Pelican Press

Fewer Australians seeing doctors and dentists as costs cripple Fewer Australians seeing doctors and dentists as costs cripple More than a quarter of people living in disadvantaged areas are forgoing important trips to the dentist as costs continue to cripple everyday Australians. Source link #Australians #doctors #dentists #costs #cripple Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prestige Beauty Continues to Outpace Mass in Circana’s Nine-month 2024 Results Prestige Beauty Continues to Outpace Mass in Circana’s Nine-month 2024 Results Beauty’s growth might be slowing slightly in the U.S., but consumers remain just as engaged, new data shows. According to Circana data from January through September, prestige beauty’s growth is still beating out the mass market. The markets grew 7 percent and 2 percent, respectively. More from WWD Fragrance was the brightest spot across the board, soaring 14 percent in prestige and notching 2 percent gains in mass. “After several years of fragrance being about luxury, this year was where the lower-priced side of prestige fragrance took off. We saw it starting in 2023, but it became a strong driver in 2024,” said Larissa Jensen, senior vice president of beauty and industry adviser, Circana. “It’s now about products that have a lower price point, whether it’s a mini or a body spray, but we’re seeing both sides of the coin grow.” Prestige hair jumped 9 percent, while growing 2 percent in mass channels. The gains there, Jensen said, came from existing trends. “When you think about scalp care and hair loss, all of that is helping to drive hair overall,” Jensen said. “Styling products and treatments in prestige continue to do really well.” Skin care grew 3 percent in prestige and 2 percent in the mass market. There, consumers are meeting in the middle of the overall beauty market, with higher-priced items in mass and lower-priced products in prestige capturing the most market share. “When you look at the performance of mass and prestige, it’s pretty close. Everything else has a larger disparity between mass and prestige,” Jensen said. “I’ve been talking about the democratization of the category, because skin care is all about efficacy and consumers have learned they don’t have to pay a lot to get results. It’s a category that consumers go back-and-forth between.” Makeup was the only category to drop in mass, falling 3 percent. Makeup in the prestige market, conversely, grew 5 percent. Lip cosmetics was the brightest segment in the category across both mass and prestige. In mass alone, lip was up 8 percent and represents a $1.4 billion business. “Lip products are one of the highest impulse purchases for consumers — in terms of what they anticipate buying versus what they actually buy,” Jensen said. “You can also have multiple shades, different types and different formats. It’s the one bright spot in makeup for both mass and prestige.” Brick-and-mortar ******** the most important channel in each, though Jensen called out that e-commerce grew faster than physical retail on the mass side of the business. “On the prestige side, brick-and-mortar is going to continue keeping that side of the market and is performing better than e-commerce. But the big differentiator is that you can go and try a product in-store in prestige, and in mass, you can’t test and try,” Jensen said. “There’s also so many [stock keeping units] that can be carried within a particular display space [in mass].” The outlook for holiday is optimistic, with Circana reporting that 29 percent of consumers expect to buy beauty as gifts, which is an improvement from 2023. That number is even higher for households with children, with 41 percent saying they will gift beauty products. Best of WWD Sign up for WWD’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source link #Prestige #Beauty #Continues #Outpace #Mass #Circanas #Ninemonth #Results Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Zealand leads way as Oceania narrows to final four New Zealand leads way as Oceania narrows to final four New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti have progressed in Oceania’s FIFA World Cup race, with the region guaranteed a 2026 place for the first time. Source link #Zealand #leads #Oceania #narrows #final Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘We are … far from being able to say the species is in a good place’ ‘We are … far from being able to say the species is in a good place’ A generation ago, the Siamese crocodile was thought to be extinct. A 13-year conservation effort has helped the critically endangered species make a comeback. In Cambodia, the crocodile is akin to China’s giant pandas or India’s tigers, and the animals are being bred in captivity before being released in the wild, the Associated Press reported. First reintroduced to their natural habitat in 2012, the crocodiles produced 106 eggs in June. It marked a high and the most promising sign in two decades that the Siamese crocodile is thriving, the outlet reported. There are about 1,000 of the crocs in the wild, including 400 in Cambodia. They were nearly ******* off by habitat destruction, poaching, and crossbreeding. The hunters who captured, bred, and massacred the creatures to sell their skins have helped them bounce back, too. They are the source of purebred, fertile crocodiles, pulled from a population of 1.5 million mostly hybrids that were bred for leather, per the AP. After the females lay eggs, the eggs are incubated at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, allowing the crocodiles to develop before they are brought to a national park in the Cardamom Mountains. Only one in 20 crocodiles born in the wild survives, according to the AP, but if they are bred captively and not released until they reach 1 meter in length, “their chances of survival increase exponentially.” Watch now: Industry leaders speak on what gives them hope in the face of climate change The conservationists also have to protect the reptiles’ habitat since 32% of the country’s tree cover was lost from 2001 to 2023, according to Global Forest Watch. “Protecting habitat is the most important part of this whole project,” Pablo Sinovas of Fauna & Flora told the AP. That’s why the discovery of the eggs was such good news. They produced 60 hatchlings. �� �� �� �� �� �� The AP reported that a similar program in India worked wonders, and Sinovas has said that this could be “Cambodia’s most successful conservation story.” “We are still far from being able to say the species is in a good place,” Sinovas said. “But it is making progress.” Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Source link #species #good #place Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tired helicopter crews 'didn't want' to let team down Tired helicopter crews 'didn't want' to let team down A probe into a fatal Taipan army helicopter ****** has been told aircrew didn’t want to let their team down by pulling out of exercises when tired. Source link #Tired #helicopter #crews #039didn039t #want039 #team Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots sold at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots sold at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Grimmway Farms recalled organic carrots after the product was linked to an E. coli outbreak that has infected 39 people from 18 states, the Centers for ******** Control said in an alert Nov. 17. The CDC reported that 15 people have been hospitalized and one person has *****. The public health agency said that interviews determined those who had been infected consumed Grimmway Farms organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots. Some of the stores where the organic whole carrots and baby carrots were sold include Trader Joe’s, 365 (Whole Foods Market) and Wegmans. The U.S. Food & ***** Administration has included a full list of retailers that sold both types of carrots on its website. The recalled organic whole bagged carrots do not have a best-if-used-by date, but the FDA said the items were sold from Aug. 14 to Oct. 23. The organic baby carrots have a best-if-used-by date extending from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12. The carrots should no longer be on grocery store shelves. Any person who recently purchased the Grimmway Farms carrots is advised to immediately throw them away, the CDC said. Customers should then use hot soapy water or dishwater to cleanse any items or surfaces that came into contact with the carrots. The alert came a day after Grimmway Farms addressed the recall in a press release on its website. Grimmway Farms President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said in a statement that the company is reviewing its “growing, harvest and processing practices.” “Our food safety team is working with our suppliers and health authorities,” Huckaby said. Symptoms of infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the CDC. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can also also lead to developing a serious kidney condition. Symptoms typically appear about three to four days after consuming the infected food, according to the CDC. Those who are experiencing symptoms of an E.coli infection should seek medical attention. The Grimmway Farms recall follows a wave of recent recalls and outbreaks around the country. Data from the U.S. Food & ***** Administration shows that the number of recalls in the U.S. has been steadily increasing over the last few years. “There’s been a 20-25% increase in recalls over the last two to three years,” Darin Detwiler, professor of food regulatory policy at Northeastern University, previously said in an interview with TODAY.com. Detwiler later explained, “Our food industry is relying on way more global sourcing of ingredients, so you’re increasing the chances for issues.” This article was originally published on TODAY.com Source link #coli #outbreak #linked #organic #carrots #sold #Trader #Joes #Foods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Haydn Barron keen to take advantage of *********** PGA Championship berth Haydn Barron keen to take advantage of *********** PGA Championship berth Haydn Barron intends to make the most of his unexpected *********** PGA Championship invitation after failing to secure his DP World Tour card for next year. The 28-year-old Perth golfer had been preparing to contest Monday’s tournament qualifying event at Wynnum before getting some good news on Sunday night when he received the invite that had been given to Lucas Herbert. Herbert’s weekend win in the NSW Open meant that he no longer required an invitation to play at Royal Queensland this week. “I walked Wynnum (on Sunday) and had a look around and tried to get my head around a few of the tee shots – it looked pretty quirky,” Barron said on Monday. “But I managed to get the call up (on Sunday) night, so straight in and straight here, which is nice.” It has been a tough couple of weeks for Barron, who ******* to retain his DP World Tour Card after falling short by a couple of shots at the qualifying school in Spain. Camera IconHaydn Barron plans to make the most of his *********** PGA Championship invitation. John Gass Credit: News Corp Australia It’s why strong performances at the *********** PGA and next week’s *********** Open – both of which are co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour – are important to his future plans. “I still haven’t really had time to dissect the whole year,” he said. “It had its challenges for sure. I found a lot of it really difficult but I definitely feel like I’m a different calibre of a player now after doing a year out there. “I played some really difficult places in some difficult conditions, and the travel was tough. “I’m not going to get a whole lot of opportunity on the main (DP World) tour now. It’s going to be predominantly (the second-tier) Challenge Tour, so hopefully I can get some points up these next couple of weeks, and try to make something happen. “I love this event and coming to the big *********** events. Our crowds are not like anything I’ve seen all year. “They love us local guys, so it’s nice to try and put on a show for them.” Source link #Haydn #Barron #keen #advantage #*********** #PGA #Championship #berth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former St. Pete council member accused of hiding cameras in air vent to watch woman shower Former St. Pete council member accused of hiding cameras in air vent to watch woman shower ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A former St. Petersburg City Council member was arrested Friday for allegedly hiding cameras in an air vent so he could watch a woman as she showered and used the restroom. An arrest affidavit shows 64-year-old Jeffrey Ronald Danner was taken into custody at his home in St. Petersburg on Friday, Nov. 15, for one count of digital voyeurism. Suspect at large in ********* that left man *****, woman injured, Clearwater police say The woman told investigators with the St. Petersburg Police Department that she noticed something unusual while she was in the shower at Danner’s residence. The two had reportedly known each other beforehand and she was temporarily staying at his home. According to the woman, there appeared to be multiple cameras in an air vent in the bathroom, with one pointing directly toward the shower and the other toward the *******. Jeffrey Ronald Danner (Credit: St. Petersburg Police Department) The woman took pictures of the cameras and showed them to police as evidence. She also shared a text conversation with investigators in which she confronted Danner over the cameras. In the arrest affidavit, officers said Danner responded to the woman with a text message claiming he had never connected the cameras after realizing “how ******* and perverted it was.” Detectives worked with the woman to conduct a controlled phone call in which they said Danner admitted to placing the cameras in the bathroom, then apologized and told her, “It was a ******* idea.” Danner previously served as St. Petersburg’s District 8 City Council member. However, he reportedly lost his bid for reelection in 2021 to Richie Floyd. Records show Danner was booked into jail without bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Source link #Pete #council #member #accused #hiding #cameras #air #vent #watch #woman #shower Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov ***** at 39 Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov ***** at 39 The ballet world is mourning the ****** of Vladimir Shklyarov, one of its leading male dancers. Shklyarov, a principal with the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, was an “extraordinary artist” who inspired fans worldwide, one tribute said. His ******, announced by the St Petersburg company on Saturday, is being investigated by federal authorities, according to Russian media reports. Mariinsky representatives told media he had fallen from the fifth floor of a St Petersburg building while on painkillers. “This is a huge loss not only for the theatre’s staff but for all of contemporary ballet,” the company said in a statement on Saturday. “Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent.” Shklyarov was married to fellow company dancer Maria Shklyarov, with whom he had two children. Born in Leningrad, he studied at the famed Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, graduating in 2003. He joined the Mariinsky Theatre the same year, becoming a principal in 2011. Over 20 years with the company, he danced leads across several productions, including Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. He performed at prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Opera House in London and Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 2014 and 2015, he featured as a guest artist at the ********* Ballet Theatre. The company issued a statement on Sunday mourning his “tragic loss.” “We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide. “Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world,” the company wrote on Instagram. Shklyarov received several accolades during his lifetime, including the Léonide Massine International Prize in 2008. He was also appointed an Honoured Artist of Russia in 2020. “He forever inscribed his name in the history of world ballet,” the Mariinsky Theatre said. Source link #Russian #ballet #star #Vladimir #Shklyarov #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oppo Reno 13 Series Launch Date Set for November 25; Tipped to Feature MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Chipset Oppo Reno 13 Series Launch Date Set for November 25; Tipped to Feature MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Chipset Oppo Reno 13 series will launch in China soon. The company has announced the launch date of the lineup in the country. It has also revealed the smartphones’ design, RAM and storage configurations, and a single colourway. The series is expected to comprise a base model and a Pro variant, which will succeed the Oppo Reno 12 and Reno 12 Pro, respectively. Meanwhile, one of the upcoming handsets has been spotted on a benchmarking website, giving us a look at its chipset. The global launch timeline of the lineup has also been leaked by a tipster. Oppo Reno 13 Series Launch Date The Oppo Reno 13 series will launch in China on November 25 at 7pm (4:30pm IST), according to a Weibo post by the company. The phones will be available in a Butterfly Purple colourway, while other colour options will likely be confirmed in the days leading up to the launch. Notably, the Oppo Pad 3 and Oppo Enco R3 Pro TWS earphones will be unveiled alongside the smartphones. The Oppo China e-store listing for the base Oppo Reno 13 suggests that the phone will be available in five RAM and storage configurations — 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 16GB + 256GB, 16GB + 512GB and 16GB + 1TB. According to a post by X user @chunvn8888, the Oppo Reno 13 series will launch globally in January 2025. Previously, a ***** also claimed that the Reno 13 handsets may arrive in India around that time. Oppo Reno 13 Series SoC (Expected) Both the vanilla and Pro variants of the Oppo Reno 13 are expected to be equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipsets. Earlier leaks suggested that the Oppo Reno 13 Pro could feature a yet-to-be-released MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset. Meanwhile, an Oppo handset with the model number PKK110, expected to be the ******** version of the Oppo Reno 13 Pro, was spotted on Geekbench. The CPU and GPU configurations suggest that it could have the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC. The phone is said to support 16GB of RAM and run on Android 15. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Oppo #Reno #Series #Launch #Date #Set #November #Tipped #Feature #MediaTek #Dimensity #Chipset Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ASIC prosecutes National Australia Bank over alleged 400,000 days ******** to reply to loan hardship pleas ASIC prosecutes National Australia Bank over alleged 400,000 days ******** to reply to loan hardship pleas The financial services watchdog has accused National Australia Bank of breaching credit laws by repeatedly failing to respond to the pleas of vulnerable customers. Unveiling a Federal Court prosecution of NAB, the *********** Securities and Investments Commission has pointed to 345 alleged cases of ******** to answer hardship pleas from home loan, credit card and personal loan customers within a 21-day deadline And ASIC says the big four bank ******* to even give a lawful response to 320 of these official hardship pleas filed from June 2018 to October 2023 — meaning the bank ******* to answer pleas for an alleged total of more than 400,000 days. ASIC chair Joe Longo claimed NAB unlawfully ******* to respond to “their customers’ appeal for help when they needed them most”., including people hurt by significant medical conditions, domestic ********* and the COVID-19 pandemic. “The person seeking assistance may need some variation to their contract, their lending arrangements,” Mr Longo said. “Every situation is different, which is what makes this area really important for consumers. “We have seen first hand the impact on lives and livelihoods when lenders fail to appropriately support customers experiencing financial hardship. “Banks and lenders must have the right arrangements in place to respond to requests for assistance from customers experiencing financial hardship and to work constructively with them to find a sustainable solution. “ The latest Federal Court action comes on top of ASIC suing Westpac in September 2023 for financial hardship misconduct, alleging it ******* to respond to at least 435 notices within the 21 days set down by the National Credit Code. That case is due for a hearing in May next year. The regulator released a detailed report in May this year claiming banks had inadequate focus on hardship polices, processes and practices. Unveiling the NAB action on Monday, ASIC enforcement boss Alan Kirkland said the hardship probe indicated banks were taking “a cookie cutter approach to dealing with people’s hardship requests, as well as an onerous assessment and approvals process”. “Many lenders aren’t taking their customers unique circumstances into account,” Mr Kirkland said. “Banks and lenders need to put their customers front and centre and prioritise their approach to supporting customers facing hardship.” NAB executive Sharon Cook apologised for the bank’s failings “when a number of our customers were in difficult situations and needed us to be there for them”. “We are focused on ensuring these customers receive the support they need.,” she said. “Following ASIC’s report into hardship practices across the industry, we have also been working on a new approach to supporting customers in financial difficulty. This includes consulting with consumer advocates.” In the main part of its Federal Court claim, ASIC highlighted four alleged failings from July 2019 to July 2022 — all of which alleged breaches of the 21-day deadline and a ******** to honour its ongoing obligation to respond. This last case involved a mortgage customer who had run out of ***** leave after being hit by COVID-19, whose self-employed husband was forced to lock down for five weeks and no income had been coming into their five-person household for two months. “We are trying to catch up but it is proving very difficult when we are so far behind on our mortgage and all other bills,” the person said in a hardship plea not answered by Westpac. ASIC also highlighted the pleas in January 2020 of a personal loan customer who had reported leaving a long-term domestic relationship, was down to one income and unable to make payment. Despite being told to contact the bank’s financial hardship team, she allegedly did not receive a response. The July 2019 case involved a home loan customer who pleaded hardship after their employer shut and did not pay outstanding wages or redundancy entitlements. An ignored November 2019 case involved a person whose reported “physical and mental health” issues after having quit their job due to bullying. Source link #ASIC #prosecutes #National #Australia #Bank #alleged #days #******** #reply #loan #hardship #pleas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Taiwan’s APEC representative says no handshake or dialogue with China’s Xi, only wave Taiwan’s APEC representative says no handshake or dialogue with China’s Xi, only wave By Eduardo Baptista LIMA (Reuters) -Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan’s representative at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, said on Saturday that he greeted China’s President Xi Jinping with a wave, but there was no handshake or conversation, a sign of the tensions between Taipei and Beijing. Taiwan, which takes part in APEC as “******** Taipei” and does not send its president to summits due to China’s objections, has faced increased military pressure from Beijing, including four rounds of war games since 2022. The forum is one of the few international meetings both Taiwan and China take part in, and where officials from the two sides can interact, even if just to exchange pleasantries. Beijing views the island as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations. Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Speaking at a press conference, Lin, chairman of government-backed investment fund Taiwania Capital and also a former economy minister, said that while Taiwan had bilateral talks with many APEC members, with Xi there was just a greeting gesture across the room where leaders were gathered. “The motion of a greeting has no details…” he said, adding that there was no handshake with the ******** leader when asked. The lack of interaction with Xi contrasts with the meeting Lin had with U.S. President Joe Biden the previous day, which the Taiwanese delegation described as a “lively” exchange of views. The ******* States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, though Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing. Last year, Taiwan representative Morris Chang, founder of chip giant TSMC, also spoke with Biden but not Xi. But in 2022, then 91-year-old Chang had a “very pleasant” and “polite” interaction with Xi at an APEC forum in Bangkok, where Xi asked about Chang’s health and Chang congratulated Xi on the success of the ******** ********** Party’s 20th Congress. APEC 2026 As Taiwan struggles with Beijing’s strategy to make the island’s remaining diplomatic allies to cut ties in favour of Beijing, China’s push to host the forum in 2026, announced by Xi earlier on Saturday, has worried the island’s government. At Lin’s press conference on Saturday, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Hsu Szu-Chien said that there were “all kinds of misgivings and concerns” among Taiwan and other APEC members about Beijing hosting the forum. Hsu said one concern were new ******** legal guidelines published in June that impose the ****** penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists. While ******** courts have no jurisdiction on the island, Hsu said that Taiwan had expressed worries the guidelines would be used against not only Taiwanese officials in China, but those from other APEC members as well. “Other APEC members have similar concerns so the fact that a consensus was reached (on China hosting the forum) means Beijing has made promises in response to all members’ relevant concerns,” Hsu said. (Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; editing by Diane Craft and Alistair Bell) Source link #Taiwans #APEC #representative #handshake #dialogue #Chinas #wave Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Disqualified drink-driver caught trying to use his twin’s licence Disqualified drink-driver caught trying to use his twin’s licence A disqualified New South Wales man allegedly tried to use his twin’s licence to receive lesser punishment after being caught drink-driving. Source link #Disqualified #drinkdriver #caught #twins #licence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Makeshift memorial grows in Ukraine’s capital after 1,000 days of war Makeshift memorial grows in Ukraine’s capital after 1,000 days of war Before Russia’s invasion, one square was an ordinary green lawn in the heart of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. Tourists would visit to take photos, and locals would stroll there on weekends. But 1,000 days of war have transformed it into a makeshift memorial, dotted with blue-and-yellow flags — each honoring a soldier who ***** fighting Russia. (AP Video by Vasilisa Stepanenko) Source link #Makeshift #memorial #grows #Ukraines #capital #days #war Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tencent challenges Amazon, Microsoft cloud dominance with WeChat ecosystem Tencent challenges Amazon, Microsoft cloud dominance with WeChat ecosystem ******** tech company Tencent is a gaming giant and the parent company of WeChat, the ubiquitous social messaging app in China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images SINGAPORE — ******** tech giant Tencent is increasingly leveraging its WeChat super-app ecosystem to set itself apart from dominant global cloud service players, Tencent Cloud CEO Dowson Tong said. More clients are interested in engaging in the creation of their own super apps, a service Tencent Cloud offers by way of sharing its technology and operational experience gained as it established the WeChat ecosystem, Tong told CNBC on the sidelines of the recent annual Singapore Fintech Festival. “That’s something that makes us stand out, compared to many [other] online platforms,” Tong said. Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform are the three largest cloud service providers, making up 68% of the market share as of the second quarter of this year, according to Synergy Research Group. Super app platforms are often developed using cloud infrastructure to provide scalability, reliability, and efficient resource management. Tong shared that many of Tencent’s cloud services clients were keen on building their own mini programs on WeChat’s network to attract existing users of the super app to their services. “Many of our enterprise customers … they want to borrow some of the technologies that make our consumer services successful. They also want to leverage our capability to connect to users,” Tong said. The financial and government sectors make up the majority of this interest pool, the company shared. For example, Cambodia’s Canadia Bank partnered with Tencent Cloud to launch a new mobile banking app in 2023. A super app is an application that functions as a one-stop shop for multiple offerings — from messaging to payment transactions to ordering food, among other services. WeChat is the world’s largest super app, boasting around 1.3 billion active monthly users, or around 90% of China’s total population. While global competitors Amazon, Google and Microsoft offer a range of services to their clients, these are typically spread across several platforms and applications rather than available on an all-encompassing platform like WeChat. For instance, Amazon specializes in e-commerce, cloud services, and streaming, but does not have a single app integrating these services. Similarly, Microsoft offers enterprise solutions such as Office 365 and gaming, but lacks a comprehensive consumer-facing super app. Google provides search, email, cloud services and Android OS, but each service is accessed individually. Amazon specializes in e-commerce, cloud services, and streaming i.e Prime Video, but does not have a single app integrating these services together. Nathan Stirk | Getty Images In 2022, Microsoft reportedly considered creating a super app, encompassing messaging, web search functions, news and shopping, however, there have been no official statements or follow ups from the company on the report. That said, while Tencent’s super app ecosystem is a unique one, it may not be the be-all and end-all in the cloud space, said Wei Sun, principal analyst, artificial intelligence team, at Counterpoint Research. “In the cloud industry, super apps aren’t central to service offerings. Cloud clients prioritize infrastructure reliability, scalability, security, and compliance over integrated consumer-facing applications,” said Sun. While super apps can enhance user engagement and data collection, these functions do not directly influence the core services sought by cloud clients, she added. However, Sun acknowledged that there is “definitely massive added-value” for having a super app that can accumulate this pyramid of integrated user data to enhance clients’ data flywheel, where the more data the system collects, the more value can be extracted. The absence of a super app among the three cloud giants could also be owed to different regulatory concerns and market dynamics in the West, where specialized apps are preferred over all-in-one solutions, she said. Super apps have gained traction largely in Asia, with Gojek and Grab — besides WeChat — a testament to their gaining popularity. The global market for super apps was valued at $61.30 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of almost 30% between 2023 and 2030, according to a research report, which likely increases the appeal among super app builders for cloud services offered by Tencent. On top of leveraging its super app expertise, Tong said that Tencent Cloud’s active integration of clients’ public cloud resources with on-premise private resources is also something that helps them become competitive against the international cloud providers, which he said tend to focus on public cloud. In a public cloud, several customers utilize a shared set of computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networking infrastructure. Having on-premise private resources means that companies can store their own data centers within their own facilities and manage them independently without having to share with other clients. While Amazon and Microsoft offer hybrid cloud options, Counterpoint’s Sun suggested that what Tencent’s uniqueness might lie in the company’s ability to offer tailored on-premise solutions specific to client needs in the ******** market, especially customizing it for social media, entertainment, video and gaming optimizations. “That further gives an edge to its super app WeChat, forming an upward spiral,” she added. Source link #Tencent #challenges #Amazon #Microsoft #cloud #dominance #WeChat #ecosystem Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Matt-trick’ Faessler keeps Wallaby history in family ‘Matt-trick’ Faessler keeps Wallaby history in family After all those unsung years burrowing down darkly in the middle of some horrible, hairy front rows, Matt Faessler had to think long and hard when asked how many try-scoring hat-tricks he had ever pulled off before. “The dramatic pause probably means none,” the Wallabies’ happy ******* smiled eventually. “No, don’t think I’ve ever scored one. At any level. Front-rowers don’t score tries – and I’ve always been in the front row … well close to it. “Maybe when I was, like, 14, I might have dabbled in the back row a little bit, but I’ve sort of been chained to the front for quite a bit of time.” Which all made Faessler’s escape from that chain gang, into the light and into the rugby history books one of the more delightful tales on a delightful day for Australia in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Sunday. For the man from Toowoomba didn’t just land his own maiden hat-trick in the 52-20 dismantling of Wales; he also became the first Wallaby ******* to even score one try in a Test. That was another piece of *********** rugby history for his family, 90 years since Faessler’s late granddad, a colourful character called Vince Bermingham, was part of the first Wallabies team to win the Bledisloe Cup. And while it may have been fullback Tom Wright’s razzle-dazzle try treble that won man-of-the-match laurels in Cardiff, it was Faessler’s rumblling tail-gunner snipes off the base of fiery rolling mauls that helped make the win such a satisfying mix of power and panache. “A complete, total performance,” Michael Hooper hailed it from the TV commentary box, and the modest Faessler was certainly not about to take any personal credit for his own landmark day. No, not even for the thundering last of the three tries when he peeled off the maul and took two defenders with him as he crashed over. “Mauls are team tries, and it’s about everyone playing their role in that. I guess just the ******* gets the benefit more times than not, if the maul’s functioning well,” shrugged the 25-year-old. What satisfied him was how, four months since the Wallabies’ struggles against the Welsh in the mauls and line-outs in the July Tests, they so completely turned the tables. “We were pretty focused this week on having a ****** at them at maul time, both in ******* and D(efence), and I think we probably did that.” The mauls proved decisive when the Wallabies were down to 14 men after Samu Kerevi’s red card just after half-time, and they felt the tactic might be the best way of running the clock down until he returned. Instead, Faessler’s quick double strike effectively ******* off Welsh hopes. His triumph marked the culmination of a remarkable two-year rise for the Queenslander. Faessler didn’t even have a Super Rugby deal at the start of 2022, so moved to Sydney, played club rugby at Randwick and was then snaffled by the Reds as injury cover, only to impress to such an extent that Eddie Jones and the Wallabies eventually came calling. Now, he really looks the part, even if he admits to still being “massively nervous” before every Test. Especially in Cardiff. “I don’t think you’re ever really comfortable at Test level, like you’re still running out with big metal butterflies flying around in your stomach,” he said. “And how vocal their (Welsh) crowd is. I heard a lot about this stadium and, yeah, it definitely delivered … the choirs while you’re warming up, the (regimental mascot) goat walking around, which is a bit of a weird one, and then just their national anthem. “Oh yeah, I was in awe, a crazy experience. I’m really lucky to be part of it.” Source link #Matttrick #Faessler #Wallaby #history #family Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In a meeting with Biden, China’s Xi cautions US to ‘make the wise choice’ to keep relations stable In a meeting with Biden, China’s Xi cautions US to ‘make the wise choice’ to keep relations stable LIMA, Peru (AP) — China’s leader Xi Jinping met for the last time with U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday but was already looking ahead to President-elect Donald Trump and his “America first” policies, saying Beijing “is ready to work with a new U.S. administration.” During their talks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, Xi cautioned that a stable China-U.S. relationship was critical not only to the two nations but to the “future and destiny of humanity.” “Make the wise choice,” he cautioned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” Without mentioning Trump’s name, Xi appeared to signal his concern that the incoming president’s protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail could send the U.S.-China relationship into another valley. “China is ready to work with a new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples,” Xi said through an interpreter. Xi, who is firmly entrenched atop China’s political hierarchy, spoke forcefully in his brief remarks before reporters. Biden, who is winding down more than 50 years of public service, talked in broader brushstrokes about where the relationship between the two countries has gone. He reflected not just on the past four years but on the decades the two have known each other. “We haven’t always agreed, but our conversations have always been candid and always been frank. We’ve never kidded one another,” Biden said. “These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict.” Biden urged Xi to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. The leaders, with top aides surrounding them, gathered around a long rectangle of tables in an expansive conference room at a Lima hotel. They had much to discuss, including China’s indirect support for Russia, human rights issues, technology and Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy that Beijing claims as its own. On artificial intelligence, the two agreed on the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons and more broadly improve safety and international cooperation of the rapidly expanding technology. There’s much uncertainty about what ***** ahead in the U.S.-China relationship under Trump, who campaigned promising to levy 60% tariffs on ******** imports. Already, many ********* companies, including Nike and eyewear retailer Warby Parker, have been diversifying their sourcing away from China. Shoe brand Steve Madden says it plans to cut imports from China by as much as 45% next year. In a congratulatory message to Trump after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Xi called for the U.S. and China to manage their differences and get along in a new era. In front of cameras Saturday, Xi spoke to Biden — but it was unmistakable that his message was directed at Trump. “In a major flourishing sci-tech revolution, neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is a solution,” Xi said. “Only mutual, beneficial cooperation can lead to common development. ‘Small yard, high fence’ is not what a major country should pursue.” Biden administration officials have said they would advise the Trump team that managing the intense competition with Beijing will likely be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face. On Saturday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden had reinforced to Xi “that these next two months are a time of transition” and that the president would like to pass off the U.S.-China relationship “in stable terms” to the new administration. Biden has viewed his relationship with Xi as among the most consequential on the international stage and put much effort into cultivating it. The two first got to know each other on travels across the U.S. and China when both were vice presidents, interactions that both have said left a lasting impression. They last met a year ago on the APEC sidelines in Northern California. “For over a decade, you and I have spent many hours together, both here and in China and in between,” Biden said. “We’ve spent a long time dealing with these issues.” But the last four years have presented a steady stream of difficult moments. The FBI this week offered new details of a federal investigation into ******** government efforts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks. The initial findings have revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics. Sullivan said Biden raised the matter with Xi during their talks and that the U.S. will have more to say about the investigation in the weeks ahead. U.S. intelligence officials also have assessed China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine. And tensions flared last year after Biden ordered the ********* down of a ******** spy balloon that traversed the ******* States. Biden wants Xi to step up ******** engagement to prevent an already dangerous moment with North Korea from further escalating. Biden, along with South Korean President Yoon Seok Yul and ********* Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on Friday condemned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to send thousands of troops to help Moscow repel Ukrainian forces who have seized territory in Russia’s Kursk border region. White House officials have expressed frustration with Beijing, which accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade, for not doing more to rein in Pyongyang. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. And the U.S., Japan and South Korea have expressed alarm over Pyongyang’s stepped-up cadence of ballistic missile tests. Kim ordered testing exercises in the lead-up to this month’s U.S. election and is claiming progress on efforts to build capability to strike the U.S. mainland. Xi and Biden started their day at the leaders’ retreat at the APEC summit, taking part in a photo where they all wore scarves made from vicuña wool, a symbolic animal for Peru. It’s common practice that leaders at these gatherings are given a gift — usually traditional clothing of the host country — that they don for the photo. ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Source link #meeting #Biden #Chinas #cautions #wise #choice #relations #stable Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, paid accuser to save job at Fox News, his lawyer says Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, paid accuser to save job at Fox News, his lawyer says Fox News host Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as defense secretary, paid a confidential financial settlement to a woman who accused him of ******* ******** out of concern that the allegation would lead to his ******* from the cable news giant, his lawyer told CBS News. Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Palatore, said the Army veteran reached a confidential settlement agreement to deter his accuser from going forward with a lawsuit, maintaining that he is innocent and the ******* encounter was consensual. Hegseth denies any wrongdoing. “The reality is that, had they filed [a lawsuit], civil process takes quite a while, and so Fox News likely would have fired him based on the allegation,” said Palatore, adding that the woman and her attorney “knew that simply filing it would cause an immediate horror storm for [Hegseth].” Fox News did not respond to an inquiry about when the network found out about Hegseth’s settlement agreement. Trump’s transition team spoke with Palatore after Hegseth was named as Trump’s nominee defense secretary, the attorney said. He said that he “explained this fully” to them but that he did not know what prior conversations Hegseth had with the transition team, or if they had been informed about the ******* ******** allegation and settlement agreement before the announcement of his impending nomination for defense secretary. “This should have nothing to do with the confirmation process,” he said. Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth on August 9, 2019 in New York City. John Lamparski / Getty Images Trump has indicated that these revelations have not deterred him from Hegseth’s selection as defense secretary. After reports surfaced of the ******* ******** accusation, Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said, “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration. Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed.” The alleged ******* ******** took place after midnight on Oct. 8, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa. The woman, whose identity has been kept confidential, filed a complaint with the Monterey Police Department four days later alleging that she had been ********* assaulted by Hegseth. The city of Monterey confirmed the 2017 investigation into Hegseth and said in a statement that investigators found the woman had “contusions” on her right thigh. No charges were filed, Palatore said. The Washington Post, which first reported the financial payment, obtained what it referred to as a memo that it said was sent to the Trump transition team by a friend of the accuser alleging Hegseth ****** a ************* group staffer in his room after drinking at the hotel bar. According to the Post, the memo states that the day after the incident, the accuser “had a moment of hazy memory of being ****** the night before, and had a panic *******.” CBS News has not seen the memo and cannot verify its contents. Palatore told CBS News that there is eyewitness testimony and video surveillance footage that allegedly shows the accuser was the “aggressor” in a consensual ******* encounter. “[Hegseth] was intoxicated. She was sober. She was the one grabbing him by the arm and leading him out of the bar to take him upstairs,” he said. When asked if CBS News could view the footage, Palatore said, “No.” He also declined to share the names of any eyewitnesses. CNN reported that it spoke with the alleged victim last week, who “became visibly distraught at the mention of Hegseth’s name.” CNN says she declined to be interviewed at the time and then stopped responding. Palatore would not share the exact timing of the settlement payment to the woman. He said it occurred “a couple years ago,” emphasizing that it was “well before Trump was even nominated [for the presidency], let alone had named Pete to this position.” He also declined to disclose the amount of the settlement, only saying it was “far, far less than what she wanted.” He characterized it as “essentially an extortion and blackmail.” Two years after the alleged incident, Palatore said that Hegseth was informed the woman was making what they called “false claims” against him and was threatening to sue him. Palatore said that she had lost her job and claimed she needed money. In February of 2020, he sent her a cease-and-desist letter. She went “quiet for a year” before he learned she had found an attorney for her case. Trump’s selection of Hegseth has been plagued with controversy. The announcement that the Fox News personality was his choice for secretary of Defense took many in Washington by surprise. “Wow,” responded Alaska *********** Senator Lisa Murkowski upon learning he had been picked to lead the Defense Department. “I just said, wow,” she repeated when asked for her thoughts. Even Hegseth’s tattoos have attracted scrutiny, specifically the “Deux Vult” tattoo on his inner bicep. The symbolism of that tattoo, which has been tied to extremist groups and the ********** Crusaders, alarmed a member of Hegseth’s National Guard unit, who warned superiors that Hegseth was a potential “insider threat” before President Joe Biden’s inauguration. He was removed from guarding the inauguration. After The Associated Press reported Hegseth had been flagged as a threat, Vice President-elect JD Vance defended him on social media, accusing the outlet of “attacking Pete Hegseth for having a ********** motto tattooed on his arm.” Hegseth then shared Vance’s tweet, commenting, “They can target me — I don’t give a ***** — but this type of targeting of Christians, conservatives, patriots and everyday Americans will stop on DAY ONE at DJT’s DoD.” The news of Hegseth’s financial settlement agreement with a confidentiality clause may ring familiar to Trump. The president-elect’s own troubles related to a nondisclosure agreement with ****** film star Stormy Daniels led to the New York trial in which he became a convicted felon, as well as the first former (and now future) president to be criminally prosecuted. Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged cover-up of the payment to Daniels. He has argued that the verdict should be overturned and the indictment dismissed on the basis, among other things, of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling. James LaPorta, Eleanor Watson, Mary Walsh and Nicole Sganga contributed to this report. Source link #Pete #Hegseth #Trumps #pick #defense #secretary #paid #accuser #save #job #Fox #News #lawyer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

IN PICTURES: McDonald’s Albany celebrates McHappy Day, raising $1257 for Ronald McDonald House Charities IN PICTURES: McDonald’s Albany celebrates McHappy Day, raising $1257 for Ronald McDonald House Charities Customers at McDonald’s Albany were charitably minded as they picked up their coffees and burgers on Saturday, dropping more than $1200 in donation buckets for McHappy Day. The Albany Highway store contributed $1257 to the nationwide annual fundraiser, with the money supporting families of seriously ill or injured children via Ronald McDonald House Charities. McDonald’s Albany department manager Zente Wolfenden-Inwood said this was his fourth year organising the fundraiser for the store. Camera IconZente Wolfenden-Inwood with Albany SES’s Jaiden Ross. Credit: Laurie Benson “It all went pretty well this year I think,” he said. “We had visits from the SES, ambulance officers and police, which was nice. “A lot of people were happy to donate, though it is tough as lots of customers are cashless and only using their cards. “It’s so important to donate because everything goes towards helping kids and families with hospital costs, travel costs and a whole range of other stuff. “There were quite a few visitors who have used (Ronald) McDonald House themselves so it was nice to speak to them.” Camera IconMember for Albany Rebecca Stephens with restaurant licensee Clint Smith. Credit: Laurie Benson Member for Albany Rebecca Stephens did her part behind the counter, donning a red apron and building burgers. “I know first-hand how important Ronald McDonald House is to regional families seeking health care for their children in Perth,” she said. “My family has been greatly supported by Ronald McDonald House, so helping out at McHappy Day is the least I can do to give back to a wonderful cause that provides so much assistance to Albany families in need.” McHappy Day has counted $142,645 raised so far nationwide. Camera IconAlbany police officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Carlos Correia. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconMcDonald’s Albany licensee Clint Smith. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconGeorgia Wilson, Alysha Churchill and Febin Seji. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconElsie Benson and Jack Thompson. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconMcDonald’s Albany manager Kally Lock with licensee Clint Smith. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconJessica Kerr with her children Arli and Laker Rainbird. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconJess Buxton and Meg Carthew. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconPolice cadets Brayden Ramage and Nicola Bronlund. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconCeline Reganit and Nicole Mendoza. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconRestaurant manager Kally Lock at the drive-through. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconMember for Albany Rebecca Stephens, centre, with Kate Levcett and daughter Maggie Stephens. Credit: Laurie BensonCamera IconJack Thompson and Elsie Benson enjoyed the day. Credit: Laurie Benson Source link #PICTURES #McDonalds #Albany #celebrates #McHappy #Day #raising #Ronald #McDonald #House #Charities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to buy a ****** Friday TV upgrade – the OLED, QLED and mini-LEDs that are really worth it, depending on your old TV How to buy a ****** Friday TV upgrade – the OLED, QLED and mini-LEDs that are really worth it, depending on your old TV When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Future If you’re thinking of checking out the best ****** Friday TV deals this year for an upgrade to your existing TV set, there are two big questions you need to think about: how much of a difference are you really going to notice; and how much do you need to spend to see a difference that’s really worth having? The answers to these questions will depend on your old TV’s age, its size, and its screen tech. I can’t possibly cover every model here, so I’m going to offer a ****** course on what you can broadly expect in terms of upgrades, depending on which year you last bought a TV, and tell you which new models to look out for that will deliver what you’re looking for. The best TVs have taken big leaps over the last few years, in everything from brightness to gaming features to how good the smart TV software is. I oversee all of TechRadar’s TV coverage, helping to compare and test TVs with our reviewers, and deciding what goes into our buying guides. I get eyes-on experience of how everything changes each year, so here’s my cheat sheet on how to buy smart in the ****** Friday deals this year, based on the year you bought your current TV (up to 2022, because if you bought in 2023 and are looking to upgrade now, you’re surely a bit beyond needing a cheat-sheet), and then on the type of TV you have. If you bought your last TV in 2020 or earlier Most people probably have a TV that’s five years or older, but the last four years have been so huge for screen-tech improvements that I can basically group anything from 2020 or before into one big ****. Upgrade from one of those models and you’ll get immediately clearly better image quality, much slicker software, and more gaming features. QLED Let’s start with the hottest tech of the era: QLED… and QLED variations, including LG NanoCell and Samsung’s Triluminos TVs, which all have essentially the same quantum dot tech. Samsung’s popular mid-range QLEDs before 2020 had a direct backlight with local dimming, which enabled them to hit around 1,000 nits of peak HDR brightness – this means that in small bright areas they could reach a temporary brightness measured at around 1,000 nits. This was the best LED technology of the time, and it went into some excellent-value TVs, such as the Samsung Q80R or the Sony X900E/XE9005. Today, we have mini-LED instead of the regular LEDs in those backlights, and many of the best mini-LED TVs are cheaper than those 2019 Samsung/Sony sets were, even in ******* sizes. The likes of the Hisense U8N can cruise past 2,000 nits, while also handling the division between light and dark areas better than those old TVs could. If you were to upgrade from a TV that cost around $1,000 / £1,000 five years ago to one around the same price today, you’d be able to get something with far more vibrant colors, more cinematic contrast, and in a larger screen size – and with next-gen 4K 120Hz gaming features, too. Check out the Hisense U8N, the Hisense U7N, the TCL QM851G (US only) and the TCL C855 (*** only). Budget-friendly Now let’s talk about budget TVs from before 2020. If you were paying anything less than $700 / £700, you would almost certainly have a TV with an edge-lit backlight instead of a direct-lit backlight. Edge-lit means lower brightness, less-even ****** tones across the whole screen, and weaker contrast. Edge-lit TVs are dropping out of big-screen TVs in 2024, as better tech become much more affordable. For around $500 / £500 you can get the likes of the direct-lit Amazon ***** TV Omni QLED, which is an impressive set, or the Hisense U6N that features mini-LED tech for an even better and bolder picture in the US. In the ***, the TCL C805 is our pick of the cheaper mini-LED sets. These will feel like a quantum leap from a more budget pre-2020 TV, in terms of both picture quality and streaming software. OLED Finally for this era, we turn to OLED. OLED’s key trick – that it can turn individual pixels to true blackness – hasn’t changed over the years, and the likes of the LG C8 and LG C9 were actually capable of some pretty impressive brightness measurements. It’s only in the last couple of years, with the excellent LG C4 and Samsung S90C, that mid-range OLEDs have become bright enough to really offer a clear and obvious upgrade over those models. (If you have the cheaper and dimmer B8 or B9, you’d see an even ******* upgrade.) However, high-end OLEDs such as the Samsung S95D and LG G4 can roughly double the maximum brightness peak brightness levels of those old OLEDs, so if you can go premium, you’ll see a real sea-change. This includes better full-screen brightness as well, which has always been the weakness of the best OLED TVs because it makes then susceptible to distracting reflections. The Samsung S95D, notably, includes a matte anti-reflective screen that massively reduces this problem. However, I should note here that advanced mini-LED systems are so good now that some early OLED buyers who got them for the cinematic contrast may want to consider switching to mini-LED, because they’re much better than the LED TVs of five years ago. The Sony Bravia 9 is very expensive, but it’s amazing at contrast handling. The Samsung QN90D is also fantastic. As far as switching to the newer OLEDs goes, the models I mentioned above are all excellent, but those who want superior built-in sound (and can pay a premium) should consider the Panasonic Z95A, while *** buyers who love an immersive experience should check out the Philips OLED809 and its Ambilight tech. If you bought your last TV in 2021 This is where things start to get nuanced, because some areas of the TV world have progressed more than others. Let’s start with the hottest TV tech becoming mainstream in 2021. OLED This is significant, because it’s the era in which OLED matured into a product with far better reliability against screen *****-in, in the form of the LG C1. Brightness levels were still essentially the same as the sets in 2020, so you’ve still got the potential to see more beautiful colors and a more realistic image from the brighter TVs available today, especially if you upgrade to the likes of the high-end and massively bright Samsung S95D or LG G4, but there’s less of a difference in image quality and brightness if you upgrade to the likes of the LG C4 (though you will get a much better smart TV system). If you have the money and are looking to upgrade, there’s good reason to do it – but I think C1 users can justify holding out for longer than those with OLED TVs from earlier. Mini-LED This is also the year that Samsung introduced mini-LED on its higher-end TVs, again meaning that if you went with the top-tier Samsung QN90A or QN95A from 2021, the difference in today’s mini-LED TVs won’t be huge. If you got the more affordable Samsung QN85A, you could see more of a difference (today’s mini-LEDs are around 25-30% brighter), but again I think image quality isn’t really the reason to upgrade. However, there are two good reasons to upgrade from these TVs: screen size and gaming connectivity. If you want a larger screen than you bought a few years ago, you can get something like the Hisense U8N, TCL QM851G (in the US) or TCL C855 (in the ***) that offer better quality than these older Samsung TVs, for pretty amazing prices. Or Samsung’s own TVs, of course, will offer this – especially the Samsung QN90D. Gaming features might be the ******* draw for some people, though. A lot of these 2021 TVs had a single HDMI 2.1 port, which meant you could connect just one next-gen console. Maybe that’s enough for you, but gamers may want to future-proof with a Samsung QN85D, which is the cheapest good mini-LED TV you can get with four HDMI 2.1 ports. QLED & budget-friendly As for everything else released in 2021, the way that mini-LED has run down into the mid-range, and full-array backlight tech has run into even more affordable TVs, means that you can get a pretty great jump in quality if you have a cheaper set from 2021. The Roku Pro Series is ideal in the US; the TCL C805 is great in the ***. The Hisense U7N or Amazon ***** TV Omni QLED are great in both. If you bought your last TV in 2022 Most people won’t feel the need to upgrade from 2022, but as ever, there’s some subtlety to it – especially if you bought a budget TV last time. OLED If you bought a nice mid-range OLED in 2022, you’re probably still feeling pretty happy with it. 2024’s mid-range OLEDs do offer a step up in brightness, but not enough to wow most people – I think it’d only be worth upgrading from the LG C2 if you’re going to jump up to the elite LG G4 or Samsung S95D. However, if you bought the LG A2 or LG B2 entry-level models and that gave you the OLED bug enough to want to upgrade already, jumping to the LG C4 would provide a clear improvement in brightness – and if you had an A2, you’d get next-gen gaming features as well. But I think only people who’ve become OLED enthusiasts should be upgrading from a 2022 model. Mini-LED There’s not too much difference in these products today compared to a couple of years ago, and I would generally say that few buyers of higher-end mini-LED sets should look to upgrade. Again, if you’re looking to get a ******* size, prices have fallen so much that perhaps you should go ahead for that reason, but don’t expect the picture quality itself to be a huge leap forward. The Hisense U8N, TCL QM851G (in the US), TCL C855 (in the ***), Samsung QN90D, and the elite-priced Sony Bravia 9 stand out based on our testing as likely to feel like they deliver the best chance of a clear image-quality upgrade… though I also want to mention that the Hisense U7N (and TCL QM851G) go up to 100 inches, since we’re discussing ******* screens. Budget-friendly Mini-LED has become a lot more affordable compared to a couple of years ago, and so you might find that if you’re able to spend the same today as you did in 2022 on a budget big-screen, you can get a clear and worthwhile leap in image quality. You could get the Hisense U6N or TCL C805 (in the ***) for around the same price as a budget Samsung edge-lit LED model a couple of years ago, and that will be a big upgrade in features as well as image punch. However, if you bought a smaller TV (32 inches, say), there isn’t much point in upgrading – 2022 TVs still rank among the best options you can buy at this size today, such as the LG 32LQ6300! Source link #buy #****** #Friday #upgrade #OLED #QLED #miniLEDs #worth #depending Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iQOO Neo 10 Pro Confirmed Launch in China on November 29; Will Feature MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Chipset iQOO Neo 10 Pro Confirmed Launch in China on November 29; Will Feature MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Chipset iQOO Neo 10 series is expected to make its debut in China this month, with two models set to be introduced: iQOO Neo 10 and iQOO Neo 10 Pro. Ahead of the anticipated launch, the company has revealed details about the processor which powers the Pro model. The SoC is confirmed to be a flagship chipset sourced from MediaTek, built on TSMC’s fabrication process. The launch date of the purported series has also been confirmed, in addition to its colourways and pre-order offers. iQOO Neo 10 Series Launch Date In a post on the ******** social media platform Weibo, iQOO announced that its latest smartphones, the iQOO Neo 10 series, will debut in China on November 29 at 4 pm local time (approximately 3:30 am IST). The lineup will launch in three colourways: ******, orange, and white. According to the ******** smartphone maker, prospective buyers can pre-reserve the smartphone series at CNY 2267 (roughly Rs. 26,000). They will be offered additional benefits, such as a Bluetooth speaker, customised tempered glass, and better trade-in offers. iQOO Neo 10 Pro Chipset (Confirmed) iQOO Neo 10 Pro is confirmed to be powered by the flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset, which also powers the Vivo X200 series. The processor features eight cores, comprising a single Arm Cortex-X925 prime core, three Arm Cortex-X4 mid-cores, and four Arm Cortex-A720 efficiency cores. It has support for LPDDR5X RAM and the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) features. The SoC will be paired with an independent Q2 supercomputing chip. The company boasts that its upcoming smartphone will utilise a blue crystal chip technology stack, which is claimed to deliver high performance with low power consumption. Further, it will also be equipped with Blue Volt technology for longer endurance and faster charging. iQOO Neo 10 Pro will leverage AI features courtesy of the BlueLM AI model. Source link #iQOO #Neo #Pro #Confirmed #Launch #China #November #Feature #MediaTek #Dimensity #Chipset Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Biden Authorizes Ukraine to Use US-Supplied Long-Range Missiles for Deeper Strikes Inside Russia Biden Authorizes Ukraine to Use US-Supplied Long-Range Missiles for Deeper Strikes Inside Russia MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir ****** positions North Korean troops along Ukraine’s northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces. Biden’s move also follows the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the ******* States’ vital military support for Ukraine. The official and the others knowledgeable about the matter were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reaction Sunday was notably restrained. “Strikes are not made with words,” he said during his nightly video address. “Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.” Zelenskyy and many of his Western supporters have been pressing Biden for months to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles, saying the U.S. ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids. Zelenskyy’s statement came shortly after he posted a message of condolence on Telegram following a Russian ******* on a nine-story building that ******* at least eight people in the northern city of Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia. Russia also launched a massive drone and missile *******, described by officials as the largest in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and ******** civilians. The ******* came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity before the winter. “And this is the answer to everyone who tried to achieve something with ****** through talks, phone calls, hugs and appeasement,” Zelenskyy said. The comment appeared to be a dig at ******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke Friday with ****** in the first such call with a sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years. Some supporters have argued that the limitation and other U.S. constraints could cost Ukraine the war. The debate has become a source of disagreement among Ukraine’s NATO allies. Biden had remained opposed, determined to hold the line against any escalation that he felt could draw the U.S. and other NATO members into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. ****** has warned that Moscow could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms to ******* Russian territory. News of Biden’s decision followed meetings over the last two days with the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China. The addition of North Korean troops was central to the talks, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. Biden did not mention the decision during a speech at a stop in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil on his way to the Group of 20 summit. Asked about the decision, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the U.N. position is “to avoid a permanent deterioration of the war in Ukraine.” “We want peace, we want fair peace,” Guterres said Sunday before the summit in Rio de Janeiro. He didn’t elaborate. The longer-range missiles are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to support ******’s invasion of Ukraine, according to one of the people familiar with the development. The overall supply of ATACMS missiles is short, so U.S. officials in the past have questioned whether they could give Ukraine enough to make a difference. Some supporters of Ukraine say that even a few long-range strikes deeper inside Russia would force its military to change deployments and expend more of its resources. North Korea has provided thousands of troops to Russia to help Moscow try to claw back land in the Kursk border region that Ukraine seized this year. The introduction of North Korean troops to the conflict comes as Moscow has seen a favorable shift in momentum. Trump has signaled that he could push Ukraine to agree to give up some land seized by Russia to find an end to the conflict. As many as 12,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, according to U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian assessments. U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials say North Korea also has provided Russia with significant amounts of munitions to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpiles. Trump, who takes office in January, spoke for months as a candidate about wanting Russia’s war in Ukraine to be over, but he mostly ducked questions about whether he wanted U.S. ally Ukraine to win. He also repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for giving Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in aid. His victory has Ukraine’s international backers worrying that any rushed settlement would mostly benefit ******. America is Ukraine’s most valuable ally in the war, providing more than $56.2 billion in security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Worried about Russia’s response, however, the Biden administration repeatedly has delayed providing some specific advanced weapons sought by Ukraine, agreeing only under pressure from Kyiv, its supporters and in consultation with allies. That includes initially refusing Zelenskyy’s pleas for advanced tanks, Patriot air defense systems and F-16 fighter jets, among other systems. The White House agreed in May to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weaponry for limited strikes just across the border with Russia. Source link #Biden #Authorizes #Ukraine #USSupplied #LongRange #Missiles #Deeper #Strikes #Russia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Victoria’s final exams blunder saga explained Victoria’s final exams blunder saga explained WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS YEAR’S VCE FINAL EXAMS? * Almost half of all year 12 exams in Victoria were impacted by a blunder that allowed students to view questions before sitting the test * The error involved students being able to spot hidden questions in sample exam papers uploaded each year to familiarise students with test details * Fifty-six of the state’s 116 VCE exams were affected WHAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN? * Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) chief executive Kylie White resigned on Saturday, one day after the government ordered a sweeping review into the body * This came after Ms White’s insistence last week that the issue did not compromise any final exams * Education Minister Ben Carroll said he is “incredibly upset and ******” and earlier downplays about what took place were “proven to be completely unsatisfactory” * Opposition spokeswoman Jess Wilson said Mr Carroll was “complicit in the cover up” after it was revealed he knew of the issue on October 14 * The Victorian Opposition will introduce a motion in parliament next week to refer the issue to the state’s Ombudsman HOW WILL THIS IMPACT STUDENTS’ RESULTS? * Mr Carroll has said measures were in place to ensure no student would be unfairly disadvantaged * The assessment authority will use an existing grade check process, overseen by an independent advisory panel of experts chaired by Professor John Firth, for exams impacted by the errors * Answers will be reviewed to identify anomalies in how students responded to affected questions and marks adjusted if they provided anyone with an unfair advantage * This will mean some questions could be ruled invalid, resulting in all students who sat the exam being awarded a full mark * Authorities said they are working towards releasing results as expected in mid-December HAVE SIMILAR BLUNDERS HAPPENED BEFORE? * Multiple errors appeared in general maths and chemistry exams in 2023 and six students received the incorrect ******** language exam * Five questions from the 2022 maths exams also contained errors Source link #Victorias #final #exams #blunder #saga #explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla Cybertrucks have joined the growing number of luxury EVs that can now be leased Tesla Cybertrucks have joined the growing number of luxury EVs that can now be leased Tesla now made Cybertrucks available for lease, but it’s unclear how much that will boost sales.Graham Rapier/Business Insider Tesla Cybertruck, with a starting price of $80,000, is now available for lease. Leasing an EV is a popular option, making up 46% of franchise EV sales, per J.D. Power. Part of the reason is due to a tax credit program that the Cybertruck has been largely left out of. Tesla is offering the Cybertruck for lease a year after the EV company made its first deliveries to customers. Under a three-year lease with no down payment and 10,000 annual miles, leasing a Cybertruck costs $1,249 per month, not including taxes and fees, according to Tesla’s website. The Cybertruck, which has a base MSRP of $79,990, makes up a small part of Tesla’s overall volume production, but it still plays an important role in CEO Elon Musk’s hopes to compete in the crowded pickup truck segment. In its third-quarter earnings report from October, Tesla reported that the Cybertruck reached profitability for the first time in less than a year since deliveries were made to customers in November 2023. Leasing an electric vehicle has become a popular option for consumers. According to J.D. Power, a market research firm, 46% of EV purchases, not including Tesla, were leases in 2023. EV maker Rivian said during its third-quarter earnings call earlier this month that 42% of vehicles sold were leased. According to Rivian’s website, the company’s lowest-priced vehicle is the R1T truck, which costs $69,900. Over the last few years leasing became a popular financing option for EVs due largely to a $7,500 federal tax credit issued under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Under the program, drivers buying an EV with cash or through a loan could be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, making the overall purchase more affordable. However, the credit only comes if certain provisions are met, such as vehicle manufacturing requirements, whether the buyer ******** under an income threshold, and if the vehicle’s price doesn’t exceed $80,000. Story continues However, leasing an EV offers buyers another way to take advantage of the tax credit program without meeting every requirement. Through what’s known as a “leasing loophole,” dealerships can receive the tax credit and choose to pass those savings on to the buyer or lessee. Rivian said during its earnings call earlier this month that lessees make up a large population of those who take advantage of the tax incentive program. But Tesla’s Cybertruck has largely been left out of the federal incentive program. A spokesperson for the Internal Revenue Service pointed *** to the Department of Energy’s website, which has a list of eligible vehicles under the federal program. The Cybertruck was not listed. A Tesla spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Tesla #Cybertrucks #joined #growing #number #luxury #EVs #leased Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ADCA 2024-25: Collingwood Park secure first win of the season, Royals remain unbeaten after round five ADCA 2024-25: Collingwood Park secure first win of the season, Royals remain unbeaten after round five Collingwood Park registered their first win of the 2024-25 Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade competition, while Royals remain the only undefeated side after round five on Saturday. A superb team bowling performance helped Park defend 150, skittling the winless Manypeaks for just 137 in the 37th over at Turf East. After being bowled out in the 44th over of their batting innings, Park got the perfect start after Byron Spaanderman nicked off Peaks captain Regan Poett for a second-ball duck. Casey Ganzer scored freely at the top of the order with 35 runs from 19 deliveries but Peaks struggled to conjure meaningful partnerships. Leg-spinner Jed Schwarzbach (3-23) claimed the crucial wicket of Ganzer, and Ben Grey (0-17) tightened the screws after the power play before O’Shea Durack (2-28) and Englishman Freddie Sharp (1-33) combined for three quick wickets. Kane Pinney consolidated through the middle overs with a patient 26 before his knock was ended when Sharp caught him short of his ground in the first over after drinks. Middle-order batter Oliver Douglas provided some resilience with 36 runs from 40 ******, but he was sent walking by Leroy van den Dool, who took two wickets in his only over, before Schwarzbach ended Peaks’ tough day in the 33rd over. Earlier, Park won the toss and elected to bat, and after Cameron Walsh castled Warwick Durack for one, Park reassembled through van den Dool (43) and new recruit Dylan Solomon (20). However, most of their middle order *******, with Buddy Robinson’s unbeaten 34 the only score above 10 as Peaks put the clamps on through the middle overs. Peaks claimed four wickets in the five overs before drinks as Douglas (2-29) and Kane Pinney’s 1-8 from four overs threatened to derail Park’s entire innings. Peaks’ Ben Southern manufactured a spectacular run-out to send Solomon back to the pavilion, but youngster Robinson showed maturity beyond his years to help Park to a winning total. The Lions overcame a nervy run chase to secure a four-wicket victory over Railways at Turf North, and remain the only undefeated A-grade side. Opener Ryley Valli provided yet another sublime knock to anchor the Lions’ innings, scoring 81 from 118 ******. Valli smacked five boundaries, but smart ******* play and quick running between the wickets hallmarked his innings. The Lions were cruising at 2-102 before the Tigers sparked a comeback when Milan Jaggi snared Mitch Green, caught behind for 26, and then Joe Stanley snared his second wicket, dismissing Harry Grigson (7). However, young wicketkeeper Davey Wignall (12) combined with Valli for a crucial 31-run sixth-wicket stand. Valli’s innings eventually ended 18 runs shy of victory after Caleb Haua’s safe hands in the deep held on to a skied ball, before aggressive right-hander Daniel Thomas plundered two sixes in three ****** to secure victory for the Lions in the 41st over. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Tigers struggled to form substantial early partnerships as they stumbled to 5-68 in the opening session. The Tigers’ drastic top-order batting collapse was highlighted by Hayden Davies, who took a freakish catch off his own bowling to dismiss opener Devon Jefferis (10) before brother Ryan Davies snared a screamer at short leg off the bat of Alan Pietersen (4). Pacer Matt France claimed 1-16 before an ankle injury forced him from the field for the rest of the innings, but fiery quick Thomas picked up the slack with 3-45 from seven overs. Stanley anchored their innings with a superb 62 runs from 105 ******, while Milan Jaggi showed strong intent with 35 from 44 ******. Lions skipper Green produced an economic nine-over spell of 2-28 which included the partnership-breaking wicket of Milan Jaggi, and bowled in a tight partnership with Valli, who finished with a strangling 0-18 from nine overs. Hayden Davies finished their brilliant effort in the field with tight ****** bowling to return 2-23 from seven overs. Source link #ADCA #Collingwood #Park #secure #win #season #Royals #remain #unbeaten Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]