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********* businesses are continuing to find alternative markets to the U.S. – National ********* businesses are continuing to find alternative markets to the U.S. – National A manufacturer of capsules and tablets for the pharmaceuticals industry is scouting Asia for new partners. A steel component maker, with a client base in the United States stretching back 35 years, is telling customers to expect to pay higher prices. Another company, that produces mascot costumes for sporting or school events, is lowering its prices so as not to lose American customers. President Donald Trump’s tariff war – and his repeated threats to annex Canada – are upending decades of close trade ties between the two North American neighbors, and prompting many small-scale ********* manufacturing firms to revise their long-term business strategies. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who led the Liberal party to victory last month by campaigning to stand up to Trump, is scheduled to meet the U.S. President at the White House on Tuesday. He has repeatedly said the old relationship with the United States is over. Story continues below advertisement Even if the U.S. forges a new trade agreement with Canada, Trump’s erratic policy and the uncertainty of doing business with the U.S. will persist, according to interviews with more than a dozen companies, advisors, trade lawyers and associations. “If you are a smart, savvy business person, you are not going to jump right back into another arrangement where you are totally reliant on a U.S. partner,” said Mike Chisholm, who runs a consultancy for ********* exporters. “Owners want stability, banks want stability, private equity funds want stability,” he said. “They are just going to be very, very careful.” Canada, which has historically depended on U.S. markets for 75 per cent of its exports, was one of the first countries hit by Trump’s tariffs. Trump has justified the tariffs as a way to hold Canada accountable for fentanyl entering the U.S. – although data shows less than one per cent of all seizures come from across the ********* border. 1:55 Trump threatens tariffs on non-U.S. film production In March, Trump on all steel and aluminum imports coming into the U.S. and then slapped another and parts that did not comply with a North American free trade agreement, although he stopped short of a broad reciprocal tariff imposed on some countries in early April. Story continues below advertisement Experts have said that adding reciprocal tariffs on Canada would have spiked bankruptcies in the manufacturing sector. Get weekly money news Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday. The manufacturing sector ships 42 per cent of its output into the U.S and 41 per cent of its roughly 1.7 million workers rely on U.S. imports, according to government figures. Carney’s office declined to provide fresh comment on the impact of tariffs. When asked for comment, White House spokesman Kush Desai said: “********* companies won’t have to worry at all about tariffs when Canada becomes our cherished 51st state.” PNP Pharmaceuticals, a contract manufacturer for drug makers in British Columbia, responded to Trump’s tariff moves by trying to find customers in Asia, Alan Urmeneta, Partnership Sourcing Manager, said in an interview. “We are now venturing into other markets as we see that we need to pivot,” Urmeneta said. He declined to identify specific countries. Story continues below advertisement While it does not currently face tariffs, LabelPak Printing Inc., a British Columbia-based distributor of packaging products sourced from Asia, is considering focusing exclusively on the ********* market and gradually reducing the 15 per cent in sales that come from the U.S. “If he (Trump) gets mad … and decides to throw a 50 per cent tariff on ********* goods… it’s going to really put us out of the market,” Ken Gallie, the company’s founder, said. “We are going to put more emphasis on the ********* business.” While some ********* companies have lost trust, those reliant on the U.S. market cannot entirely replace it, especially smaller firms, companies and industry associations have said. Canada’s economy is less than a tenth the size of its neighbor and shipping overseas is costly. Trending Now Prince Louis’ antics steal the show again, as he appears to tease his brother ‘They were laughing at me’: Female complainant tells world junior sex assault jury Chisholm, the consultant, says some of the companies he advises are setting up offices and hiring sales agents in Europe and Asia to try to reduce their operations in the U.S. “There are markets all over the world that we have free-trade agreements with. Where can I do business is what many are thinking,” he said. 4:36 Tech Talk: Apple feels the pain of tariffs & Uber tests out cash payments Other companies are having difficult conversations with U.S. customers, several executives told Reuters. Story continues below advertisement “We are talking to these businesses and telling them, unfortunately, their government has chosen to have them pay more,” James White, CEO of Wellmaster, which makes steel components used in the energy and water supply sectors. Joyce Banda, CEO of Ontario-based Concept Factory Inc., which creates mascot costumes for sporting or school events, said she dropped her prices in anticipation of tariffs to try to keep U.S. customers. Now she is going to have to bear that loss even after Trump held off on imposing reciprocal tariffs, she said. More on Money More videos For Natalie Gaudreault, owner of Fusion TG, a tool steel distributor, Trump’s tariffs piled up as a double whammy on her Montreal-based business. Her company imports almost 70 per cent of all its steel requirement from China, molds it to customers’ specifications and supplies it to tool and die makers and roll formers. A fifth of her sales are to the U.S. She was first hit by 25 per cent tariffs that Canada in October. Then came Trump’s 25 per cent tariff. With other taxes, she estimates her products going into the U.S. will more than double in cost. “I am not going to absorb the cost. I have to charge it to them,” she said, adding that her sales shrunk by a third in the first quarter. Story continues below advertisement Meanwhile, some firms are taking the rare step of trying to re-open contracts with clients, including clauses on sharing tariff costs, complicating business relations, said Clifford Sosnow, partner and chair of the international trade and investment group at law firm Fasken. “It’s a hot knife through butter,” he said of such negotiations. “It doesn’t work without creating damage.” Source link #********* #businesses #continuing #find #alternative #markets #U.S #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** bear sighting in St. Augustine, seen on video climbing wall and roaming the street ****** bear sighting in St. Augustine, seen on video climbing wall and roaming the street St. Augustine learned it has a new tourist Tuesday morning with the a ****** bear spotted in the downtown/Lincolnville area. The St. Augustine Police Department posted a video and image of the bear on its Facebook scaling a wall and roaming the street in the early morning. A ****** bear is spotted on video in St. Augustine’s downtown/Lincolnville area May 6. “Law Enforcement is currently on scene with the bear in a secluded area in south Lincolnville,” the department stated.” Residents and visitors are urged to use caution if they encounter the bear. A ****** bear is spotted on video in St. Augustine’s downtown/Lincolnville area May 6. “It’s important to keep a respectful distance and never run,” police said. “****** bears prefer to avoid people and will usually move on quickly.” This follows a three-day scare in Atlantic Beach where a rabid coyote initiated five attacks before being shot and killed by an officer. (This story will be updated.) This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Video shows bear climbing wall and roaming St. Augustine street Source link #****** #bear #sighting #Augustine #video #climbing #wall #roaming #street Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Qualcomm: Analyst Opinions Split, But Upside Potential Remains Qualcomm: Analyst Opinions Split, But Upside Potential Remains Qualcomm (NASDAQ:) closed just under $140 last Friday, continuing its modest rally after the post-earnings dip. Shares are still down around 6% from where they were before last week’s report, despite the company beating analyst expectations on both headline figures. That’s a tough pill for investors, especially when the numbers were solid. But the tepid response isn’t just about the earnings. It reflects a broader indecision in the market about the tech giant’s long-term positioning. Some analysts remain steadfast bulls, pointing to Qualcomm’s expanding presence in high-growth verticals like automotive and AI. Others view the company as a laggard among semiconductor names, facing ongoing challenges in China and declining Apple-related revenue. Some Analysts Are Hot The recent analyst commentary sums this up well. Last week alone, Rosenblatt Securities, Benchmark, and Robert Baird all reiterated Buy or equivalent ratings on the stock. Baird, in particular, issued a price target of $216. From Friday’s closing price of $139, that implies a hefty 55% potential upside. Rosenblatt and Benchmark also cited strong revenue beats and ongoing strength in Qualcomm’s core end markets. Benchmark slightly lowered its target to $200 from $240, noting that the company delivered close to $200 million in upside to revenue forecasts for the March quarter. But the team there also pointed out broad-based demand across all of Qualcomm’s key segments. While there may have been some minor benefit from Apple-related pull-ins, Benchmark maintained confidence in the broader growth narrative. Their only reservation was the multiple compressions seen across the chip sector, which forced a modest target revision. Some Analysts Are Cold At the same time, others on Wall Street remain unconvinced. Wells Fargo, for example, maintained its Underweight rating and cut its price target to $140, citing mounting concerns about China exposure and the slow attrition of Apple (NASDAQ:) revenue. They emphasized the importance of watching June-quarter bookings, particularly for any shifts in handset-related demand or Apple’s business share. Likewise, Cantor Fitzgerald and Loop Capital each took more cautious stances, rating Qualcomm as Neutral and Hold, respectively. That said, even these more conservative voices set price targets above the current trading level, suggesting that while near-term concerns remain, the downside from here may be limited. Valuation Remains an Attractive Anchor One reason Qualcomm continues to draw support from bulls is its relative valuation. With a price-to-earnings ratio of just 14, the stock trades at a deep discount compared to peers. NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:) P/E sits at 38, while Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:) ratio is almost 100. Even for investors with only moderate growth expectations for Qualcomm, the valuation case alone makes it a tempting prospect. That said, valuation is not a catalyst in itself. The market is clearly looking for more convincing signs of a turnaround in demand and a clearer growth story beyond smartphones. Some hesitation is understandable with modest guidance for Q3 and continued geopolitical risk surrounding China. Earnings Underscore Broader Strength Let’s not forget what Qualcomm just delivered. EPS of $2.85 beat consensus by $0.04, while revenue of $10.98 billion marked a nearly 17% year-over-year increase. Handset sales rose 12%, automotive revenue surged 59%, and IoT sales jumped 27%. These numbers aren’t just decent—they’re strong, particularly in a choppy macro environment. Qualcomm also returned impressive amounts to shareholders via buybacks. This and a recent dividend hike reflect management’s confidence in the company’s long-term health. Long-Term Growth Drivers Support Qualcomm’s Investment Case Investors are faced with a frustrating but not uncommon dilemma: strong numbers, low valuation, and decent analyst support, yet a market that’s still lukewarm. The split analyst reaction captures this perfectly. Some are calling for massive upside, others are still worried about China, Apple, and cyclical handset risks. The good news? Qualcomm doesn’t need to be perfect to outperform from here. At 12x earnings, with solid long-term growth drivers and strong operational results, there’s a lot to like. But make no mistake: there are still cleaner stories out there right now. For those comfortable with a bit more uncertainty in exchange for deep value and upside optionality, Qualcomm may be worth the bet. Original Post Source link #Qualcomm #Analyst #Opinions #Split #Upside #Potential #Remains Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Uber buys 85% stake in Turkish food delivery platform for $700 million Uber buys 85% stake in Turkish food delivery platform for $700 million Travelers walk past a sign pointing toward the Uber rideshare vehicle pickup area at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 8, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Uber will acquire an 85% stake in Turkish food delivery platform Trendyol GO for about $700 million in cash, the company said in a securities filing. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in the second half of this year. Uber said it expects the transaction to be accretive to its growth once completed. “Uber and Trendyol GO coming together will elevate the delivery sector in Türkiye for consumers, couriers, restaurants and retailers, especially small and family-owned businesses,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a release. “This deal reflects our long-term commitment to Türkiye, we’re incredibly impressed with what the Trendyol GO team has built, and we’re excited to continue that strong momentum across the country.” Founded in 2010, Trendyol GO is run by Turkish e-commerce platform Trendyol, which is majority owned by ******** titan Alibaba. The platform hosts roughly 90,000 restaurants and 19,000 couriers across the country. In 2024, Trendyol GO delivery more than 200 million orders and generated $2 billion in gross bookings, a jump of 50% year over year, Uber said in the securities filing. The announcement comes as Uber is set to report first-quarter earnings before market open on Wednesday. The rideshare and food delivery company is expected to post earnings per share of 51 cents on revenue of $11.6 billion, according to StreetAccount. WATCH: Uber raises in-office requirement to 3 days Source link #Uber #buys #stake #Turkish #food #delivery #platform #million Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Mandragora Dev Talks Inspirations, Gameplay, and Plans for the Future Mandragora Dev Talks Inspirations, Gameplay, and Plans for the Future Noobfeed editor Wasbir writes – Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch is an absolute game for Soulslike or Metroidvania fans. Despite a few missteps, its depth of play and immersive world-building are worth it alone. It is a breathtaking and unflinching indie masterpiece. Source link #Mandragora #Dev #Talks #Inspirations #Gameplay #Plans #Future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

HyperX Cloud III S Wireless Review: Like the Cloud III Wireless, but better HyperX Cloud III S Wireless Review: Like the Cloud III Wireless, but better Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. HyperX’s Cloud III is one of the best gaming headsets we’ve tested — it’s lightweight and super comfortable, with redesigned, angled 53mm dynamic drivers that deliver great directional sound and let you hear all the details in complex game environments. The wireless version — the Cloud III Wireless — is also lightweight, comfortable, and sounds great, but it only connects one way: 2.4GHz wireless. There’s no Bluetooth option, nor is there an analog option, which is pretty limiting — especially at its retail price of $170. I hope that means you waited for HyperX to come out with a wireless version of the Cloud III that can be paired with more than one device, because it’s here: the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless, which features both 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity (and also works with HP’s Instant Pair feature built into select HP Omen laptops). The new headset is extremely similar to its predecessor, but it’s got a handful of new features to make it more Bluetooth-friendly — including a built-in mic in addition to the detachable ***** mic and a multi-function button for answering phone calls and skipping tracks. It also has removable speaker plates, for when you want to… replace them with something snazzier (though what, exactly, that might be has yet to launch — HyperX has shown some 3D-printed concepts but hasn’t confirmed anything). And while the HyperX Cloud III Wireless’ price is a $60 premium over the wired Cloud III’s $99 price tag –, the Cloud III S Wireless will launch on May 12, 2025 for $179.99 — it’s just $10 more than the Cloud III Wireless. Design and Comfort of the Cloud III S The Cloud III S is an over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a detachable ***** microphone. It looks very similar to the Cloud III Wireless, with a padded, leatherette-covered headband, curved aluminum yokes, and oval plastic earcups with padded, leatherette-covered earpads. It comes in two colorways, ****** and ******/red; our review unit was ******/red, which is mostly ****** — minus the red aluminum forks and the red HyperX logo on the earcups. (The ****** colorway has ****** aluminum forks and a white HyperX logo.) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) As far as comfort goes, the Cloud III S is almost identical to the Cloud III Wireless. The padded, leatherette-covered headband features HyperX’s logo debossed across the top, and plastic caps, and it just feels impressively high-quality. The aluminum forks curve around to connect to the earcups, which are slightly angled to match the angle of your ears. Each earcup is independently height-adjustable with nine notched steps (10, if you count the default), extending an extra 1.5 inches (38.1mm) for a total internal length of about 11.75 inches (298.45mm). The earcups tilt but do not swivel — the headset’s headband is highly flexible, so the lack of swivel doesn’t affect comfort, but it’s not a great headset for traveling as it doesn’t fold flat. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The earcups have soft, moderately thick memory foam padding covered in leatherette, which offers very good passive noise cancellation. The earcups are angled to match the angle of your ears, which gives them a sleeker look — this headset is pretty sleek-looking overall, especially compared to the previous generation. The earcups also have magnetically-attached caps — which are new for the Cloud III S Wireless — so you can replace them with decorative caps. At the moment, however, HyperX has not announced any specific decorative caps you’ll be able to buy, but… for the future. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Each of the earcups has several on-ear controls. On the left earcup, starting from the back, you’ll find a round microphone mute button and an oblong power button, as well as a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm analog jack for the headset’s detachable ***** mic. Although the power button is a different shape from the mute button, I still found myself expecting the power button to be the mute button and vice-versa (I’m not sure why, but it feels like the mute button should be closer to the mic). I would prefer a different type of switch, like the soft-toggle mute switch on the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed or the regular switch on the Audeze Maxwell. Tapping the mute switch once toggles mute, while holding it down for two seconds toggles mic monitoring (through HyperX’s Ngenuity software). On the right earcup, starting from the back, there’s a multi-function button, a volume wheel, and a connectivity switch for switching between the headset’s 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections. Like the Cloud III Wireless, the Cloud III S has no option for a wired/analog connection. The multi-function button is new for the Cloud III S Wireless and acts like most multi-function buttons on Bluetooth headsets do: single tap to play/pause music or answer a phone call, double tap to go to the next track or end / reject a phone call, and triple tap to go back a track. Holding this button down for two seconds will also activate your phone’s voice assistant. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The headset is fairly light, weighing just 12.05 ounces (341.5g) without the microphone plugged in (it weighs 12.4oz / 353.5oz with the microphone plugged in). This makes it slightly heavier than the Cloud III Wireless (11.64oz / 330g), which is, in turn, slightly heavier than the Cloud III (10.86oz / 308g). But even as the heaviest headset in the Cloud III lineup, the Cloud III S Wireless is still fairly lightweight. Plus, like the Cloud III and the Cloud III Wireless, this headset is extremely comfortable: it has a light clamping force that somehow manages to be just enough to keep it on my head without making me feel like I’m wearing a headset. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The Cloud III S Wireless comes with a drawstring microfiber cloth carrying case, a short, 2-foot (60cm) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle with a USB-C to USB-A converter, and a detachable ***** mic. Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Driver Type 53mm dynamic, angled Impedance Ω64 Frequency Response 10 – 21,000 Hz Design Style Circumaural (over-ear) Microphone Type Electret condenser, uni-directional (***** mic), MEMS, omni-directional (built-in mic) Connectivity 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth Weight 12.05oz/341.5g Cord Length 22″ / 55.9cm USB-C to USB-C (charging only) Battery Life 120 hours (2.4Ghz wireless), 200 hours (Bluetooth) Lighting None Software HyperX Ngenuity MSRP / Price at Time of Review $179.99 Release Date May 12, 2025 Audio Performance of the Cloud III S The Cloud III S Wireless sports the same redesigned, angled 53mm dynamic drivers as does the Cloud III and the Cloud III Wireless. These drivers feature a frequency response range of between 10 Hz and 21,000 Hz, which is wider than the standard 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency response range of most gaming headsets — but this isn’t uncommon to see in flagship gaming headsets these days. Razer’s current driver line (such as those in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)) has frequency response range of 12 Hz – 28,000 Hz, while SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova line (such as the Arctis Nova 7) has a frequency response range of 20 Hz – 22,000 Hz. And, of course, Audeze’s Maxwell headset has a frequency response range of 10 Hz – 50,000 Hz. Of course, a wide frequency response range isn’t the only (or even the primary) measure of audio quality in a gaming headset — the Cloud II’s drivers had a frequency response range of 10 Hz – 23,000 Hz, and the Cloud III drivers sound better: more balanced and more refined. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) While the Cloud III S Wireless isn’t necessarily the best headset for pure listening — it has a nice, deep bass response and clear highs, with slightly restrained mids, and I love mid-range-heavy songs — it’s a great headset for gaming. The details aren’t just present, they’re discernible — you can pick out different animals in the jungles of Uncharted, and hear all the various (repetitive) NPC lines in the city of Baldur’s Gate. It also does a great job with directional sound for games like Hunt: Showdown (though Hunt: Showdown also just has very impressively-designed directional sound), without the DTS Spatial Sound turned on. DTS Spatial Sound, which is the headset’s virtual surround sound that can be toggled on in HyperX’s Ngenuity software, remains… underwhelming. (I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong, but I can barely hear a difference when I turn it on.) Microphone of the Cloud III S The Cloud III S Wireless has both a detachable ***** microphone and an inline microphone, so you can use it when you’re out and about without looking like someone who wears a full headset when they’re away from their computer. The detachable ***** mic sits at the end of a 2.75-inch (69.85mm) flexible gooseneck arm and has a uni-directional electret condenser, while the built-in mic is omni-directional. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The ***** mic is the same detachable ***** mic found on the Cloud III Wireless, and it sounds… the same. Vocals are clear and relatively full-sounding, but are not particularly impressive, and the microphone has a relatively low recording volume, even with the gain turned all the way up in HyperX’s companion software. My friends and colleagues had no issues hearing and understanding me when I used the Cloud III S Wireless, but they also didn’t have anything to say about how I sounded otherwise. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The built-in mic is also decent — it is omni-directional and therefore picks up more ambient noise than does the ***** mic, but aside from that it was surprisingly comparable. (I’m not sure if that’s good news for the ***** mic.) Again, my voice didn’t sound particularly impressive over the built-in mic, but it also didn’t sound terrible — everyone I talked to was able to hear me clearly, even when I was walking around downtown Los Angeles, and that’s about the most I need from a built-in mic. Features and Software of the Cloud III S The Cloud III S Wireless works with HyperX’s Ngenuity software, which is fairly lightweight in terms of features — though it somehow still managed to interrupt my flow by downloading a driver update and requiring a restart as soon as I connected the headset to my PC. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) With the Ngenuity software, you can do a handful of things — most of which you can also do on the headset, such as adjusting the volume, muting the microphone, and toggling mic monitoring. The software also has a slider for adjusting your mic’s volume (gain) and a toggle for turning on the headset’s virtual surround sound (DTS Spatial Sound), as well as an adjustable equalizer. The gain and mic monitoring work for both the detachable ***** mic and the inline mic. Finally, you can adjust the headset’s auto-shutoff feature (10 min, 20 min, 30 min, or never — default is 20 min) and turn off the voice prompts. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) While I’m not a big fan of overly-ambitious peripheral software, Ngenuity feels like it could use a couple of extra features, such as some microphone adjustments (like Logitech’s G Hub) or a mic EQ (like SteelSeries’ GG). Battery Life of the Cloud III S Wireless The Cloud III S Wireless offers two forms of connectivity: 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth. Well, it also works with HP’s Instant Pair, which is just a 2.4-GHz wireless receiver built into select HP Omen laptops. If you pair the headset with an Omen laptop, you can also pair it with another device using the 2.4-GHz wireless USB-C dongle — double-pressing the multi-function button while on 2.4-GHz wireless mode will let you switch between the two devices. HyperX rates the Cloud III S Wireless’ battery life at 120 hours over 2.4-GHz wireless (the same as the Cloud III Wireless), and “up to 200 hours” over Bluetooth. This is impressive — most flagship gaming headsets today are rated for a little over half that (our favorite Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) clocks in at around 70 hours). Of course, HyperX’s Cloud Alpha retains its place as the headset with the best battery life by far, at up to 300 hours. Bottom Line We loved the HyperX Cloud III and… really liked the Cloud III Wireless, so it’s probably not surprising to hear that we also love the Cloud III S Wireless. The Cloud III S Wireless is everything the Cloud III Wireless should have been — a competitively-priced wireless headset with more than one form of connectivity. While the Cloud III S Wireless’ $179.99 price tag is pretty high compared to the wired Cloud III, it’s still $20 cheaper than Razer’s BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), which also connects via 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth (and not wired/analog). Source link #HyperX #Cloud #III #Wireless #Review #Cloud #III #Wireless Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Chevron’s Fundamentals Shine Through Market Turmoil Chevron’s Fundamentals Shine Through Market Turmoil Chevron (NYSE:) stock has been surprisingly volatile since it announced earnings on May 2. Supply and demand are under pressure from the current administration’s tariff policies. Plus, like all oil companies, Chevron has been facing oil prices under $60 since OPEC+ announced it was increasing production. The move by OPEC+ underscores the cyclical nature of energy stocks in general and, in particular, oil stocks. It’s also where an opportunity is presenting itself to long-term investors. For the first quarter 2025 earnings, Chevron beat earnings per share estimates by three cents. However, the $2.18 EPS was 30% lower on a year-over-year (YOY) basis. The company’s revenue also came in light. The $47.61 billion was less than the $49.05 billion expected by analysts. Investors weren’t completely surprised when Chevron came in light on revenue. However, the subsequent volatility has been unusual for a stock normally known for stability. CVX stock dropped about 2% after the report came out, but rallied hard and ended the day up 2.6%. The gains were short-lived, however, after OPEC+ announced it would increase production. That announcement will only add to the cyclical weakness in energy stocks tied to the oil market. Chevron Is Still Waiting for Its Trump Bump On the company’s conference call, Chevron’s chief executive officer, Mike Wirth, made it clear that the Trump administration’s tariff policy was a key reason why oil prices continue to be under pressure. At the beginning of April, before the proposed tariffs were announced, oil was trading in the mid-$80 range. As of May 5, it’s under $60 a barrel. In fact, that cyclical weakness is the reason the company is citing for pulling back on the amount of its share buybacks. In the coming quarter, Chevron expects to buy back between $2.5 billion and $3.0 billion of shares. That’s approximately 30% less than the $3.9 billion it purchased in the first quarter. Another unique area of contention between Chevron and the Trump administration is the company’s drilling operations in Venezuela. Chevron is the only U.S. oil company with active operations in the country, and it exports more than 25% of the country’s entire oil output (approx. 240,000 barrels per day). Why Chevron’s Weaknesses May Actually Highlight Its Strength With the exception of the OPEC+ announcement, the other macroeconomic impacts on Chevron were known before the earnings report. That isn’t stopping traders from selling first and asking questions later. However, if you’re an investor with a long-term outlook, the fundamentals matter. For example, Chevron still extracts over 3.35 billion barrels of oil daily. This results in a significant increase in free cash flow, which the company has shown will increase shareholder value. This leads to another point. Some analysts are expressing concern that Chevron is trimming its buybacks at a time when Exxon Mobil (NYSE:) and Shell (NYSE:) announced that each was maintaining buybacks at their current levels. However, Chevron’s program was one of the richest of its kind to begin with. The company has repurchased approximately $50 billion worth of shares in the last three years. Furthermore, even if it maintains the current level of buybacks for the remainder of 2025, it will still be within its prior annual guidance for between $10 billion and $20 billion in buybacks. Plus, Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat, increasing its dividend last quarter for the 38th consecutive year. Chevron Stock Outlook Depends on Broader Economic Trends The decision to buy Chevron stock largely depends on an investor’s economic outlook. Investors expecting a recession may see further downside ahead for CVX. However, with shares trading near a three-year low and a relative strength index in the high 30s, there’s a case to be made that the recent sell-off may be overdone. On the other hand, those anticipating a sharp economic recovery may expect oil stocks to lead the rebound. But by the time that momentum is clear, it may be too late to buy in at a discount. That’s why now could present an attractive entry point for long-term investors, allowing them to pick up Chevron shares at a relative bargain while collecting a reliable dividend in the meantime. Original Post Source link #Chevrons #Fundamentals #Shine #Market #Turmoil Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** and India strike a trade deal amid U.S.-led tariff tensions *** and India strike a trade deal amid U.S.-led tariff tensions RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 18: *** Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (L) during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi as he attends the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art on November 18, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Keir Starmer is attending his first G20 Summit since he was elected Prime Minister of the ***. He is expected to hold talks with President Xi Jinping of China, the first time a *** PM has done so for six years. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty Images) Wpa Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images The United Kingdom and India struck a bilateral trade agreement Tuesday, lowering tariffs on key exports such as U.K. whisky and cars, amid a global trade war initiated by the United States. The deal will see India gradually lower taxes on imports from the U.K., with the vast majority of goods traded becoming “fully tariff-free within a decade,” according to the British government. Exports from the U.K., such as whisky and ****, will see tariffs halved from 150% to 75%, before reducing to 40% within a decade under the agreement. Meanwhile, many automotive tariffs will be cut sharply from over 100% to 10%, the government added. The trade agreement between India and the U.K. comes at a time of rising trade tensions globally. U.S. President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on imports worldwide, straining relations with allies and adversaries. The U.K. government said the agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion ($34 billion). Trade between the two nations stood at £42.6 billion in 2024, up 8.3% from the previous year. At the end of 2024, the U.K. had a £8.4 billion trade deficit with India across goods and services. The South Asian nation was the country’s 11th-largest trading partner. The deal is the first to be struck under British Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s premiership. Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds welcomes Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal to London for trade talks. Department for Business and Trade “Today we have agreed a landmark deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world, which will grow the economy and deliver for British people and business,” Starmer said in a statement. “Strengthening our alliances and reducing trade barriers with economies around the world is part of our Plan for Change to deliver a stronger and more secure economy here at home.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that the deal will “deepen” the relationship between the two countries. “In a historic milestone, India and the *** have successfully concluded an ambitious and mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement, along with a Double Contribution Convention,” Modi said. “These landmark agreements will further deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and catalyse trade, investment, growth, job creation, and innovation in both our economies,” he added. “The timing couldn’t be better, with the FTA enhancing the economic resilience of both the *** and India by providing access to new markets and reducing vulnerability to external shocks,” said Keshav R. Murugesh, chief executive of NYSE-listed WNS, a business transformation and services company. “This is particularly important in a world where trade tensions are on the rise,” added Murugesh, who is also chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry *** Business Forum. Source link #India #strike #trade #deal #U.S.led #tariff #tensions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Israel Plans to Seize Control of Gaza’s Aid. Here’s How That Could Look. Israel Plans to Seize Control of Gaza’s Aid. Here’s How That Could Look. Israeli authorities are floating a new plan to allow desperately needed international aid into Gaza, under their control, after blocking the deliveries for more than two months. But many of the humanitarian groups that would have to work under the proposed system say Israel’s conditions would turn aid into a military pressure tactic and violate the groups’ principles of neutrality. The idea for the new aid mechanism surfaced just as Israeli leaders were threatening to significantly escalate their offensive in Gaza, even though more than a year and a half of war has failed to either defeat the territory’s ****** rulers or bring home all of the hostages still held there. Israel’s barring of food and medicine shipments into Gaza has prompted calls from the international community — including allies — to end the blockade. But Israeli officials have dug in, arguing that they are pressing ****** to free the remaining hostages. They have also repeatedly accused ****** of diverting aid for its own fighters rather than allowing it to reach hungry ************ civilians, which ****** denies. What is Israel proposing? The Israeli military said that its coming escalation would involve the displacement of most of Gaza’s population to zones “clean of ******,” which would be filtered by Israeli forces to weed out any members of the militant group. Under the new system, the Israeli military would secure and monitor the distribution of aid to Palestinians in a series of hubs inside Gaza, according to Israeli officials, diplomats and aid groups familiar with the proposal. The United Nations and other aid groups have criticized the proposal and suggested they will not cooperate. And some critics in Israel fear the plan would bring the country one step closer to re-establishing Israeli military rule over Gaza — a dream of hard-liners on the Israeli right wing. Israel has declined to publicly lay out the humanitarian proposals in detail. Israeli officials have generally briefed aid groups verbally to avoid putting their plan into writing, according to three officials familiar with the discussions. On Sunday, the United Nations and a coalition of humanitarian groups said in a joint statement that Israeli officials were seeking to shut down the existing aid system and force aid groups to “deliver supplies through Israeli hubs under conditions set by the Israeli military” once the government agreed to reopen the border crossings into Gaza. Under the proposal, private companies would manage the delivery of aid within the hubs secured by Israeli forces, two Israeli officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. What is the humanitarian situation in Gaza? When Israel and ****** agreed to a cease-fire in mid-January, Palestinians voiced hopes that they would at last enjoy a respite from the dire conditions in Gaza. For more than a year, hundreds of thousands of Gazans displaced by the war had huddled in tents and makeshift shelters. Finding enough food and clean water was a daily struggle. Meager provisions were hawked in street markets at eye-watering prices. During the truce, Israel agreed to allow hundreds of trucks of aid and commercial goods into Gaza each day, bearing fresh fruit, frozen meat, and enough flour to drive down the price of bread. But it didn’t last. In early March, the Israeli government announced that it was closing the crossings into Gaza to aid, citing the deadlock in talks with ****** over the next steps in the truce. Two weeks later, Israel ended the cease-fire with a massive bombardment across the territory. The Israeli blockade has been in place for more than two months. Israeli officials say Gaza has enough provisions to last for some time, even as aid officials warn that the blockade could ultimately lead to famine. “Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support. It strips them of dignity and hope,” Tom Fletcher, the top United Nations aid official, said in early May. Why have aid groups criticized Israel’s proposal? Relief officials have said the Israeli plan would effectively leave much of Gaza — the parts of it without hubs — without any supplies. It would also essentially allow Israel to control the supply of critical aid and use it as leverage. “It contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic — as part of a military strategy,” the United Nations said in its joint statement with other humanitarian organizations. The organizations also argued that if they agreed to provide aid in the Israeli military zones, they might effectively abet Israel’s forced mass displacement of Palestinians as part of the initiative. Source link #Israel #Plans #Seize #Control #Gazas #Aid #Heres Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Cardinal Sins of Baldur’s Gate 3 Explained The Cardinal Sins of Baldur’s Gate 3 Explained By now, everyone knows about and has most likely tested out the majority of the new Subclasses. While most of them are pretty cool, some are bound to be a bit laskluster. So, on that note, Baldur’s Gate 3 players share what are the Top 3 most disappointing Subclasses of Patch 8. Source link #Cardinal #Sins #Baldurs #Gate #Explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israel strikes Yemen's main airport in Sanaa – BBC Israel strikes Yemen's main airport in Sanaa – BBC Israel strikes Yemen’s main airport in Sanaa BBCIDF says Sanaa airport ‘completely disabled’; power stations, cement factory also targeted The Times of IsraelIsrael issues evacuation warning for Yemen airport after Houthi strike on Tel Aviv aiport ABC NewsIsrael Bombs Yemeni Port City After Houthi Missile Struck Near Tel Aviv Airport The New York TimesHouthi rebels say Israeli strikes have hit the Yemeni capital Channel 3000 Source link #Israel #strikes #Yemen039s #main #airport #Sanaa #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Unpacking team packed Tempopo full of puzzles and bops The Unpacking team packed Tempopo full of puzzles and bops “Humble Games is set to captivate the gaming world’s attention as it proudly presents a thrilling array of its upcoming titles at gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany. With an impressive lineup spanning various genres, gamers are invited to personally experience and explore the following titles through hands-on gameplay: “Billie Bust Up”, “Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus”, “#BLUD”, “While the “Iron’s Hot”, “Mineko’s Night Market” and “Unpacking”.” – Humble Games. Source link #Unpacking #team #packed #Tempopo #full #puzzles #bops Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sandy Bridge-era motherboard gains M.2 SSD boot support 12 years after launch — first new BIOS in a decade for decommissioned motherboard Sandy Bridge-era motherboard gains M.2 SSD boot support 12 years after launch — first new BIOS in a decade for decommissioned motherboard Firmware updates for motherboards aim to fix bugs and occasionally introduce new features. However, ******** netizen WhiteCamellia (via Uniko’s Hardware) found that manufacturers often fail to promote these new features. Notably, Gigabyte has seemingly updated the 13-year-old B75M-D3H motherboard to support booting from M.2 NVMe SSDs, a previously unavailable functionality. Introduced in 2012, the B75M-D3H is a motherboard featuring the B75 chipset, designed to support Intel’s 2nd Generation (Sandy Bridge) and 3rd Generation (Ivy Bridge) Core processors. Clearly, the motherboard is beyond its end-of-life (EOL) status. Ancient but not forgotten, Gigabyte issued a new firmware (F16f) for the B75M-D3H motherboard in 2024 to address the PKfail vulnerability discovered in the same year. The update is particularly noteworthy, as the last firmware update (F15) received by the B75M-D3H was in 2013, over ten years prior. The F16f firmware primarily addresses the PKfail issue. However, WhiteCamellia identified an additional functionality. An analysis of the F16f firmware using UEFITool reveals the inclusion of the NVMe DXE trifecta (Nvme, NvmeSmm, NVMEINT13), which is essential for booting from M.2 drives. The B75M-D3H was not designed to accommodate M.2 SSDs. The motherboard features one SATA III and five SATA II connectors for storage, explaining its initial lack of support for booting from M.2 drives. Nonetheless, users can employ M.2 to PCIe adapters, allowing M.2 drives to connect with the motherboard via its expansion ports. That is precisely the approach WhiteCamellia took to use his Western Digital WD SN740 with the B75M-D3H motherboard. The SN740 is a PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD that provides sequential read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. When installed on a slower interface, it logically results in reduced performance. On the B75M-D3H motherboard, the SN740 operates at PCIe 2.0 x4 speeds. This limitation is not due to the motherboard itself, as the B75M-D3H has a fully functional PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot. However, when paired with a Sandy Bridge processor, that slot operates at PCIe 2.0 speeds, which we suspect is the case with WhiteCamellia. PCIe 2.0 storage speeds may seem underwhelming in modern times, considering PCIe 5.0 drives have been around for a couple of years now. However, the transition from SATA III to PCIe 2.0 is quite substantial and could revive aging systems to bring some snappiness to the operating system and everyday applications. For quite some time, enthusiasts have modified firmware to enable unsupported processors or SSDs to function with newer motherboards. Regarding the B75M-D3H, it’s unclear whether Gigabyte intentionally or unintentionally provided M.2 NVMe boot support. The PKfail vulnerability impacts numerous Intel platforms, covering the 60-series to 100-series chipsets, all of which received firmware updates from Gigabyte in September 2024. It’s possible that this new firmware introduced similar functionality to other older motherboards aside from the B75M-D3H. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Source link #Sandy #Bridgeera #motherboard #gains #M.2 #SSD #boot #support #years #launch #BIOS #decade #decommissioned #motherboard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** and India agree landmark trade deal *** and India agree landmark trade deal After three years of on-off negotiations, the *** and India have agreed a trade deal which will make it easier for *** firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India, and cut taxes on India’s clothing and footwear exports. The deal does not include any change in immigration policy, including towards Indian students studying in the ***, the British government said. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the benefits for *** businesses and consumers were “massive”. Last year trade between the *** and India totalled £41bn and was already forecast to grow, but the government said the deal would boost that trade by an additional £25.5bn a year by 2040. Mr Reynolds met his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in London last week to put the final touches on the deal. Once it comes into force, which could take up to a year, *** consumers were likely to benefit from the reduction in tariffs on goods coming into the country from India, the Department for Business said. The government also emphasised the benefit to economic growth and job creation from *** firms expanding exports to India. India is forecast to become the world’s third-largest economy in a few years. US President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign has focused minds in other countries on how to respond, and increased the impetus to strike trade deals. The *** is also a high priority trading partner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has an ambitious target to grow exports by $1 trillion by 2030. Source link #India #agree #landmark #trade #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

On This Day a Year Ago, Sony Nearly Ruined Helldivers 2 On This Day a Year Ago, Sony Nearly Ruined Helldivers 2 Exactly one year ago today, on May 6, 2024, the Helldivers 2 community rose in revolt against Sony’s proposed changes. The game had launched to immense acclaim just months earlier, and it became the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time. So what went wrong, you might ask. Well, Sony decided to retroactively enforce mandatory PlayStation Network (PSN) account linking for PC players. This immediately turned what was one of the most successful launches for a live-service game into a PR disaster. The backlash was swift, global, and ultimately, effective. But we’re now in 2025, and the scars remain. Last year, the Helldivers 2 community showed Sony the power that players hold At the time, Sony announced that all PC players would soon need to link a PSN account to continue playing Helldivers 2. The rationale that the company gave us players at the time was moderation. We were told that linking accounts would help identify toxic behavior, hackers, and griefers. But that didn’t matter to the thousands of players who had already bought the game under different terms and couldn’t play anymore. And so the backlash started. It was fast and severe, with players getting together in a massive review bombing campaign on Steam. The game’s rating plunged to “Mostly Negative,” and there was nonstop pressure until Sony backed down and reversed the decision just days later. But while this reversal was a big win for us, it came at a cost. As of today, multiple countries still cannot legally purchase or play Helldivers 2. Some players still can’t play alongside friends because the game remains unavailable in their regions. We can’t help but agree with Reddit user u/thazhok when they say, “The reward should be ‘freedom to play.’“ Comment byu/Yurishenko94 from discussion inHelldivers At the time, Helldivers 2 had just become the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game in history. The game sold 12 million units in only 12 weeks and was shaping up to be one of the big hits of 2024. It did eventually become one of the biggest successes of the year, but just imagine what could’ve been if we never had this controversy in the first place. We never even got the Review Bomb Cape either, but for good reason The community really banded together against Sony. | Image Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios One of the biggest things after the whole thing was the so-called Review Bomb Cape. After fans successfully pushed back the PSN policy, Arrowhead’s then CEO Johan Pilestedt hinted at commemorating the moment with an in-game cosmetic. We were teased a cape for our efforts, but as of today, it has yet to be released. There is a fair reason, though. According to Pilestedt and others at Arrowhead, releasing it while there are regions where players still can’t play the game would send the wrong message. It doesn’t ultimately make it easier, but the studio has earned our respect for that. May 6, 2024, could have been the beginning of the end for Helldivers 2. Instead, it became a defining moment of resistance. That day was proof that we can influence major corporate decisions. But as long as certain regions remain excluded from playing the game, the story is far from over. The battle for Super Earth may be fictional, but the fight for fair access was, and still is, very real. It’s unlikely that we get those regions back due to Sony’s policies with them, but we can always hope. Source link #Day #Year #Sony #Ruined #Helldivers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Realme GT Concept Phone With 10,000mAh Battery Unveiled in India Realme GT Concept Phone With 10,000mAh Battery Unveiled in India Realme is set to unveil the GT 7 series in India soon, but the company has not yet announced the exact launch date. The upcoming lineup is expected to include the Indian variant of the Realme GT 7 handset, which was introduced in China in April. Notably, the Indian version of the Realme GT 7 Pro was launched in November 2024. Meanwhile, Realme has unveiled a concept phone with a large 10,000mAh battery. It is said to have support for 320W wired fast charging. Realme GT Concept Phone: All We Know The Realme GT concept phone has been unveiled in India, and it has a 10,000mAh battery with 320W fast charging support, the company confirmed in a press release. In an X post, the company teased the handset as part of the Realme GT 7 series. Since this is a concept phone, it is unclear if the smartphone will be commercially available. The company said that the Realme GT concept phone measures under 8.5mm in thickness and weighs just over 200g. The prototype is seen with a semi-transparent back cover. It is said to use a Mini Diamond Architecture, which helps rearrange the internal layout to house the big battery. The design is claimed to allow for the “world’s narrowest Android mainboard, measuring 23.4mm.” The Realme GT concept phone is said to use “an ultra-high silicon-content anode battery,” which has a 10 percent silicon ratio and is claimed to be the highest in the smartphone industry. The company says that the battery has an energy density of 887Wh/L, which suggests an improved battery performance over existing handsets in the market. In the design of the Realme GT concept phone shared by the company, we see the tagline “Power that never stops” imprinted on the back panel alongside the Realme branding. The handset appears to have a rectangular rear camera module with at least two rear camera sensors. The company claims that the phone can run on a single charge for days without a top-up. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Google Might Be Working On Connecting Apps With Gemini Live: Report Source link #Realme #Concept #Phone #10000mAh #Battery #Unveiled #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

King and Queen unveil portraits marking coronation King and Queen unveil portraits marking coronation Portraits of the King and Queen commissioned to mark their coronation have been unveiled by the royal couple two years after they were crowned. Source link #King #Queen #unveil #portraits #marking #coronation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has crossed 2 million copies sold Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has crossed 2 million copies sold Kepler Interactive and Sandfall Interactive have announced that the turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has now sold over 2 million copies. Source link #Clair #Obscur #Expedition #crossed #million #copies #sold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft announces colorful new 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Plus Microsoft announces colorful new 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X Plus Microsoft has new flagship AI PCs. The company today announced a 13-inch Surface Laptop and a 12-inch Surface Pro with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processors. These new Copilot+ PCs will be available starting May 20, while business versions will ship on July 22. Both systems share similar specs, including 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage, though the Pro has a faster, higher-resolution display than the Laptop and also comes with Windows Hello support in the webcam, which the laptop relegates to a fingerprint reader. Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell – Column 0 Surface Pro, 12-inch Surface Laptop, 13-inch Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (8 Core) Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (8 Core) NPU Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS) Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS) GPU Qualcomm Adreno (integrated) Qualcomm Adreno (integrated) Memory 16GB LPDDR5x 16GB LPDDR5x Storage 256GB, 512GB 256GB, 512GB Display 12-inch, 2196 x 1464, PixelSense, up to 90 Hz (60 Hz default), touchscreen 13-inch, 1920 x 1280, PixelSense, 60 Hz, touchscreen Size 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.3 inches (274 x 190 x 7.8 mm) / 1.5 pounds (686 g) without keyboard 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches (285.65 x 214.14 x 15.6 mm) / 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg) Webcam 1080p, Windows Hello 10MP rear-facing camera 1080p Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Wall Charger Included? No Yes Release Date May 20, 2025 May 20, 2025 Starting Price $799 (without keyboard) $899 The Surface Pro 11th Edition and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, which debuted last year with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus (10 Core) processors, each starting at $799.99 as of this writing. Unless the prices for those more powerful models go up, potential buyers may want to consider one of those more powerful systems if they don’t care about having the thinnest, lightest designs. It’s possible that these Snapdragon X Plus (8 Core) models are priced higher due to tariffs, but Microsoft hasn’t commented. Surface Pro, 12-inch This new Surface Pro is a smaller size than the existing 13-inch device and offers a fanless design. Microsoft claims it’s the “thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC yet,” and it seems to fill in the gap left by the Surface Go (the Surface Go 4 was only released for businesses). (Image credit: Microsoft) This tablet is 1.5 pounds before adding the optional 0.27-pound keyboard. That keyboard, which will be a must-have accessory for many, will start at $149. The $129 Surface Slim pen is also sold separately. Microsoft says that the new keyboard lies flat “for a grounded and quiet typing experience,” and that it folds back flat against the Surface Pro for when you want to write or draw. The new Pro will come in three colors: the default platinum seen on so many Surface devices, a bold new violet, and a dark, blue-green color called “ocean.” (Image credit: Microsoft) Perhaps the other biggest physical distinction is that this system won’t have Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port, instead relying entirely on USB Type-C for charging. In fact, the two USB Type-C 3.2 ports are the only I/O on the entire system. The system will come with a USB Type-C cable for charging, but it won’t include a wall charger in the box. It’s possible this is a result of European Union rulings requiring USB-C charging on tablets, meaning that a charger isn’t strictly required, like with phones. You’ll need at least a 45W charger in order to fast charge the new Surface Pro. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. The Surface Pro has two cameras: a 1080p webcam with support for Windows Hello facial recognition, and a 10MP rear shooter for people who like to take pictures with tablets. The Surface Pro starts at $799 in platinum with the Snapdragon X Plus (8 core), 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For $899, you bump up to 512GB of storage and can also get the violent or ocean color options. Surface Laptop, 13-inch The new Surface Laptop, which Microsoft claims is the thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop to date, is a more straightforward update. It’s smaller than the existing Surface Laptop, which comes in 13.8-inch and 15-inch screen sizes. (Image credit: Microsoft) Like the Surface Pro, the new Laptop cuts the Surface Connect port and charges over USB-C. The Surface Laptop has a pair of USB-C 3.2 ports, a USB-A 3.1 port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Unlike the tablet, the Surface Laptop will come with a 45W USB-C wall charger in the box (though you need a 60W charger for fast charging). The laptop’s anodized aluminum casing will come in the same violet, ocean, and platinum colorways as the new Surface Pro. (Image credit: Microsoft) The Surface Laptop has a 1080p webcam like the Pro, but it doesn’t support facial recognition. Instead, the Laptop has a fingerprint reader in the power button, similar to the MacBook Air. Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop and its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (8 core) processor is “50% faster than Surface Laptop 5 and even outpaces the MacBook Air M3.” While that might be what some users are upgrading from, the Surface Laptop 5 launched in 2022 with 12th Gen Intel processors, while the MacBook Air is now on its next iteration with the M4 chip. Unlike the Surface Pro, Microsoft is using a fan here for improved sustained performance. Like the Surface Pro, the $899 base model has the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and only comes in platinum. The $999 configuration that jumps to 512GB of storage also comes in violet or ocean. Copilot+ and new feature Alongside the new Surfaces, Microsoft is announcing a series of new Copilot+ features that will show up in Windows Insider builds over the next month. These include an update to settings to let you use natural language to search for and change settings on your PC. There will also be a new AI-based Snipping Tool to perfectly crop screenshots, a sticker generator in Paint for chats or documents, and more updates to Narrator for better image descriptions. A tool in photos called Relight will let you adjust light sources in photos. This will debut on Snapdragon X Series PCs and come to AMD and Intel later on. Additionally, there will be a redesigned Start Menu that adds a sidebar showing recent activity from your phone, as well as AI actions in File Explorer. Microsoft is continuing to push the Copilot+ as the future of the PC, especially with support for Windows 10 ending on Oct. 14, 2025. The company has been slowly expanding Copilot+ features that run on the NPU, including launching Recall to find what you previously looked for and an improved Windows Search. AI PCs haven’t been a huge boon for upgrades, and despite being called Copilot+, Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot doesn’t actually run on device. But the clock running out on Windows 10 may drive more sales as potential buyers look for the latest updates, features, and security patches. Source link #Microsoft #announces #colorful #12inch #Surface #Pro #13inch #Surface #Laptop #Snapdragon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shingles vaccine lowers risk of cardiovascular events, study shows Shingles vaccine lowers risk of cardiovascular events, study shows Shingles vaccine lowers risk of cardiovascular events, study shows Source link #Shingles #vaccine #lowers #risk #cardiovascular #events #study #shows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now The 3rd Best-Selling Game Of 2025 In The US The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now The 3rd Best-Selling Game Of 2025 In The US It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped the PlayStation Store download charts last month. April saw a lot of action among the top spots. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Forza Horizon 5 broke into the top three for the U.S. and EU PS5 charts, while Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate dominated the PS VR2 charts across the board. Source link #Elder #Scrolls #Oblivion #Remastered #3rd #BestSelling #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia to drop CUDA support for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPUs with the next major Toolkit release Nvidia to drop CUDA support for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPUs with the next major Toolkit release The official release notes for Nvidia’s CUDA 12.9 Toolkit explicitly indicate that the next major release will no longer support Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta-based GPUs. Note that this deprecation is only limited to the compute side, as these GPUs will likely continue receiving normal GeForce drivers for the time being. That being said, this is likely the last SDK version that can be used to develop CUDA applications targeting the aforementioned architectures. While the previous release hinted at this change, Nvidia’s stronger wording now serves as a definitive signal for developers to shift to more modern architectures. CUDA 12.x series (and before) will still allow application development for these GPUs. The deprecation targets offline compilation and library support. Essentially, future CUDA compilers (nvcc) will lack the ability to generate machine code compatible with these GPUs. In the same vein, upcoming versions of CUDA-accelerated libraries like cuBLAS, cuDNN, etc., will not offer support for GPUs built using these architectures. Nvidia has not specified an exact date for the upcoming major release (likely CUDA 13.x). Similarly, we aren’t sure how many interim releases are to follow in the 12.9.x branch. Either way, this is quite a significant change as Nvidia is dropping three major architectures with one swing. Volta’s consumer equivalent Turing (RTX 20) is next in line, but it likely has a lot more to offer before it too hits the chopping block. “Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta architectures are now feature-complete with no further enhancements planned. While CUDA Toolkit 12.x series will continue to support building applications for these architectures, offline compilation and library support will be removed in the next major CUDA Toolkit version release. Users should plan migration to newer architectures, as future toolkits will be unable to target Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPUs.” CUDA 12.9 Toolkit release notes Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture was introduced in early 2014 with the GTX 745, GTX 750, and GTX 750 Ti series, along with the GTX 800M series on mobile. Maxwell even found its way into the original Nintendo Switch’s Tegra SoC. A refresh later in 2014, featuring the GM20X series dies, brought several enhancements with the GTX 900 series. Pascal was soon to follow in 2016, serving as the basis for the legendary GTX 1080 Ti, and powering the Quadro P-series for workstations (mobile and desktop) along with Nvidia’s Tesla P4 accelerators. Most consumers might not be familiar with the name Volta, but this architecture marked the debut of Nvidia’s Tensor Cores in 2017. Fun fact, the Volta-based GV100 is Nvidia’s second-largest chip at 815mm2, only second to the monstrous GA100 (Ampere) at 826mm2. Volta would serve as the stepping stone for Nvidia’s strides into the AI acceleration market, followed by Turing, Ampere, Hopper, and now Blackwell, which have since grown its valuation to nearly $2.8 trillion. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Nvidia #drop #CUDA #support #Maxwell #Pascal #Volta #GPUs #major #Toolkit #release Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Not just Alcatraz: the notorious US prisons Trump is already reopening – The Guardian Not just Alcatraz: the notorious US prisons Trump is already reopening – The Guardian Not just Alcatraz: the notorious US prisons Trump is already reopening The GuardianTrump’s Idea to Turn Alcatraz Back Into a Prison Draws Criticism From Tourists The New York TimesTrump Posts Wild ‘Villains, Rapists, Monsters’ Rant From Stephen Miller The Daily BeastTrump’s order to reopen Alcatraz is the perfect metaphor for his second term CNNAlcatraz visitors react to Trump: From ‘the man’s a moron’ to ‘idea seems good’ USA Today Source link #Alcatraz #notorious #prisons #Trump #reopening #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Backbone Pro Is A Larger, More Customizable Version Of The Best Mobile Controller Backbone Pro Is A Larger, More Customizable Version Of The Best Mobile Controller The Backbone One has been the most popular dedicated controller for mobile gaming for several years now. Outside of minor Gen 2 revision that added support for phone cases, the Backbone is the same reliable controller today as it was when it launched in 2020. But starting today, you can choose between the Backbone One and the Backbone Pro. The Backbone Pro takes cues from other pro-style controllers by adding a pair of back buttons and customization options designed to give players the freedom to fine-tune to the experience to fit their preferences. The Backbone Pro retains its USB-C connection for iPhone 15/16 and Android phones, but you can also use it as a wireless Bluetooth controller on tablets, PC, Mac, Steam Deck, and more devices. The Backbone Pro is available now for $170 exclusively at Best Buy and the Backbone online storefront. While the Backbone One is available in PlayStation (white) and Xbox (******) editions with USB-C or Lightning connections, the Pro is only offered in ****** with USB-C. I’ve been using the Backbone Pro for the past week and am quite impressed by the hardware and software improvements. The Backbone One was and still is a great mobile controller–it’s at the top of our phone controller best list (for now)–but the Backbone Pro offers a marked improvement in ergonomics, customization, and integration with the excellent dashboard and game launcher app. $170 Here’s a quick rundown of the Backbone Pro’s technical specifications as well as its design changes. Key Features & Updates: Platforms: iPhone 15/16 and Android phones via USB-C Bluetooth wireless for PC, Mac, Steam Deck, tablets, VR headsets, and other devices Additional Ports: USB-C passthrough for charging phone 3.5mm audio jack Design: Larger handles with textured finish Full-sized ALPS analog sticks (not Hall Effect) Concave stick caps Anti-friction rings Hall Effect triggers with textured grips Two remappable back buttons (M1 and M2) Quieter “carbon-pill” face buttons and D-pad (glossy finish) Backbone App integration: Remap all inputs inside the app Adjustable trigger and stick sensitivity Create trigger and stick deadzones Custom profiles for each game Built-in emulator for NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA Smart Search helps you find games Launch all compatible games installed on your device Remote play Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation libraries Launch cloud gaming subscription services Built-in support for Apple Arcade (iOS) and Google Play Pass (Android), and Netflix Games Backbone says it spent three years designing the new premium controller. That process included dozens of user studies and thousands of component iterations geared toward finding the most comfortable controller for as many players as possible. Ergonomics are subjective, but the difference between the Backbone Pro and Backbone One is immediately noticeable. The Pro model is by no means bulky, but the more rounded, chunkier handles feel more natural. The redesign is especially beneficial for longer play sessions. If you, like me, find the Backbone One to be somewhat uncomfortable when playing for longer than 30 minutes to an hour, the Pro’s form factor is much friendlier in this regard. It caters better to those with larger hands without sacrificing the compact design that many people love. My four-year-old son tested the Backbone Pro with several Apple Arcade games without any issues with the larger size. When I picked up the Backbone Pro for the first time, my ring fingers rested naturally on the M1 and M2 back buttons. Depending on your hand size and how you hold the controller, it might be more natural for you to use your middle fingers instead. Back buttons are no longer novel features like they once were, but it’s a meaningful addition nonetheless. The presence of back buttons spurred a substantial improvement within the Backbone App. If you want to remap your controls on the Backbone One on iPhone, you have to exit the app and use Apple’s dedicated game controller settings menu. On Android, the only official option is Backbone’s TouchSync feature, which is restricted to Backbone+ subscribers. Thankfully, the Backbone Pro supports input customization within the official app. You can quickly set up as many custom profiles as you want, remap buttons, adjust trigger and stick sensitivity, and create deadzones for both. Speaking of the sticks and triggers, it’s worth reiterating that while the Backbone Pro has Hall Effect triggers, it does not have Hall Effect sticks. The Backbone Pro’s full-sized sticks are certainly nicer than the shorter ones found in the original. They offer a smooth range of motion and feel precise, but these are still ALPS sticks. Though ALPS remains the most widely used analog stick technology–Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony all use it in their controllers–ALPS sticks are susceptible to drifting issues. The anti-friction thumbstick ring should act as an extra layer of protection, but it’s still disappointing that a $170 pro-style controller doesn’t have Hall Effect sticks. Remapping buttons in the Backbone App Like the original, the Backbone Pro’s greatest asset is its ability to turn your phone into a Switch-like gaming handheld. The ability to use the Backbone Pro as a wireless controller for other devices via Bluetooth is an interesting bonus. I tested the Backbone Pro on my PC, MacBook, iPad, Steam Deck, and Meta Quest 3S. From a pure performance perspective, the Backbone Pro works well as a wireless controller. The app remembers your devices, and you can swap between them almost instantly. Customization and game-specific profile support could make using the controller as a traditional gamepad enticing for some. As an Apple Arcade subscriber, it’s neat to have control profiles that can be used for the same game across iPhone, iPad, and Mac If you already have a pro-style wireless controller for PC and mobile, the Backbone Pro probably won’t replace that. Without a phone attached, it feels a bit too light as a standalone wireless controller. Plus, if you’re like me, you might have a hard time getting past the visual aesthetic of the Backbone Pro without a phone between each half. At $170, the Backbone Pro is one of the most expensive dedicated mobile controllers around. It’s $70 more than the Backbone One ($100) and $20 more than the Razer Kishi Ultra, a high-end mobile controller that released last year. For Android users, it sounds even more expensive when you consider that the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Controller costs $50 and is equipped with Hall Effect sticks/triggers and back buttons. But Backbone’s mobile gaming experience remains unmatched thanks to the Backbone App, and the Pro takes notable strides forward in software utilization. If you use your Backbone One at least a few times each week, you will likely appreciate the Pro’s upgrades. And if you’ve avoided the Backbone One purely because you thought it was too small, you should give the new Pro model a look. Existing Backbone users can also take advantage of one of the most exciting new features in the Backbone App: a built-in emulator on iOS and Android for NES, SNES, and Game Boy games (GB, GBC, and GBA). It’s currently in beta, but I tested homebrew games for each platform and found the experience to be as smooth as other retro emulators on iOS. Backbone Emulator plays NES, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy ROMs. Backbone provided GameSpot with a pre-launch sample for testing. Source link #Backbone #Pro #Larger #Customizable #Version #Mobile #Controller Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snowflake launches auto industry-specific AI capabilities Snowflake launches auto industry-specific AI capabilities Snowflake on Tuesday launched an updated version of its AI Data Cloud for Manufacturing with new features geared toward the automotive industry, including data sharing capabilities to speed development cycles and an architecture designed to operationalize unstructured data. Snowflake launched the first industry-specific version of its platform in 2021 when it released its Financial Services Data Cloud. The AI Data Cloud for Manufacturing — initially called the Manufacturing Data Cloud — was made generally available in April 2023 and was Snowflake’s sixth and industry-specific release. In addition to Snowflake, vendors such as Databricks and SAS provide versions of their platforms tailored to customers in specific industries. Such platforms are useful because they remove some of the burden of combining analytics and AI platforms with the relevant data required to address specific business needs, according to David Menninger, an analyst at ISG Software Research. “No one needs a database or an AI platform,” he said. “What they really need is a business solution. Someone needs to apply the technology to the specific business problem or opportunity that an enterprise faces. If software providers don’t do that, then the enterprise needs to do it themselves. It takes more effort if they have to do it themselves and then on top of that they need to maintain it.” Based in Bozeman, Mont., but with no central headquarters, Snowflake is a data cloud vendor that now also provides AI development capabilities. Databricks is Snowflake’s chief rival, but competitors also include data management specialists such as MongoDB and Teradata and tech giants such as AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft. Targeting the auto industry The automotive industry is evolving. Not only is it shifting to electric vehicles but autonomous driving, connected software-defined vehicles and advanced manufacturing also are ongoing trends. Combined, they generate massive amounts of data related to vehicle development, manufacturing, supply chain management and after-sales services. Because of the ongoing change, the automotive industry is a reasonable target for industry-specific data management and insight-generation capabilities, according to Menninger. “The auto industry is overwhelmed with data,” he said. “Cars are basically mobile computers now with digital control of many of the systems, as well as connected car and self-driving capabilities. All these streams of data present a great opportunity for auto manufacturers to improve customer experiences and to improve their own operations.” However, improving customer experience (CX) and their own manufacturing operations generally requires AI-based analyses of large amounts of data, Menninger continued. “To the extent Snowflake can package some of those capabilities, it makes it easier for manufacturers to realize these benefits,” he said. Tim Long, Snowflake’s global head of manufacturing, likewise noted that the automotive industry’s ongoing evolution, which is leading to an explosion of data, made it a logical target for industry-specific capabilities. “Of all the industries undergoing major transformations as a result of data and AI, the automotive industry is perhaps one of the most heavily influenced,” he said. “The rise of software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving systems, electrification, and advanced manufacturing processes has led to unprecedented volumes of data that are reshaping industry operations.” By combining the data sharing and AI-powered capabilities of Snowflake’s data cloud with targeted data and AI applications developed by Snowflake partners in one environment, Snowflake aims to provide automotive stakeholders such as original equipment managers with real-time insights. Some of the automotive companies already using Snowflake include CarMax, Cox Automotive, Nissan and Penske Logistics, according to the vendor. Snowflake’s new automotive industry-specific capabilities are largely a combination of Snowflake’s data management and AI development capabilities with a data marketplace featuring relevant data and access to tools developed by Snowflake customers and partners. Together, they are designed to enable users to do the following: Develop AI and machine learning applications that enable widespread data use through natural language processing and improve efficiency through automation. Use a scalable platform for connected vehicle data that features a decoupled architecture that separates storage from compute to remain efficient while managing the exponential growth of data volumes created by connected vehicles, including high-resolution sensor and camera data. Share data across systems related to production and service operations — among other aspects of the automotive development and maintenance processes — to provide a complete view of vehicle construction, performance and CX. Gain real-time visibility into the automotive supply chain to avert disruptions and control costs. Share and monetize automotive data products on the Snowflake Marketplace while accessing those from other Snowflake customers. Collaborate with Snowflake ecosystem partners while maintaining privacy controls and remaining compliant with ever-changing industry regulations. Support for connected vehicle data is perhaps the highlight given that such data can be used to predict potential problems and prevent them before they arise, according to Menninger. “This data can provide numerous benefits to vehicle owners and drivers,” he said. “Predictive maintenance becomes much easier — no more wondering when a particular service is due for the vehicle. Similarly, indications of abnormal behavior can identify when a repair is needed rather than waiting until a more serious issue arises.” Next steps In addition to the automotive, Snowflake provides targeted capabilities to other manufacturing sub-sectors including energy, industrial manufacturing and logistics, according to Long. Looking ahead, while Long didn’t provide specific plans for what other industries and manufacturing sub-sectors Snowflake might also provide with targeted capabilities, he said Snowflake’s long-term roadmap aims to help every enterprise achieve its potential through data and AI. Looking more broadly at Snowflake, Menninger targeted agentic AI as an area where Snowflake should continue to focus. The vendor has introduced agentic AI capabilities but not yet made them generally available. “It will be interesting to see what new agentic capabilities they announce as well as when the existing features will be generally available,” Menninger said. Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He covers analytics and data management. Source link #Snowflake #launches #auto #industryspecific #capabilities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]