Pelican Press

Best Area 99 Landing Spots in Warzone Season 1 Best Area 99 Landing Spots in Warzone Season 1 Archie Atom has brought us a new Warzone Resurgence map called Area 99, and here are the best landing spots for this Nuketown playground. Source link #Area #Landing #Spots #Warzone #Season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump transition team compiling list of current and former U.S. military officers for possible courts-martial Trump transition team compiling list of current and former U.S. military officers for possible courts-martial The Trump transition team is compiling a list of senior current and former U.S. military officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plan. Officials working on the transition are considering creating a commission to investigate the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, including gathering information about who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military, how it was carried out, and whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason, the U.S. official and person with knowledge of the plan said. “They’re taking it very seriously,” the person with knowledge of the plan said. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Matt Flynn, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics and global threats, is helping lead the effort, the sources said. It is being framed as a review of how the U.S. first got into the war in Afghanistan and how the U.S. ultimately withdrew. A military transport plane launches while Afghans who cannot get into the airport to evacuate are stranded in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. “Matt Flynn has nothing to do with the Trump transition team, much less leading any review concerning military justice matters,” said Mark S. Zaid, Flynn’s attorney. In a statement Zaid said that “no one has sought out Mr. Flynn’s views on this hypothetical legal scenario.” NBC News did reach out to multiple officials on the Trump transition team about this story. “The sources apparently pushing this story appear to be your typical selfish Washington, D.C. insiders seeking to gain better positioning for their own administration jobs,” said an individual with knowledge of the campaign. President-elect Donald Trump has condemned the withdrawal as a “humiliation” and “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” It is not clear, though, what would legally justify “treason” charges since the military officers were following the orders of President Joe Biden to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan. A 2022 independent review by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction blamed both the Trump and Biden administrations for the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021. Trump first reached an agreement with the Taliban in 2020 to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, roughly 13,000 troops, and release 5,000 Taliban fighters from prison. The Biden administration then completed the withdrawal and badly overestimated the ability of Afghan government forces to ****** the Taliban on their own. Trump’s choice for secretary of defense, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, has criticized the withdrawal, saying the U.S. lost the war and wasted billions of dollars. In his book “The War on Warriors,” Hegseth wrote, “The next president of the ******* States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired. The debacle in Afghanistan, of course, is the most glaring example.” Afghan applicants crowd into a cafe seeking help applying for the Special Immigrant Visas program in 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hegseth calls the withdrawal a “humiliating retreat” and says leaders at the Pentagon were not held accountable for the deadly ******* at Abbey Gate, which ******* 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians. Nor were they held accountable for a subsequent U.S. airstrike in Kabul that officials thought would ***** the Islamic State group leader behind the ******** ******* but instead ******* 10 innocent Afghans, including seven children, he wrote. “These generals lied. They mismanaged. They violated their oath. They *******. They disgraced our troops, and our nation. They got people *******, unnecessarily,” he wrote. “And, to this moment, they keep their jobs. Worse, they continue to actively erode our military and its values — by capitulating to civilians with ******** agendas. They are an embarrassment, with stars still on their shoulders.” The transition team is looking at the possibility of recalling several commanders to active duty for possible charges, the U.S. official said. It’s not clear the Trump administration would pursue treason charges, and instead could focus on lesser charges that highlight the officer’s involvement. “They want to set an example,” said the person with knowledge of the plan. Taliban fighters storm into the Kabul International Airport, wielding ********* supplied weapons, equipment and uniforms after the ******* States Military have completed their withdrawal, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 31, 2021. Speaking to NBC News days before the election, Howard Lutnick, one of the two advisers leading the transition, said Trump learned after his first administration that he had hired Democratic generals, and he would not make that mistake again. Former officials who worked in Trump’s first administration have said they advised Trump against policies they thought would weaken U.S. national security, such as withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. And they advised against actions that they thought might violate the Constitution or inflame tensions domestically, such as deploying active-duty U.S. troops to quell protests after the 2020 police ******** of George Floyd. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Source link #Trump #transition #team #compiling #list #current #U.S #military #officers #courtsmartial Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Neva (XS) Review | VGChartz Neva (XS) Review | VGChartz VGChartz’s Lee Mehr: “It’s basically a prerequisite for at least one Artistic Indie Game to thoroughly impress me each year. Anyone familiar with this phylum knows this song and dance already: bank an incredible amount of resources into an impressive visual design and emotional soundtrack. And, sure, it’s quite easy to see that Nomada’s sophomore effort would stick closely to that script, but it’s also tough for those expectations to work as a direct criticism when Neva works so ***** well. Its succinctness within its pacing, world-building, storytelling, and more all congeal to make something that Neva-r ceased to impress me.” Source link #Neva #Review #VGChartz Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Console repairer discovers groovy PS5 Pro heatsink structure — machined grooves thought to help prevent solder paste from leaking from the socket Console repairer discovers groovy PS5 Pro heatsink structure — machined grooves thought to help prevent solder paste from leaking from the socket Sony’s new PlayStation 5 Pro has quietly introduced a very interesting heatsink design change. Popular console repair YouTube channel TronicsFix discovered that the PS5 Pro heatsink isn’t glossy-smooth – it features a rectangular spiral surface detail. The PS5 Pro Upgrade No One Is Talking About – YouTube Watch On TronicsFix postulates that the deliberately machined surface pattern was implemented to reduce the occurrence of dry spots and surface oxidation caused by liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) migrating across the heatsink. He also reckons it slightly increases the contact surface area. If you’ve ever tried to evenly spread liquid metal, you will probably be aware that the material likes to form pools. It is also much more susceptible to flowing where you don’t want it, compared to traditional pastes. Systems designed for liquid metal heatsinks will therefore use a seal or dam around the heatsink to make sure this electrically conductive substance can’t get out and contaminate or cause damage to other system components. TronicsFix also thinks that the movement of liquid metal over time is exacerbated in PlayStation systems that are kept and used in their vertical orientation. We know Steve at Tronicsfix has repaired and tuned a considerable number of PS5s (and other consoles), so his observations probably aren’t far from the ground truth of the situation. It is interesting to see Sony has implemented the rectangular spiral ‘grooves’ on the heatsink that interfaces with the AMD APU as in some ways it goes against conventional cooling wisdom. Extreme overclockers and tuning enthusiasts sometimes spend a lot of time ‘lapping’ the processor surface and making sure the heatsink is just as polished and flat – but liquid metal has shifted the goalposts. Sony must surely have A/B tested this new heatsink vs a mirror-smooth one and found it a worthwhile thermal design change to implement. With the PS5 Pro’s boost in processing power – the much beefier GPU in particular – we assume these heatsink ‘grooves’ are one of the changes made to keep the specter of thermal throttling at bay. The PS5 Pro was officially unveiled in early September but only started to become available to consumers earlier this month. Enthusiast and expert teardowns are still uncovering the secrets of the new design, but we learned most of the technical details from lead architect Mark Cerny during a launch live stream. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Console #repairer #discovers #groovy #PS5 #Pro #heatsink #structure #machined #grooves #thought #prevent #solder #paste #leaking #socket Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Nvidia, Target 1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Nvidia, Target • Fed speakers and Nvidia earnings will be in focus this week. • Nvidia is a buy with another huge beat-and-raise quarter on deck. • Target is a sell amid declining sales, downbeat outlook expected. • Looking for more actionable trade ideas? Subscribe here for up 55% off as part of our Early Bird ****** Friday *****! U.S. stocks finished lower on Friday, with the and Nasdaq notching their biggest one-day losses in two weeks, as a post-election rally ran out of steam and investors worried over the path of interest rates. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 2.1%, while the tech-heavy declined 3.1%. The blue-chip lost 1.2% during the *******. Source: Investing.com The week ahead is expected to be an eventful one as investors continue to assess the outlook for the economy, inflation, interest rates and corporate earnings. On the economic calendar, flash PMI readings on manufacturing and the services sector will grab attention on Friday, along with updates on the housing market. That will be accompanied by a heavy slate of Fed speakers, with the likes of district governors Jeffrey Schmid, Lisa Cook, Michelle Bowman, and Beth Hammack all set to make public appearances. Source: Investing.com Expectations for a 25-basis point rate cut at the Fed’s December meeting stood at 63% on Sunday morning, according to the . Elsewhere, in corporate earnings, Nvidia (NASDAQ:)’s results will be the key update of the week as the Q3 reporting season quiets down. Other notable names lined up to report earnings include Walmart (NYSE:), Target (NYSE:), TJX Companies (NYSE:), Ross Stores (NASDAQ:), Lowe’s (NYSE:), Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:), and Snowflake (NYSE:). Regardless of which direction the market goes, below I highlight one stock likely to be in demand and another which could see fresh downside. Remember though, my timeframe is just for the week ahead, Monday, November 18 – Friday, November 22. Stock to Buy: Nvidia Nvidia is poised for significant gains this week, as the tech giant prepares to deliver another beat-and-raise quarterly earnings report amid surging demand for its AI chips. The Santa Clara-based company is set to release its Q3 earnings after the market closes on Wednesday at 4:20PM ET, with expectations running high for another record-breaking performance. A call with CEO Jensen Huang is set for 5:00PM ET. Market participants expect a sizable swing in NVDA shares following the print, as per the options market, with a possible implied move of 9.8% in either direction. Source: InvestingPro Investor sentiment is overwhelmingly bullish, as evidenced by 30 upward earnings revisions in the past 90 days, according to InvestingPro. Nvidia has consistently outperformed expectations, becoming a bellwether for the tech sector as growth prospects in artificial intelligence remain strong. Consensus expectations call for Nvidia to post earnings per share of $0.74, rising 85% from EPS of $0.40 in the year-ago *******. Meanwhile, revenue is forecast to surge 82% annually to $33.1 billion, underscoring the company’s unmatched dominance in the AI chip market. Of particular interest will be guidance for the current quarter, marking the debut of Nvidia’s next-generation Blackwell AI processor. CEO Jensen Huang has described demand for Blackwell as “insane,” setting the stage for better-than-expected forecasts. NVDA stock ended Friday’s session at $141.98, just below its record high of $149.65 reached on November 12. Shares have soared 186.7% in 2024, making Nvidia one of the top-performing S&P 500 stocks of the year. At current levels, Nvidia has a market cap of $3.48 trillion, making it the most valuable company trading on the U.S. stock exchange. Source: Investing.com It is worth mentioning that InvestingPro’s AI-powered quantitative models rate Nvidia with a solid ‘Financial Health Score’ of 3.7 out of 5.0, highlighting its solid profitability and promising growth trajectory. Be sure to check out InvestingPro to stay in sync with the market trend and what it means for your trading. Subscribe now and get up to 55% off and position your portfolio one step ahead of everyone else! Stock to Sell: Target In stark contrast, Target is facing a much more challenging outlook. The big-box retailer is grappling with high operating costs, shrinking margins, and stiff competition from rivals like Walmart. Volatile traffic trends, seasonal weather challenges, and election impact uncertainties compound the retail giant’s struggles. Target – which is the seventh largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the U.S. – is scheduled to release its third-quarter earnings report ahead of the opening bell on Wednesday at 6:30AM ET. According to the options market, traders are pricing in a swing of around 9% in either direction for TGT stock following the print. Source: InvestingPro Wall Street projects earnings of $2.30 per share, marking a 9.5% increase from $2.10 a year earlier. Revenue is anticipated to grow marginally by 2% to $25.9 billion, highlighting weak consumer demand for discretionary goods like home furnishings and apparel. Looking ahead, CEO Brian Cornell is likely to deliver cautious guidance for the all-important holiday quarter due to a difficult operating environment, competitive landscape, and ongoing discounting activity. External headwinds, such as weather disruptions and broader economic uncertainty, have further complicated the outlook. With disappointing Q3 results and a cautious holiday outlook on the horizon, the stock’s downside risks outweigh potential rewards. Investors should avoid Target amid this challenging retail landscape. TGT stock closed at $152.13 on Friday. Shares have underperformed the S&P 500 by a wide margin this year, gaining 6.8%. At current valuations, the Minneapolis-based retailer has a market cap of $70 billion. Source: Investing.com It should be noted that Target currently has a below average InvestingPro ‘Financial Health Score’ of 2.6 out of 5.0 due to lingering concerns over weakening profit margins and spotty sales growth. Whether you’re a novice investor or a seasoned trader, leveraging InvestingPro can unlock a world of investment opportunities while minimizing risks amid the challenging market backdrop. Subscribe now to get up to 55% off all Pro plans and instantly unlock access to several market-beating features, including: • ProPicks AI: AI-selected stock winners with proven track record. • InvestingPro Fair Value: Instantly find out if a stock is underpriced or overvalued. • Advanced Stock Screener: Search for the best stocks based on hundreds of selected filters, and criteria. • Top Ideas: See what stocks billionaire investors such as Warren Buffett, Michael Burry, and George Soros are buying. Disclosure: At the time of writing, I am long on the S&P 500, and the via the SPDR® S&P 500 ETF, and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF. I am also long on the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:). I regularly rebalance my portfolio of individual stocks and ETFs based on ongoing risk assessment of both the macroeconomic environment and companies’ financials. The views discussed in this article are solely the opinion of the author and should not be taken as investment advice. Follow Jesse Cohen on X/Twitter @JesseCohenInv for more stock market analysis and insight. Source link #Stock #Buy #Stock #Sell #Week #Nvidia #Target Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Wear your seat belt’ begs woman after Lincolnshire car ****** ‘Wear your seat belt’ begs woman after Lincolnshire car ****** A woman who defied the odds by walking again after a car accident is urging others to wear their seat belt. Ellen Hogan, who was sat in the back, removed her seat belt to reach something on the floor moments before the car hit a tree just outside Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire in June 2022. Ms Hogan, then 19, suffered a punctured lung, spinal fracture and a bleed on the brain, leaving her unable to walk or talk. Now she wants others to learn from her experience after admitting her recovery was something “no one expected, not even my family”. She said: “I couldn’t look after myself. I couldn’t go upstairs properly. It was really, really bad. “For the first year I was so down, so depressed and low. I just thought I’m not going to be able to do anything.” She worked hard on her recovery, begging physiotherapists at Hull Royal Infirmary to see her twice a day. When she left hospital she moved in with her grandmother because she couldn’t take care of herself. Ms Hogan, who lives in Lincoln, added: “I’ve come a long, long way. They all thought I’d be in hospital for six months and would have to live in a care home.” She approached Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) to offer her experience as a way of educating others about seat belts. To coincide with road safety charity Brake’s Road Safety Week, which launched today, Ms Hogan has also made a video telling her story to be shown in schools throughout the county. Nick Matthews, from LRSP, said: “We are very proud of what she has achieved with this video. “It’s not easy to talk on camera, especially about such a traumatic thing, but Ellen speaks with such honesty and her story is compelling. “It’s a potentially life-saving message and using Ellen’s voice to reach people, both online and in schools, will really help convey the difference a seat belt makes.” On average, 651 people are ******* or seriously injured nationally each year due to not wearing a seat belt, according to Lincolnshire Police. If you are caught travelling in a vehicle without wearing one you could be given a fixed penalty notice of £100 on the spot. Ms Hogan’s advice is: “If you are going to take your belt off, pull over. “If I was driving, I wouldn’t be here right now and I have been told that by the emergency services. “I was naive and silly. Big mistake. So please, wear your seat belt.” Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Source link #Wear #seat #belt #begs #woman #Lincolnshire #car #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Patapon spiritual sequel Ratatan gets new trailer confirming platforms Patapon spiritual sequel Ratatan gets new trailer confirming platforms Patapon spiritual successor Ratatan has received a new trailer confirming which platforms the game will be released on. The trailer, which can be viewed below, announces that the forthcoming rhythm game will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC. The game was crowdfunded earlier this year, hit its ¥20 million ($137,000 / £108,000) funding goal within an hour of its launch and went on to raise over 10 times that initial goal. “We are actually quite far along in the production cycle and feel very confident in getting everything into the game by April 2025!” developer Ratata Arts said in an FAQ earlier this year. A PC beta is planned and will “most likely” take place in the latter half of next year, with console tests also under consideration but yet to be confirmed. Originally released for PlayStation Portable in 2007, Patapon is a rhythm-based 2D platform / action game in which players command an army of cute anthropomorphic eyeballs known as “Patapons” that can be instructed to move forward, *******, defend and retreat by using a sequence of drum beats. The game received two sequels on PSP, and the first two games were remastered with 4K visuals for PS4. “The three main game concepts are over 100 cute characters fighting it out on screen, four-player simultaneous battles, and more adventure and roguelike elements than Patapon had,” producer Kazuto Sakajiri explained in a recent interview with VGC. Source link #Patapon #spiritual #sequel #Ratatan #trailer #confirming #platforms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

McIlroy clinches World Tour and Race to Dubai double McIlroy clinches World Tour and Race to Dubai double Rory McIlroy has finished the 2024 season in style by adding his third World Tour Championship win after winning the sixth Race to Dubai title of his career. The Northern Irishman was in the midst of a two-way tussle with Rasmus Hojgaard for the season-ending event when his Race to Dubai crown was confirmed, with both players locked on 13 under with five holes remaining. McIlroy valiantly saved par at the 15th ***** before hitting his approach inside a foot at the next to card his first birdie in 11 holes and nudge ahead of his rival. Hojgaard holed a clutch par putt at the 17th to remain one behind but when he ******* to find the cup with a birdie effort at the last, McIlroy had two attempts for victory. He only needed one putt to seal the two-shot success at Jumeirah Golf Estates and complete the end-of-season double. Australia’s Adam Scott finished with a share of third place, alongside Shane Lowry and Antoine Rozner after ******* a four-under-par 68. The trio were four shots adrift of McIlroy McIlroy was pleased to “get over the line” after winning the World Tour Championship, telling Sky Sports: “It means a lot. I’ve been through a lot this year professionally and personally. “It feels like a fitting end to 2024. I’ve persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn’t able to get it done. So to be able to get over the line…I hung on and got the job done.” McIlroy only needed a top-11 finish on Sunday to reach the summit of the season rankings, with South ******** Thriston Lawrence, who finished in midfield, the only player able to deny him with a win in Dubai. Lawrence’s challenge, however, never materialised and when he came home in one under par for the event, McIlroy secured his third successive Race to Dubai crown with five holes left in his final round. The world No.3 joins Spanish great Seve Ballesteros in second place in the all-time list with six order of merit triumphs, with only Colin Montgomerie ahead of the pair with eight victories. After securing his sixth Race to Dubai title, McIlroy said he was proud to be mentioned alongside Ballesteros, adding: “It’s really cool. I think everyone knows what Seve means to ********* golf, to Ryder Cup players. “He means so much to ********* golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath I am very proud.” McIlroy said he was relishing the challenge of attempting to emulate Montgomerie’s Race to Dubai titles haul. He said: “I’m up for it. I’ve just won my third in a row. “I’ve made it my priority to give myself the best chance coming in to the end of the year to win the Race to Dubai and I don’t see that being any different for the foreseeable future. “I will go for my seventh next year and try to chase Monty down.” Another ***********, Min Woo Lee, carded a 70 to finish down the order with a three-under 285. Source link #McIlroy #clinches #World #Tour #Race #Dubai #double Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

As the Taurid Meteor Shower Passes by Earth, Pseudoscience Rains Down – and Obscures a Potential Real Threat from Space As the Taurid Meteor Shower Passes by Earth, Pseudoscience Rains Down – and Obscures a Potential Real Threat from Space Mark Boslough/The Conversation With the Taurid meteor shower now hitting the night skies worldwide, look for what could be a celestial treat – you might see ********* stars, and maybe even fireballs, the biggest and brightest meteors. As the full moon begins to wane after Nov. 15, the sky will be darker, due to diminishing moonlight, so finding the meteors will get easier. That said, the best visibility for the meteors through the rest of the month will come just before moonrise each night. Beyond the light show, there is something else that scientists as well as onlookers have long wondered about: the possibility that ******* chunks are in the Taurid meteor streams, chunks the size of boulders, buildings or even mountains. Bright Taurid fireball recorded by NASA All Sky Fireball Network station in Tullahoma, Tennessee, 2014. (NASA/CC BY-NC 2.0). And if that’s true, could one of those monster-sized Taurid objects collide with Earth? Could they wipe out a city, or worse? Is it possible that’s already happened, sometime in our planet’s past? This animation simulates the motion of the hypothetical Taurid meteor swarm through space. As a physicist who researches the risk that comets and asteroids pose to the Earth, I’m aware that this is a subject where pseudoscience often competes with actual science. So, let’s try to find the line between fact and fiction. Pig Pen, Glowing Tails and ********* Stars Comet Encke is the so-called parent comet of the Taurid meteors. It’s relatively small, just over 3 miles (almost 5 kilometers) in diameter, and crosses inside Earth’s orbit and back out every 3.3 years. The comet Encke photographed by Spitzer Space Telescope while moving between orbits of Jupiter and Mars, 2004. (NASA/JPL—Caltech/University of Minnesota/Public Domain). As Encke moves, it sheds dust wherever it goes, like the Peanuts character Pig Pen. A meteor shower occurs when that debris lights up while entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. Ultimately, they vanish into an incandescent puff of vapor with a glowing tail, creating the illusion of a “********* star.” But dust isn’t all that breaks off the comet. So do ******* chunks, the size of pebbles and stones. When they collide with the air, they create much brighter fireballs, which sometimes explode. Doomsday Showers The “coherent catastrophism” hypothesis suggests that comet Encke was created when an even larger comet broke up into pieces; Encke survived as the largest piece. The hypothesis also suggests that other mountain-sized chunks broke off and coalesced into a large swarm of fragments too. If such a swarm exists, there is a possibility that those large chunks could one day hit Earth as it passes through the swarm. But just because something might be physically possible doesn’t mean that it exists. Mainstream astronomers have rejected this theory’s most catastrophic predictions. Among other reasons, scientists have never observed high concentrations of these mountain-sized objects. Despite the lack of evidence, researchers on the fringes of science have embraced the idea. They claim the Earth experienced a global catastrophic swarm 12,900 years ago; the impact, they say, caused continent-wide firestorms, floods and abrupt climate change that led to the mass extinction of large mammals, such as woolly mammoths, and the disappearance of early Americans known as the Clovis people. Crater located near Winslow, Arizona, created by impact of Canyon Diablo meteorite. (Kevin Walsh/CC BY 2.0). The evidence for a catastrophic cause of these events, most of which did not happen, is lacking. Nevertheless, the idea has gained a large following and formed the basis for the popular TV series “Ancient Apocalypse,” hosted by British author Graham Hancock. The Tunguska Event But even outlandish ideas can have elements of truth, and there are hints that some objects – more than just dust and debris, but less than doomsday size – indeed exist in the Taurid meteor stream, and that the Earth has already encountered them. One clue comes from an event on June 30, 1908, when an enormous ********** in the sky blew down millions of trees in Siberia. This was the Tunguska event– an airburst from an object that may have been up to 160 feet (about 50 meters) in diameter. The collision unleashed several megatons of energy, which is roughly the equivalent of a large thermonuclear *****. What happens is this: The incoming object penetrates deep into Earth’s atmosphere, and the dense air slows it down and heats it up until it vaporizes and explodes. Could this object have been a Taurid? After all, the Taurids cross Earth’s orbit twice a year – not just in autumn, but also in June. Here’s the evidence: First, the descriptions of the trajectory of the Tunguska airburst, as reported by eyewitness observers, is consistent with that of an object coming from the Taurid stream. What’s more, the pattern of blast damage on the ground beneath an airburst depends on the trajectory of the exploding object. Supercomputer simulations show that the shape of the surface blast that would be caused by an exploding Taurid object matches the pattern of fallen trees at Tunguska. Aftermath of 1908 Tunguska impact event in Siberia. (Leonid Kulik/Public Domain). Finally, during the Taurid meteor shower in 1975, people observed large fireballs – and seismometers, previously placed on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, detected seismic events on the lunar surface. Scientists interpreted those events as impacts, presumably made by the Taurid meteors. In 2032 and 2036, the Taurid swarm – assuming it exists – is predicted to be closer to the Earth than any time since 1975. That might mean the Moon, and perhaps the Earth, could be pelted again in those years. There is time to figure this out. Scientists can expand their astronomical surveys to look for Tunguska-sized objects at the locations where they are predicted to be the next time they are in our vicinity. Most scientists remain skeptical that such a swarm exists, but it’s the job of planetary defenders to investigate possible threats, even if the risk is small. After all, a Tunguska-sized object could conceivably demolish a major city and ***** millions; an accurate count of objects on a potential collision course is essential. Put doomsday scenarios and ancient apocalypses aside. The real question, and still an open one, is whether a Taurid swarm could deliver more Tunguska-sized objects than would otherwise be expected. This would mean we have underestimated the risk from future airbursts. Top image: Taurid meteor shower, Joshua Tree, California, 2015. Source: Channone Arif/CC BY 2.0. The article ‘As the Taurid Meteor Shower Passes by Earth, Pseudoscience Rains Down – and Obscures a Potential Real Threat from Space’ by Mark Boslough was originally published on The Conversation and has been republished under a Creative Commons license. Source link #Taurid #Meteor #Shower #Passes #Earth #Pseudoscience #Rains #Obscures #Potential #Real #Threat #Space Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Where to Exchange Mini Medals in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Where to Exchange Mini Medals in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake NoobFeed editor Joy Rahman writes – DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake successfully revitalizes a classic with stunning and enjoyable gameplay updates. While the frequent random battles and grind can be off-putting, the remake offers a fresh yet nostalgic experience. Source link #Exchange #Mini #Medals #Dragon #Quest #III #HD2D #Remake Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

“Citizen” Bill Clinton – CBS News “Citizen” Bill Clinton – CBS News “Citizen” Bill Clinton – CBS News Watch CBS News Former President Bill Clinton proudly wears the title of “citizen,” which is also the title of his new book, “Citizen: My Life After the White House.” He sits down with correspondent Tracy Smith to talk about making a difference outside of elected office. He also discusses the prospects of a second Trump administration; why he believes Democrats missed the mark in the 2024 presidential election; and whether or not America is ready for a female president. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Citizen #Bill #Clinton #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GOP legislators disappointed by approval of ********* rights measure GOP legislators disappointed by approval of ********* rights measure Nov. 17—*********** legislators from Northwest Montana are expressing dismay over the approval of a ballot initiative that codifies the right to an ********* in the state constitution but submit there’s little recourse available to alter the outcome aside from a federal ban. The measure, CI-128, garnered the support of 58% of voters statewide in the Nov. 5 election with 344,410 ballots in favor and 251,846 against it. The ballot initiative enshrines a state Supreme Court ruling that determined the right to privacy protects the right to an *********. Elizabeth Hubble, the director of the women’s, gender and sexuality studies program at the University of Montana, said the broad support for the initiative in a ***********-majority state “shows that people who hold very ************* beliefs still understand the importance of health care.” The protection, according to Hubble, will make it difficult for anti-********* legislation to pass on a state level. Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, who has been an anti-********* advocate throughout her political career, described the outcome as disappointing. “There was a lot of false messaging as far as those wanting a yes vote,” she said. “The idea that people want government out of health care decisions, well the government regulates all sort of health care decisions.” The initiative, per the ballot language, “would amend the Montana Constitution to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to *********.” It prohibits government from denying an ********* before fetal viability or an ********* done “to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.” It also prevents the government from penalizing patients, health care providers or others who assist someone in “exercising their right to make and carry out voluntary decisions about their pregnancy.” Sen. John Fuller, R-Kalispell, feels the measure’s language about providers gives immunity to “so-called health care professionals.” More than 250 physicians statewide endorsed the initiative ahead of the election. Like Fuller, Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, said the initiative was too broad, poorly defined and lacked restrictions. “I think that the language in it wasn’t very good, and it will go much further than anyone anticipated,” said Glimm, predicting that the state judiciary could use the protections under CI-128 and expand them beyond standard reproductive health care. Heading into the 2025 legislative session, Regier wants to bring forward an educational component in response to CI-128, whether that be pre-procedure acknowledgements or education about fetal development. Generally, health professionals say fetal viability starts between 20 and 25 weeks. Most abortions nationwide occur in the first trimester before 13 weeks. Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, plans to file a “fatherhood at conception” bill. The act would adjust child support responsibilities to begin at conception if there is no question of paternity, but the specifics are still being ironed out. “The general premise is just the idea that I want to see both men and women held equally accountable for the life that they’ve created,” Sprunger said. With legislation specifically targeting access to ********* now unconstitutional, Fuller suggested there may be other avenues to push forward the anti-********* agenda. “When it comes to legislation regarding a constitutional amendment, there isn’t much a legislator can do,” said Fuller. “That needs to be litigated at the federal level, but of course that’s not my role.” He holds hope that CI-128 is deemed as unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment because it “denies due process to the child that is unborn.” CI-128 ORGANIZERS collected over 117,000 signatures qualifying the initiative for the ballot, far exceeding the 60,000 signatures required. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, the group behind the initiative, then raised nearly $12 million to support the measure, according to OpenSecrets, compared to just over $100,000 raised by groups against it. ************* leaning Flathead County was less supportive of the measure with roughly 31,000 both in favor and against. As of Wednesday, Flathead County voters placed just 61 more votes against the ballot measure than in support of it. “The Flathead Valley is a great ************* stronghold,” Glimm said regarding the result. Similarly, in the 2022 election, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act — which would have required medical providers to give life-saving care to infants at any stage of development — ******* by 6% of votes statewide. Voters in Flathead County voted for the initiative by 6%. Measures on ********* access were decided by voters in nine other states this election as well. Out of 10 states, only three ******* to pass protections, leaving strict bans in place. The election came more than two years after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an ********* and handing the decision to individual states. President-elect Donald Trump indicated on the campaign trail that a federal ********* ban is off the table. “I’m not in favor of an ********* ban, but it doesn’t matter because this issue has now been taken over by the states,” Trump said during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at *****@*****.tld or 758-4459. Source link #GOP #legislators #disappointed #approval #********* #rights #measure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

15 Years Later, No Left 4 ***** 2 Successor Has Replicated Its Secret ******* 15 Years Later, No Left 4 ***** 2 Successor Has Replicated Its Secret ******* Left 4 ***** 2 is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, November 17, 2024. Below, we look at how its cast and their interactions set it apart from its contemporaries and modern imitators alike. Left 4 ***** 2 has been rightfully receiving its flowers for the past 15 years. The modding community has come up with everything from visual enhancements like improved blood textures to completely user-made campaigns. The last two DLCs for the game, Cold Stream and The Last Stand, were made by community members and officially endorsed by Valve. At the time of writing, there are over 45,000 players in-game on PC, and (if you somehow still don’t own it) you can play it for free during this anniversary weekend. As such, the Steam discussions are filled with dozens of threads about the Good Guy Nick Achievement, which can only be obtained when the game is on a free weekend, something that occurs every couple of years. But there’s a special legacy Left 4 ***** has left behind: Valve’s shooter has been a catalyst for a new subgenre altogether. Games like Back 4 Blood and The Anacrusis follow the formula closely, which isn’t surprising considering the development teams include people who worked on Left 4 *****. Others, such as Warhammer: Vermintide, Deep Rock Galactic, and Aliens: Fireteam Elite iterate on the concept of a co-op shooter by leaning closer to its own worlds, taking inspiration from existing franchises or coming up with brand-new mechanics to stand out from the rest. Yet, as more developers are taking the genre in interesting new directions, there’s one crucial element that is often overlooked in these iterations. The passage of time has not diminished Left 4 ***** 2’s strengths. The clever “AI Director” dictating and reacting to the pace and behavior of your group to the B-movie flair embedded in every corner are standouts. But if there’s one thing that entices me to return to the game, and a crucial aspect that none of the Left 4 *****-likes have managed to achieve to a similar degree, is the cast of characters and the personality each of them oozes. This was a strong suit even in the first Left 4 ***** with Zoey, Francis, Louis, and Bill. From the moment you set foot on the first rooftop on your way to Mercy Hospital, the frequent character interactions are put front and center. The quips can be further extended (on PC) by using a conversation wheel to express yourself drawing from a pool of hundreds of lines for laughing, cursing, and thanking others. While neither game was ever story-driven, you get to learn more about the characters’ personalities thanks to these conversations, and how they interact with each other throughout the campaigns. As a result, I cared more for their survival within the world itself, and not just from a sole gameplay standpoint of reviving a friend during a horde rush. As time passed, I found Bill’s incidental role as a parental figure to be endearing, and Francis’ constant complaints became a running joke rather than making him an annoying character. The cast of Left 4 ***** 2 Left 4 ***** 2 took this foundation further with Nick, Coach, Rochelle, and Ellis: Some smaller details include voice command shouts being louder or quieter when calling other characters’ names depending on the distance from each other, or the iconic Easter egg in the Dark Carnival campaign where the cast sings song excerpts if you interact with the microphone on stage during the final ******. But there’s a greater focus on highlighting the characters–unlike the first Left 4 ***** campaign, No Mercy, the group begins the sequel not knowing each other’s names in ***** Center. They’re eventually introduced to one another and establish a bond over the later episodes. The DLCs, as well as the integration of Left 4 ***** into Left 4 ***** 2, are proof of Valve extending the philosophy to the original cast as well, with The Passing uniting both groups in the same campaign, and The Sacrifice adding another sentimental layer as an overarching narrative involving Bill. Looking back at all the late nights I’ve had playing with friends during the past 15 years, I believe the characters are responsible for tying the whole experience together. They remain singular in nature, resulting in a sense of personality that is yet to be matched. Some jokes and banter lines, such as Nick remarking on Ellis’ excitement over the carnival Kiddie Land by saying, “He’s like a five-year-old, with guns and a comprehensive grasp of every swear word in the English language,” and the multiple variants for friendly ***** reactions like Ellis’ “I am not a zombie, ****** the zombies!” never get tiresome. As it stands, the future of Left 4 ***** is uncertain. In 2023, people found a mention of “Left4Dead3” in Counter-Strike 2’s files, albeit with the downside that, according to the files, the project’s priority is “none” for Valve. This follows a series of similar I Want to Believe mentions throughout the years in other titles like Half-Life: Alyx and Portal VR, including more concrete details in The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx documentary, where it was revealed that Left 4 ***** 3 was supposed to be an open-world game set in Morocco, only to be canceled due to game engine Source 2’s unfinished status at the time. It’s hard to know if a third entry could capture the charm and chemistry of the existing characters with a new group once more. Despite having replayed the campaigns dozens of times over the years, however, I’m still discovering interactions by the cast. And even when I’m not, joining a lobby feels like revisiting old friends at this point. Picking a character in Left 4 ***** 2 doesn’t give you any different perks–each one of them can use all weapons, and their survival depends on your skills and cooperation with others alone. The game’s most noteworthy achievement, then, is giving importance to that decision regardless of its importance–choosing the eyes from which to see the apocalypse through is as memorable as your efforts to make it out alive with that character. Source link #Years #Left #***** #Successor #Replicated #Secret #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Archbishop candidates need ‘heads reading’ Archbishop candidates need ‘heads reading’ The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek said any bishop thinking about becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury needs “their head reading”. Justin Welby will step down after a damning report into prolific child abuser John Smyth associated with the ******* of England. Bishop Rachel told BBC Radio Gloucestershire she did not want the “very, very difficult job” and any Bishop thinking about it should “look long and hard into the mirror and take some reality checks”. She said Mr Welby’s decision was “absolutely the right thing to do” but that it “probably could have happened quicker”. The report found that Mr Welby “could and should” have reported Smyth’s ****** of boys and young men to police in 2013. It was not immediately clear when the archbishop would leave his post but the process of finding a replacement is likely to take at least six months. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the ******* of England and leads 85 million Anglicans in 165 countries around the world. “Anyone who wants to be the Archbishop of Canterbury absolutely needs their head reading,” Bishop Rachel said. “You know, this is a very, very difficult job – stepping into the structures that do need to change. “Any bishop who wants to be the archbishop, well, I think they might need to look long and hard into the mirror and take some reality checks.” Smyth was accused of attacking dozens of boys, including those he met at ********** camps, in the *** in the 1970s and 1980s. The independent report published last week found inaction from the ******* was a “missed opportunity” to bring Smyth to justice before his ****** in 2018. The Bishop called it an “absolutely sickening report”, adding the focus needs to be on the victims and survivors who had had to wait years for the ****** to be fully exposed. “I want to instil trust and ****** and say to victims and survivors that if you have been silenced, if you are carrying that weight today, then please do contact your diocesan safeguarding team,” she said. She said safeguarding processes and training within the ******* had changed in recent years but independent oversight was needed. “One of the things that this report and subsequent events has thrown up again is the very clunky governance we have within the ******* of England,” she added. “We do not have quick decision making, there are too many different levels, groups, involved. “We need to be able to move much more swiftly.” Bishop Rachel was consecrated as the 41st Bishop of Gloucester in 2015. She made history by becoming the first female diocesan bishop and the first female bishop in the House of Lords. Source link #Archbishop #candidates #heads #reading Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Game Awards confirms that DLC, remakes and remasters will be eligible for Game of the Year The Game Awards confirms that DLC, remakes and remasters will be eligible for Game of the Year The Game Awards has confirmed that DLC will be eligible for all of its award categories ahead of the shortlists being announced on Monday. This Monday, producer Geoff Keighley‘s annual award show will announce the shortlist for each of its categories. In an FAQ posted to the award show’s website, it has confirmed that DLC, expansions, remakes, and remasters are all eligible for the shortlists. The website now reads: “The Game Awards aims to recognize the best creative and technical work each year, irrespective of the format of that content’s release. “Expansion packs, new game seasons, DLCs, remakes, and remasters are eligible in all categories, if the jury deems the new creative and technical work to be worthy of a nomination. Factors such as the newness of the content and its price/value should be taken into consideration.” Jury members for The Game Awards were made aware of the inclusion of DLC, remakes, and remasters ahead of submitting their nominations. The event’s 10th anniversary gala celebration will again take place at its traditional venue of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, and be streamed live on various platforms. The Game Awards 2023 broke the event’s viewership record with an estimated 118 million livestreams. The 2023 event, which also took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, was a major production featuring musical performances, celebrity guests, a host of game reveals and an awards show. Source link #Game #Awards #confirms #DLC #remakes #remasters #eligible #Game #Year Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia unleashes major airstrike on Ukraine, damaging critical infrastructure – National Russia unleashes major airstrike on Ukraine, damaging critical infrastructure – National Russia unleashed its largest wave of airstrikes on Ukraine in almost three months on Sunday, ******* 120 missiles and 90 drones in a sweeping ******* that ******* at least seven people and caused “severe damage” to the power system, officials said. Ukrainians have been bracing for weeks for an ******* on the hobbled energy system, fearing crippling damage that would cause long blackouts as winter sets in and ramp up psychological pressure at a critical moment in the war launched by Russia in February 2022. The strikes, which prompted emergency power cuts in numerous regions, came after this month’s U.S. presidential election victory of Donald Trump, whose pledge to end the war without saying how has raised the prospect of a looming push to hold negotiations. 3:01 Russia-Ukraine: Zelenskyy says ‘war will end sooner’ under Trump presidency “Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. Story continues below advertisement Air defenses could be heard engaging drones over the capital in the night, and a series of powerful blasts rang out across the city center as the missile ******* was under way in the morning. Kyiv’s air force said the military had destroyed 104 out of 120 missiles fired and 42 out of 90 drones launched by Russia. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Russia’s defense ministry said it had launched a massive strike on energy facilities that supply Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. More on World More videos “Severe damage to Ukraine’s energy system, including to DTEK power stations. These attacks again highlight Ukraine’s need for additional air defense systems from our allies,” said Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK which is Ukraine’s largest private energy provider. After repeated Russian attacks on the power grid, officials reveal little about the state of the energy infrastructure and seldom release detailed information on the outcome of strikes. Officials confirmed damage to “critical infrastructure” or reported power cuts in regions spanning from Volyn, Rivne, Lviv in the west to the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. DTEK imposed emergency power cuts in the southern Odesa region at the order of energy officials. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the “massive combined ******* targeted all regions of Ukraine”. In Mykolaiv in the south, two people were ******* in an overnight drone *******, the governor said. Two people ***** and three were wounded in a strike on a rail depot in the Dnipropetrovsk region, rail authorities said. Story continues below advertisement In Lviv region, on the border with Poland, a woman in a car was *******, the governor said. Another two people were ******* in the Odesa region. In Kyiv, the roof of a residential building caught ***** due to falling debris and at least two people were hurt, city officials said on the Telegram messaging app. The huge wave of strikes took place as the war approaches this week’s 1,000th day since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russia last conducted a major missile strike on Kyiv on Aug. 26, when officials said it fired a salvo of more than 200 drones and missiles across the country, ******** seven people. Trending Now Poilievre says he’d ****** Trump economic policies, tariffs ‘with *****’ Ukraine war likely to end more quickly under Trump, Zelenskyy says NATO member Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, said it had scrambled its air force inside its airspace as a security precaution during the *******, which it said used cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones. Story continues below advertisement Russia’s onslaught piles more pressure on Ukraine as Moscow’s troops notch up their fastest battlefield gains in the east since 2022 in their effort to seize the entire industrial Donbas region despite taking heavy losses, according to Kyiv and the West. Ukrainian troops are meanwhile trying to hold an area of land that they seized in Russia’s Kursk region in August, something Kyiv has said could serve as a bargaining chip further down the line. Sybiha said the strike appeared to be Moscow’s “true response” to leaders interacting with President Vladimir ******, an apparent swipe at ******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called the Russian leader on Friday for the first time since late 2022. Though Scholz urged ****** to pull his troops out of Ukraine where they occupy a fifth of the country, Kyiv bridled at the fact of the call, which it said reduced the isolation of the Kremlin leader. 1:58 U.S. racing to send Ukraine aid before Trump takes office Source link #Russia #unleashes #major #airstrike #Ukraine #damaging #critical #infrastructure #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Half-Life 2: Episode 3 Gameplay Footage & Ice **** Revealed Half-Life 2: Episode 3 Gameplay Footage & Ice **** Revealed Rise & shine for a new look at Nova Prospekt in Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project developed by Orbifold Studios. The modders are rebuilding materials with Physically Based Rendering (PBR) properties, adding extra geometric detail and leveraging NVIDIA technologies including full ray tracing, DLSS 3.5, Reflex, and RTX IO to deliver a fantastic experience for GeForce RTX gamers to this classic. Source link #HalfLife #Episode #Gameplay #Footage #Ice #**** #Revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ayaneo Pocket DMG classic GameBoy-styled handheld hits crowdfunding starting from $339 Ayaneo Pocket DMG classic GameBoy-styled handheld hits crowdfunding starting from $339 Ayaneo has launched the Ayaneo Pocket DMG onto crowdfunding platform IndieGogo, debuting its Qualcomm Snapdragon G3X Gen 2-powered, GameBoy-styled OLED handheld to the masses at Early Bird pricing currently as low as $339 USD for an entry-level model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The high-end model runs $499 for 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, and a Limited Edition “Retro ******” version runs $589 in Early Bird pricing. Fortunately at this price point, the onboard Snapdragon chip is more than adequate for high-end mobile gaming experiences, capable of running games like Genshin Impact at a locked 60 FPS and even being capable of game console emulation up to the GameCube and PlayStation 2 era without issue, even with higher internal resolutions set. Valve’s Steam Deck LCD will play more games, cheaper if you aren’t supplementing an existing PC handheld, though. The AYANEO Pocket DMG – classic design meets modern power! 3.92” OLED display Snapdragon G3x Gen platform 6000mAh battery Dual-mode touchpad + AYASpace for immersive gaming#AYANEO #PocketDMG #HandheldGaming #GamingTech pic.twitter.com/nFI4QmabnRNovember 16, 2024 Outside of immediate specifications and pricing, this is a surprisingly fully-featured handheld for its price and form factor. Counting the hidden trigger buttons between the coastline shoulder buttons, the optional motion controls, and the right touchpad, you still have all the input you need here for modern gaming, especially streaming from your PC to the Ayaneo Pocket DMG. The analog stick, while small, is also hall-effect, so it should be resistant to developing drift over time. While some may consider an OLED panel overkill at this screen size, it’s important to recall that other high-end options like the Analogue Pocket are also going with fairly high-fidelity displays, though Analogue Pocket instead opts for a super-crisp 1440p LCD. With Ayaneo Pocket DMG, we’re getting a 3.92-inch OLED screen at a 1,240 x 1,080 resolution, displaying an estimated 104% NTSC ****** gamut at up to 450 nits brightness. Combined with the low input latency of OLEDs, this should make Pocket DMG quite the ideal retro gaming partner, though of course it won’t be dethroning Steam Deck OLED or more powerful PC handhelds as a AAA gaming device. For emulation and Android gaming, the Ayaneo Pocket DMG does seem like a formidable and more importantly premium contender, despite its form factor. While the 12GB and 16GB RAM (LPDDR5X clocked up to 8,533 MT/s) models do seem a little sillier considering this isn’t a PC handheld, the demands of modern mobile games and emulation can get intense. The best bang-for-your-buck with a device like this is definitely taking the entry-level model and supplementing with an SD card when you get the chance, though. Finally, it’s worth noting that the Ayaneo Pocket DMG supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 via a Type-C port capable of up to 10 Gigabits throughput, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. While the wired connectivity options are nothing to write home about, they are adequate for transferring smaller games and other files — the support for Wi-Fi 7 up to 30 Gigabits per second is quite ideal, though, especially for things like Steam Remote Play. Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Ayaneo #Pocket #DMG #classic #GameBoystyled #handheld #hits #crowdfunding #starting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** strike on Beirut ****** Hezbollah media head ******** strike on Beirut ****** Hezbollah media head An ******** strike on a building in a densely populated district of Beirut has ******* Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammad Afif, two Lebanese security sources have told Reuters, though there was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah. The ******** military have declined to comment. There was no evacuation order for the area published on the ******** military spokesperson’s account on social media platform X before the strike. The strike hit the Ras al-Nabaa neighbourhood where many people displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs by the ******** bombardment had been seeking refuge. The security sources said it struck a building where the offices of the Ba’ath Party are located, and the head of the party in Lebanon, Ali Hijazi, told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed that Afif was in the building. The broadcaster later also said Afif had been *******. It showed footage of a building whose upper floors had collapsed onto the first storey, with civil defence workers at the scene. Afif was a long-time media advisor to Hezbollah’s former secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, who was ******* in an ******** air ******* on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27. He managed Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station for several years before taking over the Iran-backed group’s media relations office. Hezbollah and ******* have been trading ***** for more than a year, since Hezbollah began launching rockets at ******** military targets on October 8, 2023, a day after its ************ ally ****** carried out a deadly ******* on southern *******. In late September, ******* dramatically escalated and expanded its military campaign in Lebanon, heavily ******** the country’s south, east and the southern suburbs of Beirut alongside ground incursions along the border. Afif hosted several press conferences for journalists amid the rubble in the southern suburbs of the capital. In his most recent comments to reporters on November 11, he said ******** troops had been unable to occupy any territory in Lebanon and Hezbollah had enough weapons and supplies to ****** a “long war”. The Lebanese health ministry said the strike ******* one and injured three. Ambulances could be heard rushing to the scene, and bursts of gunfire rang out to prevent crowds of people from approaching the location. Source link #******** #strike #Beirut #****** #Hezbollah #media Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A two-pack of Blink Mini 2 cameras is only $35 in this ****** Friday deal A two-pack of Blink Mini 2 cameras is only $35 in this ****** Friday deal Amazon has a ****** Friday deal on a pair of Blink Mini 2 cameras. The security cam, which just arrived earlier this year, has a built-in spotlight and supports person detection. Typically, it costs $40 apiece or $70 for a pair, but you can get two Blink Mini 2 cameras today for $35. That’s a record low — and cheap enough to qualify as a stocking stuffer. The compact security camera has ****** night vision capabilities thanks to its built-in LED spotlight. It supports person detection, although you’ll need a Blink Subscription for that. They start at $3 monthly or $30 annually for one device. (And you get a 30-day trial to see if it’s worth it.) Blink Save big on a pair of Blink Mini 2 security cameras. $35 at Amazon The camera supports 1080p HD live view and has a wider field of view than its predecessor (143 degrees diagonally vs. 110 in the original). It also has a low-light image sensor. The Blink Mini 2 works with Alexa and supports two-way audio. The plug-in camera works indoors and out, but you’ll need a $10 weather-resistant power adapter to use it outside. However, it does include mounting screws in the box, along with a 13-ft indoor power adapter and a stand for each camera. You can order the camera in ****** or white. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #twopack #Blink #Mini #cameras #****** #Friday #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

My child is at camp and my phone pings nonstop with photos. Does anyone really want this? | Parents and parenting My child is at camp and my phone pings nonstop with photos. Does anyone really want this? | Parents and parenting At 7am on a Wednesday I drop my child off for a two-night school camp. The first big school camp. Children carry their pillows under their arms and drag behind them suitcases whose wheels and weight they can barely manage. They’re nervous. Excited. Some cry. By 7.45am they have loaded their bags. Through the coach’s tinted windows I can see that my daughter has settled in next to her friend so I wave goodbye and head to work. Before 10am my phone pings. Parents had been asked to download an app so the school can communicate during the days away. There are 10 pictures of the class packed on a ferry and arriving at camp in a post on the app. I feel relief. I had been anxious about the bus arriving safely – even though I knew it to be irrational – and it is comforting to see my child buffeted by friends, smiling at the camera. Soon the phone pings again. And again. And then again. By the end of the day I’ve received 20 posts, each consisting of up to 10 photographs, which I come to assume is the maximum. By midday the next day there are 12 more posts. As my day is punctuated by post after post – not just from camp, but from after-school care, from my other child’s school day – I keep unlocking my phone. I swipe through carousels of pictures of children at play, scanning for mine, confirming they are safe and happy. It’s a continuous chronicle of the childhood happening away from my physical oversight. Does anyone really want this? By the time a child is 13, estimates suggest, around 72m pieces of data will have been collected about them. Eighty per cent of children in the developed world have a digital footprint by the age of two. Much of the blame for this has been ***** at the feet of ********** access to social media (the subject of new federal government plans to restrict access for younger teens) and “sharenting” – the over-sharing of pictures of one’s own children online. It’s not hard to conjure up an image of a tween scrolling TikTok or a smug parent posting to Instagram a photo of their sleeping infant next to a laser-cut wood sign declaring their age in months. But it is not the whole picture. We have a much broader, far more intimate culture of recording our children. Of photographing our children. Receiving and requiring data on our children. It is in their cots, their daycares, their schools. It is chewing up the memory on our phones. And it is almost inescapable. The *********** community attitudes to privacy survey, released last year, spoke to almost 700 parents. Half said they felt they had control over their child’s data privacy. Three in five said they had no choice but to sign their child up to a particular service. Nearly all said their children have the right to grow up without being profiled and targeted. But, from their first days, we record them. It is an act of love, of narcissism, of habit, an insurance against forgetting; these creatures we have made, whom we rear and adore – why not capture each unrepeatable, beautiful, funny, tender expression, moment, footstep? These photographs feel private, if unmanageable in their volume and almost involuntary in their taking. Even an ordinary Saturday in my family might result in up to 32 photographs; an old-school roll of film. There is something else, too. From the earliest days we are sold the idea that surveillance is safety. That, without data, parents cannot be assured of a child’s wellbeing. Baby monitors – promising “total peace of mind” – livestream not only video of ******* sleeping to your phone a room – or half a city – away, but data about oxygen levels, heart rate and sleep behaviour. It speaks to the most basic of parental instincts: protect the baby. But, as the Edith Cowan University researcher Dr Donell Holloway writes, the “datafication” of childhood expands as a child engages in education. Contemporary childhood is “undergoing a profound transformation”. ‘Photography in early learning centres has, in some ways, become a runaway train.’ Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP As children enter daycare, some parents seek, welcome – and others simply receive – a deluge of photographs on apps that they are required to download. These pictures act as a kind of continuous proof of life and a demonstration of the safety and good practice of early education providers. Most post pictures of the children throughout the day, alongside updates about what they were offered for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, how much they ate, when they slept and what early learning curriculum touchstones they hit. It can be a comfort, a source of joy. Having established this expectation, a day without receiving pictures can be concerning. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion In 2019 the early education consultant Karen Hope wrote on an industry blog, the Spoke, that “photography in early learning centres has, in some ways, become a runaway train … How are we going to communicate with families that a photograph of their child in front of a puzzle does not always evidence learning, development or engagement?” It does not end with daycare. “Schools play a large part in how children experience privacy on a day-to-day basis,” the then UN special rapporteur on privacy wrote in a report published in 2021. The mass transition to online learning when the pandemic began led to a ***** in technology in classrooms which “amplified existing power imbalances between education technology companies and children, and between Governments and children and parents”. On one day during the school camp I receive more than 100 photographs of children. The posts evoke contradictory reflexes in me: the first, I’m so comforted she’s OK. The second, just leave her alone. In the final tranche of 10 photographs, of the class travelling back on a boat from the island, I can’t see my daughter. For a moment I fret: has she been left behind, alone? Is she OK? This is an anxiety I would not otherwise have had. I would have been on my own, working. She’s somewhere else, in the care of people I trust. But instead I worry. Until I spot her in the back of photograph nine. She’s fine. Duh. Information expectation disrupts a healthy distance, a healthy unknowing, between children and parents. It can burden parents with anxiety. We’re are burned out and the continual need to assess and observe our children does not help. And it is an affront to the privacy of children. Children now expect their intimate moments to be recorded. It is, as a friend of mine noted, no longer, “Mum, look at me!”, but, “Mum, take my picture!” They know to review their own photographs. My youngest daughter would come home from daycare eager to look over hers . It was tiresome. They were ***** photos. Privacy is essential to children’s development. Safety too, absolutely. But their privacy is overlooked and compromised. “Adults’ interpretations of children’s privacy needs can impede the healthy development of autonomy and independence, and restrict children’s privacy in the name of protection,” the UN special rapporteur wrote. “****** reliance on surveillance to protect children … constraints children’s rights to privacy and autonomy.” Privacy is critical to children’s ability to develop a sense of self, self-esteem and independence. Parents can opt out – in theory. Usually there’s a box you can untick at the beginning of the year. Many parents who do that tire of seeing their **** in photos with a star-eyed emoji slapped over their face or being removed from photographed scenes. Others forget or don’t read it at all. Ultimately, it is just easier to consent. Easier to float in the current with everyone else than swim against the flow to an island all on your own. When I meet my daughter at the school gates, carrying her bag of ****** clothes and on the verge of exhaustion, she barely pauses to say hello and hug. She wants to tell me everything she did. Archery. Damper making. An obstacle course. Beach swimming. She is the proud narrator of her own independent life. I look at her, smiling, as she tells me about the world she experienced without me, forged on her own, by herself. And I pretend that I haven’t already seen it all. Source link #child #camp #phone #pings #nonstop #photos #Parents #parenting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hezbollah’s spokesman ******* in rare ******** strike on central Beirut, official says Hezbollah’s spokesman ******* in rare ******** strike on central Beirut, official says BEIRUT (AP) — A rare ******** airstrike on central Beirut ******* Hezbollah’s chief spokesman on Sunday, an official with the militant group said. Earlier, ******** strikes ******* at least 12 people in the Gaza Strip, officials said, where ******* has been at war with the ************ ****** for over a year. The latest in a series of targeted killings of senior Hezbollah officials came as Lebanese officials were considering a ******* States-led cease-***** proposal. ******* also bombed several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered, after warning people to evacuate. Mohammed Afif, the head of media relations for Hezbollah, was ******* in a strike on the ***** socialist Baath party’s office in central Beirut, according to a Hezbollah official who was not authorized to brief reporters and so spoke on condition of anonymity. Afif had remained especially visible after the eruption of all-out war between ******* and Hezbollah in September and the ******** of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was also targeted by an ******** airstrike. Last month, Afif had hastily wrapped up a press conference in Beirut ahead of ******** strikes. A rare strike on central Beirut An Associated Press photographer at the scene of Sunday’s strike saw four lifeless bodies and four wounded people, but there was no official word on the toll. People could be seen fleeing the neighborhood. There was no comment from the ******** military. “I was asleep and awoke from the sound of the strike, and people screaming, and cars and gunfire,” said Suheil Halabi, who witnessed the strike. “I was startled, honestly. This is the first time I experience it so close.” The last ******** strike in central Beirut was on Oct. 10, when 22 people were ******* in strikes on two locations. Hezbollah began ******* rockets, missiles and drones into ******* the day after ******’ October 7, 2023 ******* ignited the war in Gaza. ******* launched retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon and the conflict steadily escalated, erupting into all-out war in September. ******** forces invaded Lebanon on Oct. 1. Hezbollah has continued to ***** dozens of projectiles into ******* each day and has expanded their range to the central part of the country. A rocket barrage on the northern city of Haifa on Saturday damaged a synagogue and wounded two civilians. More than 3,400 people have been ******* in Lebanon, according to the country’s Health Ministry, and over 1.2 million driven from their homes. It is not known how many of the ***** are Hezbollah fighters. On the ******** side, Hezbollah’s aerial attacks have ******* at least 76 people, including 31 soldiers, and caused some 60,000 people to flee from communities in the north. Overnight strikes in central Gaza ***** 12 ******** strikes ******* six people in Nuseirat and another four in Bureij, two built-up ******** camps in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 war surrounding *******’s creation. Another two people were ******* in a strike on Gaza’s main north-south highway, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah, which received all 12 bodies. The war between ******* and ****** began after ************ militants stormed into ******* on Oct. 7. last year, ******** about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting around 250 others. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, about a third of them believed to be *****. The Health Ministry in Gaza says around 43,800 Palestinians have been ******* in the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced, and large areas of the territory have been flattened by ******** bombardment and ground operations. ******** police arrest 3 after flares fired at Netanyahu’s home ******** police meanwhile arrested three suspects after flares were fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in the coastal city of Caesarea. Netanyahu and his family were not at the residence when two flares were fired at it overnight, and there were no injuries, authorities said. A drone launched by Hezbollah struck the residence last month, also when Netanyahu and his family were away. The police did not provide details about the suspects behind the flares, but officials pointed to domestic political critics of Netanyahu. *******’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the incident and warned against “an escalation of the ********* in the public sphere.” Netanyahu has faced months of mass protests. Critics blaming him for the security and intelligence failures that allowed the Oct. 7 ******* to happen and for not reaching a deal with ****** to release scores of hostages still held inside Gaza. Israelis rallied again in the city of Tel Aviv on Saturday night to demand a cease-***** deal to return them. ******** minister looks to revive polarizing judiciary overhaul ******** Justice Minister Yariv Levin seized on the flare ******* on Netanyahu’s home to call for a revival of his plans to overhaul the ******** judiciary, which had sparked months of mass protests before the war. “The time has come to provide full support for the restoration of the justice system and the law enforcement systems, and to put an end to anarchy, rampage, refusal, and attempts to harm the prime minister,” he said in a statement. Supporters said the judiciary changes aim to strengthen democracy by circumscribing the authority of unelected judges and turning over more powers to elected officials. Opponents see the overhaul as a power grab by Netanyahu, who is on trial on *********** charges and for an ******** on a key watchdog. Many Israelis believe the fierce internal divisions caused by the attempted overhaul had weakened the country and its military ahead of the ****** ********. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said in a post on X that he “strongly condemns” the ******* of flares at Netanyahu’s home while blasting Levin’s proposal. “Levin should go home with rest of this irresponsible government,” Lapid wrote. “We will not let him turn ******* into an undemocratic state.” ___ Melzer reported from Tel Aviv, *******. Associated Press reporters Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed. ___ Find more of AP’s war coverage at Source link #Hezbollahs #spokesman #******* #rare #******** #strike #central #Beirut #official Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Final Fantasy 7 remake part 3’s plot ‘is complete’ as the game enters full production Final Fantasy 7 remake part 3’s plot ‘is complete’ as the game enters full production The plot for the third part in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has been completed and the game has entered full development, according to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase. Speaking at G-**** 2024 in Korea, while the pair wouldn’t be drawn on further details about the game’s plot, they did mention that work on the game’s plot has been completed and that the team is now focussed on the game itself. As first reported by 4Gamer, Kitase also said: “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth provided a vast map, but in the third game, the Highwind (airship) will appear, so we need to let you experience the world from a higher perspective. “We won’t cheat with the airship system, but challenge it head-on so that players can freely fly around the map.” The first two parts of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake were released in 2020 and 2024, meaning Part 3 will likely still be a number of years away. Earlier this year, Hamaguchi said he’s confident the third part will be one of the greatest video games ever made. VGC’s review of the second entry, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, calls it “an excellent RPG with some of the best characters in the gaming canon”. “While some open-world content skirts the edges, and the game’s main narrative is left somewhat deflated, the time spent with Aerith, Tifa, and the gang makes this a hugely enjoyable road trip you’ll be playing for hundreds of hours,” we wrote. Source link #Final #Fantasy #remake #part #plot #complete #game #enters #full #production Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why many young adults in the U.S. are still living with their parents Why many young adults in the U.S. are still living with their parents Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 live in their parents’ home, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The pandemic caused more young adults to return home or remain living with their parents into their late 20s and 30s, but aside from that spike, the numbers have remained fairly consistent in recent years. Pre-pandemic, the most recent surge in the share of 18- to 34-year-olds living with their parents occurred between 2005 and 2015, according to data from the Census Bureau. “Those were the times coming [during] the Great Recession and coming out of the Great Recession, and there were a lot of media narratives at the time about millennials eating too much avocado toast to live on their own,” said Joanne Hsu, a research associate professor at the University of Michigan who co-authored a 2015 study on “boomerang” kids for the Federal Reserve. More from Personal Finance: Roughly 28% of credit card users are paying off last year’s holiday debt Holiday shoppers plan to spend more while taking on debt About 2 in 5 cardholders have maxed out a credit card or come close “What we found was that part of the reason we see this escalation of young adults not leaving the nest or returning to the nest is this idea that it was ******* and ******* for them to weather shocks,” Hsu said. Economic shocks are significant and unexpected events that disrupt financial stability and markets, which then affect households’ income, employment and debt levels. The 2008 financial crisis, the Great Recession and the pandemic are all examples of economic shocks. More than half of Gen Z adults say they don’t make enough money to live the life they want due to the high cost of living, according to a 2024 survey from Bank of America. A significant number of millennials and Gen Z adults lack emergency savings. ‘Why rent and give my money to someone else?’ Victoria Franklin, left, has lived with her mother, Terilyn Franklin, right, in Oceanport, New Jersey, since she graduated from college in 2019. Natalie Rice | CNBC Victoria Franklin, 27, moved back to her mom’s house in the summer of 2019 after graduating from college to search for a job in business administration. “I ended up bartending and waitressing until October [of 2019], where I got my first offer,” Franklin said. “So it did take a little bit longer than I expected.” She found a job in her field in New York City, which required a two-hour commute from her mother’s home on the Jersey Shore. “I thought, you know, in six months or so, I’ll move into the city, be closer to the job,” Franklin said. “And the pandemic threw a wrench in those plans.” Franklin decided to continue living at her mom’s house after switching to a fully remote job in fall 2023. “My mentality is why rent and give my money to someone else when I can start to own?” Franklin said. Franklin said she’s saving between 40% and 50% of her income, with “a big chunk” allocated toward a down payment on a house. While living with parents can provide personal financial benefits, experts say this trend can negatively affect the economy. “We do also have a situation that what is really good for an individual person or an individual family is not necessarily good for the entire macro economy,” Hsu said. “One of the big boosts to consumer spending is when people form households.” The Federal Reserve estimated in a 2019 paper that young adults who move out of their parents’ home would spend about $13,000 more per year on things such as housing, food and transportation. Watch the video above to learn more about why the trend of young adults living with their parents is continuing and what it means for the economy. Source link #young #adults #U.S #living #parents Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EastEnders star used food bank after leaving show EastEnders star used food bank after leaving show Former EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has revealed she struggled with her finances and was forced to use a food bank after leaving the soap. The actress, 60, said it drove her to tears, adding: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I found it so difficult to be that vulnerable.” Fergison is best known for playing Heather Trott on the BBC show from 2007 until 2012. She told the Sunday Mirror her battles with money started after she was diagnosed with womb ******* in 2015, which meant she had to walk away from her acting career. She subsequently had to have a hysterectomy and then went through an early menopause that triggered mental health issues and self-harming. Fergison said she was dousing herself in scalding water daily as she tried to “wash” away the ******* cells. “I was damaging myself so badly,” she said. “As soon as I got the all-clear I stopped doing it. If you’re told you are ill, it’s not just about the physical issue – somehow, you need to figure out what’s going on in your head with it all” The actress said that by this February, she was penniless. “I didn’t have any money to do a weekly shop. I was trying to pay too many debts,” she said. “It was a really difficult time,” she added. “Lots of people can relate to it. You’re trying to find a penny. You’re literally looking down your settee to see if you can find a quid.” Fergison said it was a long way from her time on EastEnders, when she “didn’t even look at the price of things”. She said that she sought help at Citizens Advice, and a staff member from the charity subsequently took her to a food bank. “I sat there and cried and cried. It was shameful. How could I have been on EastEnders? How could I have been earning that much money and now I am here?,” she asked. More than half of low-paid Londoners have had to resort to using a food bank in the last year, according to the Living Wage Foundation. Fergison, who lives in Cleveleys, was full of praise for the workers at the food bank, saying: “That day is one I’ll never forget – and I’ll never forget the people. I felt I’d had this amazing, biggest, warmest hug. That’s what it felt like. “They were like angels. It was like a group of angels had come along and said, ‘We can cope with this for you Cheryl, we can do this for you’.” The actress said she left there with four bags of groceries, and she has not had to return since then. She is since making ends meet, including by singing in ******** restaurants and performing in pantomimes for work. She added that she hoped that speaking up about her financial struggles would help others. “I hope other people can relate to it. I really want to stress that food banks are a service,” she said. “They’re there for you to use so please do not feel embarrassed or that it’s a weakness. Whatever the reason, you deserve help. We have a right to be able to live like a human being and do it in a dignified way.” Last month, a new report by anti-******** charity Trussell said a record 9.3 million people – including one in five children – are facing hunger and hardship in the ***. Helen Barnard, director of policy and research at Trussell, told BBC News: “Everyone’s story of being forced to turn to a food bank is heartbreaking and it’s brave Cheryl has spoken out to highlight this issue.” She said food banks “try their hardest to provide a warm welcome”. But she added it’s “just not right” that anyone has to turn to a food bank to survive. BBC News has contacted Fergison’s representatives and Citizens Advice for a comment. Source link #EastEnders #star #food #bank #leaving #show Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]