Pelican Press

Israel-Gaza latest: Five freed hostages arrive in Israel as sixth to be handed over by ****** – follow live – BBC.com Israel-Gaza latest: Five freed hostages arrive in Israel as sixth to be handed over by ****** – follow live – BBC.com Israel-Gaza latest: Five freed hostages arrive in Israel as sixth to be handed over by ****** – follow live BBC.comHamas releases more hostages in exchange for more than 600 ************ prisoners as part of ceasefire deal Fox NewsAl-Sayed family: ‘After nearly a decade of fighting, long-awaited moment has arrived’ The Times of IsraelHuman remains returned by ****** to Israel confirmed as those of former hostage Shiri Bibas CNN Source link #IsraelGaza #latest #freed #hostages #arrive #Israel #sixth #handed #****** #follow #live #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

ASE developing square packaging substrate tech to replace round wafers ASE developing square packaging substrate tech to replace round wafers ASE Technology is committing $200 million to test a new method of chip packaging that replaces traditional round wafers with square substrates, which promises to increase the company’s advanced packaging output, reports Nikkei. For now, the company plans to set up a rather small-scale trial production line, but the rather large sum that ASE plans to invest indicates that it is serious about using next-gen substrates. ASE plans to set up a test production line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where it would install experimental machines that will process 600mm × 600mm substrates instead of 300-mm round wafers. As no ready-to-use machines can process such large square substrates that meet the requirements of semiconductor-grade production, ASE is collaborating with suppliers to develop the tools to make this technology feasible. The new 600mm × 600mm substrates could provide up to five times the usable area of 300-mm wafers, allowing more multi-chiplet AI processors to be assembled using one substrate, Tien Wu, chief executive of ASE, explained to reporters. Also, such substrates will enable the company to build ******* multi-chiplet solutions. It should be noted that advanced packaging technologies — such as TSMC’s CoWoS and similar methods used by ASE or Amkor — rely on tools originally developed for chipmaking. As a result, ASE will have to persuade producers of wafer fabbing equipment to make custom tools for its initiatives. If successful with its square substrates initiative, ASE may leave its rivals behind by several years. The company will spend $200 million on these new pieces of equipment. However, it is unclear how much the company and its partners will have to pour into research and development of appropriate tools and production methods. For now, ASE hopes to deliver the first customer samples of products assembled on square wafers by next year. The company’s capital spending for 2025 is expected to surpass the $1.9 billion spent last year, though exact figures have yet to be determined. $200 million will account for around 10% of this sum, which means the square packaging initiative represents a significant investment and serious intentions. Switching to panel-level packaging could be a precursor to switching to glass substrates (something that Intel, Samsung Foundry, and BOE are looking at) that will not only enable building larger system-in-packages (SiPs) but will improve their flatness, thermal and mechanical stability, as well as enabling denser interconnections. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #ASE #developing #square #packaging #substrate #tech #replace #wafers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Germany is holding a national election. Here’s what’s at stake – CNN Germany is holding a national election. Here’s what’s at stake – CNN Germany is holding a national election. Here’s what’s at stake CNNOpinion | The Far Right Is Rising in the Land of ‘Never Again’ The New York TimesGerman election live: Final poll predicts large gains for AfD hours before vote The IndependentGermany set for tricky coalition building, poll shows ahead of election Reuters Source link #Germany #holding #national #election #Heres #whats #stake #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blown capacitor kills $2,799 Asus RTX 5090 GPU and damages motherboard Blown capacitor kills $2,799 Asus RTX 5090 GPU and damages motherboard A Redditor has shared a story claiming that his Asus ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 ‘caught on fire.’ The sad tale of several $1,000s in high-tech components going up in smoke is backed by photographic evidence. Among the photos that Impossible-Weight485 published, we can see clear signs of damage near one of the graphics card’s capacitors, and the damage seems to have spread to the motherboard. Impossible-Weight485 describes how he played games on his PC when the system shut down without warning after he finished a gaming session and browsed some websites. The Redditor then did what most people would do: restart the PC. However, as the system powered up, “the GPU caught on fire, and smoke started coming out,” they claim. Burn marks are evident on both the graphics card and motherboard. On the graphics card, you can see the darkened, yellowed area of the PCB near a suspected blown capacitor. The Redditor also shows a burn mark on the Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard – just above and between the ‘H’ and ‘E’ in the HERO logo. This area will have aligned with the suspected blown graphics card capacitor when plugged into the board’s first PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion slot. My 5090 astral caught on fire from r/nvidia So, here we have another RTX 5090 graphics card that has become damaged in what seems to be regular use. Perhaps we should be happy it isn’t yet another power connector issue this time. Impossible-Weight485 shows this isn’t likely to have anything to do with that power interface, as it looks pristine in one of the images they shared. Asus’s product page for the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 highlights the “unmatched reliability” and quality of this particular graphics card – which is premium priced even in RTX 5090 terms. Of course, a small percentage of all products will fail in everyday use, with most issues that get past manufacturing QA showing themselves after normal use. That’s why guarantees of at least a year are essential. While we can probably file this RTX 5090 that “caught on fire” as a slight defect in one of the components that managed to get past factory verification and testing, there are a lot of other problems piling up for would-be RTX 50 buyers to think about. Beyond the problem of actually acquiring one of these cards for a reasonable sum, only yesterday, we reported on Blackwell cards with BSOD and ****** screen issues and top-of-the-line RTX 5090 models missing ROPs – compared to online specs. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Blown #capacitor #kills #Asus #RTX #GPU #damages #motherboard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance review 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance review It’s sad to see another V8 go. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Note: This is an updated version of a review first published in August 2024. There have been major changes to pricing or specifications in the past months since publication, save for some minor pricing changes due to adjustments with the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold. We have updated key details, such as pricing, with the most up-to-date information available. Read the original version of this review here. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance is the brand’s new high-performance mid-sized SUV, ditching the twin-turbocharged V8 of the old AMG GLC63 in favour of a turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain. It follows the same playbook as the new C63, which it’s closely related to. As with the wider C-Class range, all GLCs pack four-cylinder power, with the GLC63 sitting above the GLC43 which features the same engine but without the plug-in hybrid system. The four squared-off (instead of round) exhaust outlets are the biggest giveaway this isn’t the GLC43, but like its less expensive sibling this is a very subtle-looking performance SUV. Those useless side steps are a bit silly though. As with the GLC43, there’s a choice of more traditional SUV or coupe SUV body styles, with the latter arguably doing a better job of looking like a coupe than its predecessor – those tail lights could have come straight from the new CLE Coupe. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert The mid-sized high-performance SUV segment is undergoing a huge transformation right now, and the GLC63 has gone from being the only V8-powered model to being the only plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The BMW X3 and X4 stick with a twin-turbocharged inline six in hot M guise, and rumour has it these high-performance SUVs won’t be directly replaced. The Maserati Grecale Trofeo and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio also have twin-turbo sixes, while Audi still hasn’t launched an RSQ5 which leaves only the tamer SQ5. Finally, Porsche’s Macan is now all-electric in Australia. The GLC63 therefore is quite a unique offering in the segment. Is it the one to pick? How much does the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 cost? The GLC63 is a bit more expensive than rivals from BMW and Maserati, though it’s more powerful than all of them. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What is the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 like on the inside? The GLC63’s interior isn’t dramatically different from lesser GLCs. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Let’s start with what is different. There are wonderfully comfortable, supportive AMG sports seats finished in Nappa leather, which feature heating but no ventilation or massage. You can also opt for racier AMG Performance seats. The standard AMG Performance steering wheel feels terrific, with a thick, perforated Nappa leather rim and AMG’s little rotary controls towards the bottom. The touch-capacitive switches are okay, but we’d prefer traditional buttons and toggles. There are also various AMG- and hybrid-specific screens on the 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen and the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Otherwise, this is standard GLC (and C-Class, and EQE SUV, and EQE, etc) fare. That means an interior that is flashy and majors on showroom appeal, but has a small handful of disappointing elements once you scratch past that glitzy surface. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert On the topic of scratching, the vast swathe of piano ****** trim on the centre console seems especially susceptible to it, as well as fingerprint smudges and dust. Look, Mercedes-Benz is far from alone in using this material. But what makes its application so perplexing here is that there’s a sea of wood trim across the dashboard which could have used instead. There’s also genuinely attractive, tactile metal trim used around the window switches which we wouldn’t mind seeing more of. The Edition 1 includes some enticing additions inside the cabin. The steering wheel features carbon fibre and microfibre, there are various yellow highlights such as the contrast stitching and seatbelts, and that forest of wood on the dash becomes a sea of carbon fibre. Personally, I’m not usually a fan of carbon-fibre trim as it feels a bit cliché at this point, but the stuff in the Edition 1 is genuinely attractive. Note you don’t have to go for the Edition 1 to get the trim or features like the carbon-fibre/microfibre steering wheel and multicontour performance seats, as these are available in other option packages. Camera IconGLC63 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera IconGLC63 Coupe Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Given how close this is to the GLC300 inside, a car which costs around half the price, there are a few issues that are especially bothersome in the more expensive GLC63. The button to open the centre console bin, as we’ve noticed in various Mercedes models, feels very cheap. The lowest reaches of the dash and doors are also finished in hard plastic – tolerable in a circa-$100k GLC300, less so in a circa-$200k AMG GLC63. However, overall cabin presentation, like the cheaper GLC, is good. There’s a soft-touch dash top with stitching details, as well as soft-touch trim on the sides of the centre console. The squircle air vents are attractive, as are the metallic speaker grilles, and there is of course Mercedes’ flashy ambient lighting. The technology is also top-notch. The infotainment system is generally quite easy to navigate, with climate controls always anchored to the bottom of the screen in the absence of physical switches. Camera IconGLC63 Credit: CarExpertCamera IconGLC63 Coupe Credit: CarExpert The digital instrument cluster also offers a range of different display modes, all of which feature attractive graphics. Step into the back and you’ll find a spacious second row. There’s noticeably less headroom in the Coupe, however, as well as worse visibility out of the rear window due to the sloping roofline. There aren’t separate climate controls back here, though there are air vents plus USB outlets and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders. If you want to fit a child seat, you can use one of three top-tether or two ISOFIX anchor points. Boot space is down on lesser GLCs due to the large battery. It’s also down 110L on the previous-gen model, regardless of what body style you choose, and that’s despite the new GLC being between 44mm and 67mm longer overall. To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What’s under the bonnet? As with the new C63 S E Performance, the GLC63 packs a version of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘M139’ engine from the AMG A45 S that is the most powerful production four-cylinder engine in the world. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert This is mated with a rear-mounted electric motor with 150kW of peak power and 320Nm of torque (or 80kW of continuous power), fed by a 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack. A turbocharger is driven by not only exhaust gases, but also by a 48V electrical system. Compared to the old GLC63, the new car has 125kW more power and 320Nm more torque in total, and is also 0.3 seconds quicker to 100km/h. To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool How does the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 drive? I got into the GLC63 S E Performance with three concerns: that it was going to feel overly heavy and ponderous; that it was going to have a lumpy ride on account of the large battery pack and low-profile tyres; and that it wasn’t going to sound all that good. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Driving this new-generation performance SUV, however, has assuaged most of my concerns. Let’s address the elephant in the room: the sound. After all, that’s one of the best things about a V8, right? Make no mistake, the new GLC63 doesn’t sound as good as the old one – that doesn’t mean it sounds bad, however. Mercedes-AMG has installed a pressure sensor within the exhaust that it says allows it to pick up the engine note and transfer it to the speaker system inside the car. You can manually toggle an amplified version of the engine note in either the vehicle settings menu or by using one of the steering wheel toggles, and it goes from sounding like a typical turbocharged four-cylinder Benz to sounding, well, pretty good. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Okay, not V8 good, but it makes the GLC63 louder, more dynamic-sounding and yet easy on the ears. You also get some tasty pops and crackles. When you’re running on pure electric power, there’s a futuristic, spaceship-y noise. As you’d expect, the GLC63 is very fast given it takes the most powerful production four-cylinder engine in the world and then mates it to an electric motor. Our drive route took us along some of the best driving roads in South East Queensland, including through Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious, in a GLC63 Coupe. First, however, we had to get through peak-hour Brisbane traffic, which revealed just how versatile these performance plug-in hybrids are. You can zip around on pure electric power at speeds up to 120km/h, though you only have a claimed 14km of electric range. You can plug the GLC in and recharge the battery using AC power at up to 3.7kW, or use the petrol engine to top it up. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert There are so many drive modes to choose from, selectable using a handy wheel on the steering wheel. These comprise Slippery, Individual, Battery Hold, Electric, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race modes. What this means is if your spouse is a tame driver and you’re more adventurous, you have this excellent dichotomy whereby they can drive it in Comfort or Electric and find it thoroughly unintimidating, and then you can get in, pop it into Sport+, and fang it. We kept it in Comfort mode around town, and then flicked it to Sport+ when the roads got more interesting. While driving around at lower speeds, we found the transition between petrol and electric power to be very smooth. If you want, you can configure your own Individual setting. Choose between Battery Hold, Electric, Moderate, Sport, Dynamic and Race for drive; Comfort, Sport and Sport+ for suspension; and, for AMG Dynamics, Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master levels. By adjusting the AMG Dynamics level, you’re altering the calibration of the stability control, the all-wheel drive system, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert It all sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? Well, yes, but it also means there’s a seemingly endless amount of customisation on offer, so you can tailor the car just the way you want it. There’s meaningful differentiation between the drive modes, too. For example, thanks to the adaptive dampers, the ride, while still firm, is much more pliant in Comfort mode with almost a hint of float, in contrast with the stiff feel you get in Sport+. The steering always has a nice weighting to it. Turn-in is sharp, and there’s plenty of road feel here. We wish the brake pedal felt better, however. When we went to give the GLC63’s pedal a stab before a corner, we found it felt rather spongey. The brakes themselves are excellent, our criticism is with the feel of the pedal. The GLC63 weighs a sizeable 250kg or so more than its predecessor, largely due to that battery pack. But Mercedes-AMG engineers have nevertheless improved the weight distribution, which has gone from 55:45 front/rear to 49:51; the electric motor is situated on the rear axle. Torque is distributed anywhere from 50/50 front/rear all the way up to 100 per cent to the rear. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert The GLC63 features rear-axle steering, which can move the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels by 2.5 degrees at speeds of up to 100km/h; likewise, they can move in parallel to the front wheels at an angle of 0.7 degrees at speeds above 100km/h. All of this makes the GLC63 sound very impressive on paper, but I was nevertheless still surprised how nimble it felt. You can carry a lot of speed into corners due to the excellent grip and almost complete lack of body roll. You might sit slightly high but this doesn’t really feel like an SUV to drive. That instantaneous grunt also means you can propel yourself out of a corner with impressive ease. Even the standard AMG sports seats hug you in place in the corners, so the optional performance seats hardly seem necessary. The cabin is quiet, even at highway speeds, unless you’re on a coarse-chip surface. That’s when tyre roar becomes quite loud. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Mercedes-AMG has stressed this isn’t an efficiency-focused hybrid, and with observed fuel consumption of 12.8L/100km this is no miser – still, it could be a lot worse. The official claim is 7.3L/100km, compared to 12.2L/100km with the old V8 car. To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What do you get? The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance is the flagship variant in the range. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert GLC63 S E Performance highlights: 21-inch forged wheelsAMG Active Ride Control suspensionAMG Night Package II with darkened grille, ****** chrome badgingAMG Track Pace track data loggingAMG Driver’s PackageSemi-autonomous parking assistPanoramic sunroofLED *********** with adaptive high-beamNappa leather upholsteryHeated front seatsPower-adjustable front seats with four-way lumbarHead-up displayAMG Performance multifunction steering wheel11.9-inch MBUX touchscreen infotainment systemWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoSatellite navigation with augmented realityBurmester 3D sound systemDual-zone climate controlWireless phone charger8m charging cable for domestic socketsOptions There are a wide range of optional extras for the GLC63 S E Performance. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Edition 1 Package: $12,900 Manufaktur graphite grey magno paintFoling with colour gradationAMG Aerodynamics PackageLight-alloy wheels with Edition 1 and AMG labellingYellow brake calipersSilver chrome fuel filler capAMG indoor car cover with Edition logoAMG Performance seatsBlack Nappa leather upholstery with yellow contrast stitching, Edition logoYellow seat beltsIlluminated sill platesCarbon-fibre trimAMG Performance steering wheel with carbon fibre, microfibreFloor mats with Edition logo, yellow stitching It removes the standard aluminium-look running boards. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert You can get many of the Edition 1’s features in separate packages. The Carbon Interior Package ($2600) adds: Carbon-fibre trimAMG Performance steering wheel with carbon fibre, microfibre The Performance Ergonomic Package ($6900) adds: AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather, Microcut microfibreAMG Performance multicontour front seats A ceramic composite braking system is an additional $8300. To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Is the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 safe? While the Mercedes-Benz GLC has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, the AMG GLC range is thus far unrated. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Standard safety equipment includes: Autonomous emergency brakingAdaptive cruise controlBlind-spot monitoringLane-keep assistTraffic light recognitionSurround-view cameraFront and rear parking sensors To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool How much does the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 cost to run? The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert To see how the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool CarExpert’s Take on the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 Compared with its predecessor, the new GLC63 is heavier, more expensive and doesn’t sound as good. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert It’s also quicker and more efficient. Mercedes-AMG has taken with one hand but given with another. It’s a thoroughly entertaining SUV to drive when you push it, and yet it can also be a placid and comfortable commuter. V8 lovers may be disappointed with Mercedes-AMG’s decision to move to a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder, and indeed this move has brought extra weight and complexity. However, it would be remiss of mid-sized performance SUV enthusiasts not to check out the new GLC63. Camera Icon2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance Credit: CarExpert Interested in buying a Mercedes-AMG GLC? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG GLC ProsSeemingly endless customisationAdroit handlingRapid paceConsA V8 is a drug that’s hard to quitNot cheap to buy or serviceSome naff interior detailsTop Line SpecsPower: 500kWFuel Type: Premium Unleaded/ElectricEconomy: 7.3L/100kmCO2 Emissions: 166g/kmANCAP Safety Rating: 5 Source link #MercedesAMG #GLC63 #Performance #review Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘The bot asked me four times a day how I was feeling’: is tracking everything actually good for us? | Life and style ‘The bot asked me four times a day how I was feeling’: is tracking everything actually good for us? | Life and style I first heard about my friend Adam’s curious new habit in a busy pub. He said he’d been doing it for over a year, but had never spoken to anyone about it before. He had a furtive look around, then took out his phone and showed me the product of his burning obsession: a spreadsheet. This was not a record of his annual tax return or numbers he was crunching for work (Adam is a data scientist). Instead, it was a spreadsheet recording the minutiae of his life, with dozens of columns tracking every element of his daily routine. It all started, he told me, because of a recurring argument with his boyfriend. His partner didn’t think they spent enough time together, but Adam thought that they did. There was only one way to settle this, he decided: cold, hard data. So he began keeping a note of the days they saw each other and the days they didn’t. “It started with just that one element,” he told me, “but then you’re like, is there more stuff to track?” The spreadsheet expanded; soon, he was tracking his sleep, social engagements, exercise regime and cultural intake. He even started to record, on a scale of one to eight, how much cheese he had eaten that day (it’s worth pointing out here that Adam is French – I can only imagine the carnage of a day that notches up the maximum eight out of eight on the cheese scale). While gathering data about our lives might once have been a fringe pursuit for Silicon Valley tech nerds, now it’s just an everyday activity for many of us. We track our step counts, calories consumed, exercise completed, menstrual cycle or hours slept. We list books we’ve read on Goodreads, our top films on Letterboxd, or share our most-played music via the data presented by Spotify Wrapped. Today an average smartphone has a host of self‑tracking tools built in – the iPhone Health function can help you keep track of your mood, mobility and nutrition, but also ******* activity, toothbrushing and time spent in daylight. Then there are the tracking tools: smartwatches on wrists, smart rings on fingers, Zoe glucose monitoring patches on arms, fitness trackers turning every step of that parkrun into thousands of data points. The latest is a £210 device that promises to monitor blood pressure, 24/7. In a recent YouGov poll, almost 40% of Britons surveyed said that they own a wearable device. Beneath all this is a promise: understand your life better with data, and you can improve it. The idea is seductive, especially when tech companies offer tools that they say will make it easy. But can a human life be reduced to a dataset? Can a body be tuned up like a machine? Or is this explosion of self‑tracking simply narcissism redesigned for the age of big data, by a society that has internalised the tech industry maxim that more data is always better? To investigate self-tracking, it felt only right to conduct my own experiment. Over three months, I tracked 15 variables about my life every day, recording my sleep, exercise and screen time, health complaints, spending, cultural consumption and social plans, and rating my mood and my work productivity out of 10. I mostly used a spreadsheet and my phone to record data, though I also included an Oura smart ring (which records sleep, heart rate, temperature and activity) in the mix halfway through the project. The quest for self-knowledge is a story as old as time: in the 18th century, at the age of 20, Benjamin Franklin identified 13 essential values he wanted to cultivate, many of which seem very remote from the aspirations of today’s 20-year-olds. They were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquillity, chastity and humility. Dividing the day into six time periods, Franklin put a ****** mark in his notebook each time he violated a virtue. The promise was that self-tracking could give us more ability to solve our problems and to answer our questions in daily life Reflecting on the process later in life, he decided that it had been helpful, writing in his autobiography: “Though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.” Widespread self-tracking only became a realistic prospect for ordinary people in the early 2010s, when a confluence of new technologies including mobile data, wearable tech, GPS and biosensors significantly lowered the barriers to entry. A few years earlier, two editors for Wired magazine, Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly, had coined the term “quantified self”. Data had transformed the worlds of economics, government, science and technology, they argued, so why not bring its power to bear on our bodies and daily lives? They fostered a community of artists, academics and early tech adopters who began to meet regularly in the Bay Area of California, before expanding into an international network. “The promise was that self-tracking could give us more ability to solve our problems and to answer our questions in daily life,” Wolf tells me. Rather than using commercial tools to track common metrics like calories or running speed, the members of the Quantified Self community often pick hyperspecific attributes to track, and build their own tools for the purpose. On their online forums, people discuss their tracking of headaches, outbursts of anger, longevity of nail polish and rate of hairline recession. “How much fish oil is right for me – 2 years of testing” trumpets one thread (the answer was half a tablespoon a day). Illustration: Carl Godfrey/The Guardian One tracker looked for a relationship between their anxiety levels during the Covid-19 pandemic and the number of times they burped each day. The graphs show that the two rose and fell in tandem, but this might also be a lesson in not mistaking correlation for causation. For example, it is possible to point to data that shows that more people drown in swimming pools in the years when more Nicolas Cage movies come out, but that doesn’t mean Cage’s acting causes the drownings. Some trackers successfully solve specific problems using data. In a bid to cure serious allergies, the Danish tracker Thomas Blomseth Christiansen made an app where he tracked every time he sneezed over five years, trying to find the triggers. After rigorous analysis and experimentation, he reported that he was able to stop sneezing almost entirely. While this kind of data-driven approach to the messy business of living may seem cold and analytical to some, it only takes a casual look at trackers’ datasets before you start observing deeply human moments, like short stories buried in the spreadsheets. A woman called Valerie Lanard tracked her excuses for not exercising, which included a column detailing whether she was suffering from a cold at the time, and, intriguingly, the probable cause of the virus. Often this was work or family, but in one solitary cell the suspected reason for illness reads “Kissing”. When I saw this, I felt strangely pleased for Valerie. Not everybody finds their tracking experiments useful. For three years, Felix Krause, a 30-year-old tech worker who lives in Austria, ran a website where he constantly shared his live location as well as daily data about his exercise, sleep and mood. He ended up with some mildly interesting insights. In warmer climates he was more likely to go to the gym. He was less happy on days with more video calls. On days where he consumed more than four alcoholic drinks he was 21 times more likely to dance. Despite the work of collecting data, he appreciated that the process made him pause and reflect regularly: “When the bot asked me four times a day how I was feeling, it was good to have that little check-in and think, how am I really feeling?” But, ultimately, there were no revelations. He abandoned the project in 2022, adding a note to his site: “When I first started building this project three years ago, I expected to learn way more surprising and interesting facts … retrospectively, it did not justify the hundreds of hours I invested in this project.” When I speak to him, he tells me that his life has recently improved for a very non-quantifiable reason – he fell in love. “I’m in a good relationship, so I’m feeling way better than I did back then,” he says. “It’s not about the food I eat, or the CO2 levels in our bedroom, but being in this relationship is overshadowing all those other factors.” For people whose symptoms are undiagnosed, unrecognised or disbelieved, self-tracking can be a really important way of finding validation With time, the term “quantified self” faded from use. Wolf argues that this isn’t because the idea was wrong, but that it’s become such a common part of daily life that it no longer needs a name. “I think, as a phrase, ‘quantified self’ has done what it had to do,” he says. One group that benefits significantly from self‑tracking is those with long-term health conditions. People living with chronic fatigue syndrome or long Covid have found tracking tools useful for understanding their symptoms, “often in the face of gaslighting by their doctors and being told it’s psychosomatic”, says Prof Deborah Lupton, a sociologist with a focus on health, at the University of New South Wales. “So for people whose symptoms are undiagnosed, unrecognised or disbelieved, self-tracking can be a really important way of finding validation.” Meanwhile, for people living with diabetes, arm‑worn blood glucose monitors can be connected to a phone app. Ellie, a 31-year-old postgraduate researcher who was diagnosed two years ago, tells me that self‑tracking technology is “a total gamechanger”, making blood sugar management much easier. There can be tension, however, between people who track for different reasons. Ellie met people at her local yoga studio using a blood glucose monitor from the wellness company Zoe, which is intended to help users improve their nutrition. “I have had someone say, ‘Oh my God, are you doing Zoe?’ And I’m like, ‘No, *****, I’m doing type 1 diabetes.’” Despite a wealth of scientific literature on the topic, there is no consensus on how helpful self-tracking technologies are. Several studies show that fitness trackers can help motivate people to exercise, but the evidence is inconclusive on whether they can help them lose weight. There is as yet no scientific consensus that personalised nutrition programmes like Zoe are any better than standard advice. In many cases, the effectiveness of digital tracking tools is not shown to be any better than analogue methods. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. 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 Self-tracking might even do more harm than good. One therapist I spoke to who works with patients living with obsessive-compulsive and eating disorders told me that patients can become fixated on their tracking data, punishing themselves if they haven’t walked enough steps in a day or have eaten more than a certain number of calories. One scientific study flagged that calorie trackers can feel “oppressive and punishy” to their users. This type of thinking can also affect neurotypical trackers. Turning your life into data creates the illusion that there is a perfect version of yourself that you’re forever chasing. For a few weeks of my self-tracking experiment I had an injured foot. I found it demoralising to write “None” every day in the exercise column of my spreadsheet. Btihaj Ajana, a professor of ethics and digital culture at King’s College London, says: “There’s always this feeling of, I could do better, I could do more – and it’s never-ending. That’s a recipe for anxiety, distress and never being content.” And there’s another potential pitfall: data privacy. Users frequently share sensitive data about their health, location and finances with private companies without a clear understanding of where it is stored and how it might be used. Tracking and wearables companies often have vague wording in their privacy policies that obfuscates where your data might be going – theoretically, it could be used to tailor targeted ads, affect your insurance rates, or for identity theft. These services are vulnerable to hacking. In 2018, the data of 150 million users of the MyFitnessPal app was exposed in a breach. In 2021, a hack of the company GetHealth exposed the records of 61 million users of platforms including Apple Health and Fitbit. A 2023 hack of DNA testing site 23andMe exposed the data of 6.9 million users, a 98% fall in its share value a year later and leaving some customers nervously attempting to delete private data stored on its servers. Even without data breaches, your tracking data could find its way to places you’d would never expect And some of the companies are downright shady. While planning my own self-tracking experiment, I looked into analysing my body’s microbiome with a service called uBiome. After some Googling, however, I learned the company’s founders had had their offices raided, been charged with fraud and money laundering, fled to Germany, and are now considered fugitives by the FBI. I therefore opted not to send them genetic samples from my mouth, gut and genitals. Even without data breaches, your tracking data could find its way to places you would never expect – like a court of law. In 2015, a woman in Pennsylvania alleged to police that she had been ********* assaulted, but the police ended up charging her with the crime of filing a false report, in part because her Fitbit showed she was awake at the time of the crime, when she claimed to be asleep. “When she bought her Fitbit, she didn’t realise one day it would become a witness against her,” says Ajana. Later, when the federal right to abortion was overturned in the US in 2022, women were advised to delete their ******* tracking apps for fear that data concerning their menstrual cycle could be used to accuse them of having ******** abortions in a criminal case. This has not happened yet, but is thought to pose a real danger. After three months of tracking my life, I enjoyed some of the observations from analysing my data, but didn’t discover anything wildly new about myself. I took an average of 6,737 steps a day. My average mood was 7.4 out of 10. My average screen time on my phone was three hours and 30 minutes, or 20% of my waking hours – this felt excessive, but the vague interventions I made to reduce it were unsuccessful. My Oura ring once correctly predicted I was getting sick a day before I realised it myself, and also revealed that I sleep less than I expected – closer to six hours a night than eight. Calculating my average daily spending was a horrifying experience that I’m not keen to repeat. The spreadsheet’s “Health” column was full of minor grievances relating to hangovers, skin irritation or back pain. One recurring entry simply says, somewhat mysteriously: “Still on the mend.” At the beginning, I had enjoyed filling in the spreadsheet and felt that by tracking I was taking control of my life. But as it went on, I realised that I was simply creating busywork for myself. Did I need an app to tell me that I was feeling bloated after stuffing myself with pizza? Or that I felt good on days where I exercised or saw my friends? Why did I need to outsource these observations to a phone, watch or ring, when there was another piece of sophisticated technology – my body – that could provide the answers? The limitations of my tools were also clear. My phone told me that on 7 December at 2am I’d walked 587 steps, but I know I was asleep in bed. Clearly it was wrong: even if I had been sleepwalking, I wouldn’t have taken my phone along. If you look at my Oura smart ring app on the night of the 12 January, you will see my heart rate spike dramatically at 11pm, then flatline completely. You would have to assume that I’d had a heart attack and died. In fact, I was running a fever and, frustrated by the weight of the ring on my finger, tore it off and threw it across the room. Illustration: Carl Godfrey/The Guardian Without any data expertise, I struggled to extract much meaning from the data I’d gathered. So what good was this data doing me? “Western society thinks in a very quantitative way, believing that more is more, and more data is better than less data,” says Ajana. “But that’s not necessarily the case, because data in itself is just noise. It’s the analysis that goes into it, the fine‑grained study of it, which makes it useful.” As we track every run on Strava and every heartbeat on our smartwatches, we usher in a society where the quantitative outweighs the qualitative. It’s an ideology we’re surrounded by, as modern governments promote data-driven approaches for social problems, and banks, healthcare systems and even national borders increasingly rely on digital systems and biometrics. I asked experts why my self-tracking regimen yielded so few revelations. These days, Wolf is focused on a related field called “personal science”, which focuses on how to make self-tracking data meaningful to your life. “If you spend a little time thinking and refining your questions, you’ll be better able to judge what tools you actually need,” he says. If, by contrast, you start with the tool, you may be buying into metrics that might not be relevant to you. There is no need to accept a tech company’s rules for what is the right amount of exercise, calories or sleep for your particular body. If your body is telling you one thing and the app another, trust your body – it’s unlikely that a mass-produced tech product can know you better than you know yourself. I catch up with my friend Adam to see how his spreadsheet is going, six months after I first saw it. He tells me that he’s still using it, but in a more targeted way. He has found it helps to motivate him to go swimming regularly, but has decided to stop tracking data on his romantic relationship. “If you’re lost in life, you won’t find answers in the data you’re collecting,” he says. “If you’re asking yourself tough questions, a therapist is going to be more useful.” One clear decision he has made, however, is to stop tracking how much cheese he is eating each day – and he says he is happier as a result. Perhaps there are some things that it’s better not to know. Source link #bot #asked #times #day #feeling #tracking #good #Life #style Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** frees five hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end – Financial Times ****** frees five hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end – Financial Times ****** frees five hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end Financial TimesHamas releases more hostages in exchange for more than 600 ************ prisoners as part of ceasefire deal Fox NewsAl-Sayed family: ‘After nearly a decade of fighting, long-awaited moment has arrived’ The Times of IsraelAfter 3,800 Days in Captivity, ******’s Longest-Held Hostage Is Released The Wall Street JournalHamas releases six hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire deal Axios Source link #****** #frees #hostages #phase #ceasefire #nears #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

More than a dozen NetEase studios are reportedly at risk, including Nagoshi, Quantic Dream and Grasshopper More than a dozen NetEase studios are reportedly at risk, including Nagoshi, Quantic Dream and Grasshopper Numerous NetEase studios, including Quantic Dream, Nagoshi Studio, and Grasshopper, are reportedly at risk of closure after the ******** publisher decided to divest its international operations. Previously known for its popular PC MMOs and mobile games, NetEase has expanded significantly in recent years, acquiring and establishing studios from industry veterans in Japan, North America, and Europe. However, as the games industry continues to endure turbulent times, there have been signs that, in recent months, it could be scaling back its ambitions. Last month, it was confirmed NetEase had split from Vancouver-based Worlds Untold, the studio it founded with Mass Effect writer Mac Walters in 2023, as well as Seattle-based Jar of Sparks, the studio founded in 2022 by Xbox veteran Jerry Hook. Then, earlier this week, it was confirmed that NetEase had laid off US-based developers behind Marvel Rivals, including its director, despite the game enjoying a hugely successful launch. A NetEase spokesperson denied to Venturebeat that these cuts were part of a broad scaling back of its international game development. However, now Game File sources claim the publisher is indeed significantly scaling back, and is actively shopping around its non-******** studios. One of Game File’s sources claims that NetEase plans to divest itself of the majority of its overseas teams, which could lead to the closure of more than a dozen game studios, if they can’t secure new funding. That could include Japan-based studios from Like A Dragon designer Toshihiro Nagoshi, and Resident Evil producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, as well as Suda 51’s Grasshopper Manufacture. NetEase also set up Studio Flare, with former Marvelous board member Toshinori Aoki and Blazblue series producer Toshimichi Mori, and launched Pincool, a new studio led by Dragon Quest 8 and 9 producer Ryutaro Ichimura. In the West, NetEase owns Detroit studio Quantic Dream, and new studios from Call of Duty designer David Vonderhaar, Control’s lead designer, and more, and it has invested in GTA lead Leslie Benzies’ Build a Rocket Boy. A NetEase spokesperson declined to comment to Game File on the supposed cuts, but said that “all studios and projects are in constant review and evaluation, and NetEase will determine changes needed to be made throughout that process.” According to an earlier Bloomberg report, NetEase studios in Japan, including Nagoshi Studios, “have been given time to wrap up ongoing projects” but are not receiving any more funding. VGC visited Nagoshi Studio and Grasshopper Manufacture in 2023, when both developers expressed their belief that they’d gained creative freedom from their deals with NetEase. “The general environment [in this country] means it’s hard to try new things in Japan, but NetEase is very ambitious and wants to expand its business by succeeding worldwide and including the console game category, which aligns with our ambition,” Nagoshi told VGC. NetEase’s studio roster NetEase Montreal (Watch Dogs creator Jonathan Morin) Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain / Detroit) Grasshopper Manufacture (Suda51) Nagoshi Studio (Toshihiro Nagoshi) Pincool (Dragon Quest 8 & 9 producer Ryutaro Ichimura) Studio Flare (BlazBlue producer Toshimichi Mori) GPTRACK50 (Resident Evil 4 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi) Jackalyptic Games (City of Heroes / DC Universe Online head Jack Emmert) T-Minus Zero Entertainment (Star Wars: The Old Republic producer Rich Vogel) Bad Brain Games (Watch Dogs: Legion / Driver: San Francisco producer Sean Crook) Anchor Point Studios (Control lead designer Paul Ehreth) SkyBox Labs (Support for Halo, Age of Empires & Minecraft) Spliced (Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty alumni) Fantastic Pixel Castle (remote studio) Liquid Swords (Avalanche Studios co-founder) Rebel Wolves (Witcher veterans) Earlier this week, NetEase announced that its games and related services net revenues were RMB21.2 billion (US$2.9 billion) for the three months ended December 31, an increase of 1.5% compared with the same quarter of 2023. The company’s full statement regarding the Game File story follows: The company continues to invest in our global business and actively recruits and nurtures talent. At the same time, organizational structure changes aimed at improving performance are a necessary part of our ongoing growth. NetEase Games has a clear understanding of our development trajectory and areas of strength. Many of our strategic decisions are firmly grounded in these core areas. Since the launch of Westward Journey Online in 2001, NetEase has accumulated over 20 years of experience in developing and operating online service games. The success of Marvel Rivals further affirms the value of this experience. At the same time, we acknowledge that we are still in the early stages of exploring single-player game development and operations. This makes us more cautious when evaluating such products and assessing the associated risks and opportunities, particularly in today’s fast-changing and highly competitive environment. [CEO] Mr. Ding stated on the recent earnings call that NetEase is committed to supporting really high quality studios and master creators. That is the company’s strategy, and there is no change in this plan. For any studio globally, it behooves us as a responsible commercial business to frequently evaluate the progress, viability, and potential for success of our products and teams. Source link #dozen #NetEase #studios #reportedly #risk #including #Nagoshi #Quantic #Dream #Grasshopper Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses review: AI-infused smart glasses for the masses Ray-Ban Meta Glasses review: AI-infused smart glasses for the masses While there numerous augmented reality (AR) glasses like the Xreal One and RayNeo Air 2s available for enthusiasts looking for the next generation of eyewear, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses is a comparatively straightforward eyewear experience. While those AR glasses provide a big-screen viewing experience in a familiar form factor, the Ray-Ban Meta more closely resembles traditional specs without the bulky frames necessary to accommodate micro-LED displays and complex optics. As a result, the Meta glasses are a less ambitious and fundamentally different product, but one that deserves your attention nonetheless. Whereas AR glasses are more adept at providing an immersive multimedia experience or expanding your workspace for productivity tasks, our Ray-Ban Meta review unit (in the “Headliner” style) can be thought of as a helpful digital assistant that can scan your environment to provide beneficial feedback/information, capture moments with the 12MP camera, respond to your voice controls, and even playback audio thanks to the built-in speakers. With a price of $299, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are a pricey extension of the capabilities already built-in to your smartphone, but it’s still an interesting product that could find an audience because it looks like glasses more than anything else. Unlike AR glasses, our Ray-Ban Meta “Headliner” review unit mostly resembles a pair of thick eyeglasses/sunglasses. The frames are made entirely of plastic with integrated nose pads and foldable arms. Our review unit is made of translucent brown plastic (or as Ray-Ban calls it, “Shiny Warm Stone”), allowing you to see the electronics incorporated in the arms. The translucent plastic reminds me of turn-of-the-century iMacs, and it’s not exactly my cup of tea. I would have preferred solid ****** or blue if I had chosen a pair of frames for myself (which you can find on Ray-Ban’s website). Besides the clear view of the internals, there are other giveaways to the intent of these glasses. There is a 12MP camera (3024 x 4032 pixels) on the top left of the frame and a round LED indicator on the top right. Other giveaways are two pogo pins above the nose pads for charging the glasses with the smart case, two open-air speakers (one on each arm), a capture button on the top of the right arm, and a power switch on the inside of the left arm. Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) There is a touch-sensitive area on the right arm, situated to the left of the Ray-Ban logo. You can swipe towards the front of the glasses to increase the volume and swipe in the opposite direction to lower the volume. You tap and hold to activate Meta AI. The glasses are light without feeling cheap, and the metal hinge swings smoothly when you open them to affix them to your face. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The Meta glasses come in a faux leather case with an integrated battery that provides enough power for 32 hours of use (eight total charges for the glasses). The case has a USB Type-C port on the bottom for charging, and the snap-button enclosure has an integrated LED light ring that glows green when charging. When you slide the Meta glasses into the case, two Pogo pins supply power to recharge them. Setting up the glasses was relatively straightforward. They came pre-charged so I could get started quickly. I left the glasses in the included case and downloaded Meta View, the companion app for the glasses, to my iPhone. The app searched for and found my glasses. It then performed a firmware update to ensure that the glasses were running the latest version of the software provided by Meta. After that, I was on my own to explore the Meta glasses’ many uses. My first step was to turn them on and place them on my face. After a little sound prompt to acknowledge that I was wearing the glasses, a male voice called out the percentage of charge for the glasses (in this case, 89%). (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) My review unit didn’t have a prescription or tinted lenses in place. Instead, it had clear lenses, allowing me to wear them around the house without impacting my vision (I wear contacts daily). Pressing the silver capture button on the top of the right arm snaps a picture. In my opinion, the images come out a tad underexposed, but they’re perfectly fine for a quick post on social media. Press and hold the capture button for about a second, and it will begin capturing video (1080p at 30 fps). However, due to space and battery constraints, video footage is limited to one minute in length by default, but you can extend that to up to 3 minutes. The Meta View app does warn that setting the time limit to 3 minutes will drain your battery faster. You can also select lower thresholds of 30 seconds and 15 seconds. Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The round LED notification light is activated when taking photos or videos. When you snap a picture, the notification light flashes. Likewise, it blinks when you record a video. Meta implemented this feature to let those around you know that you’re recording, perhaps to reduce the “creep” factor. You cannot disable this notification light in the app. Meta crammed five microphones into the glasses, so voices and ambient sounds are picked up well in video recordings with the glasses. Also, the captured video was surprisingly clear and crisp. Ray-Ban Meta Glasses demo – YouTube Watch On Once you’ve loaded the glasses with photos and videos, how do you offload them for future use? Well, you’ll need to fire up the Meta View app on your phone. On the app’s homepage, there’s a Gallery feature. Open the gallery, select the media you want to transfer to your phone and tap the Import button. At that point, the glasses will create a Wi-Fi network to transfer the images to your smartphone. The time it takes to create the network and transfer the media files depends on how much data you’re trying to move (the glasses have 32GB of storage capacity). Of course, if your assortment is video-heavy, it will take longer. But to give you an idea of how long you’ll be waiting, I transferred 15 images and a minute-long video, and it took 15 seconds from the time I hit import until the last files were transferred to my iPhone. That included the time it took to establish the Wi-Fi connection between the two devices. While you can transfer media whenever you want, you can also have the glasses perform this task automatically. The Meta View app can auto-import media when the glasses are turned on and charging within the case. Besides the usual photo and video-taking tasks, the glasses also have a built-in Meta AI assistant. The assistant is invoked by saying “Hey Meta,” which responds with a sound prompt. You can then ask it questions as you would with Siri or the Google Assistant. I first asked it something simple, like, “What’s the weather?” However, the assistant told me that I needed to specify my location. So, I asked, “What’s the weather in Garner, NC,” and it told me: “In Garner, North Carolina, it’s currently snowing at 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Today’s forecast is a high of 29 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 23 degrees Fahrenheit.” That’s simple stuff, but Meta AI can also use the onboard camera to identify objects within your line of sight. For example, I looked at my dog and said, “Hey, Meta. What kind of dog is this?” It responded correctly, stating, “This appears to be a small, white dog with wiry fur. It may be a Schnauzer or Terrier mix breed.” I do in fact have a Miniature Schnauzer. Meta AI correctly identified all sorts of objects, including food, plants, and household objects. Again, I can already do this by snapping a picture with my iPhone. However, the Meta glasses are a more low-impact way of identifying objects without needing to point-and-shoot with your phone. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) You can even use Meta AI to perform more mundane tasks. You can ask it to take a picture or a video without pressing the capture button. For calls and messaging, you can give the Meta View app permission to access your phone’s contacts, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. You can then make and receive calls or send messages using those respective apps using Meta AI. The onboard microphones and speakers are perfect for outgoing and incoming calls. Speech processing was impeccable, and callers on the other end said my voice was loud and clear. Because the Meta glasses identify as a standard Bluetooth audio device, they can also be used to stream audio from your phone. I listened to tunes from YouTube Music and watched plenty of videos on YouTube and from my Plex Media library on my phone, using the glasses for audio. While lacking in bass, the audio clarity was excellent and distortion-free. There was none of the tinniness that I often find with cheap AR glasses. I’d liken the quality of the open-air speakers to the Bose-tuned speakers on the Xreal One. The Meta View app has many settings to tailor your Meta AI experience. For example, there’s app integration with Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Calm, and Shazam accounts. So, you can play music hands-free with Spotify and Apple Music or ask Meta AI to identify a song playing in the background with Shazam. As I mentioned earlier in the review, the default voice for Meta AI was a synthetic male voice, which Meta calls Sage. There’s also another male voice, Indigo, and a female voice, Aspen. However, four celebrity voices that use AI to produce speech are available: Awkwafina, John Cena, Kristen Bell, and Keegan-Michael Key. I find Keegan-Michael Key to be hilarious, so I settled on his voice for Meta AI. Battery Life Battery life isn’t the glasses’ strong suit. Meta says that with normal use, they will last up to four hours per charge, but your mileage will vary. That figure largely depends on what you’re using the glasses for. If you’re taking a lot of pictures and videos, expect to use up the battery in an hour or less. Starting with a full battery (just 154 mAh), I used the glasses to take a couple dozen photos and one 30-second video. I also performed about a dozen Meta AI requests, including two that required taking a snapshot to identify objects. I also played some YouTube Music at a moderate volume with the glasses. After an hour, the battery dropped from 100% to 75%, which matches Meta’s estimates. However, when capturing a copious number of 3-minute videos, I saw 50% battery erosion in just an hour. If you intend to go heavy on video capture, bring the camera case with you. Meta says the case will take your glasses from empty to 50% in around 20 minutes. A full charge from empty takes around 75 minutes with the charging case. The charging case provides 32 hours’ worth of juice, enough to recharge the glasses from empty to full eight times. Bottom Line I’ve enjoyed using the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. They’re very low-impact, mostly resembling a pair of glasses with no obstructions blocking your field of view (unlike AR glasses). The images and videos taken with the glasses also look good, although not as good as on a modern iPhone or Galaxy smartphone. However, they’re good enough for social media or sharing with family. In addition, Meta AI is generally useful. It provides quick answers to questions without needing to check your phone for help. It also answers calls, allows hands-free access to popular music streaming services, and has good audio quality, allowing you to better enjoy those glorious tunes. But best of all, the glasses allow you to capture moments without getting in the way. Whipping my phone out to take a picture can waste precious seconds to capture something happening before my eyes versus just clicking the capture button on the glasses. If I’m at a school performance for one of my kids, I’d feel a bit out of place with a smartphone outstretched in front of me, which gets in the way of me enjoying the performance rather than just looking at the stage like a normal human being. In moments like these, I can appreciate what Meta is trying to accomplish with these glasses. Whether it’s worth spending at least $299 is up to you. Source link #RayBan #Meta #Glasses #review #AIinfused #smart #glasses #masses Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Six Nations 2025: England and Scotland face off in ‘do-or-die’ match Six Nations 2025: England and Scotland face off in ‘do-or-die’ match The player central to Scotland’s recent successes over England has been mercurial fly-half Finn Russell, who has been passed fit for the game at Allianz Stadium. A ****** first-half head injury ended the 32-year-old’s game early against Ireland. And his absence alongside wing Darcy Graham, who will miss the game after being involved in the collision, showed in a dominant Ireland win. Added to the pre-tournament loss of captain Sione Tuipulotu, Townsend’s depth chart has been tested as Glasgow Warriors’ Tom Jordan – a fly-half by trade – is given the nod for the second game in a row at inside centre. Tuipulotu was tipped as a nailed-on British and Irish Lion, Graham was entering that category after Italy were unable to contain his dazzling footwork in round one, and Russell is the frontrunner to wear the 10 shirt in the summer. The recovery of Russell, who plays his club rugby at Premiership leaders Bath, is “an enormous boost to the team”, former Scotland number eight Johnnie Beattie told BBC Sport. Russell’s ability to unleash devastating runners such as Huw Jones and Duhan van der Merwe has proved pivotal to this fixture. Wing Van der Merwe has scored six Calcutta Cup tries, with last year’s hat-trick leaving England’s blitz defence in tatters and adding to an already impressive highlight reel. “Finn has single-handedly brought Scotland back into some games,” said Beattie. “If Van der Merwe isn’t served properly with the ball, it doesn’t work. That’s how important Finn is with his rugby IQ, the way he distributes and sees things others don’t.” Given Scotland have not lost at Twickenham since a 61-21 mauling in 2017, that fearless attitude, married with the emotion of a fixture that has produced their best performances under Townsend, could reignite a title charge. Source link #Nations #England #Scotland #face #doordie #match Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PS5 Pro sales ‘have fallen behind PS4 Pro in the US’ PS5 Pro sales ‘have fallen behind PS4 Pro in the US’ US PlayStation 5 Pro sales have fallen behind PlayStation 4 Pro’s sales performance during its first months of *****. That’s according to data from market research firm Circana, shared by analyst Mat Piscatella. However, it’s worth noting that PlayStation 5 Pro retails for significantly more than PS4 Pro did ($700 vs $400), and Circana’s reporting ******* is also one week less. In November, Piscatella claimed that PS5 Pro had enjoyed “a solid start,” with unit sales “in the same ballpark as PS4 Pro’s launch”. PlayStation 5 Pro was released on November 7 for $700/£800. Over 50 games subsequently received updates with graphical upgrades and other performance improvements. Sony has not released official PS5 Pro sales figures. However, its latest earnings results included Pro sales for the first time, and showed that launch-aligned, PlayStation 5 is now just 1.5 million units behind PlayStation 4 during the same ******* of its lifecycle (75m vs 76.5m). Commenting on its PlayStation business during a web call, the company highlighted the success of Astro Bot and Helldivers 2, which it said signified its intention to expand in the areas of family games and live service titles. Looking ahead, Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei will release this year, alongside significant third-party titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and Grand Theft Auto 6. Sony said it had “high expectations” for the titles releasing in its next fiscal year, which runs from April 1, and that it’s planning to release more family games in the future, following the success of Astro Bot. Source link #PS5 #Pro #sales #fallen #PS4 #Pro Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mali army begins probe of civilian deaths Mali army begins probe of civilian deaths Mali’s army said it’s investigating soldiers who were accused by separatist Tuareg rebels of killing at least 24 civilians earlier this week, in a rare probe of human rights abuses since the military took power in 2020. The Front for the Liberation of Azawad, the Tuareg independence movement in the north of the country, accused soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group of intercepting two civilian transport vehicles bound for Algeria from Gao on Monday, and “coldly executing” at least 24 people among the passengers. The general staff of the Malian armed forces, without referring to the killings, on Wednesday denounced “intoxicating campaigns” against the army. On Friday, the authorities announced the opening of an investigation into the civilian deaths. Analysts say it’s unlikely the investigation would fault the troops or the Russian mercenaries. “The objective of the investigations is going to be more about countering the allegations against (the army) and Wagner, rather than trying to find any wrongdoing by the latter. The conclusion of the investigation is likely to say that those allegations are false,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan think tank. Mali has been in a crisis for more than a decade. In 2020, a military group, riding on popular discontent over attacks by armed jihadi groups, seized power in a coup that toppled the democratically elected president. Source link #Mali #army #begins #probe #civilian #deaths Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elite Tacoma private school recently faced turmoil. It looks to move on with new leader Elite Tacoma private school recently faced turmoil. It looks to move on with new leader Charles Wright Academy has tapped Rachel Rippl to lead the elite Tacoma private school, elevating her from the interim head role she had served in since fall. Rippl became acting head of school in October following the unexpected death of her predecessor, Christopher A. Gorycki. She was appointed by the academy’s board to permanently assume the job, the school announced Friday. “For many years, I’ve learned from the educators and leaders who have gone before me. Each one of them has helped anchor the belief that we are stronger together,” Rippl said in a statement. “As we center ourselves on our mission, vision, and values, it provides the opportunity to engage in fearless inquiry to question, reflect, and grow into an even stronger institution that leads the next generation into the future with confidence.” Charles Wright Academy has faced recent upheaval. Former Head of School Susan Rice stepped down in August after four years at the school amid allegations of a toxic work environment and high turnover rates among staff, The News Tribune previously reported. Gorycki, 61, was selected to serve for two years as the interim head of school in August. He died from diabetic ketoacidosis on Oct. 28, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office determined. Rippl, who was chosen in August as interim director of the academy’s middle and upper schools, was named the acting head of school after Gorycki’s death. Now the head of school, Rippl’s appointment followed what the academy said Friday had been extensive outreach to the school’s community, including a survey of families, faculty, staff and alumni. “An unprecedented 94% of survey respondents feel that Rachel has the ability to be a strong Head of School and that 100% of faculty and staff respondents feel the same is a real testament to her character and successful leadership over the past two decades at CWA,” board member Emily Happy said in a statement. “Rachel is known for digging in with a smile, and we are excited to see her expertise and insightful innovation lead us into the future.” Ripple joined the academy’s faculty in 2006, having served as an English teacher, English department co-chair and middle school director, the school said. Charles Wright Academy, which has a liberal-arts focus, teaches more than 550 students in preschool through 12th grade. Tuition ranges between $27,000 and $36,000 depending on grade year, according to the academy’s website. Source link #Elite #Tacoma #private #school #faced #turmoil #move #leader Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ACIP postponement, shelving of CDC vaccine campaigns stir fears – University of Minnesota Twin Cities ACIP postponement, shelving of CDC vaccine campaigns stir fears – University of Minnesota Twin Cities ACIP postponement, shelving of CDC vaccine campaigns stir fears University of Minnesota Twin CitiesVaccine safety panel long criticized by RFK Jr. told to postpone meeting The Washington PostUS vaccine advisory meeting postponed after Kennedy takes top health job Reuters Source link #ACIP #postponement #shelving #CDC #vaccine #campaigns #stir #fears #University #Minnesota #Twin #Cities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Ace Attorney inspired indie raises the stakes by adding a poker influence This Ace Attorney inspired indie raises the stakes by adding a poker influence Visual novel Of the ****** wears its influences proudly on its sleeves. Putting players into the shoes of a ****** lawyer who takes on cases that seem impossible to win, it’s a loving homage to Ace Attorney. Though, like the best games with famous influences, Of the ****** isn’t content to simply replicate a familiar experience, it wants to build on it. With the release of its first episode, of five planned, developer nth Circle Studios establishes it is well equipped to do just that through excellent character designs, sharp writing, and a thrilling cyberpunk world. Set in the future of 2086, Of the ****** introduces players to a world in which privatized advancements in technology have become so intertwined with the government that almost all the state’s power is tied to corporations (Can you imagine?). This has led to a legal system that gets a guilty verdict in nearly every trial brought to court. As protagonist Morgan puts it in Of the ******’s must-play prologue episode, trials are now a game of poker: the state is the house, and the house always wins. Of course, it is still Morgan’s job to get the best possible result for her clients, something she refers to not as winning, but as not losing. nth Circle Studios Anyone familiar with Ace Attorney or Danganronpa will feel right at home with Of the ******’s core gameplay loop. Morgan is given a case she’ll take to trial and collects evidence by interviewing witnesses and investigating the crime scene. Collecting evidence nets players poker chips, so it is always in their interest to be as thorough as possible. During trials, picking the right piece of evidence will break apart the state’s case and bolster your own. However, Of the ****** adds a flair to the familiar loop through the law-as-poker metaphor. Evidence takes the form of playing cards. The prosecution will lay out their argument in the form of a hand of poker. It’s up to the player to know what evidence card in their possession will sufficiently break apart the opposing argument. While not meaningfully different to how choosing evidence to form a case plays out in Of the ******’s inspirations, the theatrical flair of cards and poker chips never fails to make my adrenaline spike. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming This is especially true when Morgan is given the choice to either stay her hand or raise. These moments often hint that the prosecution has something up their sleeve Morgan might not be prepared for. The player can gamble their chips but, more often than not, Of the ****** is testing their ability to take Morgan’s advice about winning not being the same as not losing. Staying a hand will still reduce your pile of chips, but it’s better than losing a huge sum as a result of hubris. Image used with permission by copyright holder While the trial is the climax of the first episode, time spent outside of court is where Of the ****** especially shines. To craft a compelling legal mystery the world and characters the player interacts with need depth. of the ****** has depth in spades. This isn’t just an empty use of aesthetics; it’s constantly interested in forwarding biting criticism of contemporary issues such as police incompetence, the dangers of corporations defining every aspect of our lives, and more. This complex but meticulously thought through and clearly defined world extends to the characters Morgan interacts with as well. Sharp writing gives each of these characters a unique voice and a clear perspective that further fleshes out the complexities of this world’s issues. The eye-catching, bright character designs are just an added bonus, bringing even more personality to everyone Morgan rubs shoulders with. Morgan herself is perhaps Of the ******’s best feature. As the protagonist of a legal mystery game she isn’t as altruistic as may be expected. She’s a ****** and sardonic character whose main interest in life seems to be chasing the high of finding loopholes in every part of the overregulated world she lives in. That’s why she is so interested in the law, the deck is stacked against her but those bad odds make it all the more exciting. Being let into the inner monologue of Morgan, which so often conflicts with the masks she wears in front of others, makes the player feel like they are being let in on her secrets. Yet there is still so much Morgan keeps locked away from even the player. This makes her of the ******’s most enticing mystery, and I can’t wait to unravel it in the game’s remaining episodes. Of the ****** is now available on PC. Source link #Ace #Attorney #inspired #indie #raises #stakes #adding #poker #influence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton wins his seventh Gordon Ellis Medal as club MVP to set a new record Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton wins his seventh Gordon Ellis Medal as club MVP to set a new record Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton has taken sole occupancy of the club’s record for the most MVPs by winning his seventh Gordon Ellis Medal on Saturday night. Cotton moved past joint record holders and Wildcats legends Shawn Redhage and Ricky Grace who both won six MVPs during their outstanding careers. He polled 289 votes to win the Ellis Medal by 65 votes. Kristian Doolittle finished second. Cotton produced a historic run of scoring throughout the 2024-25 season. He scored 59 points against New Zealand in December and then followed up with 40, 49 and 44 points across his next three matches. But the superstar wasn’t content. He went on to score 41 points against New Zealand in January and then closed out the regular season with 49 points against Adelaide on the way to winning his fifth NBL MVP award. Camera IconBryce Cotton won his seventh Gordon Ellis Medal. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images The Wildcats’ MVP system sees a panel of judges awarding votes under a 3-2-1 criteria after every game. Cotton polled the maximum votes in 11 of his 24 matches. The American has now only been beaten for the Gordon Ellis Medal once from his eight full seasons in NBL. John Mooney won the 2021 award when a serious injury left Cotton sidelined for 10 matches. “I don’t look at it as overtaking them. We’re all wildcats. We’re all family,” Cotton said of setting the record. Doolittle’s season was rewarded with the Andrew Vlahov Medal for Defensive Player of the Year for a second season in a row. He also took home the Eric Watterson Medal as the Players’ Player, ending Cotton’s stranglehold on that prize. He’d won that for the past three seasons. Camera IconKristian Doolittle in action. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images Ben Henshall won the Wildcats’ Most Improved Player award as he sets his sights on the NBA. Henshall rose from a bench player who struggled to get court time last season to become a key member of the Wildcats’ starting five. Hyrum Harris won the Coaches’ Award. The Wildcats also added two more names to their Hall of Fame. The late Jack Bendat was inducted after he transformed the club as owner. The Wildcats won six championships during his 15 years in charge and also moved to RAC Arena to become the most admired club in the league. Camera IconPerth Wildcats experienced immense success under Jack Bendat’s ownership. Credit: Michael Wilson/The West *********** Four-time NBL champion and former vice-captain Greg Hire was also added to the Hall of Fame. The Wildcats will now turn their focus to the best-of-three semifinal series against Melbourne United. Game one is in Melbourne on Thursday and then the teams will travel back to Perth for a clash at RAC Arena in front of the Red Army on Saturday. Source link #Perth #Wildcats #star #Bryce #Cotton #wins #seventh #Gordon #Ellis #Medal #club #MVP #set #record Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

****** hands over more Gaza hostages as Shiri Bibas’ body confirmed ****** hands over more Gaza hostages as Shiri Bibas’ body confirmed ************ extremist group ****** on Saturday turned over two more hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza under a fragile ceasefire deal with Israel, according to a live broadcast of the handover ceremony. The two men, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu, were released in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, with four more hostages to be freed later in the day as part of the latest hostages-for-prisoners swap in the conflict. This followed confirmation in Israel that the body of a woman handed over on Friday is that of kidnapped Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas. Masked and armed ****** fighters guarded a stage in Rafah where Shoham, 40, was forced to say a few words before the two men were handed over to Red Cross workers. Crowds watched on amid loud music and ************ flags, standing between buildings laid to ruins during more than 16 months of war. Along with another of the six hostages due for release, Mengistu, 39, had been held by ****** for around 10 years. Prior to their abduction, they had crossed the border into the Gaza Strip voluntarily. According to Israeli sources, both men are dealing with psychological issues. The other four hostages, Omer Shem-Tov, 22, Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Wenkert, 23, and long-term captive Hisham al-Sayed, 36, are set to be handed over in Nuseirat in central Gaza. In return for the six men’s release, Israel is expected to free 602 ************ prisoners from its jails, including 50 serving long sentences, according to ************ sources. The other four men due for release were abducted on October 7, 2023, by ****** and other extremist groups during their unprecedented massacre in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths. More than 250 people were taken hostage that day. Three of the group set for release were kidnapped at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, and one was seized from the nearby Be’eri kibbutz while visiting relatives there. ****** is releasing three of the six hostages earlier than planned, after they were originally due to be freed next weekend in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. The militia wanted to ensure that the release of dozens of its high-ranking members from Israeli prisons did not fail at the last minute, media reported. Since the start of the ceasefire in the Gaza war on January 19, ****** has released 19 hostages in several rounds, as well as four bodies, including Bibas and her two young sons. In addition, five Thai nationals kidnapped from Israel were released independently of the agreement. Body of ShiriBibas returned to Israel Earlier on Saturday, the Nir Oz kibbutz confirmed the identity of Bibas, whose body was passed to the Red Cross late on Friday. “The kibbutz announces with deep pain that she was murdered while being held hostage in Gaza,” said a spokeswoman. ****** turned over the bodies of the 32-year-old *******-Israeli woman’s sons, Ariel and Kfir – who were just 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted – along with another deceased captive, 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz, on Thursday. However, Israeli forensic experts later determined that the remains in a fourth coffin did not belong to Shiri Bibas as ****** initially claimed. The militia later admitted a possible mistake that resulted in the remains of another, unknown woman being transferred. The mix-up – whether deliberate or accidental – caused great outrage in Israel. In a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the Bibas family said experts at Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine had positively identified their releative’s body. “Our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned home to her sons, husband, sister, and all her family to rest,” it said. “Despite our fears about their fate, we continued to hope that we would get to embrace them, and now we are in pain and heartbroken.” The family continued to demand the immediate return of all the remaining hostages. “There is no more important goal. There can be no rehabilitation without them,” they said. Source link #****** #hands #Gaza #hostages #Shiri #Bibas #body #confirmed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, February 22 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, February 22 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Connections Hints for today’s Connections Today’s Connections answers NYT Connection FAQs Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end. How to play Connections Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024 Please enable Javascript to view this content You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android. In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc. There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections. Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups. Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends. Hints for today’s Connections We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below. Today’s themes MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR SUPPLIES FOR MACARONI ART WORDS AFTER “GOLDEN” One-answer reveals MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS – CANADIEN CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR – CRIMP SUPPLIES FOR MACARONI ART – GLITTER WORDS AFTER “GOLDEN” – DOODLE New York Times Today’s Connections answers Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below: MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS – CANADIEN, CELTIC, PACKER, YANKEE CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR – CRIMP, CURL, FEATHER, TEASE SUPPLIES FOR MACARONI ART – GLITTER, GLUE, MACARONI, PAPER WORDS AFTER “GOLDEN” – DOODLE, GOOSE, PARACHUTE, ROD Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow. NYT Connection FAQs What time does the Connections puzzle change? The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time. Who edits the NYT Connections game? Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.” On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kid Rock, fiancée Audrey Berry split nearly 8 years after getting engaged: report – Yahoo Entertainment Kid Rock, fiancée Audrey Berry split nearly 8 years after getting engaged: report – Yahoo Entertainment Kid Rock, fiancée Audrey Berry split nearly 8 years after getting engaged: report Yahoo EntertainmentKid Rock and Audrey Berry Split After 7-Year Engagement: Sources Us WeeklyKid Rock ends engagement to fiancée Audrey Berry 7 years after proposal: report New York Post Kid Rock ‘splits’ with fiancée Audrey Berry 8 years after proposal following flirty night with Lauren Boebert Daily MailKid Rock Reportedly Breaks Off Long-Standing Engagement With Audrey Berry TMZ Source link #Kid #Rock #fiancée #Audrey #Berry #split #years #engaged #report #Yahoo #Entertainment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Saturday, February 22 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Saturday, February 22 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Strands Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s Strand answers Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “Here we (don’t) again” Here’s a hint that might help you: a traveler’s nightmare. Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers CONGESTION GRIDLOCK BLOCKAGE OVERCROWDING Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

After 30 years in prison for *******, new DNA evidence frees Hawaii man who maintained innocence – The Associated Press After 30 years in prison for *******, new DNA evidence frees Hawaii man who maintained innocence – The Associated Press After 30 years in prison for *******, new DNA evidence frees Hawaii man who maintained innocence The Associated PressMaui man freed from prison after 30 years using new DNA technology Hawaii News NowMaui Man Released After 30 Years In Prison For A ******* He Says He Didn’t Commit Honolulu Civil BeatHawaii man celebrates ‘freedom Friday’ after new DNA evidence ends 30-year prison stint Sky NewsMaui man walks free after 30 years behind bars, with help of Hawaiʻi Innocence Project Maui Now Source link #years #prison #******* #DNA #evidence #frees #Hawaii #man #maintained #innocence #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 22 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 22 Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt. Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help. Please enable Javascript to view this content Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today. NYT Mini Crossword answers today New York Times Across Size between sm. and lg. – MED Sharp parts of forks – TINES Cutting device in a woodworking shop – BANDSAW Louise ___, Pulitzer-winning author of “The Night Watchman” and “The Mighty Red” – ERDRICH Faux meat option at Thanksgiving – TOFURKY Songs, informally – TUNES Drug also called acid – **** Down Consciously focused on the present moment – MINDFUL Evasive maneuvers – ENDRUNS Wished for – DESIRED Kind of deck with four suits: wands, cups, swords and pentacles – TAROT Tackles of the quarterback – SACKS “Oh yeah? Wanna ___?” – BET Preschooler’s repeated question – WHY Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cardinal Parolin: 'Unfounded speculation' on Pope’s resignation – ******** News – English Cardinal Parolin: 'Unfounded speculation' on Pope’s resignation – ******** News – English Cardinal Parolin: ‘Unfounded speculation’ on Pope’s resignation ******** News – EnglishSepsis a threat in pope’s pneumonia battle as ******** Holy Year celebrations march on without him The Associated PressPope will not lead Angelus prayer for second Sunday as he begins second week in hospital, ******** says CNNPope Francis not out of danger, but expected to live, medical team says ReutersPope marks 1 week in hospital with pneumonia as the obvious question gets asked: Might he resign? ABC News Source link #Cardinal #Parolin #039Unfounded #speculation039 #Popes #resignation #******** #News #English Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Syrian suspect in Berlin stabbing wanted ‘to kill Jews,’ police say – The Times of Israel Syrian suspect in Berlin stabbing wanted ‘to kill Jews,’ police say – The Times of Israel Syrian suspect in Berlin stabbing wanted ‘to kill Jews,’ police say The Times of IsraelMan stabbed at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial days before crucial election The GuardianProsecutors: Anti-Semitic motive in Berlin Holocaust Memorial attack YahooSyrian refugee arrested after Berlin stabbing as Germany prepares to vote Reuters Source link #Syrian #suspect #Berlin #stabbing #wanted #kill #Jews #police #Times #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Earth Defense Force 6 sales top 600,000 Earth Defense Force 6 sales top 600,000 Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes: “For every massive movie that focuses on top of the line special effects or huge names to try and draw in an audience, there are often countless other movies that people watch simply because of how absurd the premise or special effects end up being. These movies are often called B movies and are often full of schlocky fun that, despite the overall quality, makes for a good time. For over two decades the Earth Defense Force franchise has settled itself quite nicely in this niche of action game by pitting players against hordes of oversized insects, aliens that are called random names, kaiju, and all kinds of robots with a fairly simple and absurd premise holding things together. Throughout these years some of these games have seen some highs and lows as well as some spin-offs in-between but now Sandlot has returned with the next main entry. After being Japanese exclusive for two years, Earth Defense Force 6 has finally made its way to the West and is it everything fans could expect?” Source link #Earth #Defense #Force #sales #top Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]