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Michelle Trachtenberg: Gossip Girl, Buffy The Vampire Slayer star dies aged 39 in New York Michelle Trachtenberg: Gossip Girl, Buffy The Vampire Slayer star dies aged 39 in New York Michelle Trachtenberg, loved for her roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died. The actress from New York, a star of films and multiple TV series, was 39. Her tragic death was confirmed by the New York Police Department on on Wednesday. The police said they responded to an emergency call about 8am on Wednesday to One Columbus Place in New York and Trachtenberg was later confirmed dead after emergency medical services attended. Her death is not being treated as suspicious and the police said the medical examiner will determine her cause of death. Born on October 11, 1985 in New York City, Trachtenberg began her acting career at the age of three, appearing in adverts before landing roles in TV series. She secured a recurring role in The Adventures Of Pete & Pete in 1992 and in 1996 she starred in film Harriet The Spy as an 11-year-old given to spying on neighbours and classmates, and concocting outrageous lies to embellish the everyday details in her private journal. She was also known for playing Penny in 1999 spy film Inspector Gadget and Jenny in 2004 movie EuroTrip. Trachtenberg entered hit show Buffy The Vampire Slayer in its fifth season as Dawn, the younger sister of Buffy, and became a regular until the show came to an end in 2003. In 2005 she starred opposite Kim Cattrall in Ice Princess and was in 2009 teen comedy 17 Again alongside Zac Efron. She reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in the second series of the recent Gossip Girl sequel. – More to come… Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 – With AAP Source link #MichelleTrachtenberg #Gossip #Girl #Buffy #Vampire #Slayer #star #dies #aged #York Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wartorn Crosses Squad Strategy with Roguelite Action | COGconnected Wartorn Crosses Squad Strategy with Roguelite Action | COGconnected Wartorn is a new action strategy roguelite inspired by classic games like Myth, set in a colorful fantasy world. Source link #Wartorn #Crosses #Squad #Strategy #Roguelite #Action #COGconnected Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Now That Trump Has Banished the Woke From Science, These Truth-Telling New Scientific Papers Reveal What COVID Vaccines Actually Do to Children Now That Trump Has Banished the Woke From Science, These Truth-Telling New Scientific Papers Reveal What COVID Vaccines Actually Do to Children The Trump administration has declared war on “woke” science, installing a prominent vaccine skeptic as the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services, banning a long list of research terminology from government websites, and sacking huge number of researchers at the National Science Foundation. After expunging all that liberal bias, a pair of new scientific papers flagged by Ars Technica — one of them by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another agency targeted by Trump — has revealed what COVID-19 vaccinations actually do to children and teens. Shockingly, they both show that annual shots not only greatly lower the risk of developing long COVID, but that they aren’t linked to sudden cardiac death in young people, as many conspiracy theories have claimed. In short, it’s even more evidence demonstrating the importance of COVID vaccines, not just for adults, but for kids as well. It’s an extremely important topic now that the Trump administration is systematically trying to defund scientific research — a bizarre change of tune, considering Trump was behind a concerted effort called Operation Warp Speed in the early days of the pandemic to speed up the development of COVID vaccines. As detailed in one of the two studies, published this week in the journal JAMA Network Open, a team of US-based pediatricians and CDC researchers found that COVID-19 vaccinations were associated with a 57 percent drop in the odds of developing one or more post-COVID condition symptoms. In other words, the mRNA-based vaccines that have become commonplace since the global pandemic are highly effective at warding off long COVID in children aged five to 17 years. And that effectiveness is as relevant as it was during the pandemic. “Our findings suggest that children should stay up to date with current COVID-19 vaccination recommendations as vaccination not only protects against severe COVID-19 illness but also protects against [long COVID],” the researchers wrote in their paper. A separate cohort study, also published this week in the same journal, found that “concerns that young athletes with COVID-19 would be at increased risk of myocarditis and sudden cardiac arrest” were unfounded. The international team of researchers compared instances of cardiac deaths that occurred before and during the pandemic, and found “no increase” in either of these conditions after it struck. The study builds on existing evidence that there’s no link between the disease and cardiac death in young people. In early 2023, the media was awash with reports of young athletes reportedly suffering cardiac arrest as a result of a COVID infection, lingering rumors that persisted despite sustained efforts to debunk them. It’s an especially pertinent topic now that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken over as Trump’s health secretary. Kennedy has previously questioned the scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism and has denied that COVID vaccines have saved millions of lives. As the Guardian reported last month, Kennedy’s non-profit, the Children’s Health Defense, reportedly tried to block new COVID vaccinations from being rolled out during the height of the pandemic. Where his staunchly anti-vaccine stance will leave the future role of vaccinations in the United States remains unclear at best. His appointment has already proven highly controversial. Kennedy clashed with Democrats during his Senate confirmation hearing in January after making contradictory statements regarding the effectiveness of vaccines. Meanwhile, Trump has announced a new so-called “Make America Healthy Again” Commission, to be led by Kennedy. The new body is set to take aim at the alleged overprescription of drugs for the treatment of ADHD and the prevalence of autism and asthma in children. Experts have also warned that Kennedy’s vaccine cynicism could greatly undermine US efforts to eradicate polio. It’s an unfortunate prognosis for the future of public health. With the Trump administration declaring war on lifesaving scientific research and Kennedy vowing to probe the safety of childhood vaccines, very few, if any, lessons appear to have been learned following the COVID-19 pandemic. More on COVID vaccines: Trump Threatens to Ban Vaccines Source link #Trump #Banished #Woke #Science #TruthTelling #Scientific #Papers #Reveal #COVID #Vaccines #Children Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

75 Times Customers Proved Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt That They Are The Dumbest People On Planet Earth 75 Times Customers Proved Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt That They Are The Dumbest People On Planet Earth If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, you already know that one of the absolute worst parts of the job is dealing with the endless stream of not so bright customers you encounter every single day. Here’s proof that customers are just might be the dumbest people on the planet: 1.On pancakes: Social media post sharing a customer service experience with text: “Had the dumbest customer Ever!! He says, ‘If I order 2 Pancakes, how many will I get?'” Expressive emojis included 2.On cash or credit: machine with many cash only signs on it that customers ignore 3.On pizzas: Meme with a man giving a disbelieving look in response to a question about the size of a 12-inch pizza 4.On popcorn: “Nah I was just gonna put a stick of butter on top.” 5.On flying: “I just replied if we stopped we’d be dead hun” Sheesh. 6.On sides: “MUFUCKA DID I SAY CORN?” 7.On the footlong: customer does not understand that a footlong means foot 8.On email: customer not knowinig what email is 9.On fresh turkey: story about someone asking a stock boy if turkeys in a grocery store can get ******* and they say no they’re dead 10.On fish: A tweet joking about a customer who asked which fish a filet mignon comes from 11.On cocktails: A screenshot of a text message joking about a guest misunderstanding a shrimp ********* as a drink 12.On sizing: Tweet showing confusion over someone asking which coffee size is larger, medium or large 13.On blue cheese: Text about a customer not realizing a salad ordered with blue cheese would have mold. Customer asked for a manager 14.On pricing: “He didn’t buy the item.” 15.On doneness: Tweet recounting a customer ordering a dozen chicken wings “medium-rare,” expressing disbelief 16.On fine wines: A screenshot of a social media post sharing a humorous story about a customer misunderstanding the pronunciation of ‘Corkage Fee.’ 17.On mozzarella sticks: “A customer asked me what kind of cheese is in our mozzarella sticks… Ummm” 18.On wings: Screenshot of a social media post discussing a humorous exchange about the temperature of boneless wings 19.On precise amounts: The image shows a tweet reading a humorous statement about a silly question regarding a 2-piece meal 20.On steak cuts: Tweet expressing disbelief over a customer not knowing the size difference between a 6oz and 8oz filet 21.On fine dining: A screenshot of a social media comment where a user jokes about confusing ‘lettuce’ with ‘l’e tu che’ 22.On shades: person thinking lighter wiine meant weight 23.On mimosas: “She was not joking.” 24.On shrimp: A Facebook post sharing a story about a guest who ordered Baked Parmesan Shrimp and later said they were allergic to small shrimp 25.On those subtle differences Social media post mocking a customer’s question about portion sizes, humorously stating the obvious difference 26.On BLTs: Conversation about a BLT, one person is allergic to bacon, implying the food won’t be great for them 27.On deals: “Can I still have it?” 28.On very bad reviews: customer who thinks an item is missing even though it is not 29.On hardware stores: “Man, y’all don’t know how to treat customers.” 30.On seafood: A screenshot of a message recounting a story about a guest’s reaction to seafood stew ingredients 31.On mixed drinks: Text from an online conversation joking about ordering a drink with Tito’s vodka at a bar 32.On gluten free dishes: Post sharing a humorous exchange about a guest’s gluten allergy and ordering an IPA beer 33.On eating outside: “Get out.” 34.On Uncle Arnie: Facebook post discussing what an Arnold Palmer drink is 35.On axes: customer complaining a knife is too sharp 36.On nachos and burgers: Facebook post sharing a humorous conversation about not having a kitchen but providing menus to local places 37.On delicious drinks: Image of a social media sharing a humorous anecdote about a bartender’s literal interpretation of a virgin martini order 38.On garden salads: A screenshot of a social media post sharing a humorous exchange about a garden salad without cheese 39.On Dunkin Donuts: Image about a customer asking if Dunkin’ sells donuts 40.On mochas: “And he was like no I want a mocha.” 41.On info: “At the bottom of a lake.” 42.On numbers: “uhhhh… 6?” 43.On cheddar: “BUT APPARENTLY PEOPLE NEED THEM!” 44.On bathrooms: “Nah lady I piss in the ******* sink” 45.On preparedness: “I want my steak cooked well, but not well done. Just well.” 46.On Coke: “now this is a cook zero, learn it” 47.On cheese: customer asks if cheese curds are mushrooms 48.On smoking: customer walks in smoking a ********** and refuses to stop 49.On the filet mignon: customer ordering the filet mignon thinking it is fish 50.On fries: customer not knowing the difference between straight and curly fries 51.On milkshakes: customer complaining their milkshake has milk in iit 52.On McDonald’s: customer ordering macdonalds items in burger king 53.On flies: customer asks a server to kill all the flies around them 54.On salad: person confusing soup or salad for super salad 55.On special glass: customers breaking things on purpose 56.On fine wine: person calling pinot grigio peanut gorgio 57.On ice: customer getting mad that ice floats in a drink 58.On plates: person asking for food to be served on a plaate 59.On Uncle Arnie, again: person asking for an arnold palmer without iced tea aka a lemonade 60.On sending items back: tweet about someone sending items back and tthe staff not changinig a thing 61.On chips: tumblr post reading why did i have a customer that hole punched his credit card chip’s out because he didn’t want a chip 62.On tiles: story about someone who doesn’t understand they can’t just get their tiles cleaned remotely 63.On paying: story about a customer who gets mad because they were asked how they plan to pay for something Good grief! 64.On french onion soup: customer order french onion soup without onions 65.On holes: customer does not understand how to properly size a hole 66.On price tags: tweet about a customer who does not understand something is not on ***** 67.On numbers: customer gets mad that a 9 looks like an upside down 6 68.On ****** coffee: customer ordering a ****** coffee by taking out cappuccino iingredients 69.On wings, again: tumblr post about someone who had to explain what wings are 70.On straws: tweet about someone getting mad about straws meanwhile they are in a sushi bar 71.On multiplication: tweet about a customer not being able to multiply 72.On returns: customer asking to return shoes that don’t exist 73.On lemonade: customer mixing up the words lemonade and lamiinate 74.On subs: tweet reading i once had to remake a man’s ****** sub 3 times because i cut it into 1/4s intstead of into just a half and it wouldn’t fill him up if it was cut like that 75.And on staff: story about a customer who does not see staff as people Come on, now. Source link #Times #Customers #Proved #Shadow #Doubt #Dumbest #People #Planet #Earth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NVIDIA Has No One To Blame But Itself, 5090 Is Getting So Rare That PC Users Are Falling Back To an Old Gen Model NVIDIA Has No One To Blame But Itself, 5090 Is Getting So Rare That PC Users Are Falling Back To an Old Gen Model Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series has been a disastrous launch, with reports of defective units and barely any performance improvements plaguing the lineup. To make matters worse, these cards seem to be out of stock almost everywhere, thanks to suboptimal production and an unchecked scalper infestation. It’s particularly bad for those opting to buy the latest and greatest, and the RTX 5090 situation has made would be buyers shy away from the product, and focus their investments elsewhere. The shortage of Nvidia’s 5090 cards has made buyers purchase last-gen models RTX 5090s are out of stock everywhere | Image Credit: Nvidia The shortage of RTX 5090s is quite understated, with almost no one being able to realistically get their hands on the card, resorting to scalping in the process. One such post on the r/Nvidia subreddit shows a PC enthusiast opting to keep their older RTX 4090 model as is, and instead focus on upgrading other components of their rig. I used some of the money to upgrade everything else and keep my 4090 Comment byu/HD4kAI from discussion innvidia After all, the difference between the 4000 and 5000 series is pretty much insignificant once we remove all the fancy AI and image processing features, which puts the RTX 5090 on almost equal terms with the RTX 4090. Comment byu/HD4kAI from discussion innvidia It’s not just OP though, multiple other users have complained on the general lack of RTX 5090 stock everywhere, which is despite the fact that an RTX 5070 is (allegedly) close to RTX 4090 levels of performance. Obviously, this is with DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation enabled. Comment byu/HD4kAI from discussion innvidia If anything, OP is likely to have a dodged a bullet in the long run, given how 32-bit PhysX support was dropped starting from the RTX 5000 series, which means they cannot play older titles such as Batman: Arkham City and Mirrors Edge with PhysX enabled at its full capacity – which is curiousconsidering that this technology was developed with Nvidia cards in mind. Comment byu/HD4kAI from discussion innvidia It should also be kept in mind here that a 4090 is by no means a slouch in any sense of the term – it is still an incredibly capable card, and perhaps second best when compared to the slightly more powerful (but a lot more expensive) 5090. The RTX 5090 is terrible value | Image Credit: Nvidia Comment byu/HD4kAI from discussion innvidia Purchasing a 5000 series card (especially this early) is not exactly a sound financial decision, and most would do well skipping the series entirely in favor of Intel’s Arc, AMD’s upcoming RX 9000 series – or even the RTX 4000 series. The RTX 5000 series is painfully underwhelming The RTX 5000 series has been quite disappointing | Image Credit: Nvidia Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series has been a painful dumpster fire, with a supremely botched launch. Ranging from molten power connectors to reports of cards missing a few ROPs (thereby affecting its performance), the 5000 series has been ripe with controversy. Nvidia’s so-called performance boost depends entirely on smoke and mirrors, aka, Frame Generation and DLSS 4 instead of actual horsepower. Even worse, the prices of these cards are ridiculously high, and with no real competition in the high-end GPU market, Nvidia is set to continue its monopoly and stagnate further. There has however, been a lot of backlash against Nvidia recently, but its effects are not likely to manifest any time soon unless buyers vote with their wallets and stop giving into the need for purchasing a new GPU every generation. Source link #NVIDIA #Blame #Rare #Users #Falling #Gen #Model Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ever 17: The Out of Infinity Review – The Return of a Classic – MonsterVine Ever 17: The Out of Infinity Review – The Return of a Classic – MonsterVine MonsterVine: “Ever 17: The Out of Infinity returns with a remastered edition that preserves its clever sci-fi storytelling while modernizing its presentation.” Source link #Infinity #Review #Return #Classic #MonsterVine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Musk, standing before Trump’s Cabinet, gets their applause and approval – POLITICO Musk, standing before Trump’s Cabinet, gets their applause and approval – POLITICO Musk, standing before Trump’s Cabinet, gets their applause and approval POLITICOMusk grabs spotlight: 5 takeaways from Trump’s first Cabinet meeting The HillElon Musk warns Trump cabinet: ‘America will go bankrupt’ New York Daily News Source link #Musk #standing #Trumps #Cabinet #applause #approval #POLITICO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless Battle Pass: All items and how to get Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless Battle Pass: All items and how to get Table of Contents Table of Contents How to get the Chapter 6 Season 2 pass All Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless Battle Pass items Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless has arrived, and this season brings back the popular heist theme to the game that players have been waiting for. From Banks and Vaults to looting Armored Trucks, the island has now Run Amok where everyone is after the gold and using powerful abilities that all merge in perfect harmony. When it comes to this season’s Battle Pass, it adds some of the best criminals in the game’s lore and also a popular fighter with his freezing abilities. As always, this season’s Battle Pass is a great alternative if you want to get some skins in your locker and do not want to break the bank by spending loads on V-Bucks. Before you make the purchase, we’ll tell you about all the goodies that the new Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless Pass has to offer. How to get the Chapter 6 Season 2 pass Epic Games In order to get the Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless pass this Fortnite season, you’ll need to spend 1,000 V-Bucks, as the price for Battle Pass was increased by 50 V-Bucks in the last season. However, if you’re a crew subscriber, you’ll get the pass for free, in addition to three more passes. You can progress along the pass by simply leveling up, where one level-up requires you to earn 80,000 XP. Furthermore, keep in mind that you’ll only unlock a reward on a single page once you have leveled up and you’re eligible to unlock the reward of your choice. You can also turn on Auto Claim on your Battle Pass if you want to enjoy the classic Fortnite mechanic of progressing linearly. However, if you’re keen to unlock certain levels early, the 25 Battle Pass Reward Bundle is available for 1,800 V-Bucks, and the Battle Bundle of both the Battle Pass and 25 Battle Pass rewards is available for 2,800 V-Bucks. Alternatively, you can level up one at a time as each level-up will cost you 150 V-Bucks. All Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Lawless Battle Pass items Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Battle Pass brings new characters who are crime lords and criminals themselves to this gritty, new island. This Battle Pass will be available to progress in until 12:30 a.m. ET on May 2, 2025. Epic Games Here are all the items in the Battle Pass: Page 1 rewards Cassidy Quinn Outfit Royale Backplate Back Bling Hot Pokers Pickaxe Duelist’s Card Trick Emote Piercing Ace Emote Aces Fly Contrail Aka The Queen Of Spades Loading Screen Dealer’s Deck Glider Page 2 rewards Slurpshooter Hot Pokers Pickaxe 100 V-Bucks Heartbreaker Ace Emote Quinn’s Winner Wrap Banner Icon Homebase Banner Slurpshooter Dealer’s Deck Glider Slurpshooter Cassidy Quinn Outfit Page 3 rewards It’s Chemistry! Emote Bunsen Backburner Back Bling Aka The Witch Loading Screen Joss’ Chaos Emote Strange Concoction Wrap 100 V-Bucks Joss Outfit Page 4 rewards Titrationator Pickaxe Medmisty Emote 100 V-Bucks 100 The Bank Job Loading Screen Chemist’s Cloudglider Glider Banner Icon Homebase Banner Gram Stain Joss Outfit Page 5 rewards Pack Leader Glider Golden Wolf Emote Jam Track Baron Of Howls Loading Screen Lone Wolf Holster Back Bling Awoo Emote Fletcher Kane Outfit Page 6 rewards Fur Faller Contrail Banner Icon Homebase Banner Howlin’ Emote Fletcher’s Cane Pickaxe Baron’s Hoard Emote 100 V-Bucks Midnight Fletcher Kane Outfit Page 7 rewards Elegant Crowbar Pickaxe Loaded Barrel Bag Back Bling Bang! Emote Aka The Vault Whisperer Loading Screen 24-Karat ****** Contrail Valentina’s Verve Emote Valentina Outfit Page 8 rewards Hazardous Valentina’s Quadjet Glider Hazardous Elegant Crowbar Pickaxe 100 V-Bucks Smash & Grab Emote Royal Jewels Wrap The Wolf Heist Loading Screen Hazardous Valentina Outfit Page 9 rewards Jar Buster Pickaxe No Big Dill Emote Aka Big Bill Loading Screen Dillicious Wrap Lil’ Dilly Back Bling Jam Track Big Dill Outfit Page 10 rewards Chamoy Pickle Chip Glider 100 V-Bucks Rise & Shine Emote Born From The Brine Loading Screen Chamoy Jar Buster Pickaxe Chamoy Lil’ Dilly Back Bling Chamoy Big Dill Outfit Page 11 rewards ****** Test Cuddler Pickaxe GG Cuddlez Wrap 100 V-Bucks Banner Icon Homebase Banner Cuddle’s Garden Emote ****** Test Cuddler Back Bling Keisha Cross Outfit Page 12 rewards Outlaw’s Strut Emote Jam Track 100 V-Bucks Aka The Wheels Loading Screen Swear Bear Emote Cross’ Grand Entrance Emote Slurp Keisha Cross Outfit Page 13 rewards Spinality Back Bling Banner Icon Homebase Banner 100 V-Bucks Frozen Kombat Emote Sub-Zero’s Battle Axes Pickaxe Sub-Zero’s Challenge Emote ***-Han Outfit Page 14 rewards Sub-Zero’s Ice Axes Pickaxe Cryomancy Master Loading Screen Sub-Zero Ice Burst Wrap 100 V-Bucks Stay Cool Emote Klassic Kombat Crasher Glider Frozen Treat Cart Emote Sub-Zero MK3 Outfit In addition to the 14 pages, the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 Battle Pass includes nine bonus pages. Once you’ve claimed all of the basic rewards, you’ll be able to collect extra goodies as you climb to Level 200. Bonus Page 1 rewards Kombat Crasher Glider The Queen Was Here Emote 100 V-Bucks Banner Icon Homebase Banner Aka The Baron Loading Screen Full Moon Fletcher Kane Outfit Bonus Page 2 rewards Slurpshooter Royale Backplate Back Bling 100 V-Bucks Hot ‘N Sour Emote Banner Icon Homebase Banner Round One Loading Screen Phthalo Blue Joss Outfit Bonus Page 3 rewards Hazardous Barrel Bag Back Bling The Outlaws Loading Screen Banner Icon Homebase Banner 100 V-Bucks Mystery Chemistry Emote Slap Juice Keisha Cross Outfit Bonus Page 4 rewards Slurp ****** Test Cuddler Back Bling True Alpha Emote Slurp ****** Test Cuddler Pickaxe The Armored Truck Robbery Loading Screen 100 V-Bucks Dillinger The Gherk Outfit Bonus Page 5 rewards Valentina’s Quadjet Glider Stealing The Spotlight Emote Dill With It Emote Legend’s Lineup Loading Screen 100 V-Bucks Spectre Valentina Outfit Bonus Page 6 rewards Tooth And Claw Wrap Double-Suited Queen Emote Pickle Chip Emote The Train Job Loading Screen Deal ‘Em Cassidy Quinn Outfit Bonus Pages 7, 8, and 9 will be revealed on March 11, 2025 and will contain Super Styles for each of the Battle Pass skins in the current season. Outlaw Midas Rewards All the cosmetics for Outlaw Midas rewards on Pages 1 and 2 will be unlocked on March 11. Those are all the rewards you can unlock by earning XP throughout Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2. However, if you’re keen to know more about what’s been added this season, check out our article about everything new. Source link #Fortnite #Chapter #Season #Lawless #Battle #Pass #items Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

US intelligence head ‘not told’ about *** secret Apple data demand US intelligence head ‘not told’ about *** secret Apple data demand Tulsi Gabbard, the head of US National Intelligence, says she was not informed in advance about the *** government’s demand to be able to access Apple customers’ encrypted data from anywhere in the world. In a letter, Ms Gabbard said she was seeking further information from the FBI and other US agencies. She said if the reports were true, the *** government’s actions amounted to an “egregious violation” of US citizens’ privacy. The Home Office notice, which cannot legally be made public, was issued to Apple under the ***’s Investigatory Powers Act in January. Ms Gabbard added that she was also seeking legal advice over whether the *** had breached an agreement between it and the US not to demand data belonging to each other’s citizens. In response to the Home Office notice, last week Apple pulled its top level privacy tool, Advanced Data Protection, from the *** market. Advanced Data Protection, external (ADP) means only account holders can view items such as photos or documents they have stored online through a process known as end-to-end encryption. Apple would have to break its encryption systems in order to comply with the *** government demand, as currently it cannot see data protected in this way so would be unable to share it with law enforcement. This is something it says it will never do. Apple’s *** users’ data remains encrypted in the *** but at a level which means it can be accessed by the tech giant if served with a warrant. The letter to Senator Ron Whyden and Representative Andy Biggs which has now been published online, Tulsi Gabbard said she first read about the notice in the media and had not been informed beforehand by either the *** or by Apple. Apple did not comment. The Home Office has been contacted by the BBC. Source link #intelligence #told #secret #Apple #data #demand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Oversight Board will weigh in on Meta’s new hate speech policies The Oversight Board will weigh in on Meta’s new hate speech policies Less than two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Meta announced to its content moderation procedures, reportedly at the behest of Mark Zuckerberg and a small group of advisors. Among those caught off guard was the company’s own Oversight Board, the independent organization created by Meta to help shape its most sensitive policy decisions. The group is now looking to examine those changes, and in doing so, will test the enforceability of its own powers. The changes Meta has enacted drastically reshape how the company polices content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads. It ended its fact-checking program in the US, and rolled back hate speech rules that protected immigrants and LGBTQ users on its apps. Unlike its previously proactive approach, it also reoriented its content moderation procedures so that many types of rule-breaking posts will only be removed if other users reported them. The changes have raised questions about the role of the Oversight Board, which was created, Zuckerberg once said, because “Facebook should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own.” If that’s what Meta is now doing, critics have asked, what exactly is the point of an ostensibly independent Oversight Board? But the Oversight Board is already working to address Meta’s rewritten “hateful conduct” policy, according to board member Paolo Carozza, who spoke to Engadget. When Zuckerberg announced the changes in early January, the board already had four open cases involving Meta’s hate speech rules. The board now plans to use those cases to examine the new policies, which were rewritten to to use dehumanizing language to describe immigrants and accuse LGBTQ people of being mentally ill. “We deliberately delayed the decision of those cases after January 7, precisely so that we could go back to Meta again and ask a new round of questions,” Carozza, a law professor at Notre Dame who joined the Oversight Board in 2022, told Engadget. “We’re trying as much as possible to use the tools that we have to find out more information, bring more transparency and more certainty to how it’s going to play out in practice.” The board, according to Carozza, has already had briefings with Meta as it pushes for more details about the new hate speech policies. But it could still be some time before its findings are made public. The open cases deal with several aspects of Meta’s hate speech rules, including , , and . In addition to the questions surrounding each case, Carozza said that the board is also grappling with how to prioritize the case decisions given the renewed importance of the underlying policies. “There are competing concerns about being quick and efficient versus being more thoughtful and deliberative,” he said. But while the board may hope to provide more transparency about Meta’s decision-making, it’s unclear how much influence the board will ultimately end up having. Under its rules, Meta is only required to comply with the group’s decisions surrounding individual posts. The board’s policy recommendations are non-binding and Meta has a at implementing its suggestions. It’s also unclear how the board might be able to weigh in on Meta’s other changes, like the shuttering of fact-checking programs or shift away from proactive content moderation. “We were quite critical of the fact checking program in general, but our ordinary cases make it a little bit hard to get at that problem because it doesn’t come up through an appeals process within the scope of the kinds of cases that we get,” Carozza says. The board, he notes, could write a policy advisory opinion as it has with rules around and Meta’s rules for celebrities. But the board is only empowered to make those kinds of non-binding recommendations at Meta’s request. That gets at one of the of the Oversight Board: it may operate independently, but Meta ultimately dictates how much influence it can wield. “It would be unrealistic to expect that the standard for value and success of the board is that Meta, 100% of the time, does everything we ever tell them to do,” Carozza says, “We’re one piece of a complicated jigsaw puzzle of accountability and oversight.” Still, the fact that the group wasn’t consulted on such major policy moves has raised some uncomfortable questions for the board. Dozens of civil society groups recently signed urging board members to resign in protest. In to Zuckerberg, some members of Congress said the board “is rendered toothless” when Meta refuses to follow its own principles. Carozzo acknowledges the Oversight Board’s limitations, but says that the billions of people on Meta’s apps are ultimately better off with the board intervening where it can. “If everybody were to resign en masse … the only people who would lose are Meta’s end users, especially those who are in especially vulnerable situations [and] communities around the world.” Source link #Oversight #Board #weigh #Metas #hate #speech #policies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Obvious Ventures, started by Twitter’s Williams, raising $400 million Obvious Ventures, started by Twitter’s Williams, raising $400 million Medium Founder & CEO Ev Williams speaks during the Web Summit 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 8, 2018. Pedro Fiúza | Nurphoto | Getty Images Obvious Ventures, the venture capital firm co-founded by Twitter’s Evan Williams, has filed to raise $400 million for its latest fund, according to a regulatory filing. The filing for Obvious Ventures V was made public with the SEC on Tuesday and indicates that it’s an initial notice. The firm raised its most recent fund in 2022, when it brought in about $355 million, according to PitchBook data, short of its $400 million target. A spokesperson for the firm declined to comment. Launched in 2014, Obvious Ventures is widely known for its early investment in alternative meat startup Beyond Meat, holding a 9% stake at the time of the company’s IPO in 2019. It’s been a tough run on the market for Beyond Meat, whose market cap is now below $300 million after peaking at over $14 billion in the months that followed its market debut. The venture market broadly has struggled in recent years, with tech IPOs largely drying up in 2022 and staying relatively dormant aside from a few notable deals each year. In the third quarter of 2024, exit value hit a five-quarter low, with “only two exits — both acquisitions — exceeding the billion-dollar threshold,” according to an October report from PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. Obvious Ventures says it aims to “support entrepreneurs building disruptive solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges,” with a focus on what it calls planetary health, human health and economic health. Well-known investments include supplements company Olly, lab grown diamond maker Diamond Foundry, and electric bus maker Proterra. In its early years, Obvious ventures had fun with numbers in its fundraising. For its first fund in 2015, the firm raised $123,456,789. And its second fund two years later raised the numeric palindrome, $191,919,191. James Joaquin, who co-founded Obvious with Williams in 2014, said at the time of the second fund that the symbolism of the number was that you could look back at the first fund’s investments for an indication of what the firm would do in the future. Joaquin, one of the firm’s managing directors, was previously CEO of Xoom, a payments service acquired by PayPal, and Ofoto, which was purchased by Kodak. Williams, who helped create Twitter and was CEO of the company from 2008 to 2010 is still named as a co-founder of Obvious, but he isn’t a managing director. Williams wrote in a post on his publishing site Medium in 2017 that he was selling up to 30% of his Twitter holdings to finance other projects, including Obvious. Late last year, Williams launched the app Mozi, which describes itself as a “private social network for seeing your people more” in real life. WATCH: Crunchbase CEO on how AI is helping to predict the next IPO Source link #Obvious #Ventures #started #Twitters #Williams #raising #million Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Staff thought raid was boiler explosion Staff thought raid was boiler explosion Security footage showing the moment thieves stole the toilet was shown in court on Tuesday A gang that broke into Blenheim Palace to steal a solid gold toilet worth £4.8m made so much noise that staff thought a boiler had exploded, a court heard. The artwork, called America, was taken from the Oxfordshire stately home in the early hours of 14 September 2019, two days after it went on display. Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, denies one count of burglary. Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor, and 41-year-old Bora Guccuk, from west London, both deny conspiring to transfer criminal property. The toilet was most likely broken up and has never been recovered, Oxford Crown Court was told. Palace night duty manager Abel Clarke said his room was above the golden toilet exhibition and that he was awoken by a fire alarm. “I heard two loud bangs coming from below my room,” he said in a statement read to jurors. “My first thought was that the boiler had exploded.” He went to see colleague Reza Haghighi, who was monitoring CCTV, who told him there were vehicles outside and people were breaking in. Mr Clarke said he saw *********** facing in his direction but only got a glimpse of what was happening. He looked into the courtyard and saw two vehicles, including a truck, were pulling away “at speed”. “At one point I was running alongside the pick-up for a few seconds but could not see the person inside,” Mr Clarke added. Mr Haghighi was working overnight monitoring 48 CCTV cameras stationed around the Unesco World Heritage Site until 06:00 GMT on 14 September. He said at 04:50 he saw vehicles enter the palace’s quadrangle and zoomed in to see the gang approach. Mr Hagigi said he pressed a panic button and then the fire alarm, which turned on lights around the site. Footage previously played to the jury showed two vehicles driving across the Great Courtyard, before hooded individuals armed with sledgehammers and a large crowbar broke into the palace. The 18-carat gold toilet was part of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan. It weighed 98kg (216lb) and was insured for $6m (£4.8m). Gold prices at the time would have seen the metal alone worth £2.8m, the court was told. The palace is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. A fourth man, James Sheen, a 40-year-old from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, has previously pleaded guilty to burglary, the court heard earlier in the trial. The trial continues. Source link #Staff #thought #raid #boiler #explosion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Classic Fire Emblem-Inspired RPG Launches In March This Classic Fire Emblem-Inspired RPG Launches In March Developer Sword and Axe LLC and publisher indie.io have announced that Dark Deity 2 will launch on March 24 for PC. Dark Deity 2 is set 25 years after the events of the previous game. The realm of Verroa has been rebuilt by Irving, the first game’s protagonist, and the Eternal Order. However, Verroa now faces a new threat. The Holy Asverellian Empire is on a conquest of expansion, and it’s up to the Eternal Order to stop it. Dark Deity 2’s new protagonists include Irving’s children, Gwyn and Riordian, as they command the Eternal Delegation. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter Now Playing: Dark Deity 2 | Official Trailer Dark Deity 2 is a tactical turn-based RPG inspired by games like Fire Emblem. In particular, its combat is very reminiscent of the classic Fire Emblem games on Game Boy, such as Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Combat units are scattered across the battlefield, and when they engage in battle with enemies, they’re whisked away to a separate screen to duke it out. There are a total of 20 playable characters across 45 different branching classes, each with unique abilities, passive effects, and tactical roles. The game also has a large degree of variability, which includes a built-in randomizer and campaign customization options that can shuffle up character recruitment order and difficulty level, as well as experience and gold sliders. A demo is available on the Dark Deity 2’s Steam page, which lets players experience the game’s first four chapters. Neither the developer nor publisher has revealed whether Dark Deity 2 will come other platforms. The first game also received a Switch release, so it’s possible that the sequel will too. Source link #Classic #Fire #EmblemInspired #RPG #Launches #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Senate Republicans say House budget won’t fly with them Senate Republicans say House budget won’t fly with them House Republicans spent weeks in painstaking negotiations before delivering a budget blueprint for “one big, beautiful bill.” Now Senate Republicans are preparing to tear it apart. Despite a razor-thin 217-215 House vote Tuesday, GOP senators indicated Wednesday they would not accept Speaker Mike Johnson’s fiscal framework as-is — heralding a rough road for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda on Capitol Hill. That’s not to say they want to start from scratch: Most Senate Republicans said Wednesday that they were prepared to switch to the House’s one-bill approach after spending more than two months pushing a competing two-bill plan. But they want major, contentious changes to policy choices embedded in the House plan. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the House-approved product “a first step in what will be a long process, and certainly not an easy one.” Senate Republicans are expected to discuss next steps during an already scheduled closed-door lunch with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on Wednesday. Then Thune, Johnson and the heads of Congress’s tax writing committees will head to the White House to discuss Trump’s tax agenda. At a lunch earlier this week, Senate Republicans agreed there is still a lot of negotiating to do with their House counterparts on the Trump domestic policy agenda, which touches defense, energy, border security and an overhaul of the tax code. That includes further changes to the budget resolution, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the private meeting. “It doesn’t fit the president’s plan in its current form, so we would have to make some changes,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Senate Republicans, who approved their own budget plan earlier this month, haven’t yet decided if they will ask for a formal conference committee with their House colleagues or do an informal negotiation between the two chambers and the Trump administration, to try and come up with a compromise. Thune, in a brief interview, said that he was keeping “all the options available to us.” Immediately after the House approved its plan Tuesday, Thune called for any Republican tax bill to include a permanent extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That was an implicit criticism of the House budget blueprint, which allows for $4.5 trillion in net tax cuts — which tax writers in both chambers say won’t be enough to allow for TCJA permanency along with Trump’s other tax priorities “I know my Senate colleagues are committed to, as is the president, permanence in the tax situation. And we don’t have yet in the House bill so we’re going to work together in a cooperative way,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who led a Feb. 13 letter calling on Trump to make the tax cuts permanent, noted that he and Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) met with Trump on Monday to urge him to make the expiring tax cuts permanent. “We had Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent on the phone strongly supporting permanence; Kevin Hassett strongly supports permanence,” Daines said, referring respectively to the Commerce secretary, Treasury secretary and National Economic Council director. “The Senate’s behind permanence. I think many in the House leadership will support permanence, as well.” It’s not just the tax extensions that get scrutiny from Senate Republicans. The House framework also includes a provision calling for a minimum of $880 billion in cuts from the committee overseeing some health care programs. Critics argue that it paves the way for deep cuts into Medicaid and other social programs — something some GOP senators strongly oppose. “There might be a lot of things” we change.“There are going to be a lot of concerns over the Medicaid cuts,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “I realize it’s just a broad instruction to that committee, but I think there will be concerns about that and what that may lead to.” Some GOP senators last week helped reject a budget amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would have included a floor of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts — same as the House budget — hinting at the looming fight ahead between the two chambers. Hawley said he expected Republicans to support work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries but reject any cuts that would hit working Americans. Hawley added it was still to be determined how Senate Republicans address those concerns, but he suggested guardrails could be written into the final budget plan guaranteeing that spending cuts would be “not to include the following.” Others, however, want even deeper cuts to spending. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said the reductions set out in the House budget are “just not adequate.” He said he wants to bring federal spending levels down to where it was before the 2020 Covid pandemic. Senate Republicans also aren’t committing to keeping the House’s planned $4 trillion debt ceiling hike. Some Senate conservatives have warned they won’t support a budget resolution that includes a debt-limit hike, though most of the House’s hard-liners ultimately accepted it. “Acquiescing to a $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling is for me a non-starter,” said Paul, who voted against the Senate GOP budget adopted earlier this month. “It basically acknowledges that this year the government’s going to be $2 trillion short.” Instead, Senate GOP leaders are still discussing instead tying a debt ceiling increase to the government funding talks now underway — which would require Democrats to help support it. Raising the debt ceiling outside of reconciliation would also allow Congress to temporarily suspend the borrowing limit rather than engaging in the politically risky act of voting on a specific number. Ben Leonard contributed to this report. Source link #Senate #Republicans #House #budget #wont #fly Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gossip Girl actress dies aged 39 Gossip Girl actress dies aged 39 Michelle Trachtenberg, who rose to fame as a child star in the 1990s and 2000s, has died aged 39, the New York Police Department told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. The American actress was best known for playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s younger sister Dawn Summers, and later took on the role of manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl – which ran from 2007 to 2012 – as an adult. Her death is not being treated as suspicious, police said. Trachtenberg made her film debut in Harriet the Spy in 1996, and she appeared in several Nickelodeon productions. BBC News has reached out to Trachtenberg’s representatives for comment. Police in Manhattan said they responded to an emergency call on Wednesday morning, and they found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive”. She was “pronounced deceased at the scene”. “Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing,” the NYPD said in a statement. Trachtenberg got her start in acting at three-years-old on the Nickelodeon television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In the early 2000s, she was nominated for several acting awards – including a Daytime Emmy Award – for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also starred in films including EuroTrip, Ice Princess, Killing Kennedy and Sister Cities. Trachtenberg first appeared in Gossip Girl in 2008. She returned to the role for two episodes of the second season of HBO Max’s reboot in 2023. Her last major acting role was in 2021 as the host of a true-crime docuseries Meet, Marry, *******, which appeared on digital streamer Tubi. In 2021, Trachtenberg accused Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator, Joss Whedon, of inappropriate behaviour on set after her co-star Charisma Carpenter said she had been left traumatised due to the treatment she receive from Whedon. Source link #Gossip #Girl #actress #dies #aged Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

More Esports Organizations Are Flocking Towards Marvel Rivals More Esports Organizations Are Flocking Towards Marvel Rivals Marvel Rivals is very slowly and tentatively moving towards establishing an esports scene, but more and more organizations are already looking to set up shop. A handful of prestigious legacy organizations are in the process of signing rosters, and more could be on the way as ******* Marvel Rivals tournaments spring up. Which Esports Organizations are in Marvel Rivals? On February 26, Fnatic became the latest esports organization to enter Marvel Rivals, signing a roster to compete in the upcoming EMEA Invitational. The six-person team consists of a handful of former Overwatch pros and a former Fortnite World Cup participant. Fnatic is a globally recognized esports organization, famous for its Swedish CS:GO dynasty and from earning over a half dozen trophies in European League of Legends. Fnatic are by no means the only prestigious organization to jump right in to Marvel Rivals. OG, the European organization built on winning Dota 2’s The International twice, announced their Marvel Rivals roster hours before Fnatic did. Virtus.pro signed a decorated roster of Overwatch League veterans on February 19. All three of those organizations, alongside Twisted Minds, Team Peps, Luminosity, DUSTY, and the ECSTATIC roster, have been invited to the EMEA Invitational. Several other organizations are currently considering Marvel Rivals rosters. Sentinels, one of the most globally recognized and successful brands in VALORANT, announced it would participate in Marvel Rivals. CEO Rob Moore said he sees “tremendous potential” in the competitive Marvel Rivals scene, and opened the gates for virtually anyone to try out. Sentinels will in all likelihood compete in North America. 100 Thieves, another prominent organization based in North America, has also teased its interest. The invites for the North American Invitational have not been sent out yet. Marvel Rivals has seemingly achieved sustainable popularity, maintaining a presence at the top of the Steam player charts since the game released. The team at NetEase has prioritized a “coexisting” between casual and competitive play. Back in January, the game’s director said they are taking a lot of references from games that have thriving casual and competitive player pools. What organizations do you want to see enter Marvel Rivals next? Let us know in the comments below or on our community forum! For more Insider Gaming, read our exclusive interview with a developer responsible for skill-based matchmaking in the Call of Duty franchise. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Esports #Organizations #Flocking #Marvel #Rivals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Afghans KO England in Champs Trophy, now aim at Aussies Afghans KO England in Champs Trophy, now aim at Aussies Afghanistan have caused the sensation of the Champions Trophy by knocking England out with a nail-biting eight-run win in Lahore — and now they’ll set their sights on eliminating Australia too. The Afghans prevailed in a thriller at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, Ibrahim Zadran smashing the tournament’s highest-ever score of 177 in their 7-325 before England fell just short, bowled out for 317, despite Joe Root’s superb 120. The victory sparked ecstatic celebrations from tournament debutants Afghanistan, who now face Australia in the final group B match at the same stadium on Friday, knowing they’ll seal a place in a second-straight semi-final of an ICC showpiece after last year’s T20 World Cup should they beat Steve Smith’s side. Victory is a must for Australia on their quest for a third title as it would seal their place in the last-four, but defeat to the Afghans would send Smith’s men spinning out of the tournament should South Africa then beat demoralised England in Saturday’s final group B match. Currently, Australia are on three points alongside South Africa, but lagging behind on net run-rate (2.140 to 0.475) with Afghanistan on two points with a minus-0.990 nrr. For England, though, who also lost their opener to Australia in Lahore, the defeat simply represents the nadir of a terrible white-ball winter, with a big question mark now over the future of captain Jos Buttler. “I don’t want to say any emotional statements right now,” Buttler said afterwards. “For myself and the guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities.” For Afghanistan,, who had also beaten England at the 2023 World Cup in India, there was nothing but joy, though. “I know the whole nation will be happy,” said Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. Source link #Afghans #England #Champs #Trophy #aim #Aussies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nacon Connect digital showcase to reveal ‘secret projects’ in March Nacon Connect digital showcase to reveal ‘secret projects’ in March French publisher Nacon has announced plans to hold a digital product showcase next month. The next Nacon Connect presentation will be broadcast on March 6 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET. “As every year, the show will highlight Nacon’s gaming ecosystem, both as a game developer/publisher and creator of premium accessories,” the company said in a press release. “Players will learn more about already announced titles such as Hell is Us, Edge of Memories and Ravenswatch, while also discovering secret projects that will enrich Nacon’s catalogue in the coming months.” Nacon Connect will be viewable on the company’s official social media platforms including YouTube and Twitch. Hell is Us is a semi-open world third-person action-adventure game coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. In development at Rogue Factor, it’s set for release on September 4, 2025. Edge of Memories is a newly announced RPG from Midgar. Set in the same world as the studio’s most recent release, 2021’s Edge of Eternity, it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam this fall. It’s unclear if Nacon Connect will offer a fresh look at Terminator: Survivors, the delayed open-world game set in the world of the first two Terminator films. Announced back in 2022, it had been scheduled for release in October 2024, but last August it was pushed to 2025. The game is in development at Nacon Studio Milan, which previously worked on Rims Racing and TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3. Source link #Nacon #Connect #digital #showcase #reveal #secret #projects #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This $350 Oura Ring 4 Tracks Your Sleep. Is It Worth the Splurge? This $350 Oura Ring 4 Tracks Your Sleep. Is It Worth the Splurge? How much would you pay for a good night’s sleep? That’s a question consumers will face when confronted with the growing number of tech products that claim they can track sleep and offer bespoke advice on getting quality rest. The latest sleep-tracking gadget, the fourth-generation Oura Ring, which was released this week, is a $350 miniature computer worn around the finger like a piece of jewelry. The inside of the ring comes embedded with tiny sensors that collect data on vitals like heart rate, body temperature and movement, in an effort to track a wearer’s sleep patterns and pinpoint issues that may cause poor rest. The new Oura Ring is releasing at a time when Americans are increasingly prioritizing sleep, fueling a multibillion-dollar industry dedicated to quality slumber, including snore-detecting mattresses, sunrise-simulating alarm clocks and cool-air fans for beds. The Oura Ring also doubles as a fitness tracker that counts footsteps and activities like rock climbing, boxing and soccer, putting it in direct competition with exercise gadgets from companies like Apple, Fitbit and Garmin. Two years ago, I tested the previous Oura Ring 3 and panned it because I found some of its health data to be dubious. Yet the ring has since amassed a cult following, surpassing 2.5 million in sales, according to Oura Health, the Finnish start-up behind the ring. The new version has been redesigned to look slimmer, and its sensors have been improved for more accurate sleep tracking. So I decided to give the Oura Ring 4 a try. Oura not only wants you to buy a ring, which can cost up to $500 depending on the color you choose, it also wants you to pay $6 a month for detailed sleep analysis and other services. Over time, the ring will become a fairly exorbitant purchase. Is it worth it? As a father of a newborn constantly struggling to sleep, I’m a perfect test subject. I liked wearing the Oura — thinner and more comfortable than its predecessor, it looked just like an everyday ring. I also understood its appeal: Its seven-day battery life could constantly monitor vitals like my heart rate. But my sleep and fitness data were so hit or miss that I can’t confidently recommend making the splurge and paying a subscription. Most people are probably better off with a traditional fitness tracker like an Apple Watch or Garmin. Here’s how my week went snoozing and moving around with the Oura Ring 4. Days 1 and 2 After measuring my finger with a sizing kit from the company, I picked out a silver ring in size 10, a medium. When I received the ring on Thursday, I placed it in its charging station and connected it with the Oura app that I downloaded on my phone. I put it on my right middle finger and went about my day. The data logged by Oura quickly became confusing. On Friday, I packed up the family car for a weekend getaway. Sleeping that night felt like torture — I was constantly awakened by my newborn and my dogs and had to get up several times. The Oura app said I went to bed at 9 p.m. and woke up seven times before officially getting up at around 8 a.m. Nonetheless, the Oura app rated that night’s sleep “Good.” This was a classic case of an algorithm failing to objectively measure the very subjective nature of how I was supposed to feel about my sleep. The Oura app also incorrectly said I had walked more than 11,000 steps on Friday, which roughly totals more than five miles, even though I had spent most of the day driving. An Oura spokeswoman said the app gave my night’s sleep a positive rating despite the interruptions because of the amount of time I had spent in bed. The company confirmed that its ring overcounted footsteps and said an update to its algorithm would be released by 2025. Days 3 and 4 On Saturday night, the newborn woke up around 11:30 p.m., and I stayed up for about an hour to care for her before going back to sleep. The Oura app correctly logged this. On Sunday, I drove back home, stopping at a **** store to bathe my dogs, who were ripe from a morning stroll at a beach. When I got home, I threw together a stir fry dish for lunch. When I opened the Oura app that night, it had automatically detected a list of activities throughout the day, including our morning walk. But surprisingly, it had also recorded my movements from the dog bath and making lunch. It suggested that I label those activities as housework. This felt silly — I’m a fairly active person who wouldn’t count waving a blow dryer at a dog or shaking a frying pan as exercise. The process of going back and labeling the activities also felt inefficient. To me, it’s much easier to log exercise on an Apple Watch by tapping a button to start tracking a workout. Days 5 and 6 On Monday afternoon, I went rock climbing at a gym. That night, I went to bed around 10 p.m. My newborn woke up around 2 a.m., and I got up to feed her for half an hour before going back to sleep until 7 a.m. The next morning, the Oura app said I had a poor night’s rest, sleeping from only 2:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. It missed the first four hours of sleep. Oura said those were not logged because I was moving around too much. That indicated restless sleep, which did not meet the thresholds of its algorithm. But I slept fine and felt well rested. The app also said it detected a nap on Monday evening, when I was actually reading a book in bed. Oura said relaxing, sedentary activities could appear to its device as naps, which is why the app asked users to confirm naps before they were recorded as sleep. I could reject the erroneous nap data by hitting the “dismiss” button in my app. Bottom Line The Oura Ring would probably work well for people with relatively normal sleep schedules. Some reviewers who had more positive experiences with the ring wore it for longer periods of time, like up to six months, and said the gadget helped detect when they were getting sick, among other useful insights. But based on my experience, the ring may fall short for those who need the most help: people with broken, erratic sleep schedules. Oura said its goal next year was to create solutions for people with sleep disruptions. All told, I am not into the manual data logging — from naps to household chores — that is part of the experience of wearing an Oura Ring. It somewhat defeats the purpose of an automatic activity tracker and makes me look at my phone more often than I would like. Olivia Walch, a mathematician who studies circadian rhythms, said my confusing experience with Oura underscored the limits of most sleep tracking gadgets in general: They struggle to tell the difference between when you are asleep and sitting very still. “Your hand is not the same thing as your brain,” she said. It’s surprising to me that this is the fourth Oura Ring and that these problems, in addition to inaccurate step counting, haven’t already been solved. Wake me up when they are. Source link #Oura #Ring #Tracks #Sleep #Worth #Splurge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Trump administration sets the stage for large-scale federal worker layoffs in a new memo The Trump administration sets the stage for large-scale federal worker layoffs in a new memo WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed Wednesday by President Donald Trump ‘s administration that sets in motion what could become a sweeping realignment of American government. The memo expands the Republican president’s effort to downsize the federal workforce, which he has described as an impediment to his agenda. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired, and now his administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection. “We’re cutting down the size of government. We have to,” Trump said during the first Cabinet meeting of his second term. “We’re bloated. We’re sloppy. We have a lot of people that aren’t doing their job.” 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. Agencies are directed to submit by March 13 their plans for what is known as a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate the position altogether. The result could be extensive changes in how government functions. More plans are due on April 14, when agencies are expected to outline how they will consolidate management, become more efficient and potentially relocate offices to parts of the country that are less expensive than Washington. The memo said agencies should implement their plans by Sept. 30. Administration officials framed their effort as a cost-saving measure but with a clear ideological goal. “The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt. At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public,” said the memo from Russell Vought, director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, and Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, which functions as a human resources agency. “Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hard-working American citizens.” Kevin Owen, an employment lawyer who represents federal workers, compared the administration’s initiative to the kind of disruptions that are caused by government shutdowns during congressional budget standoffs. “This looks like a plan for a significant and shocking reduction of the federal workforce that I don’t think the American people are prepared for,” Owen said. “It’s going to cripple a lot of government functions.” He said that Trump and his allies were focusing on speed rather than precision as they overhaul the government. “Their plan is to do the damage and get sued,” he said. If a court ultimately rules against them, “by that point, they would have gotten what they wanted in interim.” Specific targets for reductions were not included in the memo, but Trump said the Environmental Protection Agency could cut its workforce by 65%. Trump foreshadowed the effort in an executive order that he signed with Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. The order said agency leaders “shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force,” or RIF. Some departments have already begin this process. The General Services Administration, which handles federal real estate, told employees on Monday that a reduction in force was underway and they would “everything in our power to make your departure fair and dignified.” Law enforcement, national security, public safety, military positions and U.S. Postal Service positions are exempt. The memo was released shortly before Trump convened Cabinet officials as well as Musk, who attended the meeting wearing a ****** “Make America Great Again” campaign hat. Musk described himself during the meeting as “humble tech support” for the federal government, and he talked about his cost-cutting crusade in existential terms. “If we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt,” he said. Musk has caused turmoil within the federal workforce, most recently by demanding that employees justify their jobs or risk getting fired. OPM later said that the edict was voluntary, although workers could face similar requests in the future. He described his request as a “pulse check.” “Are these people real? Are they alive? And can they write an email?” he said. Before the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that “all of the Cabinet secretaries take the advice and direction of DOGE.” “They’ll be providing updates on their efforts, and they’ll also be providing updates on what they’re doing at their agencies in terms of policies and implementing the promises that the president made on the campaign trail,” Leavitt said. Source link #Trump #administration #sets #stage #largescale #federal #worker #layoffs #memo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Illuminate Should Copy an Automaton Unit That Has Been a Nightmare For All Divers Since Day One The Illuminate Should Copy an Automaton Unit That Has Been a Nightmare For All Divers Since Day One When Omens of Tyranny update for Helldivers 2 was first rolled out in December, it featured only a small section of the massive Illuminate faction. Out of these few units, many assumed that the Harvester was the equivalent of an Automaton Factory Strider but it quickly became evident that it is mcuh weaker than the Strider. Arrowhead Game Studios plans to introduce many more Illumiante units but it needs to give them a unit that is equivalent to the Factory Strider. The Illuminate needs a unit that is equivalent to an Automaton Factory Strider (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) If Arrowhead plans to bring back the Illuminate units from the first game, then players should expect to see the Great Eye on the battlefield soon. However, it is be noted that the Great Eye only appeared as boss fights in the first game, so it is still not clear how Arrowhead would execute this idea in Helldivers 2. If the studio plans to bring back the unit as a boss fight, then it must introduce a slightly weaker unit than this that serves as Illuminate faction’s Factory Strider. The Illuminate faction in Helldivers 2 needs a Factory Strider equivalent It’s been roughly two months since the release of Omens of Tyranny update and now, players have started to notice that the Illuminate faction is getting weaker. Game director Mikael Eriksson has confirmed that so far, all the Illuminate units that have appeared on the battlefield are Illuminate Vanguard Fleet, which is not the complete faction. Arrowhead Game Studios certainly plans to add more Illuminate units to the game, but it needs to make sure that it gives the faction an equivalent of the Automaton Factory Strider to spice things up. The most menacing Illuminate unit at the moment is undoubtedly the Harvester, but it is a Charger/Hulk equivalent. Illuminate faction is yet to recieve its Tank, Bile Titan, Impaler and Factory Strinder equivalent units To put things into perspective, its like going against Automatons if the faction only consisted of troopers, scout striders and devastators, and hulks. Players also want Illuminate snipers More Illuminate units are coming to Helldivers 2 (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) Recently, the Helldivers 2 community suggested that Arrowhead Game Studios needs to intoduce Illumiante snipers since existing Illuminate units rely on close/medium range combat. At some point, players should expect to see Hunters from the first game. This group of Illuminate enemies are eqipped with long-ranged high-powered electro-pulse gauntlets, which are capable of killing players in a single shot. The first Helldivers game feautred some strong Illuminate enemies like Illusionist, Council Member, Obelisk, Apprentice, Strider, and Great Eye, so Arrowhead will certainly introduce them in the second game as well. On top of this, players should also expect to see some new kind of units. Great Eye is esentially the equivalent of an Automaton Factoy Strider but it only appeared as a boss battle in the first game which players could only access after accumulating 50 points of influence against the Illuminate faction. Source link #Illuminate #Copy #Automaton #Unit #Nightmare #Divers #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD Radeon RX 9070 series prices leak on Micro Center — starting at nearly $700 for XT versions AMD Radeon RX 9070 series prices leak on Micro Center — starting at nearly $700 for XT versions With just a couple of days before AMD officially announces the RX 9070 family of GPUs, listings for these graphics cards momentarily appeared online on Micro Center. Although it seems that the retailer has already taken them down, we caught a glimpse of their prices, and we aren’t happy. We saw one RX 9070 listing — the ASRock RX 9070 Challenger Triple Fan — for $649.99. The cheapest RX 9070 XT we saw — the ASRock RX 9070 XT Steel Legend Triple Fan — was listed for $699.99. Since AMD hasn’t announced prices for these GPUs yet, we hope that these are just placeholder prices and that the real pricing will be much lower. After all, the company already denied that the starting prices for the 9070 and 9070 XT are $749 and $899, respectively. But if these leaked numbers are true, then the 9070 XT isn’t much lower than the RTX 5070 Ti’s MSRP of $749, and the vanilla 9070 is much higher than the 5070’s $549 launch price. The company also compared the 9070 XT’s performance to that of the 7900 GRE, which had a launch price of just $549, while the 9070, which we could match to the 7800 XT, had a launch price of just $499. With AMD unlikely to sell a Made by AMD reference card to the public, the GPUs that we saw listed probably won’t sell at MSRP. This is also true with the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 non-Ti, as Nvidia refused to release Founders Edition versions of those graphics cards. Because of that, we only saw a few listings at the MSRP set by the company, with a few options even hitting nearly double the launch price. Despite this, many gamers and enthusiasts are anticipating the arrival of AMD’s competitors to Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs. With shortages still plaguing RTX 50-series GPUs despite being launched weeks ago, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs might be the only option for mid-range GPUs. AMD also renamed its graphics card lineup to make it easier to match and compare against the competition, so we expect the 9070 XT to be competitive with the 5070 Ti. However, leaked synthetic benchmark tests indicated that it more closely matched the RTX 4070 Super, while the RTX 5070 Ti outperformed it by approximately 28%. This doesn’t bode well for Team Red, and that’s why we’re anxious to get our hands on these GPUs to be able to see for ourselves how they’ll perform in the real world. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #AMD #Radeon #series #prices #leak #Micro #Center #starting #versions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Analyzing the stocks that broke down this month. Tesla faces a make-or-break moment Analyzing the stocks that broke down this month. Tesla faces a make-or-break moment After four straight days of losses, many stocks have taken a hit. So how do we identify the best candidates for a potential mean-reverting move? With literally thousands to choose from, we need a structured approach. Using the finviz.com database, we begin with 5,506 common stocks (excluding ETFs). To refine the list: Filtering for stocks with at least 500K average daily volume and a price of $10 or higher narrows it to 1,649. Looking at only oversold stocks (RSI below 30) reduces it further to 151. To focus on uptrends, we can filter for stocks trading above their 200-DMA, bringing the number down to 35… Among those 35, only eight are S & P 500 members: TSLA, SYF, APO, RJF, AXON, PNR, GDDY, NOW Three of those are in the NDX: TSLA, AXON & MSTR And that means that just two are in both the SPX & NDX: TSLA & AXON. Axon (AXON) is responding well to earnings Wednesday, with its preceding sell-off having created an extreme oversold state that traders have bought in earnest so far. Tesla’s 11-week rate of change is now at -30%, and the decline looks even worse when factoring in intraday data. This kind of severe drawdown has only occurred seven times before in its history (excluding overlapping instances). Notably, all but one of those instances (fall, 2022) led to strong rebounds and/or major trading lows. While this decline is particularly concerning given that it has occurred immediately after TSLA ripped to new highs, history suggests it’s not unprecedented. The stock has endured similar sharp pullbacks following highs in 2016, 2019, and 2021, only to regroup and eventually surge higher. Tesla chart The key question now: Can history repeat itself, or is this time different? When stocks crater, the selling pressure often becomes relentless, and TSLA has been no exception. The stock has now retraced 50% of its entire 2023-2025 advance in just under three months. Adding to the significance of this level, TSLA is now sitting near former resistance from the summer of 2023, a potential technical pivot zone. Whether this area acts as a stabilization point or merely a pause in the selling remains to be seen, but given the magnitude and speed of this retracement, it’s clearly an important spot for the stock. Among the other seven S & P 500 stocks identified by our screen, Pentair (PNR) stands out. The stock was sitting right on its 200-day moving average through Tuesday’s close. Since reclaiming this long-term support in early 2023, the stock has tested the 200-DMA twice — October 2023 and June 2024 — both times using it as a launching pad for a reversal higher that ultimately led to new highs. Also, PNR’s 14-day RSI has just hit its lowest level since summer 2022, highlighting how short-term oversold the stock has become. If this pattern plays out like it has in the past, a bounce could materialize soon, with an upside target near its former highs around $110. This illustrates how we can narrow down a large set of potential trade ideas to just a select few with higher conviction. Of course, countless other factors can be incorporated into the process, and which ones to use depends on personal preference and an understanding of the current trading environment. When the market begins to stabilize again, we will shift our focus back to bullish chart patterns, which have worked well over the past two years. However, history shows that these setups have been most effective only after the S & P 500 has rebounded from periods of elevated volatility, a condition the market currently finds itself in again now. DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Source link #Analyzing #stocks #broke #month #Tesla #faces #makeorbreak #moment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘It was a bit hurtful’: Mario + Rabbids creator says Ubisoft’s sequel comments were ‘harsh on the team’ ‘It was a bit hurtful’: Mario + Rabbids creator says Ubisoft’s sequel comments were ‘harsh on the team’ The creator of Mario + Rabbids says it was a “bit hurtful” for his team’s morale when Ubisoft said the sequel had underperformed. In a financial update back in January 2023, Ubisoft cited Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Just Dance 2023 as two games which had failed to meet expectations, saying sales had been “markedly and surprisingly slower than expected”. “Despite excellent ratings and players’ reception as well as an ambitious marketing plan, we were surprised by Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope underperformance in the final weeks of 2022 and early January,” it said at the time. Although Ubisoft’s comments acknowledged the sequel’s critical acclaim, co-creator Davide Soliani says the feedback still affected the morale of its development team at Ubisoft Milan. “The message that we received about how the game was faring was a bit hurtful for the morale of the team,” Soliani told VGC in a new interview, “because we just finished working for three and a half years and were super committed to creating a very good game. So, of course, it was not the kind of message that we wanted to receive back in those days.” Despite slow initial sales, Sparks of Hope continues to sell, Soliani says. Despite not getting the positive messaging his team may have hoped for, however, Soliani said the team were able to get over it through their own internal discussions. “It was a bit hurtful, but nothing crazy,” he recalled. “I think that’s normal… every development team is proud of what they are doing and always searching for encouraging words, which in that situation, was maybe needed. It was a bit harsh on the team, but nothing that we didn’t solve by talking internally back when we were in the company.” Soliani also told us that developing Sparks of Hope was a tougher experience than developing the first game, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, because there were more eyes on it from higher up. “With the first game, nobody was really trying to stop me,” he exaplained. “Because nobody was expecting anything from Kingdom Battle, I had a lot of freedom. But because the first one was a big success, Sparks of Hope was way harder to develop than Kingdom Battle. “There was too much overthinking about it all around me. So to me it was a bit… it was still a joy, it was a wonderful experience because I always loved working with Nintendo and I will always will.” Last year Soliani founded a new studio called Day 4 Night, along with other former leaders of Ubisoft Milan, including Mario Rabbids producers Cristina Nava and Gian Marco Zanna. Source link #bit #hurtful #Mario #Rabbids #creator #Ubisofts #sequel #comments #harsh #team Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia to report first earnings since shock debut of ******** AI DeepSeek | Nvidia Nvidia to report first earnings since shock debut of ******** AI DeepSeek | Nvidia Nvidia will deliver its earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2024 Wednesday evening, which investors will be watching closely for any signs of slowing demand for semiconductor chips. The chipmaker’s financials will face scrutiny over possible signals of an end to the AI-fueled market ***** that has propelled the company to a stratospheric valuation of $3.1tn. Analysts expect Nvidia to maintain its leadership position as the maker of the AI industry’s favorite chips, but recent news has presented new potential challenges to the company’s ownership of the market. For one, analysts at TD Cowen published findings earlier in the week that Microsoft, one of Nvidia’s biggest customers, was cancelling leases with private data center operators. Investors expressed concerns about the sustainability of mass investment into AI infrastructure, including Microsoft’s $80bn, which would mean less spending on Nvidia’s wares. This earnings call will also be the first look at the company’s financials and demand since China’s DeepSeek AI introduced an AI model that beat many of those made in the US while requiring a fraction of the training and investment. The introduction of DeepSeek initially sent Nvidia’s valuation tumbling by hundreds of billions because the ******** AI seemed to show that new models did not necessarily need to rely on Nvidia’s most expensive, top-of-the-line graphics processing unit (GPU), as most cutting-edge models out of the US do. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Despite the company’s past stellar performance, analysts expect investors to look for other signs that the company will be capable of meeting the moment as demand for the chips that power AI models remains steady. “The key question for Nvidia’s Q4 earnings isn’t just about the numbers, but whether the company can maintain its commanding position as AI evolves,” said Jacob Bourne, a technology analyst at eMarketer. “Even if Nvidia posts another quarter of stellar growth, the market reaction will depend on how well it can convince investors that it can tackle these challenges.” Some analysts predict the ripples from DeepSeek’s launch may not have an immediate impact on Nvidia but could allow competitors like AMD and Intel to “gain a foothold on the lower end of the AI infrastructure market”, said Alvin Nguyen, a senior analyst at Forrester. “DeepSeek has established a new and lower base of performance for generative AI (specifically for chain-of-thought/reasoning models), allowing for more organisations to experiment with AI,” Nguyen added. Source link #Nvidia #report #earnings #shock #debut #******** #DeepSeek #Nvidia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]