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Has Germany’s ‘firewall’ against the far right been breached by AfD success? Has Germany’s ‘firewall’ against the far right been breached by AfD success? Paul Kirby & Kristina Volk BBC News in Berlin Getty Images AfD leaders, including Alice Weidel (C) and Tino Chrupalla (to her R) gathered on Tuesday for their first post-election meeting One in five Germans put an X in the box for Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday: a record result that has made them the second biggest force in ******* politics. Riding on the back of that success, the party is now calling for an end to the consensus in ******* politics not to work with the far right. That “firewall” – Brandmauer in ******* – has worked since the end of World War Two, but AfD joint leader Tino Chrupalla says: “Anyone who erects firewalls will get grilled behind them.” There is a determination among all of Germany’s main parties to keep that block in place – and the ******* public backs them up: 69% see the AfD as a threat to democracy, according to voters surveyed on Sunday. Friedrich Merz, who won the election for the conservatives, believes the only reason the AfD exists is because of problems such as migration and security that need to be addressed: “We need to resolve these problems… then that party, the AfD, will disappear.” The AfD won 20.8% of the vote nationally, and as the light blue areas of the map show, it was dominant in the five states in the east, securing 34%. “East Germans have made it very clear they no longer want a firewall,” said Tino Chrupalla. Friedrich Merz will now go into talks on forming a government with the Social Democrats, who came third. Even though his party won 28.6% of the vote, it was still their second-worst result since World War Two. Support for the AfD doubled, and a million of their voters deserted Merz’s conservatives for them, according to a survey by research institute Infratest dimap. Voters have not been put off by the fact that Germany’s domestic intelligence classifies parts of the AfD as right-wing extremist – or that the party has now embraced a policy called “remigration”. The AfD argues that remigration means deporting immigrants convicted of crime, but the term has been used by the extreme right to mean mass deportations. One of the big issues for the Christian Democrats is how to get their voters back and stop losing more. Merz has already flirted with the AfD in parliament, relying on their votes to push through a motion on migration. But he was clearly stung by a public outcry and the mass protests that followed in many ******* cities. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting is unlikely to try that again, especially if he forms a government with the centre-left. But now the AfD has more than 150 seats in parliament, its supporters in particular believe it is time for the firewall to go. “I just hope that the firewall will fall. But we all know that it won’t be like that,” says pro-AfD TikTok influencer Celina Brychcy, 26. “I think it will fall at the latest when new elections are held. Then they’ll have to realise at some point they can’t get through with what they’re doing right now.” “I think the Brandmauer will stay,” says Dominic, 30, who voted for the AfD in Saxony. “I want the government to really think about their own people and their own country.” Pressure to take down the long-standing firewall is not just coming from the AfD, but from leading figures in the Trump administration too, including US Vice-President JD Vance and Elon Musk, who has repeatedly backed the party. Most of the voices you hear challenging the firewall come from the east, which may not be surprising considering the deep reach of the AfD, especially in the five eastern states out of a total of 16 across Germany. They won 38.6% of the vote in Thuringia and 37.% in both Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of the CDU. It makes them increasingly difficult to keep at arm’s length. On one of the big talkshows on ******* TV on Monday night, Harsh but Fair, one local mayor from Saxony, Mirko Geissler, believed the AfD should be put on the “playing field”, so they could show what they could do. If not, they would end up surging to 40-50% in the polls, he warned. Liane Bach, an independent mayor from a village in Thuringia said that in her region, “AfD voters aren’t right-wing extremists”. A CDU politician on the programme, Philippe Anthor, conceded there should be “no firewalls between the democratic parties and people who vote AfD”. That is the main issue the big national parties will have to address. How to avoid ostracising AfD voters who clearly have no problem with the firewall being breached. One mayor pointed out that one of her fellow residents who was also an AfD councillor was fixing the local fountain. It made no sense not to work with him. Prof Conrad Ziller from the University of Duisburg-Essen believes the greatest threat to the firewall could come at state level, rather than nationally. “If you have trouble building a coalition in a state, then at some point, there could be a ********* government that relies on the AfD, or gets votes from the AfD from time to time.” On a national level, the worst-case scenario would be for a breakdown in a Merz-led coalition: “Merz could make mistakes. If he gets really tough on immigration, it might become problematic with the SPD.” Germany has already seen one early election because of a coalition collapse, and the AfD’s Alice Weidel has made clear she is looking for early elections. Her repeated appearances on TV election debates have made her a prominent figure in Germany and helped raise her party’s profile. But it was the constant focus on migration and security that became the number one issue for AfD voters, partly fuelled by three deadly attacks, all allegedly carried out by immigrants. Tackling insecurity, and the perception of it, will be an immediate task for the next government, when it eventually takes shape. Underlying the urgency, Bavaria’s centre-right leader Markus Söder said the need to tackle immigration, along with Germany’s faltering economy, was “in fact, the last bullet of democracy”. There is no question of breaching the long-standing firewall for the moment. And the general secretary of Merz’s party, Tom Unger, was adamant that there should be no collaboration with a party that opposed Germany’s ties with the West, its membership of Nato and “the European idea”. That was incompatible, he said, with the conservatives’ “core DNA”. Source link #Germanys #firewall #breached #AfD #success Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Educational tech company Chegg sues Google over AI Overviews Educational tech company Chegg sues Google over AI Overviews Educational tech company Chegg has sued Google in federal court claiming that its “AI Overviews” that appear ahead of search results have hurt its traffic and revenue. In order to be included in Google’s search results, Chegg alleges, it must “supply content that Google republishes without permission in AI-generated answers that unfairly compete for the attention of users on the internet in violation of antitrust laws of the United States.” Previously, publishers like The New York Times have sued AI companies over copyright infringement, accusing them of training large language models (LLMs) on IP material without permission. However, Chegg is taking another approach, instead accusing Google of abusing its monopoly position to force companies to supply materials for its “AI Overviews” on its search page. Failing to do so, it says, means it could effectively be excluded from Google Search altogether. Chegg included a screenshot of a Google AI Overview that takes details from Chegg’s website without attribution, though the page in question appears lower down in the search results. Google told CNBC that it would defend itself against the suit. “Every day, Google sends billions of clicks to sites across the web, and AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites,” a spokesperson said. Google’s use of its monopoly power in this way “amounts to a form of unlawful reciprocal dealing that harms competition in violation of the Sherman Act,” Chegg claimed, while citing a federal judge’s ruling from last year that Google is a monopolist in search. The tech-ed company said that it is particularly affected by these practices because the “breadth, depth, quality and volume of Chegg’s educational content holds enormous value for artificial intelligence applications.” Chegg is the latest in a long list of companies suing Google over alleged misappropriation of IP content, though as mentioned, using the Sherman Act is a novel approach. As of January 2025, 38 copyright lawsuits related to AI have been filed in the US, according to a site keeping track of the claims — so far with mixed results. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Source link #Educational #tech #company #Chegg #sues #Google #Overviews Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

*** to up army spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, cut aid *** to up army spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, cut aid The United Kingdom will raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and target 3.0 per cent in the longer term by cutting its overseas development budget, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says. “This government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer told parliament. The shift in the ***’s defence strategy comes before Starmer flies to the United States to meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, who has repeatedly called for NATO members like the *** to spend more on defence. European leaders were stunned earlier this month when Trump’s administration made clear that Europe would need to step up to provide its own security, sparking a bout of diplomatic activity. Starmer said that difficult choices needed to be made in the interest of the country’s security and he would fund the increased spending on the military by cutting the aid budget from 0.5 per cent of GDP to 0.3 per cent in 2027. “We will also set a clear ambition for defence spending to rise to three per cent of GDP in the next parliament,” he added. Successive *** governments have reduced spending on defence since World War II and the Cold War, as they stepped up investment in health, ******** and education instead. The *** last spent 3.0 per cent of GDP on defence in 1993/94. Source link #army #spending #cent #GDP #cut #aid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI cracks down on ChatGPT scammers OpenAI cracks down on ChatGPT scammers OpenAI has made it clear that its flagship AI service, ChatGPT is not intended for malicious use. The company has released a report detailing that it has observed the trends of bad actors using its platform as it becomes more popular. OpenAI indicated it has removed dozens of accounts on the suspicion of using ChatGPT in unauthorized ways, such as for “debugging code to generating content for publication on various distribution platforms.” The company has also recently announced reaching a 400 million weekly active user milestone. The company detailed that its usership has increased by more than 100 million in less than three months as more enterprises and developers utilize its tools. However, ChatGPT is also a free service that can be accessed globally. As the moral and ethical aspects of its functions have long been in question, OpenAI has had to come to terms with the fact that there are entities that have ulterior motives for the platform. “OpenAI’s policies strictly prohibit use of output from our tools for fraud or scams. Through our investigation into deceptive employment schemes, we identified and banned dozens of accounts,” the company said in its report. In its report, OpenAI discussed having to challenge nefarious actions taking place on ChatGPT. The company highlighted several case studies, where it has uncovered and taken action by banning the accounts found to be using the tool for malicious intent. In one instance, OpenAI detailed an account that wrote disparaging news articles about the US, with the news source being published in Latin America under the guise of a ******** publication byline. Another case, localized in North Korea was found to be to be generating resumes and job profiles for make-believe job applicants. According to OpenAI, the account may have been used for applying to jobs at Western companies. Yet another study uncovered accounts believed to have originated in Cambodia that used ChatGPT for translation and to generate comments in networks of “romance scammers,” that infiltrate several social media platforms, including X, Facebook, and Instagram. OpenAI has confirmed that it has shared its findings with its industry contemporaries, such as Meta, that might inadvertently be affected by the actions happening on ChatGPT. An ongoing issue This is not the first time OpenAI has detailed its efforts in challenging bad actors on its AI platform. In October 2024, the company released a report highlighting 20 cyberattacks it impeded, including events led by Iranian and ******** state-sponsored hackers. Cybersecurity experts have also long observed bad actors using ChatGPT for nefarious purposes, such as developing malware and other malicious code. These findings have been around since early 2023, when the tool was still fresh to the market. This is when OpenAI was first considering introducing a subscription tier to support its high demand. Such nefarious tasks entailed bad actors using the company’s API to create ChatGPT alternatives that can generate malware. However, white hat experts have also studied AI-generated malware from a research perspective, discovering loopholes that allow the chatbot to generate nefarious code in smaller, less detectable, pieces. IT and cybersecurity professionals were polled in February 2023 about the safety of ChatGPT, with many responding that they believed the tool would be responsible for a successful cyberattack within the year. By March 2023, the company had experienced its first data breach, which would become a regular occurrence. Source link #OpenAI #cracks #ChatGPT #scammers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Murdered businessman’s body found in sack in Kenya Murdered businessman’s body found in sack in Kenya The body of a murdered Scottish businessman was found in a sack by a Kenyan cattle herder days after he went missing from his hotel. Campbell Scott, 58, arrived in Nairobi’s affluent Westlands district for a business trip on 15 February. He was last seen the following night with an unidentified man, having been to a nightclub. The BBC has learned his body was found about 60 miles (96.5km) outside of Nairobi in a forest. His hands and legs had been bound with rope. Local police have arrested two people – a taxi driver and a waiter from the club – who may have been among the last to see him alive. Mr Scott, from Dunfermline in Fife, was a senior director at credit scoring firm Fico. He was attending a conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi and was due to meet colleagues to discuss a presentation. When he did not return to the hotel on 16 February, colleagues tried to call him but could not reach him. They filed a police report and a search was launched, with Interpol later joining the investigation. On Saturday police received a report that a cattle herder had seen a body inside a sack, which was later identified as Mr Scott. It is expected that a post-mortem examination will be carried out later on Tuesday. The BBC’s deputy Africa editor Anne Soy said the apparent ******* has surprised the local community. She told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “It is unusual especially because the victim is a foreigner who had just arrived in the country. “He was going to meet other businessmen for what looks like legitimate business. That has really surprised people. “There are really no theories as to what could have happened. The employer has asked people not to speculate about any issues around his death.” Mr Scott studied at Woodmill High School in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Technical College, going on to work for a number of companies before joining Fico. Confirming his death on Monday, a spokeswoman for the firm said staff were “devastated” by the news. She added: “Campbell was a leader in our international Scores business. “He joined FICO in 2014 and was instrumental in introducing Scores to new markets and growing our business with existing partnerships. We mourn his passing and will miss his humour and kindness. “Our thoughts are with Campbell’s family and friends. We ask that the media respect their privacy.” The ***’s Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Kenya and are in contact with the local authorities.” Source link #Murdered #businessmans #body #sack #Kenya Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Get six months of access for only $3 Get six months of access for only $3 If you’re currently in the market for a music streaming subscription, have we got a deal for you. Pick up six months of Apple Music for just $3. That’s not a typo. This discount brings the price down to, checks math, $0.50 per month. The cost is typically $11 per month, so this ***** represents a savings of more than $60. You’ve got a few more days to grab it as well, since the deal runs through February 27. The usual caveats apply. This is an enticement to bring in new subscribers, so current members are out of luck (myself included.) It’s also not available for those who currently qualify for a three-month free trial of the service. Finally, this deal must be redeemed on an Apple device, and only iPhones running iOS 16 and later, Mac computers running MacOS 13 and later and the Vision Pro headset are applicable here. Apple Offer for eligible new subscribers redeeming on eligible devices. Auto-renews at $10.99/mo after offer ******* until cancelled. Offer not available if you are eligible for a 3-months free Apple Music offer. Terms apply. $3 at Apple Apple Music is a fine little streaming platform. The audio quality is on point, with lossless streaming available at no charge, and the UI is easy-to-navigate. It may not allow exclusive access to Joe Rogan episodes, like Spotify, but that’s because Apple Music seems dedicated to, well, music. To that end, the app places a heavy emphasis on curation. There are all kinds of playlists that were created by actual humans, and they receive regular updates. Many artist pages include playlists of deep cuts, essential hits and more. Albums are often accompanied by a review or synopsis, which is a nice touch. The app also gives access to several live radio stations that are hosted by actual DJs, and not AI simulacrums. Apple Music still uses an algorithm for many of its custom playlists unique to each user, but the human touch is still appreciated. The Spotify algorithm for discovering new music is a bit more adventurous, but the Apple algo gets the job done. On the downside, the service works best on Apple devices. There’s also no free tier, which is something of a bummer. To that end, make sure you cancel before the six months runs out, if it’s not your bag. Otherwise, you’ll start getting charged $11 each month. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Source link #months #access Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Watch this humanoid robot perform a front flip in world first Watch this humanoid robot perform a front flip in world first It was nearly eight years ago when Boston Dynamics’ bipedal Atlas robot performed its first-ever back flip, dazzling everyone with its incredible balance, agility, and precision. Now, Shenzhen-based EngineAI Robotics has just presented the first humanoid robot capable of a front flip. You can watch it in the video embedded at the top of this page. It’s an impressive accomplishment requiring precise balance, advanced visual perception, and accurate landing control, enabled by the perfect deployment of complex mechanical and algorithmic systems. EngineAI Robotics unveiled its first humanoid robot just four months ago, while the front-flipping one that you see here, called PM01, launched in December. A more refined version of the PM01 robot was shown off last month at the CES 2025 tech show in Las Vegas. The remarkable design is described by EngineAI as a lightweight, high-dynamic, intelligent robot. Standing at 54.3 inches (138 centimeters) and weighing around 88 pounds (40 kilograms), PM01 can move in a human-like way, seemingly with ease. It also supports extensive hardware and software capabilities, making it ideal for various research applications. The advanced humanoid robot is even available for purchase, with commercial and educational editions each costing $13,700. EngineAI is just the latest in a growing number of tech companies making waves in the field of humanoid robots. Fellow ******** firm Xiaomi, for example, is working on such a machine, while Norway-based 1X has just unveiled its remarkably lifelike Neo Gamma robot, which it wants to deploy as a home helper. In the U.S., besides Boston Dynamics’ impressive Atlas robot, there’s Tesla’s Optimus, which Tesla chief Elon Musk wants to put on the production line to help build its electric vehicles. There’s also the Figure 02 robot from California-based Figure, while Texas firm Apptronik is continuing to develop its Apollo humanoid robot. Source link #Watch #humanoid #robot #perform #front #flip #world Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nvida to report earnings amid infrastructure spending, DeepSeek concerns Nvida to report earnings amid infrastructure spending, DeepSeek concerns Nvidia is scheduled to report fourth-quarter financial results on Wednesday after the bell. It’s expected to put the finishing touches on one of the most remarkable years from a large company ever. Analysts polled by FactSet expect $38 billion in sales for the quarter ended in January, which would be a 72% increase on an annual basis. The January quarter will cap off the second fiscal year where Nvidia’s sales more than doubled. It’s a breathtaking streak driven by the fact that Nvidia’s data center graphics processing units, or GPUs, are essential hardware for building and deploying artificial intelligence services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In the past two years, Nvidia stock has risen 478%, making it the most valuable U.S. company at times with a market cap over $3 trillion. But Nvidia’s stock has slowed in recent months as investors question where the chip company can go from here. It’s trading at the same price as it did last October, and investors are wary of any signs that Nvidia’s most important customers might be tightening their belts after years of big capital expenditures. This is particularly concerning in the wake of recent breakthroughs in AI out of China. Much of Nvidia’s sales go to a handful of companies building massive server farms, usually to rent out to other companies. These cloud companies are typically called “hyperscalers.” Last February, Nvidia said a single customer accounted for 19% of its total revenue in fiscal 2024. Morgan Stanley analysts estimated this month that Microsoft will account for nearly 35% of spending in 2025 on Blackwell, Nvidia’s latest AI chip. Google is at 32.2%, Oracle at 7.4% and Amazon at 6.2%. This is why any sign that Microsoft or its rivals might pull back spending plans can shake Nvidia stock. Last week, TD Cowen analysts said that they’d learned that Microsoft had canceled leases with private data center operators, slowed its process of negotiating to enter into new leases and adjusted plans to spend on international data centers in favor of U.S. facilities. The report raised fears about the sustainability of AI infrastructure growth. That could mean less demand for Nvidia’s chips. TD Cowen’s Michael Elias said his team’s finding points to “a potential oversupply position” for Microsoft. Shares of Nvidia fell 4% on Friday. Microsoft pushed back Monday, saying it still planned to spend $80 billion on infrastructure in 2025. “While we may strategically pace or adjust our infrastructure in some areas, we will continue to grow strongly in all regions. This allows us to invest and allocate resources to growth areas for our future,” a spokesperson told CNBC. Over the last month, most of Nvidia’s key customers touted large investments. Alphabet is targeting $75 billion in capital expenditures this year, Meta will spend as much as $65 billion and Amazon is aiming to spend $100 billion. Analysts say about half of AI infrastructure capital expenditures ends up with Nvidia. Many hyperscalers dabble in AMD’s GPUs and are developing their own AI chips to lessen their dependence on Nvidia, but the company holds the majority of the market for cutting-edge AI chips. So far, these chips have been used primarily to train cutting-edge AI models, a process that can cost hundreds of millions dollars. After the AI is developed by companies like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, warehouses full of Nvidia GPUs are required to serve those models to customers. That’s why Nvidia projects its revenue to continue growing. Another challenge for Nvidia is last month’s emergence of ******** startup DeepSeek, which released an efficient and “distilled” AI model. It had high enough performance that suggested billions of dollars of Nvidia GPUs aren’t needed to train and use cutting-edge AI. That temporarily sunk Nvidia’s stock, causing the company to lose almost $600 billion in market cap. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will have an opportunity on Wednesday to explain why AI will continue to need even more GPU capacity even after last year’s massive build-out. Recently, Huang has spoken about the “scaling law,” an observation from OpenAI in 2020 that AI models get better the more data and compute are used when creating them. Huang said that DeepSeek’s R1 model points to a new wrinkle in the scaling law that Nvidia calls “Test Time Scaling.” Huang has contended that the next major path to AI improvement is by applying more GPUs to the process of deploying AI, or inference. That allows chatbots to “reason,” or generate a lot of data in the process of thinking through a problem. AI models are trained only a few times to create and fine-tune them. But AI models can be called millions of times per month, so using more compute at inference will require more Nvidia chips deployed to customers. “The market responded to R1 as in, ‘oh my gosh, AI is finished,’ that AI doesn’t need to do any more computing anymore,” Huang said in a pretaped interview last week. “It’s exactly the opposite.” Source link #Nvida #report #earnings #infrastructure #spending #DeepSeek #concerns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Flexion and EA to partner up and bring the publisher’****** mobile catalogue to alternative app stores Flexion and EA to partner up and bring the publisher’****** mobile catalogue to alternative app stores Flexion and EA have partnered up once more to bring the latter’s mobile catalogue to alt app stores That means more accessibility for those not using Google Play or the iOS App Store And a major sea change for how big publishers are perceiving the possibility of life beyond Apple and Google It’s been a big year for alternative app stores. Ever since Apple was forced to open its floodgates to them in places like the EU it’s the only thing on anyone’s lips. And now Flexion, who previously brought Candy Crush Solitaire to alternative app stores, has once more partnered with EA to bring the publisher’s mobile back-catalogue to alternative storefronts too! Alright, alright, I can already hear you saying (or, er, typing), “But what does this mean for me?” Well, as you may know up until now when it comes to mobile the only real games (pun not intended) in town for publishing to smartphones have been either the iOS App Store or Google Play. However, since a bunch of legal disputes forced Apple and Google to drop many perceived anti-competitive practices there’s been a big move towards opening alternative app stores. The upside for the average player? A lot of these platforms are operating huge incentives to attract users. Epic For example, you only need to look as far as the Epic Games Store and their free game programme. Now, I don’t think any of the platforms Flexion is bringing EA’s back-catalogue to will go quite that far, but I don’t doubt that there’ll be a lot more flexibility (pun intended) on policy that Apple and Google have otherwise outright rejected. Long-term though, what does this mean? Well, EA for better or for worse are one of the most monolithic companies in gaming. These are the guys who gobble up smaller developers and ***** out the bones. So if they detect the way the wind is blowing it basically means clear sailing (Enough of the Puns – Ed.) for everyone else. Right now we don’t know exactly which games will be coming to the suite of alternative app stores they’re publishing to. But at the same time, I’ve got a few ideas, such as Diablo Immortal and of course the other Candy Crush titles to boot. Source link #Flexion #partner #bring #publishers #hit #mobile #catalogue #alternative #app #stores Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tuesday’s biggest Wall Street analyst calls like Nvidia Tuesday’s biggest Wall Street analyst calls like Nvidia Here are Tuesday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: Goldman Sachs reiterates Microsoft as buy Goldman said it’s standing by the stock and that Microsoft “continues to invest in AI capacity prudently with an eye towards returns.” “We reiterate our Buy rating, $500 PT, and leave our estimates for $88bn/91bn in FY25/26 CapEx unchanged following recent reporting that Microsoft has potentially delayed or canceled some of its AI data center leases.” Truist reiterates Nvidia as buy Truist said Nvidia is “still the AI leader and the one to own” ahead of earnings on Wednesday. “Lots of noise, but the data we trust most is encouraging.” BMO upgrades Quanta Services to outperform from market perform BMO said investors should buy the dip in the infrastructure company. “Recent pullback on power and related infrastructure offers attractive opportunity to lean into PWR. ” Bank of America initiates Metsera as buy Bank of America said the biotech company has a differentiated offering in the obesity market. “We initiate coverage of Metsera (MTSR) with a Buy rating and a $38 PO, implying > 20% upside.” Read more about this call here. Bernstein reiterates Ferrari as outperform Bernstein said Ferrari is uniquely positioned for growth ahead. “Few brands have been able to create a highly desirable range of products exclusively catered towards an ‘inner circle’ of VIP/loyal customers.” Morgan Stanley upgrades Block to equal weight from underweight The firm upgraded the stock mainly on valuation. “We’re upgrading XYZ to EW, with the stock now trading near our PT of $65.” Bernstein reiterates Nike as outperform Bernstein said it’s standing by Nike ahead of earnings in late March. “Estimates today are heavily skewed to the bear case, and we expect them to tick upwards as we get more market feedback, restoring confidence that the brand isn’t ‘dead’ but can still deliver multi-year structural earnings growth in FY26 and beyond.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said Tesla is well positioned in the humanoid and robotics market. “We identify three main catalyst types that could support a stock price rally: 1) strong government support 2) major corporate/humanoid model updates; and 3) advancement in major technologies.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Target as overweight Morgan Stanley said it sees an “attractive risk/reward” heading into earnings in early March. “TGT’s discount relative to broadline peers offers a compelling entry point for value investors as it attempts to execute on its strategic priorities and show progress on its journey back to a 6% operating margin.” Jefferies initiates Wave Life Sciences as buy The firm said the biotech company is well positioned. ” WVE is building a portfolio of RNA medicines by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and novel chemistry that could fundamentally change the way diseases are treated.” Bank of America initiates BGC Group as buy Bank of America said in its initiation of BGC that the financial services company is “best positioned to capitalize on Trump-related volatility.” “Among our covered market structure stocks, we think BGC has the most ideal cyclical set-up over the NT due to its mix of FX and commodity revenues.” Bank of America initiates Infinity Natural Resources as buy The firm said the oil and energy company is a “stand out.” “We initiate coverage of Infinity Natural Resources (INR) with a Buy rating and a price objective of $30, implying 50% upside potential.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet & Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley revealed several major internet and tech companies that are well positioned for GenAI returns. “Visibility on demand drivers across Software and Internet is firming as we see $153B in GenAI revenue in 2025, boding well for MSFT, AMZN, GOOG , and META. ” D.A. Davidson initiates Nebius Group as buy DA says the AI data center company is undervalued. “Nebius is emerging as one of the first true alternatives to hyperscaler-dominated AI compute.” Deutsche Bank upgrades Constellium to buy from hold Deutsche said the aluminum products company is too attractive to ignore at current levels. “For investors looking to enter the space, CSTM will likely appear attractive on valuation, and we note the stock has been down 44% in the last 12 months. At this time we view it as a good entry point for investors.” Source link #Tuesdays #biggest #Wall #Street #analyst #calls #Nvidia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

******** Navy Drills in Tasman Sea Unnerve Australia and New Zealand ******** Navy Drills in Tasman Sea Unnerve Australia and New Zealand ******** warships that have been sailing south along the eastern coast of Australia gave notice on Friday of their intent to conduct live fire exercises in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, forcing commercial flights to divert and putting the two countries on edge. The three naval vessels, which include one of the most powerful warships in the ******** navy’s fleet, were outside Australia’s exclusive economic zone when the drills took place, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia told reporters. The ships were first detected in the region last week, according to *********** officials. While the ******** vessels appeared to have acted in accordance with international law, the *********** and New Zealand militaries were closely monitoring them, Mr. Albanese said. He said it was not immediately clear what, if any, live fire drills were conducted Friday. Analysts have said that the unannounced presence of the warships near *********** territorial waters — thousands of miles away from the ******** mainland — was a show of force. In Beijing, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry described the actions of the ships as “far seas exercises.” They were organized by the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, which also oversees the navy’s activities in the South China Sea. “The drill was carried out in a safe, standard and professional manner in accordance with relevant international law and international practice,” the spokesman, Guo Jiakun, said. Airservices Australia, which manages air traffic in the region, said in a statement that it had advised airlines and radioed pilots with planned flights to avoid parts of the Tasman Sea “as a precaution.” Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, said that she was concerned about the lack of “transparency” in relation to the exercises and the notice given Friday, and said she would raise it with her counterpart, Wang Yi. They were scheduled to meet later Friday at the G20 meeting in South Africa. The ships, a guided missile cruiser, a frigate and a supply vessel, were first detected off Australia’s northeast coast last week. This week, they passed through waters about 150 nautical miles from Sydney, well outside Australia’s territorial waters but inside its exclusive economic zone. *********** officials have stressed that the ******** ships have been traversing regional waters legally, but that they were closely monitoring their movements. Li You contributed research. Source link #******** #Navy #Drills #Tasman #Sea #Unnerve #Australia #Zealand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The best security cameras for 2025 The best security cameras for 2025 Security cameras can give you peace of mind by watching things when you’re out of the house. They can also help keep tabs on your pets’ actions or let you check in on other parts of your property like your backyard. Set them up outdoors or at a window and you can get notifications when someone’s delivering a package or heading to your door. Of course, anything that takes footage in and around your home is a privacy risk, so you’ll want to look for security cameras with proper privacy features. And if you’ve already got some smart devices, it’s important to know whether your new camera will work with them. Some cameras are practically useless without a subscription, while with others, the subscription is just nice to have. There’s a lot to consider — so we tried out over a dozen well-regarded models, filming our cats, dogs and other household members for weeks to help you pick the best security camera for your home. What to look for in a security camera Hardware and design One of the first things you’ll want to consider before buying a security camera is where you intend to put it. Do you want an outdoor or indoor setup, or cameras that can work in both environments? That’s the first decision to make, since not all cameras are designed to be weatherproof. Next, consider where those cameras will live: do you need ones that can easily mount to the side of your home or above your garage? Do you want cameras in every room of your house, installed up in a ceiling corner out of reach? Should those cameras be able to swivel and turn on their own to track subjects or give you a wider field of view? Check the specifications for the cameras you’re considering to see if they come with any mounting hardware in the box, or if you’ll need special attachments to get the capabilities you want. For example, an extra feature like solar power for outdoor cameras typically requires buying the solar panel separately, or buying a configuration of the camera that includes the panel in the box. Another hardware component to consider is the proper connection for local storage. Many security cameras give you the option to save footage locally by connecting a thumb drive or a microSD card either to the camera itself or to its base station. If you don’t intend on using cloud storage (which typically comes with a subscription cost), choosing a security camera system that allows for local storage will be key. Battery life Battery life considerations will only apply to wireless cameras, so you’ll want to make note of the expected battery life of any wireless camera you’re considering. For most that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, it will come down to how “busy” the camera will be on a regular basis recording video. Some could estimate a minimum battery life of a couple weeks to one month with high usage, but you could get even more than that if the camera is in a low-traffic area. I personally think you should be getting at least three weeks of battery life out of any rechargeable-battery security camera — anything less and it becomes a hassle just to keep the device in working order. Also, be prepared to access your cameras (including those mounted in high places) whenever you need to recharge their batteries. Scant few options today (looking at you, Blink), run on AA or AAA batteries, and those tend to last up to two years before you need to replace them. Audiovisual features Nearly every security camera can send you a notification when it detects motion. Most also offer more sophisticated alerts, like person, package, **** and vehicle detection, though those sometimes require a subscription. You can decide under which conditions you’d like to be alerted as well. Many cameras will let you set location preferences, using your phone to discern where you are, so you’re only alerted when you’re away. Some can then be programmed to turn off completely when you’re home, or you can decide to keep the camera recording without alerting you of activity. Systems without location tracking can be armed on a schedule or manually turned on and off. Almost every security camera can listen as well as see — some can send you an alert when specific sounds are detected, such as breaking glass, barking dogs or fire alarms. Those microphones also let you hear what’s going on in the room, while built-in speakers allow for two-way conversations. If viewing events at night is important to you, you’ll want to consider a camera’s ability to see in the dark. Most use infrared LEDs to detect motion and record events after the sun goes down. Infrared will work in total darkness, but can only produce a ****** and white image. A few cameras can capture color video at night through a combination of larger sensors and onboard image processing, but they won’t work in total darkness. A couple of the options we tried have an onboard spotlight you can manually turn on to light up a space for a better picture. Subscription features Without exception, every camera we tested has an optional subscription component. These typically run between $3 and $15 per month, though some offer a discount if you pay for a year up front. Advanced (and sometimes basic) features are paywalled behind these subs, so if you’re looking for things like person detection, extended live feeds, cloud storage, event labeling and longer event history, you’ll want to check whether you get those for free or only if you pay up. Cloud storage for video clips beyond a day or so is the most common subscription-only feature, but some cameras have the option of using local storage with a microSD card or flash drive. Cameras that work with Apple’s HomeKit will usually let you store clips using your iCloud+ plan, so you might not need a separate subscription for those. To help make sense of whether you need to pay for a plan or not, we detail the monthly prices and membership features for each pick below so you can gauge the full cost of the level of monitoring you want. Privacy settings The majority of security cameras use cloud storage for clips. Even those that store your footage locally on SD cards or USB drives are usually connected to the world at large through Wi-Fi. Anything that’s in communication with other networks has the potential to be accessed by bad actors. Manufacturers take measures such as encrypting video before it’s sent to the cloud and requiring two-factor authentication to sign into any account to make systems safer. Users can go one step further by regularly installing security updates and making sure the passwords they use are strong and not reused elsewhere. As for keeping your personal activity private, all cameras have a disarm feature, but some can automatically turn off when you are home if you share your location. Others will also let you set privacy zones and won’t capture footage or send alerts for movements in designated areas. That could be a part of the house you don’t want recorded or, for outdoor coverage, parts of your neighbor’s yard or driveway. All the units we tested have indicator lights that turn on when a live view is being accessed or recording is taking place. But you’ll have to check what your particular camera’s LEDs mean, as nearly every one is different. Recording in progress is sometimes indicated with a red light, sometimes that light is blue, and on other cameras, it’s green. Some security cameras let you disable the recording light too, if you don’t want to alert would-be intruders that you’re watching them. Compatibility If this is your first foray into smart home gear, you just need to ensure that the camera you buy will work with your phone — and all of our top picks here have apps that work with both iOS and Android. If you already have TVs, smart monitors, home hubs, doorbells and other smart devices, check that what you buy now will work with what you already have if you want the most seamless system. We’ve listed which of the three major smart home ecosystems each of our picks will work with, but in general, Alexa has the widest compatibility with third party brands, followed by Google. Apple’s HomeKit has a smaller number of compatible cameras on the market, but the list is still sizable enough and includes well-regarded brands like Ecobee, Logitech and Aqara, so you’ll likely be able to find one with the features you want. Best security cameras for 2025 Amy Skorheim for Engadget Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor | Power source: Wired｜ Mounting options: Stand or wall mount (included) | Compatible apps: Google Home | Resolution: 1080p ｜Night vision: B/W infrared | Removable storage: No | Subscription-only features: 30/60 days of history, familiar face, alarm and glass break detection | Subscription cost: $8 or $15/month | 2FA required: Yes If you’re coming in fresh to smart home security, Google’s range of products is an accessible way to go and the Nest Cam is a good entry point. It’s likely you already have a Google account, whether for the company’s apps like Gmail and Google Docs, for posting to YouTube or leaving a coffee shop review on Google Maps. The company’s omnipresence may be alarming in its scope, but it certainly makes signing up for stuff easier. Google’s Home app is clean and simple to figure out, even for first timers, with clearly labeled tabs and intuitive buttons. For example, there’s a clear Add button on the Devices tab, instead of a tiny plus sign like in most other apps. The app presents a clear walkthrough when you want to set up a new camera, with a step-by-step illustrated experience that should be easy for anyone to follow. Routines are simple to customize and the app uses plain language instead of tech-speak. It’s also pretty effortless to see your camera feed on a Nest Hub, your Google TV or Streamer. Even iPhone users can fully wield the app, including using it for location-based triggers (such as only notifying you of a detected action when you’re away from home). The Nest Cam itself is the best looking of the devices I tested. It’s made up of two little half-orbs with a matte finish and comes in basic white, tan, gray or an extra cute “sand with maplewood base.” The two halves are connected by a small arm that lets you manually adjust the angle with about a 90-degree range of motion up and down and 360 degrees of side-to-side adjustment. The base acts as both a stand and a wall mount and the unit feels sturdy overall. The camera doesn’t have the widest field of view, just 135 degrees on the diagonal. I noticed the picture was narrower than that of other cameras, but it was still able to cover all the action I’d wanted it to. I also appreciated the (attached) 10-foot cord — and if you’re particular about having wireless cameras, Nest has one of those as well that works much the same way but costs $80 more Without the $8-per-month Nest Aware subscription, you only get three hours of the most recent event history. That’s not a lot; such scant history means the camera is really just good as an (accurate) notification system attached to a live feed. If the camera records something interesting while you’re away, that three-hour window may not be long enough for you to get around to viewing it. But if you’re willing to pay, you can see the past 30 days of recorded activity. A Nest Aware Plus plan ($15 monthly) lets you watch up to 90 days of history and enables up to 10 days of 24/7 recordings. People, animal and vehicle detection (and customizing alerts for those) does not require a subscription, however, which is a nice added perk. The 1080p video felt the most true-to-life of the cams I tried, it’s neither too cold nor warm, with subtle but accurate colors. At night, the infrared images were smooth and less grainy than on other cams — but I did notice the Nest Cam was more likely to stream in ****** and white when the lights were low. Speaking of other cameras, the Nest Cam appears to be more sensitive to interference from other devices. When I had the Nest set up near a few other live cameras it kept disconnecting. Once I moved it a few feet away and by itself, the problem disappeared. Signal interference is a somewhat common thing among connected equipment, but I was surprised the Nest Cam was the only one I tried to be affected by the proximity. Pros Attractive design Easy to set up and customize ****/person detection doesn’t require a subscription Cons No local storage option Only three hours of event history without a subscription $88 at Walmart Amy Skorheim for Engadget Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor | Power source: Wired only｜Mounting options: Stand or wall mount (included) | Compatibility: Ecobee app, Alexa, HomeKit | Resolution: 1080p ｜Night vision: B/W infrared | Removable storage: No | Subscription-only features: Professional monitoring, smoke alarm detection, 30-day cloud storage | Subscription cost: $10/month | 2FA required: Yes The first pleasant surprise I encountered with the Ecobee SmartCamera was how easily it connected to HomeKit. I’ve tested lots of smart home devices and this was the first time I can remember having a device connect to Apple’s smart home app on the first try. I was even more impressed with how reliable the connection remained throughout the weeks I had it running. Just keep in mind that, as with all HomeKit devices, you’ll need a stay-at-home hub for remote access, such as a HomePod, Apple TV or iPad. The device itself is a fairly unobtrusive rectangle (though it’s on the larger end of the spectrum for indoor cameras). It sits on a cone-shaped base that acts as a stand for setting the camera on a table and as a mount for attaching the unit to the wall. You can manually angle the camera about 90 degrees up or down in table-mode. When wall-mounted, you can also shift its gaze left to right in a 45-degree arc. That should be enough to capture most activity in the room as the lens itself has a 170-degree horizontal field of vision. It captures video in 1080p resolution, which is more than enough to pick out details in a given room — I could tell when my cat was asleep on his perch versus just staring off into space as he likes to do. The picture quality from the Ecobee camera was warmer than with other cameras, and I liked the overall look of the feed. Of course, that’s a minor detail, but it just felt cozier when I checked in on things with the Ecobee cam. Quite a few LEDs on the face of the camera indicate the recording status and Alexa functions — yes, the camera can be set up with HomeKit and act as an Amazon assistant at the same time. I imagine most people with smart homes will use one assistant more than all others, but I actually prefer blending the three because they each have different strengths. I was happy to find a camera that could work happily with two of the three major platforms. If you plan to use the camera primarily with the Apple Home app and already pay for iCloud+, you don’t need to get Ecobee’s subscription. Apple’s plan includes storage for the last 10 days of captured video. You can access that video in the Home app, using a slider that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s edited a video in Photos. Photos also happens to be the app where you’ll send any clips you want to save. HomeKit encrypts the video locally before sending it to the cloud, and person, ****, package detection is included with iCloud+. You can set the cameras to automatically turn off when you arrive home and only record when specific movements are detected when you’re away. My only gripe with using HomeKit as the primary monitoring app is that accessing a live view when I was home requires a few steps. I have the camera’s recording options set to Stream & Allow Recording when I’m away, but set to Off when I’m home. If I just want to peek whether the dog’s on the couch when I’m in the other room, I have to change that setting to do so. It’s only a few extra steps, but still cumbersome. My workaround is to just check in on the feed using the Ecobee app when I’m at home. The Ecobee app is pretty easy to use, with plenty of virtual space to organize the brand’s many other smart home security products like entry sensors, smart locks, thermostats, and alarms. If you decide to go for a few of those, you might want to go for Ecobee’s subscription for professional monitoring. The $10-per-month membership connects your cameras and other Ecobee devices to RapidSOS monitoring service, which can call 911 on your behalf when needed. You also get reminders to arm your other Ecobee system when you leave, as well as 30 days of video storage. As for the competition, Apple sells the Logitech Circleview on its storefront, which implies a tacit endorsement by the company for use with HomeKit. I actually liked the Logitech device a lot. It has a warm, clear picture, was easy to set up within Apple’s Home app and stayed pretty reliably connected. But it looks like a large webcam, which feels less elegant than the Ecobee, plus it costs $50 more and doesn’t double as an Alexa smart speaker like the Ecobee does. Pros Works well with HomeKit Doubles as an an Alexa smart assistant speaker Captures a warm, pleasant image No additional subscription required for iCloud+ subscribers Lots of additional Ecobees security equipment available to expand your system Cons Larger design is somewhat conspicuous No local storage option $96 at Amazon Valentina Palladino for Engadget Indoor/Outdoor: Both | Power source: Wireless, 2x AA batteries per camera｜Mounting options: Wall mount (included) | Compatible apps: Blink, Alexa | Resolution: Up to 1080p｜Night vision: B/W infrared | Removable storage: Yes with Sync Module 2 | Subscription-only features: Person detection, 60 days of cloud storage, motion event recording, extended live view | Subscription cost: $3 or $10/month | 2FA required: Yes If you use Alexa heavily or have many Alexa-enabled devices in your home, the security camera system to get is Blink Outdoor 4. Not only can you arm and disarm the camera system with Alexa voice commands, but you can also use voice commands to bring up camera feeds on Echo Show smart displays. Blink cameras also have an edge over Ring cameras thanks to their longer battery life and easier to use app. One particular qualm we had with the Ring Stick Up Cam, the wireless security camera most equivalent to a Blink Outdoor 4 camera in the Ring lineup, is that it charges up via microUSB. It’s 2025, and that’s too antiquated for us to recommend. Aside from their Alexa perks, Blink Outdoor 4 cameras are just easy to install, use and add to over time. Bundles come with the required Sync Module, which connects all of your home’s Blink cameras together so you can see them all in the app, and you can buy add-on cameras at your leisure. The Sync Module also has a USB port that can take a thumb drive for local storage, so while you get a 30-day free trial of Blink’s subscription service when you buy a new kit, you don’t have to pay for it to get the most crucial features. As the name suggests, the Outdoor 4 cameras are weather-resistant and can be used inside or outside. You get a simple mount for each camera in the basic packs, but you can buy all other manner of mounting options if you have a different setup in mind. All of the most standard security camera features are present here and accessible without a subscription: motion alerts, 1080p video recording, two-way audio and HD night view. Motion settings can be customized on a per-camera basis, and you can set activity zones (areas where motion detective is active) and privacy zones (areas in which no motion is detected and no video is recorded) for each as well. That gives you a lot of control; for example, you could have Blink cameras inside and outside your home, only have motion alerts set for the outdoor cameras and check in on the indoor camera feeds as necessary. I found motion detection to be pretty good, almost too good in some cases. Some of my most active Blink cameras were occasionally triggered by changes in sunlight or plants wafting in a strong breeze. But you are able to adjust the motion sensitivity of each camera if you need to. Video and audio quality of recorded clips is good, with the latter being good enough that I could hear a phone conversation my mailman was having while he dropped off packages to my porch. Blink’s standard features are robust enough that we’d recommend most people pop for a thumb drive and stick with local storage for saving clips. But if you want a few extra perks, the Blink Subscription Plan is either $30 (Basic) or $100 (Plus) annually. The latter gives you more flexibility right off the bat because it supports unlimited connected cameras, whereas Basic only supports one. Otherwise, extra features include extended live view, unlimited cloud storage for up to 60 days and person/**** detection. The price is also right for Blink Outdoor 4 cameras — if you know when to buy. The standard price of a single-camera system is $100, but we highly recommend waiting for one of the many Blink sales that happen on Amazon throughout the year that knock the price down to between $40 and $60. Not only does that lower the barrier to entry if you want to try out a Blink system, but if you end up liking it, you don’t have to spend a ton to add more devices to it over time. Pros Wireless design that runs on AA batteries Accurate and immediate motion alerts Not too expensive, and can be super affordable when on ***** Local storage with Sync Module 2 and thumb drive (sold separately) Cons No cloud storage or person detection without a subscription Must pay for the more expensive subscription to support more than one camera $100 at Amazon Amy Skorheim for Engadget Indoor/Outdoor: Both | Power source: Wired with optional outdoor adapter｜ Mounting options: Stand or wall mount (included) | Compatible apps: Blink, Alexa | Resolution: 1080p ｜Night vision: B/W infrared, spotlight for color | Removable storage: Yes with Sync Module 2 | Subscription-only features: Person detection, 60 days of cloud storage, motion event recording, extended live view | Subscription cost: $3 or $10/month | 2FA required: Yes You don’t get as many features with the Blink Mini 2 as with other security cameras, but the price is tough to beat — particularly since it’s often on ***** for as low as $20. The device is small and looks a lot like a ****** webcam, but it feels solid. You can adjust the camera to a wide range of angles, and when I grabbed the little head to point it where I wanted, it didn’t feel like it was going to break. Blink is an Amazon company, but you’ll still need to sign up for a Blink account before you can link it to Alexa (make sure you use the same email you have on file with Amazon when you sign up for Blink if you want to properly connect the two). Despite what felt like an extra step, the overall setup was fairly painless and quick. Then, you can view your camera feed through the Alexa app on an Echo Show, Fire Tablet or Fire TV — but not on iOS or Android. You’ll have to use the Blink app to view the feed on your smartphone, but thankfully, the Blink app is one of the simplest I’ve seen. Just three tabs at the bottom, Home, Clips and Settings, make navigation a snap, but also clue you into the fact that Blink only does cameras and video doorbells. If you’re looking for a brand with lots of interconnected security devices, this isn’t it. Blink Mini 2 captures serviceable images, but it certainly isn’t the highest quality. The bright spots were blown out and some of the darker areas were hard to make out. Though at night, the infrared nighttime view had decent clarity and the spotlight impressively lit up the room to capture color images. The biggest missing feature on the Blink Mini is the lack of automatic arming. Many other security cameras can tell when you’ve left the house if you’ve enabled location features and will automatically trigger your preferred settings, such as to record and notify you when motion is detected. With the Blink Mini 2, you need to manually arm the camera or schedule it to go on and off at certain times. You can ask Alexa to arm it for you, but you’ll first need to set up an access code. That said, you do get a few features some other cams don’t give you, such as the ability to set privacy zones and the onboard spotlight you can toggle on to record more detailed (and color) images in low light. The Mini 2 can also act as a doorbell chime if you happen to have a Blink Video Doorbell installed as well. The cam is also weather resistant, so you can set up the Blink Mini 2 outside if you also have the necessary special power adapter. The Blink Subscription comes in two plans: one for $3 per month that covers one camera, and a $10 monthly plan that covers any number of cameras. You’ll get a free trial of the subscription service with your device purchase (like most others offer), and I was pleased to learn that Blink’s Subscription plan didn’t automatically renew. Without the subscription, you won’t get specialized detection such as for people or pets, and you don’t get any cloud storage (with a plan, you get 60 days). You do get basic motion alerts without a subscription, and I found those to be quick and accurate. As for storage, with a connected Sync Module 2, you can store footage locally on a flash drive, which is typically more secure than sending footage off to the cloud. A feature called Blink Moments is available on the $10 plan and can stitch together footage from different cameras when motion is detected in a given time frame — in theory, you could see a delivery van pull up to your house, the driver get out and deliver the package in one clip with footage pulled from three different video feeds. I wasn’t able to try out the feature as I just had one Blink device, but that could be a helpful feature, if it actually works. Pros Affordable Easy to setup Good integration with the Alexa home ecosystem Optional local storage with a Sync Module 2 Weather resistant camera can be used indoors or outdoor with an adapter Cons No location detection means it can’t automatically arm when you leave Image quality isn’t the best No cloud storage or person detection without a subscription $40 at Amazon REOLINK Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor | Power source: Wireless, 20,000mAh rechargeable battery｜Mounting options: Ceiling/roof mount (included) | Compatible apps: Reolink | Resolution: 3840 x 2160｜Night vision: Color night vision, spotlight | Removable storage: Yes with microSD card| Subscription-only features: Cloud storage of all motion-detection clips, all video history saved | Subscription cost: Starting at $7/month | 2FA required: No A number of security camera systems can hook up to solar panel accessories to provide power, but we found Reolink’s cameras to provide the best value for your money in this space. One of the Reolink cameras we tested was the Altas PT Ultra, and you can get it with one solar panel for $230 regularly, but the bundle is often on ***** for as low as $140. One of the key things to note about Reolink cameras in general is that most of them have designs that are best suited for outdoor installation. Most are designed to be mounted on the side of a home with brackets, or on roof overhangs so they can monitor from above. Unless you’re comfortable drilling holds to install the cameras on your interior walls, you’ll have to look elsewhere for indoor monitoring. The Altas PT Ultra is one of Reolink’s newest battery-powered security cameras and it really shines in that department. It has a 20,000 mAh battery built in that the company boasts can last up to 500 days when used in standard motion-trigger mode — and even in cold weather. It can record 4K video and supports auto-tracking with a 355-degree pan and 90-degree tilt, so it’s safe to say that most motion that occurs near this camera will be captured (and followed), giving you a comprehensive view of the goings-ons. Auto-tracking isn’t turned on by default, but you can easily enable it in Reolink’s mobile app. Same goes for the pre-recording feature, which captures video 10 seconds before a motion-detection video capture, potentially giving you more context and information about the motion that the camera recorded. Reolink’s mobile app is pretty straightforward, collecting all of the brand’s cameras you have installed on the main page. You can tap into any of them to get a more immersive, full-screen view of its feed and change settings on a per-camera basis like recording quality, motion detection, auto-tracking and more. There are also handy quick controls on the main page for each camera that let you take photos and record snippets of video to be saved immediately. I found the app to be quite responsive, and since the Altas PT Ultra records in 4K, its videos were some of the highest quality ones I had during testing. 4K video is not necessary for everyone — it’s arguably most useful for those monitoring businesses, and most 1080p security cameras will do just fine capturing activity in and around homes — but it’s a nice-to-have feature. Reolink (unsurprisingly) has a cloud subscription plan that you can use to save videos, but the tiers and pricing are unclear. Reolink’s main site only houses information about the company’s hardware, and the dedicated Reolink Cloud doesn’t have any easily accessible information about current plan pricing. If you’re interested in signing up, you’re prompted to make an account before you can see any pertinent plan and pricing information. I’d like to see more transparency here, but our general advice still stands: save footage locally if you can, and in this case, most Reolink cameras have built-in microSD card slots. But if you’re interested: a Reolink representative shared pricing information with me upon request. Plans start at $7 per month for a standard LTE plan, which includes up to 30GB of cloud storage, 30 days of cloud video history and support for up to five cameras. We had a similarly good experience with Arlo security cameras, and you can get some of them with an optional solar panel for continuous power. But in general, Arlo cameras are a bit more expensive than Reolink’s. For example, the top-of-the-line Arlo Ultra 2 4K security camera comes in at $300 and its accompanying solar panel costs an additional $60. The Reolink Altas PT Ultra costs $210 by itself, or $20 extra for a bundle that includes its solar panel. Pros Outdoor-focused design with rotating camera Solar panel attachment is affordable and easy to set up 4K video quality Built in 20,000 mAh battery Accurate motion alerts Cons Cannot be used indoors Cloud storage and long-term video history requires a subscription $180 at Amazon Source link #security #cameras Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******’s Theater of the Macabre ******’s Theater of the Macabre At first, Thursday’s festivities in Gaza seemed like just another sordid spectacle in a 16-month exhibition of debasement. In front of a raucous crowd, ****** gunmen displayed coffins containing the remains of four Israelis: an octagenarian peace activist named Oded Lifshitz, child hostages Ariel and Kfir Bibas—ages 4 years and nine months, respectively, when kidnapped—and their mother, Shiri. A label affixed to the latter’s coffin declared that she had been “arrested” on October 7, presumably for the crime of existing while Jewish. All four corpses were handed over to the Red Cross for transfer to Israel as part of the ongoing cease-fire deal. Then Israeli coroners concluded that the two children had been murdered by their captors and that the woman’s body wasn’t their mother’s after all. A moment of particularly acute horror briefly broke through the headlines that have been dominated by President Donald Trump’s turn on Ukraine. “I condemn the parading of bodies and displaying of the coffins of the deceased Israeli hostages by ****** on Thursday,” declared United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, an otherwise relentless critic of Israel. “Any handover of the remains of the deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.” [Read: What ****** wants] The truth is, body switching might be new to this conflict, but macabre theatrics are not. Since the day ****** invaded southern Israel and used GoPro cameras and phones to document its massacres—including uploading the execution of a grandmother to her Facebook page—the group has been staging a show for the world to see. Dressing its sadism in the flimsy disguise of ************ nationalism—a ruse that has seemingly fooled more Western college students than residents of Gaza—****** has attempted to win a perverse propaganda war even as it has lost the actual war in lopsided fashion, to the horrific devastation of Gaza’s civilian population. Some of these efforts are only now coming to light. In January, the 20-year-old soldier Daniella Gilboa was released from captivity in one of the first exchanges under the current cease-fire deal. She revealed that she had been forced by her ****** jailers to stage her own demise. “Today we are filming you dead,” one reportedly told her, compelling her to pose in powder and debris as though she’d been killed in an Israeli air strike. ****** subsequently released a blurry image that it claimed was of a female hostage blown up by Israel. The woman had Gilboa’s tattoo. ************ Islamic ******, another terror group that joined ****** in its October 7 assault, similarly falsely claimed that the 76-year-old hostage Hanna Katzir had died, only to release her in a November 2023 exchange. The Bibas debacle had no such bittersweet ending. On Friday, ****** quietly handed over another body that was identified as actually belonging to Shiri Bibas, claiming it was just a “mix-up.” This may well be true: Shiri and her children were taken captive on October 7 by the Mujahideen Brigades, a small armed group that presumably retained custody of their bodies. When the trio turned up dead, ****** might have had little notion of exactly what happened to them. Of course, this did not stop the group from claiming, without evidence, that Israel had killed the three hostages in an air strike, as though this would somehow make the people responsible for the deaths of the snatched children someone other than the child-snatchers. As it turned out, ****** didn’t even have the right bodies, let alone any insight into their manner of death, and was seemingly piling deception upon its depravity. With the establishment of an unstable cease-fire last month, the ****** show has taken to broadcasting scenes of public humiliation of Israeli hostages to the world via Al Jazeera and social media. Eli Sharabi, 52, was compelled to speak at his release about how he looked forward to reuniting with his wife and daughters—his captors knew, but didn’t tell him, that they had been murdered on October 7. Sharabi was released alongside two other hostages in emaciated condition, flanked by obviously well-fed ****** gunmen. Yarden Bibas, husband of Shiri and father of the slain boys, was forced to wave limply to an assembled crowd at his February 1 release, even as ****** kept the fate and bodies of his family from him. And on Saturday, just two days after the bizarre Bibas body swap, 22-year-old Omer Shem Tov was instructed by a masked cameraman to kiss his captors onstage, resulting in a viral social-media clip. Getty distributed a photo from this stunt that multiple media outlets republished without caveat or disclosure. Finally, ****** brought two unreleased hostages to Saturday’s ceremony, made them watch as their countrymen were freed, and then released a propaganda clip of them begging for their own lives. [Graeme Wood: A record of pure, predatory sadism] But perhaps most chilling was the release of a hostage ****** chose not to humiliate. For nearly 10 years, the group has imprisoned Hisham al-Sayed, a mentally ill ******* Bedouin Israeli civilian who wandered into Gaza. As part of Saturday’s exchange, the terrorist group quietly released him without fanfare to the Red Cross, transferring the 37-year-old back to Israel sans ceremony or jeering crowds. It quickly became clear why. After reuniting with his son, al-Sayed’s father, Sha’aban, gave a devastating account to the press about his condition. “He is broken,” the elder al-Sayed said. “He says a lot of incomprehensible things. He speaks in a whisper, maybe out of fear. I believe he is in a state of mental torture.” ****** officials had previously told Al Jazeera that the group had handed over al-Sayed without the usual hoopla out of respect for the Arabs of Israel. “****** are liars,” retorted the father. “They didn’t want people to see what state he was in, and that’s why there was no ceremony. If they had any respect for people, they would have released him a long time ago.” ******’s hostage propaganda is blunt and transparently self-serving. And like all theatrical performances, it requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Unlike most, however, it also requires a suspension of belief in humanity. Article originally published at The Atlantic Source link #Hamass #Theater #Macabre Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

PEGI’s More Nuanced Rating Criteria Following Balatro Reclassification Might Be Bad for Gacha Games Like Genshin Impact PEGI’s More Nuanced Rating Criteria Following Balatro Reclassification Might Be Bad for Gacha Games Like Genshin Impact In an unexpected turn of events, PEGI (Pan European Game Information) has recently made a significant change to the rating of the popular game: Balatro, which was initially rated for 18+. However, after the appeal from the publisher, the rating has been reclassified to 12. The game has been re-evaluated for its rating. | Image Credit: LocalThunk The reclassification is largely based on a re-evaluation of the game’s gambling mechanics and how it contains fantastical elements. While this change is a win for the game, allowing it to avoid overly harsh restrictions, it may introduce unintended consequences for other popular game genres: gacha games. PEGI’s shift toward more nuanced gambling ratings The appeal worked as the game is now given a 12+ rating. | Image Credit: LocalThunk Historically, PEGI’s rating system follows a rigid approach: games were either rated 18+ or lower, with little room for distinction. This broad classification didn’t account for the fact that some games, while including gambling features, might not pose the same risk or harmful impact. The case of Balatro serves as an example of that and highlights the evolution of the rating system. Despite featuring poker mechanics, the game was found to include enough fantastical elements to merit a 12+ rating. This will boost the popularity of the game even more. After an appeal from my publisher, Balatro has been reclassified by PEGI from 18+ to 12+ This is a good step from PEGI – bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished — localthunk (@LocalThunk) February 24, 2025 The acknowledgment of this distinction marks a shift toward a more detailed approach to evaluating games. While this is a win for Balatro, this newfound nuance in rating criteria is not looking good for the growing gacha game genre, which often relies on similar random reward systems. For games like Genshin Impact, which uses gacha mechanics to offer random rewards through loot boxes or microtransactions, the more thought-out classification system could be problematic. There’s now a risk that these games could be reclassified as PEGI 18+ if their gambling-like mechanics are reported to the rating board. Gacha games have generally been rated 12+ or 16+ due to the mild nature of the gambling mechanics. However, under the new framework, there’s a chance they could be flagged for having mechanics that are too similar to traditional gambling experiences. The consequences of stricter rating Gacha games might be in trouble if reported. | Image Credit: HoYoVerse Should PEGI impose stricter ratings on gacha games, the consequences could be far-reaching. Many gacha games, including Genshin Impact, are widely popular among younger audiences, who might be restricted from playing if the game is reclassified as 18+ or needs consent from parents. An 18+ rating typically means that the game is only suitable for adults, which could significantly impact the player base for the gacha games, considering how these games rely on free-to-play models and thrive on in-game purchases from a broad demographic. For many gacha games, the random pull mechanic is a key part of the gameplay experience, and removing or modifying this could fundamentally change what makes these games attractive to players. While the shift toward a more nuanced rating system is a step in the right direction, it highlights the need for careful consideration when it comes to gambling-related mechanics in games. In the end, as the industry evolves, it will be crucial for PEGI to continue refining its criteria to keep up with changing cultural norms while safeguarding both developers and players. Source link #PEGIs #Nuanced #Rating #Criteria #Balatro #Reclassification #Bad #Gacha #Games #Genshin #Impact Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kremlin says Biden ‘messed things up badly’ ahead of more U.S. talks Kremlin says Biden ‘messed things up badly’ ahead of more U.S. talks Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a summit of leaders of nations, which are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in Moscow, Russia October 8, 2024. Sergei Ilnitsky | Via Reuters After its initial enthusiasm for the thawing of frozen relations, the Kremlin now appears to be playing it cool over its revived rapprochement with the U.S., saying there is a long way to go to restore the “badly” damaged ties. “The process that has begun to bring our bilateral relations out of a deep crisis is positive and we support it. But we are still at the beginning of the journey,” Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told CNBC on Monday. “The previous Washington administration messed things up badly. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he added in Google-translated emailed comments. It’s not unsurprising that the Kremlin might want to tread carefully when it comes to restoring ties with Washington, after spending the last few years flooding the information space at home and abroad with anti-U.S. rhetoric. Tensions were heightened between Russia and Washington during Joe Biden’s four-year tenure at the White House, as Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine prompted a torrent of U.S.-led international sanctions on Moscow’s elite and economy and pitted Russia and its allies against the West. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has turned the tide in relations, however, as last week saw the first high-level sit-down talks between U.S. and Russian officials in years, looking to lay the groundwork for Ukraine peace talks. Ukraine and its European allies were left fuming by the U.S. and Russia rekindling diplomatic ties and forging ahead with talks without their input. The discussions appeared to mollify Moscow, however, and prompt a shift in the mood music, with Russian President Vladimir Putin praising the American delegation and rating the talks “highly.” Putin told Russian state media correspondent Pavel Zarubin late on Monday that the White House leader wanted a deal on Ukraine that was not necessarily beneficial to Russia. “What does [Trump] want to do? It seems to me that he wants to improve the situation, the political situation in Ukraine, consolidate society, and create conditions for the survival of the Ukrainian state. And in general, this is not so much for the benefit of Russia. We still have a conflict with the current regime,” he said, in comments translated by NBC News. Putin at the time praised Trump’s “rational approach to the current situation,” but said he has not substantially discussed a potential Ukraine peace deal with the president. Russian foreign ministry officials on Monday announced that a second round of Russia-U.S. talks will take place before the end of this week, possibly also in Saudi Arabia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed these feelings, but again noted that the war would only end when there’s a deal that’s acceptable to Moscow. “We are ready to negotiate with Ukraine, Europe, and any representatives who would like to help achieve peace in good faith, but we will stop fighting only when these negotiations produce a firm and sustainable result that suits the Russian Federation,” he said. Alignment in the background Russia and the U.S. appeared more clearly aligned on Monday, when the U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that took a more neutral position on the war. The U.S. resolution, calling for “a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” was adopted by the Council with support from Russia and China. The Council’s five permanent and non-permanent European member states failed to win support for their proposed amendments to the wording of the U.S. resolution to include a condemnation of Russia’s invasion, support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders and a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace.” After its amendments were rejected, Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the U.K. abstained from the vote, allowing the U.S.’ resolution to pass. Earlier, the U.S. had sided with Russia in opposing a European-backed Ukrainian resolution put before the wider UN General Assembly. The U.S.’ acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Shea, applauded the adoption of the U.S. resolution, calling it “the first this council has taken in three years on Ukraine to firmly call for an end to the conflict.” U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, votes during a UN Security Council meeting on a U.S. resolution on Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at UN Headquarters in New York on February 24, 2025. The Security Council adopted the U.S. resolution on Ukraine that was supported by Russia and contained no criticism of Moscow’s aggression on the third anniversary of its invasion. There were 10 votes in favor and none against, but five abstentions including France and Britain which could have vetoed the resolution that merely “implores a swift end to the conflict” without blaming Russia. Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images Russia’s Ambassador to the U.N. Vasily Nebenzya praised what he said were “the constructive shifts in the U.S. position on the Ukrainian conflict” following the vote, which had also seen Russian amendments to the resolution fail to gain support. “The text adopted now is not ideal, but it is, in essence, the first attempt to adopt a constructive and future-oriented product of the Council, which speaks of the path to peace, and does not fan the flames of conflict,” he commented Monday, saying the adopted text was “only a starting point for further efforts to peacefully resolve the Ukrainian crisis.” Source link #Kremlin #Biden #messed #badly #ahead #U.S #talks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

This ‘overlooked’ Trump beneficiary can soar nearly 80%, according to Bank of America This ‘overlooked’ Trump beneficiary can soar nearly 80%, according to Bank of America Bank of America said BGC Group is in a good position, thanks in part to the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Analyst Eli Abboud initiated coverage of the financial stock at a buy rating. Abboud’s $16 price target suggests shares can surge 79.8% from Monday’s close. One core component of Abboud’s call is that he sees BGC as the “most overlooked Trump trade in diversified financials.” Notably, he said the trading offerings from BGC — including the new FMX Futures Exchange — should benefit under the Trump administration’s preference for deregulation. “Despite BGC trading down post-election, we think an eased regulatory backdrop significantly accelerates FMX Futures’ ramp while the new administration’s agenda (bank deregulation, deficit spending, foreign policy) benefits trading volumes,” Abboud wrote to clients. Beyond Trump, there’s two other tenants to Abboud’s take. First, Abboud said he’s bullish on the company’s new FMX exchange and called rates futures trading a $2 billion opportunity that’s “ripe for disruption.” As the company modernizes futures trading, he said it can win market share from CME Group . On top of that, Abboud said the stock is the No. 1 play for the energy transition, with the highest exposure to these types of products within coverage. Because of that, he said the company will get a boost from tailwinds such as rising electricity demand and a move away from oil and coal. Growth in environmental markets should also be beneficial, the analyst said. BGC shares popped 2.3% before the bell on Tuesday. The stock has slipped 1.8% in 2025 after jumping more than 25% in the prior year. BGC 1Y mountain BGC, 1-year Source link #overlooked #Trump #beneficiary #soar #Bank #America Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unilever CEO Schumacher to step down after less than two years in the job Unilever CEO Schumacher to step down after less than two years in the job Tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in a store freezer. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher is stepping down after less than two years in the job, the company said Tuesday, with current CFO Fernando Fernandez set to take his place leading the company. Schumacher — who took the reins in July 2023 and was tasked with leading the overhaul of the consumer goods giant — will stand down as CEO and board director in March and will leave the company on May 31. His departure is taking place by mutual agreement, the consumer goods firm said. Fernandez’ new role will take effect on March 1. Unilever said there was no change to its 2025 outlook or the company’s medium-term guidance following this announcement. Shares were down around 1.6% by 12:29 p.m. in London. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Hein for resetting Unilever’s strategy, for the focus and discipline he has brought to the company and for the solid financial progress delivered during 2024,” Unilever Chairman Ian Meakins said in a statement. “While the Board is pleased with Unilever’s performance in 2024, there is much further to go to deliver best-in-class results. Having worked with Fernando closely over the last 14months, the Board is very confident in his ability to lead a high performing management team, realize the benefits of the GAP [Growth Action Plan] with urgency, and deliver the shareholder value that the company’s potential demands,” Meakins added. Srinivas Phatak, Unilever’s current deputy CFO and group controller, will take over as interim CFO. An internal and external search now being initiated to permanently fill the role, the company added. Diana Radu, equity analyst at Morningstar, said the announcement was “unexpected,” especially given the firm’s recent outperformance versus peers in the consumer goods space. “There’s nothing in the company’s recent performance to warrant such a move,” she said. “In fact, Unilever has delivered a strong 18-month ******* under his leadership, marked by greater focus and disciplined execution.” Unilever did not provide further comment on the decision when contacted by CNBC. Source link #Unilever #CEO #Schumacher #step #years #job Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India’s Outrage Machine Devours a Star YouTuber Over a Crude One-Liner India’s Outrage Machine Devours a Star YouTuber Over a Crude One-Liner The Indian internet is a boisterous place, not always for the faint of heart. But sometimes India itself turns fainthearted in the face of the internet. Or livid, when family values are at stake. Until a couple of weeks ago, Ranveer Allahbadia, 31, was riding high as a podcaster, influencer and all-around successful hyper-bro — a Joe Rogan for online Indians, especially young men. His handle, BeerBiceps, presented him to his eight million followers as a lighthearted, overgrown boy’s boy. He interviewed celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Priyanka Chopra, as well as government ministers who build highways and plot foreign relations. He signed deals with brands like Sony, Skechers and Spotify. Last April, he shared a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi while being named “Disrupter of the Year” at India’s first National Creators Awards. It all came crashing down for BeerBiceps on Feb. 8, when “India’s Got Latent,” a YouTube-based talent show with a clever title and almost a half-million subscribers, broadcast an episode with him performing as a judge. Mr. Allahbadia told a joke that sounded like a throwaway line, racy if unoriginal. But it landed. “Would you rather,” he said, “watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life, or would you join in once and stop it forever?” The studio audience oohed, whooped and laughed, and the show went on. Indians are extremely familiar with this form of obscenity — the two most common terms of abuse in Hindi refer to illicit sex acts within a family. But BeerBiceps’s jest seemed somehow a step too far. India has become fitfully intolerant of entertainment that offends certain sensibilities, often religious. Comedy, its reach lengthened by the ubiquity of YouTube and WhatsApp, has become riskier. The outrage that descended on Mr. Allahbadia can hardly be exaggerated. It started with people on social media howling with offense at a clip posted online. Soon, minor celebrities chimed in, some with death threats: Saurav Gurjar, a former pro wrestler and TV actor, wrote on Instagram that BeerBiceps had “crossed all limits.” “If I see him at a party, show or anywhere,” Mr. Gurjar said, “neither his security nor any force in the world will be able to save him from me.” He was joined by political leaders. Devendra Fadnavis, an ally of Mr. Modi and the head of the state of Maharashtra, home to Mumbai and the Hindi film industry, said that such “vulgar, blasphemous content, passed off as comedy,” must be prevented from influencing young minds. Supriya Shrinate, of the opposition Congress party, wrote online that “we can’t normalize perverted behavior as cool.” Next came criminal charges. A cyberpolice unit in the state of Assam filed a case on the basis that BeerBiceps had used an obscenity in public. Maharashtra lodged charges against Mr. Allahbadia and 30 other people involved in “India’s Got Latent,” and other states prepared to follow suit. Worried about having to defend himself in courts around the country, and about threats to himself and his family, Mr. Allahbadia asked the Supreme Court to consolidate the cases and protect his personal safety. It obliged, grudgingly, saying that the government should censor such crude content in the future — or the court would do so itself. Justice Surya Kant threw in his own opinion of BeerBiceps. “There is something dirty in his mind that has been vomited,” Mr. Kant wrote, and as a result, “parents will be ashamed, mothers and sisters will be ashamed.” The court asked Mr. Allahbadia to surrender his passport and ordered that “he shall not air any show on YouTube” or other platforms until further notice. Mr. Allahbadia offered profuse apologies, conceding that “humor is not my forte,” and for the moment, he remains a free man. But what of freedom of speech? A well-known comedian, who was afraid to speak on the record, told of a chilling effect as audiences become more likely to take offense. The circle of what is acceptable to joke about is shrinking, the comedian said, as first religion and then politics have been marked out of bounds. One fear is that politicians will see the BeerBiceps uproar as an opening to regulate online content. Mr. Modi’s government has already blocked dozens of news channels on YouTube and has its sights set on other parts of the web. Apar Gupta, a lawyer and founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, argued in The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, that Mr. Allahbadia and his friends were “mere pawns in the great game for control of our digital media.” Whatever happens next, the outrage has already had a harsh and immediate effect on the careers of the team behind “India’s Got Latent,” where up-and-coming performers were judged on their “latent” talents. Arti Raghavan, a lawyer defending a famous comedian who was accused of criminal contempt in 2020, said that in India’s legal system, once charges are brought, “you’re talking about at least a decade of hardship for the accused.” “Speech laws are wide and vague, and that makes them ripe for abuse,” she said. That affects everyone. Source link #Indias #Outrage #Machine #Devours #Star #YouTuber #Crude #OneLiner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

20 Steam Next Fest February 2025 Demos You Must Play 20 Steam Next Fest February 2025 Demos You Must Play kewlrats|1d 18h ago |Article|2| ▼ Info Add Alt Source All the events, parties, meetups, concerts, and more that PAX East 2025 has to offer, all in one place, for one of Gaming’s biggest expos. Commerce PAX East PAX East 2025 sidequesting.com Read Full Story >> [Hidden Content] sidequesting.com Source link #Steam #Fest #February #Demos #Play Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israel Confirms Body Returned by ****** Is That of Shiri Bibas Israel Confirms Body Returned by ****** Is That of Shiri Bibas A body that ****** turned over to the Red Cross on Friday has been confirmed as that of Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother whose capture with her two young sons during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack became a symbol of the country’s anguish. Early Saturday, a group representing hostages and their families, Hostage Families Forum, announced that Israeli forensic experts had positively identified the woman as Ms. Bibas. Nir Oz, the kibbutz where the Bibas family had lived, also shared the news. Ms. Bibas’s remains were initially believed to have been repatriated to Israel on Thursday with those of her two children, as part of a negotiated exchange for ************ prisoners. With a DNA test, Israeli officials then determined the body was that of another person and not Ms. Bibas’s. The discovery stirred anguish in Israel and put pressure on ****** to produce the correct remains. Saturday’s announcements were the latest development in a series of crises that have made up the first phase of a cease-fire with ******. So far, 19 living Israeli hostages have been traded for hundreds of ************ prisoners. Despite recriminations from both sides, the cease-fire has held for a month. And ******’s rapid effort to find and return the body of Ms. Bibas was a sign that it did not want to bear responsibility for endangering the agreement ahead of the next transfer, planned for Saturday. On Thursday, ****** said it had handed over the remains of four hostages: Ms. Bibas, who at the time of her capture was 32; her two children, Ariel, then 4, and Kfir Bibas, then 9 months; and Oded Lifshitz, 83. The handoff was staged in front of crowds in Khan Younis, and each casket bore a photo of a hostage. A forensic institute in Tel Aviv confirmed the identities of the remains of Ariel, Kfir and Mr. Lifshitz. But early on Friday, Israel said that one of the bodies ****** handed over was not that of Ms. Bibas. The Israeli military called the finding a “violation of the utmost severity” of the cease-fire. In a statement, ****** acknowledged the possibility of a mistake or a “mixing up of corpses.” Another body, believed to be Ms. Bibas’s, was handed over to the Red Cross on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, the forensic institute confirmed the identification of that body as Ms. Bibas’s, according to the Hostage Families Forum. “Despite our fears about their fate, we continued to hope that we would get to embrace them, and now we are in pain and heartbroken,” the Bibas family wrote in a statement disseminated by the hostage forum. “For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure.” The family called for the immediate return of the remaining hostages still in captivity. “There is no more important goal. There can be no rehabilitation without them,” the family wrote. Isabel Kershner contributed reporting. Source link #Israel #Confirms #Body #Returned #****** #Shiri #Bibas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Balatro reclassified as PEGI 12 by ratings board after appeal by publisher Balatro reclassified as PEGI 12 by ratings board after appeal by publisher Balatro has been reclassified as PEGI 12 after a new decision was taken by the ratings board It places it on more even footing after the more mature rating PEGI 18 would have classified it as something akin to grand Theft Auto in terms of content Frequent readers (and why wouldn’t you be?) may recall one of the more oddball stories last year being that Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, was classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. Putting it on the same level of content as something like GTA; which naturally baffled many people, the developer included. However, it seems that PEGI has realised their error and reclassified Balatro, designating it as the more appropriate (at least in my opinion) PEGI 12. According to developer Localthunk, who took to Twitter to announce the news, this was in part due to an appeal by the publisher of Balatro to the board. It’s not the first time Balatro has fallen foul of outside organisations, as it was also briefly pulled from the Nintendo Eshop for its perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players can’t actually win real money or make bets, and the only use of cash is as an abstract way to purchase more cards within each run. The house always wins As mentioned above, one of the key reasons Balatro was classified as such was due to the depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Basically, yes, the reason it was considered as bad as vehicular ********* in GTA is that someone might figure out what a straight flush or a flush is. It’s frustrating as well because Balatro’s classification has also been carried over to platforms like mobile. This is despite, of course, the presence of in-app transactions in virtually everything on our humble platform. So, better a late fix than never? Maybe, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. But if this is finally swaying you to try out Balatro (for some reason) why not take a gander at our tier list of Jokers to find out which of these game-changing cards is worthwhile and which aren’t? Source link #Balatro #reclassified #PEGI #ratings #board #appeal #publisher Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ukraine Marks Third Anniversary of War With Little Fanfare Ukraine Marks Third Anniversary of War With Little Fanfare President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine set a somber tone on Monday for the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, posting a short video praising Ukrainians for their sacrifices and honoring those who died. No major events were planned. For Ukrainians, it was a day to remember what was lost: loved ones and previous lives. Mr. Zelensky, together with his wife and the visiting leaders of allied nations, later went to Kyiv’s central Maidan Square to commemorate fallen soldiers and place candles in their honor. A few blocks away, people visited a memorial wall covered in hundreds of photographs of dead soldiers. “Sleep in peace, boys,” said Olha Vitko, 45, who said she had come that morning to see the cost the country was paying. Denys Riapolov, 32, said he felt only “horror and sorrow” as he passed by the memorial wall. Mr. Riapolov, a soldier, said he was still awaiting victory over Russia — which “unfortunately it will not happen soon.” The anniversary comes at a moment of heightened anxiety in Ukraine, as recent remarks by President Trump — and his push to draw closer to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia — have raised fears about the country’s future. Vlad Krupko, 26, a drone pilot in the Ukrainian military, said this anniversary had been the hardest for him, and urged allies not to turn away. “If the world truly wants to fight for human values, for democracy, for understanding and tolerance, they have a clear example here in Ukraine where they can learn what that means,” he said. In Hamburg, Germany, Olha Shtepan, a Ukrainian refugee, started crying on her way to work at a local supermarket. “It’s a wound that doesn’t heal,” she said of the invasion that began Feb. 24, 2022. “Sometimes, I manage to not think of all what has happened, but on a day like today it is terrible.” Three years ago, when Russia attacked, Ms. Shtepan said, she was babysitting for her sister’s children in Kyiv. Her own children were with her husband in Irpin, a nearby suburb that was partly occupied by Russia in the first weeks of the war. She grabbed the children and rushed to Irpin to join her family — heading into greater danger. “At that time, I did not know that we are going to hell,” she said by voice message from Germany. After more than a week of heavy bombing, they evacuated with four children in a flow of people fleeing over the remnants of a blown-up bridge. “We were there,” she said of the bridge, which became a symbol of the suffering in the early part of the war. The family left for Germany, but the pain remains. “The whole month of February for us, all Ukrainians who went through those horrors, it’s a terrible month,” Ms. Shtepan said. Across Ukraine, there are memorials. Some, like destroyed cars of those who tried to flee that litter the countryside, remain as they did back then, a reminder of what was lost. Others are newly created, as the war continues. Ukraine Wow, a public organization that promotes Ukrainian culture, created a 12-foot-high animated sculpture of a heart at the central railway station in Kyiv this month. The project collects messages in memory of those who have died in war, and the heart beats faster each time one is received. On Monday afternoon, the interactive heart was steadily beating and showing tributes to the dead. “Maksym Lyzya, your smile is always with us,” read one message. “My dear brother Vyacheslav Makarets, 48, I am proud of you and I miss you,” read another. As the heart kept beating, the messages — “Sofiyka Holynska, forever 6” — kept coming. Nataliia Novosolova contributed reporting from Kyiv and Yurii Shyvala from Lviv, Ukraine. Source link #Ukraine #Marks #Anniversary #War #Fanfare Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Realme Neo 7x With Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC, 6,000mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications Realme Neo 7x With Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC, 6,000mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications Realme Neo 7x was launched in China alongside the Realme Neo 7 SE on Tuesday. The handset is powered by Qualcomm’s new 4nm octa-core Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset paired with up to 12GB of RAM. It is backed by a 6,000mAh battery with 45W wired fast charging support. The handset carries a 50-megapixel main rear camera and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. It is equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. The company claims that the Neo 7x meets IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance. Realme Neo 7x Price, Availability Realme Neo 7x price in China starts at CNY 1,299 (roughly Rs. 15,600) for the 8GB + 256GB option, while the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced at CNY 1,599 (roughly Rs. 19,200). It is currently available for purchase in the country via the Realme China e-store and other e-commerce platforms. The phone is offered in Silver Wing Mecha and Titanium Grey Storm (translated from ********) finishes. Realme Neo 7x Features, Specifications The Realme Neo 7x sports a 6.67-inch full HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 1,500Hz touch sampling rate, up to 2,000 nits peak brightness and ProXDR support. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of onboard storage. It ships with Android 15-based Realme UI 6.0. In the camera department, the Realme Neo 7x comes with a 50-megapixel OV50D40 main sensor at the back and a 16-megapixel sensor at the front for selfies and video calls. The phone is equipped with a 6,050mm² VC liquid cooling system and dual stereo speakers. The Realme Neo 7x packs a 6,000mAh battery with 45W wired fast charging support. Connectivity options include 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, NFC and a USB Type-C port. For security, it carries an in-display fingerprint sensor. The handset is claimed to meet IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance. It measures about 163.15 x 75.65 x 7.97mm in size and weighs 194g. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Realme #Neo #Snapdragon #Gen #SoC #6000mAh #Battery #Launched #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ben White: Thomas Tuchel holds talks with Arsenal defender over England future Ben White: Thomas Tuchel holds talks with Arsenal defender over England future England head coach Thomas Tuchel has held talks with Arsenal defender Ben White before naming his first squad next month. Tuchel, who started his role officially on 1 January, said at the World Cup draw in December that he would “reach out” to White. White left England’s 2022 World Cup camp in Qatar after the group stage to return home for personal reasons. He has not been in an England squad since making himself unavailable for selection. The 27-year-old has played four times for the Three Lions, with his last appearance in March 2022. Tuchel has been pictured at numerous games watching players before the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley in March. Sources told BBC Sport talks had taken place but there is no suggestion that it means White will definitely be in the Three Lions squad. White made his first appearance for Arsenal since November in the defeat by West Ham at the weekend, following knee surgery. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said it is for the England coach to decide if he brings White back into the international fold. “[He is] a player that has given us something very, very special, especially in that right unit,” Arteta said of White’s impact in his Arsenal team. “So, great to have him back, more options, his energy, the way he’s around the team, the way he generates – he certainly has been missed.” Source link #Ben #White #Thomas #Tuchel #holds #talks #Arsenal #defender #England #future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Revenge of the Savage Planet Releases May 8; Different Editions Revealed Revenge of the Savage Planet Releases May 8; Different Editions Revealed The Revenge of the Savage Planet different editions listed, with the game set for release on May 8, 2025 on consoles and PC. Source link #Revenge #Savage #Planet #Releases #Editions #Revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]