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Kindle Users, Save Your Ebooks Before This Feature Disappears This Week Kindle Users, Save Your Ebooks Before This Feature Disappears This Week I’m quite the bookworm. I am an active member of two monthly book clubs, and I fly through two or three books per week, depending on length and, well, how invested I am in the story. This means I’ve read thousands of titles over the years. And one of my favorite tools to assist with this hobby is my Kindle. I love that I can take it anywhere, especially when I’m traveling, and I have access to hundreds of stories without having to pack hundreds of heavy books. If you’re a Kindle lover like me, then you need to be aware of some changes coming to Amazon’s e-reader. On Wednesday, Amazon will permanently remove a key Kindle feature: the ability to download and transfer copies of books to your computer. Amazon spokesperson Jackie Burke confirmed the removal of this feature in a statement to CNET. “Starting Feb. 26, customers will no longer be able to download books onto their Kindle using the Download & Transfer via USB feature. Customers can continue reading books previously downloaded on their Kindle device, and access new content through the Kindle app, Kindle for web, as well as directly through Kindle devices with Wi-Fi capability,” said Burke. For over a decade, we’ve been able to download copies of books on Kindle devices, and then use a USB cable to transfer them to a computer to control ourselves and share from there. Starting next week, this will no longer be possible. Below, we’ll break down how to save your books — while you still can. Read more: Best E-Reader for 2025 Who does this impact? CNET After Feb. 26, users will still be able to buy books on the Kindle Store and download them to a Kindle via Wi-Fi or a cellular network. If you mostly read Kindle ebooks on a reader or in the app, you won’t be impacted by the removal of this feature. This is simply Amazon’s way to eliminate users’ ability to download ebook files and convert those files to other formats compatible with non-Kindle e-readers. And why would you want to do that? Well, if you bought a book on Kindle, but Amazon eventually loses the license to that title — or if it’s banned or removed — you’ll no longer be able to read it. That is, unless you download it and keep it on your computer. How to save your Kindle books to your computer If you’d like to transfer your Kindle books to your computer before Feb. 26, visit Amazon.com, sign in to your account and go to Accounts & Lists > Content Library > Books. Find the title you wish to download, then click More actions > Download & transfer via USB. A pop-up will appear asking you to select your Kindle. This doesn’t mean you need to connect a Kindle device; it’s a required step to activate the Download button, which you’ll need to click once you’ve selected a Kindle. After you click Download, your book will be saved to your computer in Amazon’s AZW3 format, which is designed specifically for Amazon Kindles, so it won’t open on other devices without additional software. From there, you’ll have the file permanently saved to your computer, and can convert it to other formats like PDF. Note that you can’t download multiple Kindle books at once, meaning that this process can be time-consuming if you have hundreds of titles you wish to save. Macy Meyer/CNET What’s next? After this download and backup feature is discontinued, you’ll still be able to manually transfer ebook files and other documents to your Kindle via USB using Amazon’s apps or third-party tools, such as Calibre, an ebook management software. You just won’t be able to download copies of purchased books from your Kindle to your computer anymore. Read more: How to Get Free E-Books From Your Local Library Source link #Kindle #Users #Save #Ebooks #Feature #Disappears #Week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Monster Hunter Wilds Review — Open Hunting Season | Console Creatures Monster Hunter Wilds Review — Open Hunting Season | Console Creatures shadowhaxor|1h ago|Review|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source Monster Hunter Wilds stands as Capcom’s crowning achievement in the Monster Hunter series, showcasing years of refinement and passion. The combat is seamless, the environments are breathtaking, and the attention to detail is truly remarkable. Monster Hunter Wilds PC theouterhaven.net Read Full Story >> [Hidden Content] theouterhaven.net Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #Review #Open #Hunting #Season #Console #Creatures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Berkshire advances on earnings surge, but questions linger about cash Berkshire advances on earnings surge, but questions linger about cash Warren Buffett surveys the concourse ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, May 3, 2024. David A. Grogen | CNBC Berkshire Hathaway shares got a boost after Warren Buffett’s conglomerate reported a surge in operating earnings, but shareholders who were waiting for news of what will happen to its enormous pile of cash might be disappointed. Class A shares of the Omaha-based parent of Geico and BNSF Railway jumped nearly 4% Monday following Berkshire’s earnings report Saturday. Berkshire’s operating profit — earnings from the company’s wholly owned businesses — skyrocketed 71% to $14.5 billion in the fourth quarter, aided by insurance underwriting, where profits jumped 302% from the year-earlier *******, to $3.4 billion. Berkshire’s investment gains from its portfolio holdings slowed sharply, however, in the fourth quarter, to $5.2 billion from $29.1 billion in the year-earlier *******. Berkshire sold more equities than it bought for a ninth consecutive quarter in the three months of last year, bringing total ***** of equities to more than $134 billion in 2024. Notably, the 94-year-old Buffett has been aggressively shrinking Berkshire’s two largest equity holdings — Apple and Bank of America. As a result of the selling spree, Berkshire’s gigantic cash pile grew to another record, $334.2 billion, up from $325.2 billion at the end of the third quarter. In Buffett’s annual letter, the “Oracle of Omaha” said that raising a record amount of cash didn’t reflect a dimming of his love for buying stocks and businesses. “Despite what some commentators currently view as an extraordinary cash position at Berkshire, the great majority of your money remains in equities,” Buffett wrote. “That preference won’t change.” He hinted that high valuations were the reason for sitting on his hands amid a raging bull market, saying “often, nothing looks compelling.” Buffett also endorsed the ability of Greg Abel, his chosen successor, to pick equity opportunities, even comparing him to the late Charlie Munger. Meanwhile, Berkshire’s buyback halt is still in place, as the conglomerate repurchased zero shares in the fourth quarter and in the first quarter of this year, through Feb. 10. Some investors and analysts expressed impatience with the lack of action and continued to wait for an explanation, while others have faith that Buffett’s conservative stance will pave the way for big opportunities in the next downturn. “Shareholders should take comfort in knowing that the firm continues to be managed to survive and emerge stronger from any economic or market downturn by being in a financial position to take advantage of opportunities during a crisis,” said Bill Stone, chief investment officer at Glenview Trust Company and a Berkshire shareholder. Berkshire is coming off a strong year, when it rallied 25.5% in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500 — its best since 2021. The stock is up more than 5% so far in 2025. Correction: Buffett’s chosen successor is Greg Abel. An earlier version misspelled his name. Source link #Berkshire #advances #earnings #surge #questions #linger #cash Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spider-Man 3: everything we know so far Spider-Man 3: everything we know so far Table of Contents Table of Contents Release speculation Platforms Trailers Gameplay Preorder There were still some loose threads left hanging after the end of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 that begged for a sequel. Besides also being one of the best superhero games of all time, these games are easily two of the best PS5 games you can play so another entry was always assumed to be coming just like Ghost of Yotei. We know that a Wolverine game is also in the works, but Spider-Man 3 might not be as far down the list of upcoming PS5 games as you might think. We’ve used our spider senses to web up all the details there are so far about Spider-Man 3. While a lot isn’t known about this game, we do know it won’t be on our lists of upcoming Xbox Series X games or upcoming Switch games lists, but there are plenty of games coming to those platforms you should read up on. Release speculation Sony Interactive Entertainment Technically, Spider-Man 3 isn’t officially confirmed. We know about the project existing from leaks and an actor confirming their involvement, but Insomniac and Sony have yet to publicly reveal this project. That said, the Insomniac leak where we first learned about the game did suggest the game was scheduled for either a late 2027 or 2028 release. There were also plans for a Venom DLC or spinoff which might impact that timeline as well if that is still planned to come out before Spider-Man 3. Please enable Javascript to view this content We also mentioned how Insomniac also is working on Wolverine, so we suggest taking this timeframe with a big grain of salt. Platforms Sony What we can confidently say is that Spider-Man 3 will be a PS5 exclusive at launch. It should also come to PC after 6 months to a year, but by 2028 PlayStation might even be releasing its first-party games on PC at the same time as consoles. Either way, those are the two platforms you can count on grabbing this game on. Trailers Sony Interactive Entertainment There are no official trailers or images for Spider-Man 3. Odds are the game is too early in development to have anything to show. What we can speculate on for the story is based on how Spider-Man 2 ended, which would be that Norman appears to gear up to become the Green Goblin and bring Doc Oc back as well. On the other hand, we also were introduced to Cindy Moon in the post-credits scene who is Silk from the comics. Gameplay Sony Interactive Entertainment We assume Spider-Man 3 will build off of the same structure as Spider-Man 2, but add in new movement and combat options. We suspect Silk will become a third playable character, which would allow the team to introduce us to an entirely new gameplay style. Thanks to Peter Parker’s voice actor Yuri Lowenthal speaking to The Direct, we know that Peter’s Spider-Man will still be in the picture. “There are very few things that I can say about this game, but you have somehow landed on the one thing that I can answer, and that’s that, yes, Peter is not gone. He will be a part of the next game and he won’t be relegated to the couch, I promise.” Those who were worried that Peter was hanging up the mask for good can rest easy. Preorder Sorry Spider-Man fans, but Spider-Man 3 isn’t even officially confirmed yet. If the game is coming in late 2027 at the earliest, preorders won’t be open for another couple of years at least. In the meantime, stay tuned right here as we update this article with new information as we get it. Source link #SpiderMan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump, Meeting With Macron, Says He Might Visit Russia Trump, Meeting With Macron, Says He Might Visit Russia President Trump welcomed President Emmanuel Macron of France to the White House on Monday at a time of growing tension over the future of the Atlantic alliance and peace talks with Russia that have sidelined Ukrainian and European leaders. As the president greeted Mr. Macron at the entrance to the West Wing, the two engaged in a vigorous handshake in which both seemed intent on asserting masculine dominance, reminiscent of similar encounters during Mr. Trump’s first term. They then headed inside for a meeting in the Oval Office in advance of a joint news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern. The meeting came on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Mr. Trump in recent days has blamed on Kyiv rather than Moscow. While other world leaders spent the day in Kyiv to show solidarity with the Ukrainians, Mr. Trump participated in a video call with other Group of 7 leaders and issued a statement offering no criticism of Russia for attacking its smaller, weaker neighbor. Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office with Mr. Macron, Mr. Trump declined to call President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a dictator, even though the president used the word last week to describe Volodymyr Zelensky, the democratically elected president of Ukraine. “I don’t use those words lightly,” Mr. Trump said. Instead, he said he might go to Moscow if a peace deal is reached. That would make him the first American president to visit Russia in more than a decade and would be seen as a boon for Mr. Putin, who faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes. Mr. Trump, who failed to broker an end to the war in 24 hours or before his inauguration, as he promised on the campaign trail, said the war could end “within weeks, if we’re smart.” He added: “If we’re not smart, it will keep going and we will lose young, beautiful people.” The president emphasized his demand that Ukraine sign over hundreds of billions of dollars in mineral rights to repay U.S. military aid. “It was a lot of money and we had nothing to show for it,” he said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators were “very close,” at the “one-yard line.” Mr. Trump’s return to power has convulsed relations with European allies as he threatens to impose tariffs on their consumer goods, demands that they increase military spending even beyond a previous target and breaks with them over Ukraine. Relations were inflamed by a speech in Munich by Vice President JD Vance suggesting that the biggest security threat to European nations is not Russia or China but their own political and cultural policies. Mr. Macron has organized two meetings of European leaders to formulate a plan for dealing with an America that can no longer be depended on as an ally and hoped to use his visit to fortify Mr. Trump in negotiations over the fate of Ukraine. Source link #Trump #Meeting #Macron #Visit #Russia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Macron, Trump open to European peacekeepers in Ukraine Macron, Trump open to European peacekeepers in Ukraine French President Emmanuel Macron says some European countries would be ready to have peacekeepers in Ukraine as a security guarantee after a peace treaty is signed, although they would not be sent to the front line. Macron, speaking alongside US President Donald Trump in the White House, said the peace deal could come in a second phase, after what he called a “truce”. Trump said he does not see a problem with European troops being sent to Ukraine to serve as peacemakers. The US president said on Monday the United States was close to a minerals deal with Ukraine as he and Macron held talks that covered the prospects for ending the Ukraine war. Trump described the highly anticipated revenue-sharing agreement with Ukraine as “very close” in answering questions from reporters as he and Macron met in the Oval Office. He said he might meet Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later this week or next week to seal the agreement. “He may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice,” Trump said of Zelenskiy. He said he would also be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at some point. Macron said European countries were prepared to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including peacekeepers, in the event of a ceasefire. Trump said the United States backed the idea of sending European peacekeeping troops and said he had raised the concept with Putin and that Putin would accept it. Macron said that the strength of US re-engagement with Russia is a source of uncertainty forPutin. Asked if Ukraine should be willing to cede territory to Russia as part of a negotiated end to the war, Trump said “We’ll see” and noted that talks were just beginning. Macron became the first European leader to visit Trump since he regained power a month ago. He was at the White House for a morning session that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, including both leaders participating in a video conference with other G7 leaders about Ukraine. United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to visit Trump later in the week, amid alarm in Europe over Trump’s hardening stance toward Ukraine and overtures to Russia on the three-year-old conflict. Source link #Macron #Trump #open #European #peacekeepers #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sony’s Creator to Creator: A Conversation with Nicolas Doucet and Brian Fleming Sony’s Creator to Creator: A Conversation with Nicolas Doucet and Brian Fleming Jingsing9h ago What is the evidence for this other than 1 VR developers opinion? PSVR2, AVP, WMR have all stopped production not to mention countless other headset manufacturers have bowed out. Meta sales are flagging and Valve are pretty much nowhere. The remaining players are all interested in the latest shiny thing “AR Glasses”, a far cry from what VR is. All I hear are excuses from VR enthusiasts, But the reality is the patience and the consumers wallet is now empty with over a decade plus of trying to get VR to catch on. You have been given much longer than any other tech to catch on and it hasn’t happened. I can attest from using VR extensively games are not inherently better in VR actually quite the opposite, they tend to be worse, They are more like Wii+ games, often shallow and janky controls that if anything takes the immersion out of the game. Sure you can get odd fun horror game but you don’t even need to play a horror game to get jump scares. The non game part of this isn’t much better, I haven’t seen any productivity app which makes the process of data input or graphic design faster, it just makes things slower. So it isn’t even a more productive way of doing computing like Apple tried to sell it as. For this to ever catch on it has to be benefits all around when you put on a headset on and it isn’t. For most people wearing a headset is a negative to begin with so it ends up being a psychological uphill battle from the get go, especially if it is for work. Source link #Sonys #Creator #Creator #Conversation #Nicolas #Doucet #Brian #Fleming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anthropic launches a new AI model that ‘thinks’ as long as you want Anthropic launches a new AI model that ‘thinks’ as long as you want Anthropic is releasing a new frontier AI model called Claude 3.7 Sonnet, which the company designed to “think” about questions for as long as users want it to. Anthropic calls Claude 3.7 Sonnet the industry’s first “hybrid AI reasoning model,” because it’s a single model that can give both real-time answers and more considered, “thought-out” answers to questions. Users can choose whether to activate the AI model’s “reasoning” abilities, which prompt Claude 3.7 Sonnet to “think” for a short or long ******* of time. The model represents Anthropic’s broader effort to simplify the user experience around its AI products. Most AI chatbots today have a daunting model picker that forces users to choose from several different options that vary in cost and capability. Labs like Anthropic would rather you not have to think about it — ideally, one model does all the work. Claude 3.7 Sonnet is rolling out to all users and developers on Monday, Anthropic said, but only users paying for Anthropic’s premium Claude chatbot plans will get access to the model’s reasoning features. Free Claude users will get the standard, non-reasoning version of Claude 3.7 Sonnet, which Anthropic claims outperforms its previous frontier AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet. (Yes, the company skipped a number.) Claude 3.7 Sonnet costs $3 per million input tokens (meaning you could enter roughly 750,000 words, more words than the entire Lord of the Rings series, into Claude for $3) and $15 per million output tokens. That makes it more expensive than OpenAI’s o3-mini ($1.10 per 1M input tokens/$4.40 per 1M output tokens) and DeepSeek’s R1 ($0.55 per 1M input tokens/$2.19 per 1M output tokens), but keep in mind that o3-mini and R1 are strictly reasoning models — not hybrids like Claude 3.7 Sonnet. Anthropic’s new thinking modes Image Credits: Anthropic Claude 3.7 Sonnet is Anthropic’s first AI model that can “reason”, a technique many AI labs have turned to as traditional methods of improving AI performance taper off. Reasoning models like o3-mini, R1, Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, and xAI’s Grok 3 (Think) use more time and computing power before answering questions. The models break problems down into smaller steps, which tends to improve the accuracy of the final answer. Reasoning models aren’t thinking or reasoning like a human would, necessarily, but their process is modeled after deduction. Eventually, Anthropic would like Claude to figure out how long it should “think” about questions on its own, without needing users to select controls in advance, Anthropic’s product and research lead, Diane Penn, told TechCrunch in an interview. Story Continues “Similar to how humans don’t have two separate brains for questions that can be answered immediately versus those that require thought,” Anthropic wrote in a blog post shared with TechCrunch, “we regard reasoning as simply one of the capabilities a frontier model should have, to be smoothly integrated with other capabilities, rather than something to be provided in a separate model.” Anthropic says it’s allowing Claude 3.7 Sonnet to show its internal planning phase through a “visible scratch pad.” Lee told TechCrunch users will see Claude’s full thinking process for most prompts, but that some portions may be redacted for trust and safety purposes. Claude’s thinking process in the claude app (Credit: Anthropic) Anthropic says it optimized Claude’s thinking modes for real-world tasks, such as difficult coding problems or agentic tasks. Developers tapping Anthropic’s API can control the “budget” for thinking, trading speed and cost for quality of answer. On one test to measure real-word coding tasks, SWE-Bench, Claude 3.7 Sonnet was 62.3% accurate, compared to OpenAI’s o3-mini model which scored 49.3%. On another test to measure an AI model’s ability to interact with simulated users and external APIs in a retail setting, TAU-Bench, Claude 3.7 Sonnet scored 81.2%, compared to OpenAI’s o1 model which scored 73.5%. Anthropic also says Claude 3.7 Sonnet will refuse to answer questions less often than its previous models, claiming the model is capable of making more nuanced distinctions between harmful and benign prompts. Anthropic says it reduced unnecessary refusals by 45% compared to Claude 3.5 Sonnet. This comes at a time when some other AI labs are rethinking their approach to restricting their AI chatbot’s answers. In addition to Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Anthropic is also releasing an agentic coding tool called Claude Code. Launching as a research preview, the tool lets developers run specific tasks through Claude directly from their terminal. In a demo, Anthropic employees showed how Claude Code can analyze a coding project with a simple command such as, “Explain this project structure.” Using plain English in the command line, a developer can modify a codebase. Claude Code will describe its edits as it makes changes, and even test a project for errors or push it to a GitHub repository. Claude Code will initially be available to a limited number of users on a “first come first serve” basis, an Anthropic spokesperson told TechCrunch. Anthropic is releasing Claude 3.7 Sonnet at a time when AI labs are shipping new AI models at a breakneck pace. Anthropic has historically taken a more methodical, safety-focused approach. But this time, the company’s looking to lead the pack. For how long is the question. OpenAI may be close to releasing a hybrid AI model of its own; the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, has said it’ll arrive in “months.” Source link #Anthropic #launches #model #thinks #long Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

World War: Machines Conquest launches epic Server Invasion to test your PvP skills in large-scale combat World War: Machines Conquest launches epic Server Invasion to test your PvP skills in large-scale combat Joycity is inviting you to put your strategic skills to the test in the latest update to World War: Machines Conquest, challenging fans of the WWII era across four historical factions. In particular, the new Server Invasion content will have you taking up arms in massive PvP, so whether you’re commanding the forces of the US, ***, Russia or Germany, now’s your chance to dominate the battlefield with your tactical mastery. In the latest update to World War: Machines Conquest, you can look forward to teaming up with your loyal brothers in your Alliance from now until February 28th during the prep *******. Then, test your tactics throughout the Server Invasion event until March 1st. This means you can either defend your home in the designated Safe Zones or go on the offensive with new Squad Leaders, the bountiful Valentine’s Day Pass, and more. And just in case you need to take a quick breather from the madcap mayhem, there’s still the World Boss Gustav to take on – the mythical tank that fans of WWII are all too familiar with. If you’re itching to put your command of combat to the test, you can head on over to the official World War: Machines Conquest website to join in on all the fun. You can also follow the official Facebook page to stay updated on all the latest developments. Source link #World #War #Machines #Conquest #launches #epic #Server #Invasion #test #PvP #skills #largescale #combat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ETFs that allow investors to make big bets on market moves are gaining in popularity ETFs that allow investors to make big bets on market moves are gaining in popularity Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor on Feb. 20, 2025 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Spend some time looking at trading volumes, and you’ll notice something interesting: A lot of investors recently are making outsized bets on the stock market. Most of them are long bets, but some are short. It’s easy to see this because there is a growing segment of the ETF business that caters to investors who want to make short-term outsized bets on the stock market. These are leveraged and inverse ETFs. Leveraged ETFs amplify the daily returns of an index or stock using financial derivatives. For example, if an index rose by 1% in a day, a 2x leveraged ETF would deliver a 2% return, a 3x would deliver a 3% return. An inverse ETF delivers the opposite daily performance. So a 2x inverse ETF would be down 2% on a day when the index rose 1%, and vice-versa. These leveraged/inverse ETFs are not just growing in assets. They are becoming a greater part of the daily trading volume of the ETF universe, which is becoming a larger part of overall trading. Who is using these products? It has a lot to do with the general rise in speculative behavior in the market. Trading in options, bitcoin, and other more speculative products has been rising. “We’re continuing to see more investors lean into leveraged as a way to express short-term views on the market, and given all the volatility and daily market-moving headlines, it’s not surprising we are seeing higher volume and more assets entering the space,” Douglas Yones, CEO of Direxion, one of the largest providers of leveraged/inverse ETFs, told CNBC. Growing as a share of assets The first leveraged/inverse ETFs in the U.S. started in 2006 and allowed long or short bets on indexes like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq 100. Leverage and inverse single-stock ETFs came into existence in 2022, and they too have grown fast. The largest, ProSharesUltraPro QQQ (TQQQ), which provides 3x leveraged exposure to the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), has nearly $26 billion in assets. Single-stock ETFs that leverage Nvidia and Tesla also now have substantial assets. Largest leveraged/inverse ETFs (assets under management) ProSharesUltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) $25.7 billion Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x (SOXL) $8.5 billion ProShares Ultra QQQ (QLD) $7.9 billion ProShares Ultra S&P 500 (SSO) $5.5 billion Direxion Daily S&P Bull 3x (SPXL) $5.0 billion Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2x (TSLL) $3.5 billion GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA (NVDL) $4.2 billion Part of this is a bull market effect: Stocks are up meaningfully in the last few years, so overall assets are higher. However, these leveraged/inverse ETFs are not just growing assets, they are becoming a larger part of the ETF universe. In 2016, when ETFs had about $2 trillion in assets under management (AUM), leveraged/inverse ETFs were about 2% of that AUM, according to Strategas. Today, ETFs have about $11 trillion in assets under management, but leveraged/inverse ETFs make up about $81 billion of that, or almost 8% of total AUM. Why are these products growing? “I do believe there is a generational effect at play, I think there is major appetite among younger traders wanting to play with leverage due to the gains it can provide,” Todd Sohn, head of ETFs at Strategas, told CNBC. “The barriers to entry are extremely low, you can buy these products on your phone.” Yones estimated that 75% of the ownership of these products were retail traders, and 25% institutional, which included hedge funds, trade desks, large brokerage firms, and “anyone who has a book of positions that wants to be neutral the market.” He estimated that a small but significant percentage of the retail traders (12%-15% of the total) were from outside the U.S., which aligns with previous reports about growing demand for 24-hour trading coming in part from retail traders in South Korea, Japan, and Europe. Growing part of daily trading volume Leverage and inverse ETFs, including leveraged and inverse single-stock ETFs, now routinely show up among the most heavily traded ETFs on a daily basis. A simple way to look at this is by average daily dollar volume, the total amount of money traded in the ETF on a daily basis. The top ETFs by daily dollar volume are still ETFs tied to the biggest indexes, mainly the S&P 500, Russell 2000, and Nasdaq 100. Top ETFs by average 3-month daily dollar volume SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) $27.7 billion Invesco QQQ (QQQ) $15.3 billion iShares Russell 2000 (IWM) $5.7 billion iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV) $3.9 billion Source: Strategas However, the fifth-largest ETF by average daily dollar volume in the last three months is the ProSharesUltraPro QQQ, which provides three times leveraged exposure to the Nasdaq 100. Altogether, five of the top 20 ETFs by average daily dollar volume are leveraged/inverse. Leveraged/inverse ETFs: largest avg. 3-month daily dollar volume ProSharesUltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) $3.8 billion Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3X (SOXL)$2.1 billion Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2x (TSLL) $1.5 billion ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) $1.4 billion GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA (NVDL) $1.3 billion Source: Strategas The daily reset These products are bets on short-term momentum, but they have one additional feature that has proven difficult for investors to wrap their head around: they reset on a daily basis. Because of compounding effects, it can be fiendishly difficult to figure out what actual returns will be on anything more than a daily basis. This means that holding a 2x leveraged product for anything more than a day may result in making substantially less than a 2x return, depending on the direction of the market. Here’s an example: Suppose the S&P 500 was up 10% one day, then down 10% the next day. A $100 investment would look like this: S&P 500: hypothetical $100 investment Day 0 $100 Day 1 (up 10%): $110 Day 2 (down 10%). $99 After two days of this, you have $99, so you are down 1%. If you had a leveraged product over those two days, it would seem like you would be down 2%, or that you would have $98. But because of the daily reset, that’s not what happens. S&P 500: hypothetical $100 investment in 2x leveraged Day 0 $100 Day 1 (up 10%, leveraged up 20%): $120 Day 2 (down 10%, leveraged down 20%) $96 You actually have $96, instead of $98, and bear in mind this excludes fees. As time goes on, these calculations get progressively more complex. As a result, those offering these products routinely state that they are not meant for buy-and-hold investors. These funds have very large daily turnovers, so most investors seem to understand the risk of holding these products on anything more than a daily basis. But Sohn told CNBC that all investors in leveraged products needed to be very careful. “At some point though, it helps to take stock of the risks involved whenever the market takes a turn south,” Sohn told CNBC. Doug Yones, CEO of Direxion, will be on the ETF Edge portion of Halftime at 12:35 PM ET on Monday, and will also livestream on ETF Edge from 1:30 PM ET. He will be joined by Todd Rosenbluth, Head of Research at Vettafi. Source link #ETFs #investors #big #bets #market #moves #gaining #popularity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Need an affordable laptop? This HP is 55% off right now Need an affordable laptop? This HP is 55% off right now Not everyone needs all the bells and whistles that come with a fully loaded laptop. That’s why we’re glad brands like HP produce the kind of entry-level and midrange models that deliver exceptional performance at reasonable prices. In fact, we came across a fantastic HP ***** when looking through laptop deals, and we couldn’t believe how inexpensive it is! For a limited time, when you order the HP Pavilion 16-inch Laptop (8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage), you’ll only pay $400. The full price for this machine is $1,000. It’s part of an HP flash ***** that ends fairly soon. Why you should buy the HP Pavilion Laptop (16t-af000) The HP Pavilion 16t is a great Windows PC for those looking for that sweet spot between a beginner laptop and a souped-up mobile workstation. This particular configuration of the 16t runs an Intel Core i5 that pushes max clock speeds of 4.6GHz, with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. You’ll also get 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, giving you plenty of data to work with. Get ready to experience fast web browsing, quick downloads, and crisp-clear HD video playback. On a full charge, you can expect the Pavilion 16t to last up to 6 hours. Thanks to fast charge support, the 65W USB-C adapter will charge a dead Pavilion from zero to 50% in only 30 minutes! The laptop also comes with USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI 2.1 connections, as well as a headphone jack. Other noteworthy features include Wi-Fi 6E support, a built-in HD webcam, and 30 days of McAfee AI Powered Security Software for free. The flash ***** is only going to last for another several hours, so it’s best to take advantage while you still can. Save $600 on the HP Pavilion 16-inch Laptop when you order right now. We also recommend taking a look at our lists of the best HP laptop deals and best desktop computer deals for additional markdowns on top tech! Source link #affordable #laptop Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Gmail will stop using SMS for two-factor authentication Gmail will stop using SMS for two-factor authentication Google is planning to end support for SMS-based two-factor authentication in Gmail, Forbes reports. Sending a code to your personal phone via text message has long been an option Google offered to verify your identity, but it has unavoidable security issues the company wants to address. The goal is to “reduce the impact of rampant, global SMS abuse,” Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer tells Forbes, and the solution, at least for now, is QR codes. Instead of entering your number and receiving a text with a code you need to enter, Google will throw up a QR code you need to scan with your phone. The reliance on your smartphone is still present, but now you don’t have to rely on the lax security of SMS messages. Using SMS two-factor authentication is better than nothing, but text messages aren’t as secure as other methods. Criminals can intercept your message just by convincing your carrier to port your number to a new phone. By tricking a provider to send multiple SMS messages to a number a criminal operation controls in a process called “traffic pumping,” they can even make money on each text, Google says. Considering the volume of SMS messages the company sends to both verify users and make sure people aren’t bulk-creating accounts to send spam, it’s not hard to see how SMS could be problem. Ultimately, the goal for Google and other companies like it is to use passkeys and move away from passwords entirely, but adoption is slow, and making the current, much more familiar process secure is still meaningful. Source link #Gmail #stop #SMS #twofactor #authentication Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with demands and threats – The Associated Press Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with demands and threats – The Associated Press Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with demands and threats The Associated PressTrump Live Updates: Elon Musk’s Federal Worker Ultimatum, Macron’s White House Visit and More The New York TimesUnions sue over Musk demand for federal workers to justify jobs BBC.comTrump appointees appear to contradict Musk for first time in pushback to OPM email CNN Source link #Trump #backs #Musk #roils #federal #workforce #demands #threats #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is RAID 5? | Definition from TechTarget What is RAID 5? | Definition from TechTarget RAID 5 is a redundant array of independent disks configuration that uses disk striping with parity. Data and parity are separated into blocks and striped evenly across three or more disks in the array, so no single disk is a bottleneck. Striping also enables users to reconstruct data in case of a disk failure. RAID 5 also calculates parity information for all stored data to increase the array’s fault tolerance and enable data recovery in case one of the drives fails. How RAID 5 works RAID 5 uses both disk striping and parity. Striping is the process of storing consecutive segments of data across different storage devices; it enables better throughput and performance. At least three devices or drives are used in a RAID 5 array to stripe data. These drives function as a single logical device or data volume. The total usable capacity of the array is the sum of the capacities of all the drives in the array minus the capacity of one drive that stores the parity information. For example, the usable capacity of an array with five 1 terabyte drives is 4 TB. In RAID 5, no single drive contains a complete copy of the data. Since each disk contains a partial data copy, RAID 5 provides data redundancy. That said, while disk striping makes the array redundant, it alone does not make the array fault-tolerant. Disk striping combined with parity provides RAID 5 with redundancy and reliability. For redundancy, RAID 5 uses parity instead of mirroring — a technique used in RAID 1. When data is written to a RAID 5 drive, the system calculates parity and writes that parity onto the drive. While mirroring maintains multiple copies of data in each volume to ensure that the data is available even after a drive failure, RAID 5 can rebuild a failed drive using the parity data, which is not kept on a fixed single drive. By spreading the data across all three drives, any two drives in the array can combine to equal the data stored on the third drive, keeping data secure in case of a single drive failure. RAID 5 uses a minimum of three drives to stripe data and spread parity data across several drives. RAID 5 layout Depending on where the parity blocks are located and in which order the data blocks are written, there can be different types of RAID 5 arrays. In an array consisting of n disks — minimum three — the RAID 5 layout depends on whether the data blocks are written from left to right or right to left, whether the parity block is at the beginning or end of the stripe, and where the first block of a stripe is located with respect to the parity block of the previous stripe. Synchronicity and asynchronicity define the order of the data blocks. Thus, if the data blocks are written from left to right with the parity block placed at the end of the stripe, the RAID 5 layout is known as left asynchronous RAID 5. Furthermore, in such a configuration, the first block of the next stripe is not on the same disk as the parity block of the previous stripe. On the other hand, if the first data block of the next stripe is written on the same drive as the parity block of the previous stripe, it is known as a synchronous RAID 5 layout. Either way, RAID 5 uses block-level striping with parity information calculated on the full stripe and distributed among all the disks in the array. Striping provides data redundancy and protection and improves read performance. The parity feature also minimizes data losses and reduces the need for a dedicated parity disk. Key features of RAID 5 RAID 5 is currently one of the most commonly used RAID methods because it offers numerous features that other configurations lack. For one, it evenly balances reads/writes and provides both high access speeds and good performance. Furthermore, its performance is similar to RAID 0 due to the use of data striping. RAID 5 groups have a minimum of three drives and no maximum. Since it uses more drives, it has more usable storage than RAID 1 (mirroring) and RAID 10 configurations. Because the parity data is spread across all drives, RAID 5 is considered one of the most secure RAID configurations. Also, drives can be hot-swapped in RAID 5, which means a failed drive can be removed and replaced with little or no downtime. Parity information for the stored data plays an important role in facilitating data recovery. It is an additional stripe of data and is distributed across all the drives in the RAID array. If data blocks are lost or damaged, the array uses an exclusive-OR, or XOR, link to enable their reconstruction and minimize data losses. In sum, the key features of RAID 5 are the following: Disk striping. Parity. Data redundancy. Fault tolerance. Fast read performance. Efficient write performance. Balance between speed and fault tolerance. RAID 5 advantages Fast, reliable read speed is a major benefit of RAID 5. Considered a good, all-around RAID system, RAID 5 combines the better elements of storage efficiency and performance among the different RAID configurations. The efficiency stems from the fact that parity information is distributed across all the drives in the array, while the high performance is the result of using multiple drives with a data striping mechanism. Another reason for improved performance is that read/write operations can be performed concurrently. This RAID configuration also provides higher storage capacity and more efficient capacity utilization compared to other RAID levels. Additionally, it offers inexpensive data redundancy and fault tolerance. With RAID 5, the failure of a single drive usually doesn’t result in data loss. While writes tend to be slower because of the parity data calculation, RAID 5 enables users to access and read data even while a failed drive is being rebuilt. RAID 5 drawbacks The need to calculate parity can affect the write performance of drives in a RAID 5 array. The array requires additional time to calculate and write parity information during write operations, in which the corresponding data block and the associated parity information must be updated. This results in what is known as a write penalty, which ultimately affects write performance. A dedicated hardware RAID controller can help to mitigate this problem, although it can increase implementation complexity and cost. Longer rebuild times are another major drawback of RAID 5. Rebuilding is also a resource-intensive and complex process, depending on the number and size of drives, controller speed and the load on the array. Due to the complexity, RAID 5 rebuilds can take a while — sometimes a full day or even longer. Also, if another disk fails during the rebuild, then data is lost. Data loss may also occur if multiple disks develop bad sectors or bad blocks during rebuilding. To maintain data integrity and ensure its availability, it’s important to consider the rebuild time. It’s equally crucial to keep in mind that there is still a risk of multiple drive failures with RAID 5 since the array is in a vulnerable state during the rebuild. Additionally, while RAID configurations can contribute to business continuity, they are not equivalent to or a replacement for a disaster recovery setup. If anything, uninterrupted business continuity needs both a data backup strategy and a RAID 5 configuration. Taking regular backups of critical data can help to prevent data losses that may occur due to unforeseen events other than disk failures, such as malware or ransomware infections, software corruption, power outages and natural disasters. Human errors can also result in accidental data deletions and losses. As a redundancy mechanism, RAID cannot safeguard against such events. Rather, it only provides a safeguard against drive failures. For reliable prevention of data losses, it’s advisable to use both RAID and data backups as part of a broader disaster recovery plan. RAID 5 use cases RAID 5 is ideal for application and file servers that have a limited number of drives but want greater storage performance and reliability. Furthermore, since it provides fault tolerance via striping and parity checksums, the RAID 5 mechanism is suitable for storing mission-critical data. RAID 5 can also be a good choice in these situations: Multiple users need consistent access to the data stored on multiple servers. Access speed is less of a priority than reliable data storage and redundancy. A reliable storage mechanism is crucial because data losses may result in serious business consequences, like financial losses or regulatory fines. RAID 1 vs. RAID 5 RAID 1 writes to two mirrored disk drives and can handle twice the number of reads than a single drive. Because RAID 1 outperforms RAID 5 in terms of read speed and maintaining data integrity, it is one of the most favored RAID configurations. However, RAID 1 also requires more drive space and offers much less storage capacity compared to the total drive capacity. This is because additional drives hold data copies, reducing their usable storage capacity. Also, the fault tolerance capability of RAID 1 is not as high as that of RAID 5 with parity. And, even though RAID 5 requires drive space to store the parity checksums, it still offers a higher total storage capacity than a RAID 1 array. But its weaknesses notwithstanding, RAID 1 can still be a good choice in settings where data loss is unacceptable. RAID 5 vs. other types of RAID configurations All RAID configurations offer benefits and drawbacks. Standard RAID levels, such as 2, 3, 4 and 7, are not as commonly used as others, specifically RAID 5, 1, 6 and 10. While RAID 3 could be considered inferior to RAID 5 because it uses a separate disk for parity data, other configurations can hold their own when compared to RAID 5. Similar to RAID 5, RAID 6 has speedy read/write parity data to multiple drives. However, because it writes to two drives, RAID 6 uses a minimum of four drives rather than the three required by RAID 5, which can increase system complexity and cost. RAID 6 also uses the double parity method, meaning two checksums are created for data redundancy and fault tolerance instead of just the one that’s created in RAID 5. And RAID 6 can withstand two drive failures and provide access to all data even while both drives are being rebuilt, so it is considered more secure than RAID 5. With RAID 6, writes are even slower than RAID 5 because of the additional parity data calculation. Like RAID 5, though data is still accessible while a drive is being rebuilt, rebuilds can take a considerable amount of time. Overall, however, RAID 6 is considered a solid system and may be preferable to RAID 5 in environments where a high number of large drives are used for storage. RAID 10 is a nonstandard RAID configuration that combines elements of RAID 1 and RAID 0, meaning it uses both disk striping (RAID 0) and data mirroring (RAID 1) to improve both read/write speeds and offer high fault tolerance. Also known as RAID 1+0, RAID 10 has a fast rebuild time, thanks to the ability to copy mirrored data to a new drive. This process can take as little as 30 minutes, depending on the drive size. One drawback of RAID 10 is that half of all storage capacity goes to mirroring, which can speed up rebuilds but can become expensive quickly. Also, a RAID 10 setup can only withstand one drive failure in a mirrored pair of disk drives. A second failure usually results in total data loss. Software vs. hardware RAID RAID can be in the form of hardware or software depending on where the processing occurs. Software RAID is a form of RAID performed on an internal server. Because it processes on the internal server, software RAID is slower than hardware RAID. However, because hardware RAID requires purchasing additional hardware, software RAID costs less. There are a number of RAID configurations with each requiring a certain number of drives and storage capacity, while providing different levels of performance and fault tolerance. Trends and future directions Despite the numerous configurations available, RAID is an aging technology that is facing off with new technologies in the storage space, such as erasure coding. However, many vendors do still use RAID to supplement technologies, like solid-state drives, to provide users with the benefits of data redundancy and fault tolerance. Until a more reliable form of data redundancy becomes available, RAID will likely continue to have a place in the storage market. While RAID 5 remains popular, other RAID schemes also have their selling points. For example, the ability of RAID 6 to withstand two drives failing makes it an appealing option, and disk vendors are recommending RAID 6 and 10 for larger workloads. Standard Serial Advanced Technology Attachment drives are not a good fit for RAID 5 because administrators can be prevented from rebuilding a drive after a failure. When considering the future of RAID 5, storage capacity growth is an important factor to keep in mind. As drive sizes increase, RAID 5 rebuild times will rise, increasing the risk that another drive may fail and lead to irrecoverable data losses. Also, an increase in storage density that isn’t met by better performance results in a lengthy rebuild. With so many variations of RAID available to fix the mistakes of earlier configurations, better options are likely to appear down the road. RAID protects data and improves storage performance and availability. The technology can be confusing, however. Read about the different levels of RAID, the pros and cons, and where they work best. Also, explore the key differences in software RAID vs. hardware RAID. Source link #RAID #Definition #TechTarget Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

CoD: Warzone Leak Suggests Controversial POI Could Return With Verdansk CoD: Warzone Leak Suggests Controversial POI Could Return With Verdansk Last year, Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Warzone’s original Verdansk map would return to the free-to-play battle royale in 2025, but the publisher still hasn’t provided further details for the map’s release. Now, new leaks have surfaced to suggest a more “OG” version of Verdansk, detailing some of the map’s main points of interest. According to known Call of Duty insider “The Ghost of Hope,” Verdansk will return with the launch of Season 3. The leaks also suggest that the map will be very similar to the original version that launched back in March of 2020, but the insider does detail a few minor differences. EXCLUSIVE Details on the return of Verdansk: – Will launch with Season 3 of BO6 – It is pretty much the OG March 2020 version – Train Station interior will be closed – Interior of Stadium will be open BUT roof will be closed – The Train returns – No fast travel subway system pic.twitter.com/69aAy79RLS — Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) February 23, 2025 One of the most notable details mentioned is that Verdansk will keep the Stadium point of interest with the roof intact. This might be a controversial map decision for Verdansk’s return, as the original Stadium could often be a frustrating location to traverse. The building was usually plagued with rooftop campers, and it was also a massive structure to try and maneuver around while running from the gas. However, Ghost of Hope does suggest that the interior of Stadium will be open this time, so hopefully players can use interior passages to better escape the area during a circle collapse. It’s also worth noting that a post-launch update for Modern Warfare and Warzone included a Verdansk event that blew the top off Stadium to make the point of interest more viable. So, it’s possible further map changes could arrive sometime after the return of Verdansk. The insider claims that the train is returning with Verdansk, which was a feature that was not part of the original map design. The Train Station point of interest is also mentioned to be included on the map, but the station’s interior will be closed off. A fast-travel subway system was added to Verdansk in a later season, but Ghost of Hope says this isn’t planned for the map’s return. While all leaks should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s worth mentioning that known Call of Duty dataminer RealityUK also claims that Verdansk references are now showing in the game files following the Season 2 Reloaded update. If true, players won’t have long to wait before the fan-favorite Verdansk returns. Based on the days left in the Season 2 battle pass, the Season 3 update should arrive to ****** Ops 6 and Warzone around March 20. Until then, players can expect a TMNT-themed limited-time event on February 27, and the Clover Craze event arrives on March 13 for early Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. Source link #CoD #Warzone #Leak #Suggests #Controversial #POI #Return #Verdansk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Don’t read too much into Microsoft’s AI data center slowdown Don’t read too much into Microsoft’s AI data center slowdown Microsoft (MSFT) says it still plans to spend $80 billion on data center infrastructure this year, according to reporting from Seeking Alpha, following a TD Cohen note saying the tech giant is beginning to cancel data center leases. Gabelli Funds portfolio manager and managing director for growth portfolios John Belton joins Catalysts with Seana Smith and Madison Mills to discuss what t “I would strongly advise against over-extrapolating these channel checks,” Belton says, warning investors, “These are the types of checks that can be very confusing to take out of context.” He explains, “Are these leases that are being canceled that are net decremental to Microsoft spending plans? Doesn’t seem so based on what the company said this morning; they say there’s absolutely no change in their data center spending plans. More than that, are these net decremental to industry-wide [capital expenditure] CapEx spend? Very unlikely.” The portfolio manager adds, “Any change you’re going to see in Microsoft’s near-term CapEx spending are probably related to the change in relationship with OpenAI, meaning lower Microsoft CapEx spend would simply be higher Oracle (ORCL) CapEx spend.” To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan. Source link #Dont #read #Microsofts #data #center #slowdown Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spider-Man 3 PS5 Star Confirms What We All Suspected About the New Game’s Story Spider-Man 3 PS5 Star Confirms What We All Suspected About the New Game’s Story anast253d ago “Also I’m not actually referring to the quality of the games either side puts out, as Purple mentioned. Just talking about the comments made by the fanbase of both sides and how every generation the cycle repeats.” People choose a sides because it’s fun. When we choose our sides, we apply biases. For instance, my friend can do something I don’t like and it’s tolerable, but if someone I don’t like does it, the person is an ******. This behavior isn’t good or bad, it’s an instinctual compromise we make to be in a group. I don’t know what you mean by “nice”. However, it does seem like a cycle, but that would also imply this behavior is generally static, it might be…I would need to think about this. Source link #SpiderMan #PS5 #Star #Confirms #Suspected #Games #Story Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meta rolls out its AI chatbot to nearly a dozen Middle Eastern nations Meta rolls out its AI chatbot to nearly a dozen Middle Eastern nations Meta Millions of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger users throughout the Middle East now enjoy access to Meta’s self-named AI chatbot platform, the company announced on Monday. The chatbot is rolling out to users in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. “AI just got even more accessible than ever before, as we officially launched Meta AI in the Middle East and North Africa with Arabic capabilities,” Meta wrote in its announcement blog post. At launch, these users will have access to only some of Meta AI’s generative capabilities — specifically, text and image generation, as well as image animation. The company plans to expand those offerings to include simultaneous dubbing for Reels, AI image editing, and the “Imagine Me” feature (which generates a user’s portrait based on uploaded reference photos) in the near future. Though its AI is not agentic like OpenAI’s Operator system, Meta envisions it serving as a personal assistant in addition to word and image generator. It would, for example, enable users to plan trips through group chat with the chatbot offering destination suggestions and assisting with brainstorming activity ideas. “You will be able to upload an image of the view from your apartment and ask Meta AI to reimagine a whole new world out there,” the company wrote. “Want to envision yourself with a new hair color or style? Meta AI will be your makeover assistant.” Meta isn’t the only company looking to expand its influence in the Middle East and North Africa. Last week, French AI startup Mistral announced its new Saba model, designed specifically to interact with users speaking Arabic. While the region has not seen the same explosive growth of generative AI that the US and China have recently, the Middle East is expected to benefit greatly from the technology in the coming years. A recent study from PWC anticipates the Middle East will “accrue 2% of the total global benefits of AI in 2030. This is equivalent to US$320 billion.” Source link #Meta #rolls #chatbot #dozen #Middle #Eastern #nations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Onetime market favorite Palantir drops 8% on Monday and is now down more than 25% from high Onetime market favorite Palantir drops 8% on Monday and is now down more than 25% from high The logo of U.S. software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2020. Arnd Wiegmann | Reuters Palantir shares tumbled on Monday, building on last week’s declines as the hot trade continued to show signs of sputtering. The technology and defense stock dropped more than 7% on the day, on pace for its fourth straight losing session. That comes after the stock fell 15% last week. Last week’s declines came after the company disclosed a new stock ***** plan from CEO Alex Karp. Comments from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported by The Washington Post on plans to slash defense budgets also rattled investors of the company, which relies in part on government contracts. These moves have heightened fears that Palantir, which has seen its popularity among retail investors balloon over recent months, is now falling from grace. Indeed, the stock has plunged more than 21% compared with where it sat a week ago. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Palantir, 5 days Monday’s declines put the stock around 25% below the all-time high notched earlier this month. Still, the stock is up more than 23% so far in 2025, outpacing the S&P 500’s gain of about 2% during the same *******. Palantir was the best performer in the S&P 500 last year with a surge of more than 340%. Palantir has gained a cult following of individual investors. Experts and company analysts point to Karp’s eccentric persona and the stock’s big runup as two drivers of interest from this group. On the other hand, the majority of analysts polled by LSEG have a hold rating. The typical price target implies that shares can fall further. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Onetime #market #favorite #Palantir #drops #Monday #high Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Disney+ just dropped an explosive trailer for Andor season 2 Disney+ just dropped an explosive trailer for Andor season 2 It’s been well over two years, but the wait is almost over. The second season of Andor hits Disney+ on April 22. The platform to get all of us Star Wars fans pumped and ready. The footage shows plenty of cool stuff, including the return of Rogue One’s chief antagonist Orson Crennic and the beloved droid K-2SO. The Death Star makes an appearance, which isn’t surprising given the ending of the first season. Mon Mothma also attends an extravagant “let them eat cake” type of party. There are a few bombastic explosions and several shots of the titular Cassian Andor walking down hallways. One thing this trailer doesn’t spoil is the plot. The footage is just a hodgepodge of cool moments, so we still have no idea what our favorite rebel spy will be getting up to in season two. To me, this is a good thing. For the uninitiated, Andor is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and is set after the rise of the empire but before the events of the original Star Wars movie. It’s very good, with a tone that can only be described as “prestige Star Wars.” It stars Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough and, sometimes, Forest Whitaker. Season two brings new actors into the fold, like Adria Arjona. Disney+ is doing something unique with the release schedule here. Three episodes premiere on April 22, followed by another trio each week for a month. That adds up to 12 episodes. April is a big month for returning genre TV, as season two of The Last of Us . Source link #Disney #dropped #explosive #trailer #Andor #season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and More Stars Pay Tribute to Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero After His Sudden Death – PEOPLE Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and More Stars Pay Tribute to Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero After His Sudden Death – PEOPLE Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and More Stars Pay Tribute to Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero After His Sudden Death PEOPLEKim and Khloe Kardashian React to Death of Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist TMZ‘Crushed’ Kim Kardashian pays tribute to Kylie Jenner’s hairstylist Jesus Guerrero after his death at 34 Page SixKylie Jenner’s hairstylist Jesus Guerrero dies ‘suddenly and unexpectedly’ at 34 USA TODAY Source link #Kim #Kardashian #Jessica #Alba #Stars #Pay #Tribute #Hairstylist #Jesus #Guerrero #Sudden #Death #PEOPLE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blue Jays-Tigers spring training game rained out Blue Jays-Tigers spring training game rained out By n The ********* Pressn The ********* Press Posted February 24, 2025 1:48 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size LAKELAND – The Toronto Blue Jays’ spring training game against the Detroit Tigers scheduled for Monday afternoon was cancelled due to rain. Right-hander Bowden Francis, Toronto’s scheduled starter, was set to make his spring debut as he looks to build on his strong finish to the 2024 season. Related Videos 0:29 Bo Bichette going viral for openly flirting with trade Previous Video Next Video The Blue Jays said on social media that Francis will instead pitch Tuesday in Dunedin, Fla., when the Blue Jays host the St. Louis Cardinals. Story continues below advertisement Francis is expected to take the mound after veteran righty Max Scherzer makes his Blue Jays debut after signing with Toronto in the off-season. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The Blue Jays are 2-0 so far this spring, having opened with wins over the New York Yankees and Boston. Trending Now ‘Outrage’: Child stabbed multiple times by 19-year-old in downtown Halifax: police Tax season 2025: What Canadians need to know before filing The Blue Jays open the regular season March 27 against visiting Baltimore. This report by The ********* Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025. &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Blue #JaysTigers #spring #training #game #rained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon-Exclusive Pokemon TCG Premium Collection Gets Huge Limited-Time Discount Amazon-Exclusive Pokemon TCG Premium Collection Gets Huge Limited-Time Discount If you’re one of the many Pokemon Trading Card Game collectors and players struggling to find the Prismatic Evolutions set for reasonable prices, you may want to check out Amazon’s deal on its exclusive premium collection. Amazon is offering Pokemon TCG: Paradox Fury Premium Collection for only $47.64 (was $68). The huge 30% discount is the largest price cut yet for Amazon’s Holiday 2024 exclusive. The retailer previously discounted this box set to $50 in the weeks leading up to Christmas and promptly sold out. $47.64 (was $68) The Paradox Fury Premium Collection contains the following items: 3 promo cards featuring Walking Wake ex, Ragin Bolt ex, and Gouging Fire ex Oversized promo card featuring Raging Bolt ex 7 Pokemon TCG booster packs Magnetic three-card holder Magnetic three-card holder base Code card for Pokemon TCG Live The magnetic card holder and base is a nice inclusion for those who want to display their favorite Pokemon cards on a shelf or desk. Gallery Amazon has several other exclusive Pokemon TCG collections in stock, including Poke Ball Tin 3-Packs with nine booster packs per box set and Battle Deck bundles with a pair of booster packs each. Amazon-exclusive Pokemon Trading Card Game Collections Pokemon Kangaskhan and Greninja ex Battle Decks If you’re interested in playing the Pokemon TCG, the 60-card Battle Decks will help you learn without the added barrier of building your own deck from booster packs. And since each box set comes with two booster packs, you could modify your deck with cards pulled from those after familiarizing yourself with the gameplay loop. For youngsters, we’d recommend picking up Pokemon TCG: Battle Academy, which adapts the card game into a beginner-friendly board game that teaches you the ins and outs of battling other Pokemon trainers. In the world of Pokemon video games, Amazon-owned discount shop Woot also has some awesome deals on a bunch of Pokemon titles for Nintendo Switch. Pokemon Video Game Deals The latest mainline entries in the series, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, are on ***** for $43 and $42, respectively. Other discounted games include the perfect entry-point games Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee alongside spin-offs like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue team DX. If you’re looking for a non-Pokemon game for Switch, Woot also has some tempting deals on dozens of other Nintendo first-party games. Source link #AmazonExclusive #Pokemon #TCG #Premium #Collection #Huge #LimitedTime #Discount Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Champions Trophy 2025: Joe Root backs “brilliant” England captain Jos Buttler Champions Trophy 2025: Joe Root backs “brilliant” England captain Jos Buttler Buttler’s side won only three of nine matches as defending champions at the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023. Last year they reached the semi-finals in their defence of the T20 World Cup but were ultimately well beaten by India, having lost to Australia and South Africa earlier in the tournament. Root captained England in 64 Tests from 2017 to 2022 – the most of any player. He won a record 27 of those matches but ended his tenure with one win in 17 before resigning in 2022. He also suffered two heavy defeats in Ashes series in Australia. “I certainly think that this team are doing more things right than maybe some of the teams I captained,” Root said. England’s difficult position at the Champions Trophy comes after defeat by Australia in their opening game on Saturday. They scored 351-8, with Ben Duckett making 165, but still lost by five wickets. It follows four defeats in a row in bilateral one-day international series. “What I would say is you can be frustrated by it or you can be excited by it,” Root said. “The fact that we are doing a lot of things right is a good thing and that’s what we have to really focus on.” England are expected to make one change for Wednesday’s match in Lahore after bowler Brydon Carse was ruled out of the tournament with a toe injury. Rehan Ahmed has been called up in his place, but the leg-spinner is not expected to arrive in Pakistan until Wednesday so Jamie Overton is most likely to replace Carse. Source link #Champions #Trophy #Joe #Root #backs #brilliant #England #captain #Jos #Buttler Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Balatro Arrives on Game Pass with Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4) Balatro Arrives on Game Pass with Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4) Everybody’s favourite poker-based deck builder, Balatro, is now available on Xbox Game Pass, along with the latest Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4) expansion. Announced during the ID@Xbox event, Balatro revealed their latest expansion, Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4). The new expansion will introduce decks from popular gaming franchises, including Bugsnax, Assassin’s Creed, Slay the Princess, Fallout, Critical Role, Rust, Dead by Daylight and Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. During the reveal trailer, the developers tucked away an even more exciting announcement: Balatro is now available on Xbox Game Pass. Balatro’s Friends of Jimbo Pack 4 expansion will include new cosmetic card skins for beloved characters from these popular franchises, including “Vault Boy, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III and more.” The update is available now on PC, Consoles, and mobile. Balatro was released a year ago, and since then, it has gathered massive appreciation from critics as well as the general community. Within that time, the game has sold over 5 million units, which is nothing short of commendable for an indie title. The game also won its appeal against PEGI ratings today, and Balatro will not be rated PEGI 12, as compared to the previous PEGI 18 rating. In other news, check out the Balatro Trophy Guide, which thoroughly explains how to complete LocalThunk’s roguelike card game. Also, here’s how to unlock Throwback Joker in Balatro. Are you going to play Balatro through Xbox Game Pass, and what are your thoughts on the Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4) announcement). Let us know in the comments or on our new community forum! For more information from Insider Gaming, read about everything announced at ID@Xbox. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Balatro #Arrives #Game #Pass #Friends #Jimbo #Pack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]