Pelican Press

Twitch streamers’ uploads and highlights can no longer exceed 100 hours Twitch streamers’ uploads and highlights can no longer exceed 100 hours Twitch is putting a cap on how much storage a streamer can take up for their uploads and highlight videos. The streaming service has announced that starting on April 19, all uploads and highlights will count towards a new 100-hour storage limit for each streamer, whether the videos are published or not. To note, the cap doesn’t apply to past broadcasts, which are previous livestreams saved to a streamer’s account for on-demand viewing, or clips, which are minute-long segments that can be shared to social networks. Highlights can be longer than clips and can be made of several key moments from a video, which means they could take up more storage space. The service explained that it originally launched highlights to drive discovery and engagement for streamers, but the feature apparently hasn’t been as effective clips and the mobile discovery feed. Storage is costly, and limiting highlights and uploads will allow the service to support the videos users want to keep on their accounts while also investing in improvements for features like Clips and mobile feed. Twitch said less than 0.5 percent of active streamers has gone over the 100-hour limit, and those who have will be notified directly. To make it easier for streamers to choose which videos they want to keep, Twitch has rolled out filters for Video Producer that will allow them to sort their content based on length, view count and date created. The service will be deleting videos for users that go beyond the 100-hour cap on April 19 and will be limiting uploads and highlights going forward. Source link #Twitch #streamers #uploads #highlights #longer #exceed #hours Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

5070 vs 9070 — battle for the best affordable 5070 vs 9070 — battle for the best affordable Nvidia Table of Contents Table of Contents Pricing and availability Specifications Performance AMD’s time is now, but can it meet the moment? Let’s be real. As much as we might get excited about the RTX 5080’s gaming chops and the sheer ridiculousness of the RTX 5090, but almost nobody is going to actually buy these cards. The most popular GPUs by far are the more mid-range alternatives, with the XX70 series being a great cross-section between affordability and aspiration. Most people buy an XX60 card, but if you can buy an XX70, you will. That’s why the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 are two of the most enticing cards of 2025. How will they perform? How much will they cost? Which is the better buy? We can’t know for sure until we’ve had enough hands on time with them, but until then, here’s how they shake out with what we know so far. Pricing and availability Neither of these cards are available at the time of writing. However, we have a launch date and suggested retail price for the RTX 5070. It’s set to launch on March 5, with Nvidia pushing for a price tag of $550. That seems unlikely to last long after launch, though, as to date all 50-series cards have sold out almost immediately at launch and prices have risen astronomically in turn as scalpers run wild. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming AMD’s RX 9070 hasn’t been officially unveiled just yet, but AMD is set to give us more details in early March. Its expected to go on ***** that same month, but pricing remains completely unknown for now. There have been rumors, but they’ve been so wildly broad that there’s clearly little consensus in what the GPU will cost as of yet. TechPowerUp / Gigabyte Specifications Nvidia RTX 5070 AMD RX 9070 Graphics Cores 6,144 4,096 (rumored) RT Cores 48, 4th generation 64 (rumored) Tensor Cores 192, 5th generation N/A Boost clock 2.51GHz 2.7GHz (rumored) Memory size 12GB GDDR7 16GB GDDR6 (rumored) Memory bus 192-bit 256-bit (rumored) Memory speed 28Gbps 19.5Gbps (rumored) Memory bandwidth 672GBps 624GBps (rumored) TBP 250W 260W (rumored) The RTX 5070 is only a very modest uptick in its on-paper capabilities compared to the last-generation 4070. It has only four percent more CUDA cores, and literally two more RT cores — although they, like the Tensor cores, are part of a new-generation design. Clock speeds are similar, too, and there’s the same quantity of memory, albeit GDDR7 this time around, so it’s faster. All of that sets up fairly standard competition for AMD’s RX 9070, which unfortunately we don’t have official specifications for yet. However, rumors do give us some numbers to play with, notably the larger 16GB of GDDR6 memory, which would give this card some more headroom in modern gaming at 1440p. We’re already seeing some top titles demand over 15GB at 4K, so the 12GB on the 5070 might hit a wall in the not-too-distant future and struggle with higher-end visual features. Here’s hoping neural texture rendering can help there. Performance This one is very much an unknown, even if we do have some rumors, leaks, and some heavily-skewed graphs from Nvidia to help guide our thoughts. Nvidia Nvidia claimed at CES 2025 that the 5070 was going to offer 4090 performance. Well, the 5080 doesn’t even do that, so that claim is out the window. If we look to the far left of Nvidia’s graph, it looks like the 5070 will be maybe 20-30% faster than the 4070 — that’s the non-Super variant, mind you. AMD’s RX 9070 has been rumored to perform around the same level as a 7900 GRE, or a little faster than the 4070 Super… so potentially very close to the 5070. If that proved to be the case, AMD would need to undercut the potentially much-higher Nvidia price tag, once scalpers get their hands on it. The elephant in the room though, is upscaling and frame generation. Nvidia’s DLSS 4 is excellent and the multi frame gen can be great in the right circumstances. AMD will introduce FSR4 and its own frame generation technology with theh RX 9000 series, so it does have the potential to pull level with Nvidia. It hasn’t managed to do it yet, though, so we’ll have to see how that shakes out. AMD’s time is now, but can it meet the moment? AMD looks set to launch a card that is roughly comparable in performance to the 5070, with more memory, a frame generation technology of its own, and improved dynamic FSR upscaling. If that all proves true, it really needs to meet the moment on price. If AMD can sell this card for $450, or even $500 and actually have the card in stock, it could be exceedingly popular. Recent GPU pricing madness means you’ll need to spend over $400 to even buy an RTX 4060, so something that’s close to twice that performance for just $100 more? AMD would be on to a winner. It just comes down to what kind of stock it has. If there’s a lot, AMD could be on to a real win, but if not, it’s a toss up as far as we can see for now. Source link #battle #affordable Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Delta Upside-Down Plane ****** Outcome a ‘Miracle,’ Experts Say Delta Upside-Down Plane ****** Outcome a ‘Miracle,’ Experts Say Experts are calling it a “miracle” after no one died when a Delta Airlines plane flipped upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The harrowing incident unfolded Monday afternoon when an airplane from Minneapolis was attempting to land. All 80 passengers and crew members are accounted for, with eight people injured. Listen to the latest episode of “Quick Start” Greg Feith, former senior air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, told News Nation it’s possible the CRJ900 jet bounced upon landing, causing the pilots to lose control. “The good thing is … both the wings were shed,” he said. “That usually takes up a lot of the major impact forces. And because the tube — the fuselage tube — stayed intact, that’s what enhanced the survivability for all these people, even though there was a small fire that did break out.” Two retired commercial pilots, Richard Levy and Michael Coffield, called the traumatic ordeal a “miracle.” After the ******, 21 people were transported to area hospitals. In a statement released Tuesday morning, Delta Airlines revealed 19 of them had been released from the hospital. “Our most pressing priority remains taking care of all customers and Endeavor crew members who were involved,” said Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian. Experts explained to The Minnesota Star Tribune investigators will be looking into a number of factors that could have contributed to the incident, including the experience levels of the pilots and crew as well as the weather conditions in Toronto, like the potential for complications from a crosswind. “Maneuvering crosswinds can be challenging,” said J.F. Joseph of Joseph Aviation Consulting. “No two crosswinds are alike; they are dynamic. That presents additional challenges to the pilot.” Please continue to pray for the recovery of all those involved in the ******. ***Please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** Source link #Delta #UpsideDown #Plane #****** #Outcome #Miracle #Experts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals Layoffs At US Team Influenced In Part By “Geopolitical Risks,” Analyst Says Marvel Rivals Layoffs At US Team Influenced In Part By “Geopolitical Risks,” Analyst Says The recent announcement that NetEase was laying off some of its US-based Marvel Rivals developers, including one of the game’s directors, prompted concern and questions given that the hero shooter is performing well in the market with 40 million players. Now, a clearer picture of what’s going on and the context behind the shocking decision is coming into focus. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad published a report in which he offered his take. Ahmad said there is “some truth” to how various ******** game companies are downsizing their US operations due in part to “geopolitical risks” under the new Trump administration. However, there may be more to the story. Ahmad said the “full picture is more nuanced” and might also reflect NetEase performing a “recalibration of its global strategy.” In addition to the layoffs at the Marvel Rivals team at NetEase is Seattle–under a dozen people were reportedly affected–NetEase made a number of other significant drawbacks to its global games business. Ahmad pointed out how NetEase either closed or scaled down funding for Ouka Studio in Japan, Worlds Untold in Canada, and Jar of Sparks in the US. More recently, Just Cause creator Christopher Sundberg’s new studio Liquid Swords announced cuts, as did Halo Infinite co-developer SkyBox Labs in Canada. Both teams were funded in part by NetEase. “NetEase aggressively expanded its overseas footprint between 2019 and 2023, opening and investing in numerous studios outside China with the aim to develop high-end PC and console games,” Ahmad said. “NetEase’s recent decisions regarding its overseas investments and studio operations reflect a broader recalibration of its global strategy, driven by multiple factors. This change in strategy has impacted both US based studios and non-US based studios.” Ahmad went on to note that the “core” development team for Marvel Rivals is based in Guangzhou, China. This includes a second game director, Guangyun Chen, alongside the US-based director, Thaddeus Sasser, who was let go this week. Also in his note, Ahmad said NetEase and other ******** giants like Tencent and miHoYo invested significantly in overseas games and teams to try to reach players globally. However, Ahmad said a “turning point” for ******** companies came in 2024 when ****** Myth: Wukong, developed by a relatively small ******** team at Game Science, broke out and became a giant success. “The success of ****** Myth: Wukong challenged the industry’s assumption that only Western or Japanese AAA studios could produce globally competitive PC and console titles,” Ahmad said. So why did NetEase cut its US-based Marvel Rivals development team? We may never know the real answer, but Ahmad said it has more to do with “high costs and lower returns” over the past few years following a pullback after the ***** of the pandemic. “Therefore, streamlining operations helps reduce costs and shorten development cycles, and NetEase is now following a new strategy both for these reasons and to mitigate risk from US-China policy changes,” he said. It’s not just NetEase that’s scaling back operations in the US, as the US video game industry has undergone turbulent times of late, with thousands of layoffs rocking the business in the past few years. These cuts come as some US-based video game companies, including Electronic Arts, continue to see huge profits. Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Layoffs #Team #Influenced #Part #Geopolitical #Risks #Analyst Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple’s careful approach is killing my interest in Apple Intelligence – here’s what I want Apple to do Apple’s careful approach is killing my interest in Apple Intelligence – here’s what I want Apple to do Apple has arguably delivered a lot of artificial intelligence in the roughly 8 months since it unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, but it’s also failed to deliver the most promising aspect of its AI strategy: a smarter, more useful, and far more aware Siri. Siri hasn’t been entirely left out. It’s more conversational but the limits of its capabilities are still painfully apparent. Virtually all difficult questions are handed off to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s far more powerful generative chatbot. And it’s not even a particularly smooth or fast handover. When I was on vacation, I started taking pictures of the stars with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. At one point I realized I couldn’t easily identify some of the star clusters and constellations. I captured a screenshot and asked Siri to identify the stars in the image I shared. There was a pause and then Siri told me, “To answer that, I’ll need to send this photo to ChatGPT. Should I go ahead?” While I guess I’m glad Apple has a way to answer these questions, I still can’t get over the fact that Apple hasn’t figured out how to natively support them. I get that Apple is not a generative, large language model leader like OpenAI or Google (Gemini support has been promised but has yet to arrive), but this feels like it’s not even trying. Okay, perhaps I can get over the fact that Apple Intelligence will never produce one-stop shopping for all my generative AI needs, but my disappointment goes further than that. (Image credit: Future) The long wait Apple promised that by this year we’d have all of Apple Intelligence’s features including the ones I’ve been waiting for: Siri’s situational awareness (using what it knows about you from the phone) and its ability to see what’s going on on your screen, understand it, and act on your behalf based on that knowledge. Some believed we might see the full realization of this promise with iOS 18.4 but that update appears delayed. No one knows why and Apple certainly isn’t talking about it but I’m concerned that this is another by-product of Apple’s overly cautious approach. Yes, I get that Apple is the most privacy-aware and secure consumer platform and ecosystem. A portion of their AI strategy revolves around Private Cloud Compute. But what is that locked-down vapor actually doing for us? I worry that Apple is so afraid of breaking this ironclad security promise that it’s falling way behind the AI competition, which happily runs roughshod over most of these privacy and data concerns, and usually does mop-up after the fact when someone cries foul. It is the “move fast and break things” style of development that Facebook (now Meta) once ascribed to and eventually left behind when the company grew up. But that was then and this is now – and by now, I mean the AI revolution. The only way to stay ahead of it is to move as fast as it’s developing around you. AI Time Apple appears locked in an old model of long-term software upgrade cycles. I won’t claim that Apple is working on the old 18-month model, but the promises for Apple Intelligence stretched out over almost a year. It’s as if Apple doesn’t fully comprehend the AI development pace. OpenAI and its competitors are not working on 12-, 9-, or 6-month cycles. We’re getting significant model updates every three months, and sometimes in bunches. It feels like a free-for-all because it is. I think everyone in this space understands this as a race and it’s only Apple that appears stuck near the starting line. You might argue that Apple has delivered a lot of Apple intelligence since June. There are features like Genmojis, Image Playground, and Writing Tools that vary on the scale of utility. Most are not very useful at all. Why do I need to spend time creating silly images of me or my friends, or whimsical Genmojis featuring animals that I can share in messages? I’d honestly prefer Apple get to work on generative image creation that produces more usable images. Even writing Tools is not something I tap into very often (if at all). and don’t get me started on summaries, most of which are word salads of important information, slamming together disparate ideas in a way that makes them more confusing than actionable. Meanwhile, Siri remains the disappointment it’s long been, trailing so far behind Gemini and ChatGPT that it’s clear they’re not in the same class. It’s time for Apple to stop being so cautious and officially join the fight. I think Siri is still a massive opportunity for on-device intelligence, instant information, and automation. Now it’s time for Apple to let go, hurry up, and do its thing. You might also like Source link #Apples #careful #approach #killing #interest #Apple #Intelligence #heres #Apple Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Homelessness Australia calls for boost to support services ahead of 2025 federal election Homelessness Australia calls for boost to support services ahead of 2025 federal election Voters are looking for increased support for homelessness services, as more than 120,000 Australians facing homelessness reveal they’re not getting the support they need. The latest Homelessness Australia analysis found 75,277 people are turned away by overstretched homelessness services each year, while 48,195 people don’t even make it through the door. The analysis, which cross-referenced data from the *********** Institute of Health and ********, Productivity Commission and Impact Economics, revealed these unmet needs could be fulfilled with an overall funding boost of $671m. Camera IconNew research reveals homelessness is at top of mind for voters. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia Homelessness Australia chief executive officer Kate Colvin said voters were becoming increasingly aware of the risk of homelessness as cost of living pressures continue to hit household budgets. “People’s fears have escalated beyond missing a rent or mortgage payment,” Ms Colvin said. “They now fear being turfed out of their home, with no safety net to catch them. “Our housing crisis has created a national homelessness emergency and voters want to know the government has their back. “This data shows there is a political opportunity to put forward a plan to catch people before they fall into homelessness and ensure that no one is ever turned away because support services are overstretched.” Camera IconHomelessness Australia chief executive officer Kate Colvin says voters are looking to the politicians to step and provide support for those at risk of homelessness. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia The latest Redbridge data found there was increasing support for increasing investment in services for homeless children and young people, with 86 per cent of voters aged 18-34 showing support and 92 per cent of voters aged 65 and older supporting the idea. It comes as Redbridge research across 24 battleground electorates also found 60 per cent of respondents under financial stress have noticed an increase in homelessness in their communities. Ms Colvin said the majority of those polled called for the bolstering of services, including 89 per cent for increased investment for women and children escaping domestic violence, 80 per cent for people sleeping rough, and 73 per cent for those at risk of losing their home. “We know homelessness not only takes a toll on the people experiencing it, but on the broader community, and people want this issue addressed,” she said. “This polling shows that ending long-term homelessness is not only the right thing to do, it has deep public support. “We know what needs to be done to end homelessness and ease the housing crisis, we just need a commitment from the federal government to fund these initiatives. Voters are on board, so it’s time to get it done.” Ahead of the federal election, the Homelessness Australia is also calling for low cost social or affordable rentals to make up at least 10 per cent of the total housing stock as well as a boost to Commonwealth Rent Assistance. Source link #Homelessness #Australia #calls #boost #support #services #ahead #federal #election Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft trims File Explorer’s Recent, Favorites, and Recommended content in Europe Microsoft trims File Explorer’s Recent, Favorites, and Recommended content in Europe Windows 11 24H2 Preview Build 26120.3281 is now available on the Dev and Beta channels, and one of its biggest changes is the removal of Recent, Favorites, and Recommended content, alongside the Details Pane, in File Explorer. According to The Register, the Redmond software giant made this move to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulations, as these four features require account-based content. Note that this move will only affect Entra ID (i.e., corporate) users in the European Economic Area, so you probably won’t have to explain to your mom why her Favorites folder is missing. While these shortcuts are quite useful in simplifying workflows, they could also reveal sensitive user data. So, Microsoft had to deprecate these features, at least in Europe, to comply with the GDPR. Aside from this, the company is also removing the Location History API from this update, meaning your device’s location data will no longer be stored on it. This will also remove Location from Settings > Privacy & security, so you no longer have to worry about your PC keeping notes on the places where it’s been. The API was previously used by Cortana to determine your device’s location, but it’s no longer needed after the company the discontinuation of the assistant and its replacement by Copilot. However, even if the operating system no longer saves your location locally, Microsoft has yet to confirm if it saves your location data online. These updates are still on the Dev and Beta channels, so the average Windows user should not expect to see the changes arrive soon. Furthermore, seeing these changes in Preview Releases does not mean that they will even make it to general release — there’s still a chance that Microsoft might find use for the Location API, or its users might complain about the missing File Explorer features. We just hope that the changes that it’s making to Windows 11 will not introduce new problems for users. After all, Microsoft has a history of problematic updates, like a security update that broke the sound output of PCs using external DACs, and the latest one breaking the File Explorer app and preventing users from accessing their files and folders. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Microsoft #trims #File #Explorers #Favorites #Recommended #content #Europe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

James Bond Shocker: Amazon MGM Gains Creative Control of 007 Franchise as Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Step Back – Variety James Bond Shocker: Amazon MGM Gains Creative Control of 007 Franchise as Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Step Back – Variety James Bond Shocker: Amazon MGM Gains Creative Control of 007 Franchise as Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Step Back VarietyJames Bond Shakeup: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Cede Creative Control to Amazon MGM Studios TheWrapJames Bond’s long-serving producers give control to Amazon BBC.comAmazon’s MGM Studios to take creative control over ‘James Bond’ franchise Yahoo FinanceThe Future of James Bond Is Now in Amazon Studios’ Hands Collider Source link #James #Bond #Shocker #Amazon #MGM #Gains #Creative #Control #Franchise #Producers #Barbara #Broccoli #Michael #Wilson #Step #Variety Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Valve just released the source code for Team Fortress 2 — on purpose Valve just released the source code for Team Fortress 2 — on purpose Valve just released the entirety of the Team Fortress 2 client and server source code, and it wasn’t even an accident. In a post on the Team Fortress website titled “The TF2 SDK has arrived!” Valve addresses mod creators directly. “We’ve just released a massive update to the Source SDK, adding all the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code. This update will allow content creators to build entirely new games based on TF2,” the post says. Valve adds that it is also updating all of its multiplayer back-catalogue Source engine titles, adding in a load of improvements to make them more playable. However, there’s a caveat: any games created with this source code must be free: “The SDK is licensed to users on a non-commercial basis, meaning that any mod created using the SDK must be free, and any content in those mods must be free.” Valve goes on to ask that mod makers not create mods that would profit off the efforts of all the Steam Workshop contributors over the years, and that they hope players will continue to be able to access their TF2 inventory if it makes sense for the mod. Valve Software Team Fortress 2 is 18 years old now, long past the point most player counts have dwindled to nothing, yet its fan base continues to be as loyal as ever. Part of that is due to Valve’s continued support of the game, fixing bugs 17 years after the game launched. Please enable Javascript to view this content Valve acknowledges the community’s part in keeping the game alive. “The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community,” its post says. Releasing the source code feels like Valve is officially passing the torch to the fans, a final tribute to the community — especially since Valve is bound by fate to never release a trilogy. With the full source code in hand, the community can keep the Team Fortress 2 going for years to come and potentially create an entire extended universe of Scout-based shenanigans. Source link #Valve #released #source #code #Team #Fortress #purpose Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cube semantic layer eases data access from Power ***, Excel Cube semantic layer eases data access from Power ***, Excel Cube unveiled an expanded partnership with Microsoft, launching new integrations between its semantic layer and both Power *** and Excel, enabling joint customers to better access data for analysis. Based in San Francisco, Cube is a 2019 startup whose Cube Cloud platform is a semantic layer designed to enable users to eliminate isolated data, establish consistent models and governance, simplify access and exploration, discover data for reuse and easily integrate with APIs. Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) API for Power *** integrates Cube’s semantic layer with Power *** so that joint customers can access live data in cloud data warehouses directly from Power *** using DAX, Power ***’s native query language. Cube Cloud for Excel Add-in, meanwhile, uses Cube’s Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) API to connect governed data with Excel so users can update spreadsheets with a single click to analyze current data. Accessing live data in data warehouses has been a struggle for many Power *** users, according to Donald Farmer, founder and principal of TreeHive Strategy. As a result, Cube’s new integration with Power ***, launched on Feb. 18, and its semantic layer is a significant addition for joint Cube and Microsoft customers. “The ability to query cloud data warehouses with DAX really is a breakthrough for teams who have struggled to make Power *** work with their preferred data warehouse platforms,” Farmer said, noting that even using Power *** with Microsoft’s own Fabric platform has been a struggle for data architects and engineers. Regarding the integration between Cube’s semantic layer and Excel, Farmer added that it also is significant because it simplifies connections between Excel and cloud data storage platforms. “The Excel connectivity is also an excellent addition,” he said. Cube and Microsoft first partnered in March 2024. New capabilities Data architects and engineers have long been able to connect Power *** and Excel directly to data warehouses such as Azure or third-party platforms, including Databricks and Snowflake. Such direct connections, however, don’t always work smoothly. MDX was developed by Microsoft in the late 1990s to connect analytics tools with multi-dimensional online application processing (OLAP) cubes. DAX was developed later by Microsoft as an intended improvement and became the query language for Power ***. Neither, however, is the current industry standard. Instead, SQL has become the query language for most analytics and data warehouse platforms. Before Cube’s new integrations, Power *** and Excel users had to either copy and move data from data warehouses via import mode or MDX and DAX needed to be translated to SQL in Microsoft’s DirectQuery mode. Copying and moving data can be labor intensive. At the same time, translations from Microsoft’s query languages to SQL are not always seamless, which leads to lack of performance, according to Artyom Keydunov, Cube’s founder and CEO. The integrations between Cube’s semantic layer and Microsoft’s analytics platforms are intended to address query performance. “The SQL generated is frequently unoptimized and performs poorly,” Keydunov said. “Our aim with the [the integrations] is to improve this performance.” Because the integrations improve query performance between Power *** and Excel and cloud data warehouses, they address major trends, according to Kevin Petrie, an analyst at BARC U.S. One is the sustained popularity of spreadsheets. Another is that data remains highly distributed despite the efforts of cloud data platforms to help organizations consolidate. As a result, the integrations are noteworthy. “This announcement gives companies a useful method of analyzing data,” Petrie said. “Analysts and data teams of all types need to access distributed data wherever it resides in order to drive decisions and support increasingly advanced models.” Like Keydunov, Farmer noted that direct connections between Microsoft’s analytics platforms and data warehouses often produce poor results. In addition, for those choosing to use DirectQuery, costs can add up, he continued. Cube’s semantic layer enables users to cache data, which results in more efficient access from Power *** and Excel. And it enables such access via DAX and MDX. “By enabling connectivity with both these standards, Cube has created a modern OLAP solution which is a real breakthrough in engineering for them,” Farmer said. Regarding the impetus for integrating Cube’s semantic layer with Power *** and Excel, customer feedback was a significant factor, according to Keydunov. Power *** is perhaps the most widely used business intelligence platform, with over 12 million users. Excel, meanwhile, remains the most popular tool for business analysis, with over 750 million users. “The continued investments in new Microsoft integrations are a direct response to enterprise customer demand for these capabilities,” Keydunov said. Future plans In addition to its partnership with Microsoft, Cube is a partner with AWS, Google Cloud, Databricks and Snowflake. However, despite integrations with prominent data platform vendors, Cube’s semantic layer platform is a relative newcomer compared to others providing similar capabilities, such as AtScale, GoodData, Looker and MicroStrategy. In addition, its total funding of $46.7 million, including $25 million in 2024, is far less than that of other competitors, such as DBT Labs. To compete, one of Cube’s goals is to continue modernizing OLAP, according to Keydunov. Another is to emerge as a catalyst for AI adoption by enabling customers to turn raw cloud data into AI-ready data. “With well-defined semantic modeling, it becomes possible to deliver consistent, reliable, and trustworthy AI outputs and autonomous actions,” Keydunov said. That focus on supporting AI platforms is wise, according to Petrie. Universal semantic layers are a valuable way to unify access to distributed data, he noted. Migrating data, data sovereignty requirements and security risks often prevent organizations from consolidating data in one location. Semantic layers help address that sprawl. Access to data, meanwhile, is critical for AI development. Cube now supports platforms such as the LangChain framework. But there are opportunities to integrate with others, according to Petrie. “I would recommend they consider extending their support to include other AI/ML platforms such as Dataiku and Domino Data Lab,” he said. “Data scientists need easy access to structured data as they train advanced models and put them into production.” Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He covers analytics and data management. Source link #Cube #semantic #layer #eases #data #access #Power #Excel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Beauty Stocks Off to an Ugly Start—Can 1 Stage a Comeback? 3 Beauty Stocks Off to an Ugly Start—Can 1 Stage a Comeback? However, retail and wholesale beauty stocks have been in a steady decline, with losses accelerating in 2025. Once a Wall Street favorite, Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:) ended 2024 down 11.24% and is currently down 16.05% YTD. Coty (NYSE:) fared worse, closing 2024 with a 43.96% loss and sliding 19.83% YTD. e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:) also struggled, finishing 2024 with a 13.02% drop. The biggest loser in 2025 so far is e.l.f. Beauty, which has plummeted 41.86% YTD as of Feb. 14, 2025. While the sector’s rough start has been anything but glamorous, beauty stocks may be approaching a capitulation point—setting up at least one for a potential comeback this year. 1. Ulta Beauty: The Incumbent Retailer Giant Ulta Beauty is the nation’s largest beauty supply retailer, selling mass and high-end premium cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, and hair care products in all 50 states through 1,385 locations. The company even has store-within-stores at select Target (NYSE:) department stores. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for Ulta Beauty has been 17% since 2010, with operating margins consistently in the 12% to 15% range. Of the five categories, including cosmetics, skincare, bath & fragrance, and hair care, skincare has been the strongest growth driver at a CAGR of 19.3%. Ulta Reports Solid FQ3 Earnings and Raised Guidance Ulta Beauty reported fiscal Q3 2025 EPS of $5.14, beating consensus estimates by 61 cents. Revenues rose 1.7% YoY to $2.53 billion, beating consensus estimates of $2.5 billion. Same-store comps rose 0.6% YoY. The company addressed normalization in the beauty industry as customers remained focused on extracting the most from their tightening budgets. Ulta Beauty issued upside guidance for fiscal 2025 with EPS of $23.20 to $23.75, up from 22.60 to $23.50 previously forecast, versus $23.13 consensus estimates. Revenues are expected between $11.1 billion to $11.2 billion, versus $11.17 billion. The company expects YoY comps to be negative 1% to flat. 2. Coty: Pockets of Headwinds Causing Top and Bottom-Line Miss Coty is a manufacturer of beauty products and also a licensor of fragrance brands. Coty saw weakness in China, which led to weak sales of its color cosmetics. Prestige Fragrances continued to outperform. Coty’s Prestige portfolio of brands includes Tiffany & Co. Burberry, Calvin Klein, Cloe, Davidoff, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Joop!, Kylie Cosmetics, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs and SKKN. Coty reported fiscal Q2 2025 EPS of 11 cents, missing consensus estimates by 10 cents. Revenues fell 3.3% YoY to $1.67 billion, which also missed consensus estimates of $1.72 billion. The company issued in-line guidance for fiscal FY 2025 EPS of 50 cents to 52 cents vs. 52 cents consensus estimates. CEO Sue Nabi commented, “Pressure in pockets of our business, which we discussed at length on the last earnings call, namely in China, Travel Retail Asia, Australia, and in Consumer Beauty U.S., cumulatively impacted us even more significantly in Q2.” e.l.f. Beauty: Flying Too Close to the Sun e.l.f. Beauty shareholders have been on a rollercoaster ride as shares surged to a high of $221.83 in 2024 but have since unraveled to 52-week lows on its recent earnings miss. e.l.f. Beauty is also a manufacturer of cosmetic and skincare products under its e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, Keys Soulcare, and Naturium brands. The company’s products had a perfect storm of social media buzz, Gen-Z buyers, value, quality, and affordability in the age of inclusivity. However, the stock has been unraveling just as fast as it surged. Even with the sell-off, shares are still trading at a P/E of 43.2, which is much higher than the 24.3 industry average, and a price-to-free cash flow (FCF) of 173.4, much higher than the industry average of 22.05. 3. The Higher They Go, The Harder They Fall e.l.f. Beauty reported fiscal Q3 2025 EPS of 74 cents, missing estimates by 2 cents. Revenues still surged impressively by 31.2% YoY to $355.3 million, crushing $330.4 million. FQ3 was the 24th consecutive quarter of revenue growth as U.S. market share increased by 220 bps. Softer-than-expected consumption trends at the start of the calendar year 2025 are attributed to the declining category. The company cut its Q4 net sales outlook to a range of negative 1% to 2%, e.l.f. Beauty lowered its guidance for the fiscal full-year 2025 of EPS of $3.27 to $3.32, down from earlier estimates of $3.47 to $3.53, versus $3.60 consensus estimates. FY 2025 revenue is expected to be between $1.300 to $1.310 billion, down from the previous estimate of $1.315 to $1.335 billion, vs. $1.34 billion. e.l.f. CEO Mandy Fields commented, “Given softer-than-expected trends in January, we are taking a prudent approach and lowering our outlook for the final quarter of our fiscal year. Our updated outlook for fiscal 2025 reflects an expected 27-28% year-over-year increase in net sales, as compared to an expected 28-30% increase previously.” The Bottom Line: Ulta Stands Out for a 2025 Comeback The beauty sector has struggled in 2025, with Ulta, Coty, and e.l.f. Beauty all facing steep declines. While challenges persist, Ulta Beauty appears best positioned for a rebound. Unlike Coty and e.l.f., Ulta benefits from a diverse product lineup, strong customer loyalty, and growing digital engagement. With 44.4 million active loyalty members and steady earnings, Ulta has the foundation to weather industry headwinds better than its peers. e.l.f. still trades at a premium valuation, while Coty’s exposure to international markets adds risk. For investors seeking stability in the beauty sector, Ulta could be the best bet for a 2025 turnaround. Original Post Source link #Beauty #Stocks #Ugly #StartCan #Stage #Comeback Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Birkenstock sandals are not art, says ******* court Birkenstock sandals are not art, says ******* court Birkenstocks may be cool enough for Barbie but the sandals do not qualify as works of art, a ******* court has ruled. The company had claimed that its footwear could be classified as art and so was protected by copyright laws, and brought the case to stop rivals selling copycat versions of its cork-soled sandals. But a judge dismissed the claim, saying the shoes were practical design items. Birkenstocks were once deemed uncool but in recent years have become hugely popular, and gained more attention after actress Margot Robbie wore a pink pair of the sandals in the final scene of the 2023 hit Barbie movie. The sandals, which feature a moulded footbed, have been praised for being comfortable and sturdy, and many colour options and strap styles have evolved since the original leather-strapped version in the 1960s. Even though it was initially rejected from the catwalks, it soon became a fashionable item, scoring a seal of approval from supermodel Kate Moss in the 1990s, and even appeared on celebrity feet at the Academy Awards. The company eventually listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2023, valuing the firm at roughly $8.6bn (£7.08bn) – double its worth in 2021. Birkenstocks’ popularity means rivals often sell knock-off versions, prompting the firm to make the claim to protect what it called its “iconic design”. ******* law distinguishes between design and art when it comes to a product. Design serves a practical purpose, whereas works of art need to show a certain amount of individual creativity. Art is covered by copyright protection, which lasts for 70 years after the creator’s death, whereas design protection last for 25 years from when the filing was made. Shoemaker Karl Birkenstock, born in the 1930s, is still alive. Since some of his sandals no longer enjoy design protection, the firm attempted to gain copyright protection by seeking to classify its footwear as art. But the claim was “unfounded”, presiding judge Thomas Koch said. His ruling added that for copyright protection, “a degree of design must be achieved that shows individuality”. Source link #Birkenstock #sandals #art #******* #court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lenovo Legion Go S review (Windows version): Not so fast Lenovo Legion Go S review (Windows version): Not so fast Lenovo has already teased the second-gen version of its flagship gaming handheld. But that won’t be out until much later this year, so in the meantime, it’s come out with the Legion Go S, a slightly sturdier and more portable way to frag while you’re out and about. Now the tricky thing about this device is that it will be available in a bunch of different configurations including one that comes pre-installed with SteamOS — a first for any portable PC not made by Valve. Frankly, that’s the version we’re most interested in. However, the one running Windows 11 is out now, so it’s a good time to get familiar with it and see if it’s worth the money or if you should just wait for the variant that comes with Valve’s OS instead. Design and display: A mid-cycle streamlining Lenovo The Legion Go S takes a lot of the good stuff from its predecessor and distills it into a slightly more compact and portable package. However, the launch model currently costs more than the original Legion Go, while offering worse performance, a smaller screen and no detachable controllers, which makes this a hard handheld to love. Pros Big 120Hz 8-inch screen Handy little built-in touchpad Solid design with adjustable triggers Hall effect joysticks Dual USB ports Cons No fingerprint reader Lackluster vibration motor Too pricey for the performance Legion Space app is still kind of finicky $730 at Best Buy Regardless of what platform they’re based on, both models feature the same design with the only difference being that the Windows 11 version comes in white while the SteamOS variant features a dark purple shell. However, unlike the original Legion Go, the Go S doesn’t have detachable controllers. But aside from that, many of the highlight features from its predecessor are still there. It sports a 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 120Hz refresh rate. At 8 inches, that’s larger than most handhelds, though it is a slight downgrade from the 8.8-inch panel on its predecessor. You also get joysticks with precise Hall effect sensors, an assortment of face and shoulder buttons, dual USB 4 ports (which both support power and data), 3.5mm audio and a microSD card reader. Another small tweak is that instead of four paddles in back, you only get two, with Lenovo trading out the second pair for a set of toggle switches that let you adjust how deep you want the handheld’s triggers to go. It’s a nice touch for people who enjoy things like racing games where a bit of extra analog sensitivity can go a long way, but still want the freedom to have a shorter pull when playing stuff like fighting games, where longer triggers hurt more than they help. And while the touchpad on the Legion Go S is much smaller than the one on the original, I’m really glad Lenovo didn’t axe it altogether as it makes navigating through settings and menus in Windows so much easier than relying strictly on the joysticks or touch support. Sam Rutherford for Engadget The one feature I wish Lenovo had included is an onboard fingerprint sensor. Without it, you need to use a PIN or password to get into Windows 11. On a system without a keyboard, that means every time you pick up the system, you have to shift your hands away from the joysticks and tap the middle of the touchscreen, because the tiny touchpad doesn’t even work for this. Frankly, it’s just kind of awkward and could have been avoided entirely if Lenovo had opted for a power button with a built-in finger scanner like many of the Legion Go’s rivals including the ROG Ally X and the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Finally, while the Go S does have a built-in rumble motor, the vibrations it puts out are hilariously one-note, especially when it’s set to buzz anytime you use the touchpad. So I ended up turning it off entirely. Performance: Not as fast as you might expect The Legion Go S will eventually support a handful of processors and configurations, but right now it comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip along with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. And if you’re comparing it to its predecessor, you might think this thing would offer better performance. After all, the original Legion Go has less RAM and an older Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, and two is higher than one, right? Well not so fast, because the Z1 Extreme features a base clock of 3.3GHz with eight cores and 16 threads compared to the Z2 Go’s base clock of 3GHz with just four cores and eight threads. Furthermore, the older Z1 Extreme also has a GPU based on AMD’s newer RDNA 3 architecture compared to RDNA 2 for the Z2 Go. So in actuality, the Legion Go S with this chip is about 10 to 15 percent less powerful than the model that came before it. Sam Rutherford for Engadget This becomes a lot more obvious when looking at benchmarks where the Legion Go S delivered 45 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 800p and medium settings with FSR upscaling set to performance, while the original Legion Go hit 51 fps with both systems set to the same 15-watt performance mode. Meanwhile in Returnal, we saw a similar pattern with the Go S reaching 23 fps on medium graphics at 800p compared to 34 fps for the older Legion Go, once again with both devices set to 15 watts. Seeing poorer performance on the new model might set off alarms for some people, but before anyone panics, consider this: The Legion Go S is supposed to be a more streamlined and affordable take on the original, so in some respects not being able to achieve the same or higher framerates is to be expected. To me, the real issue is that 32GB of RAM is sort of overkill for this chip, which means you’re paying more for memory that can’t be fully utilized. And remember, while the Go S’ launch config comes with a Z2 Go, there are other versions that are expected to get a Z1 Extreme and possibly a vanilla Z2 at some point in the future. 1 / 3 Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows 11 version) Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows 11 version) design photos. Of course, if you want higher framerates, you can always adjust how much power you’re sending to its processor. Lenovo’s default balanced setting uses 15 watts, while performance mode pumps things up to 30. But if you want more precise control, the custom mode can go from as little as 5 watts all the way up to 40, though you’ll want or need to be plugged into the wall to utilize its full TDP (thermal design power). Battery life: Good enough Naturally, whatever performance mode you choose will ultimately impact your battery life. I found that when playing Metal Slug Tactics using the 15-watt balanced setting, the Legion Go S lasted for around two and a half hours, which is pretty solid. When playing more demanding titles, longevity wasn’t quite as good, with runtimes closer to an hour and a half. Though, with the Go S featuring a 55.5WHr battery compared to something like the 80WHr pack in the ROG Ally X, that kind of discrepancy isn’t entirely unexpected. Software: Better, but still clunky Sam Rutherford for Engadget Lenovo has done a lot to improve the Legion Space app since it came out a couple years ago. Not only is it much better as a general place to launch games from, it’s a lot easier to adjust settings or download new drivers or software updates. Even the UI is more spacious and intuitive. However, at the end of the day, the handoff between Legion Space and the rest of Windows 11 still feels awkward. Depending on what you’re trying to tweak, you have to jump between menus from Lenovo and Microsoft while switching between joystick and touchpad to navigate. I also noticed some bugs like when trying to install Steam from the Legion Space app. It failed every time, which meant I had to download the app directly from Valve and do things manually. In a lot of respects, this is where Windows-based handhelds lag behind the most, so it’s a shame it’ll be another few months before the SteamOS model goes on ***** sometime in May. Wrap-up The Legion Go S has all the makings of a solid portable gaming PC. It’s got a straightforward design with good ergonomics, Hall effect joysticks and a sensible button layout. Lenovo also includes some nice perks like dual USB-C ports, a decent-sized battery and a handy little touchpad for navigating Windows. I just wish there was a built-in fingerprint scanner too. And while its 8-inch OLED display is a touch smaller than the one on its predecessor, there’s not much to dislike about it. You even get more storage (1TB) than a base Legion Go (512GB). Sam Rutherford for Engadget The hard thing to come to terms with is that right now a Legion Go S costs $730 for worse performance, no detachable controllers and the lack of bonuses like an included carrying case or vertical mouse functionality like on the original Legion Go, which can be had for $30 less ($700). Normally, that would be a death sentence for a new system because that value proposition simply doesn’t make sense. But in this case, the issue is that Lenovo hasn’t fully rolled out all of its variations. I still think 32GB of RAM on this device is excessive; not even the ROG Ally X has that much. But more importantly, the Legion Go S’ other configs aren’t available yet. So even if you aren’t holding out for the SteamOS variant, you’d be silly not to wait for less expensive versions to come out with starting prices closer to $600 (or even $500 for the one with Valve’s platform), which will instantly make this handheld a lot more attractive. Source link #Lenovo #Legion #review #Windows #version #fast Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Privacy at a crossroads in the age of AI and quantum Privacy at a crossroads in the age of AI and quantum The digital landscape is entering a critical turning point, shaped by two game-changing technologies: generative AI (GenAI) and the imminent arrival of quantum computing. These technologies hold vast promise for innovation, but they also magnify the risks to privacy, data security, and trust. Organisations that want to thrive sustainably in this new era must adapt quickly, recognising that the traditional methods used to protect personal data will no longer suffice. The evolving privacy landscape Privacy has long been a legal obligation for organisations. Today, it’s much more than that. In fact, privacy has become a competitive differentiator – organisations that handle customer data with integrity can build stronger relationships and earn more loyalty. Currently, around 75% of the global population is covered by modern privacy laws, which signals that privacy is increasingly seen as a universal right. However, despite these widespread legal frameworks, there are still significant gaps in how laws are executed across different regions and industries. Data breaches continue to escalate, misinformation is increasingly rampant, and consumers are becoming more sceptical about how their personal data is handled. The rise of GenAI has only intensified these challenges as machine-generated content blurs the lines between fact and fiction. Meanwhile, quantum computing looms on the horizon, introducing an entirely new set of challenges. By 2029, the computational power and availability of quantum systems is expected to make current encryption methods obsolete, putting sensitive data at unprecedented risk. For many organisations, the sheer cost of ensuring that this data remains secure could become unmanageable, potentially forcing them to purge vast quantities of personal data to prevent breaches. A growing threat to data integrity As the use of AI accelerates across industries, the quality of the data feeding these systems becomes even more crucial. However, too many organisations continue to focus primarily on protecting the confidentiality of data, while overlooking its integrity. This imbalance has led to a slew of problems, from poor decision-making to failed AI initiatives that fail to deliver meaningful outcomes. Gartner predicts that by 2028, organisations will invest as much in ensuring data integrity as they do in confidentiality. This is a major shift, and rightly so. For AI models to be effective, they need high-quality, trustworthy data to train on. If this data is flawed or unreliable, the resulting AI systems will be just as flawed and unreliable. Beyond AI, maintaining data integrity is critical for everything from regulatory compliance to safeguarding consumer trust in the organisation’s practices. In addition, data integrity plays a critical role in mitigating the risks posed by misinformation and AI-generated content. As GenAI continues to evolve, ensuring that data is accurate, traceable, and verifiable will become more important than ever. Without these measures, AI models risk becoming susceptible to manipulation, making them less effective – and ultimately less trustworthy – across industries. Preparing for the quantum age The rise of quantum computing is not just a future concern; it’s a present reality that organisations must begin preparing for today. The concept of “harvest now, decrypt later” is already a reality, with malicious actors stockpiling encrypted data in anticipation of quantum breakthroughs that would render traditional encryption methods obsolete. This poses a grave risk to organisations, as sensitive information that is currently safe from hackers could one day be compromised by quantum systems. Governments around the world are already pushing for the development and adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) encryption methods that are resistant to the computational power of quantum machines. But making the shift to PQC is no small feat. It requires a fundamental overhaul of existing cryptographic systems and infrastructure, a process that will take years to complete. For many organisations, the pressure is mounting to begin this transition as soon as possible to protect their sensitive data and remain ahead of the quantum curve. A strategic response for organisations To navigate these challenges, organisations need to act decisively: Reassess Data Strategies: Move away from storing huge amounts of data to adopting data minimisation practices. Retaining only necessary information reduces risk and aligns with modern privacy regulations. Invest in Data Integrity: Apply robust measures to ensure data accuracy, provenance, and lineage. This is critical for AI applications and for maintaining consumer trust. Adopt Post-Quantum Cryptography: Begin developing crypto-agility and a migration to quantum-resistant encryption methods now to safeguard sensitive data before quantum computing becomes mainstream. Enhance Privacy Practices: Integrate privacy-by-design principles into every product and service, offering consumers granular control over their data. The broader implications The intersection of GenAI and quantum computing represents a critical turning point for organisations. Failing to adapt to the evolving privacy and security landscape could lead to lost consumer trust, regulatory penalties, and competitive disadvantage. On the other hand, those who take proactive steps to protect data and embrace emerging technologies will not only minimise risks but also position themselves as leaders in the digital economy. Bart Willemsen is a VP analyst at Gartner, with a focus on privacy, ethics and digital society. Source link #Privacy #crossroads #age #quantum Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SoFi Stock Rallying Strong in the Last 5 Days—What’s Driving It? SoFi Stock Rallying Strong in the Last 5 Days—What’s Driving It? After a massive 200% rally from August through January, SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:) looked unstoppable. That momentum carried the fintech stock to a multi-year high at the end of January, supported by a streak of strong earnings reports. But instead of breaking out further, SoFi plunged 20% after its latest despite once again beating expectations. The reason? Management’s lighter-than-expected forward guidance. Investors, already sitting on huge gains, took the opportunity to lock in profits. But as the past week of gains has shown, the market, in all likelihood, overreacted. The bears have run out of steam, and bulls have rushed back in, pushing shares up 18% in the past five days. With momentum returning and the uptrend resuming, this looks like a textbook buy-the-dip set-up for investors who recognize the long-term growth story is still intact. SoFi Posts Another Profitable Quarter, Reinforcing Its Turnaround SoFi’s end-of-January earnings report was strong across the board, even if the market didn’t immediately reward it. Revenue climbed 20% year over year, marking another quarter of steady expansion. The company also delivered a profitable EPS print, extending its streak of quarterly profitability after consistent losses throughout 2022 and 2023. One of the biggest positives was the record growth in members and product adoption. SoFi added 785,000 new members and 1.1 million new products, setting new company records. These numbers highlight continued demand for SoFi’s financial services and reinforce its ability to scale at a high level. But instead of rewarding these results, investors focused on management’s softer forward guidance. Given the stock’s massive run-up leading into earnings, this was enough to spark a wave of profit-taking. The initial reaction was understandable, but as the sharp rebound over the past week suggests, Wall Street may have been too quick to sell. Wall Street Remains Confident in SoFi’s Long-Term Growth Potential Adding fuel to this theory is the fact that many analysts remained confident in SoFi’s long-term growth. Immediately after the earnings, Needham & Company reiterated its Buy rating and even raised its price target to $20. For those of us still on the sidelines, that implies there’s nearly 25% upside from where shares were trading on Wednesday. While some firms, including Goldman Sachs and UBS, maintained Neutral ratings, their stance appears to be based on valuation concerns rather than business fundamentals. With SoFi proving it can sustain profitability while growing aggressively, analysts still on the sidelines may soon be forced to adjust their outlooks higher. SoFi’s Growth Story Is Strong, But Market Expectations Are High Despite the renewed rally, there are still a few risks to consider. The biggest concern is whether SoFi’s May earnings report will be strong enough to keep investor confidence high. While this quarter showed solid financials, another soft forward guidance update could lead to a more prolonged pullback. Additionally, while Needham boosted its price target, some are taking a more cautious approach as they await further confirmation that SoFi can sustain its growth rates. For Investors on the Sidelines, This Could Be the Moment to Act From a technical perspective, SoFi’s momentum is back on track. After weeks of selling, the stock has had a run of green days, signaling that buyers have regained control. The RSI now sits at 57 and is trending higher, which historically signals that a stock has plenty of room to run before becoming overbought. With selling pressure fully exhausted and investors rotating back in, this could be one of the best entry points in months. If momentum continues, a return to January’s highs, and potentially beyond, looks increasingly likely. Watch This Space—SoFi’s Best Days May Still Be Ahead SoFi’s post-earnings drop wasn’t about weak fundamentals but about investors overreacting to management’s cautious outlook. The stock is regaining its footing, with revenue growth still strong, profitability intact, and bullish analyst support. For those looking to capitalize on this fast-growing fintech leader, this pullback may have been the perfect reset before the next leg higher. Watch this space; the next stage of SoFi’s rally is only getting started. Original Post Source link #SoFi #Stock #Rallying #Strong #DaysWhats #Driving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Americans are leaving millions in free money on the table Americans are leaving millions in free money on the table Every year, millions of dollars in credit card rewards go unclaimed — money that could be covering travel, everyday expenses, or even cash back in your pocket. If you’re not redeeming those rewards, you’re leaving money on the table. As someone who leverages credit card rewards, I was somewhat surprised by the recent Bankrate survey revealing that 25% of Americans didn’t redeem their rewards last year. That represents big money. For example, in 2022, consumers using general-purpose credit cards from major issuers earned more than $40 billion in rewards, according to a 2024 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report. “Issuers forfeit, expire, revoke, or otherwise take away hundreds of millions of dollars in earned rewards value each year,” the agency said. With so much content from social media influencers to financial experts highlighting these benefits, the real issue isn’t just awareness; it’s execution. More from Your Money: Here’s a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead. Knowing about the reward programs is one thing, but implementing is what actually matters. Like any other aspect of financial planning, without a strategy, these perks may go unclaimed. Here are some key points for consumers to know. Overlooked value of credit card rewards Many consumers sign up for credit cards without thoroughly reviewing the rewards structure and benefits. Financial institutions often bury perks in fine print, making them easy to overlook. Many people think of rewards as a “bonus” rather than a tangible financial asset that could offset expenses. Unlocking hidden benefits Beyond standard rewards, many credit cards often offer embedded perks such as travel insurance, purchase protection and exclusive event access. These benefits offer cardholders added security and savings beyond traditional points or cashback. Understanding which card offers which benefit can help maximize the value of your credit card and prevent you from leaving money on the table. My family’s real-life success story I want to share a personal experience to show how easily overlooked credit card perks can make a real difference. Several years ago, my son received an iPad as a Hanukkah gift from his grandparents. A few days later, at his brother’s hockey game, he put it down for just a moment to celebrate a big win — and in an instant, it was gone. He was heartbroken, and my in-laws were frustrated, assuming it was gone for good. I encouraged them to check the benefits offered by the credit card they used to buy it. After a call to the financial institution, they discovered the credit card they purchased the item with had purchase protection, which can reimburse you for recently purchased items that are stolen or damaged. Thanks to that, the cost of the iPad would be reimbursed to them after they submitted some paperwork. Within weeks, they got their money back, allowing them to replace the item. It was a great reminder that so many people are unaware of various perks. Knowing what your credit card offers can turn an unexpected loss into a valuable lesson and soften the financial impact. Consumer takeaways D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Credit card perks aren’t just about points and cashback — they offer hidden protections that can save consumers thousands. Ignorance is costly. If you’re not using your perks, you’re effectively giving money back to the financial institution; especially if you have a credit with a yearly fee. If a newly purchased item is lost or stolen or if an expensive item breaks after the warranty expires don’t assume you are out the money. If you paid with a credit card, reach out to your financial institution to check for possible coverage via embedded purchase protection and extended warranties. If you run into an issue on vacation — such as a delayed flight, lost luggage, or canceled reservation — and you booked the trip on a credit card, call the issuer. You may be able to get reimbursement from embedded travel insurance that will cover your losses or unexpected expenses. If you’re concerned about accumulating a balance you can’t pay in full at the end of the month, consider making weekly payments or paying off large purchases immediately. This approach allows you to leverage the benefits, protections and rewards of a credit card while maintaining the discipline many find in using a debit card. — By Lawrence D. Sprung, a certified financial planner and founder/wealth advisor at Mitlin Financial Inc. Source link #Americans #leaving #millions #free #money #table Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Return of bodies marks day of anguish for Israel Return of bodies marks day of anguish for Israel On a bleak late winter’s day, under leaden skies and occasional driving rain, this was the moment all Israelis had been dreading. The return of the dead. It began, as all the handovers so far have begun, with a politically charged display by ****** and other ************ armed groups involved in holding Israeli hostages for over 500 days. Once again, there was a stage, flanked by huge posters highlighting the catastrophic consequences of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the ************ determination to stay put. But instead of haunted, sometimes emaciated, survivors, there were four ****** coffins, each bearing a photograph and a name – Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir – accompanied by the image of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Missile casings bore the slogan: “They were killed by US bombs”. ****** has long argued that all four were killed by Israeli air raids on Gaza, something which has not been verified. As previously, Red Cross officials were on hand to oversee the process. In a rare public statement on the matter, they had urged ****** to conduct the handover in a private, dignified fashion. Their efforts had clearly been in vain, but they attempted to screen the coffins from public scrutiny, draping each one in a white sheet before driving them away. The watching crowd was smaller than usual, perhaps because of the heavy rain. After Thursday morning’s handover, at a military ceremony on the edge of the Gaza Strip, the coffins carrying the hostages were draped with Israeli flags and prayers offered by the army’s chief ******. A convoy of vehicles then made its way north towards the Abu Kabir forensic institute, in Jaffa, where formal identification of the bodies is taking place. Along the route, small groups of Israelis stood silently in the rain, carrying Israeli flags and yellow banners – the colour associated with the hostages and their supporters. In Karmei Gat, where displaced members of kibbutz Nir Oz are living, waiting to go home, the vigil was particularly sombre. All four of Thursday’s released hostages were seized from Nir Oz on 7 October 2023. Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square was a study in grief, with people crying or sitting on the ground, heads in hands. The faces of the red-headed Bibas boys – Ariel and Kfir – are plastered on walls, road signs and in windows up and down the country. Fearing the worst, Israelis have nevertheless clung to the hope that the brothers might have survived, along with their mother, Shiri. “We were devastated by the news,” Orly Marron said, outside Abu Kabir. “I have red-headed grandchildren and seeing the photographs is really very heartbreaking.” Oded Lifschitz’s son, Yizhar, meanwhile told Israel Radio that he had always feared for his father’s health, since his violent abduction in October 2023. Oded was 84 years old at the time. He and his wife, Yocheved, were both taken to Khan Younis in Gaza, where they were separated, never to see each other again. Yocheved was released by ****** two weeks after the attack. “We need to close this wound and move forward,” Yizhar said, adding that his father, a noted journalist and peace activist, had long had a vision about how to resolve the conflicts of the Middle East. “It’s sad that we went through this whole cycle and didn’t solve it,” Yizhar said. “We left it as something simmering, and look where we are now.” Meanwhile, back in Gaza, some Palestinians expressed their anger that Israeli bodies had been handed over, while an unknown number of Palestinians killed in Israel’s military campaign remain buried in the apocalyptic wreckage of the Gaza Strip. In addition, as many as 665 bodies are being held by Israel in numbered cemeteries, according to a ************ protest group, The National Campaign to Recover the Bodies of the Martyrs. It says some have been held for decades. “I don’t like this agreement at all,” Ikram Abu Salout said in Khan Younis. “They didn’t remove the rubble and we don’t even know where our children and families are.” As she was speaking, bulldozers flying Egyptian flags were finally arriving in northern Gaza. Israel allowed the equipment to enter, in exchange for Thursday’s handover and the release of six more living hostages this coming Saturday. Source link #Return #bodies #marks #day #anguish #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Claws & Chaos is madcap animal mayhem with autochess and a quirky story, now in pre-registration Claws & Chaos is madcap animal mayhem with autochess and a quirky story, now in pre-registration Fight for a space on the boat with adorable animal friends Campaign mode and two PvP arenas Launching on February 27th Parhelion Studios has announced the upcoming launch of Claws & Chaos, the studio’s frenetic autobattler that’s coming to mobile on February 27th. The auto-chess mechanics will have you unleashing your inner tactician across the campaign and PvP content, all with adorable woodland creatures taking vengeance on a king who wronged them all. Based on the trailer, it feels a tad similar to Super Auto Pets but with quirkier and more creative critters to choose from. The campaign features an equally quirky narrative where your ultimate goal is to go up against King Chipmunk (who apparently barred you from entry into a boat during a flood), while the PvP modes are divided into the asynchronous Arena and Rapture. What makes this even more appealing to me is that the characters are dressed in too-cute costumes – there’s a Harry Potter-esque bear with what seems like the Elder Wand and a grey cat in a suspiciously Assassin’s Creed-looking outfit, for instance. There’s a schoolgirl penguin who apparently got an F in a failed exam somewhere, as well as a bald eagle in military camouflage. There’s even a capybara in a wooden onsen with a yuzu lemon on its head, and oh my goodness – when there are capybaras, there’s fun. Did I mention that it has a shield and that the wooden tub has wheels? In the meantime, if you’re eager to join in on all the fun, you can do so by pre-registering for Claws & Chaos on the App Store and on Google Play. It’s free-to-play with in-app purchases. You can also join the community of followers on the official Twitter page to stay updated on all the latest developments, visit the official website for more info, or take a little peek at the embedded clip above to get a feel of the vibes and visuals. Source link #Claws #Chaos #madcap #animal #mayhem #autochess #quirky #story #preregistration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD has another chance at greatness, but will it grasp it? AMD has another chance at greatness, but will it grasp it? Come on Lisa. You can do it. AMD Table of Contents Table of Contents The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes AMD’s shot The delay better be worth it Red tinted glasses There have been a number of inflection points in the PC component space over the past couple of decades. Nvidia taking a dominant position in the GPU market in the late 2000s, AMD’s Ryzen processors hailing a return to true competition in the CPU space, or Apple upending the laptop dynamic with its M chips. And now it feels like we might be on the cusp of another, with the impending launch of AMD’s RX 9000 series graphics cards. Not because they’re going to blow the doors off on performance, or introduce new features that we haven’t seen before. Indeed, if they can just match Nvidia’s RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti with their own frame generation tech, I think we’d all be happy enough. It all comes down to pricing and availability. The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes Nvidia is the undisputed ruler of the consumer graphics card space. And a major portion of the professional GPU space. And one of the largest manufacturers of AI hardware in the world. It’s one of the world’s richest companies for a reason. But when it comes to graphics cards for gamers, its taken its foot off the gas. A lot. OK, maybe he has a leather jacket on, but that’s it. Taiwan Presidency Office The last three generations of graphics card have been impressive, taking generous leaps in rasterization performance, improving raytracing and upscaling gen over gen. But this has come at massively increasing power requirements, and with the RTX 5080 and 5090, there wasn’t even that much of a return for it. Beyond melting power connectors, that is. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming There’s also an ever greater reliance on upscaling to deliver the kind of performance jumps people expect. But that’s just lead to Nvidia leaning more heavily into hyperbole in its marketing, further skewing expectations. Stock shortages have driven up prices on the latest new Nvidia GPUs to truly ridiculous heights, further highlighting Nvidia’s lack of interest in putting gamers first. Melting power cables have once again raised their head this generation. ivan6953 on Reddit There’s an argument to be made from a corporate financial perspective, that gaming just isn’t a major earner for Nvidia compared to its other ventures — it accounted for less than 10% of its revenue in Q3 2024. But that doesn’t make the situation any better for gaming fans who want big generational improvements: Nvidia just isn’t delivering them. If AMD can’t do that either, it could at least make what is available more affordable. AMD’s shot AMD has a real chance with its RX 9000 series to truly offer something value oriented. It categorically ruled out competing at the top end for this generation of graphics cards, which isn’t the end of the world when very few people buy XX90-series class GPUs anyway, even if it is a shame — the hype around the 6000-series “Big Navi” reveal was very exciting. AMD So it’s focusing on the mid-range. The cards that most gamers actually buy. And we’re getting a look at them in just a few days, with them hitting store shelves a week or so later. Expectations of performance have been revised down in recent weeks, prompting many to just hope they can keep up with the new RX 50 series and won’t be too outplayed by their own last-generation flagship cards. But as with almost everything in the PC component space, it all comes down to price. Nvidia’s cards aren’t just expensive at their suggested price, they’re practically non-existent. The 5070 Ti and 5070 are likely to go the same way, even if stock numbers are higher. Nvidia GPUs are popular among gamers, and that means they’re even more popular among scalpers. AMD’s cards won’t be immune to that, but it can thwart it. If prices are low and stock is high enough, AMD can give gamers an affordable, sensible upgrade with most of the features offered by the Nvidia competition. Even if the 9070 and 9070 XT don’t blow the doors off in performance, that would be enough. The delay better be worth it AMD ceded a lot of ground to Nvidia with this generation of graphics cards by not going hard with its CES debut. Nvidia garnered incredible press and gamer attention with its over the top claims about what the 50-series can do, and its multiple frame generation technology is super impressive in the right scenario. DLSS 4’s new transformer upscaling is excellent, and the day one support for it was just as impressive. If you can actually get your hands on an RTX 5080 or 5090, you’re going to have a great time — even if you probably paid a lot for the privilege. AMD had a lot of cards at CES 2025, but they’ve not gone on ***** almost two months later. TechPowerUp / Gigabyte But AMD may have given itself the chance it needs by taking that time. That extra couple of months may have allowed it to stockpile cards so that when they do go on *****, people who want one can actually get them. Just having enough at a fair price will even get around most of the problems of scalpers, too. If you know an RX 9070 is going to be available at $450 or there abouts, why would you buy from a scalper? Red tinted glasses This is probably all wishful thinking. AMD has had moments like this in the past with its graphics cards. We all hoped that the 6000 series would finally offer a credible performance alternative to Nvidia, and it didn’t quite manage it. We hoped that the RX 7000-series would be more efficient and more affordable than Nvidia, by enough to matter. It only sort of did. It’s also clear that AMD is taking the opportunity with its CPU dominance against Intel to cement higher prices, rather than continue to be the plucky underdog on pricing and performance simultaneously. AMD doesn’t exactly make a tonne of money off of its gaming divisions these days either. But I hold out hope. As Nvidia becomes ever-more an AI and datacenter-first company, gamers need someone making hardware for it that makes them a priority. Someone that considers what most gamers want and need: affordable, sensible upgrade opportunities so they can continue to enjoy the best PC gaming has to offer. If AMD misses its shot here and just gives us another $500+ graphics card that sells out super fast, that’d be a real shame — and some of us expect that’ll come to pass. In that case, I might start to pin my hopes on Intel expanding its future offerings to give us more 1440p-tier graphics card options. But there’s still a chance AMD pulls this off. Here’s hoping. Source link #AMD #chance #greatness #grasp Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AppLovin Up Nearly 1000%, Can It Keep Delivering for Investors? AppLovin Up Nearly 1000%, Can It Keep Delivering for Investors? AppLovin (NASDAQ:), one of the hottest stocks in the market in 2024, just had another fantastic quarter. In the two days following the stock’s Feb. 12 earnings release, shares spiked 34%. As of the Feb. 14 close, the tech stock’s return over the past 52 weeks is nearly 1000%. So, what’s to make of this skyrocketing stock? Is there still significant room to run, or is its value maxing out? I’ll break down what’s allowed the stock to perform so well and give my outlook on this name. AppLovin: Earnings Show This Ad-Tech Train Is Full Steam Ahead In Q4 2024, AppLovin posted strong revenue growth of 44%. Its total sales came in just under $1.4 billion, around $110 million higher than Wall Street expected. The company’s diluted earnings per share (EPS) more than tripled and were way above expectations. For AppLovin, it’s particularly important to look at the firm’s advertising revenue. The company is selling off the rest of its business. Growth was extremely impressive at 73%, an acceleration from 66% growth in Q3 2024. The company’s margins continued to increase strongly. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin rose to 62%. This is an increase of 1,200 basis points from Q4 2023. What Wall Street Is Saying: Price Targets Rise More Than Shares The response from Wall Street analysts was highly positive. Six analysts tracked by MarketBeat raised their targets by an average of 41%. Overall, their targets average out to $558 per share. Compared to the company’s Feb. 14 closing price of $510, this implies over 9% upside in shares. That might not sound like much, but it is important to note that the average price target of these analysts only showed 5% upside prior to the earnings release. This demonstrates that if a firm can continue to impress, price targets can continue to rise. What’s Next for AppLovin, and Is Its Success Poised to Continue? With AppLovin now trading at a sky-high forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 64x, it is important to analyze what the future holds. Strong initiatives need to be implemented to support this high multiple and allow the stock price to continue rising. AppLovin has traditionally explicitly worked in the mobile gaming ad-tech space. The company helps mobile game developers advertise their games in other mobile games. The goal is to get the players currently playing the game being advertised to download another game. This has done well for AppLovin, but it is a very small chunk of the overall advertising market. The company has now started placing e-commerce advertisements. AppLovin reported that non-gaming advertisers had performed well and captured holiday spending ad dollars. It also said there was progress in non-direct-to-consumer advertising. The company’s management said, “Early pilots have shown positive outcomes for a range of advertisers, suggesting that any business in any vertical can harness the power of our platform.” AppLovin’s expansion into new verticals presents a major opportunity with plenty of untapped potential. The company is “very confident” that e-commerce will significantly boost revenue in 2025, signaling expectations for strong progress this year. Another smart move by the company is selling its game development business, which had slow growth and lower margins than its advertising segment. This ***** allows the firm to focus on its core revenue driver and strengthen its expertise. This is important as the firm must compete against AI advertising juggernauts like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:). Lastly, the firm is prioritizing growth without greatly increasing its headcount. In 2025, it wants to launch a self-service dashboard powered by AI to manage customer onboarding and customer service. This can not only allow the firm to grow faster by being able to onboard more clients, but it can also help increase margins. These initiatives can allow AppLovin to continue its success if executed properly. Still, it is possible that AppLovin could face a massive drop in stock price, like what happened to Trade Desk (NASDAQ:) recently. The company’s fantastic performance means the bar keeps getting set higher. If it slips up one quarter as it looks to implement these big changes, the market may punish it severely. However, in my opinion, AppLovin is doing what it takes to allow the stock to perform strongly long-term. Original Post Source link #AppLovin #Delivering #Investors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Six Nations 2025: Scotland’s Finn Russell fit to face England but Darcy Graham out Six Nations 2025: Scotland’s Finn Russell fit to face England but Darcy Graham out Scotland: Kinghorn, Rowe, Jones, Jordan, Van der Merwe, Russell (co-captain), White; Schoeman, Cherry, Z Fagerson, Gray, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Darge (co-captain), Dempsey. Replacements: Ashman, Sutherland, Hurd, Skinner, Brown, M Fagerson, Dobie, McDowall. Source link #Nations #Scotlands #Finn #Russell #fit #face #England #Darcy #Graham Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft’s “Muse” AI model could create truly competitive bots Microsoft’s “Muse” AI model could create truly competitive bots Today, Microsoft announced its first World and Human Action Model, or WHAM, a generative AI capable of generating game visuals and controller actions. Nicknamed “Muse,” this AI was built in collaboration with Microsoft Research Game Intelligence and Teachable AI Experiences alongside the game studio Ninja Theory. Muse is designed “to effectively support human creatives,” according to Microsoft. The AI was trained on Bleeding Edge, a multiplayer arena battler, but the intended applications go far beyond just creating an AI-controlled character (although that is one possible outcome.) “What’s groundbreaking about Muse is its detailed understanding of the 3D game world, including game physics and how the game reacts to players’ controller actions. This allows the model to create consistent and diverse gameplay rendered by AI, demonstrating a major step toward generative AI models that can empower game creators,” says Fatima Kardar, Corporate VP for Gaming AI. Please enable Javascript to view this content Credit: Microsoft Research Blog The team has great expectations for this new AI, even though it’s still in a relatively early stage of development. Muse could make it possible to bring back older games that are no longer playable on modern hardware by optimizing the game — or potentially rebuilding it from the ground up. “To imagine that beloved games lost to time and hardware advancement could one day be played on any screen with Xbox is an exciting possibility for us,” Kardar said. Taking that a step further, Kardar suggests Muse has the potential to create new content for existing games, and perhaps one day inject it on the fly. As AI models like Muse develop, they could have a massive impact on not only how games are made, but also how quickly. Microsoft is touching on the kind of AI explored in popular culture, all the way from anime like Sword Art Online to popular novels like Ready Player One. And it isn’t so far away that you won’t be able to experience this for yourself. “We’ll create opportunities for people to participate in this exploration, starting with short interactive AI game experiences for you to try on CoPilot Labs very soon.” Despite the potential, the use of AI raises concerns. The Muse team also addressed this, promising that it will “continue to be built on our commitment to Responsible AI” and that it would be guided by six principles: “fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.” Source link #Microsofts #Muse #model #create #competitive #bots Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MacBook Pro M5: Here’s everything we know so far MacBook Pro M5: Here’s everything we know so far Table of Contents Table of Contents When might we see it? Design: A familiar look and feel Performance and features If you’re in the market for one of Apple’s best MacBooks, the MacBook Pro should be top of your list. The latest M4 MacBook Pro brought some significant improvements to the range, and with the M4 MacBook Air just around the corner, you might be wondering what Apple has up its sleeve for the next MacBook Pro in the pipeline. That model — complete with Apple’s upcoming M5 chip — is an intriguing prospect. Will Apple offer a total revamp, or will it be a more modest upgrade? What can we expect from the M5 chip? And will Apple finally launch its first OLED MacBook Pro when the M5 chip makes its debut? We’ve examined these ideas and many more to bring you everything we know about the M5 MacBook Pro. Read on to find out what could be on the way. When might we see it? Apple Apple typically introduces new MacBook Pro models in October, and that’s been the case for the M1, M3 and M4 models, which arrived in 2021, 2023 and 2024, respectively. And while the M2 MacBook Pro launched in January 2023, it was widely rumored that this was a delay from an originally planned release date of October 2022. This time, there’s no reason to believe that Apple will pick anything other than October 2025 for its M5 MacBook Pro. Mark your diaries for that timeframe. That would make it the first Apple product to launch with the M5 chip, as the M5 iPad Pro is now expected to hit store shelves in the first half of 2026. That’s a reversal of the pattern with the M4 chip, which made its way into the iPad Pro before the MacBook Pro. There’s no word on pricing yet, but given the M5 MacBook Pro is expected to be a small update (more on that later), keeping the same $1,599 starting price as the current model would make sense. There’s a chance that US government tariffs could affect the price, but by how much (and if at all) is anyone’s guess. Design: A familiar look and feel Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Put simply, a major redesign of the MacBook Pro is unlikely this year. We’ve heard plenty of rumors that the M6 MacBook Pro due out in 2026 could be a “true overhaul,” with a thinner chassis and an OLED display, and that seems to preclude anything significant happening this year. Apple tends to space out its major design revamps. For instance, the last big MacBook Pro overhaul was in 2021, while the M4 model released last year came with lots of feature changes, including an improved webcam, more memory, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Given Apple’s tendency to wait a few years between design changes — and with the aforementioned overhaul expected in 2026 — serious updates to the outward appearance of the laptop don’t seem to be in the cards for the M5 model. Performance and features Chris Hagan / Digital Trends Without much in the way of design alterations, the main improvement we’re anticipating in this year’s MacBook Pro is the arrival of the M5 chip. This will probably be a fairly incremental upgrade of around 15%-25% over the M4. Given past patterns, the MacBook Pro will almost certainly also get the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the M5 series will be made using manufacturer TSMC’s N3P method. This is a 3nm process (like that used to make the M4 chip series), albeit with TSMC’s System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) tech that allows chip components to be stacked in 3D space and results in improved thermal management. But if you’re waiting for a 2nm process and the performance increase it will bring, you probably won’t find that in the M5 chip. You also shouldn’t hold your breath for an OLED display, as the OLED MacBook Pro isn’t anticipated to launch before 2026. That’s also the case with Apple’s in-house 5G modem that appeared in the recent iPhone 16e. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman believes Apple is considering adding a modem to its MacBooks, but it seems like that’s still several years away from coming to fruition. In more positive news, there’s a good chance that the entry-level M5 MacBook Pro will be outfitted with Thunderbolt 5 ports for improved data transfer speeds. You can get that tech in the current MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, but it’s missing from the base-level M4 version. We’ve also heard that future MacBook Pro models could get Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, but that doesn’t seem to be something we’ll see in the M5 MacBook Pro. The technology is very new and adoption has been slow, and while it’s present in the iPhone 16 range, Apple doesn’t appear to be in any rush to add it to the MacBook Pro. Given the lack of solid rumors that are saying it will happen imminently, we feel we can rule this one out for now. Source link #MacBook #Pro #Heres Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This 8.5% Dividend Is the ‘Comeback Kid’ of 2025 This 8.5% Dividend Is the ‘Comeback Kid’ of 2025 We contrarians love a beaten-up corner of the market—especially these days when cheap stocks (and funds) are so thin on the ground. Right now, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are that corner of the market: unloved, cheap and boasting high, stable dividends. And they have even more appeal with interest rates stabilizing and likely to move lower over time. We’re not taking advantage of this opportunity by purchasing our REITs individually or through an ETF, though. Instead, we’re looking to REIT-holding closed-end funds (CEFs). These income machines, kicking out 8%+ dividends, are no less than my top contrarian income plays for 2025. Let’s delve into the (fading) headwinds that are dogging REITs. Then we’ll delve into one of my top picks among REIT CEFs: a holding of my CEF Insider service that’s: Cheap now, with a 4% discount to net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying holdings) that’s shrinking. Paying a high dividend that’s grown: This 8.5% payer hiked its payout in 2023, and I expect more in the years ahead. Before we get to that, let’s talk about the reasons for real estate’s struggles, which are pretty obvious, ranging from a shock rise in interest rates to come-out-of-nowhere trends like the pandemic shift to work-from-home. The go-to REIT index fund, the SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (NYSE:), has fallen by about 1% over the last three years in response, far below the fund’s 8.6% average annual return since inception. Also, keep in mind that this 8.6% annualized gain includes the big drop from the subprime mortgage crisis, which still wasn’t enough to keep REITs’ momentum from slowing over the long term. REITs Deliver in the Long Haul, Even With Recent Turbulence The fact that REITs are lagging the market by a wide margin now, and have been for a ******* of years, tells us this is a strong buying opportunity, especially with the 8.5% yield on offer from the REIT CEF we’ll get to in a bit. Look to CEFs for Superior Yields (and Sweet Discounts, Too) Sure, plenty of investors buy individual REITs on the open market. But buying our REITs through CEFs lets us diversify across the sector all in one go. And REIT CEFs deliver yields that are about double what you’d get from most individual REIT stocks—typically around 7% to 9%. On top of that, CEFs often trade at discounts to net asset value (NAV). That’s another way of saying our CEFs let us buy REITs for less than we’d pay for them on the open market. ETFs and mutual funds can’t match these deals. So with that all said, let’s take a look at that CEF we’ve been touching on throughout this article so far—it checks all the boxes we’re looking for here. RLTY: A Deep-Value CEF Kicking Out an 8.5% Yield The Cohen & Steers Real Estate Opportunities and Income Fund (NYSE:) is a young fund, having only been launched in 2022. That youth is partly why it has consistently traded at a discount (which sits around 4% as I write this): CEF investors are conservative, and they generally favor funds with long histories. What we really like from this monthly payer is that it’s not only kept its dividend steady—it’s even rewarded us with a 5.8% hike, announced in June 2023. RLTY yields a rich 8.5% today. Source: Income Calendar RLTY is run by top talent at real estate investor Cohen & Steers. And they’ve packed the fund’s portfolio with top-quality REITs. One of its largest positions is in American Tower (NYSE:), a cell tower owner that benefits from our bottomless demand for data. Another key holding is Welltower (NYSE:), which profits from rising demand for senior housing. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:), a giant in the data centre space, is also a top holding, benefiting from the surge in cloud computing and AI’s thirst for ever more computing power. Of course, RLTY has also gained as interest rates have stabilized in the last couple of years, as well as the fading work-from-home trend and surging demand for computing and infrastructure as a whole. Despite all that, commercial REITs remain cheap, setting us up for gain potential while we collect the fund’s rich 8.5% payout. RLTY also highlights our proven CEF Insider service strategy: Buy CEFs at an undeserved discount and then sell at a premium, which we plan to do when RLTY’s premium grows especially large. That day does still look like it’s a ways off, but the fund’s discount has narrowed over the last couple of years. That suggests the market is beginning to pick up on this high-quality fund. Fortunately, there’s still time to buy at a decent discount and start collecting RLTY’s strong 8.5% income stream while we wait for its sizable premium to appear. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #Dividend #Comeback #Kid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

This 8.5% Dividend Is the ‘Comeback Kid’ of 2025 This 8.5% Dividend Is the ‘Comeback Kid’ of 2025 We contrarians love a beaten-up corner of the market—especially these days when cheap stocks (and funds) are so thin on the ground. Right now, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are that corner of the market: unloved, cheap and boasting high, stable dividends. And they have even more appeal with interest rates stabilizing and likely to move lower over time. We’re not taking advantage of this opportunity by purchasing our REITs individually or through an ETF, though. Instead, we’re looking to REIT-holding closed-end funds (CEFs). These income machines, kicking out 8%+ dividends, are no less than my top contrarian income plays for 2025. Let’s delve into the (fading) headwinds that are dogging REITs. Then we’ll delve into one of my top picks among REIT CEFs: a holding of my CEF Insider service that’s: Cheap now, with a 4% discount to net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying holdings) that’s shrinking. Paying a high dividend that’s grown: This 8.5% payer hiked its payout in 2023, and I expect more in the years ahead. Before we get to that, let’s talk about the reasons for real estate’s struggles, which are pretty obvious, ranging from a shock rise in interest rates to come-out-of-nowhere trends like the pandemic shift to work-from-home. The go-to REIT index fund, the SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (NYSE:), has fallen by about 1% over the last three years in response, far below the fund’s 8.6% average annual return since inception. Also, keep in mind that this 8.6% annualized gain includes the big drop from the subprime mortgage crisis, which still wasn’t enough to keep REITs’ momentum from slowing over the long term. REITs Deliver in the Long Haul, Even With Recent Turbulence The fact that REITs are lagging the market by a wide margin now, and have been for a ******* of years, tells us this is a strong buying opportunity, especially with the 8.5% yield on offer from the REIT CEF we’ll get to in a bit. Look to CEFs for Superior Yields (and Sweet Discounts, Too) Sure, plenty of investors buy individual REITs on the open market. But buying our REITs through CEFs lets us diversify across the sector all in one go. And REIT CEFs deliver yields that are about double what you’d get from most individual REIT stocks—typically around 7% to 9%. On top of that, CEFs often trade at discounts to net asset value (NAV). That’s another way of saying our CEFs let us buy REITs for less than we’d pay for them on the open market. ETFs and mutual funds can’t match these deals. So with that all said, let’s take a look at that CEF we’ve been touching on throughout this article so far—it checks all the boxes we’re looking for here. RLTY: A Deep-Value CEF Kicking Out an 8.5% Yield The Cohen & Steers Real Estate Opportunities and Income Fund (NYSE:) is a young fund, having only been launched in 2022. That youth is partly why it has consistently traded at a discount (which sits around 4% as I write this): CEF investors are conservative, and they generally favor funds with long histories. What we really like from this monthly payer is that it’s not only kept its dividend steady—it’s even rewarded us with a 5.8% hike, announced in June 2023. RLTY yields a rich 8.5% today. Source: Income Calendar RLTY is run by top talent at real estate investor Cohen & Steers. And they’ve packed the fund’s portfolio with top-quality REITs. One of its largest positions is in American Tower (NYSE:), a cell tower owner that benefits from our bottomless demand for data. Another key holding is Welltower (NYSE:), which profits from rising demand for senior housing. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:), a giant in the data centre space, is also a top holding, benefiting from the surge in cloud computing and AI’s thirst for ever more computing power. Of course, RLTY has also gained as interest rates have stabilized in the last couple of years, as well as the fading work-from-home trend and surging demand for computing and infrastructure as a whole. Despite all that, commercial REITs remain cheap, setting us up for gain potential while we collect the fund’s rich 8.5% payout. RLTY also highlights our proven CEF Insider service strategy: Buy CEFs at an undeserved discount and then sell at a premium, which we plan to do when RLTY’s premium grows especially large. That day does still look like it’s a ways off, but the fund’s discount has narrowed over the last couple of years. That suggests the market is beginning to pick up on this high-quality fund. Fortunately, there’s still time to buy at a decent discount and start collecting RLTY’s strong 8.5% income stream while we wait for its sizable premium to appear. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #Dividend #Comeback #Kid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]