Pelican Press

How ******** Immigration Fuels the U.S. Consumer Economy How ******** Immigration Fuels the U.S. Consumer Economy Companies in need of workers turn to staffing agencies to fill their distribution centers and warehouses. Some unscrupulous agencies recruit and exploit undocumented workers. Steve Eder, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, looks at this unseen engine of the economy. Source link #******** #Immigration #Fuels #U.S #Consumer #Economy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Solo voyage an enriching experience with NCL Solo voyage an enriching experience with NCL Cruising solo was surprisingly fun and engaging on Norwegian Escape, finds Michael Ferrante Source link #Solo #voyage #enriching #experience #NCL Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform | X Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform | X Was that the week that marked the ****** of X? The platform formerly regarded as a utopian market square for exchanging information has suffered its largest exodus to date. Bluesky, emerging as X’s newest rival, has amassed 16 million users, including 1 million in the course of 24 hours last week. Hundreds of thousands of people have quit the former Twitter since Donald Trump’s election victory on 6 November. The catalyst is X’s owner, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who transformed the social media site and used it as a megaphone to blast Trump into the White House. The US president-elect said Musk would head the new Department of Government Efficiency, the acronym for which, Doge, is a pun on the dog internet meme and the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, started as a joke by its creators, which jumped in value after Musk dubbed it “the people’s cypto” in 2021. Musk now sits at the heart of the US government, yet requires no Senate approval for his actions and can continue to work in the private sector. He’s allowed to keep X and his 204 million followers, as well as head his electric car company Tesla and rocket company SpaceX. For the first time in history, a big tech billionaire is now shaping democracy not just indirectly, via his media, but directly. “I’m not aware of any precedent for this approach,” said Rob Enderle, president of the technology analyst firm Enderle, who has worked with companies including Microsoft, Sony and Dell. Bluesky celebrates amassing 16 million users. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images As recently as 2022, Musk tweeted that “for Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.” He tweeted that “Trump would be 82 at end of his term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the ******* States of America.” Months later, when Musk bought Twitter for $44bn, he fired content moderators and charged for account verification, which meant people could buy influence. Twitter was rebranded to X, shed millions of users and reinstated Trumps’s account, suspended after the White House insurrection in January 2021. The proliferation on X of alt-right diatribe, hate speech and bots, as well as Musk’s own clash with the *** government during the riots in August, have led to mounting disquiet among X users. The Guardian and Observer announced last week that their presence on the site was now untenable and they would no longer post. Stephen King, the author, left, saying it had become “too toxic”. Oscar-winners Barbra Streisand and Jamie Lee Curtis have departed the platform. “X has become effectively Truth Social premium,” said Mark Carrigan, author of Social Media for Academics, referring to Trump’s hard-right social media platform. And the talk in technology circles is that Trump’s Truth Social could be folded into X. If that happens, whose interests take priority? Would Musk suppress criticism of the authoritarian governments he does business with, or promote it? In the Donald and Elon media show, who is the puppet or paymaster? “If that happens, it will be the ultimate amplification machine for Trump’s ideas – a political super-app masquerading as social media,” said James Kirkham of Iconic, which advises brands including Uber and EA Sports on digital strategies. “Forget Facebook or Fox News; the true heart of the GOP’s digital strategy could be X.” “I’m expecting X and Truth Social to merge,” said Enderle. “But this could be one of the efforts that will come between Musk and Trump, given how overvalued Truth Social now is.” The bromance between the world’s two biggest egos is mutually beneficial only as long as the two transactional, power-hungry and impulsive men play nice. Trump is hawkish on China, one of Tesla’s most lucrative markets. Trump essentially campaigned against electric car manufacturing. Trump is protectionist; Musk opposes tariffs. On climate change, they are opposed. Jonathan Monten, a political science professor at UCL, is sceptical over the durability of their relationship.“Musk’s use to Trump was both private money and providing a platform, or using a platform, to a more favourable pro-Trump line,” he said. “It’s unclear what continued purpose or use Musk actually has to him. Yes, it’s sort of this celebrity story, but that’s Trump’s brand. He has one celebrity story today and tomorrow we’ll have another.”The early 2010s were the halcyon days of Twitter when activists, artists, lawyers, academics, policymakers, journalists and specialists of every flavour could connect, share information, exchange ideas and follow events in real time. skip past newsletter promotion Analysis and opinion on the week’s news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers 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 Elon Musk at an opening ceremony for Tesla’s China-made Model Y programme in Shanghai in 2020. Trump is taking a hard line on ******** imports. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters It would be easy to portray Musk as the bogeyman, but some argue that it was TikTok and the advent of the algorithmic timeline that fundamentally destroyed Twitter. As social media began optimising for scale and for profit at the expense of user experience, algorithms prioritised the “best” content – the content that shouted loudest or was most specifically tailored to users. Curated accounts to follow, and “most recent” content, fell by the wayside. “As much as I think Musk has acted in harmful ways, I think part of this is about the logic of social media platforms as they evolve,” said Carrigan. “The consequences of an advertising-based model incentivise certain ways of organising the platform that create negative effects.” Bluesky, which became the most popular app on the app store on Friday, is the choice for X refugees, although its 16 million users pale in insignificance compared to Meta’s Threads, which reported reaching 275 million monthly active users, and X with about 317 million.. Elon Musk speaks beside Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on 5 October. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters For some tech nerds, the X-odus is not something to mourn, but could herald the era of decentralised social networks they have been dreaming of known as the “Fediverse”. Advocates of the “Fediverse” argue that there should be one account for any social media network in the same way that Gmail accounts can email any email addresses, or mobile numbers call users on any other network. In walling off social networks so users can’t leave, the platform has the power. Instead, newer social networks including Bluesky are being built on “ecosystems” that enable them to interconnect. No one knows what will happen to X, with predictions ranging from collapse, to flipping to an anti-Trump platform if Musk and the president lock horns, to becoming a training ground for Musk’s xAI venture. AI could gobble up social media, and xAI is valued at $40bn – almost the price Musk paid for Twitter. Source link #finally #Delicate #MuskTrump #relationship #growing #rivals #spell #trouble #platform Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The real reason Chris Wallace is leaving CNN reportedly revealed The real reason Chris Wallace is leaving CNN reportedly revealed CNN’s Chris Wallace recently announced he was exiting the network to explore the podcast and streaming landscape. However, it appears there may be more to his departure than meets the eye. On Monday (November 11), the broadcaster who signed a three-year contract with CNN in 2021 after 18 years with Fox News said he would be leaving the Warner Bros subsidiary. “When I look at the media landscape right now, the people who are going independent, whether it’s podcasting or streaming, that seems to be where the action is,” the 77-year-old veteran broadcaster told The Daily ******. “This is the first time in 55 years I’ve been between jobs,” he added. “I am actually excited and liberated by that.” Wallace’s exit was confirmed shortly thereafter by CNN chief executive Mark Thompson, who called him “one of the most respected political journalists in the news business.” It’s since been claimed, in a new report published by Puck News, that Wallace’s exit came after he was informed his two shows – Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? and The Chris Wallace Show – were getting canceled and his reported $7m annual salary was going to be massively slashed. His salary reduction was part of the company’s wider cost-cutting initiatives, according to the outlet. It was also reported that Thompson had told Wallace he was welcome to stay with the network – but as an analyst with a much lower salary. Chris Wallace announced he was departing from CNN after three years with the network (CNN) Meanwhile, the three-time Emmy winner and son of 60 Minutes host Mike Wallace insisted that he did not partake in any contract negotiations or conversations about his future with the company. “It doesn’t matter what was or wasn’t said in that meeting because I had already decided with my wife six months ago to leave CNN,” he told Puck News. “Any further speculation is irrelevant.” The Independent has contacted CNN for comment. A representative for Wallace was not immediately reachable. Besides CNN and Fox News, Wallace has worked as a correspondent, anchor and host for several of the major news networks, including ABC, CBS and NBC. Throughout his decades-long career, he has interviewed global leaders including US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir ******. He’s also covered major events, such as the Supreme Court hearings for Brett Kavanaugh and Trump’s impeachment. In 2020, Wallace became the only moderator to return to the debate stage to preside over the Joe Biden vs Donald Trump debate after having made his moderating debut for the final 2016 presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Trump. Source link #real #reason #Chris #Wallace #leaving #CNN #reportedly #revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Technotopia Review | NoobFeed | N4G Technotopia Review | NoobFeed | N4G “The Novosibirsk-based (Russia) indie games publisher and developer Alawar together with Tomsk-based (Siberia) indie games developer Yustas, are today super thrilled and happy to announce that their city-building/card game “Technotopia”, is coming to PC via Steam on October 16th, 2024.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Technotopia #Review #NoobFeed #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A budget-friendly stay near Sydney’s biggest concert venues A budget-friendly stay near Sydney’s biggest concert venues Perth still struggles to lure the biggest names in music — with Coldplay being the rare exception, costing Tourism Western Australia a small fortune to pull off. When acts like Oasis and Billie Eilish land in Australia for their world tours next year (just like Taylor Swift did this year) Perth, once again, won’t make the cut. Instead, diehard fans will need to make the pilgrimage over east to Sydney or Melbourne if they want to see these acts. I’ve just been to Sydney for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour, and I stayed at a quality, no-frills hotel that I think is perfect for music fans who’ve already splashed out on concert tickets and flights. Camera IconOlivia Rodrigo. Credit: BANG – Entertainment News Rooms at the ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park Hotel are from $139 per night, certainly under and around $200, though much higher for key event dates. But, importantly, Accor Stadium, Qudos Bank Arena and Sydney Showground are a short stroll from the hotel, so you don’t have to deal with big crowds and long delays getting home. There are lots of good food options and a 24-hour supermarket nearby, and rows of food trucks are usually brought in for big-ticket concerts. Camera IconHotel room at ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park. Credit: Penny ThomasTHE HOTEL It wasn’t the most luxurious hotel I’ve ever stayed in, but my room was clean and comfortable, and the king-sized bed gave me a good night’s sleep. Being a budget hotel, the room was compact, with the shower and vanity area separated from the main space by just a curtain, though I appreciated that the ******* was enclosed, offering privacy. Storage was a bit limited, with not much space for my suitcase, though there was a small clothes rack to hang a couple of outfits. The room came with a bar fridge and a kettle with complimentary tea and coffee, though if you need plates or cutlery, you’ll have to request them at reception. In fact, I ended up asking the friendly staff for a few other things, like a hairdryer, an iron, an ironing board and even the TV remote. The staff were more than happy to help. They even printed off my concert ticket and played Olivia Rodrigo songs in the lobby and cafeteria, which added excitement to the whole experience. THE VERDICT Ultimately, the ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park Hotel offers a straightforward option for those who’ve already invested heavily in concert tickets and airfares. After the thrill of the concert, there’s comfort in knowing you’re just steps away from a clean, quiet room — without the stress of late-night commutes or wallet-draining accommodation. So, for anyone planning their next interstate pilgrimage to see their favourite artist live, I think it’s a no-brainer to book a room here. All you really need is a cosy bed and a nice cup of tea after an eventful night out. Penny Thomas was a guest of Accor. They have not influenced or read this story before publication. Source link #budgetfriendly #stay #Sydneys #biggest #concert #venues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung Review | NoobFeed Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung Review | NoobFeed NoobFeed editor Mezbah Turzo writes – Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung is one of Paradox’s better ones, giving you access to a wide variety of content and expanding the grand strategy brand. It wouldn’t be a paradox DLC if it didn’t have its hiccups, but regardless, it’s a fine addition to Hearts of Iron IV. Source link #Hearts #Iron #Götterdämmerung #Review #NoobFeed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Top 30 Best Xbox Series X/S Titles of All Time (2024 Edition) Top 30 Best Xbox Series X/S Titles of All Time (2024 Edition) With four years in the bag, here are 30 top games to play on Xbox Series X/S, from indie titles to award-winning blockbusters. Source link #Top #Xbox #Series #Titles #Time #Edition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘You Can’t Be Surprised the White ******** Guy’s First Idea Is Slavery’ ‘You Can’t Be Surprised the White ******** Guy’s First Idea Is Slavery’ The Weekend Update desk at “Saturday Night Live” devoted its opening to hocking some loogies at Donald Trump’s picks to lead his presidential administration. That list includes billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, who has been tapped by Trump to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency taskforce, which aims to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies,” per the President-elect. Weekend Update anchor Michael Che noted that Musk had shared job listings for the new taskforce, which state employees will be working “80-plus hours per week for no money.” More from Variety “You can’t be surprised that the white ******** guy’s first idea is slavery,” Che said. Che’s co-anchor Colin Jost also got a few jabs in, opening the segment with digs at attorney general pick Matt Gaetz, who was once embroiled in a **** trafficking investigation (which led to no charges) and now faces a new accusation of having **** with a minor. Gaetz resigned as a Congress member earlier this week after being tapped to join Trump’s administration. “Trump nominated Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Gaetz said the same thing he says when he sees a teenage girl: I’ll do it,” Jost said, getting some groans from the crowd. He continued with, “Gaetz, who was created when Frankenstein ****** Dracula, was chosen for attorney general after Trump remembered that his original pick was found in ***** a jail cell,” making a reference to the officially ruled ******** of **** ********* and New York financier Jeffrey Epstein. “Congratulations to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who became the first brain worm survivor nominated to a cabinet level position,” Jost said in a later segment. “Kennedy, whose skin is always cooked to a perfect medium rare, will lead the Department of Health and Human Services. I know he doesn’t have a lot of experience, but I say we give him a shot,” he continued, referencing Kennedy’s much-touted skepticism regarding vaccinations. Charli XCX pulled double-duty as both host and musical guest for this week’s “Saturday Night Live.” Best of Variety Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source link #Surprised #White #******** #Guys #Idea #Slavery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zephon Review | NoobFeed | N4G Zephon Review | NoobFeed | N4G NoobFeed editor Mezbah Turzo writes – ZEPHON is a great 4X game that stands as a testament to how much a developer can improve if given the right resources. It does so much to make its game all that more fun with its deep lore, mechanics, and rich combat design. Source link #Zephon #Review #NoobFeed #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cockroaches, rodents and more. Why 10 restaurants ******* inspections in Fresno County Cockroaches, rodents and more. Why 10 restaurants ******* inspections in Fresno County Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email *****@*****.tld. Health violations ranging from cockroach infestations to ***** damage and rodent droppings to plumbing woes were among the factors that led to the temporary closure of 10 restaurants or food businesses across Fresno County in October. The closures by Fresno County Department of Public Health inspectors affected businesses in Fresno, Clovis, Reedley, Easton and Caruthers. Most of the closures lasted for a day or two, but two places remained closed as of early November. The Fresno businesses included a Holiday Inn Express, Papaya Fresh International Market and Pho #76, while Clovis restaurants affected were a Jersey Mike’s Subs shop, ********* Kitchen, and Kowloon Kitchen. In rural Fresno County, The Pirate’s Den and Sun China ******** Restaurant in Reedley were closed after inspections, as was the Adina Valley Market in Easton and the Super Mart in Caruthers. Details from the county’s inspections include: Holiday Inn Express, 7191 W. Kathryn Ave. near Herndon Avenue and Highway 99 in northwest Fresno: The kitchen of the hotel was closed after an Oct. 1 inspection due to operating without a valid county permit. An inspector also attempted to conduct a routine inspection but was not given access to the facility’s food and beverage area by the front desk. The kitchen was authorized to reopen on Oct. 4 after the business obtained its permit. Papaya Fresh International Market, 2047 W. Shaw Ave. near West Avenue in northwest Fresno: The bakery area of the market was closed following an Oct. 1 ***** in the roof where the mechanical ventilation for the oven was located. The bakery remained closed as of Nov. 4. Super Mart, 2307 W. Tahoe Ave. at Henderson Road in Caruthers: An Oct. 4 inspection determined that none of the refrigerator units at the store/restaurant were able to maintain temperatures cold enough to meet food-safety requirements, forcing a closure of the business and the destruction of more than 40 pounds of food that was held in the refrigerators. The business was allowed to reopen later the same day after the refrigerators were serviced. Adina Valley Market, 9010 S. Elm Ave. at Manning Avenue, south of Easton: The market was closed on Oct. 4 after an inspection found there was a lack of potable water; the business was allowed to reopen after a reinspection visit later that day. Sun China ******** Restaurant, 1526 E. Manning Ave., at S. Buttonwillow Avenue in the Reedley Shopping Center: The restaurant was ordered closed after an Oct. 8 inspection discovered a cockroach infestation, rodent droppings in a storage room and an extensive buildup of grease on kitchen equipment. The restaurant was allowed to reopen after passing an Oct. 10 reinspection. Pho #76 restaurant, 4793 E. McKinley Ave. near Chestnut Avenue in east-central Fresno: An Oct. 10 health inspection revealed a cockroach infestation that forced the closure of the restaurant. It reopened a day later, Oct. 11, following a reinspection visit. Jersey Mike’s Subs #20197, 3170 Fowler Ave. at Ashlan Avenue, in the Vons shopping center in Clovis: Plumbing problems including a kitchen warewashing sink not draining and the presence of standing water during an Oct. 14 inspection prompted a closure order for the restaurant. A reinspection later the same day allowed the business to reopen. The Pirate’s Den, 1550 E. Manning Ave. at S. Buttonwillow Avenue in the Reedley Shopping Center: An Oct. 17 inspection discovered a lack of hot water at the warewashing sink in the kitchen. The restaurant remained closed as of Nov. 4. ********* Kitchen, 711 W. Shaw Ave. at Willow Avenue, in the Western Village Shopping Center in Clovis: The restaurant was closed following an Oct. 22 inspection due to cockroaches throughout the facility and an accumulation of grease on cooking equipment. An Oct. 25 resinspection visit allowed the restaurant to reopen. Kowloon Kitchen, 651 Shaw Ave. at Clovis Avenue, in the Bonanza Shopping Center in Clovis: An Oct. 25 inspection found that there was a lack of hot water at the warewashing and handwashing sinks in the kitchen. The restaurant was reopened later that day after hot water was restored. What inspectors look for The Fresno County Department of Public Health has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor almost 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county, making unannounced visits several times a year. Restaurants also are inspected in response to complaints or other concerns from the public, including when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants. Insect or vermin infestations are violations that can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors. A single cockroach like the ********* cockroach in this file photo won’t necessarily cause Fresno County health inspectors to close a restaurant, but evidence of a significant infestation by these and other critters will prompt a shutdown until the problem is cleaned up. Among other serious concerns for food safety are refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens. A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations Department of Public Health inspectors find when they make their routine visits. Hot water at a temperature of at least 120 degrees is considered important by inspectors for safely washing pots, pans, dishes and glasses, and 100 degrees for employees to wash their hands. In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it’s something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and ******* paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets. When inspectors visit a restaurant or other food service business, there is a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 things that draw their scrutiny. They include: Whether the manager and all employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates. Hygiene of individual employees. Ways to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees. Use of proper sterilization for counters, tables, utensils and cookware. Proper drainage of sinks and floor drains. Restrooms stocked with supplies. Whether the business has the proper license or permit. The first page of the form used by Fresno County health inspectors includes a checklist list of more than 50 factors that are checked for compliance with food handling and food safety regulations. Source link #Cockroaches #rodents #restaurants #******* #inspections #Fresno #County Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wayne Carey excluded from North Melbourne centenary celebration guernsey video Wayne Carey excluded from North Melbourne centenary celebration guernsey video *********** football Hall of Fame Legend Wayne Carey has been left out of a video celebration of North Melbourne’s centenary year in the VFL/AFL. The Kangaroos have unveiled a historical jumper they will wear next year to celebrate 100 years in the competition, during which some of the greatest players in the game’s history have run out in the blue and white. Carey is easily North’s greatest ever player and, according to some, the best player in the history of the game. He kicked 671 goals from 244 games for the Roos, won four best and fairests, seven All-*********** selections, and is the captain of the club’s team of the century. He was also effectively ignored in the celebration video released on Saturday night. The video includes highlights from the who’s who of the club’s greatest champions, with cutaways of current youngster Zane Duursma showing off the new kit. Iconic moments from modern day stars Brent Harvey, Ben Cunnington, Drew Petrie, Daniel Wells and even Cam Zurhaar are featured, as are ‘90s heroes David King, Adam Simpson and Glenn Archer, and older legends like Ron Barassi, Phil Krakouer and Malcolm Blight. Carey, meantime, features for less than one second on the premiership dais in amongst his 1999 teammates, holding the cup, before it cuts away again. Camera IconWayne Carey is North Melbourne’s greatest ever player. Credit: Getty It’s a glaring detail that didn’t go unnoticed. Carey’s former teammate and forward-50 partner Corey McKernan slammed the video. “FYI North Melbourne, you do know Wayne Carey played for us, don’t you?” he said. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Also excluded were longtime club captain Wayne Schimmelbusch and two-time premiership coach, Denis Pagan. McKernan later added: “Can North Melbourne answer why you’d leave out Wayne Carey for a football-related video for such an occasion? (And leave out Denis/Schimma as well). “Explain how it happens? If the excuse is ‘oh it’s a young **** who did it and he didn’t know’, please spare me.” Collingwood great Mick McGuane was equally baffled. “Love the concept and innovation, North Melbourne, but if it’s a true celebration you cannot overlook your greatest ever player in the vision to promote it,” he said. McKernan proceeded to go on a tear on social media, reposting a host of replies to his post that agreed with him. Anthony Stevens was also featured in the video. Carey left the club after infamously having an affair with Stevens’ wife in a scandal that sent shockwaves through the league. Source link #Wayne #Carey #excluded #North #Melbourne #centenary #celebration #guernsey #video Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid in ‘massive’ missile strike, officials say Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid in ‘massive’ missile strike, officials say By Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) – Blasts rang out across Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and other cities early on Sunday, as Russia staged its biggest missile ******* since August and targeted power facilities with the winter setting in, officials said. Ukrainians have been bracing for a major ******* on the hobbled power system for weeks, fearing crippling damage to the grid that would cause long blackouts and build psychological pressure at a critical moment in the war Russia launched in February 2022. “Another massive ******* on the power system is under way. The ****** is attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” Ukrainian Energy Minister ******* Galushchenko wrote on Facebook. Air defences could be heard engaging drones over the capital in the night, and a series of powerful blasts rang out across the city centre as the missile ******* was under way in the morning. The scale of the damage was not immediately clear. Officials cut power supply to numerous city districts, including in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Dnipropetrovsk region, in what they said was a precaution to prevent a surge in case of damage. Authorities in the Volyn region in northwestern Ukraine said energy infrastructure had sustained damage but did not elaborate. Officials often withhold information on the state of the power system because of the war. In Mykolaiv in the south, two people were ******* in the overnight drone *******, the regional governor said. Blasts shook the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and the ****** Sea port of Odesa, Reuters witnesses said. More blasts were reported in the regions of Kryvyi Rih in the south and Rivne in the west. “Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He described the strike as Moscow’s “true response” to leaders who had interacted with President Vladimir ******, an apparent swipe at ******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who placed a phone call to the Russian leader on Friday for the first time since late 2022. NATO member Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, said it had scrambled its air force within its airspace as a security precaution due to the Russian *******, which it said used cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones. Poland “activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, the on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and the ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness,” the operational command of its armed forces posted on X. Ukraine’s air force urged residents to take cover, providing regular updates on the progress of Russian cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles it said were hurtling through Ukrainian air space. In Kyiv, the roof of a residential building caught ***** due to falling debris and at least two people were hurt, city officials said on the Telegram messaging app. “Emergency services were dispatched to the scene,” Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Russia last conducted a major missile strike on Kyiv on Aug. 26, when officials said it fired a salvo of more than 200 drones and missiles across the country in an ******* that ******* ******* seven people. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth Valentyn Ogirenko in Kyiv; Writing by Lidia Kelly and Tom Balmforth; Editing by William Mallard) Source link #Russia #targets #Ukraines #power #grid #massive #missile #strike #officials Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jones knocks out Miocic to retain UFC heavyweight crown Jones knocks out Miocic to retain UFC heavyweight crown Jon Jones pulled off a stunning knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, folding his opponent with a spinning back-kick to the body to cement his stats as arguably the greatest fighter of all time as he retained his heavyweight belt. The 37-year-old ********* looked fully in control throughout the main event at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT), preventing his opponent from leveraging his boxing skills and finishing with a brutal heel to the body that left Miocic on the canvas clutching his ribs. “That body shot, man, no matter how tough you are, the liver’s the liver,” a jubilant Jones said in the cage following his victory. After a cautious opening minute, former light heavyweight champ Jones took Miocic down with a superbly timed trip and trapped him before raining down elbows as he dominated the rest of the round. Keen not to get taken down again, Miocic was hesitant as he tried to manage the distance, but Jones was able to measure strikes to the body from his southpaw stance to keep Miocic on the back foot. Croatian-********* Miocic enjoyed some success early in the third round, but once again Jones was able to work out the puzzle, connecting with a couple of punches late in the round before his creative rotating kick ended the bout. With Donald Trump in the audience, Jones then imitated the president-elect’s campaign-trail dance as he celebrated. In the aftermath, 42-year-old former champion Miocic said he was retiring from the sport. In the co-main event, Brazil’s Charles Oliveira defeated Michael Chandler by unanimous decision to put his name back in contention for a ****** at the lightweight title he was stripped of for missing weight in May 2022. Source link #Jones #knocks #Miocic #retain #UFC #heavyweight #crown Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Final hours before 95-year-old fatally tasered by police officer revealed in court Final hours before 95-year-old fatally tasered by police officer revealed in court The chain of events that led to a great-grandmother being fatally tasered by a police officer have been ***** bare in court. Source link #Final #hours #95yearold #fatally #tasered #police #officer #revealed #court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Bluesky and why are so many people suddenly leaving X for the platform? | Bluesky What is Bluesky and why are so many people suddenly leaving X for the platform? | Bluesky The great X-odus is under way. More than 1 million new users have joined the social media platform Bluesky since the US election. Many are seeking to escape Elon Musk’s X amid warnings from anti-hate speech campaign groups and the EU about misinformation and extremism on the platform. But what exactly is Bluesky, why it is proving so popular, and who has already made the move? What is Bluesky? Bluesky is a social media platform where people can interact much as they do on X, posting, replying and messaging one another on a vertical user interface. The recent influx of new users, largely from North America and the ***, has helped it reach more than 15 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said. How did it start out and who owns it? Bluesky began as a project inside Twitter, after its chief executive, Jack Dorsey, announced in 2019 that the company would fund developers to create an “open and decentralised standard for social media”. Bluesky became an independent company in 2021 and is now primarily owned by the chief executive, Jay Graber. How is it any different to X? Bluesky offers users the chance to more heavily moderate their experience. This includes the ability to select the algorithm that drives what you see, helping create custom feeds, for example a feed for mutual followers, a feed for cat photos or one for your special interest. Bluesky also allows users to have website addresses as their handles, which it anticipates could act as a verification tool for journalists, athletes and public figures who could have a company’s website in their handle. How does Bluesky deal with trolls? While X appears to deregulate the user experience – it recently changed its block function to allow users to see the posts of public accounts that have blocked them – Bluesky talks up its “anti-toxicity” features. These include allowing users to detach an original post of theirs from someone else’s quote post, preventing unwanted interactions. Why are people leaving X for Bluesky? The platform has previously benefited from dissatisfaction with X and its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, who is closely tied to the US president-elect Donald Trump’s successful election campaign. Bluesky reported picking up 3 million new users in the week after X was suspended in Brazil in September and a further 1.2 million in the two days after X announced it would allow users to view posts from people who had blocked them. X users have also reported an increase in bots, making the site difficult to use. Who is already using it? Several MPs have already made the move, including the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, the ******** Democrat technology spokesperson Layla Moran and Labour’s Diane Abbott. The US actor Jamie Lee Curtis has been vocal about her decision to leave X after she confirmed had deactivated her account in a post on Instagram. The TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, the comedian Dara Ó Briain and Countdown’s Susie Dent are also among the public figures on the network. Source link #Bluesky #people #suddenly #leaving #platform #Bluesky Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India hails ‘historic’ hypersonic missile test flight India hails ‘historic’ hypersonic missile test flight Nuclear-armed India has tested its first hypersonic missile, the defence minister said Sunday, publicising the super-fast high-tech ******* days after rival China showcased its latest military aviation powers. Hypersonics are the new frontier in missile technology, because they fly lower and are ******* to detect than ballistic missiles, can reach targets more quickly, and can be ordered to change target in mid-flight. The ******* States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonic missiles, and several others are developing the technology. “India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile,” Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh said in a statement. The test flight comes days after rival and neighbour China showcased its expanding aviation capabilities at an airshow, with the J-35A stealth fighter jet and ******* drones displayed. That, according to China’s state media, included the debut of the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles. India’s missile blasted off from Abdul Kalam Island off the east coast on Saturday. Video images released by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), showed a slender missile blasting into the night sky followed by a surge of flames. “This is a historic moment and this significant achievement has put our country in the group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies,” Singh added. No further details were given about the missile. New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the ******* States, Japan and Australia. India is also a major buyer of Russian military hardware, including Moscow’s S-400 missile defence system — despite the threat of US sanctions over the multi-billion dollar deal. pjm/fox Source link #India #hails #historic #hypersonic #missile #test #flight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk is not America’s new king. But he might be its new Thomas Cromwell | John Naughton Elon Musk is not America’s new king. But he might be its new Thomas Cromwell | John Naughton Picture, if you will, the scene in Mar-a-Lago on election night at the moment when it’s become clear that Trump has won. The atmosphere is hysterical. Trump is in expansive form. He stands surrounded by his ghastly tribe of dependants, plus AN Other. In his victory speech, the president-elect praises his campaign staff, his prospective vice-president, and his family. Each gets a few seconds of adulation. But AN Other gets a whole four minutes. He is Elon Musk, the richest manchild in history. Trump calls him a “super genius”, a “special guy” and a “star”. He has flown straight from Texas in his Gulfstream to bask in the adulation of his new lord and master. He has also paid several hundred million dollars, plus a month of his time, to be here. But now his time has come. Hold that thought. We will return to it later. Now imagine what Musk’s peers in Silicon Valley were thinking, as they sat chewing their pencils composing slavish messages of congratulation to The Donald. And believe me, they were toe-curlingly obsequious. All around the valley, though, the prevailing sound was of teeth being gnashed. After all, most of these tech titans had spent months wondering how to curry favour with Trump in case he actually won. And there was Musk, who had done an end-run around them and inserted himself into the heart of the new administration. It must have been maddening. Spool forward a few days and we find that it gets worse: Trump has chosen Musk and a wannabe titan, Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead a “department of government efficiency” (or “Doge”, after Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency, Dogecoin), thereby putting the two dudes in charge of a concerted effort to slash rules, bureaucracy and spending throughout the federal government. “Together, these two wonderful Americans,” declared their new boss, “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.” Presumably he was impressed by Musk’s claim that he could cut at least $2 trillion from the government’s $6.8tn budget, and by Ramaswamy’s promise, made during his ******* campaign for the *********** nomination, to eliminate the FBI, the Department of Education and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Although this new outfit is called a “department”, it won’t actually be a government agency. If it were, Musk would have innumerable conflicts of interest that would cause legal difficulties if he started slashing the regulators with which he is currently in conflict. These include the Federal Aviation Authority, the National Labor Relations Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Also, last year his various companies had $3bn worth of government contracts from 17 federal agencies. But if he’s “outside” the system, he’ll be freer to slash and ***** as he likes. skip past newsletter promotion Analysis and opinion on the week’s news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers 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 If Musk’s past behaviour is anything to go by, concern with safety will cut little ice In 2018, the writer Michael Lewis published The Fifth Risk, a remarkable book examining the implications of Trump’s political appointments in his first term, especially with respect to three government agencies: the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce. The book, Lewis explained, was a product of his own ******* to find out what branches of the government that never make the headlines actually do. And he found that what they do largely involves keeping people and society safe. If Musk’s past behaviour is anything to go by, such concern with safety will cut little ice. After he had been forced by a Delaware court to proceed with his purchase of Twitter, the first thing he did was to ***** 6,500 people – about 80% of the staff, by his own reckoning. And those dismissed included people whose job was to moderate content on the platform and keep it relatively “safe”. After they’d gone, the platform was opened to all-comers, which is why it has degenerated into a toxic sewer of anti-woke fanatics, white supremacists, misogynists, *********** theorists and other inhabitants of alternative universes. He also tweaked the platform’s algorithms to prioritise his own posts to its 200 million users, thus in effect giving him a broadcast medium for his political views and preferences. Musk’s strategy, once he decided to back Trump, was to go all-in, much as he did years ago when the production of the Tesla Model 3 was running into trouble and he claimed to have slept in the factory for weeks. He moved to Pennsylvania for the last month of the campaign and was active on the ground every day, energising campaigners and generally raising the campaign’s profile, especially in rural areas. In other words, he made himself indispensable to Trump, and therein ***** what may come to be his problem. Narcissists do not like to be under an obligation to anyone, no matter how useful they have been. Thomas Cromwell made himself indispensable to Henry VIII in the 1530s and – as viewers of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light are soon to discover – ultimately that was not a great career move. History may not repeat itself, but this time, as Mark Twain is supposed to have said, it might just rhyme. What I’ve been reading The narrow path from despair Diane Coyle’s beautifully succinct review on Enlightenment Economics of Sam Freedman’s book ******* State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It. Congratulations, boss The Verge’s compilation of all the nauseatingly obsequious messages sent by tech titans to the president-elect. Reason to carry on A really good argument from 404 Media – Why the work still matters under Trump – for why honest journalism is needed now more than ever. Source link #Elon #Musk #Americas #king #Thomas #Cromwell #John #Naughton Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gielnek scores hat-trick, Sky Blues win local derby Gielnek scores hat-trick, Sky Blues win local derby ROUND THREE OF THE A-LEAGUE WOMEN COMPETITION AT A GLANCE: THEY SAID IT: “Well, everybody has their way of relieving frustration.” – Instead of letting his temper bubble over, Western Sydney coach Robbie ******* opted to do three one-armed push-ups as his side struggled to break the deadlock against local rivals Sydney FC. They lost 1-0. WOMAN OF THE WEEK: Melbourne Victory’s Emily Gielnik showed exactly why she deserved a Matildas recall after she stunned Western ******* with a goal in the opening 12 seconds. The striker did not stop there, going on to complete a first-half half-trick to set up a 4-1 win. TALKING POINT: Newcastle have been forced to move grounds for the second time in three rounds due to poor field conditions at their No.2 Sportsground home. Made to play their opening round match at Cessnock Sportsground, the Jets again hit the road to play in Maitland – a half hour drive from their inner-city venue. STAT *******: Sydney FC avoided their worst start in the women’s competition and held onto local bragging rights with a 1-0 derby win over Western Sydney – their first victory of the season. Grabbing the three points courtesy of a late goal by 18-year-old forward Caley Tallon-Henniker, the Sky Blues have remained undefeated in their past 10 derbies. Meanwhile, the Wanderers have come away with a win in only two of 23 meetings. Their last victory came in 2019. BEAT THAT: Noting Perth Glory goalkeeper Miranda Templeman had roamed out of the goalmouth, 20-year-old Brisbane midfielder Tamar Levin launched a stunning 35m strike that soared into the back of the net to give her side a 2-0 lead at the break. It was Levin’s first in the ALM and one to savour, as the Roar won 3-0. UNDER PRESSURE: When will Wellington Phoenix get their first win? Paul Temple’s side are ***** last after three-straight losses to open the season. Adding to their woes is a potential injury to captain Annalie Longo. The midfielder was forced out late in their defeat to Newcastle after suffering what appeared to be a facial injury. UP NEXT: Adelaide ******* and Wellington Phoenix kick off Unite Round on Friday before Western Sydney play Brisbane Roar at Leichhardt Oval. On Saturday, Central Coast will look for their second win when they take on Melbourne Victory before Newcastle face-off against Western *******. Canberra ******* hosts Perth Glory on Sunday, with Sydney FC and Melbourne City closing out the weekend. Source link #Gielnek #scores #hattrick #Sky #Blues #win #local #derby Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Have your **** speak to my ****’: can AI productivity apps turbocharge my life? | Artificial intelligence (AI) ‘Have your **** speak to my ****’: can AI productivity apps turbocharge my life? | Artificial intelligence (AI) Steven Johnson has a reputation as a research software nerd. The author of 13 nonfiction books, he’s constantly looking for digital tools to streamline his creative process. So when large language models – which power text-generating AI tools such as ChatGPT – started getting attention, he was most interested in what they could mean for organising information. In 2022, an article Johnson wrote about LLMs for the New York Times caught the eye of researchers at Google Labs, the tech company’s experimental AI arm, who came to him with a proposition: would he help them develop the kind of digital research assistant he’d been dreaming of? The result is NotebookLM, a note-taking tool that uses AI to help organise, summarise and answer questions about any information you give it. “The way we think about it is it’s a tool for understanding things,” Johnson says. Generative AI has been eagerly adopted in the productivity tech space, with new and existing tools promising features that can help streamline your schedule, simplify emails and take notes more effectively. I’ve generally been sceptical of such products, assuming that by the time I’ve fiddled around to get them set up, I’ve probably negated most of their productivity benefits. But with a new generation on the scene, I wondered if my workflow couldn’t benefit from an AI boost. Could these tools actually deliver some of the advantages claimed by AI acolytes, automating more humdrum aspects of work and leaving me free to focus on creative endeavours? ‘I immediately saw the appeal’: a screengrab from NotebookLM. Photograph: NotebookLM I approached NotebookLM with caution, noting the disclaimer at the bottom of the screen: “NotebookLM may still sometimes give inaccurate responses, so you may want to confirm any facts independently.” As a journalist, I’m wary of AI’s tendency to “hallucinate”. But NotebookLM differs from text generators such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini in that it only works with the information you provide. You can start a new “notebook” for a project and upload up to 50 “sources”. These can include pdfs, audio files (which it automatically transcribes), .txt files, web links and Google Docs. I tried uploading notes and interview files for a story I was working on, then asked the “Notebook guide” – an AI assistant – to produce a briefing doc based on their content. You can imagine an AI agent that schedules on your behalf, that even writes and sends fully written emails on your behalf Rahul Vohra I immediately saw the appeal. The brief summarised key points raised from hours of audio and drew links between my sources. It even pulled out key quotes. Using the AI chat function, I interrogated the material further, asking which findings were most surprising and posing specific questions about the content. Rather than trawling through my transcripts to remember which interviewees had made a particular point, I simply asked: “Who spoke about [X topic]?” and got a detailed summary of who said what – along with footnotes directing me to the exact wording in the original material. It’s the restriction at the core of NotebookLM – using only the information you provide – that makes it so useful. I could see it being adopted by students and knowledge workers of all stripes. Johnson says he has a notebook for his next book, where he stores ideas and asks the guide to suggest chapter structures or key characters. “That’s kind of like a targeted brainstorming notebook,” he says. He also has one for the NotebookLM project itself, where he collates announcements and memos. He used the guide to draft a press release for a new feature, and got it to come up with its own tagline: “Think smarter not *******.” There are drawbacks. The guide gives long answers to queries, which results in a lot of text to wade through, and I found a level of subjectivity creeping into the AI-generated summaries (it deemed my interview with Johnson “fascinating”). This was particularly evident in the “Audio Overview” option, a much-hyped feature that creates a 10-minute AI-generated podcast based on your sources. It’s fairly mind-blowing at first: it truly sounds like two podcast hosts knowledgably discussing the subject matter. But I found that it extrapolated from my material, making value judgments that didn’t necessarily reflect the original content. Author and tech enthusiast Steven Johnson. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer NotebookLM definitely saved me time locating information, but productivity is not just about efficiency. Johnson believes the tool can aid creativity on a deeper level. He has one notebook that he calls his “everything notebook”. It contains thousands of quotations he’s collected from ebooks over the past 25 years, and he’s slowly adding the text of all the books he’s written. He then treats it like an extension of his memory, using the AI chat to resurface topics of interest or draw connections between sources. “It’s incredibly good at just being like: ‘Oh yeah, 15 years ago you read that article about ant colonies,’” he says. This idea of outsourcing or expanding brain power is a common theme in productivity circles. The metaphor of a “second brain” comes up a lot. “The concept of the second brain is effectively a way that enables you to have another product that does a lot of the heavy lifting for you, freeing you up for more high-value work,” says Robbie O’Connor at San Francisco-based productivity platform Notion. O’Connor used to work on Google Maps and compares the second brain idea to how that app supercharged our navigational capabilities. “It gave you a lot more power, a lot more freedom, a lot more reliability,” he says. Notion offers a suite of organisational tools, with diverse templates for note-taking including a to-do list, project planner and budget, as well as AI features. It also has a calendar app and last month announced an upcoming email app. I found it overwhelming when I logged in – I usually just write a to-do list on paper. As I gamely started filling out a weekly to-do list, habit tracker and project planner, I couldn’t help but feel I was procrastinating rather than actually doing the work I was planning. A big part of Notion’s appeal, however, is its collaborative features when adopted across teams; working solo, I missed out on these benefits. skip past newsletter promotion Analysis and opinion on the week’s news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers 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 Another note-taking product, Capacities, is more intuitive, if still somewhat intimidating. This launched in 2022 and recently got a boost after being recommended by Casey Newton, a tech journalist and productivity tool power-user. Capacities’s big idea is to do away with the traditional file-and-folder computer storage system. Instead, notes are classified by type as “objects” – for instance, a book, pdf, person, weblink, image or document. You can then organise and link these objects by collating them or adding tags. The idea is that you should be able to rediscover relevant notes more easily; they get more organised over time, rather than having a single defined location from the start. “There’s no point in storing and organising stuff if it doesn’t help you in the end,” says co-founder Steffen Bleher. There’s also an AI assistant. I started collecting objects, noting down story ideas and dropping in interesting links. It was a good way to keep things in one place; usually I would jot ideas in the Apple Notes app and bookmark links in my browser. But after using Capacities for a while, I found I didn’t have that many notes to benefit from its information-networking approach. It was clear it would require long-term commitment to get the most out of it. For Bleher, Capacities is basically a lifestyle choice; he uses it for both professional and personal purposes, adding thoughts about books he’s reading and ideas that come out of discussions with friends. A video tour by co-founder Michael von Hohnhorst shows him jotting down reflections on a podcast he has just listened to and saving favourite quotes and recipes. I can’t imagine documenting my life to this degree. A Capacities blogpost states: “Building a second brain takes discipline.” Perhaps this is what I lack. The big challenge is confusing productivity with busyness. If you’re not clear in the outcomes you want, you’re not going to use the tool effectively Anna Gurun Bleher acknowledges that a small cohort of productivity power-users are dwarfed by a much longer tail of people who just want a solution to a specific workflow problem they are having. Even though he clearly falls in the first camp, he takes a pragmatic view to adopting new tech. “Many people fall in this productivity trap that they need to have crazy setups and they need to do more stuff, and in the end they basically procrastinate and then they don’t get anything done,” he says. Anna Gurun, an associate director at HSM Advisory, a future-of-work advisory group, echoes this sentiment. “The big challenge is confusing productivity with busyness,” she says. You might tick off lots of tasks in a to-do list app but are you actually achieving what you need to? Your AI calendar might organise your schedule but are you still spending too much time in unnecessary meetings? “If you’re not clear in the outcomes you want to reach then you’re not going to be able to use the tool effectively,” she says. Productivity also has a more emotional side, she adds, which tech tools can’t really help with. Maybe you’re less productive because you’re sleeping poorly or you have just been through a bad breakup. The apps can also make ******** seem *******, she says: “You sort of magnify behaviour.” These words came to mind as I looked back at a calendar tool I’d been trying out. There are many smart scheduling tools out there – I opted for Reclaim.ai, owned by Dropbox. It syncs with Google Calendar and, when used by teams, optimises the best meeting times to suit all attenders. It also has several simple but sensible features, including the ability to automatically add a “decompress” buffer after meetings that include a video link and the option to input “habits” – regular tasks you want to reserve time for. I set a daily habit to spend an hour working on that novel I keep meaning to write, which Reclaim.ai dynamically found time for around my other obligations. At first, having the calendar reminder was a good motivator, but I soon realised I’d been far too ambitious. However sophisticated the features, no scheduling tool can create more hours in the day, or force me to actually do the work. As AI gets smarter, though, it may be able to take care of more of those irksome little tasks that distract from what we really want to spend time on. The next trend is for AI “agents” – a step on from a chatbot, with the ability to actually take action. This month, AI company Anthropic demoed an experimental AI model that can automatically fill in a web form by finding data from across someone’s computer. Google is reportedly developing an AI agent that could autonomously book a flight or make an online purchase. Rahul Vohra, founder and chief executive of email app Superhuman, says this approach will come to productivity tools. Superhuman already has AI features to help write, summarise and reply to email, and recently added one that automatically makes calendar events based on emailed details. AI agents could do more. “You can imagine an AI agent that triages on your behalf, that schedules on your behalf, that even writes and one day sends fully written emails on your behalf,” he says. Want to set up a meeting or negotiate a contract? Have your **** speak to my ****. Source link #**** #speak #**** #productivity #apps #turbocharge #life #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Victory beat Western Utd thanks to Gielnik hat-trick Victory beat Western Utd thanks to Gielnik hat-trick Emily Gielnik has once again propelled Melbourne Victory to an A-League Women win, scoring a first-half hat-trick in their 4-1 triumph over Western *******. Gielnik wasted no time settling into their meeting at the Home of the Matildas, stunning ******* by scoring in the opening 12 seconds to help her side climb to second on the table and end the visitors’ undefeated run. Earlier on Sunday, Newcastle earned their first three points of their home-and-away campaign with a 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix. Recently recalled to the Matildas, Gielnik again struck ***** into her opposition when she plucked the ball off goalkeeper Alyssa Dall’Oste to add to her goal haul in the ninth minute. Catherine Zimmerman hit back for Western ******* with a headed goal in the 20th minute following a corner, but Gielnik was unrelenting. The sharpshooter completed her hat-trick in the 42nd minute courtesy of an Alex Chidiac assist, before teenager Ella O’Grady added another goal after 80 minutes. An injury to Sandra Ibarguen only added to the visitors’ woes, with the Colombian forward helped off the field following an innocuous accident with Victory’s Rachel Lowe in the 83rd minute. Forced to move to Maitland Sports Ground, Newcastle captain Cass Davis secured victory when her shot from the left boundary line found the back of the net in the 70th minute. It is the second time in three rounds the Jets have had to move grounds due to poor field conditions at their home No.2 Sportsground. Their hard-earned win lifts them to eighth (one win, one draw, one loss) on the ladder, while Phoenix remain last after their third loss. The first half was a stalemate as both sides struggled to pull off the finishing touch after creating chances. Cross-coder Sheridan Gallagher led the way in ******* and had the best chance to break the deadlock for the Jets after earning a free kick deep into added time before half-time, but the NRLW player’s attempt was too high. Wellington threatened to steal the three points from the visitors when captain Annalie Longo delivered a cross in the 67th minute just in front of goal, but Olivia Fergusson did not get to the ball in time. The ‘Nix could be without Longo, who left the game following a collision with Lara Gooch in the last minute of regulation time. Gooch appeared to have made contact with Longo’s face, but the extent of the injury is not yet known. Source link #Victory #beat #Western #Utd #Gielnik #hattrick Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harry Kane: England captain says side must be careful not to lose culture they have built Harry Kane: England captain says side must be careful not to lose culture they have built England will be promoted to League A if they beat the Republic of Ireland in Sunday’s Nations League match at Wembley. “If we win, it sets us up really well for the year ahead going into the [2026] World Cup,” said Bayern Munich forward Kane. “These are the camps where you build that culture and togetherness that lead you into the World Cup. It is just a reminder that playing for England is really, really special. “For me personally it is one of the greatest things I do as a professional footballer.” Thomas Tuchel takes over as England boss on 1 January and Kane said it was up to the experienced players to pass on the message about team culture to the younger ones in the national set-up. “I’m sure Thomas will come in and have ideas and ways he wants to build his culture,” added Kane. “Ultimately we have had some really good tournaments and it’s about sharing those experiences with the players who haven’t had as much exposure to that.” Kane was dropped in favour of Ollie Watkins for the win over Greece before replacing the Aston Villa striker on 66 minutes. The former Tottenham forward, who is set to start against the Republic of Ireland, said he was “a little bit” shocked at being dropped by Carsley. “I’ve made it clear that I want to start every game,” said Kane. “I want to try to help the team. I understood his decision. But it was new for me.” Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Kane added: “Ultimately, I’m here because I’m one of the top goalscorers in the world at the moment. “Sometimes I feel like there’s a perception that maybe I’m just here because I’m the captain, but it’s not the case. I’m in the best form I’ve been in in my career.” Source link #Harry #Kane #England #captain #side #careful #lose #culture #built Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tatum three-pointer has Boston buzzing with excitement Tatum three-pointer has Boston buzzing with excitement Jayson Tatum hit a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime as the Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123 in their NBA clash in Boston. Tatum finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT). Jaylen Brown added 27 points, and Al Horford and Derrick White scored 18 points apiece. Toronto have lost seven straight and ******* to register their first road win of the season despite getting a career-high 35 points from Jakob Poeltl. RJ Barrett added 25 points and 10 rebounds. With the game tied at 112-112 in regulation, Barrett connected on a runner in the lane and was fouled by Brown with 59 seconds remaining, but missed his ensuing free throw. Boston’s Neemias Queta, who started in place of Jrue Holiday (left knee tendinopathy), scored a driving lay-up on Boston’s next possession. In Charlotte, North Carolina, LaMelo Ball scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half as Charlotte overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first triple-double of the season to beat Milwaukee 115-114. Antetokounmpo had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but his foul-line jumper rimmed out. *********** Josh Green had a terrific game for the Hornets, contributing 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Miles Bridges returned from a three-game absence and scored 19 points, while Moussa Diabate added 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench for the home side. Taurean Price had 23 points for the Bucks, while Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. In Sacramento, after scoring 60 points in a losing effort the previous night, De’Aaron Fox scored 49 points to lead the Kings to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz. Fox went 16-of-30 from the field and made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line, and also added nine assists and two steals. He now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins. Lauri Markkanen had 25 points, Collin Sexton added 18 points and Keyonte George scored 19 points for the Jazz. In New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds as Los Angeles extended their winning streak to five games with a 104-99 victory over the Pelicans. LeBron James highlighted a 21-point performance with a pair of pivotal three-pointers in the final minutes, but his career-long four-game triple-double streak came to an end. Rookie Dalton Knecht hit five threes to finish with a career-high 27 points for the Lakers. One night after posting 40 points and 12 rebounds in a victory at San Antonio, Davis reached the 30-point plateau for the eighth time in 12 games this season. Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 16 points for the Pelicans, who have lost 10 of their past 12 games. In Dallas, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford scored 22 points apiece as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak with a 110-93 win over San Antonio, who played without star centre Victor Wembanyama. The 221cm Wembanyama, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, was sidelined with a bruised right knee. Zach Collins, Wembanyama’s replacement in the starting line-up, led the Spurs with a season-high 20 points. Gafford set a season high for points as the Mavericks got a season-best 54 from their bench. Source link #Tatum #threepointer #Boston #buzzing #excitement Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Finland’s 100MW sand battery turns 2,000 tons of fireplace waste into power Finland’s 100MW sand battery turns 2,000 tons of fireplace waste into power A hot new contender in the realm of energy storage is emerging. Finnish company Polar Night Energy is rapidly advancing the development of an industrial-scale Sand Battery. This sustainable energy storage solution is being constructed in Pornainen, southern Finland. This sand battery is a thermal energy storage system that utilizes a unique material: crushed soapstone. What makes this project even more special is its commitment to circular economy. The soapstone, a by-product of Tulikivi’s fireplace production, is repurposed to power a community. Once ready, it will serve as a thermal energy source for power station Loviisan Lämpö’s district heating network. “We’re very pleased to use a by-product of Tulikivi’s production instead of ******* materials for the Sand Battery, supporting the principles of circular economy. We have high expectations for soapstone’s performance,” said Tommi Eronen, CEO of Polar Night Energy. Depiction of sand battery storage and supply. Polar Night Energy 2,000 tons of crushed soapstone used The Sand Battery was filled with 2,000 tons of soapstone, which is the approximate weight of one thousand soapstone fireplaces. The site has received 40 truckloads of crushed soapstone for this purpose. The giant Sand Battery will be the main power source for Pornainen’s district heating network. It will be capable of generating 1 megawatt (MW) of power and storing 100 MWh of energy. In terms of size, this unique battery will have a height of about 13 meters and a width of roughly 15 meters. The soapstone filling process is done. As per the press release, the next phase will see the final stages of installation, followed by rigorous winter testing. The Sand Battery is expected to begin operations in 2025. The project has received financial support from Business Finland’s new technology energy aid program. Circular economy Soapstone — a material with a long history in Finland — is primarily mined in the regions of North Karelia and Kainuu. These rocks have exceptional thermal conductivity. Besides its efficient heat conduction, soapstone is also remarkable for its ability to retain heat, surpassing the performance of many other rocks. This stored energy can then be released to provide reliable and sustainable heat for homes and businesses. ****** research by the two companies has confirmed the suitability of crushed soapstone for use in Loviisan Lämpö’s Sand Battery. Moreover, this plant will operate entirely on electricity, eliminating the need for fuel transportation and contributing to a cleaner energy future. “The Sand Battery will significantly reduce the combustion-based energy used in our district heating network, and the collaboration with Tulikivi has added a valuable circular economy aspect to this project,” said Mikko Paajanen, Loviisan Lämpö CEO, in the press release. Loviisan Lämpö company is a district heating provider for Loviisa, Pukkila, Pornainen, Pyhtää Siltakylä, Pyhtää village center, and Lappohja. This innovative approach reduces waste and promotes a circular economy. Instead of being discarded as waste, soapstone is being given a new life as a valuable component in the Sand Battery. This reduces the need for extracting and processing new materials. “The principles of the circular economy challenge the mining industry to seek new solutions. For instance, we’ve started using recycled ceramics in some of our new fireplaces. This innovative Sand Battery cooperation is one example of the fresh thinking we need more of,” said Heikki Vauhkonen, CEO of Tulikivi. Source link #Finlands #100MW #sand #battery #turns #tons #fireplace #waste #power Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Daniel Staltari: ******, stoned, speeding driver who ******* grandfather in head-on ****** gets more jail time Daniel Staltari: ******, stoned, speeding driver who ******* grandfather in head-on ****** gets more jail time A 27-year-old man who filmed himself speeding moments before he ******* a grandfather in a high speed, head-on ****** on South Western Highway has copped more jail time after the State appealed his sentence. Source link #Daniel #Staltari #****** #stoned #speeding #driver #******* #grandfather #headon #****** #jail #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]