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Wall Street’s top analysts calls like Nvidia earnings reaction Wall Street’s top analysts calls like Nvidia earnings reaction Here are Thursday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: KBW downgrades Goldman Sachs to market perform from outperform The firm said it sees a more “balanced” risk/reward. “We are downgrading Goldman’s shares to Market Perform due to an elevated valuation and a more balanced risk/reward relationship.” Goldman Sachs reiterates Salesforce as buy Goldman said it’s sticking with shares of Salesforce after the company mixed earnings report on Wednesday. “We reiterate our Buy rating and 12-month PT of $400 after CRM’s F4Q25 EPS as we leave our estimates largely unchanged and gain conviction in the following factors driving upside to the company’s F2H26 growth curve.” Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as a top pick Bank of America raised its price target on top pick Nvidia to $200 per share from $190 following earnings on Wednesday. “We reiterate our Buy rating on NVDA as the company remains in a dominant position of leading the AI market towards compute-intensive inference, agentic applications, and physical AI/robotics.” Citi reiterates Amazon as buy Citi said it’s bullish on Amazon’s Alexa+ and reiterated the stock as a top idea. “With the introduction of Amazon’s Alexa+ AI Assistant yesterday, we believe it can significantly accelerate the adoption of GenAI Agentic use cases and puts Amazon as a leader given it is included as part of Prime and Alexa’s ~76M device users in the U.S.” Barclays reinstates Super Micro Computer as neutral The firm resumed coverage of the stock and says shares are now likely to trade on “fundamentals.” “We therefore remain on the sidelines despite SMCI now being compliant with its filings, which should help with business fundamentals, such as incremental order wins from customers who were previously hesitant.” Jefferies upgrades Freeport-McMoRan to buy from hold The firm said the metals and mining company could be a beneficiary of tariffs as it will increase copper prices. “We upgrade back to Buy today due to encouraging recent updates regarding Indonesia as well as the potential significant benefit to FCX of tariffs on US copper imports.” DA Davidson upgrades Sterling Infrastructure to buy from hold DA Davidson said it sees an attractive setup for the infrastructure solutions company. ” STRL shares have (nearly) returned to levels which we downgraded while our revised ’25 EPS and FCF expectations are 30% and 38% higher (respectively) than our view a year ago.” Wells Fargo initiates HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital as overweight Wells called the infrastructure company a “a low risk way to invest in the volatile renewable sector.” “We’re initiating coverage of HASI with an Overweight rating and a price target of $33/sh.” Goldman Sachs reiterates Snowflake as buy Goldman said it sees an attractive “long-term AI opportunity” for the stock following earnings on Wednesday. “We believe that Snowflake is well-positioned to be a long-term beneficiary of the Gen-AI cycle as spend permeates from Infrastructure into the Platform and Application layers.” Morgan Stanley downgrades Constellation Brands to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said it’s concerned about slowing beer growth. “We are downgrading Constellation Brands to Equal-weight, with increasing concern over LT beer depletion growth.” JPMorgan adds GE Vernova to the focus list JPM said it sees an attractive entry point for the renewables company. “Despite what we viewed as incrementally positive commentary from GEV last week, the stock has sold off over the last week amidst broader fears around hyperscaler capex plans and associated industrial AI demand.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight The firm said it’s sticking with shares of Tesla. “My conversations with senior auto executives suggests it’s only a matter of time before superior ******** EV technology is made on US shores. …. .Just our view… but the most likely OEM [original equipment manufacturers] to help ‘transplant’ a ******** EV maker into the US is Tesla.” Source link #Wall #Streets #top #analysts #calls #Nvidia #earnings #reaction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canada’s deportations hit highest level in nearly a decade, data shows – National Canada’s deportations hit highest level in nearly a decade, data shows – National Canada deported more people last year to hit its highest annual level of removals in about a decade, overwhelmingly deporting people whose refugee claims were rejected, data obtained by Reuters showed. By late November, Canada’s removal numbers had reached their highest point since at least 2015, when the governing Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power. The government has also budgeted more money for deportations this year. Trudeau’s government, now in its final days, has sought to show Canadians it is getting tough on immigration amid a rising backlog of refugee claims and a backlash against immigrants over concerns that immigration is exacerbating a housing shortage. Canada’s border agency said the spike in deportations is tied to a “significant increase” in the number of people applying for asylum since 2020, prompting it “to enforce removal orders in a more efficient and timely manner.” Story continues below advertisement 0:56 Canada has ‘limited capacity’ for refugees amid U.S. immigration crackdown: Miller Reuters requested border agency data on deportations, excluding people who left of their own accord and those sent back to the United States as part of a bilateral agreement under which would-be asylum-seekers are turned back. The remaining total shows Canada deported 7,300 people between January 1 and November 19, 2024, an 8.4 per cent increase over all of 2023 and a 95 per cent increase over 2022. The border agency did not provide equivalent figures for all of 2024. This week, it posted data online from 2019 to 2024 that do not break down deportations excluding returns to the U.S. under that bilateral agreement. This data also showed an increase in the number of deportations. About 79 per cent of the 7,300 people deported in the first 11 months of last year were deported because their claim for refugee status had been rejected. That is up from about 75 per cent in 2023 and 66 per cent in 2022. Story continues below advertisement About 11 per cent of the people deported last year through November 19 were removed for non-compliance with the conditions of their stay in Canada unrelated to a refugee claim, for example for overstaying a visa. About 7 per cent were deported because they had committed a crime either in Canada or elsewhere. 2:15 Poilievre says Canada should ‘deport’ any temporary resident committing violence or hate crimes A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister David McGuinty did not immediately respond to questions about the deportations. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. A spokesperson for the border agency said in an email that removal numbers fluctuate. “The number of removals of those who received a negative asylum determination have increased each year since emerging from the pandemic,” wrote the spokesperson, Luke Reimer. “These efforts are essential in maintaining the integrity of Canada’s asylum system.” Story continues below advertisement Canada has been dealing with record numbers of refugee claims, although the monthly totals dropped to 11,838 in January from 19,821 in July. There were 278,457 claims pending as of last month – the highest pending total in decades. MORE MONEY FOR DEPORTATIONS One concern with these removals, especially those targeting failed refugee claimants, is that people can be deported while still appealing decisions about the risk they face if returned to their home countries, said Aisling Bondy, president of the ********* Association of Refugee Lawyers. Trending Now Missing sisters who vanished in Scotland found, cause of death revealed OAS and CPP payments to roll out Wednesday. How much will seniors get? “They could be removed even if there is significant error in the risk determination,” she said, worrying people are being deported to places they will face persecution. Reimer said in an email the agency “only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse that can stay a removal have been exhausted.” Story continues below advertisement The rise in refugee claimant deportations speaks to the government’s priorities, including a tough stance on migration, said University of Toronto law professor and Human Rights Chair Audrey Macklin. “You can decide that you want to make a show of how many people you are deporting to show that you are effective at policing the border,” Macklin said. “Then you go with people who are easier to find and remove, and those are going to be, often, refugee claimants.” 1:32 Canada freezes deportation of students scammed through fraudulent university letters: Fraser The prospect of deportation could also deter would-be refugee claimants, she said. Canada is on track to deport even more people in the coming years: Late last year the government pledged C$30.5 million ($21.3 million) over three years to increase deportations. Canada Border Services Agency spent C$65.8 million on removals in 2023-24, up from C$56 million the year before. Story continues below advertisement At the same time, Canada has pledged C$1.3 billion toward border security to appease U.S. President Donald Trump as he threatens sweeping tariffs on ********* imports. The ranks of those eligible for deportation could grow. Canada is slashing temporary and permanent immigrant numbers and part of its plan relies on more than 1.2 million temporary residents, including workers and students, leaving the country next year, and another 1.1 million leaving the following year, according to government figures. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said Canada will deport people who do not leave on their own. “It is people’s choice not to leave and if they don’t, they face the consequences – including, after due process, deportation,” he told Reuters last year. ($1 = 1.4310 ********* dollars) (Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Deepa Babington) More on Canada More videos Source link #Canadas #deportations #hit #highest #level #decade #data #shows #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘They’ll have to fire me.’ ‘They’ll have to fire me.’ In a Wednesday memo, Trump administration officials advanced a plan for federal staff reductions. The memo said departments across agencies should prepare to cut staff and reorganize by March 13. Federal workers told *** they’re frustrated, but not surprised, by the planned restructuring. President Donald Trump‘s administration officially announced its plan for federal staff reductions in a Wednesday memo, telling agencies to prepare to cut staff and reorganize their departments by March 13. Federal workers who spoke to Business Insider after the memo was announced said the move was “crazy and illogical.” Still, some were determined to continue working until they were removed from office. The memo, sent by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management, did not identify specific targets for cutbacks, which they described as advancing the White House DOGE office efficiency initiatives. However, during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump suggested as an example that as much as 65% of staff at the Environmental Protection Agency could be cut. Representatives for the White House, OPM, and OMB did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ***. “I think what is going on is unfair to us. I have been told my job is exempt, but I truly don’t believe it,” an employee from the Department of Veterans Affairs said. “I know that we are shorthanded but also don’t trust the government or my supervisors here. I have seen nothing in writing. That scares me also.” The memo outlines a timeline for most agencies — with exemptions for federal law enforcement, military, border security, and US Postal Service employees — to prepare and execute a layoff and reorganization strategy. Agencies must submit their restructuring plans by March 13 and “outline a positive vision for more productive, efficient agency operations” by April 14, with an implementation deadline in September. It also requires field office operations to be consolidated or closed, which one employee of the Social Security Administration said would impact frontline offices that handle claims and issue Social Security cards, as well as disability hearing offices that handle appeals of unfavorable decisions in disability cases. “So, the people who complain about long wait times and nobody answering the phone are talking about those entities, maybe there are a lot of layers of bureaucracy above us, but those exist to provide support for us frontline people,” the Social Security Administration employee told ***. “This is crazy and illogical, motivated by a blind, stupid hatred of the Public Sector as a whole.” An Internal Revenue Service employee told *** that “it will take years, if not decades, to fully recover” from the federal government cuts. “Americans are going to feel this very deeply,” they said. “Services are going to be nonexistent.” An employee from the Department of Housing and Urban Development said they’re prepared to be moved to a different department after a meeting with their supervisor about the memo. “There’s so much confusion — respond to the productivity email, don’t respond, and now being told to get ready to move departments — I see how this Elon tactic can mentally drain you because this week was so hard to log in and be productive,” the HUD worker told ***. The restructuring memo comes just days after the White House DOGE office sent a weekend email asking all federal employees to list what work tasks they had accomplished last week, prompting confusing among some employees about how and whether to reply outside their chain of command. While the confusion created by the emails and subsequent conflicting guidance from department heads has caused some federal workers who previously spoke to *** to reconsider their work in the government, others say they’re resolved to stick it out. “I’ve never seen morale so low in my 18 years of service,” an employee from the Bureau of Reclamation told ***, adding that they “believe we are witnessing the final days” of their agency. Still, they said they see their department’s work protecting water resources as essential for the country and have no plans of stopping unless they’re forced out of public service. “They’ll have to fire me,” they said. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Theyll #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Little Nightmares 3 Release Window—Platforms & Price Little Nightmares 3 Release Window—Platforms & Price The Little Nightmares 3 release window is locked in. A painful delay pushed a dagger into the heart of everyone excited for the innovative sequel. With Supermassive Games now at the helm, there’s a tangible sense of anticipation, and Little Nightmares 3 information is available already. There’s a small pocket of repressed Little Nightmares trauma locked away in my brain. From my first run-in with Little Nightmares to the sequel, Tarsier Studios did a great job of making me feel trapped, defenseless, and helpless. Little Nightmares 3 looks like another mysterious and ********** meander through horror and hellacious hell, this time in the Nowhere. Little Nightmares 3 was scheduled for 2024, but a delay impacted its debut. A new release window has been confirmed. Do we Know When Little Nightmares 3 Releases? It’s going to be a scarily good time. Credit to Supermassive Games. An exact Little Nightmares 3 release date hasn’t been declared by Supermassive Games or Bandai Namco, but we know it’s scheduled to arrive sometime in 2025. May 31, 2024, was the day Little Nightmares 3 was delayed to 2025. It was a dark day, and I shut myself in my room and sulked. Both developer and publisher declared in a post on X they have been “Working hard towards delivering the best experience possible for the next entry in the franchise.” Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long for a concrete date. All Little Nightmares 3 Platforms Bandai Namco and Supermassive Games are giving Little Nightmares 3 a wider launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It always brings me joy to tell gamers a game is coming out on all platforms. No one misses out, everyone has a chance to get involved, and the title ultimately benefits. Little Nightmares 3 has a big chance to keep the series’ momentum moving in a healthy direction. I’d also wager a Nintendo Switch 2 port could happen if Nintendo feels the need to cast its net out even further. Do we Know How Much Little Nightmares 3 is? The Little Nightmares 3 price hasn’t been revealed yet, and the ability to wishlist the game is currently the only option. We’re still on for a 2025 release, but the price is a mystery. It may be a case of leaving it until the final few weeks once an official release date is announced. If I use Little Nightmares 2 as an example, the first sequel retailed at $29.99 and £24.99. I can see Little Nightmares 3 either sticking to this price point, or because of extra work, slightly increasing Little Nightmares 3’s RRP to $34.99 and £29.99. This is guesswork, but don’t be shocked if it ends up in this ballpark. I’m ready for the new nightmares, are you? Will you be playing solo? Or are you grateful to finally have someone’s hand to hold through the visual hellscape unfolding before your eyes? Check out our other release hubs for games coming out in 2025: Delta Force on console, Mecha Break, Tales of the Shire A Lords of the Rings Game, The First Berserker Khazan, Lost Soul Aside, Killing Floor 3, and Elden Ring Nightreign. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Nightmares #Release #WindowPlatforms #Price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to recover files in Windows 11 How to recover files in Windows 11 Accidentally deleting files is an all-to common occurrence, which is why we’re showing you how to recover files in Windows 11. You have two options to recover files, so even if you have emptied your Recycle Bin (where files are temporarily stored before they are completely deleted), there are still ways to find documents you may have accidentally lost. It’s worth noting if you want to be able to recover files in Windows 11 often, then you should perform backups of your files frequently. This can be done manually using a hard drive or using the File History feature. We’ll be covering how to recover files in Windows 11 through both your Recycle Bin and through File History, a feature that’s built-in to Windows 11. Tools and requirements PC or laptop you want to recover files on Windows 11 Steps for how to recover files in Windows 11 Open the Recycle Bin and find the files you want to recover, right-click on them and select Restore If your files aren’t in the Recycle Bin, navigate to the File History app in your control panel Select Restore personal files and then find the file Right-click on the file and select Restore Step by step guide on how to recover files in Windows 11 1. Check Recycle Bin (Image: © Future / Microsoft) To begin with, open your Recycle Bin. You can either find this on your desktop or you can search for it in your taskbar. 2. Search for the file (Image: © Future / Microsoft) Once you’ve opened your recycle bin, find the file you’re hoping to restore. If you’ve emptied your Recycle Bin recently, you may not find it – but fear not, skip to step 4 for an alternative option. 3. Restore the file (Image: © Future / Microsoft) Right-click on the file you want to recover and then hit the Restore option. This will then move the file back to its original location and out of the Recycle Bin. 4. Where else to look (Image: © Future / Microsoft) If you couldn’t find the file in your Recycle Bin then you may be able to find it in your File History if you have it enabled. Open File History by searching for it using Windows search. 5. Using File History (Image: © Future / Microsoft) Once open, you’ll be able to see if you have File History turned on. If you do then select Restore personal files. If not then you may not be able to recover the missing file without paying for more advanced data recovery. 6. Use File History to restore the file (Image: © Future / Microsoft) Find the file you want to restore. Right-click on it and select the Restore option. This will return it to its original location. Final thoughts on recovering files in Windows 11 Overall, there are a couple of options for those who may have accidentally deleted a file to get it back. If you’re wondering how to recover a file in Windows 11, then be sure to check your Recycle Bin or your File History app. For those who don’t have File History enabled, it’s strongly encouraged that you do as it can allow you to keep ahold of precious information, images and other files when you may accidentally delete things or if your hard drive or SSD has any issues. The steps I outline here are worth trying first – hopefully they will be enough to recover your file using Windows 11’s built-in tools. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. If not, you may have to pay for professional data recovery, which is an extra expense, but for irreplaceable files, it could be worth every penny. You might also like Source link #recover #files #Windows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Better EV Stock: Lucid vs. Tesla Better EV Stock: Lucid vs. Tesla Electric vehicles (EVs) are in rough terrain. While U.S. EV sales rose 7% last year to 1.3 million in the U.S., the Trump administration’s not-so-friendly stance toward electric vehicles has spooked some investors and ignited concerns that growth among EV makers could be stifled. So what’s an investor in EV stocks to do? As someone who believes in the long-term potential of this market, I think the current difficulties some EV makers are facing could be temporary. Let’s look closely at start-up Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID) and established leader Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to see which is the better buy. Image source: Lucid. Tesla is coming off of an unimpressive quarter in which automotive sales fell 8% to $19.8 billion and both revenue and earnings missed analysts’ consensus estimates. Lower average selling prices for many of its models were the main culprit for the drop, but it left some investors wondering if Tesla’s best days are behind it. Adding to Tesla’s difficulties, its vehicle deliveries were about 1.8 million for the quarter, representing the company’s first annual decline. Tesla’s management said the “vehicle business will return to growth in 2025” but it’s still uncertain how that will happen. It’s not all bad news for Tesla. The company still has 18% of the global EV market, and a long-rumored cheaper Tesla vehicle could spur new sales. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said affordability continues to be an issue for potential buyers, and a cheaper model could debut as soon as this year. Musk said on the fourth-quarter earnings call that autonomous vehicle technology and robotics will be key to Tesla’s future growth. While his view of Tesla eventually becoming the most valuable company in the world may be overly rosy, he may not be wrong about robotics and autonomous vehicles. The robotics industry will be worth an estimated $73 billion by 2029, and estimates are for the autonomous vehicle market to reach $2.3 trillion by 2030. Tesla has already made progress in both segments, with its full self-driving (supervised), a proposed robotaxi service, and its Optimus AI robot. The point here is that any eulogy for Tesla is a bit premature. Even as it loses EV ground, the automaker continues to move into new areas of growth. Lucid has been on investors’ radars since its splashy public debut in 2021. After an initial share-price surge, its stock has plunged 66%.The good news is that Lucid makes great EVs. The bad news is that it makes them at a great expense. Story Continues The young automaker currently sells multiple versions of its Air sedan and recently started producing the Gravity SUV. All of Lucid’s vehicles target a high-end clientele, with the cheapest Air starting at about $70,000. The high prices keep Lucid’s vehicles out of reach for most buyers, and the luxurious vehicles are expensive to make. Lucid’s net loss in 2024 was $2.7 billion, only slightly improved from a loss of $2.8 billion in the previous year. While all new EV start-ups lose money, Lucid’s move toward more expensive vehicles (the Gravity SUV starts at about $80,000) may be a mistake. To be sure, Lucid will be able to save money and potentially increase production efficiencies by reusing some components of its Air sedan in the Gravity. But the fact remains that Lucid is moving even further up the pricing scale as many EV makers are releasing cheaper vehicles to attract more customers. Fellow EV start-up Rivian, for example, will launch a smaller crossover SUV for $45,000 early next year. Lucid also searching for its next iteration as the company’s CEO, Peter Rawlinson, recently announced he’s stepping down from the position. Marc Winterhoff, Lucid’s COO, was appointed as the interim CEO. That could be a step in the right direction for Lucid, but it’s too early too tell. For now, the company’s significant losses are still its largest hurdle. I think Lucid has potential, but the company is losing too much money right now. A difficult EV environment and rising costs compound its problems. Tesla isn’t without its problems, but the company is still a major player in the global EV market and has room to invigorate its current lineup through redesigns and cheaper models. Given its forward price-to-earnings multiple of 119, there’s no denying that Tesla’s stock is expensive. But at least the company is profitable, produces millions of vehicles, and has a significant portion of the EV market. Lucid can’t claim the same. That said, if you’re starting a position in Tesla, it may be best to start small and add to it if the stock takes a dip. 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 $328,354!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $46,837!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $527,017!* 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 February 24, 2025 Chris Neiger has positions in Rivian Automotive. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Better EV Stock: Lucid vs. Tesla was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #Stock #Lucid #Tesla Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

GOP, DFL Minnesota lawmakers speak out against possible Medicaid cuts – CBS News GOP, DFL Minnesota lawmakers speak out against possible Medicaid cuts – CBS News GOP, DFL Minnesota lawmakers speak out against possible Medicaid cuts CBS NewsJohnson insists Republicans won’t cut entitlements to pay for Trump’s agenda CNNThe Republican House Budget Resolution’s Potential $880 Billion in Medicaid Cuts by Congressional District Center For American ProgressTrump And Republican Budget May Drain Medicaid To Pay For Huge Tax Cut Forbes Source link #GOP #DFL #Minnesota #lawmakers #speak #Medicaid #cuts #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Victim of shooting denied travel to Scotland for treatment Victim of shooting denied travel to Scotland for treatment The victim of a suspected republican feud shooting in Northern Ireland has been denied travel to Scotland for surgery on anti-terrorism grounds, his solicitor has said. Sean O’Reilly, 49, was shot twice in an attack in the Bell Steel Manor area of Dunmurry on Sunday. An air ambulance was ready to take him to Glasgow for surgery, but he was then informed he was being denied travel. A legal challenge is now likely. His solicitor, Peter Corrigan of Phoenix Law, said the decision was “absolutely disgraceful”. Mr O’Reilly was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on Sunday. He underwent surgery to remove a bullet from his collarbone. A scan showed he had also suffered a severed nerve in his left bicep and arrangements were made for specialist surgery in Glasgow. Mr Corrigan said: “The surgeon has said he has to be there before Saturday or the nerves will die. “The air ambulance was ready but then he was told that the authorities have refused to take him under anti-terrorism legislation.” He claimed the decision is unlawful and will be challenged in court. Republican Network for Unity, a small political group with links to the dissident organisation Óglaigh na hÉireann, has said Mr O’Reilly is one of its members. Source link #Victim #shooting #denied #travel #Scotland #treatment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Hamilton fastest for Ferrari as rain hits F1 testing Hamilton fastest for Ferrari as rain hits F1 testing Lewis Hamilton has made a fine early impression in his new Ferrari, going quickest of all the drivers on the second morning of F1 pre-season testing as rain in the desert affected the session. The seven-time champion’s best time was nearly four-tenths of a second faster than his former teammate George Russell, of Mercedes on Thursday. Carlos Sainz was third fastest for Williams. “So far so good, but the first topic is reliability. It’s always a question at the start of the season, and it went well,” Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said of the team’s first day-and-a-half testing the new SF-25 car in Bahrain. It’s harder to tell a car’s true performance because it isn’t clear how much fuel competitors have in their cars for test runs, Vasseur added. Hamilton’s time was also a second faster than the best lap from the first day of testing on Wednesday, which was set by Lando Norris, for McLaren. Adding to the unseasonably cold conditions, the rare sight of light rain in Bahrain midway through the session was an extra complication for teams trying to learn more about their new cars. Expecting dry conditions in the desert, only two teams — Aston Martin and Haas — brought wet-weather tyres for the test. Testing has resumed for Thursday’s second session ahead of the third and final day on Friday. The first race of the season is the *********** Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16. Source link #Hamilton #fastest #Ferrari #rain #hits #testing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Porting Doom to Typescript Types took 3.5 trillion lines, 90GB of RAM and a full year of work Porting Doom to Typescript Types took 3.5 trillion lines, 90GB of RAM and a full year of work Doom has been ported to just about everything, right? Well, until now, the id Software title had not been recreated inside of Typescript’s Types system, until now. The feat was devised by Software Engineer Dmitri Mitropoulos, founder of Michigan Typescript and co-founder of Squiggleconf. He released a video showcasing the results of a year-long effort to get the game running inside of Typescript’s Types system. Typescript is a language built on top of Javascript, that add static typing to catch many errant mistakes before your executes, think of it as guardrails which check that functions and other variables are being used correctly. While this is commonly used in all kinds of development, it’s unheard of to run a game within Typescript’s Type system. The port itself runs inside three and a half trillion lines of types, totalling a gargantuan size of 177 TB. This is run through Typescript’s Type tracker, which takes 12 days to compile the first frame of Doom (0.0000009645 fps). This meant that 20 million type instantiations were running every second in order to get the output. Mitropoulos explained in the Michigan TypeScript Discord server that this could be improved to take “1 to 12 hours”, as long as someone works on it, with the developer noting that he has notes for where potential performance optimizations could be made. This was done by running the project within a custom WASM runtime, which is then processed through Typescript within an editor to display a frame. TypeScript types can run DOOM – YouTube Watch On Mitropoulos explains that the project was a year-long struggle, due to having to write his own tools, including 12,364 handwritten tests, learning C, C++, WebAssembly, and other languages. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. “I did develop what I believe to be the largest Typescript codebase ever”, the author explained. Before optimization, he calculated that the project could take up to 1.25 Petabytes of data, with the first frame compiling after three months of continuous type instantiation. Every type within the project was thousands of lines long, and the project involved developing a virtual machine inside of the Types system, complete with elements like RAM and Disk Space. “The computer is made of Typescript Types that serve as logical implementations of all 116 WebAssembly instructions Doom needs to run.” Mitropoulos further explained that each value within the Typescript Types system equates to a line of pixels, totalling 128,000 lines of pixels in total, resulting in a “resolution” of 320×200, displayed in ASCII. To do this, the developer needed to remove limitations within the Typescript compiler itself, highlighting just how large the project got, with the Type tracker runtime consuming over 90 GB of RAM while it was running. This huge overhead meant that common tools within Typescript could not be used, which meant that the herculean task of encoding every element of Doom in types. This required learning to develop elements like an L1 CPU cache, within Typescript Types itself. Due to Typescript requiring iteration on a single string from the left-hand side, binary algorithms had to be input in reverse. “Oh, and AI can’t help” Mitropoulos added, describing that the work was so low level that AI couldn’t possibly assist with any of the tasks. Too bad, Grok 3. Mitropoulos said that he undertook the challenge after completing “every other” Types challenge, and wanted to understand why Doom wouldn’t be able to run within Types. However, he managed to find “ridiculous” workarounds to make it all work, despite his own disbelief in the project. Mitropoulos is preparing two separate videos going into detail on why he created the project, in addition to another video with a technical breakdown of the feat. But for now, the gargantuan project is complete, and Doom has successfully been ported to yet another platform. Source link #Porting #Doom #Typescript #Types #trillion #lines #90GB #RAM #full #year #work Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Humanity May Achieve the Singularity Within the Next 12 Months, Scientists Suggest Humanity May Achieve the Singularity Within the Next 12 Months, Scientists Suggest The world is awash in predictions of when the singularity will occur or when artificial general intelligence (AGI) will arrive. Ssome experts predict it will never happen, while others are marking their calendars for 2026. A new macro analysis of surveys over the past 15 years shows where scientists and industry experts stand on the question and how their predictions have changed over time, especially after the arrival of large language models like ChatGPT. Although predictions vary across a span of almost a half-century, most agree than AGI will arrive before the end of the 21st century. Since the arrival of the large language models (LLMs) that have now seeped into seemingly every nook and cranny of our digital lives, scientists, experts, industry leaders, and pretty much everyone else have some opinion on AI and where it’s headed. Some researchers who’ve studied the emergence of machine intelligence think that the singularity—the theoretical point where machine surpasses man in intelligence—could occur within decades. On the other end of the prediction spectrum, there’s the CEO of Anthropic, who thinks we’re right on the threshold—give it about 12 more months or so. A new analysis poring over “8,590 scientists’, leading entrepreneurs’ and community’s predictions” tries to make sense of all the confusing AI predictions that exist today and tracks changes in those predictions over time. This macro investigation was conducted by a research outfit called AIMultiple, which evaluates new technologies using robust data analysis techniques. Although this survey does look at different AI thresholds (such as artificial general intelligence (AGI) and AI superintelligence), AI industry leaders were overall more bullish on their predictions. Most respondents, however, believed AGI would likely occur within the next half-century. However, that timeline for the arrival of both AGI and the singularity fundamentally changed with the arrival of the first LLMs over the past few years. “Current surveys of AI researchers are predicting AGI around 2040,” the report states. “However, just a few years before the rapid advancements in large language models (LLMs), scientists were predicting it around 2060. Entrepreneurs are even more bullish, predicting it around ~2030.” The macro-analysis also offers a few insights into why many experts believe AGI is inevitable. First is the idea that, unlike human intelligence, machine intelligence doesn’t appear to have any limits—at least, not any that have been discovered as of yet. As computing power doubles every 18 months (a concept known in computer engineering circles as Moore’s Law), LLMs should quickly be able to reach a calculations-per-second threshold that’s on par with human intelligence. The report also states that, if computing ever did hit some sort of engineering wall, quantum computing could possibly help pick up the slack. “Most experts believe that Moore’s law is coming to an end during this decade,” the report reads. “The unique nature of quantum computing can be used to efficiently train neural networks, currently the most popular AI architecture in commercial applications. AI algorithms running on stable quantum computers have a chance to unlock singularity.” However, not everyone thinks AGI is a dead certainty. Some experts argue that human intelligence is more multifaceted than what the current definition of AGI describes. For example, some AI experts think of the human mind in terms of eight intelligences, of which “logical-mathematical” is just one (alongside it exists, for example, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and existential intelligence). Deep learning pioneer Yann LeCun thinks AGI should be rebranded to “advanced machine intelligence,” and argues that human intelligence is too specialized to be replicable. The report also suggests that, while AI can be an important tool in making new discoveries, it can’t make these discoveries on its own. “More intelligence can lead to better-designed and managed experiments, enabling more discovery per experiment,” the report reads. “Even the best machine analyzing existing data may not be able to find a cure for *******.” Although individual AGI predictions of experts and scientists vary across a span of about a half-century, the message is clear: human society will inevitably face incredible change as a result of these algorithms. Will those changes be good or bad? Well, that’s up to us. You Might Also Like Source link #Humanity #Achieve #Singularity #Months #Scientists #Suggest Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon touts its first quantum computing chip a week after Microsoft’s unveiling Amazon touts its first quantum computing chip a week after Microsoft’s unveiling Amazon on Thursday revealed its first chip for quantum computing, and said the design is a step toward building efficient high-scale systems. The processor is called Ocelot, and the announcement comes as more tech companies tout their advancements in quantum. Last week, Amazon cloud rival Microsoft showed off its inaugural quantum chip. Microsoft had a paper in the journal Nature documenting its quantum work, and this week Amazon followed suit. Some technologists hope quantum computers will be capable of solving problems that stump classical computers. PCs and phones run calculations and store data with bits that are either on or off, while quantum computers work with quantum bits, or qubits, that can operate in both states simultaneously. “We believe that scaling Ocelot to a full-fledged quantum computer capable of transformative societal impact would require as little as one-tenth as many resources as common approaches, helping bring closer the age of practical quantum computing,” Fernando Brandão, Amazon Web Services’ director of applied science, and Oskar Painter, the cloud group’s quantum hardware chief, wrote in a blog post. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has funded quantum computing research for two decades, but the technology has been slow to make its way to consumers and businesses. “That’s because they’re not big enough yet,” said Peter Barrett, founder and general partner at Playground Global, which has backed quantum startups Phasecraft and PsiQuantum. At a million qubits, there are enough bits that the technology will work even if there are some problems, Barrett said. Google’s Willow, the world’s top quantum chip, features just 105, while Amazon’s Ocelot has only nine, Painter told CNBC. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in 2020, when he was head of AWS, that the company was “optimistic in the future that quantum computing will play a role” as cloud gets ******* in large companies and the public sector. Six months after Jassy made those comments, AWS released the Amazon Braket service, allowing developers to experiment with quantum computers from other companies, including IonQ and Rigetti Computing. Microsoft’s Azure cloud has a similar offering. Amazon is planning for future versions of its quantum chips to become available through Braket, Painter said In 2023, AWS senior vice president Peter DeSantis talked about building a quantum processor at the cloud group’s Reinvent conference in Las Vegas, promising more details in the future. Like Microsoft, Amazon fabricated its chip internally. Building a system boasting a million qubits will take collaborations with world-leading semiconductor manufacturers, according to Barrett. Outsourcing to a partner is an option as Amazon progresses with quantum hardware, Painter said. Public interest in the space has risen lately, Painter said, as companies have discussed new ways of assembling qubits that are resistant to errors. Amazon designed Ocelot to tackle the problem of error correction, and Google’s Willow also demonstrated improvements in that area, Painter said. Painter estimated that commercial workloads won’t be running on quantum computers for 10 years or more. At a meeting with analysts in January, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said useful quantum computers could be 15 to 30 years away. Days later, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan that he isn’t a quantum computing expert but said most people believe it’s at least a decade from being viable. Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s former CEO, is more optimistic. “I stand by my prediction years ago — by 2030, useful quantum computing,” Gelsinger wrote in a LinkedIn comment on Wednesday. WATCH: Quantum: Tech’s next battlefield Source link #Amazon #touts #quantum #computing #chip #week #Microsofts #unveiling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fired USAID workers given brief window to clear out workspaces – National Fired USAID workers given brief window to clear out workspaces – National Thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development workers who have been fired or placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency are being given a brief window Thursday and Friday to clear out their workspaces. USAID placed 4,080 staffers who work across the globe on leave Monday. That was joined by a “reduction in force” that will affect another 1,600 employees, a State Department spokesman said in an emailed response to questions. USAID has been one of the biggest targets so far of a broad campaign by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, a project of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to slash the size of the federal government. The actions at USAID leave only a small fraction of its employees on the job. Trump and Musk have moved swiftly to shutter the foreign aid agency, calling its programs out of line with the Republican president’s agenda and asserting without evidence that its work is wasteful. In addition to its scope, their effort is extraordinary because it has not involved Congress, which authorized the agency and has provided its funding. Story continues below advertisement 2:47 Health Matters: USAID disruptions strands lifesaving goods A report from the Congressional Research Service earlier this month said congressional authorization is required “to abolish, move, or consolidate USAID,” but the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate have made no pushback against the administration’s actions. There’s virtually nothing left to fund, anyway: The administration now says it is eliminating more than 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in U.S. assistance around the world. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. It’s unclear how many of the more than 5,600 USAID employees who have been fired or placed on leave work at the agency’s headquarters building in Washington. A notice on the agency’s website said staff at other locations will have the chance to collect their personal belongings at a later date. The notice laid out instructions for when specific groups of employees should arrive to be screened by security and escorted to their former workspaces. Those being let go must turn in all USAID-issued assets. Workers on administrative leave were told to retain their USAID-issued materials, including diplomatic passports, “until such time that they are separated from the agency.” Story continues below advertisement 5:26 Democrats protest shutdown of USAID: ‘This is how dictators are made’ Trending Now Donald Trump shares AI-generated video of ‘Gaza’ to Truth Social 3 U.S. women found dead in Belize hotel, police investigating Many USAID workers saw the administration’s terms for retrieving their belongings as insulting. In the notice, the employees were instructed not to bring weapons, including firearms, “spear guns” and “hand grenades.” Each worker is being given just 15 minutes at their former workstation. The administration’s efforts to slash the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, but court challenges to temporarily halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful. However, a federal judge on Tuesday gave the Trump administration a deadline of this week to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, saying it had given no sign of complying with his nearly two-week-old court order to ease the funding freeze. Late Wednesday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked that order, with Chief Justice John Roberts saying it will remain on hold until the high court has a chance to weigh in more fully. Story continues below advertisement That court action resulted from a lawsuit filed by nonprofit organizations over the cutoff of foreign assistance through USAID and the State Department. Trump froze the money through an executive order on his first day in office that targeted what he portrayed as wasteful programs that do not correspond to his foreign policy goals. Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly said in a statement that the attack on USAID employees was “unwarranted and unprecedented.” Connolly, whose district includes a sizable federal workforce, called the aid agency workers part of the “world’s premier development and foreign assistance agency” who save “millions of lives every year.” More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Fired #USAID #workers #window #clear #workspaces #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Threat of Medicaid cuts looms over GOP lawmakers – The Washington Post Threat of Medicaid cuts looms over GOP lawmakers – The Washington Post Threat of Medicaid cuts looms over GOP lawmakers The Washington PostJohnson insists Republicans won’t cut entitlements to pay for Trump’s agenda CNNThe Republican House Budget Resolution’s Potential $880 Billion in Medicaid Cuts by Congressional District Center For American Progress Source link #Threat #Medicaid #cuts #looms #GOP #lawmakers #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Young woman dies in Bristol dog attack Young woman dies in Bristol dog attack BBC A 19-year-old woman has died in a dog attack at a flat in Bristol, police say. Two people have been arrested following the attack at about 19:00 GMT on Wednesday at the property in Cobhorn Drive, south Bristol. Officers sedated and seized the dog which will be assessed by experts. Initial reports suggested it may be an XL Bully, but police said it is too early to confirm the breed. A man and woman both aged in their 20s remain in custody after being arrested on suspicion of offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act, including being in possession of a prohibited breed of dog. Avon and Somerset Police’s Insp Terry Murphy said: “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the family of the young woman who’s tragically died as a result of yesterday evening’s incident.” This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. Source link #Young #woman #dies #Bristol #dog #attack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Morgan Stanley downgrades Modelo importer Constellation Brands as Mexico tariffs loom Morgan Stanley downgrades Modelo importer Constellation Brands as Mexico tariffs loom Looming tariffs on ******** imports could pressure shares of Constellation Brands , according to Morgan Stanley. The bank downgraded the Modelo and Corona beer U.S. importer to equal weight from overweight. Analyst Dara Mohsenian also lowered his price target to $202 from $220, although this revised forecast still represents a 13% upside. Shares of Constellation Brands have tumbled 28% in the past 12 months. Mohsenian wrote that while the stock valuation is already “compressed” — down 20% this year after weaker -than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter guidance — there’s now further risk to both the current quarter and longer term. STZ 1Y mountain STZ 1Y chart “Tariff risk is in addition to broader risk in terms of consumer sentiment/spending among Hispanics post recent elections, who account for about half of STZ’s beer volumes,” the analyst elaborated. “In our tariff base case, we estimate a -15% EPS impact to FY26e EPS from a 25% tariff, net of pricing, elasticity, and FX.” The U.S. earlier this month imposed tariffs on ******** imports, which were quickly put on a 30-day pause. However, President Donald Trump said this week that those levies will take effect. Other long-term trends also present cause for concern, such as lower Gen Z alcohol consumption per capita relative to prior generations, competition from cannabis, greater competition on the high end, Constellation’s maturing brand portfolio and muted beer industry growth overall. “Given the magnitude of recent declines, and numerous and seemingly building long-term pressure points, we are lowering our long-term beer depletion growth assumptions,” Mohsenian wrote. “While we don’t have a crystal ball on forward beer depletions, the magnitude of recent slowdown in U.S. scanner/Numerator data highlights long-term durability to the slowdown vs. historical trends in our minds, even with short-term pressures exaggerating recent weakness.” Shares fell more than 1% following the downgrade. Despite the concerns around the stock, most analysts are bullish on it. LSEG data shows 17 of 25 analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on Constellation Brands. The average analyst price target also signals upside of more than 35%. Source link #Morgan #Stanley #downgrades #Modelo #importer #Constellation #Brands #Mexico #tariffs #loom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon unveils quantum chip, aiming to shave years off development time Amazon unveils quantum chip, aiming to shave years off development time By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) – Amazon Web Services on Thursday showed a quantum computing chip with new technology that it hopes will shave as much as five years off its effort to build a commercially useful quantum computer. The chip, named Ocelot, is a prototype that has only a tiny fraction of the computing power needed to create a useful machine. But like its tech rivals, AWS, which is Amazon.com’s cloud computing unit, believes it has finally hit on a technology that can be scaled up into a working machine, though it has not yet set a date for when it will reach that point. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. The AWS announcement, which coincides with the publication of a peer-reviewed paper in the scientific journal Nature, comes as quantum computing is sweeping through the technology world, with Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft and startup PsiQuantum all announcing advances in recent months. Quantum computers hold the promise of carrying out computations that would take conventional computers millions of years and could help scientists develop new materials such as batteries and new drugs. But a fundamental building block of quantum computers called a qubit is fast but finicky and prone to errors. Scientists established in the 1990s that some of a quantum computer’s qubits could be dedicated to correcting those errors, and the years since then have been spent searching for ways to construct physical qubits so that enough “logical” qubits are left over to do useful computing work. The standard industry thinking has been that a chip will need about a million physical qubits to yield a useful number of logical qubits. But AWS said it had built a prototype chip that uses only nine physical qubits to yield one working logical qubit, thanks to the use of what is known as a “cat” qubit, so named for physicist Erwin Schrodinger’s famous thought experiment to illustrate principles of quantum mechanics in which an unlucky cat in a box is both dead and alive at the same time. Oskar Painter, AWS director of quantum hardware, said the AWS approach could one day yield useful computers with only 100,000 qubits rather than a million. “It should allow us to provide between five and 10 times lower numbers of physical qubits to implement the error correction in a fully scaled machine. So that’s the real benefit,” Painter told Reuters. Painter said that the current chip was constructed using standard techniques borrowed from the chip industry and a material called tantalum, but that AWS and partners hope to customize those techniques further. “That’s where I think there’s going to be a huge amount of innovation and that will be the thing that could really reel in timelines for development. If we make improvements at the materials and processing level, this will make the underlying technology just much simpler,” Painter said. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Stephen Coates) Source link #Amazon #unveils #quantum #chip #aiming #shave #years #development #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why humanoid robots are missing the point Why humanoid robots are missing the point Science fiction, from The Jetsons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is replete with humanoid robots. But for a long time in the real world, such robots have been a novelty at best and a punchline at worst. Somehow, though, in the last few years, things have shifted. More than a handful of companies are developing humanoid robots, and these technological simulacra have begun popping up in automobile factories and shipping outfits. Some firms are even promising household robots. Still, the most important question has yet to be satisfyingly answered: what is the point? Why make a robot shaped like… Source link #humanoid #robots #missing #point Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Paytm Joins Hands With Perplexity to Integrate AI-Powered Search Into Its Apps Paytm Joins Hands With Perplexity to Integrate AI-Powered Search Into Its Apps Paytm announced its partnership with AI-powered search platform Perplexity on Thursday. With this partnership, the mobile payments platform is integrating a search interface powered by Perplexity. The One97 Communications-owned company said that the AI-powered search experience will allow users to get real-time answers to queries and financial assistance without the need to leave the app. The new search experience is available as a free tool and comes with a full-screen user interface (UI) that allows users to access Perplexity’s basic features. Paytm Integrates Perplexity’s AI-Powered Search In a blog post, the fintech company announced the partnership with the AI firm and the launch of the new search experience. Paytm said that this collaboration brings AI-driven intelligence into mobile payments, and will help users get real-time financial assistance within the app. The company highlighted that this collaboration was undertaken as the need for instant and reliable information to support users’ financial decision-making in managing finances, exploring market trends, and making daily choices was felt. “With Perplexity, we are bringing the Power of AI to Millions of Indian Consumers, making knowledge and financial services more seamless and accessible,” said Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO of Paytm. Notably, the AI-powered search experience is not being integrated with Paytm’s existing app-wide search interface that can be accessed by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the top-right corner of the app. Instead, Perplexity’s AI search will be available in the Free Tools section on the home page. The section also features tools for credit score checking, mutual fund reports, and insurance status. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to access the tool, and tapping on it opens a full-screen interface with both Paytm and Perplexity logos and the tagline “Search powered by Perplexity” at the top. The rest of the interface contains a bare-bones version of the Perplexity platform with a text field as well as several suggested queries. Asking a query opens a new page where users can see the sources used to find the information listed at the top followed by the answer. The output and its formatting are backed by the AI firm’s answer engine and are similar to the one on Perplexity’s apps and web client. Notably, the company claimed that the AI search will support local languages. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Sonic Colors: Ultimate, TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection Join PS Plus in March Source link #Paytm #Joins #Hands #Perplexity #Integrate #AIPowered #Search #Apps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU pushes back against Trump tariff threats and his caustic comments that bloc is out to get the US – The Associated Press EU pushes back against Trump tariff threats and his caustic comments that bloc is out to get the US – The Associated Press EU pushes back against Trump tariff threats and his caustic comments that bloc is out to get the US The Associated PressTrump threatens to slap 25% tariffs on EU, says bloc was always meant to hurt the U.S. CNBCUS Stock Futures Rise Before Data as Nvidia Gains: Markets Wrap BloombergThursday Briefing The New York TimesTrump sows confusion on tariffs for Canada and Mexico, floats 25% duty on EU goods Reuters Source link #pushes #Trump #tariff #threats #caustic #comments #bloc #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Netflix’s games were once its best-kept secret – where did it all go wrong? | Games Netflix’s games were once its best-kept secret – where did it all go wrong? | Games When Netflix first started adding video games to its huge catalogue of streaming TV shows and films, it did so quietly. In 2021, after releasing an impressive experiment with the idea of interactive film in ****** Mirror: Bandersnatch in 2018 and a free Stranger Things game in 2019, Netflix began expanding more fully into interactive entertainment. The streamer’s gaming offering, for a long time, was its best-kept secret. Whoever was running it really had an eye for quality: award-winningly brilliant and relatively little-known indie games comprised the majority of its catalogue, alongside decent licensed games based on everything from The Queen’s Gambit to the reality dating show Too Hot to Handle. Subscribers could play games such as Before Your Eyes, a brief and touching story about a life cut short; Spiritfarer, about guiding lost souls to rest and Into the Breach, a superb sci-fi strategy game with robots v aliens. The company bought or invested in several game studios known for making critically acclaimed work, including London-based Ustwo games (which was behind Monument Valley). It also established a studio in California to work on blockbuster games, staffed by veteran developers. But it seems things are changing. That blockbuster studio has been closed, as first reported by Game File, before it could ever release a game. Its latest tie-in game, Squid Game Unleashed, absolutely sucks – it’s constructed around the celebration of slapstick violence, making it a terrible fit for a satirically violent show about capitalist exploitation. Funding a bunch of indie darlings and hiring big-name talent from the likes of Blizzard and Bungie for its game studio gave the impression that Netflix really was keen on becoming a part of the gaming industry, and doing it properly. Now that is very much in question. The company has made layoffs across its gaming divisions, including at Night Studio – makers of weird-fiction supernatural teen horror series Oxenfree. It has cancelled plans for several forthcoming games that were due to join the service, including indie hits Thirsty Suitors and Don’t Starve Together, and promising-looking hobbit game Tales of the Shire. What’s going on? Netflix has laid off staff across its gaming divisions, including those behind the teen horror series Oxenfree. Photograph: Netflix/NightSchool There have been several changes of leadership. Christopher Lee, a former EA executive who was made the company’s first head of games in 2016, left to join Xbox in 2022. Mike Verdu, another former executive at EA and Oculus, became head of game development in 2021 but has since been replaced by Alain Tuscan, hired from Epic (the makers of Fortnite). Meanwhile, the firm’s head of developer relations Leanne Loombe – who presumably has excellent taste, having brought so many wonderful indie games to the service since joining in 2021 – left earlier this year. These significant strategic changes have happened in the past six months since Tuscan took over. Current co-CEO Greg Peters said in an earnings call early this year that Netflix was refocusing its gaming efforts. “Based on all our learnings and under the leadership of Alain Tuscan we are refining our strategy.” Peters described how the streamer would focus on narrative games based on Netflix intellectual property such as party and couch co-op games, saying: “We think of this as a successor to family board game night, or an evolution of what the TV game show used to be … games for kids, no ads, no payments … and more recognisable mainstream titles.” None of that looks great for any of the studios Netflix has bought over the past few years, all of which were lauded for their original, creative and unusual games. The inevitable conclusion is that Netflix is retreating to a safe, predictable gaming strategy, which is immensely disappointing for anyone who hoped that the streaming giant might be a much-needed source of investment in gaming creativity. In the earnings call, Peters kept reiterating how successful that Squid Game tie-in had been: depressingly, it is the company’s most successful game, despite being as thin and transparent as a piece of wet tissue. It looks as if we can expect much more of that in future. I had once worried that, like Google before it, Netflix would simply exit the gaming space as soon as it became evident that it is a really expensive, unpredictable and difficult business to break into. It seems that the streaming giant is keen on sticking around, but no longer so keen on investing in creativity and quality. I would urge whoever takes up the $1.3m job as Netflix’s next face of games to remember that these things are not mutually exclusive. By investing in originality alongside those nailed-on licensed games and big names, you will ensure that Netflix has a real future in games. One can fund the other, and the one eternal truth of the games business is that quality really, really matters – and gamers know when they’re being condescended to. What to play Dramatic and exciting … Monster Hunter Wilds. Photograph: Capcom The latest in Capcom’s superb action series, Monster Hunter Wilds, is out this week. I’ve played these games for almost 20 years, and about 12 of those were spent trying to convince people that they do get good eventually, after you get past the initial boring gathering quests and steep learning curve. Monster Hunter World, from 2018, made the series a lot friendlier, though, and Wilds makes it friendlier still: its 15-hour single-player story is full of dramatic and exciting fights against awe-inspiring, intimidating creatures. It’s like an extended tutorial on what makes Monster Hunter brilliant. After the first couple of quests you will need no further convincing, even if you’ve never played one of these games before. Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X Estimated playtime: 15 hours for the story, then potentially 100 more hours of hunting fun skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald’s weekly look at the world of gaming Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion What to read Microsoft used the game Bleeding Edge to train a new generative AI model called Muse. Photograph: Microsoft Microsoft has unveiled a new generative AI model, Muse, that can create gameplay footage. They call it a World and Human Action Model (WHAM). It was trained on a Ninja Theory game, Bleeding Edge, seemingly without its players’ knowledge. Wired quotes many game developers who hate this entire idea, but that hasn’t stopped Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella from enthusing about the possibility of a whole game catalogue made by AI. The publisher of the ludicrously compulsive card game Balatro won a victory recently, persuading PEGI to downgrade the game’s age rating from an 18-plus to 12-plus. (It is not a gambling game, but it does feature playing cards and a version of poker rules, hence the adult-only rating.) “This is a good step from PEGI – bringing nuance to their ratings criteria,” said the game’s developer. “I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished.” Assassin’s Creed Shadows has leaked after retailers broke its street date, meaning players have been streaming the game from their physical disc copies. If you’re looking forward to it, beware the internet for spoilers. NetEase, a ******** company that has invested hugely in western and Japanese game development recently, is reportedly scaling back its interest in video games, putting more than a dozen studios at risk. Bloomberg reports that hundreds of jobs and several games have already been canned. Warner Bros Discovery has cancelled its Wonder Woman game and is closing three of its video game development studios, reports Reuters. The company joins Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony, who closed offices last year to reduce costs. What to click Question Block Nintendo Labo’s Toy-**** Piano. Photograph: Nintendo Reader Michael asks: “My sister has rigid screen-time restrictions for her 10-year old son, who isn’t allowed a Switch but is obsessed with video games. As his uncle, and as a game designer, I want to fuel his passion, but I respect her boundaries. Unfortunately, his limited game time is largely spent playing dopamine-fuelled, hyper-casual games on a web browser. I’ve been advocating for a Switch so he can play something more nutritious. She has cautiously asked me to recommend some appropriate games. Top of my list are Mario, Zelda and Animal Crossing. Since you’re a mother and a gamer, are there any in particular you’d recommend?” You can’t go far wrong with Nintendo’s games in terms of safety and child appropriateness. (I also appreciate that the Switch doesn’t have a YouTube app, or an easily accessible web browser.) For a 10-year-old, it’s going to come down to what he’s interested in: is he into adventure stories? If so, Zelda is the thing (BOTW is a 12 but if your sister is strict about that, Link’s Awakening is 7-plus). My animal and dinosaur-obsessed boy loved Pokémon passionately (Sword and Shield are the best Switch picks). Mario is a huge hit in my house with both my kids. Despite their very different personalities, they both adore Mario Party Jamboree – I think as adults we often dismiss these casual-ish party games but there’s tremendous variety and creativity in the 100+ different minigames. Minecraft (offline!) is also obviously a mainstay for that age group, too. Nintendo Labo is also a parent-pleasing option due to all the cardboard crafting, if your sister is coming around from a belief that video games are inherently bad. I’ve had many versions of this conversation with other parents who aren’t enmeshed in gaming themselves. It has reminded me that when parents try to ban something, we often create problems that we’re not aware of. Your nephew is fascinated by video games, but he’s playing the least nourishing versions of them possible through the only means he has. My parents restricted my own game-playing time to weekends only when I was wee, hoping to put the brakes on my passion for them. (That worked out brilliantly.) Where possible, I think we’re often better off engaging with the things our kids enjoy, while also helping them moderate themselves and keep to our boundaries. It’s time-intensive, but worthwhile. If you’ve got a question for Question Block – or anything else to say about the newsletter – hit reply or email us on *****@*****.tld. Source link #Netflixs #games #bestkept #secret #wrong #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

When the Earth Was Green review: Gripping account of how plants and animals co-evolved When the Earth Was Green review: Gripping account of how plants and animals co-evolved An artist’s impression of an environment where prehistoric plants thrived Christian Jegou/Science Photo Library When the Earth Was Green Riley ****** (St Martin’s Press (US, available now; ***, later this month)) The behaviour of plants is invisible to the naked human eye. They operate on timescales our imaginations can’t entertain, and they run roughshod over familiar categories of self, other and community. I confess that I find them boring. Luckily, others don’t – Riley ******, a palaeontologist and an occasional New Scientist contributor, for one. Wandering among (or is it through?) a 14,000-year-old aspen clone, a single organism made… Source link #Earth #Green #review #Gripping #account #plants #animals #coevolved Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A look back at Gene Hackman’s career A look back at Gene Hackman’s career The much-celebrated Hollywood actor Gene Hackman had a filmography that included Oscar-nominated dramas to comedic roles. He had a wide-ranging career spanning more than six decades, winning two Academy Awards – for his work on The French Connection and Unforgiven – two Baftas, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Source link #Gene #Hackmans #career Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Galloping’ bubbles could act as tiny robotic vacuum cleaners ‘Galloping’ bubbles could act as tiny robotic vacuum cleaners A bubble seen galloping across a container Pedro J. Sáenz et al. (2025) Bubbles can be made to “gallop” across the roof of a liquid-filled container simply by shaking it up and down – a surprise discovery that could be exploited as a cleaning technique. Pedro J. Sáenz at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his colleagues were studying the behaviour of waves in a sealed container using vibrations when they made a chance discovery. The team found that shaking the liquid-filled chamber up and down at particular frequencies caused a bubble that had mistakenly… Source link #Galloping #bubbles #act #tiny #robotic #vacuum #cleaners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Vivo X200 Ultra Camera Details Surface Online Again; Tipped to Get Sony LYT-818 Sensors Vivo X200 Ultra Camera Details Surface Online Again; Tipped to Get Sony LYT-818 Sensors Vivo X200 Ultra is expected to launch in China soon, following weeks of speculation. Previous leaks have hinted at a triple rear camera setup, including a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens. A new leak has now surfaced online that suggests details about the phone’s possible camera sensors. The rumoured X200 Ultra model is expected to join the base Vivo X200 and X200 Pro variants, which were launched in October 2024. Vivo X200 Ultra Camera Specifications (Expected) The Vivo X200 Ultra will likely come with two 50-megapixel 1/1.28-inch Sony LYT-818 sensors, according to a Weibo post by user Xiaomu Technology (translated from ********). The handset is expected to carry a 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch Samsung ISOCELL HP9 periscope camera as well, according to the leak. Vivo X200 Ultra leaked promotional poster Photo Credit: Weibo/Xiaomu Technology The aforementioned Weibo user shared an alleged Vivo X200 Ultra promotional image which shows the considerable rear camera bump of the handset. The right edge of the phone is visible which reveals the rumoured Action Button-like feature alongside the power button and volume rocker. The text at the bottom of the leaked poster suggests that the Vivo X200 Ultra will launch in April. The handset has previously been tipped to sport a 50-megapixel selfie shooter. Vivo X200 Ultra Other Features (Expected) The Vivo X200 Ultra is tipped to be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC. The phone may likely support up to 24GB LPDDR5X RAM and 2TB UFS 4.0 storage. Earlier leaks claimed that the handset would get a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. Previous reports have suggested that the Vivo X200 Ultra may sport a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO OLED display and IP68/IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance. It will likely be backed by a 6,000mAh battery with 90W wired and 50W wireless charging support. Source link #Vivo #X200 #Ultra #Camera #Details #Surface #Online #Tipped #Sony #LYT818 #Sensors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]