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European leaders back defense spend push amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine European leaders back defense spend push amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine A week since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated expulsion from the White House, European leaders have upped the ante on defense spending plans as they seek to support Kyiv and fill a potential void of U.S. aid. This week, the European Commission proposed measures for fiscal flexibility on defense spending and a plan to borrow 150 billion euros ($163 billions) to lend to EU governments for Europe-wide defense capabilities, including artillery systems, missiles and anti-drone systems. With this equipment, the EU stressed it could “massively step up” its support to Ukraine, which has depended on both Europe and the U.S. for military and humanitarian aid throughout its three-year resistance to Russia’s invasion. Altogether, the so-called ReArm Europe plan could mobilize nearly 800 billion euros. European leaders backed the initiative at a meeting on Thursday, with European Council President Antonio Costa saying the continent — which fears Russia could set its sights on other member states if it prevails in Ukraine — was now “putting our money where our mouth is” and “moving decisively towards a strong and more sovereign Europe of defense.” Donald Tusk, prime minister of Poland — which borders Russia — backed the plan, saying Europe must “arm itself more wisely and faster than Russia” and faced a “new arms race started by Putin.” Critically, Costa said that member states should be allowed flexibility under common EU fiscal rules, which currently restrict the amount of debt a country can undertake. Europe’s largest economy, Germany, set the tone with similar discussions earlier this week, when Berlin lawmakers under expected-next chancellor Friedrich Merz announced plans to reform the nation’s long-standing debt policy to allow for higher defense spending. Outside of the EU, the U.K. last week announced intentions to raise its defense contribution to 2.5% of the country’s gross domestic product from April 2027. “The move on defense has very clear motives and reasons behind it. It is welcome in terms of the security and safety of Europe, if that is the case. And if it is well designed, it can only have a positive impact in the in the economy and in the European society,” European Central Bank policymaker Mario Centeno told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Friday. Orban: EU support for Ukraine will ‘ruin Europe’ This week’s EU proposals were not universally endorsed, however, with historically pro-Russia Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opting out of the joint EU statements on support to Ukraine. Orban, who has refused to send weapons to Ukraine and frequently described himself as a “peacemaker” in the conflict, said on Friday that the EU’s current support initiative for Ukraine through additional defense spending will “ruin Europe.” “If now the U.S. quits (financing the war) …why would the other 26 member states have a chance to take this war to the end?” Orban said on state radio, according to Reuters. ING analysts were also reserved on the EU plans, saying that Europe’s rearmament strategy will have a “moderate” impact on eurozone growth and fiscal spending, and that Europe’s low defense production capacity will likely lead to higher imports. They added that, under the strategy, the need for the European Central Bank to continue easing monetary policy — as it did through a sixth interest rate cut on Thursday — will “fade quickly,” with the bank pushed into the role of a “lender of last resort of eurozone government” amid higher bond yields and the potential widening of spreads. Transatlantic strains A splintering relationship with the White House has left Europe with few cards to play beyond accelerating its defense spending. Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, the U.S. has threatened steep tariffs on the EU as part of its protectionist policies designed to ease Washington’s trade deficit — setting up a heavy blow to Europe’s already listless economy. Trump has also repeatedly criticized the failure of European countries to meet NATO’s 2%-of-GDP defense contribution target, claiming this week that “Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far,” without clarifying whether the assessment referred to nations within the EU or the continent whole. The transatlantic geopolitical fissures deepened last week after a public White House clash between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy that left U.S. aid to Ukraine under question and paralyzed the planned formalization of a critical minerals development deal. Trump, who has also rekindled relations with an isolated Kremlin and broached potential peace talks, last week accused Zelenskyy of being unprepared to discuss an end to the war. The White House leader has since softened his tone, claiming this week to have received a letter that expressed Zelenskyy’s willingness to “work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts” and sign the minerals agreement. The Ukrainian president echoed the sentiment in a Google-translated Telegram post on Thursday, saying: “As we told President Trump, Ukraine is working and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and reliable peace,” and separately noting on X that Ukrainian and American teams have “resumed work” with a “meaningful meeting” targeted to take place next week. Sidelined throughout the U.S.-Russia talks, the EU has sought to reinstate itself in the peacemaking process amid fears that dwindling aid from Washington could force Ukraine into truce-geared territorial concessions to Moscow. “Dear Volodymyr, we have been with you since day one. We’ll continue to be with you now, and we will continue in the future,” Costa said in an address, separately telling reporters that the bloc was preparing to support Kyiv when it engages in negotiations to reach the “positive outcome” of a “just and lasting peace.” — CNBC’s Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report Source link #European #leaders #defense #spend #push #uncertainty #Trump #aid #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question – CNN Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question – CNN Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question CNNWhy Do Republicans Want to Dismantle the Education Department? The New York TimesHouse education chair backs Trump move to abolish federal agency Fox News‘Stay of execution’: Where’s Trump’s order to shut down Education Department? K-12 Dive Source link #Dismantling #Education #Department #puts #future #trillions #dollars #student #loans #question #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Patient Patterson puts NSW on top against WA Patient Patterson puts NSW on top against WA Star WA paceman Lance Morris has snared 4-25 but NSW batter Kurtis Patterson was the standout player on day two of the Sheffield Shield clash in Perth. Source link #Patient #Patterson #puts #NSW #top Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

We’re locked inside a creative bubble, will AI burst it or throw away the key? We’re locked inside a creative bubble, will AI burst it or throw away the key? Disjointed cinematic universes, mediocre sequels, and recycled franchises. Formulaic straight-to-streaming flicks, AAA video games with the same tired mechanics, and the rise of the celebrity author. The death of the music genre, an influx of cancelled series, and a tentative approach to new IPs. The mainstream media is experiencing a creative crisis, and while AI has the power to rejuvenate the slump, I fear it will only perpetuate the problem. There will always be creative outliers, but on the whole, mainstream media has become formulaic, because industry moguls are afraid. And with good reason. Habits have changed, short-form content is king, ‘forever games’ are challenging AAA dominance, and audiences are no longer flocking to see the next big Hollywood blockbuster. But beyond this backdrop of uninspired creativity and financial uncertainty, artificial intelligence is waiting to throw an AI-generated spanner in the works. When the generative-AI floodgates opened in 2023, the creative industry was changed overnight. Suddenly, anyone could open a browser window and access powerful AI-image generators such as Midjourney and DALL-E. Digital imagery that would have previously required years of training, expensive industry-standard software, and peripherals such as lightboxes and drawing tablets, could be ‘generated’ in seconds, with a simple prompt. I’m a photography tech journalist and nothing made me understand the impact artificial intelligence was going to have on the creative industry than when an AI-generated image won the creative open category in the Sony World Photography Awards 2023. Its creator, or ‘prompter’, Boris Eldagsen, outed the image himself and refused the award. To this day, Pseudomnesia: The Electrician is one of the most convincing AI-generated photographs I’ve seen. So, if AI has the power to fool a panel of prestigious photography judges, why has the Internet become a breeding ground for AI-generated humanoids, rammed so far up the uncanny valley that doom scrolling through Facebook is fraught with more jump scares than Five Nights at Freddy’s? Because crap AI-generated content is cheap. And this is my cause for concern… AI will be used, not for expanding creativity but because it’s cheap… I’m worried that artificial intelligence – which has the power to usher in a gilded age of creativity – will be used to spiral the mainstream media further into a creative depression. In his book The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future, CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, states: “it [AI] now looks set to reach human-level performance across a very wide range of tasks within the next three years.” He continues to predict that in just a “few decades (…) AI systems would replace “intellectual manual labor””. And while I’m not suggesting we’re going to see purely AI-generated blockbusters or AAA video games anytime soon, artificial intelligence is already becoming increasingly prevalent. Just recently, speculation was rife that Posters for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps were AI generated – and poorly at that. And although The Wrap confirmed that Marvel has denied this, it’s clear that audiences are already on the lookout for poorly implemented AI. The root of this skepticism surely comes from past faux pas. And there is perhaps no better example than the film industry’s misuse of computer-generated imagery. Jurassic Park is a movie that helped pioneer CGI and despite being over 30 years old, it still holds up remarkably well today (Image credit: Universal Pictures) CGI has become a constant criticism of modern film, but there’s nothing inherently bad about it. Films such as Tron, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, and Avatar, all made the best of their respective CGI, but too many films have relied on the technology as a cheap alternative to practical effects, extras, locations, and even costumes (Green Lantern’s horrific CGI costumes anyone?) And I can’t help but wonder if a worse fate awaits AI. I say worse because, unlike CGI, AI has the potential to affect almost every facet of the filmmaking process. From casting to script writing, storyboarding to concept design, set dressing, and of course, computer-generated imagery. My main cause for concern is that where other technological innovations require human input, AI will increasingly need very little. And we’re only at the beginning of what AI is capable of. Artificial intelligence may have been conceptualized in the 1950s, but AI as we know it today is very new and evolving rapidly. AI writers won’t strike. AI visual effects artists won’t complain that they’re underpaid and overworked. AI has no concept of an unrealistic deadline. It doesn’t require expensive recording studio time, and won’t need a break between book sequels. AI isn’t there yet, but the temptation will be to use AI to cut costs as it evolves, and that’s the wrong way to use it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m well aware AI is here to stay. Once ChatGPT became every high school student’s best homework buddy, the AI cat was out of the bag. But the mainstream media has a choice. Use AI to bolster creativity and improve working conditions. Or use AI to churn out movies, video games, music, and books faster and more cost-effectively than ever before. Choose the latter and Green Lantern will be the tip of the iceberg. You might also like Source link #locked #creative #bubble #burst #throw #key Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Social Security Is Changing Under President Donald Trump. Here’s What Retirees Need to Know. Social Security Is Changing Under President Donald Trump. Here’s What Retirees Need to Know. In June 2024, President Donald Trump told supporters at a campaign rally, “As president, I will not cut one penny from Social Security or Medicare.” He made a virtually identical statement in July 2024 on social media. “I will not cut one penny from Social Security or Medicare, and I will not raise the retirement age by one day.” President Trump has so far kept those campaign promises since returning to the White House for a second term. However, he has mentioned (and in some cases set in motion) changes that impact the Social Security program. Here’s what retired workers should know. Image source: Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian. In January, President Trump signed an executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency was initially tasked with improving productivity by modernizing federal technology and software, but more recent executive orders have expanded its purview to include workforce optimization, cost efficiencies, and deregulation. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has responded by reducing its staffing target to 50,000 employees, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees. The agency has also identified cost savings opportunities in contracts, grants, property, and technology, as well as “common-sense approaches to printing, travel, and purchase card policies.” The total savings will exceed $800 million in fiscal 2025, according to the SSA. While that’s a material portion of the estimated $6.5 billion in administrative spending, the sum is still inconsequential, compared to the $110 billion deficit built into its budget for fiscal 2025. During his campaign, President Trump wrote on social media, “Seniors should not pay tax on Social Security.” He has doubled down on that promise since the election. In February, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump would implement the “largest tax cut in history,” including the elimination of taxes on Social Security. Trump was quick to identify inefficiencies and effect spending cuts through DOGE, but I’m skeptical about his plan to eliminate taxes on Social Security. While the idea certainly has merit, the Social Security trust fund is already on pace to be depleted by 2035. Ending taxes on benefits would accelerate the timeline and bring potential benefit cuts closer. To elaborate, the trustees estimate tax revenue will cover only 83% of scheduled benefits when the trust fund becomes insolvent in 2035. That means benefits would automatically be cut by 17% unless Congress finds a fix for the funding problem. Story Continues Taxes assessed on Social Security account for 4% of program funding. While that’s a small percentage, the funding problem would still get worse if tax revenue was eliminated. For instance, a budget model from renowned business school Penn Wharton shows Social Security could lose $1.5 trillion in revenue in the next decade if President Trump eliminates taxes on benefits. In that scenario, the trust fund would become insolvent two years earlier than currently anticipated. That means retired workers and other Social Security recipients could see benefit cuts in 2033 rather than 2035. Having said that, Congress has never allowed the Social Security trust fund to become insolvent in the past, and I suspect lawmakers will find a solution for the financing problem before benefit cuts are necessary this time. However, eliminating taxes on Social Security would still be problematic because it would leave Congress with less time to find that solution. If you’re like most Americans, you’re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known “Social Security secrets” could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $22,924 more… each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we’re all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. View the “Social Security secrets” » The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Social Security Is Changing Under President Donald Trump. Here’s What Retirees Need to Know. was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #Social #Security #Changing #President #Donald #Trump #Heres #Retirees Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nurture your skills and aspirations on International Women’s Day Nurture your skills and aspirations on International Women’s Day Events in the US are top of mind, with President Trump’s administration pushing against the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda, particularly within government offices and departments. The main thrust of this appears to be from a legal perspective – the danger of litigation if an individual claims to have been overlooked due to DEI targets – as well as financial considerations, given that running DEI teams and initiatives creates costs that, in a strict sense, could be viewed as optional. But these aren’t the only headwinds against DEI. Nationalism remains on the rise – a fifth of the electorate in Germany recently voted for the far-right party, for example – and this is usually typified by embracing a single world view and the valuing of specific characteristics over others. For anyone who supports diversity and inclusion as a matter of principle, as I do, these are disconcerting developments. Unclear picture However, it’s important to remember that it’s not yet clear where all of this will land. On the DEI front, the US – as influential as it is – is only one country and doesn’t automatically dictate what happens elsewhere. And while some US corporations, including major players in my own industry of tech, have indicated that they will revisit their approach to DEI, that doesn’t mean they will abandon it altogether. It is worth noting the words of Apple CEO Tim Cook when he recently said: “As the legal landscape around this issue evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our north star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver.” He added that the company would continue to work on “a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work.” I believe it will always be true that businesses need to be representative of the communities, customers and markets that they serve. For most organisations, those communities and markets are diverse. So there remains a clear business case for diversity inside the workforce too. Only time will tell how much difference there is in practice to hiring and promotion decisions as they happen in the daily workplace. My gut feeling is that the effect won’t be to decimate diversity ratios – although it may not actively help them either. Believe in yourself So where does this leave us, and in particular around gender given the approach of International Women’s Day? My message to women is simple: continue to believe in yourself. As women, we often spend a lot of time nurturing and caring for others, whether as mothers, carers, colleagues or friends. That should continue of course – but now also feels like the time to invest more energy in nurturing yourself. Nurture your skills, your career and your aspirations. Believe in your abilities. Barriers are nothing new after all – we’ve always faced them – so don’t get distracted by the judgements or biases of others and keep on forging your path. Maintain your networks, stay connected and lean into development opportunities. If you don’t have a mentor, consider looking for one. If you are a mentor yourself, stay committed to that. There is a message here for men, too. They can be powerful allies and advocates in promoting gender equality and inclusion – and that should continue. This is no time to step away from it. If you’ve been thinking about becoming an ally in a formal sense (perhaps through mentoring or supporting a network) then now is the time to do it. Think about the women, the daughters, in your life who matter to you and do something in support. While there are plenty of reasons to be concerned, fundamentally I believe that great people will always win through. That’s why women should continue to believe in themselves and keep setting their sights high. After all, most women I know don’t put themselves forward for jobs or new responsibilities on the basis that they’re a woman – they do it on the basis that they’re a great professional in their field. Perhaps we are moving towards an era that is more explicitly about ‘meritocracy’ than ‘equity’. If that is the case, history is full of examples where capable women across the business landscape have broken through. Now is the time for us to not just celebrate these achievements but use them to fuel our own ambitions. Happy IWD! Source link #Nurture #skills #aspirations #International #Womens #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla gets an upgrade to buy at TD Cowen, which says the stock can rally more than 45% Tesla gets an upgrade to buy at TD Cowen, which says the stock can rally more than 45% Despite Tesla ‘s volatility, the stock remains one of the best ways to play trends across the electric vehicle market, according to TD Cowen. The firm upgraded the stock to buy from hold. Its price target of $388 per share implies around 47.3% upside potential from Thursday’s close. And while shares trade at around 90 times forward earnings, analyst Itay Michaeli is still confident in their potential. “While we are valuation-/sentiment-minded when recommending stocks, we agree with the underlying notion that Tesla cannot be compared to other automaker stocks, not because it isn’t an ‘auto company’, but because it’s arguably best positioned to capture sizable opportunities that exist across auto/mobility and adjacent markets,” Michaeli said in a note on Thursday. In particular, Tesla currently looks like a winner in an emerging autonomous vehicle market, Michaeli added. “We view the Consumer AV vertical as generally overlooked, with Tesla currently in the lead among automakers,” Michaeli said. “Most of Tesla’s US fleet is concentrated in less dense counties where AVs could prove easier to deploy, and where both new business models and existing rideshare revenue (gross bookings) are available.” The comments come as shares are down nearly 35% in 2025, with the stock declining 28% in February alone. In addition to reporting a yearly decline in revenue during its fourth-quarter earnings release and supply chain risks from tariffs, rising negative sentiment around CEO Elon Musk have played a role in the stock’s struggles. TSLA YTD mountain TSLA year to date Analysts are split on Tesla. Of the 54 who cover the stock, 26 rate it a buy or strong buy, according LSEG. Another 17 have a hold rating on shares, while 12 assigned it an underperform or sell rating. TD Cowen also named General Motors at top pick, noting that it’s not “your typical ‘legacy’ automaker because of its: (1) Majority of earnings from Truck Franchise (~$90 SoP); (2) Unique (Top Pick) EV accretion setup; (3) Ample growth levers, strong execution and AV/AI optionality; (4) Buybacks.” Source link #Tesla #upgrade #buy #Cowen #stock #rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) Processors With vPro for Commercial PCs Launched at MWC 2025 Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) Processors With vPro for Commercial PCs Launched at MWC 2025 Intel unveiled its latest additions to the Core Ultra (Series 2) processor lineup at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC 2025). The chipmaker’s newest chips will power business computers, including laptops, desktops, and workstations. The new Core Ultra (Series 2) chips have Intel’s vPro branding, and the company says the Core Ultra 200V series chips can deliver up to 20 hours of battery life. The Intel Core Ultra 200V processors are also Copilot+ certified, which means that they support Microsoft’s AI features available on Windows 11. Intel’s New vPro CPUs to Power Commercial PCs from Over 10 OEMs At MWC 2025, Intel unveiled the Core Ultra 200U, 200H, 200HX and 200S series processors, as well as the new Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors. The chipmaker has touted the performance gains offered by these chips — for example, the Core Ultra 7 265H chip is claimed to deliver a 2.84x jump in multi-core performance (Cinebench 2024) compared with Intel’s older Core i7-1185G7 CPU that was launched in 2020. Intel’s latest Core Ultra processor lineup Photo Credit: Intel Similarly, the Core Ultra 7 265H processor delivers up to 1.42 times and 2.42 times better performance on the single-core and multi-core tests on Geekbench 6.3, respectively. Intel’s charts also show that the Core Ultra 7 265H delivers up to 15 percent better performance than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360. All the new chips from Intel are equipped with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 (with Bluetooth LE Audio) connectivity and Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 ports. The company said it will launch the Intel Assured Supply Chain programme later this year with specific OEMs (including HP and Lenovo) that offer digital supply chain verification for individual chips. The new Core Ultra 200V series CPUs from Intel are claimed to offer over 20 hours of battery life on supported systems. These Lunar Lake processors will power thin and light commercial laptops, as will the new Intel Core Ultra 200U (Arrow Lake) CPUs. Intel’s new processors will be available from over 10 OEMs Photo Credit: Intel More powerful commercial notebooks will be powered by Intel Core Ultra 200H and Core Ultra 200HX processors, according to Intel. Meanwhile, desktop and workstation computers will be equipped with Intel Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) processors. Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) CPUs With vPro Availability Intel states that commercial PCs equipped with the new Core Ultra 200U, 200H, 200HX and 200S series processors will be launched by the end of March. New PCs running on Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors are available. Businesses can expect PCs from over 10 OEMs including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Microsoft’s Surface division, and Lenovo. New commercial PCs with Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors featuring Intel’s Assured Supply Chain programme (with a chain of custody for each chip that can be digitally attested) are scheduled to arrive in H2 2025, according to the company. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #Intel #Core #Ultra #Series #Processors #vPro #Commercial #PCs #Launched #MWC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lakers rally in fourth, down Knicks in overtime to extend win streak – Silver Screen and Roll Lakers rally in fourth, down Knicks in overtime to extend win streak – Silver Screen and Roll Lakers rally in fourth, down Knicks in overtime to extend win streak Silver Screen and Roll Luka Dončić and LeBron James lead LA Lakers to thrilling OT win over New York Knicks, extend win streak CNNLeBron, Luka tout supporting cast in OT victory ESPNKnicks suffer crushing OT loss to Lakers as Jalen Brunson exits with injury New York Post Luka, LeBron leave OT with WIN, Brunson leaves LIMPING | Kevin O’Connor Show Yahoo Sports Source link #Lakers #rally #fourth #Knicks #overtime #extend #win #streak #Silver #Screen #Roll Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Behind the scenes at Amazon ***’s robotic-powered warehouse Behind the scenes at Amazon ***’s robotic-powered warehouse The day before Computer Weekly visited Amazon’s BRS2 fulfilment centre in Swindon, the tech and retail giant announced the imminent launch of drone deliveries in the ***. Its statement said a planning application with the local authority is being lodged for flight operations facilities at the distribution hub and authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly drones in the airspace is still required. But Amazon will be hiring for staff to run the operation as soon as it is permitted to do so. Amazon has promised to work closely with the CAA as the organisation develops the regulatory framework to make commercial drone delivery in the *** a reality, but it seems consumers in the north-east will soon be able to order selected items directly from the Amazon app or website and receive those goods via drone. There are no Amazon drones in Swindon, which opened in 2021, and no immediate plans to introduce them – but our tour of the site underlines the innovation prowess and tech capability behind an organisation that generated 11% *** retail revenue growth in 2023-24 to hit £27bn. Robot army With the name BRS2, the 500,000ft2 Amazon Swindon site at Symmetry Park prompts an image of robots prior to entry. And the place lives up to its robotic-sounding name inside. Amazon’s BRS2 fulfilment centre, Symmetry Park, Swindon Automation equipment manufactured by Dutch company Vanderlande is put to use from the moment goods arrive as they come straight off the back of trucks onto a telescopic conveyor. From there, they are fast-tracked to the three robot-heavy floors above or to a manned receive line. Fulfilment centres like the one at Swindon are the link in the Amazon *** supply chain responsible for receiving goods from large fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and small business customers before processing, storing, picking and packing those goods for distribution to regional delivery centres across the *** as required. Swindon doesn’t handle the biggest and bulkiest lines. Staff on the “receive lines” unload products into ****** tote boxes, which are then sent upstairs on conveyors to “stow stations”, where teams of stowers are instructed by computer systems which “pods” to place items into. The system identifies which compartment of the pod is the optimum position for each item to be stowed. Pods store the inventory until it is needed for an order, and they sit on top of automated guided robots (AGR) which move around and are programmed to line up the goods for picking when required. The robots are continually active and have a charging station they automatically return to when a power top-up is required. Stowers are informed by computer where to place inventory in the pods Amazon acquired Kiva Systems in 2012, and the AGRs are the modern iteration of this manufacturer’s robots. They are known internally as Hercules, can each lift 1,200 lb, and they navigate around the site using QR code-esque floor symbols. There are dozens of engineers on each floor, some dedicated to managing the robots and others focusing on the wider machinery. Anyone who enters the caged pod area must wear a SRBRS electronic anti-robotic safety vest – which automatically stops the Hercules robots in their tracks if they come within four metres of the person wearing it. Amazon has minimised the number fork-lift trucks on site, as they have been identified as a warehouse safety risk. The fulfilment centre employs around 2,000 people on a variety of contracts, and the site’s general manager, David Tindal, says: “Man and machine is the future. Automation is making it safer and more comfortable in the warehouse.” There are more than 4,000 Hercules robots in operation at Amazon Swindon He says staff are taught to “think like a customer”, claiming that they have more skilled jobs as a result of the tech deployment, with “a vital role in not letting the wrong product go through”. Computer vision and AI Tindal’s favourite technology at the Swindon site is the “sorter”, which neatly directs parcels off the conveyor system to the right place ready for their onward journey. But a more recent transformative piece of tech, Tindal says, is the computer vision implemented on the conveyor to check for any defects to the goods or packaging before items leave the building. In Swindon, the SICK-manufactured sensor above the conveyor can automatically pick up whether a parcel is suitable for sending out or can identify potential problems before they arise. Systems of this nature began appearing in Amazon’s US operations in May 2023, but Swindon was one of the first *** sites to implement the tech. Tindal says it is effective at identifying whether packaging has not been prepared accordingly – for example, if tape is unsticking – or if there are labelling irregularities that might provide an early indication of poor printer health. “Without these checks, the parcel might get all the way to the customer with something missing, but the tech provides the feedback for us without anyone looking,” he comments, adding it tracks back problems to source. The technology is another checking layer for Amazon, which prides itself on speedy and reliable customer service. The Swindon site handles millions of parcels a week and, although no specific figures are mentioned by Tindal, the peak ******* from ****** Friday to Christmas 2024 broke records for the number of packages processed by the centre. Reflecting on the attitude to artificial intelligence (AI) across the Swindon workforce, the general manager says AI is effectively “invisible” to them. “The systems working smoothly is what’s important to them,” he adds. As we talk in the general manager’s office, which houses the senior team and has several screens monitoring site performance, Tindal says he encourages all managers to experiment with the new strands of AI, such as generative AI, because he feels it will “help us all to get up to a base level so we can use it more”. “You learn the strengths and weaknesses and that makes it easier to spot applications where it will help us do things,” he reflects. ‘The best possible systems’ Tindal calls the automation and AI at Amazon’s sites “a gamechanger in terms of productivity” and essential for supporting the company’s speedy fulfilment customer promise. The tech and processes are ever evolving – often based on staff feedback. 2,000 people work at Amazon Swindon, ramping up to c2,500 in peak periods “One of Amazon’s strengths is we have so many warehouse and we put a lot of effort into developing the best possible systems and then roll them out across the world,” he adds. The general manager also talks of the “difficult tension” to get all staff following precise standards while also leaving room for them to generate ideas for improvement. He welcomes an entrepreneurial mindset in his staff and chats regularly to his colleagues during the tour. Amazon is continually evolving its systems and looking for productivity gains Towards the end of a product’s time at Swindon, it will reach the packing station. Amazon – as is the case with other retailers – has faced regular criticism for excess packaging which creates waste, and it is making a concerted effort to minimise its use of materials and ensure packaging size matches product size. As the items arrive at the packing station, packers will be informed by their computer system what type of cardboard-only packaging is required. There will also be intermittent SIOC [ship in own case] or SIOB [ship in own bag] on-screen alerts that accompany the arrival of a package, prompting workers not to add further packaging. Amazon aims to eliminate additional packaging unless necessary This is AI-powered tech in action once again, but the packer has the power to override decisions and select what they deem to be the most appropriate packaging. Amazon drones may soon start making deliveries to customers in the north-east, which despite several trials from the likes of Boots and Tesco would be a commercial first for the *** and Ireland. Evidence from Swindon is that this is simply the next step on the tech and automation path Amazon has long been treading. Source link #scenes #Amazon #UKs #roboticpowered #warehouse Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Souths edge Dolphins in clash moved from cyclone’s path Souths edge Dolphins in clash moved from cyclone’s path Wayne Bennett has denied his former apprentice Kristian Woolf an against-all-odds first win as an NRL head coach as South Sydney ran out 16-14 victors in their relocated clash with the Dolphins. Fill-in halfback Jamie Humphreys gave Bennett plenty to think about in Friday night’s game, which was moved 900km south to Parramatta and out of the path of Cyclone Alfred. The cyclone warning forced the Dolphins to rush to Sydney on Wednesday night, leaving behind three players who opted to stay with their families, as they began their Woolf era. But apart from Souths’ error-prone start to the second half, second-gamer Humphreys and Cody Walker connected better than the Dolphins halves to help the Rabbitohs start Bennett’s second coming with a bang. Humphreys looked unfazed taking on the bulk of kicking duties in only his second NRL game. The most memorable of those kicks was a cross-field bomb that put popular winger Tyrone Munro in for the second of his two first-half tries. Munro did not return after half-time, with early reports indicating a collarbone issue – the same injury that restricted him to only four games in 2024. Englishman Lewis Dodd will now have to prove himself worthy of usurping winning halfback Humphreys on return from his one-game suspension. The Dolphins hit the front for the first time in the second half, with a Walker knock-on allowing the visitors to cross for a second try in five minutes through new second-rower Max Plath. But after Humphreys hit the post with an attempt at penalty goal that would have equalised, a shift left put Isaiah Tass in and lifted the Rabbitohs back on top as the final 10 minutes approached. In his first game for 553 days, luckless Campbell Graham made a crucial try-saving cover tackle on Junior Tupou in the final 10 minutes to deny the Dolphins the chance to snatch the lead. Graham had been playing out of position on Souths’ right wing following the injury to Munro. Injury-plagued Dolphins captain Tom Gilbert was also strong in his first game for 657 days, coming up with the offload that led Isaako to score the side’s first try down the right. Dolphins recruit Kulikefu Finefeuiaki is set to miss next week’s clash with Newcastle after returning a category-one head injury assessment in the second half. Rabbitohs centre Jack Wighton went on report for a raised forearm on Dolphins recruit Daniel Saifiti and could face scrutiny from the match review committee. Source link #Souths #edge #Dolphins #clash #moved #cyclones #path Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s first Crypto Summit has attendees ready to push for regulation Trump’s first Crypto Summit has attendees ready to push for regulation Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, slammed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also said the cryptocurrency exchange is looking to invest more outside of the U.S. Carlos Jasso | Bloomberg | Getty Images Now that President Trump has announced plans for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, crypto industry leaders can focus on what else they want to hear from the new administration on Friday. Just over six weeks into his second White House term, Trump is hosting his first Crypto Summit, a nod to an industry that played a major role in his election victory in November. No executive was more central to that effort than Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. Once a Silicon Valley entrepreneur focused on onboarding the world to digital assets, Armstrong has spent the last year transforming himself into crypto’s ambassador in Washington, D.C., funneling millions into elections, building alliances, and ensuring the digital currencies market has a seat at the table. “My goal in attending this is really just, first of all, to thank President Trump for helping make the United States the crypto capital of the world,” Armstrong told CNBC ahead of the meeting. “I think he’s lived up to that campaign promise so far, and we’ve seen a lot of work getting done here in a positive way.” Joining Armstrong at Friday’s summit, which is being led by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, will be Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, and Chainlink’s Sergey Nazarov, among others. They’re planning to discuss digital asset regulation as well as the mechanics of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which Trump announced late Thursday by way of executive order. Armstrong, whose company helped the crypto sector raise and direct $250 million into the 2024 election cycle, outpacing Wall Street banks and the oil industry, has been instrumental in shaping the new administration’s approach to digital assets. Crypto’s push to unseat opposition lawmakers and install pro-crypto candidates paid off handsomely, flipping key seats and cementing the sector as a major political force in Washington. Several million dollars were funneled directly to Trump’s campaign and inaugural fund, a sign of just how much was riding on his victory. At Friday’s summit, Armstrong says his top priority will be pushing forward new laws. “From our point of view, the next step in the United States that’s the most urgent is getting legislation passed,” he said. He specifically pointed to stablecoin regulation and broader market structure reforms. Momentum for regulatory clarity is already shifting in crypto’s favor. The Senate this week voted, with strong bipartisan support, to overturn two Biden-era regulations that the industry opposed. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, called the wins a gateway for more comprehensive legislation. Crypto’s wish list For Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, a key issue is how the U.S. can use blockchain technology to maintain its dominance in global finance. “Really what matters for financial systems is assets,” said Nazarov, whose company provides a blockchain-based platform for digital assets. “Does the U.S. generate the largest collection of the best base assets that are then wrapped, rewrapped, and repackaged by others? That’s how I define global leadership of a financial system in this new model.” Nazarov said the U.S. must ensure that key financial markets – treasuries, investment funds, and real estate – are tokenized. He sees that as the defining financial shift of the next 50 years, similar to the move from paper-based markets to internet-based financial products. Robinhood’s Tenev has emerged as one of the most vocal advocates for tokenization, arguing that blockchain technology can democratize private markets and break down barriers to investment in the world’s most valuable companies. In a Washington Post op-ed, he pointed out that companies like OpenAI, SpaceX, and Stripe are worth hundreds of billions of dollars combined but remain inaccessible to everyday investors, with profits concentrated among a small group of insiders. “Crypto technology can unlock new ways to trade and invest in all assets, from digital to real-world,” he told CNBC ahead of the event. “Tokenization will transform investing, but we need regulatory clarity to make it happen.” Under current SEC rules, only accredited investors, people with over $1 million in net worth or $200,000 in annual income, can participate in private markets. Tenev says that reforming these outdated rules and creating a security token registration framework would level the playing field for retail investors, giving them access to high-growth opportunities that have long been reserved for venture capitalists. Robinhood CEO and co-founder Vlad Tenev and co-founder Baiju Bhatt pose with Robinhood signage on Wall Street after the company’s initial public offering in New York City on July 29, 2021. Andrew Kelly | Reuters Prior to Thursday’s executive order, the big debate in the industry was what kind of strategic reserve Trump would propose. The announcement ends speculation over whether the reserve would include multiple cryptocurrencies. While Trump’s initial post on Truth Social named five tokens — bitcoin, ether, XRP, Solana’s SOL token and Cardano’s ADA coin — the final order limits the reserve to bitcoin. SOL, ether and bitcoin all fell around 5% late Thursday, while ADA plunged nearly 12%. The order marks the U.S. government’s first formal recognition of bitcoin as a strategic asset. The reserve will be funded exclusively through bitcoin seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases, ensuring taxpayers bear no financial burden. Non-bitcoin assets will be placed in a separate Digital Asset Stockpile managed by the Treasury Department. Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures said the decision cements bitcoin’s status as a global asset, “somewhere in the realm of gold.” Anchorage Digital CEO Nathan McCauley, who will also be at Friday’s summit, called the development “a huge moment for both crypto and American leadership on the global stage.” “By holding bitcoin and other digital assets for the long term, the White House is taking a future-forward approach to bolstering American economic competitiveness — not just for the decade ahead, but for the next century,” said McCauley. The bitcoin audit For David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc. and one of the key figures credited with influencing Trump’s embrace of bitcoin, the priority is understanding the size of the country’s bitcoin ownership. “One is to figure out how much bitcoin America holds, and what we can do as an industry to help the government secure it,” he said. The Treasury Department must now conduct a full audit of the government’s holdings, estimated at 200,000 bitcoin. Sacks confirmed that the government will not sell any bitcoin from the reserve, positioning it as a permanent store of value. Bailey, who convinced Trump to keynote the biggest bitcoin conference of the year in Nashville in July, is also pushing for bitcoin-backed Treasury bonds, arguing that integrating bitcoin into the U.S. debt system could strengthen the country’s balance sheet and attract more buyers. “If we mix bitcoin reserves with U.S. bonds, we could create significant demand by giving investors exposure to bitcoin’s performance,” he said. Armstrong told CNBC that Coinbase would “absolutely” step up to be a crypto custodian for the government in the context of a national reserve, adding that the company already works with various parts of the government on crypto custody and trading. “We’re always happy to continue doing that,” Armstrong said. Ryan Gilbert, a fintech investor, said the reserve will send a strong message to institutions that bitcoin is here to stay. “We’re also seeing that this is going to be the mirror image of a lot of corporations that have looked at their treasuries and started to invest in bitcoin,” he said, pointing to Saylor and Strategy as early adopters. “I think this will spark a whole new wave of confidence in the asset, both from corporations and the U.S. government.” Saylor’s company has amassed a roughly $43 billion stash of bitcoin, accounting for almost all of its market cap. “I think this executive order is well considered and auspicious for the United States, the crypto industry, and bitcoin,” Saylor told CNBC. The move faces some pressure from Democrats. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, sent a letter to Sacks ahead of the meeting, raising conflict-of-interest concerns and questioning whether Sacks had advance knowledge of Trump’s Truth Social post that initially floated a multi-coin strategic reserve. Warren called on Sacks to disclose any financial holdings in bitcoin, ether, solana, and other assets included in the reserve, noting that his firm, Craft Ventures, was heavily invested in these tokens through Bitwise as of Jan. 1. She also pressed for public disclosure of his government ethics filings, which, as an unpaid special government employee, he has to file but isn’t required to make public. Sacks said this week on X that he sold “all my cryptocurrency and my crypto-focused funds” before joining the administration. After the summit, many of the attendees will regroup at an off-the-record event hosted by Coinbase, along with invited members of the administration. Armstrong is gearing up to play the long game. “The fight for crypto here is more urgent than ever,” Armstrong said. “If the U.S. leads on this front, I think the rest of the G20 could be pretty inspired by it, and that has a lot of domino effects downstream.” Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro Source link #Trumps #Crypto #Summit #attendees #ready #push #regulation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BBC iPlayer is now available on Google’s TV streamer BBC iPlayer is now available on Google’s TV streamer It’s an exciting day if you’re a fan of the BBC and the Google TV Streamer. BBC iPlayer is finally available on the streaming platform almost six months after Google launched it, 9to5Google reports. Google certified its TV Streamer for use with BBC iPlayer back in November 2024. BBC One and BBC Two are now under the TV streamer’s Channels tab, while BBC iPlayer appears on the Google Play Store with a new download option. BBC iPlayer allows anyone to pays for a TV license in the *** to watch their favorite shows and movies live, on-demand or downloaded to their device. It has already been available for use on Google TV and Android TV. Google launched its TV Streamer in September as a replacement for the Chromecast line. It retails for $100 and features a smart home panel that allows users to see and control devices like lights, thermostats and doorbell cameras. Source link #BBC #iPlayer #Googles #streamer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla gets an upgrade to buy at TD Cowen, which says the stock can rally more than 45% Tesla gets an upgrade to buy at TD Cowen, which says the stock can rally more than 45% Despite Tesla ‘s volatility, the stock remains one of the best ways to play trends across the electric vehicle market, according to TD Cowen. The firm upgraded the stock to buy from hold. Its price target of $388 per share implies around 47.3% upside potential from Thursday’s close. And while shares trade at around 90 times forward earnings, analyst Itay Michaeli is still confident in their potential. “While we are valuation-/sentiment-minded when recommending stocks, we agree with the underlying notion that Tesla cannot be compared to other automaker stocks, not because it isn’t an ‘auto company’, but because it’s arguably best positioned to capture sizable opportunities that exist across auto/mobility and adjacent markets,” Michaeli said in a note on Thursday. In particular, Tesla currently looks like a winner in an emerging autonomous vehicle market, Michaeli added. “We view the Consumer AV vertical as generally overlooked, with Tesla currently in the lead among automakers,” Michaeli said. “Most of Tesla’s US fleet is concentrated in less dense counties where AVs could prove easier to deploy, and where both new business models and existing rideshare revenue (gross bookings) are available.” The comments come as shares are down nearly 35% in 2025, with the stock declining 28% in February alone. In addition to reporting a yearly decline in revenue during its fourth-quarter earnings release and supply chain risks from tariffs, rising negative sentiment around CEO Elon Musk have played a role in the stock’s struggles. TSLA YTD mountain TSLA year to date Analysts are split on Tesla. Of the 54 who cover the stock, 26 rate it a buy or strong buy, according LSEG. Another 17 have a hold rating on shares, while 12 assigned it an underperform or sell rating. TD Cowen also named General Motors at top pick, noting that it’s not “your typical ‘legacy’ automaker because of its: (1) Majority of earnings from Truck Franchise (~$90 SoP); (2) Unique (Top Pick) EV accretion setup; (3) Ample growth levers, strong execution and AV/AI optionality; (4) Buybacks.” Source link #Tesla #upgrade #buy #Cowen #stock #rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Phenomenal Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Every Wall Street Analyst Says Are Heading Higher From Here 3 Phenomenal Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Every Wall Street Analyst Says Are Heading Higher From Here It’s not often that every analyst covering a stock on Wall Street thinks its shares trade below where they’ll be a year from now. Most widely covered stocks trade somewhere in the middle of analysts’ various one-year price targets as selling pressure from the bears offsets the enthusiasm of the bulls. But once in a while, you find a situation in which the experts all agree that a stock is just underpriced. Whether bearish pressure is temporarily pushing the stock price too low or investors just haven’t caught up with the potential for a company, these opportunities are worth examining more closely. They could become some great investments for your portfolio. After all, even if the most bearish analyst on Wall Street turns out to be right, you’ll end up with a little bit more value than you invest today. There are three phenomenal artificial intelligence (AI) stocks trading just below the lowest price target on Wall Street as of this writing: Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) trades for about $383 with 31 analyst price targets ranging between $425 and $600. Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) trades for about $94 with 15 analyst price targets ranging between $105 and $185. DataDog (NASDAQ: DDOG) trades for about $112 with 32 analyst price targets ranging from $120 to $200. Here’s what investors need to know about each company. Image source: Getty Images. Microsoft positioned itself as a leader in this latest generation of AI thanks to its early investment in OpenAI and its ChatGPT application. That gave it the resources to attract developers to its Azure cloud computing platform, which has seen tremendous growth in its AI services over the last two years. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s enterprise software business has gotten an AI boost as well, as it develops its Copilot assistants and its Copilot Studio for businesses to create their own. Azure has been the driving force behind Microsoft’s recent growth. Revenue increased 31% year over year in the most recent quarter. What’s more, management suggested that revenue could accelerate in the second half of the year as it brings more capacity online. AI Services grew a whopping 157% year over year last quarter, which suggests strong growth could continue for some time as AI spending grows to become a larger part of Azure’s overall revenue. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s enterprise software business is also getting a bump in revenue from Copilot sales. Microsoft 365 commercial products and Microsoft Dynamics both saw 15% increases in sales last quarter, stemming from AI-powered features. There’s a lot of potential growth left for the segment. Management disclosed it has over 400 million Office 365 subscribers a year ago, and it’s barely scratched the surface with the number of seats taking Copilot. Microsoft stock trades for about 29 times forward earnings. That’s a much higher-than-average earnings multiple. But as a leader in AI on two fronts, it seemingly deserves the premium. Not to mention Microsoft generates tens of billions of dollars in free cash flow, which management uses to buy back shares, propping up the stock and supporting strong earnings per share growth. Even at its current earnings multiple, Wall Street agrees Microsoft stock is likely heading higher from here. About half of Dell’s revenue comes from its PC and device sales to businesses supplying their workers with computers or individuals buying them directly. That’s not a business that will turn a lot of heads with its 1% decline in revenue last year and declining earnings. The interesting part of Dell is the other half of its operations, in which it sells servers, networking equipment, and storage solutions to enterprise customers. AI has been a huge boon to that business, sending server sales up 54% last year, and the entire segment’s operating income 30% higher. This is the segment that’s driven the stock price performance recently. That can be both good and bad. A shortfall in AI server sales last quarter led investors to sell off shares. While some Wall Street analysts lowered their price target on the news, even the lowest of them remains above Dell’s share price as of this writing. But long-term investors shouldn’t be too worried about a single quarter’s results. Dell signed a deal with xAI along with several other agreements that put its AI server backlog at $9 billion as of the end of February. That’s double its backlog from the end of October. That pipeline of sales should ensure several more years of strong growth in the server business. The strong growth in its AI server business along with its CPU-based server sales should help offset the stagnant client PC business. So, while investors shouldn’t expect overall sales and earnings growth to look like other AI stocks, there’s still considerable potential for the trend to drive its results. That’s why Dell looks like a great stock to buy with its forward P/E ratio of just 10. DataDog helps businesses unify their data from across various applications, cloud platforms, and their entire technology stack, and flags important details. That’s increasingly crucial as enterprises migrate to the cloud and adopt new AI capabilities. DataDog released an LLM Observability product last year, which helps businesses identify the root causes of errors produced by their large language models. It can also monitor operational metrics like latency and cost, and it can evaluate the quality of AI applications based on relevance or toxicity. Management says most customers started using the product for their chatbots. However, as more businesses build AI agents, it’s seeing even stronger uptake on its new service. The LLM Observability product is just the latest example of DataDog’s ability to expand its product set, which accomplishes two important goals. First, it brings DataDog to a new group of customers, expanding its addressable market. Second, it increases the number of products current customers take. It’s had a lot of success with its land-and-expand strategy, which resulted in net dollar-based retention in the “high 110%’s” last year. Meanwhile, the number of customers with eight or more products increased to 12% from 9% last year. Not only does DataDog’s expanding product line help it sustain strong revenue retention rates, it also ensures it has a long-term advantage in keeping its customers. A customer using multiple DataDog products is less likely to switch to a different provider. As a result, DataDog should be able to produce sustainable revenue growth and margin expansion over time. DataDog’s stock is relatively expensive with a forward P/E ratio of 66 as of this writing. Its enterprise value-to-sales ratio is 11.8 based on management’s outlook for the current year. That price may be worth it for a company capable of growing its top line at a clip above 20% per year for the foreseeable future with room to improve its margins as it scales. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $304,161!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $44,694!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $534,395!* Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. Continue » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 3, 2025 Adam Levy has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Datadog and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Phenomenal Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Every Wall Street Analyst Says Are Heading Higher From Here was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #Phenomenal #Artificial #Intelligence #Stocks #Wall #Street #Analyst #Heading #Higher Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

What Is Hitscan in Fortnite? Weapon Mechanic Explained What Is Hitscan in Fortnite? Weapon Mechanic Explained Fortnite’s weapon mechanics have gone through multiple changes since the game’s launch. We’ve seen new chapters and updates bring new guns and firing systems that change the meta, and one of the biggest introductions to the game’s gunplay is the hitscan mechanic. The game has had a long history with a lot of different updates. | Image Credit: Epic Games After a brief removal during the entirety of Chapter 5, hitscan weapons are back in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2. The meta has already changed because of them and the “beaming” meta is back in full swing. If you’ve never heard of the hitscan mechanic in Fortnite, well you’re in the perfect place. Here’s how it works. How does the Hitscan Mechanic Work in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2? Hitscan weapons are back, and they’re very good. | Image Credit: Epic Games Hitscan weapons in Fortnite are very straightforward. As soon as you fire, the shot registers instantly if it hits the target. There is no delay or need to adjust for bullet travel time or drop. This means that aiming directly at an enemy is all that’s required to land a hit. Hitscan weapons were removed back in Chapter 5 for the entirety of the chapter. But they’ve been added back in Chapter 6 and are back with a vengeance. The hitscan mechanic is best used in close and mid-range fights right now. Usually it’s best for sniping long range, but the current roster of hitscan weapons are relatively mid ranged. What is the Difference Between Hitscan and Projectile Weapons in Fortnite? They’re already defining the meta in Chapter 6 Season 2. | Image Credit: Epic Games The main difference between Hitscan and Projectile weapons is mainly in how the bullets behave after firing. When you fire a Hitscan weapon the damage is instantly delivered, whereas Projectile weapons will need you to account for bullet travel time, and sometimes even bullet drop. So you have to predict enemy movement. I don’t get why people are saying different he’s 100% right especially in zero builds you lose as soon as your shot at 200 hp gone in a second is not fun Fortnite either needs to remove hitscan or nerf guns like crazy pic.twitter.com/CXfTo3xbIx — Weaver (@WeaverMcBeaver) December 2, 2024 going back to hitscan after c5 was one of the most annoying things fortnite has done — evanxo (@CallMeEvan_) February 28, 2025 This ***** should not be hitscan @Fortnite he would’ve never hit that shot if it wasn’t pic.twitter.com/nuYiSdewFa — ᴄᴀᴍ (@CammyHoliday) March 6, 2025 Sniper rifles and bows are classic examples of projectile weapons in Fortnite. With the return of hitscan weapons in Chapter 6, the meta has been shifting towards them and gunfights have become more about just “beaming” enemies across the map with no need for aiming like before. And it seems like no one is enjoying this new meta. All Hitscan Weapons in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 There aren’t a lot of them but they’re broken. | Image Credit: Epic Games Chapter 6 Season 2 features a variety of hitscan weapons. You can pick and choose any of them depending on your preferences and situation. There are options for all ranges and even a pistol if you fancy it. Here are all the confirmed hitscan weapons in Chapter 6 Season 2: Collateral Damage Assault Rifle Striker Burst Rifle Fury Assault Rifle Suppressed Pistol You’ll find that each of these weapons plays differently and you can find the one that suits you. If you want to take advantage of the meta in Chapter 6 Season 2, then this is the place to start. It might not be the favorite thing in the community’s view, but it’s back. Source link #Hitscan #Fortnite #Weapon #Mechanic #Explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Eerie image of a space-bound rocket among photo contest finalists Eerie image of a space-bound rocket among photo contest finalists A Soyuz MS rocket at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Rhiannon Adam This ghostly image of a Soyuz MS rocket at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, shot the night before it took off for the International Space Station in December 2021, has a particularly poignant resonance for its photographer, Rhiannon Adam. Around a month earlier, she had been told that she would be one of eight crew members in the dearMoon project. Set to be the first civilian mission to the moon, it was scheduled to launch in 2023 using a rocket developed by SpaceX, but was later cancelled. Adam was part of a large crowd taken to see the Soyuz rocket that evening. As others started leaving, she hung back to get her shot before she was escorted away by security. “Before firing the shutter, I held my breath and closed my eyes, as I didn’t have a cable release,” she says. “It was an eerie kind of alien green light, the flood lights mixing with the mist, and I knew it was a sight I may never see again.” Adam captured two frames before she was ushered onto waiting buses and had to cross her fingers that her photo would come out. “Luckily for me, it did. The image is a little bittersweet now, for what it symbolises for me, but when I can disassociate it from my own life, I still think it is a beautiful monument to human achievement,” she says. She is one of 30 finalists in the professional competition at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards, making the cut in the “creative” category for her photo series about the mission’s cancellation. The overall winner of Photographer of the Year will be named on 16 April. Topics: Source link #Eerie #image #spacebound #rocket #among #photo #contest #finalists Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia announces pre-orders for RTX 5000 series laptops on February 25 Nvidia announces pre-orders for RTX 5000 series laptops on February 25 Nvidia has clarified that Blackwell laptop GPUs are not affected by the hardware-level glitch in rendering pipelines Nvidia was very clear that this is the case when pressed on the matter The fault is only applicable to desktop GPUs (not including the RTX 5070) Nvidia has made it clear that its Blackwell GPUs for laptops aren’t affected by the same hardware-level fault that was discovered in its desktop models (save for the most recent RTX 5070 which is also free of this glitch). Alarming reports emerged yesterday, from two ******* tech sites – Hardwareluxx and Heise Online – claiming that Nvidia was asking notebook makers to check their laptops with RTX 5000 GPUs, and part of that was to see if the mentioned glitch – where a hardware spec known as ROPs (I’ll come back to what that is exactly) is deficient – is present. The Verge spoke to Nvidia’s Ben Berraondo, global PR director, who informed the site that there’s no issue with these laptops, and that: “All partners continue to run checks as part of our standard testing procedure.” The Verge pressed and asked specifically whether we just went “from ‘no other GPUs are affected’ to ‘some laptop GPUs’ are also affected” and Berraondo said no, that wasn’t the case. The tech site then asked to ‘triple-check’ if this means that no Blackwell laptop GPUs have the flaw with ROPs, and the PR director said: “Correct, no further issues.” So, that’s a cast-iron statement that Nvidia’s RTX 5000 GPUs in laptops won’t be affected. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: A necessary clarification While reports like those which emerged yesterday should always be treated with caution, you can easily understand why there might be some doubt here. If you recall, Nvidia said initially that only the RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti desktop graphics cards were hit by this fault in the GPU, and then later conceded that the RTX 5080 was also a potential victim. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. To clarify the nature of the fault – and how common, or rather uncommon, it is – to put it simply, ROPs are rendering pipelines for 3D graphics, and 8 of them (one block) are missing in the defective GPUs. That means they’ll run some PC games a bit slower (the effect is quite variable, as some games use these rendering pipelines more than others – some titles won’t be noticeably slowed down at all). Still, this is clearly a major issue at times when gaming (other tasks aren’t affected) for those with a Blackwell GPU that is suffering from a lack of ROPs. According to Nvidia, only 0.5% of the desktop graphics cards it had produced in the mentioned desktop models (all but the RTX 5070) are hit by this issue (an assertion partially backed up by Corsair’s experience with its prebuilt PCs). At any rate, it’s pretty clear that no one buying a gaming laptop with an Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics card will suffer this hardware-level nastiness. Either because the problem does not apply to any mobile hardware at all, or because the (“standard”) checks in place with notebook manufacturers are definitely going to catch any faulty chips before those portables are shipped. Rumor also has it that there’ll likely be a delay with these Blackwell-toting notebooks, that went on pre-order late in February, and were expected to start shipping in March. Now it looks like we might be waiting until April, or even May, according to Hardwareluxx. If other chatter from the grapevine is right, Nvidia actually wanted to get these laptops out in January 2025 originally. Between that and the disastrously thin stock levels of Blackwell desktop GPUs, the RTX 5000 series has got off to a very shaky start in terms of sliding timeframes and availability. You may also like… Source link #Nvidia #announces #preorders #RTX #series #laptops #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

JPMorgan says the stock market may need more time to get to its year-end target – MarketWatch JPMorgan says the stock market may need more time to get to its year-end target – MarketWatch JPMorgan says the stock market may need more time to get to its year-end target MarketWatch Source link #JPMorgan #stock #market #time #yearend #target #MarketWatch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blackbird deaths point to looming West Nile Virus threat in the *** Blackbird deaths point to looming West Nile Virus threat in the *** Blackbird numbers have fallen in the *** as the Usutu virus has taken hold Ytje Veenstra/Shutterstock A deadly virus is killing blackbirds across the ***. Beyond the risk to the birds, its spread indicates that mosquito-borne viruses now pose a growing threat to humans and animals in the country, in part as a result of climate change. The virus in question, Usutu, originated in South Africa in 1959 but is now widespread in Europe. It causes deadly disease in certain bird species, particularly blackbirds, and was first detected in the *** in 2020. In some parts of the country, most notably London, blackbird populations have dropped by more than 40 per cent since 2018. “We first noticed the decline at the same time as Usutu popped up,” says Hugh Hanmer at the British Trust for Ornithology. Although devastating for bird life, Usutu poses a low risk to humans and mammals. Infections in people are rare and generally only cause a mild fever, but the arrival of the virus in the *** marked the first time a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis – a disease that can be transmitted from an animal to a human – had emerged in animal hosts in the country. Virus experts are keeping a close watch on how far and fast the disease is spreading because it could be a template for the future spread of other mosquito-borne diseases. For example, the West Nile virus spreads in the same way as Usutu and requires the same environmental conditions. “The same mosquitoes that can transmit Usutu typically can transmit West Nile, and the same birds which act as hosts [for Usutu] can also act as hosts of West Nile,” says Arran Folly at the ***’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Humans can also be infected by West Nile virus from a mosquito bite, but its symptoms can be more severe than those of Usutu. Around 20 per cent of those infected will experience symptoms, which include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, the virus can cause serious inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, which can be fatal. There is no known human vaccine. Climate change has helped accelerate the spread of West Nile virus through northern and eastern Europe, research shows, as the virus thrives in warm summer temperatures. In the Netherlands, Usutu was first detected in 2016 and West Nile virus followed in 2020. *** officials fear a similar pattern will play out in their country, with studies demonstrating that the climate there is becoming increasingly hospitable to mosquito-borne viruses. “The idea is that, if we have Usutu here, West Nile is probably going to come at some point and is likely to persist, given the right conditions,” says Folly. In response to the threat, APHA launched a project in 2023 to track the emergence and transmission pathways of Usutu and other mosquito-borne viruses in wild birds. This virus-tracing infrastructure will be vital if the country is to respond quickly to West Nile’s arrival, says Folly. “Our real goal, or drive from a governmental point of view, is to be able to detect these [new viruses] circulating in animal populations before we get transmission to humans.” Reina Sikkema at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam has been studying the emergence of Usutu and West Nile virus in the Netherlands. Although West Nile hasn’t been detected since 2022, she believes the virus is circulating at a low level, kept in check currently by the country’s relatively cool climate. “I believe it is present, but it needs the right circumstances to flare up,” she says. A *** detection of West Nile is now all but inevitable, says Sikkema, but she believes similar climatic factors could prevent the virus spreading too widely for now. But rising summer temperatures, including the increasing frequency of tropical nights – which the ***’s Met Office weather agency defines as when minimum temperatures fail to fall below 20°C – could change the picture in the ***, the Netherlands and other northern European nations in coming years, warns Sikkema. “Mosquito-borne disease is not [just] on your Spanish holiday or when you go to the South Americas,” says Folly. As well as the potential risk of West Nile virus to people, Folly says we shouldn’t forget what Usutu is doing to the ***’s blackbirds: “If 40 per cent of humans dropped dead in Greater London, you’d know about it quite quickly.” Topics: Source link #Blackbird #deaths #point #looming #West #Nile #Virus #threat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ex-Olympian wanted by FBI for allegedly running deadly drug ring Ex-Olympian wanted by FBI for allegedly running deadly drug ring Former Olympic snowboarder and ********* national Ryan Wedding, 43, has been placed on the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives list for allegedly running a violent transnational drug trafficking network. Wedding is wanted for allegedly shipping hundreds of kilograms of ******** from Colombia, through Mexico and southern California, to Canada and US locations, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted ******* to further these drug crimes. The US is offering a reward of up to $10m (£7.7m) for information leading to Wedding’s arrest or conviction. Investigators believe he is living in Mexico, but have not ruled out his presence in the US, Canada, other Latin American countries or elsewhere. It was not clear if he has a lawyer. Wedding competed in Giant Slalom snowboarding for Canada during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King,” the FBI said. In June 2024, Wedding and his accomplice Andrew Clark, 34, also *********, were charged in California with running a continuing criminal enterprise, committing ******* in connection with the enterprise and assorted drug crimes, and conspiring to possess, distribute, and export ********. Clark was arrested last October by ******** authorities and was among 29 fugitives extradited to the US from Mexico last week. The US indictment alleges that Wedding and Clark directed the 20 November 2023 murders of two family members in Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through southern California. Another family member survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries, the FBI said. Wedding and Clark allegedly also ordered the ******* of another victim on 18 May 2024 over a drug debt, according to the FBI. “The alleged murders of his competitors make Wedding a very dangerous man, and his addition to the list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, coupled with a major reward offer by the State Department, will make the public our partner so that we can catch up with him before he puts anyone else in danger,” Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a press release on Thursday. Source link #ExOlympian #wanted #FBI #allegedly #running #deadly #drug #ring Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A mystery Lotto winner unaware they had won millions says she did not believe her eyes A mystery Lotto winner unaware they had won millions says she did not believe her eyes A mystery Lotto winner was unaware she had been sitting on millions, before she finally remembered to check her ticket three weeks later. Source link #mystery #Lotto #winner #unaware #won #millions #eyes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A boy with a loaded shotgun boarded a plane in Australia but was tackled by a former boxer A boy with a loaded shotgun boarded a plane in Australia but was tackled by a former boxer The boy was disarmed and detained before police arrived on the scene Thursday at Avalon Airport in Victoria state. Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters the boy from Ballarat in regional Victoria had climbed through a hole in the airport’s security fence before making his way to the plane’s stairs. Source link #boy #loaded #shotgun #boarded #plane #Australia #tackled #boxer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MWC 2025: Bouygues Telecom, Free join Aduna network API project MWC 2025: Bouygues Telecom, Free join Aduna network API project Taking part in the increasing trend of network partner ecosystems opening up application programming interfaces (APIs) to the market, two of France’s leading network operators – Bouygues Telecom and Free (Iliad Group) – are to become network partners in the Aduna venture. Launched in September 2024 comprising leading telecom operators and comms tech giant Ericsson, combining and selling network APIs globally, Aduna has the fundamental aim of accelerating the adoption and innovation of common APIs by developers on a global scale. With a vision of new applications working anywhere and on any network, it hopes to allow developers to innovate more quickly and easily. Venture partners include América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, e&, KDDI, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone. Aduna’s developer partner platforms include Google Cloud, Infobip, Sinch and Vonage. The consortium believes that network APIs are at the centre of a new era of opportunity for the telecom industry, with easily accessible advanced network capabilities empowering developers to create use cases across multiple sectors. The two French operators join founding venture partner Orange in a partnership that the consortium describes as marking a major step in unlocking digital innovation opportunities across industries in France and beyond. Moreover, in what is said to mark a “significant” milestone, the first two network APIs, SIM Swap and Know Your Customer, are planning to launch in France in spring 2025 once agreements with the two French network operators are finalised, bringing enhanced security and digital identity verification to the market. Built on the Camara framework, the new APIs are said to be “just the beginning”, said Aduna. The planned roadmap includes additional advanced capabilities such as location verification and retrieval, network insights and quality of service – key features in high demand by enterprises seeking more secure and data-driven solutions. “Network APIs pave the way to programmable networks for personalised and secure customer experiences leveraging connectivity data. Aduna will play an important role in simplifying global access to Camara APIs,” said Otilia Anton, director of Orange LiveNet. “We are proud of this first commercial exposure of Orange APIs on Aduna contributing to enforcing network APIs’ reach and value proposition for identity and antifraud solutions.” Aduna CEO Anthony Bartolo said: “Aduna is thrilled to be able to provide developers with access to aggregated Camara-based network APIs from major operators in France through our developer platform providers. By making advanced network capabilities more accessible to developers, we’re fostering innovation that empowers enterprises across France to accelerate their digital transformation and strengthen their competitive advantage.” Chrystel Abadie Truchet, telecom head of strategy, communication and development at Bouygues, said: “French major network operators joining forces with Aduna to launch network APIs is a major step in unlocking new digital innovation opportunities across industries in France and beyond. “Bouygues Telecom is proud to be part of this project with other market leaders such as Free and Orange, and we believe this strategic partnership holds immense potential for driving digital transformation in France and abroad.” Rui Frazao, CTO at Free – Iliad Group, added: “The partnership with Aduna is in line with Iliad Group’s strategy to democratise and accelerate the adoption of 5G Standalone and network APIs by making them accessible to developers and service providers worldwide.” Source link #MWC #Bouygues #Telecom #Free #join #Aduna #network #API #project Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Discovery of Unexploded World War II Bomb Halts Trains at Busy Paris Hub – The New York Times Discovery of Unexploded World War II Bomb Halts Trains at Busy Paris Hub – The New York Times Discovery of Unexploded World War II Bomb Halts Trains at Busy Paris Hub The New York TimesAll Paris Eurostar services cancelled for rest of the day after WW2 bomb found BBC.comAll Eurostar Paris trains cancelled on Friday amid French rail disruption over suspected WW2 bomb – Europe live The GuardianUnexploded WWII bomb outside Paris station halts Eurostar travel to London and trains to northern France CNNDiscovery of World War 2 bomb near major Paris train station disrupts services Reuters Source link #Discovery #Unexploded #World #War #Bomb #Halts #Trains #Busy #Paris #Hub #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]