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Avowed Lets You Harness Elemental Powers to Walk On Water Because Its “much faster than swimming” Avowed Lets You Harness Elemental Powers to Walk On Water Because Its “much faster than swimming” Magic in RPGs has often been a double-edged sword, but Obsidian Entertainment’s newly released Avowed is making it unique and fun. Mages are usually either in the healer or support role or are magical damage dealers. Not here though. Obsidian has finally released a new game. | Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment Players have found a cool little mechanic in Obsidian’s new RPG title that adds a little extra to the norm. In Avowed, magic can affect the environment. One way that players have found out is by discovering the ability to walk on water by using Ice/Frost abilities near water. Avowed adds depth to mages in a new way The devs didn’t have to add it but they did. And it’s cool. | Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment Unlike the typical RPG that uses magic for long-range attacks or utility spells, Avowed does something a bit more unique by using it for moment-to-moment gameplay. Players can choose to invest in Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard classes but some players have found quirky things to do as mages. A user on X found that you can actually walk on water if you cast an ice shield on yourself. Magic affects the environment in Avowed. You don’t see this in a lot of games Not only can you create your own surfaces, but you can run on water too Book: Grimoire of Greater Elements Spell: Bristling Frost pic.twitter.com/VxkywV0Qjk — Syber Sensei (@SyberSensei) February 16, 2025 And in the video, you can see that it’s clearly faster than swimming. While you may not find a lot of use out of this little trick, the fact that it’s possible adds so much to the depth of the game. It also reinforces the game’s emphasis on rewarding experimentation, encouraging players to think beyond combat when using their abilities. We’ve seen similar features in games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which had boots of waterwalking as an enchanted item. But Obsidian has taken it further by adding it to the spell system itself. It makes it so you don’t have to rely on a piece of equipment for ability and can choose when to use it. Though like Skyrim, you could probably mod other cool stuff into the game. In Obsidian’s Avowed You can do something I’ve wanted more Fantasy Role Playing Games to do… Be able to quickly switch between Magic, Flintlocks, Melee all on the fly without menus. This RPG is going to be a Must Play on Xbox & PC pic.twitter.com/wBLnqJYsfl — Jamie Moran (@JamieMoranUK) January 20, 2024 The way Avowed uses magic also sets it apart from other modern fantasy RPGs. Games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Dragon’s Dogma 2 also have magic but the implementation in those games isn’t as natural as what Obsidian has done. The developers did this by making magic both an offensive tool and an exploration mechanic. The game hasn’t made a big splash, but it’s not bad at all It should get more attention. | Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment Avowed has had a solid launch, with initial player counts on Steam reaching over 17,000 at peak. It’s an obviously lower number compared to other games, and that’s because it’s also a day-one game on Xbox Game Pass. That’s why you’ll notice that its Steam numbers don’t quite match other current hits like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The game also enters the industry at a time when RPGs are getting longer and more complex. This has often come at the cost of accessibility. Big games like Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 are a massive time-sink and it turns off a lot of players who aren’t certain of whether they’ll like the game. Avowed is shorter but doesn’t sacrifice depth. The game is still in its early days of release but it seems like most gamers are underrating the game. Avowed was kind of an unfortunate recipient of random online hate trains and has gone under the radar of a lot of people. With innovative mechanics and depth, it’s definitely worth trying out. Source link #Avowed #Lets #Harness #Elemental #Powers #Walk #Water #faster #swimming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Anita Dobson returns as ****** Watts for anniversary special Anita Dobson returns as ****** Watts for anniversary special BBC Anita Dobson has made a surprise return to EastEnders, reprising her iconic role as ****** Watts in honour of the show’s 40th anniversary. The actress, 75, who last appeared in the soap more than 37 years ago, played the landlady of the Queen Vic pub from 1985 to 1988. Her character, ******, returned to the pub to visit her daughter, Sharon Watts, as she drifted in and out of consciousness while trapped under rubble after an explosion. Dobson said she kept her return a closely guarded secret, telling only her husband, Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. “It’s been really hard because so many people that I’m really close to have said, ‘oh are you going back?’ because I’ve gone back to do the documentary, so it’s been so hard not to say anything,” she said. “But I’ve been a really good girl, and I’ve kept my little mouth shut because I didn’t want there to be any spoilers!” Despite having been away from Walford for over three decades, Dobson said stepping back into ******’s shoes felt natural. “She’s always there at the blink of an eyelash. She’s inside me, and she always will be,” she explained. “When I first put the costume on, it was like ‘Wow’. It was very wonderful and weird at the same time.” She said working alongside Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon, again was “seamless” and “incredibly emotional in a lovely, happy way”. Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders’ executive producer, praised Watts’s “formidable” and “iconic” character, and said her return was a fitting tribute to the show’s rich history. “Since the very first episode, Anita instantly created a character that the audience adored and she not only shaped EastEnders into the show it is today but also had a huge impact on British television,” he said. In celebration of EastEnders’ 40th anniversary week, BBC News will provide live coverage of the special episode on Thursday, 20 February. You can watch it on BBC One and iPlayer and follow along on our live page. Source link #Anita #Dobson #returns #****** #Watts #anniversary #special Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Summoners War: Sky Arena adds Water Dash Training minigame in latest ****** Slayer update Summoners War: Sky Arena adds Water Dash Training minigame in latest ****** Slayer update Time to train underwater with Inosuke Hashibira Mystical Scrolls up for grabs New Surprise Shop open until March 2nd Com2uS is ramping things up within Summoners War: Sky Arena – now with a new limited-time event to celebrate its ****** Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba collab. There’s been plenty of minigames keeping everyone busy so far, but this week, the “Water Dash Training” Update joins the fray, where you’ll have to keep your underwater manoeuvring on point with Inosuke Hashibira. Summoners War has been keeping up the ****** Slayer crossover since January 10th, and this time around, you’ll have to avoid obstacles and swim the farthest that you can by tapping through the course. Burst bubbles to add up those combos and aim for the highest score you can muster, all to grab Mystical Scrolls from the Collab Special! Minigame Play Event. There will also be a new Surprise Shop that’s open until March 2nd, with one free Mystical Scroll you can nab every day. If you’ve been saving up on Crystals, you can use them to redeem Legendary All-Attribute Scroll, Devilmon, and Light & Darkness Scroll among others. All these come on top of system improvements too, which is always a welcome thing in any live RPG. But if all that isn’t enough for you, why not take a look at our list of Summoners War codes to get your fill of more freebies? In the meantime, if you’re eager to join in on all the fun, you can do so by checking out Summoners War: Sky Arena 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 #Summoners #War #Sky #Arena #adds #Water #Dash #Training #minigame #latest #****** #Slayer #update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thursday’s biggest calls on Wall Street like Nvidia Thursday’s biggest calls on Wall Street like Nvidia Here are Thursday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: Loop initiates Palantir as buy Loop called Palantir a “game changing software play.” ” Palantir is leveraged to the AI (and GenAI) themes sweeping through the tech sector, which are enormous market opportunities likely to create several multi-billion dollar revenue companies.” KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight Key raised its price target on the stock to $190 per share from $180 ahead of earnings next week and says the selloff is overdone. “However, we still view AI as a significant market opportunity for NVDA.” Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy The firm said it’s sticking with its buy rating ahead of Apple’s iPhone 16e next week. “We maintain our Buy rating on stable cash flows, earnings resiliency, and Apple being a potential beneficiary of AI use on edge devices.” BMO downgrades SolarEdge to underperform from market perform BMO downgraded the stock following earnings on Wednesday. “Our downgrade is admittedly partly tactical as we believe SEDG shares recent outperformance was largely driven by short-covering around SEDG’s 4Q 2024 earnings update that further suggested the company has sufficient liquidity to retire its upcoming $347.5MM September 2025 convertible notes maturity.” Piper Sandler upgrades Clearwater Analytics to overweight from neutral The firm upgraded the software-as-a-service fintech company following earnings on Wednesday. “We are upgrading CWAN to OW as we believe the combined companies provide a compelling value proposition to expand wallet share with existing clients, and drive a higher win rate with prospective clients.” Baird upgrades Amplitude to outperform from neutral Baird said it sees a “favorable setup” for the software company. “While the macro still represents challenges, AMPL is in a very strong position to capture any increase in spend.” Bank of America reiterates Analog Devices as buy Bank of America said the semis manufacturer has “best-in-class” free-cash flow generation. “We rate ADI Buy on its growth projects in communications, automotive and industrial markets along with best in class free cash flow growth.” Barclays upgrades CMS Energy to overweight from equal weight The firm said the utility company is the “preferred way to invest in Michigan’s premium regulatory environment.” “We reshuffle our preferences in Michigan following 4Q24 earnings for both CMS & DTE, now seeing CMS as our preferred way to invest in Michigan’s premium regulatory environment.” Citi upgrades NXPI Semiconductors to buy from neutral Citi said the analog recovery is underway for the semis company. “Following ADI’s commentary on the recovery in the analog end market we are upgrading NXPI from Neutral to Buy as we believe the analog recovery is imminent and that every analog company will feel it as sales from the analog companies have fallen roughly 30% from the peak.” Wedbush reiterates Tesla as outperform Wedbush said the bear case concerns on Tesla are overdone. “Musk has always been able to balance his countless initiatives better than any other CEO we have seen and the innovation and tech machine at Tesla is accelerating into an autonomous/ robotics future despite growing skepticism around Musk’s DOGE balancing act.” Jefferies upgrades Ormat Technologies to buy from hold Jefferies said investors should buy the dip in the clean energy company. “ORA is trading at ~10x FY26 EBITDA, reflecting a ~1.5-turn discount to 3-yr historical average largely driven by recent shareholder ORIX sell-down and lack of clear data center exposure.” JPMorgan reiterates Amazon as a best idea JPMorgan said it’s sticking with Amazon despite survey checks that showed e-commerce demand decreasing for the company. “We estimate AMZN’s share of US e-commerce decreased -58bps Y/Y to 46.1% in 4Q, though we believe Amazon remains well- positioned as the leader in e-commerce, benefitting from its fast delivery speeds, expansive selection, & competitive pricing.” Jefferies upgrades Roku to hold from underperform The firm raised its price target on Roku to $100 per share from $55. “The bear case has weakened as Roku outgrew many ad peers in the Q, profitability is inflecting, and Roku retains multiple tailwinds to growth in FY25.” BTIG upgrading Snowflake to buy from neutral BTIG said it sees “improving demand” for the stock. “We are upgrading SNOW to Buy from Neutral and introducing a price target of $220/share. To summarize, after two-plus years of dealing with cloud optimization headwinds, our recent fieldwork is pointing towards an improving demand backdrop in CY2025.” Susquehanna upgrades Lam Research to positive from neutral Susquehanna upgraded the semis company following its analyst day. ” Lam yesterday held its first Analyst Day since early 2020, during which it introduced a CY2028 EPS target of $6-$7, while focusing on FCF margin of 30%, the majority of which will be returned to investors.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Toast as overweight The firm named the restaurant payment tech company as a new top pick following earnings on Wednesday. “Q4 broadly beat consensus, falling in-line or slightly below buyside bogeys; however, 2025 top & bottom line guide beat investor expects. W/ momentum well intact across growth vectors, a new bull case fully forms: replicating core US mkt success in new growth mkts. Reit OW; TOST becomes Top Pick.” Source link #Thursdays #biggest #calls #Wall #Street #Nvidia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

OpenAI tops 400 million users despite DeepSeek’s emergence OpenAI tops 400 million users despite DeepSeek’s emergence Brad Lightcap of OpenAI. Courtesy: OpenAI OpenAI appears to be growing quickly despite increasing competition. The San Francisco-based tech company had 400 million weekly active users as of February, up 33% from 300 million in December, the company’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, told CNBC. These numbers have not been previously reported. Lightcap pointed to the “natural progression” of ChatGPT as it becomes more useful and familiar to a broader group of people. “People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it,” Lightcap said in an interview, adding that it takes time for individuals to find use cases that resonate. “There’s an overall effect of people really wanting these tools, and seeing that these tools are really valuable.” OpenAI is seeing that spill over to its growing enterprise business. The company now has 2 million paying enterprise users, roughly doubling from September, said Lightcap, pointing out that often employees will use ChatGPT personally and suggest to their companies that they implement the tool. “We get a lot of benefits, and a tail wind from the organic consumer adoption where people already have familiarity with the product,” he said. “There’s really healthy growth, on a different curve.” Developer traffic has also doubled in the past six months, quintupling for the company’s “reasoning” model o3, according to Lightcap. Developers use OpenAI to integrate the technology into their own applications. OpenAI counts Uber, Morgan Stanley, Moderna and T-Mobile among some of its largest enterprise customers. Lightcap likened this usage to cloud services, which Amazon Web Services pioneered two decades ago. While the consumer business may grow faster since people can adopt it at will, enterprise is in the “process of building up,” he said. “There’s a buying cycle there, and a learning process that goes into scaling an enterprise business,” Lightcap said. “AI is going to be like cloud services. It’s going to be something that you can’t run a business that ultimately is not really running on these very powerful models underneath the surface.” The DeepSeek effect OpenAI’s growth comes amid new competition from ******** competitor DeepSeek, which roiled tech markets in January as investors feared it would hamper future profitability of U.S. artificial intelligence companies and their dominance. Megacap tech companies were hit especially hard. Nvidia lost 17% on the Monday DeepSeek made waves, wiping off almost $600 billion in market value. Later that week, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of improperly harvesting its models in a technique known as distillation. Lightcap said the new competition hasn’t changed the way OpenAI thinks about open source, their product road map or mega-spending plans. “DeepSeek is a testament to how much AI is like entered the public consciousness in the mainstream — it would have been unfathomable two years ago,” he said. “It’s a moment that shows how powerful these models are and how much people really care.” Besides DeepSeek’s emergence, OpenAI has also been dealing with a tense time on the legal front. Billionaire Elon Musk, a company co-founder, has sued OpenAI for breach of contract as it attempts to convert into a for-profit. Microsoft has poured billions into the company while SoftBank is close to finalizing a $40 billion investment that could value the company at close to $300 billion, according to sources familiar with the deal. Musk and a group of investors bid to buy the nonprofit’s assets for $97.4 billion earlier this month. In a letter to Musk’s attorney, OpenAI’s lawyer said the company’s board determined that Musk’s “much-publicized ‘bid’ is in fact not a bid at all.” OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor said in a statement that the company “is not for *****.” “The numbers tell the story,” Lightcap said. “We try to be very transparent about where we stand on all of this. (Musk) is a competitor. He’s competing. It’s an unorthodox way of competing.” Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #OpenAI #tops #million #users #DeepSeeks #emergence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt wades in on fight to save penalty rates for retail workers Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt wades in on fight to save penalty rates for retail workers The federal Workplace Relations Minister will oppose a bid by retailers to cut penalty rates and entitlements, saying “workers’ wages should not go backwards”. Source link #Workplace #Relations #Minister #Murray #Watt #wades #fight #save #penalty #rates #retail #workers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children – The Associated Press ****** returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children – The Associated Press ****** returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children The Associated PressHamas Hands Bodies of 4 Hostages Back to Israel The New York Times’Pure evil’: Likud minister decries coffins being ‘paraded like trophies before a cheering crowd’ in Gaza The Times of IsraelHamas threatened to halt slain hostages’ release after ICRC refused to partake in ceremony – N12 The Jerusalem Post Source link #****** #returns #bodies #Israeli #hostages #include #mother #young #children #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel is aiming for ‘the most realistic crowds in any game’ Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel is aiming for ‘the most realistic crowds in any game’ Job listings for the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 have revealed that CD Projekt Red is aiming to deliver ‘the most realistic crowds ever seen in a video game’. CD Projekt has recently posted a series of job openings for the upcoming RPG which gives the first indication of the ambition of the project. While job listings are rarely completely accurate reflections of the finished games, one note in the listing for a lead encounter designer points to one of the milestones CD Projekt is looking to reach during development. Among the daily responsibilities, successful applicants will be expected to “work in close collaboration with the systems design team to create the most realistic and reactive crowd system in any game to date.” It’s unclear if this refers to something like Red Dead Redemption 2‘s conversation system, wherein every NPC could be spoken to, or if the developer is simply looking for more realistic general reactions to the player’s actions. Development of the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, which is codenamed Project Orion, is being headed by CD Projekt Red’s new North American arm, which has studios in Boston and Vancouver. The studio has said the game’s development outside of Europe means Cyberpunk 2 will be more authentically American. CD Projekt’s next game, The Witcher 4, was revealed during The Game Awards. Speaking to VGC, The Witcher 4’s narrative director said CD Projekt knew the decision to change the series’ protagonist would be controversial with some fans, and that the team wants to prove it was the correct choice for the game. Source link #Cyberpunk #2077s #sequel #aiming #realistic #crowds #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RTX 50 series no longer supports one of Nvidia’s oldest GPU technologies RTX 50 series no longer supports one of Nvidia’s oldest GPU technologies Nvidia has wrapped up support for the 32-bit PhysX graphics technology. The brand has quietly removed the legacy SDK out of rotation, much to the chagrin of fans who still play the games that require the functionality. Nvidia confirmed the end-of-life status of the GPU-accelerated physics simulation SDK, which was known for cloth simulation, shattering glass, moving liquids, and several other particle effects. PhysX is endearingly associated with AAA gaming titles including the Batman Arkham trilogy, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 2, Metro: Last Light, Metro: Exodus, Metro 2033, Mirror’s Edge, The Witcher 3, and certain older Assassin’s Creed titles. Despite being popular during the 2000s and early 2010, PhysX began to go out of favor as Nvidia upgraded other aspects of its graphics components. Its RTX 50 series became Nvidia’s new standard GPU technology. Meanwhile, PhysX floundered because it was not compatible with other GPUs, consoles, and smartphones, Tom’s Hardware noted. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming The Verge also noted Redditors discussing their disappointment at the end of support for PhysX. One member detailed forcing PhysX to run the game Borderlands 2 with terrible results. “Got drops to below 60 FPS by just standing and shooting a shock gun at a wall,” they said. The commentator claims to have played on a high-end system featuring an RTX 5090 and an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. In comparison, they said they tested the same game with an RTX 4090 GPU and maintained 120fps. While it’s not for everyone, playing legacy games is a common hobby. Tom’s Hardware notes enthusiasts can keep PhysX support going on a PC running a RTX 50 series GPU and beyond by pairing it with an RTX 40 series or older graphics card, then tapping the latter component to work in the Nvidia control panel when necessary. Source link #RTX #series #longer #supports #Nvidias #oldest #GPU #technologies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Azerbaijan orders suspension of BBC News Azerbaijani in Baku Azerbaijan orders suspension of BBC News Azerbaijani in Baku The Azerbaijani government has ordered the suspension of BBC News’ Azerbaijani operation in the capital city, Baku. The BBC said in a statement on Thursday that it had made the “reluctant decision” to close its office in the country after receiving a verbal instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The corporation added that it “deeply” regrets “this restrictive move against press freedom”. State-controlled media has reported that the government wanted to reduce the number of BBC staff working in the country to one. The BBC says its team of journalists in Baku have suspended their journalistic activities, while it seeks clarification on the instruction, but that it remains committed to continuing to report in the Azerbaijani language. “We deeply regret this restrictive move against press freedom, which will hinder our ability to report to and from Azerbaijan for our audiences inside and outside the country,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement. The BBC has received nothing in writing from the Azerbaijani government and has sought clarification via a number of channels. Azerbaijan’s ministry of foreign affairs has also not responded to the BBC’s request for comment. BBC News Azerbaijani reaches on average one million people every week and its audience has been increasing. It has operated in Azerbaijan since 1994, providing impartial news and information, initially via radio broadcasts and later across a range of digital platforms. Source link #Azerbaijan #orders #suspension #BBC #News #Azerbaijani #Baku Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ghost of Yōtei Has a Trump Card to Fill Jin’s Void to Avoid AC Shadows Controversy Ghost of Yōtei Has a Trump Card to Fill Jin’s Void to Avoid AC Shadows Controversy The gaming community’s collective gasp at Ghost of Yōtei’s reveal wasn’t exactly unexpected. After all, replacing a beloved protagonist like Jin Sakai is about as risky as charging headfirst into a Mongol camp with nothing but a broken tanto. Yet here’s Sucker Punch, boldly stepping into the spotlight with not just a new hero, but a female samurai in feudal Japan. Trading one katana-wielding legend for another? Bold move. | Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions If this scenario feels familiar, it’s because Assassin’s Creed Shadows is weathering similar storms over its own Japanese warrior, Yasuke. But while Ubisoft struggles to justify its creative choices, Sucker Punch might be holding an ace up its sleeve—one that’s been hiding in plain sight within Japan’s own history books. When replacing a fan-favorite hero actually worked wonders The internet’s knee-jerk reaction to protagonist changes has become almost predictable at this point. Remember the collective meltdown when Rockstar announced Arthur Morgan? The very thought of replacing John Marston had fans reaching for their pitchforks faster than you could say “redemption.” Yet here we are, years later, with Arthur Morgan standing tall as one of gaming’s most beloved characters. It’s almost like giving talented developers the creative freedom to tell new stories might actually lead to something special. Who would’ve thought? Comment by from discussion inCriticalDrinker Of course, the involvement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard writers raises some valid concerns. That game’s narrative stumbles left a mark on the industry that’s still visible from orbit. But here’s where things get interesting: Sucker Punch isn’t just any studio throwing darts at a historical timeline. Their approach to cultural authenticity in Ghost of Tsushima wasn’t just thorough—it was borderline obsessive. We’re talking about developers who turned historically accurate Mongolian throat singing into a gameplay mechanic. That’s not just attention to detail; that’s dedication bordering on beautiful madness. Comment by from discussion inCriticalDrinker With Nate Fox and Jason Connell still at the helm for Ghost of Yōtei, there’s reason to believe this ship isn’t about to hit an iceberg. These are the same minds that managed to craft a respectful homage to samurai cinema while still delivering something fresh and exciting. History has receipts for female warriors in feudal Japan History’s female warriors didn’t exactly ask for permission first. | Image Credit: PlayStation/YouTube While the internet debates historical accuracy with all the nuance of a sledgehammer, actual Japanese history tells a far more interesting tale. The Onna-musha weren’t just real—they were the kind of warriors that would make your average action hero think twice about picking a fight. Nakano Takeko led an entire unit of female combatants during the Boshin War, charging into battle with such ferocity that her enemies probably needed a moment to recover from sheer amazement before getting thoroughly defeated. And let’s not forget Tomoe Gozen, whose battle prowess was so legendary that even her enemies couldn’t help but write poetry about her. Comment by from discussion inCriticalDrinker These weren’t token warriors or historical footnotes. They were battlefield commanders who earned their place in history through a combination of strategic brilliance and combat skills that would make Sun Tzu take notes. And their stories are a goldmine for exactly the kind of narrative Ghost of Yōtei seems to be pursuing. Comment by from discussion inCriticalDrinker Yes, there are legitimate questions about the game’s setting in 1603 Hokkaido. The anachronistic naming of Mount Yōtei and some architectural elements have naturally raised some concerns. But when you’re dealing with a studio that turned historical consultation into an art form, maybe they deserve some benefit of the doubt. The real test won’t be whether our protagonist can swing a katana—it’ll be whether Sucker Punch can write a story worthy of the legacy they’re building upon. History’s given them the blueprint; now it’s up to them to follow it. What’s your take on Ghost of Yōtei’s new direction? Think it has what it takes to silence the critics? Share your thoughts below! Source link #Ghost #Yōtei #Trump #Card #Fill #Jins #Void #Avoid #ShadowsControversy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ronan Keating hits out after brother’s killer walks Ronan Keating hits out after brother’s killer walks Singer Ronan Keating has criticised Ireland’s “broken justice system” after a 22-year-old man escaped a prison sentence for causing the death of his brother in a ******. Ciaran Keating, who was the older brother of the former Boyzone singer, died in a car ****** in Co Mayo in July 2023. His wife Annemarie was also seriously injured in the ******. Dean Harte, from Tyrellspass in Westmeath, collided with Keating’s car while driving near Swinford in July 2023. He was given a 17-month suspended sentence at Castlebar Circuit Court in Mayo on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death, the Courts Service said. On the day of the ******, Ciaran and Annemarie had been travelling to watch their son play in a football match for Cork City in Sligo. Ronan helped carry the coffin of his brother Ciaran during his ******** in Louisburgh in July 2023. Posting on his Instagram stories, the singer said that the sentencing was a “devastating example” of how “broken our justice system is”. “You can kill a man… and you can walk free. Not even a single night in prison. Just a slap on the wrist and a ticket to carry on your life, like nothing ever happened,” he said on Thursday. “And then we wonder why we keep seeing this kind of behaviour on our roads, why people keep dying in road accidents across Ireland every week? “It’s a joke and it’s morally corrupt that rather than trying to fix our broken system, they all turn a blind eye. “Shame on Dean Harte but more so, shame on everyone involved in this process that contributed to the heartbreaking outcome for my family. “The Lord himself knows the injustice that was served and the Keating family will never find peace. “We will continue to fight for Ciaran’s justice. At this time we think of all the other families who have found themselves in our position, and we pray that other families never do.” Source link #Ronan #Keating #hits #brothers #killer #walks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

RoadCraft Preview – Where we’re going, we need to build roads | TheSixthAxis RoadCraft Preview – Where we’re going, we need to build roads | TheSixthAxis thln4g2|5h ago|Preview|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source Traxion runs the rule over RoadCraft’s demo, where the goal is to rebuild disaster-affected environments using a variety of vehicles and heavy machinery. The demo will be part of an upcoming Steam festival, but before then, an early hands-on. PC RoadCraft traxion.gg Read Full Story >> [Hidden Content] traxion.gg Source link #RoadCraft #Preview #build #roads #TheSixthAxis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

JPMorgan Takes In $60 Billion From Rich Latin American Clients JPMorgan Takes In $60 Billion From Rich Latin American Clients (Bloomberg) — JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s private bank raked in $60 billion from Latin American clients over the past four years as more customers decided to put their money to work abroad, with the majority coming from wealthy ******** investors. Most Read from Bloomberg Strong US capital markets also helped, as the fortunes the bank manages for clients from the region jumped to about $220 billion from $180 billion in April 2023, according to Edinardo Figueiredo, chief executive officer for Latin America and the global families group at JPMorgan Private Bank. ******** clients account for $85 billion of the total. “We grew a lot, and we expect this momentum to continue,” Figueiredo said. But he added that this year the expansion will probably be more “tepid” because of slower economic growth in the region and a lack of “liquidity events” — deals that free up money to manage, such the selling of stakes from controlling shareholders in an initial public offering. JPMorgan, which sold all of its on-shore private-banking business in Latin America in recent years, now focuses on clients with more than $5 million to invest outside the region. It has booking centers in Miami, New York, Houston and Geneva. The Miami office has grown more than the others and is now the largest, representing 56% of the revenue from the region, Figueiredo said. With 550 employees, the business plans to hire 40 more in 2025. “Last year, we had the ******** business booming, with customers from there using the US more and more as a diversification platform,” said Alexandre Zanuto, head of investment and advice for Brazil at JPMorgan Private Bank. On the other hand, wealth managed for Brazilians, “who traditionally tend to think more locally,” increased much less as some cut their dollar investments to buy tax-exempt bonds on the domestic market, he said. JPMorgan executives had expected that reforms that took effect last year, increasing the tax burden on exclusive funds for rich Brazilians, would persuade those customers to diversify more, benefiting offshore investments. But that didn’t happen, “at least at first,” Zanuto said. The bank estimates that rich Mexicans have about 80% of their investments abroad, while for Brazilians that figure is less than 30%, creating many opportunities for diversification. Chileans also invest the majority of their fortunes in local markets, according to JPMorgan. Story Continues “Last year, the United States was the place where global investors looked to invest, with the S&P breaking several records,” Figueiredo said. “And the bank expects that this good momentum on the American stock market should continue this year.” Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Source link #JPMorgan #Takes #Billion #Rich #Latin #American #Clients Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Make Your Own Dreamthrall Elder Bear With This Avowed Mushroom-Growing Kit Make Your Own Dreamthrall Elder Bear With This Avowed Mushroom-Growing Kit Are you enjoying Avowed? Are you also a fan of growing kits? What about *******? Well, you’re in luck, because Obsidian Entertainment and North Spore have revealed that they’re collaborating on a limited-edition Avowed-themed growing kit. It’s set to ship out sometime later this month. The Organic “Spray & Grow” Avowed Mushroom Growing Kit is modeled after the Dreamthrall Elder Bear, an early-game boss in Avowed. In the game, the Dreamscourge disease has infected the Living Lands, and the bear has succumbed to its primal, savage urges. The infection causes organisms to sprout all over organisms, so a growing kit is certainly a thematically fitting collaboration. Gallery The kit costs $30 and comes with one of three different mushrooms: blue oyster, pink oyster, or golden oyster–it’s a surprise which one you’ll get. According to the kit’s specifications, it weighs four pounds and takes two weeks to grow. It lasts for six months and while the blue and golden oyster mushrooms can be refrigerated, the pink ones cannot be. Xbox is no stranger to themed merchandise of its own games. While not a collaboration, Bethesda sold a Starfield-themed bedding set that included a navy duvet cover and two pillowcases. Avowed is now available on PC and Xbox Series X|S, as well as Game Pass. In GameSpot’s Avowed review, we said, “Avowed’s impactful and satisfying combat is undone by a widely unbalanced upgrade system and an uninteresting story that wastes its potential.” Source link #Dreamthrall #Elder #Bear #Avowed #MushroomGrowing #Kit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Airbus could prioritise non-U.S. deliveries if tariffs impede trade Airbus could prioritise non-U.S. deliveries if tariffs impede trade The logo of Airbus is pictured outside the Airbus facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, November 7, 2023. Stephane Mahe | Reuters Airbus could prioritize deliveries to its non-U.S. customers if tariffs disrupt the European planemaker’s imports stateside, CEO Guillaume Faury said Thursday. “We have a large demand from the rest of the world, so [if] we face very significant difficulties to deliver to the U.S., we can also adapt by bringing forward deliveries to other customers which are very eager to get planes,” Faury told CNBC’s Charlotte Reed, in an interview discussing the company’s full-year results. “Those tariffs are looming, and we don’t know what they will be, [and], if and when we would have tariffs come in, what they would impact. So we stand ready to adapt accordingly,” Faury said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariff threats which have already been ramped up against China. Faury nevertheless stressed that Airbus had made moves in recent years to not only buy more from the U.S. and sell a significant number of aircraft and helicopters in the U.S., but also to base part of its production locally. That includes a large output site in Mobile, Alabama, as well as two final assembly lines for the company’s A220 and A320 family jets, with another U.S. line under construction to build A320 and A321s for the domestic market. A host of large U.S. carriers are Airbus customers, including American Airlines, Delta, United and JetBlue. “So we have a lot of potential flexibilities,” Faury said regarding the potential imposition of duties, whose details remain uncertain. “Bottom lime, we believe in this industry — that is very much a North American ecosystem with a lot of interdependencies — tariffs would hurt both sides. So I hope, I believe, we will not be significantly impacted by tariffs,” Faury said. The European planemaker’s target for around 820 aircraft deliveries in 2025 was issued “in spite of uncertainties, to clarify what we think we can deliver this year absent tariffs,” Faury said. Airbus meanwhile remains stymied by a host of supply chain issues which are limiting its ability to ramp up production and work through its order backlog of more than 8,000 jets, Faury told CNBC. His comments come after the company earlier on Thursday reported a 6% rise in annual revenue, but an 8% fall in adjusted operating profit to 5.35 billion euros ($5.59 billion) across 2024. Profit at the company’s defense and space unit swung to a loss of 656 million euros for the full year. Faury told CNBC that space was the “area where we are suffering,” amid competition from players such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and past investment in technologies that had proven difficult. “We underestimated the risk compared to the reality,” Faury said, adding that the company was restructuring the unit and working to solve existing issues. Despite challenges, Airbus’s annual results served to highlight its strength over its crisis-hit U.S. rival Boeing, which reported an annual loss of $11.83 billion for 2024. Source link #Airbus #prioritise #nonU.S #deliveries #tariffs #impede #trade Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Palworld Achieves Over 32 Million Players Across PC, Xbox, and PS5 Palworld Achieves Over 32 Million Players Across PC, Xbox, and PS5 Today Palworld developer Pocketpair announced that the popular survival crafting game achieved over 32 million players across all platforms. Source link #Palworld #Achieves #Million #Players #Xbox #PS5 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The many ways AI can empower XR The many ways AI can empower XR The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications is going to affect practically every company, although the speed at which such applications are rolled out will vary by industry. In spring 2023, the World Economic Forum’s Kelly Ommundsen, head of digital inclusion, and Jaci Eisenberg, head of alumni relations, noted that the integration of GenAI and the metaverse could create dynamic virtual environments, where AI-generated content can adapt and respond to users’ actions, creating personalised and engaging experiences. “It can also enable new forms of art, entertainment and communication, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the virtual realm,” they added. AI, in its many forms – from machine and deep learning to generative AI (GenAI) and its large language models (LLMs) – will support the creation of interactive, immersive virtual environments, make sense of sensor data for digital twins, create content for the metaverse and gaming applications, and allow users to interact in many ways. It will enable interactive storylines and reactions of systems, facilitate the creation of responsive avatars, fill in backgrounds and empty spaces in gaming landscapes and digital twin environments, and allow developers to scale virtual worlds quickly. Use cases for AI in extended reality (XR) applications are truly limitless. AI and XR build on architecture and construction AI can support visualisations of natural phenomena by pre-processing data. For example, a research team from the University of Arizona and Purdue University is developing an application to make sense of the large amount of data that agricultural sensors can gather. The researchers are leveraging AI and VR to develop VR-Bio-Talk, a platform that will enable users to create advanced visualisations and analyse the data to better understand biological systems and agricultural practices. “The goal of the project is to create a virtual reality environment that mirrors real-world agricultural environments and is paired with an artificial intelligence program,” says the University of Arizona. AI will process and condense collected data and then transfer the information to virtual representations. The National Science Foundation is supporting the project with funding of more than $2m. According to Duke Pauli, director of the Center for Agroecosystems Research at the University of Arizona, the platform’s benefits could translate to most applications in which sensor data and virtual representation will play a role. “Extracting information from data has always required programming expertise, but having the ability to break down technical barriers and let users converse natively with their data will enable researchers to focus more on their science and generate greater societal impact,” says Pauli. In industrial applications, the combination of AI and XR is already changing processes. In architecture and construction, building information modelling (BIM) and computer-aided design (CAD) have seen use for decades. Related information has therefore existed for a long time in a digital format. Leading design software provider Autodesk offers solutions for construction, engineering, product design and entertainment applications. Its portfolio is based on the core AutoCAD platform for computer-aided design, Revit design software and Tandem to create digital twins. The company increasingly integrates AI applications. Autodesk’s chief marketing officer, Dara Treseder, points out that this integration allows users to “automate menial tasks, augment creativity and analyse complex information”. Autodesk also is working on an experimental research effort to create GenAI applications for designing and manufacturing purposes. Project Bernini is using AI to generate functional three-dimensional shapes from various types of input such as two-dimensional images, text, voxels or point clouds. The application hails back to a scientific research effort to create 3D shapes. The company expects AI to redefine architecture as algorithms will drive efficiency, innovation and sustainability in the industry. “From automated drafting to real-time updates in building information modelling to energy consumption analysis, AI streamlines workflows, allowing architects to focus on creating visionary designs,” it says. AI and XR change design Design applications are set to benefit tremendously by combining AI and XR well beyond architecture and construction. Adobe has integrated the AI features Generative Fill and Generative Expand in its Photoshop design software to enable customers to use text prompts to add design elements and expand image dimensions, respectively. The company’s graphics software Illustrator and stock image database also offer AI functions. To further the use of AI-based applications to create visuals, AI computing firm Nvidia and Shutterstock, a provider of stock photography and footage, have entered a partnership to build a model for AI-created imagery for industrial and entertainment applications. Other applications look at ways to enhance digital twins with photorealistic environments that instantly respond to users’ actions. Younite AI, for example, is leveraging AI’s capabilities to “create virtual reality projects that range from cultural and historical experiences to future-focused simulations and training”. Such advanced environments can find use for scenario simulations and decision-making support, as well as a consumer-facing applications, including marketing materials or product manuals. AI, XR and intelligent agents AI agents are another consideration for entertainment and consumer-facing commercial applications. GenAI has a very natural place in gaming applications, where it has the potential to create an entire support industry. Artificial Agency has deployed AI to develop generative behaviour for gaming applications. The founders target game developers that will use their company’s product to create sophisticated game mechanics that support interactive storytelling. Similarly, Inworld AI is developing an AI engine for media and gaming applications to create “experiences with autonomous behaviour, evolving narratives and worlds that respond to each action”. NTT Docomo also has been working on a GenAI model to create non-player characters for virtual environments – developers can use text description to create these characters. Josh Rush, founder and CEO of Surreal Events, says: “AI-powered agents will inevitably play a huge role at scale…. On the development side, it will allow for quicker, cheaper, and higher-fidelity art creation and deployment cycles. And on the channel management front, it will reduce long-term operating costs.” In sales applications, Walmart is working on an Adaptive Retail campaign that promises to provide personal shopping experiences. The effort will leverage AI, AR and an immersive commerce platform. To that end, the company created an AI-enabled Customer Support Assistant and Wallaby, which comprises several retail-focused LLMs to provide customer-facing experiences. The efforts attempt to bring retail to situations in which shopping can attach to other activities consumers are engaged in, such as embedding offers in gaming environments. Walmart also created Retina, an AR platform that uses AI to create virtual 3D products. The application allows consumers to access product information when viewing these objects. Another effort is exploring the use of headsets to visualise furniture in various settings, for example. AI and XR combine real-world and virtual elements Finally, there are also applications that highlight AI’s ability to connect virtual applications with objects and aspects of the real world. For example, in automotive applications, two Finnish companies are looking at leveraging AI to create AR-enhanced vision for automotive and aerospace applications. Basemark is developing a toolkit to enable developers of automotive applications to create AR experiences via its AI-based computer vision technology. The company’s product Rocksolid AR is designed to enable immersive augmented reality experiences on any in-vehicle display. Similarly, Distance Technologies is using contextual AI to create glasses-free mixed reality experiences. Alphabet’s venture arm, GV, has invested in the company, whose applications can project street signs onto a car’s windscreen or maps in a pilot’s cockpit. The company is working on a solution that can allow any transparent surface to become an AR display, with initial target markets the automotive and aerospace industries. It is also creating advanced XR experiences by using, in the founders’ words, “contextual AI”, which should have immediate application opportunities in other industries as well. More experimental, but potentially truly powerful in augmented applications, AI also can render real-world objects as interactive elements. Google has developed a prototype system that can transform physical objects into virtually augmented objects. The project, XR-Objects, employs multimodal LLMs to create the effect. The researchers provide an example of an apple and an orange that are on a table. The system identifies the fruits and then provides a virtual menu that mentions the type of fruit and offers information about the fruits, lets users compare these fruits, share the information with a friend, or add them to a shopping list. The researchers note that XR applications for the most part treat real-world environments as a passive backdrop while only the digital elements have interactive features. XR-Objects intends to remedy that limitation by merging physical objects and virtual elements seamlessly. There are concerns associated with the indiscriminate use of AI to create XR environments and related processes – as a previous article, The irresistible marriage of AI and XR, notes – but the benefits of embedding AI applications are manifold, and productivity will increase substantially with AI-generated visualisations and AI-complemented data use. AI and XR combine to create powerful solutions for practically every industry and, over time, for every company. Martin Schwirn is the author of “Small data, big disruptions: How to spot signals of change and manage uncertainty” (ISBN 9781632651921). He is also senior advisor for strategic foresight at Business Finland, helping startups and incumbents find their position in tomorrow’s marketplace. Source link #ways #empower Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Teen Andreeva dumps Swiatek out of Dubai Championships Teen Andreeva dumps Swiatek out of Dubai Championships An inspired Mirra Andreeva has beaten world No.2 Iga Swiatek for the first time in her career with a dominant 6-3 6-3 victory as the Russian 17-year-old marched into the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships. With her victory on Thursday, 12th seed Andreeva moved into the first WTA 1000 semi-final of her career while Swiatek became another luminary to exit the tournament after world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out on Wednesday. Andreeva is also the youngest semi-finalist in Dubai since the tournament was first held in 2001 — a significant improvement from her last visit when she was knocked out in the first round last year. “Honestly, I was really nervous before the match and we played in Cincinnati last year (where Swiatek won their quarter-final match) and it was pretty intense,” Andreeva said. “So I just told myself that I played great and I just need to continue to play aggressive and go for my shots. It was also not easy with all the fans (supporting Swiatek) but I think we were even. I had a lot of people supporting me. Andreeva found herself on the ropes early as she struggled to hold serve in her first service game of the opening set but eventually held on to make it 1-1. Andreeva then broke the Pole and continued to impress, covering the court well while also reading Swiatek’s shots to set up winners and the Russian broke once more, firing a forehand return down the line on set point. The 17-year-old trailed 3-1 in the second set but corrected course after a quick chat with her coach — former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez — to win five games in a row. The determined teenager broke Swiatek in the penultimate game to serve for the set, eventually sealing victory when the Pole’s return on match point went wide. “I think she didn’t tell me anything new. She told me everything I knew already,” Andreeva added of Martinez’s input. “She just told me to keep going because I played good and she just told me to go for my shots, that I don’t have to change anything.” Source link #Teen #Andreeva #dumps #Swiatek #Dubai #Championships Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders review [SideQuesting] Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders review [SideQuesting] “Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is a sequel to Lonely Mountains: Downhill brought to you by Megagon Industries which now sets your time challenges within a snowy mountainscape. Bring your skis and your friends and embark on time challenges while you avoid trees, rocks and other hazards racing down the mountain.” Kat @ Thumb Culture Source link #LonelyMountains #Snow #Riders #review #SideQuesting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oppo Find N5 folding phone: Specs, price, availability Oppo Find N5 folding phone: Specs, price, availability Oppo’s new Find N5 folding smartphone on display at a press briefing in London. Ryan Browne | CNBC ******** smartphone firm Oppo has unveiled its new flagship folding phone Thursday, touting a slimmer body and artificial intelligence-focused features in a bid to compete with high-end foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. The company’s Find N5 phone that can fold in half, will retail at a starting price of 2,499 Singapore dollars ($1,867.70). When it’s folded shut, the Find N5 looks like a normal bar-shaped phone with a 6.62-inch display. The device can then be folded outward to show a larger, 8.12-inch tablet. Most notably, the phone has an ultra-thin design. When closed, it measures 8.93 millimeters thick, while when opened out in tablet form, the Find N5 has a depth of 4.21 millimeters. That’s slimmer than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 6, which the South Korean tech giant released last year. Inside the device is a razer-thin 5,600 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery that’s no ******* than a credit card. Oppo said the battery incorporates a silicon-carbon material, which enables high battery capacity despite its small size. Oppo is hoping it can win business from the likes of Samsung and ******** tech giant Huawei, both major smartphone players seeking to shake the market out of an innovation slowdown with flashy new models that can bend. AI assistant features Like many other smartphone makers, Oppo is investing more into artificial intelligence-focused features on the device. The Oppo Find N5 has a triple-camera setup that includes a telephoto lens that can zoom in up to 30x thanks to assistance from an AI-powered image enhancement feature, dubbed AI Telescope Zoom. It also comes with a personal AI assistant that can interpret and summarize documents, generate summaries of phone calls and translate video calls and other content displayed on the screen. Addressing concerns around privacy, Oppo said that some data is processed directly on the device while other information is stored in the cloud. In international markets, Oppo is using Google as its AI and cloud computing technology partner. An Oppo spokesman told CNBC the company “strictly abides by local laws, regulations and privacy security protection requirements.” Samsung recently launched additional AI capabilities on its new flagship Galaxy S25 series, including the ability to carry out tasks across multiple apps when prompted and integration of Google’s Gemini AI assistant. Controlling a Mac with an Android phone Oppo also talked up a new feature that enables users to connect their phone to a Mac computer. Using an app called O+ Connect, users can link the Find N5 to any Mac desktop machine and instantly transfer photos and other files between devices — so long as they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Users can also choose to remotely control a Mac from the Find N5. The Mac’s display can shut off and then reappear on the Find N5’s screen. The remote control feature only requires mobile internet or Wi-Fi to sync up a Mac device’s data with the Find N5 in real-time. The feature uses public macOS application programming interfaces, which enable two different apps to communicate with each other. Oppo said O+ Connect “fully complies with macOS platform and software regulations.” Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, told CNBC the Find N5 “shows the art of the possible when engineering a product with flexible display technology.” Wood added that, while Huawei’s triple-screened Mate XT led to some fanfare, “commercially I think the smart money is still on the book-like form factor already offered by Samsung, Honor, Google and now Oppo.” Samsung teased a trifold smartphone prototype at its January Unpacked event for the launch of the Galaxy S25. It’s not clear yet if the phone is a product Samsung will launch commercially anytime soon. Source link #Oppo #Find #folding #phone #Specs #price #availability Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What Nvidia bulls are whispering about before its big earnings report What Nvidia bulls are whispering about before its big earnings report The Street is sticking with Nvidia (NVDA) into its market-moving earnings report next week. Despite china-based DeepSeek coming out to rock the super bullish AI thesis earlier this year, Wall Street still sees Nvidia cleaning up from the buildout of AI infrastructure globally. Aggressive 2025 capex assumptions by hyperscalers such as Amazon (AMZN) and Meta (META) shared during this earnings season underscore the point. “Over the coming decades the investment [in AI] is happening,” Russell Investments CIO Kate El-Hillow tells me. However, that’s not to say there aren’t signs of caution going into Nvidia’s earnings report. Yahoo Finance data shows Nvidia’s first quarter earnings per share trend has drifted modestly lower over the past 30 days. The Street has also not pushed up its 2025 EPS estimates on Nvidia for more than 60 days. Nvidia is also among the most cheaply valued AI stocks at the moment. On a forward price to earnings (PE) multiple basis, Yahoo Finance data shows Nvidia trading at 32 times. Broadcom (AVGO) and Marvell Technology (MRVL) are valued at 35 times and 41 times, respectively. Arm Holdings (ARM) clocks in at 76 times. “I would say I wouldn’t want to be Jensen [Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang] necessarily because wow, other people are working on the same things,” Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates told me on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid podcast (listen in below). This embedded content is not available in your region. Here are the vibes on the Street a few days ahead of Nvidia’s earnings on February 26. “Despite recent concerns over the long-term demand impact from DeepSeek’s lower cost approach, most of the hyperscalers have actually revised up 2025 capex by 4%-26% during the earnings season, supporting our thesis that overall AI GPU demand outlook remains strong. Nevertheless, we are lowering our FY26 estimate for data center revenue by 11% to $209 billion on the back of lower NVL rack [Nvidia data center product] assumptions, but our FY26 data center revenue forecast still remains 14% above consensus of $184 billion. However, we believe there remains greater pressure for Nvidia to deliver stronger second half fiscal year momentum on the back of its B300/GB300 roadmap to see if there is potential room for further upside.” Rating: Reiterated Overweight Price Target: $190, up from $180 “While we do believe that manufacturing constraints are limiting shipments of GB200 NVL server racks, we believe this will be more than offset by the following: 1) given the lower initial manufacturing yields of GB200 NVL, we believe customers have been able to push out orders of GB200 and backfill with HGX-based B200 servers with x86 head nodes; 2) DeepSeek, as well as limited supply of Huawei’s Ascend AI ASIC [custom chip], has created a surge in demand for H20 GPUs from China CSPs; 3) we believe Nvidia’s customers, especially communications service providers, are financing its inventory at EMS providers, so effectively sell-in shipments from Nvidi to EMS are recognized as revenues. As such, we are raising estimates and our price target and believe Nvidia’s strong results should alleviate any concerns that DeepSeek could derail near-term AI capex intensity.” Story Continues “Big picture we believe that two to three year Street numbers remain low as our work with both customers and the Nvidia build ecosystem points [to] … Nvidia GPU reaching 10 million to 12 million as hyperscalers look to increase their percentage on non-CPU compute to 50% plus in coming years (from ~10% currently). Remember … for Nvidia the story is accelerated compute + Gen AI, which means it is facing two $1.0 trillion compute market opportunities ahead of it in coming years, each of which is just at the very start.” “We expect a modest fourth quarter beat but the first quarter outlook could face headwinds from Blackwell transition, Hopper declines and China restrictions,” BofA analyst Vivek Arya wrote in a note on Tuesday. “The stock could be volatile post results, but we expect positive momentum to resume as investors look forward to Nvidia’s leading new product pipeline (GB300, Rubin) and total addressable market expansion into robotics and quantum technologies at upcoming GTC conference (March 17).” Rating: Reiterated Outperform Price Target: $190, reiterated “Nvidia remains the platform of choice for hyperscalers’ customers, the robustness of its software ecosystem and breadth of its development community put it 5 -10 years ahead of anything else in the market. AMD (AMD) and Amazon (AMZN) AWS ecosystems are a distant #2 and #3.” Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email *****@*****.tld. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Source link #Nvidia #bulls #whispering #big #earnings #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BMO downgrades SolarEdge, says rally is ‘overdone’ as earnings power remains limited BMO downgrades SolarEdge, says rally is ‘overdone’ as earnings power remains limited SolarEdge Technologies’ post-earnings rally is overdone and headwinds for the company have not gone away, according to BMO Capital Markets. Downgrading shares to underperform, analyst Ameet Thakkar said he is now “turning [the] page from short-term liquidity to longer-term earnings power” with his outlook on SolarEdge. He increased his price target by $2 to $15, but that still suggests shares could decline more than 23%. The “narrative now shifts from near-term liquidity risks towards the trajectory of the company’s operating earnings power that we think that has been negatively impacted not only due to current demand (company estimates implied current quarterly demand of $400MM) and pricing but also its cost structure,” Thakkar wrote in a Thursday note to clients, adding that his estimates suggest the “current rally and valuation premium is not sustainable.” SolarEdge’s recent outperformance has been largely driven by short-covering around the company’s fourth-quarter results, which suggested the company has enough liquidity, the analyst noted. SolarEdge’s quarterly financial report released on Wednesday reflected a loss for the ******* but a beat on revenue expectations, as well as positive free cash flow, that led shares to rally about 20% during the session. The stock is now up 44.3% this year, but down more than 76% over the past year. SEDG 1Y mountain SolarEdge stock performance. Looking ahead, Thakkar said that SolarEdge’s core inverter and battery business appears to remain significantly below his firm’s estimates and consensus forecasts. It’s “several quarters away from achieving break-even operating income which in our view will now dominate the narrative from here,” he said. Source link #BMO #downgrades #SolarEdge #rally #overdone #earnings #power #remains #limited Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oppo Find N5 folding phone: Specs, price, availability Oppo Find N5 folding phone: Specs, price, availability Oppo’s new Find N5 folding smartphone on display at a press briefing in London. Ryan Browne | CNBC ******** smartphone firm Oppo has unveiled its new flagship folding phone Thursday, touting a slimmer body and artificial intelligence-focused features in a bid to compete with high-end foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. The company’s Find N5 phone that can fold in half, will retail at a starting price of 2,499 Singapore dollars ($1,867.70). When it’s folded shut, the Find N5 looks like a normal bar-shaped phone with a 6.62-inch display. The device can then be folded outward to show a larger, 8.12-inch tablet. Most notably, the phone has an ultra-thin design. When closed, it measures 8.93 millimeters thick, while when opened out in tablet form, the Find N5 has a depth of 4.21 millimeters. That’s slimmer than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 6, which the South Korean tech giant released last year. Inside the device is a razer-thin 5,600 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery that’s no ******* than a credit card. Oppo said the battery incorporates a silicon-carbon material, which enables high battery capacity despite its small size. Oppo is hoping it can win business from the likes of Samsung and ******** tech giant Huawei, both major smartphone players seeking to shake the market out of an innovation slowdown with flashy new models that can bend. AI assistant features Like many other smartphone makers, Oppo is investing more into artificial intelligence-focused features on the device. The Oppo Find N5 has a triple-camera setup that includes a telephoto lens that can zoom in up to 30x thanks to assistance from an AI-powered image enhancement feature, dubbed AI Telescope Zoom. It also comes with a personal AI assistant that can interpret and summarize documents, generate summaries of phone calls and translate video calls and other content displayed on the screen. Addressing concerns around privacy, Oppo said that some data is processed directly on the device while other information is stored in the cloud. In international markets, Oppo is using Google as its AI and cloud computing technology partner. An Oppo spokesman told CNBC the company “strictly abides by local laws, regulations and privacy security protection requirements.” Samsung recently launched additional AI capabilities on its new flagship Galaxy S25 series, including the ability to carry out tasks across multiple apps when prompted and integration of Google’s Gemini AI assistant. Controlling a Mac with an Android phone Oppo also talked up a new feature that enables users to connect their phone to a Mac computer. Using an app called O+ Connect, users can link the Find N5 to any Mac desktop machine and instantly transfer photos and other files between devices — so long as they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Users can also choose to remotely control a Mac from the Find N5. The Mac’s display can shut off and then reappear on the Find N5’s screen. The remote control feature only requires mobile internet or Wi-Fi to sync up a Mac device’s data with the Find N5 in real-time. The feature uses public macOS application programming interfaces, which enable two different apps to communicate with each other. Oppo said O+ Connect “fully complies with macOS platform and software regulations.” Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, told CNBC the Find N5 “shows the art of the possible when engineering a product with flexible display technology.” Wood added that, while Huawei’s triple-screened Mate XT led to some fanfare, “commercially I think the smart money is still on the book-like form factor already offered by Samsung, Honor, Google and now Oppo.” Samsung teased a trifold smartphone prototype at its January Unpacked event for the launch of the Galaxy S25. It’s not clear yet if the phone is a product Samsung will launch commercially anytime soon. Source link #Oppo #Find #folding #phone #Specs #price #availability Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

“The writing for this game was unreal”: Despite Being 22 Years Older, Max Payne’s Writing Continues to Outshine Dragon Age: The Veilguard “The writing for this game was unreal”: Despite Being 22 Years Older, Max Payne’s Writing Continues to Outshine Dragon Age: The Veilguard Despite being Remedy Entertainment’s second game, Max Payne is an immensely ambitious action game that combines mature storytelling with themes from John Woo films to produce a timeless masterpiece. Similar to bullet-time in The Matrix films, the slowdown function in this third-person action game is available to the game’s protagonist, a former NYPD investigator. Max Payne was released in 2001. | Credit: Remedy Entertainment. Like Neo, Max can make slow-motion leaps while holding his reliable weapons in both hands to eliminate opponents in front of him. It’s been over two decades since this game’s release, but the immaculate writing of the game even beats the monologues of recently released titles like Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Max Payne‘s writing is a timeless classic That “Noooo!” still haunts many Max Payne fans. | Credit: Remedy Entertainment. Max Payne was released in 2001and quite naturally graphics was not a big deal at that time. Hence, developers had to heavily rely on the title’s gameplay and writing. We are all aware of how fantastic Max Payne was as far as its gameplay was concerned. But we often forget the game featured one of the best dialogues the video game world has ever seen. Needless to say, the creative director at Remedy Entertainment, Sam Lake, did it all on his own – writing the stories and dialogues, becoming the face of Mr. Payne, and even voicing him as well. Max Payne offers a unique action experience that skillfully combines gameplay and story with its captivating narrative and immersive atmosphere. Crime, treachery, and loss are all interwoven into the game’s plot, which takes place in a gloomy, noir-inspired setting. Comment byu/Rodeo4613 from discussion inpcmasterrace The game’s gloomy atmosphere is further enhanced by a few scathing monologues made by the main character himself, thanks to Lake. Each and every line of Payne’s dialogue used to inflict sheer pain, which added to the noir aesthetic of the game. For example, at the very beginning of the game, Payne stated, “But dreams have a ****** habit of going bad when you’re not looking.” This was his depiction of dreams as it was shattered completely after the ******* of his child and wife. Another fascinating aspect of the game is its story is told through stunning comic book pages narrated by Payne himself, and with his deep dialogues in his gravelly voice, everything felt more mesmerizing. With games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard being ostracized for having mediocre dialogue and an underwhelming narrative, it’s high time for players to experience the intricacies of gems like Max Payne. Is Max Payne worth playing in 2025? Max Payne well and truly stands out, even today. | Credit: Remedy Entertainment. These slick comic book cutscenes still hold up and captivate players, despite the fact that the story may seem a little too simple and cliched in comparison to the complex video game narratives of today. A timeless presentation is produced by combining comic panels with outstanding voice acting and a powerful soundtrack. For a game that is only 20 years old, it is genuinely amazing. Fortunately, gameplay maintains an elegant presentation. There are firefights inside squalid New York sewers, warehouses, and apartments in this third-person shooter game. Despite not having the standard accessories of contemporary shooters, like a cover system, shooting feels fluid and fast-paced. It hasn’t gotten old in twenty years to use bullet time to dive headfirst into enemy fire and to pepper enemies with dual berettas just before they ****** to the ground. The current push for shooters to offer greater mobility options during combat is well-suited to this movement system. Since short and sweet third-person shooters like this aren’t as popular these days, playing Max Payne again is novel and refreshing. Remedy is also gearing up for a Max Payne 1 & 3 Remake, but the OG one will forever be something different. Source link #writing #game #unreal #Years #Older #Max #Paynes #Writing #Continues #Outshine #Dragon #Age #Veilguard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]