parliamentary committee, told the Guardian on Monday: “Our privacy and copyright laws aren’t up to date with what this new technology presents, so there’s very little that David Attenborough can do.” Lees is advising the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee in an inquiry that will look at the ethical use of AI in film-making. He also convenes the Synthetic Media Research Network, whose members include the firm making an AI version of the late chatshow interviewer Michael Parkinson, which will result in an eight-part unscripted series, Virtually Parkinson, with new guests. That voice-cloning project is being done with the consent of Parkinson’s family and estate. “The government definitely needs to look at [voice cloning], because it’s a major issue for ******,” Lee said. “It needs the stick of government regulation in order to deter [misuse] … we can’t allow it to be a free-for-all.” AI voice cloning scams were up 30% in the *** in the last year, according to research by NatWest bank this month. Another lender, Starling bank, found 28% of people had been targeted by an AI voice-cloning scam at least once in the past year. Voice cloning is also reportedly being used by fraudsters to perpetrate a version of the “hi mum” text scam, in which fraudsters pose as children needing their parent to send funds urgently. On already fuzzy telephone lines, detecting that a pleading child is a scammer’s clone can be hard. Consumers are advised to check by hanging up and calling back on a trusted number. People whose voices are cloned without their consent find it more than a nuisance. Attenborough told the BBC on Sunday: “Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly ********** to find that these days my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say what they wish.” When a new voice option on OpenAI’s latest AI model, ChatGPT-4o, featured tones that were very close to those of the actor Scarlett Johansson, she said she was shocked and angered as the voice “sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference”. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly ***** in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion OpenAI voice assistant Sky sounds like Scarlett Johansson – video The rise of cloned voices raises the question of what they miss about real human tones. Lees said: “The big problem is that AI doesn’t understand emotion and how that changes how a word or a phrase might have emotional impact, and how you vary the voice to represent that.” The voiceover industry, which provides voices for adverts, animations and instructional training, is having to respond quickly to technological advances. Joe Lewis, the head of audio at the Voiceover Gallery in London, which has provided real human voices for adverts for Specsavers and National Express, said it had already cloned the voices of some of its artists. He said AI seemed to work best with English male voices, perhaps because that reflected the bias in the type of recordings that had been used to train the algorithm, but he cautioned that in general “there’s something about the way it is generated that makes you less attentive”. “When the AI [voice] breathes, it is a very repetitive breath,” he said. “The breaths are in the right place, but they don’t feel natural … [But] can it get to the point when it’s really perfect? I don’t see why not, but to get to the full emotional spectrum is a long way off.” Source link #cloning #celebrity #voices #outpacing #law #experts #warn #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia begins mass production of radiation-resistant mobile ***** shelters Russia begins mass production of radiation-resistant mobile ***** shelters MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has begun mass production of mobile ***** shelters that can protect against a variety of man-made threats and natural disasters including radiation and shockwaves, the emergency ministry’s research institute said. The “KUB-M” shelter looks like a reinforced shipping container. It can give some protection against radiation, shrapnel, debris and fires and can be deployed in Russia’s vast northern permafrost, according to the state institute. The standard unit accommodates 54 people but additional modules can be added, the institute said. The war in Ukraine is entering what some officials say could be its final – most dangerous – phase as Moscow’s forces advance at their fastest pace since the early weeks of the conflict in 2022 and the West seeks to shore up Ukraine. The institute did not link the move to any current crisis, though the announcement came just as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to allow Ukraine to ***** ********* long-range missiles deep into Russia. The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia would respond to what it called a reckless decision by Biden’s administration and cautioned that the move would draw the ******* States directly into the conflict. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Source link #Russia #begins #mass #production #radiationresistant #mobile #***** #shelters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** government seeks AI innovators to support clean energy transition and pursuit of net zero by 2050 *** government seeks AI innovators to support clean energy transition and pursuit of net zero by 2050 The government is seeking support from artificial intelligence (AI)-focused academics and entrepreneurs to help build clean energy systems and help the *** hit its net zero by 2050 goal. Interested parties are invited to apply for funding to develop technologies that could decarbonise the *** energy grid, improve the nation’s energy security and help the government achieve its wider aim of positioning the country as a clean energy superpower. The funding is being made available through the launch of the second round of the Manchester Prize, an initiative launched in 2023 by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to support AI-led innovation in the *** over the coming decade. The first round of the Manchester Prize is due to conclude in April 2025, and is focused on the role AI can play in the areas of energy, the environment and infrastructure. The second round of the competition will see the government offer up to £100,000 to 10 applicants, and one winner will be chosen from them who will secure a £1m prize to support the further development of their AI offering. The closing date for applications is 17 January 2025. “Over the next eight weeks, applicants can come forward to demonstrate how their innovations will boost low-cost energy, reduce energy demand and make energy use more efficient across the country,” said the government in a statement. “These could include new avenues for boosting the power generated by wind and solar farms, using AI to increase energy efficiency in our homes and businesses, and tapping into the technology to build up a better understanding of future spikes in energy demand.” Expanding on this theme, Feryal Clark, *** government minister for AI, said the second round of the Manchester Prize looks set to have a transformative impact on the ***. “AI can transform our public services, make us more productive and tackle some of the biggest shared challenges in society. AI is already having a positive impact on so many aspects of our lives, but there’s much more waiting to be tapped into,” said Clark. “The second round of the Manchester Prize will bring brilliant British innovation to bear to deliver a clean, secure energy future for the ***. Whether in energy, healthcare, or beyond, we’re backing AI innovations to deliver real and lasting change across the country.” Paul Monks, chief scientific adviser at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said the climate crisis is “the greatest long-term challenge” society is up against, and initiatives like this will play an important role in helping address it. “The greatest long-term challenge we face is the climate and nature crisis. That’s why we have our world-leading targets to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050,” he said. “We need an ambitious approach to using artificial intelligence across the development, engineering and operation of our energy systems, so I am pleased to see the Manchester Prize recognising that with its dedicated new round on decarbonisation.” Source link #government #seeks #innovators #support #clean #energy #transition #pursuit #net Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snow prompts school closures in Wrexham, Flintshire and Powys Snow prompts school closures in Wrexham, Flintshire and Powys Dozens of schools have shut and several roads are closed after snow fell across parts of Wales. There are three yellow warnings in place for snow and ice across the ***, including north-east Wales. Snow left one road impassable and collisions on two others roads, with schools in Powys, Flintshire and Wrexham shut on Tuesday morning. Snow started falling across parts of the *** on Monday in what the Met Office called the country’s “first taste of winter”. Almost 100 schools have already closed for the day in Wrexham, Powys and Flintshire. On the roads the A44 in Powys was impassable and was shut in both directions from the A470 at Llangurig to the B4343 at Dryffryn Catell. Traffic Wales also reported crashes on snowy roads causing a closure on the A55 eastbound at Caerwys in Flintshire. The A483 southbound between Rossett and Greshford in Wrexham county was also shut after a collision in the snow. Source link #Snow #prompts #school #closures #Wrexham #Flintshire #Powys Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A-League Men: Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic not feeling overly pressured despite winless start A-League Men: Perth Glory coach David Zdrilic not feeling overly pressured despite winless start Perth Glory coach David Zdrlic says he feels and acknowledges the pressure, but it does not feel overbearing as he looks to steer his side away from an unwanted record this weekend. Source link #ALeague #Men #Perth #Glory #coach #David #Zdrilic #feeling #overly #pressured #winless #start Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A single day shows the reality of life as war hits 1,000 days A single day shows the reality of life as war hits 1,000 days KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The clock on her wall stopped almost as soon as the day began, its hands frozen by the Russian ***** that hit the dormitory serving as home for Ukrainians displaced by war. It was 1:45 a.m. in an upstairs room in the eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Natalia Panasenko’s home for just shy of a year after the town she thinks of as her real home came under Russian occupation. The ********** blasted a door on top of her, smashed her refrigerator and television and shredded the flowers she’d just received for her 63rd birthday. “The house was full of people and flowers. People were congratulating me … and then there was nothing. Everything was mixed in the rubble,” she said. “I come from a place where the war is going on every day. We only just left there, and it seemed to be quieter here. And the war caught up with us again.” Nov. 11 was a typical day of ********* and resilience in Ukraine. The Associated Press fanned out across Ukraine to chronicle 24 hours of life just as the country prepared to mark a grim milestone Tuesday: 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. The day opened with two Russian bombings — one that hit Panasenko’s apartment and another that ******* six in Mykolaiv, including a woman and her three children. Before the day was even halfway done, a Russian ballistic missile shattered yet another apartment building, this time in the city of Kryvyi Rih. Swimmers braved the ****** Sea waters off Odesa, steelworkers kept the economy limping along, a baby was born. Soldiers ***** and were *******. The lucky ones found a measure of healing for their missing limbs and broken faces. About a fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory is now controlled by Russia. Those invisible geographical lines shift constantly, and the closer a person is to them the more dangerous life is. In the no-man’s-land between Russian and Ukrainian forces, there’s hardly any life at all. It’s called the Gray Zone for good reason. Ashen homes, charred trees and blackened pits left by shells exploding over 1,000 days of war stretch as far as the eye can see. Odesa, 6:50 a.m. The waters of the ****** Sea hover around 13 degrees Celsius (55 Fahrenheit) in late fall. The coastline is mined. Dmytro’s city is regularly targeted by drones and missiles. But Dmytro — who insisted on being identified only by his first name because he was worried for the safety of his family — was undaunted as he plunged into the waves with a handful of friends for their regular swim. Before the war, the group numbered a couple of dozen. Many fled the country. Men were mobilized to ******. Some returned with disabilities that keep them out of the water. His 33-year-old stepson is missing in action after a battle in the Donetsk region. For Dmytro and fellow swimmers, the ritual grounds them and makes the grimness of war more bearable. He said the risks of his hobby are well worth the reward: “If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go into the forest.” Zaporizhzhia, noon Managing the Zaporizhstal steel mill during wartime means days filled with calculations for Serhii Saphonov. The staff of 420 is less than half its pre-war levels. Power cuts from Russian attacks on electricity infrastructure require an “algorithm of actions” to maintain operations. Russian forces are closing in on the coke mine in Pokrovsk that supplies the plant with coal. And the city is under increasing ******* by Russia’s unstoppable glide ******. Right outside his office, a bulletin board displays the names of 92 former steelworkers who have joined the army. Below are photos of the *****. Staff hold fundraisers for supplies for colleagues on the front, including two bulletproof vests sitting in the corner near his desk. “The old workers, they carry everything on their shoulders. They are hardened. They know their job,” Saphonov said. “Everyone knows that we have to endure, hold out, hoping that things will get better ahead.” Chernihiv, 1 p.m. Dr. Vladyslava Friz has performed more reconstructive surgeries in the past 1,000 days than she did in the previous decade of her career. And the injuries are like nothing she had ever seen before. Her days start early and end late. In the first months of the war, she said, the hospital was admitting 60 people per hour, and eight surgeons worked nonstop. They’re still catching up, because so many of the injured need multiple surgeries. On Nov. 11, she was rebuilding the cheek and jaw of a patient injured in a mine **********. “Appearance is a person’s visual identity,” she said. “There is work to be done; we are doing it. We have no other options. There are medicines, equipment and personnel, but there are no metal structures for reconstruction. There is no state funding for implants.” She said she will not abandon her patients but worries that the world will abandon Ukraine as the war approaches its fourth year. “The global community continues to lose interest in the events in Ukraine while we lose people every day,” she said. “The world seems to have forgotten about us.” Odesa, 6 p.m. Yulia Ponomarenko has brought two ******* into the world in the past 1,000 days, including Mariana on Nov. 11. Her husband, Denys, is fighting at the front. Their hometown, Oleshky, was submerged by flooding after the ********** of the Kakhovka Dam. But by then, she’d long since fled the occupying Russian forces, who target the families of Ukrainian soldiers. Mariana, born healthy at 3.8 kilograms and 55 centimeters (8 pounds, 6 ounces and 21 inches), will grow up with an older brother and sister and a menagerie of two cats and two dogs. “This child is very expected, very wanted. We now have another princess,” Ponomarenko said. Kyiv, 9 p.m. The actors can’t perform in their home theater in Kharkiv — too many ******, too few people willing to gather in one place. So they’ve moved to the Ukrainian capital, where they played to a nearly full house on Nov. 11 as guests of the Franko Theater. “Because of the war, the Kharkiv theater cannot play on its stage. We play underground. It is literally underground art. There are only two to three places in Kharkiv where we can play, and that’s it,” said Mykhailo Tereshchenko, one of the principal actors of the Taras Shevchenko Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre, named for Ukraine’s most famous writer. Yevhen Nyshchuk, director of the Franko, said the theater paused production for a few months after the war started. Now, it’s packed nearly every night there is a play, and the lengthy applause when curtains close is deafening. The reason goes beyond the quality of a performance at this point, he believes, and expresses “this inner realization that in spite of everything, we will create, we will live, we will come, we will meet, we will applaud each other.” ___ Volodymyr Yurchuk and Anton Shtuka contributed from Kyiv. Source link #single #day #shows #reality #life #war #hits #days Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Māori Protesters Lead March to New Zealand’s Parliament Māori Protesters Lead March to New Zealand’s Parliament Protesters dressed in traditional Māori attire performed hakas while marching alongside tens of thousands of people through the streets of the nation’s capital, Wellington, on Tuesday. Source link #Māori #Protesters #Lead #March #Zealands #Parliament Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 23 best PC games you can play right now for 2024 The 23 best PC games you can play right now for 2024 Single-player or multiplayer: Single-player | Free to play: No In Still Wakes the Deep, horror comes in multiple forms. Eldritch creatures stalk the Beira D oil rig on thin, too-long limbs that burst from their bodies like snapping bungee cords. Human-sized pustules and ******* ribbons grow along the corridors, emitting a sickly cosmic glow. The North Sea is an unrelenting threat, wailing beneath every step. And then there’s the rig itself, a maze-like industrial platform supported by slender tension legs in the middle of a raging ocean, groaning as it’s ripped apart from the inside. Gameplay in Still Wakes the Deep is traditional first-person horror fare, ********* with elegance and expertise by The ******** Room. Its action involves leaping across broken platforms, balancing on ledges, running down corridors, climbing ladders, swimming through claustrophobic holes, and hiding from monsters in vents and lockers. There are no guns on the Beira D, and the protagonist has just a screwdriver to help him break open locks and metal panels, placing the focus on pure survival rather than combat. The game is fully voice acted and its crew members — most of them Scottish — are incredibly charming, which only makes the carnage more disturbing once the monsters board the rig. Still Wakes the Deep is an instant horror classic. It’s filled with heart-pounding ******* and laugh-out-loud dialogue, and it all takes place in a setting that’s rarely explored in interactive media. Amid the sneaking, swimming, running and climbing, Still Wakes the Deep manages to tell a heartfelt story about relationships and sacrifice. — J.C. Source link #games #play Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor Thank you for joining! Access your Pro+ Content below. 19 November 2024 Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor Share this item with your network: In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how travel site Tripadvisor is embracing AI to offer new products and services to its users. Gartner says the chance of a successful digital project is like ‘flipping a coin’ – we went to its annual IT leadership symposium to ask why. And we examine what companies must do to comply with the EU’s new NIS2 cyber security rules. Read the issue now. Source link #Adventures #Tripadvisor Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Betrayed’ farmers take Budget protest to London ‘Betrayed’ farmers take Budget protest to London Getty Images The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has accused the government of “betrayal” as thousands prepare to gather in London for a rally against the planned changes to inheritance tax rules for farms. “To launch a policy this destructive without speaking to anyone involved in farming beggars belief,” NFU president Tom Bradshaw will say in his speech on Tuesday. The recent Budget announcement means that previously-exempt farms worth more than £1m would have to pay an inheritance tax of 20% – half the usual rate of 40% – from April 2026. “This budget has just ripped the heart out of us because I know my son will not be able to pay the inheritance tax,” Gloucestershire livestock farmer David Barton told the BBC. Malcolm Prior/BBC Co-organiser Clive Bailye said thousands of farmers had registered for the protest rally The NFU has gathered 1,800 of its members in London for a mass lobby of MPs. A larger event, which organisers say more than 10,000 people have registered for, is being held at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, and is expected to be addressed by speakers, including the farmer and broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson. Co-organiser of that rally Staffordshire farmer Clive Bailye told the BBC that it was set up to be a peaceful demonstration and had the public’s support. But he warned, in the future, there could be more direct action-style protests by some farmers. Malcolm Prior/BBC Livestock farmer David Barton said he feared he would have to sell the farm to a wealthy investor “They are at a point now where they have nothing to lose and they have got the infrastructure behind them to be able to cause a lot of problems,” he explained. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said that while farmers felt “betrayed” the union did not condone direct action such as withholding food from supermarkets. Among those attending Tuesday’s events is Gloucestershire livestock farmer David Barton, who has a 265-acre farm near Cirencester that has been in his family since 1913. Mr Barton estimates his 400-cattle business is worth around £5m and the proposed changes to inheritance tax could see his son facing a £800,000 bill. Malcolm Prior/BBC Student Alaw Jones is concerned for the mental health of those farmers now facing large tax bills “This budget has just ripped the heart out of us because I know my son will not be able to pay the inheritance tax,” he said. He is now considering gifting his estate, which means it would fall outside of inheritance tax if he does not **** within seven years, but feared he was not in a financial position to stop working. Mr Barton said the government’s attempts to target the wealthiest landowners who were investing in farms to avoid inheritance tax could see small farms like his ultimately sold off. “The people they probably want to target will end up with my farm. That’s the reality – someone with a lot of money will buy this farm,” he said. “For ministers to stand up and say this is good for farmers like me, for agriculture, they are chucking petrol onto a rather hot ***** at the moment.” Malcolm Prior/BBC Rupert Dale said the inheritance tax he and his brother would have to pay would be an “immense sum” The number of farms that could be affected by the change in agricultural property relief (APR) on inheritance tax is disputed. The government says it will only affect the wealthiest 500 estates each year but the NFU and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) have estimated up to 70,000 farms could be affected in total. Secretary of State Steve Reed told the BBC that Labour was “on the side of rural Britain”. He added: “I completely understand that with any change comes a degree of uncertainty but if farmers look at the facts, they will see that the vast majority of farms will be unaffected by this. “The figures are very clear – and they’ve been endorsed by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility – and they show that no more than 500 estates will be affected. “The vast majority of claimants will pay nothing under the new scheme just as they pay nothing under the old scheme.” The government has also said that combining tax reliefs and exemptions, depending on individual circumstances, could actually allow up to £3m to be passed on free of inheritance tax. It added that any inheritance tax bill could be paid in instalments over a 10-year *******. A group from the Royal Agricultural University’s students’ union were also set to join the rally. Student Alaw Jones, who is the ninth generation of her family to farm livestock in west Wales, said her parents had always planned to hand down the business to her and her sister but now “all the work they have done to build the business and get this farm to stand on its own just feels like it’s for nothing.” She added: “Mental health is a massive issue in the agricultural industry and this feels like the final nail in the coffin for those farmers who are already struggling.” Rupert Dale’s family run a hay farm on the Worcestershire/Shropshire border supplying livestock farmers across the country. He said the family now ***** they will have to sell up, explaining: “Me and my brother would have to pay an immense sum for our farm to carry on and that’s a sum that we spoke about together as a family that we would not be able to finance and afford.” Students’ union president Alexandra Godfrey said: “I think this is one of the most pressing challenges in the farming sector and we all need to rally together to tell the government how we feel. If not now, when?” ‘Fixing public services’ Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said Labour had delivered a “budget of broken promises” that was “******** British farming”. “Farmers can be asset rich, but cash poor,” she told the BBC’s Today Programme. “They are not in it for the money – it’s a 365 day responsibility.” The government has previously estimated just 500 of the ***’s wealthiest landowners would be affected by the change – a figure the ******** Democrats called “utter rubbish”. “The only way that people can pay the inheritance is get rid of the farm – so corporates buy it,” the party’s environment, food and rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron told BBC Breakfast. “It’s cruel, it’s unfair, it’s also incredibly *******”. Source link #Betrayed #farmers #Budget #protest #London Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

HK condemned over 'sham' sentences for HK activists HK condemned over 'sham' sentences for HK activists Dozens of prominent activists in Hong Kong have been sentenced to up to 10 years in jail, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups. Source link #condemned #039sham039 #sentences #activists Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russian Ballet Dancer Critical of ****** Falls to His ****** Russian Ballet Dancer Critical of ****** Falls to His ****** Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov ***** on Saturday after falling from the fifth floor of a building. The preliminary cause of ****** was labeled as an accident, with Russian authorities launching an investigation, according to RIA Novosti, a Russian state media outlet. CNN reported that he ***** two days before he was going to have “complex spinal surgery” and was on “serious painkillers.” In Feb. 2022, at the beginning of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, the dancer spoke out against the *********. “I am against the war in Ukraine! I am for the people, for a peaceful sky over my head! Politicians should be able to negotiate without ********* and ******** civilians, for that they are given their ******* and head,” he was quoted as saying by Russian-Ukrainian former ballet dancer Alexei Ratmansky on Facebook. “It is impossible to watch everything that is happening today without tears… I wanna dance… I want to love everyone—that’s the purpose of my life… I do not want wars, no borders.” Multiple Vladimir ****** adversaries have ***** after falling from windows. The term “Sudden Russian ****** Syndrome” was born after many notable Russian figureheads who have spoken out against ******’s reign ***** in puzzling ways. One of the most common causes of the deaths are window falls. “Some two dozen notable Russians have ***** in 2022 in mysterious ways,” wrote The Atlantic in 2022. “After all, this is what the Kremlin does. There is precedent for this phenomenon.” Notable deaths include Pavel Antov, who fell from a window at an Indian hotel two days after his Russian travel companion ***** (at the same hotel); ****** critic Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned; and Russian defense official Marina Yankina, who fell 160 feet and ***** in St. Petersburg in 2023. Shklyarov, meanwhile, worked at the Mariinsky Theater as a principal dancer, the highest ranking position. “It is with profound sadness that the Mariinsky Theatre announces the untimely passing of principal dancer Vladimir Shklyarov. Mr Shklyarov, a beloved artist and audience favourite, ***** tragically on 16 November,” wrote the theater on their website. “His loss is deeply felt by the entire Mariinsky family and the wider ballet world.” Shklyarov, 39, was married to Maria Shirinkina, another dancer at the theater. The pair had a son and daughter. Under his last Instagram post from Nov. 4, fans from across the world mourned the loss of the dancer. “My dream was to visit Saint Petersburg one day and see his performance there,” wrote one commenter. “I’m truly heartbroken – most terrifying news,” wrote another. “One of the most beautiful dancers of our time.” The ********* Ballet Theatre also took to Instagram to commemorate the star. “Today, we mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide,” wrote the organization. “Rest in peace, Vladimir. Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world.” Source link #Russian #Ballet #Dancer #Critical #****** #Falls #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asus ROG Phone 9 Achieves Highest AnTuTu Benchmark Score to Date Ahead of Global Launch Asus ROG Phone 9 Achieves Highest AnTuTu Benchmark Score to Date Ahead of Global Launch Asus ROG Phone 9 is set for its global launch today (Tuesday), nearly a month after being officially announced. Ahead of its imminent debut, the AnTuTu benchmark scores of the upcoming handset have been revealed and it is claimed to have achieved the highest numbers of any smartphone to date. It also details information about the ROG Phone 9’s various specifications, such as its operating system (OS) version and chipset. Asus ROG Phone 9 AnTuTu Benchmark Score In a post on the ******** social media platform Weibo, AnTuTu detailed the benchmark scores of the Asus ROG Phone 9 with the model number ASUSAI2501A. The handset is said to have achieved a total number of 31,21,390 which is claimed to be the highest score of any smartphone to date. Its CPU, which is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, has a score of 6,61,243, while its GPU score is listed as 12,56,559. AnTuTu Benchmark Scores of the Upcoming Asus ROG Phone 9 Photo Credit: Weibo/AnTuTu The processor features eight cores, comprising two Oryon prime cores clocked at 4.32GHz and six Oryon performance cores capped at 3.53GHz. It is paired with an Adreno 830 GPU. The listing also reveals that the Asus ROG Phone 9 will feature up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, helping it achieve a score of 6,72,974 in AnTuTu benchmarks. Further, it is expected to feature a refresh rate of 185Hz having a UX score of 5,30,614. As per AnTuTu, the smartphone will run on Android 15. Asus ROG Phone 9 Specifications (Expected) Previous reports suggest Asus ROG Phone 9 will be equipped with a 6.78-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) LTPO AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. For optics, it may sport a triple rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 700 main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor size, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. The handset is said to pack a 5,800mAh battery that can be charged at 65W along with support for wireless charging. Source link #Asus #ROG #Phone #Achieves #Highest #AnTuTu #Benchmark #Score #Date #Ahead #Global #Launch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** taxes could rise further if Labour’s growth agenda fails: analysts *** taxes could rise further if Labour’s growth agenda fails: analysts Chancellor Rachel Reeves gives a speech at the Treasury on July 8, 2024 in London, England. Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images LONDON — Doubts are mounting over the Labour government’s flagship growth and investment agenda, with one analyst warning further tax rises could be coming as soon as next year. U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves last week announced a series of reforms, including financial services deregulation and measures to boost pension investments — the latest in a slew of changes aimed at getting the country’s economy growing again. A higher economic growth rate could theoretically boost the government’s tax take without the need to raise taxes further, because overall revenues would be higher. Labour has a fine balance to strike, however, in keeping taxes high enough to fund the country’s depleted public services, while leaving businesses with enough cash to invest and grow. “The Chancellor is walking a real tightrope with this one,” James Smith, economist at ING, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday. “These sort of regulatory changes – not just in finance but in planning and other areas – if they don’t get the economy moving, I think we’re looking at more tax rises again,” he said. The Bank of England’s former deputy governor, John Grieve, expressed doubt last week that the measures would spur growth, saying neither financial services deregulation nor pension reforms were “game changers.” “I think she [Reeves] is going to have to do some ******* things to try to boost private investment,” Gieve told CNBC on Friday, citing planning and infrastructure projects as much more likely to boost the economy. The reforms came just over two weeks after Reeves’ bumper tax-and-spend budget, which included £40 billion ($51.8 billion) in tax hikes and changes to the country’s debt rules — measures Reeves said were essential to rebalance the U.K.’s gaping deficit. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility said at the time that the measures should drive the economy in the near-term, and raised its economic growth forecast by several percentage points over the next two years, while lowering it longer term. The OBR now expects U.K. real GDP growth of 1.1% in 2024, followed by expansion of 2% in 2025, before falling to 1.5%. Businesses, however — which were especially hard hit by a sweeping increase in the National Insurance payroll tax — said Labour’s plans were likely to curb hiring and discourage investment. “The real risk for the chancellor — and for businesses as well — is that we get more of the same next year at the next budget if we don’t see that response in growth coming through,” ING’s Smith said. The Labour government did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on further possible tax changes. ‘Desperate’ growth rates The U.K. economy barely grew in the third quarter, eking out a less-than-expected 0.1% expansion, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Friday. ****** domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.1% in September, also below expectations and following growth of 0.2% the previous month “This is desperate growth. We’ve had 1% growth, or around 1% growth now since the Financial Crisis. That’s 15 years. So this is a well-established trend and we need to do something dramatic,” Gieve said, commenting on the GDP data. The third quarter was a time of significant uncertainty in the U.K., with the government accused of talking down the economy and spooking investors ahead of the Oct. 30 budget. As such, some analysts argued the government’s fiscal plans, and growth agenda more generally, should be given more time to bed in. “Measuring success in the very short-term risks declaring the whole endeavour a ******** before there’s a chance for green shoots to reach the surface,” Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, told CNBC via email Monday. Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at Capital Economics, said the plans were likely to be measured over the coming months and years in terms of how successfully economic growth holds up against the OBR forecasts — with any tax changes then set to follow suit. “If it [growth] is weaker and that weakness is expected to be sustained, then it may mean taxes need to rise further to achieve forecasted levels of tax revenue,” Dales said over email, noting that Capital Economics forecasts a sight uptick in growth. If there were further pressure to raise government spending, while all else stayed unchanged, higher taxes could be expected, he added. Markets will now be watching whether the government’s reforms can inject growth into the flagging British economy. Nevertheless, Coles suggested that tax hikes — at least at the next fiscal statement in March — would be “highly unlikely.” “There’s always the chance we could be hit by something out of the blue, which upends expectations, but at the moment Labour has committed to one major Budget a year, so anything substantial sooner would be a real surprise — especially after such a major fiscal event in October,” Coles said. “The coming months will give us a clearer picture of whether the government has got the balance right.” Source link #taxes #rise #Labours #growth #agenda #fails #analysts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Vivo S20 Series Pre-Reservations Begin as Vivo S20 With Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Surfaces on Geekbench Vivo S20 Series Pre-Reservations Begin as Vivo S20 With Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Surfaces on Geekbench Vivo S20 series is set to launch in China soon. We’re still waiting for an official launch date from the ******** smartphone maker, which has opened pre-orders for the new S series via its official online store in the country. The online listing reveals the rear design of the Vivo S20 family. The lineup is expected to include the base Vivo S20 and Vivo S20 Pro models, as a successor to the Vivo S19 and Vivo S19 Pro, respectively. Meanwhile, the standard Vivo S20 has been spotted on a benchmarking website. Vivo S20 Series Pre-Reservation Offers Vivo has begun accepting pre-reservations for the lineup through its official website in China. Customers pre-booking the phones will have a chance to avail of unspecified benefits worth CNY 278 (roughly Rs. 3,000). This offer will be limited to 2,500 customers, according to the company. Those who reserve can avail of the Vivo 44W charger and one-year extended warranty. Buyers will also have the opportunity to receive Vivo TWS 4 earbuds, Vivo Pad 3 or credit points. The brand has released the first teaser image of the Vivo S20 series revealing the rear design of the handsets. They appear to feature a vertically aligned rear camera layout that is surrounded by a ring flash. One model has a glossy finish around its camera housing. Separately, a Vivo handset has been spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking website with the model number V2429A. The listing, believed to be that of the vanilla Vivo S20, suggests that it may run on Android 15. It shows 1,223 points in single-core testing and 3,422 points in multi-core testing. As per the listing, the handset has 14.90GB of RAM, which means it could debut with 16GB of memory. As per the listing, an octa-core chipset with the codename ‘crow’ and a base frequency of 1.80 GHz will power the Vivo V2429A. It shows a prime CPU core with a maximum clock speed of 2.63GHz. These CPU speeds and codename appear to be associated with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC. The Vivo S19 also has the same chipset under the hood. As per past leaks, the Vivo S20 Pro will run on a MediaTek Dimensity 9300 SoC. It could boast a 6.67-inch display with a 1.5K (1,260×2,800 pixels) resolution and a 50-megapixel selfie camera. It is tipped to carry a triple rear camera unit comprising a 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. Vivo is expected to pack a 5,500mAh battery on the Pro model with 90W charging support. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Vivo #S20 #Series #PreReservations #Vivo #S20 #Snapdragon #Gen #Surfaces #Geekbench Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]