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Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape 1) Review | Eurogamer Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape 1) Review | Eurogamer shadowT|21m ago|Review|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source GameRadar writes: “I’m blown away by Lost Records: Bloom and Rage – Tape 1, and if this continues into Tape 2, Don’t Nod will have totally captured the core essence of its most iconic series, blossoming into something new and brilliant.” Lost Records: Bloom & Rage PC gamesradar.com Read Full Story >> [Hidden Content] gamesradar.com Source link #Lost #Records #Bloom #Rage #Tape #Review #Eurogamer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Berkshire’s Apple stake stays at 300 million shares for second straight quarter Berkshire’s Apple stake stays at 300 million shares for second straight quarter Berkshire Hathaway’s highly scrutinized Apple stake has been held steady for two straight quarters, after dumping two-thirds of the shares in a head-turning selling spree last year. Warren Buffett’s conglomerate owned 300 million shares of Apple at the end of 2024, the same amount it had at the end of the third quarter, according to a regulatory filing. The iPhone maker remains the largest stock stake by far for Berkshire despite the recent sales. Berkshire had slashed its big Apple stake for four quarters in a row. Back in the third quarter of 2023, the Omaha-based giant held 915.6 million shares of the tech stock. At Berkshire’s annual meeting last year, Buffett noted that selling “a little Apple” would benefit Berkshire shareholders in the long run — if the tax on capital gains is raised down the road by a U.S. government wanting to plug a climbing fiscal deficit. However, the magnitude of the selling made many believe it was more than just a tax-saving move. Some speculated that Buffett was concerned about high market valuation, while others thought it was part of portfolio management as the Apple stake once took up more than half of Berkshire’s portfolio. Investors will look to Buffett’s annual letter, to be released Saturday morning along with Berkshire’s quarterly earnings, for commentary about Apple as well as the broader market. Overall, Buffett has been in selling mode, with sales exceeding stock purchases for nine consecutive quarters, according to Edward Jones analyst James Shanahan, who covers Berkshire. Berkshire’s monstrous cash pile topped a record $300 billion in the third quarter of 2024 as a result. “Solid free-cash-flow generation has contributed to the increase, but stock sales have had a far greater impact,” Shanahan said in a note. Source link #Berkshires #Apple #stake #stays #million #shares #straight #quarter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Phil Spencer Gives Update On Missing-In-Action Rare Game Everwild Phil Spencer Gives Update On Missing-In-Action Rare Game Everwild It’s been over 5 years since Rare’s in-development project Everwild was announced by Xbox, and details have been thin on the ground ever since. In a recent interview, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that Everwild is proceeding well. Speaking to XboxEra, Spencer mentioned a few games in passing that he’s excited for. Everwild was one of those games, with Spencer confirming that Rare is making “progress” on the project. “I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how [Double Fine founder Tim Schafer] kind of solicits feedback from the team,” Spencer said in part. “And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making.” You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter Now Playing: Everwild Full Presentation | Xbox Games Showcase 2020 Spencer also mentioned State of Decay 3 as part of the same section, with the Xbox boss calling the series “one that I love.” Later in the interview, Spencer said that studios like Rare are allowed more time to make long-in-the-oven games like Everwild because Xbox’s current slate is already packed with games. He also indicated that the next studio he’s going to visit is The Coalition, the stewards of the Gears of War franchise. Everwild is one of those “missing games” that it’s easy to forget about, given that it was first announced in 2019, even before the start of the current console generation. A 2022 report suggests that the project was internally rebooted following the departure of the game’s creative director Simon Woodroffe back in 2020. Everwild’s current director is Gregg Mayles, a Rare veteran who worked on games like Sea of Thieves, Viva Pinata, and Banjo-Kazooie. We still have no word on a potential release date for Everwild. Source link #Phil #Spencer #Update #MissingInAction #Rare #Game #Everwild Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Homebuilder sentiment falls in February amid tariff worries Homebuilder sentiment falls in February amid tariff worries Sentiment among the nation’s single-family homebuilders dropped to the lowest level in five months in February, largely due to concern over tariffs, which would raise their costs significantly. The National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index (HMI) dropped a sharp 5 points from January to a reading of 42. Anything below 50 is considered negative sentiment. Last February, the index stood at 48. “While builders hold out hope for pro-development policies, particularly for regulatory reform, policy uncertainty and cost factors created a reset for 2025 expectations in the most recent HMI,” said NAHB Chairman Carl Harris, a home builder from Wichita, Kansas. Of the index’s three components, current sales conditions fell 4 points to 46, buyer traffic fell 3 points to 29 and sales expectations in the next six months plunged 13 points to 46. That last component hit its lowest level since December 2023. Builders are already facing elevated mortgage rates. The average rate on the 30-year fixed was over 7% for January and February after earlier being in the 6% range. Home prices are also higher than they were a year ago, weakening affordability further. While President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico, originally proposed to take effect in early February, were delayed roughly a month, builders are still expecting higher costs. “With 32% of appliances and 30% of softwood lumber coming from international trade, uncertainty over the scale and scope of tariffs has builders further concerned about costs,” said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. Homebuilder sentiment had been gaining steadily since August on the expectation of lower mortgage rates and, as the builders noted, potential pro-development policies. Single-family housing starts are trending lower than they were a year ago, despite a lean supply of existing homes for *****. The drop in builder sentiment, coming right before the all-important spring market, signals potentially even less supply in the market. Several homebuilders have noted the pullback in buyer demand in recent earnings reports. “Despite Federal Reserve actions to lower short-term interest rates, mortgage interest rates remained elevated in the fourth quarter, which impacted buyer demand as homebuyers continue to face affordability challenges,” said Ryan Marshall, CEO of PulteGroup, in its fourth-quarter earnings release. The share of builders lowering prices dropped to 26% in February, down from 30% in January and the lowest share since May 2024. Other sales incentives also fell. This may be because incentives are becoming less effective at attracting buyers, since high prices and high rates have reduced the pool of buyers for whom these benefits move the needle, according to the NAHB. When a buyer is solidly priced out, no incentive helps, and with rates remaining higher, the pool of marginal buyers may be shrinking. Offering incentives to buyers who would buy regardless of price or rates is of diminishing value for builders. Source link #Homebuilder #sentiment #falls #February #tariff #worries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shuhei Yoshida: Choice Was To Lead Indies Or Leave PlayStation Shuhei Yoshida: Choice Was To Lead Indies Or Leave PlayStation When Shuhei Yoshida stepped down as president of SIE Worldwide Studios to lead indie games in 2019, it wasn’t something he outright chose to do. In fact, Yoshida only had two options: go lead a the new initiative with indies or leave PlayStation altogether. In a new interview with VentureBeat, Yoshida said that despite only having the one option, it was something he was still excited to do. “Moving from first-party to indies? Well, I had no choice,” Yoshida said. “When Jim [Ryan] asked me to do the indie job, the choice was to do that or leave the company. “But I felt very strongly about the state of PlayStation and indies. I really wanted to do this. I believed I could do something unique for that purpose.” Yoshida said that moving from first-party games to indies was a ******* challenge for him than ultimately leaving the company this year after 31 years. He said that he feels lucky that the indie community felt like he could help their growth on PlayStation. “I became an adviser for some of these companies,” he said. “I’m continuing to work with some of the indie publishers and developers I respect. The transition out of Sony to becoming an independent adviser is less of a change than moving out of first-party.” Following up on that statement, Yoshida said that will continue to work with indies despite no longer being with PlayStation. He says that he loves working with younger, talented developers who “come up with amazing games every year.” “Every year when you come to one of these events, a couple of the nominees for game of the year are indies,” he said. “They’re bringing something exciting to the industry. It’s a lot of fun. That’s my dream job, to be able to help them.” What do you think of Yoshida saying he either took the indie leadership position or left PlayStation in 2019? Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, read our full review of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and check out the latest on the potential return of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Shuhei #Yoshida #Choice #Lead #Indies #Leave #PlayStation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DOGE’s request for IRS data systems access may pose risks to tax filers – CNN DOGE’s request for IRS data systems access may pose risks to tax filers – CNN DOGE’s request for IRS data systems access may pose risks to tax filers CNNDOGE seeks access to highly sensitive taxpayer data at IRS CNNDOGE sets up IRS, SEC accounts on X The HillElon Musk’s DOGE seeks access to taxpayer data at IRS: AP sources The Associated Press Source link #DOGEs #request #IRS #data #systems #access #pose #risks #tax #filers #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Review – Alternative Magazine Online Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Review – Alternative Magazine Online Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is an improved version of an average game that somehow still manages to be fun despite its significant flaws, especially when played with a friend. A quarter of a century after it was first released, it still has a certain charm. It’s unlikely to win many new fans, but if you have fond childhood memories of playing it when you were a Padawan, perhaps now is the time to embrace the Force and master it… Source link #Star #Wars #Episode #Jedi #Power #Battles #Review #Alternative #Magazine #Online Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

N.S. budget: Reserve fund, major tax cuts coming amid U.S. tariff threats N.S. budget: Reserve fund, major tax cuts coming amid U.S. tariff threats The Nova Scotia government has introduced a $17.6-billion budget that includes major tax cuts and a reserve fund to be used if the U.S. president makes good on his threat to impose tariffs. Finance Minister John Lohr is forecasting a deficit of $697.5 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year — a figure that could rise if the $200-million reserve fund needs to be used. The budget contains $500 million in tax cuts, including a one percentage point drop in the harmonized sales tax to 14 per cent, and an increase in the basic personal amount that is shielded from the provincial income tax. Lohr says that in response to threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on ********* goods in March, the province is looking to diversify its economy in areas such as critical minerals, wind power and hydrogen. Story continues below advertisement Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservative budget removes parking fees at all provincial hospitals, at a cost of $19 million, and drops the tolls from the two bridges spanning Halifax harbour starting April 1, which will mean $39 million in lost revenue. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Nearly $6 billion is earmarked for health care, including $1.4 billion for various capital costs and hospital expansions, with $26.9 million to cover the costs of the shingles vaccine for those aged 65 and older. Budget highlights Here are some highlights from the provincial budget: More on Money More videos — Total spending is forecast to be $17.6 billion, with a projected deficit of $697.5 million. — $2.3 billion in capital project spending to “help stimulate the economy” amid the threat of U.S. tariffs. Trending Now Trump admin fires hundreds of U.S. air traffic control staff Toronto plane ******: Delta flight overturns at Pearson airport, multiple injuries — $200-million reserve fund to assist if provincial revenues fall due to potential tariffs; deficit could increase if fund is used. — One percentage point cut in the harmonized sales tax, to 14 per cent, by April 1. — Health spending to rise by eight per cent to almost $6 billion. — $27 million for shingles immunization program; $19 million to remove hospital parking fees; and $39 million to drop tolls on two Halifax bridges. Story continues below advertisement — $25 million to set up the Department of Emergency Management and a volunteer agency, both of which are to help the province manage effects of climate change. — Net debt jumps to almost $23 billion in 2025-26 from $19.8 billion. This report by The ********* Press was first published Feb. 18, 2025. &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #N.S #budget #Reserve #fund #major #tax #cuts #coming #U.S #tariff #threats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Plath trials new role, Dolphins look for more answers Plath trials new role, Dolphins look for more answers Versatile Max Plath is worth his weight in gold for the Dolphins and he’s set to prove it again at second-row in the trial against Gold Coast. Plath was Dolphins player of the year in 2024 when he shone at lock and hooker due to injuries to Tom Gilbert and Jeremy Marshall-King. Gilbert returns against the Titans at No.13 after a year on the sidelines with an ACL rupture. Marshall-King played for Maori All Stars on Saturday night but has pulled up with soreness and coach Kristian Woolf has wrapped the influential rake in cotton wool until the NRL round-one clash with South Sydney. Utility Kurt Donoghoe, who was lethal in the 50-8 win over North Queensland, will get a chance to play in Marshall-King’s jumper. The second-row battle is an interesting one with new recruit Kulikefu Finefeuiaki named to partner Plath. Oryn Keeley is a contender to play back-row but is out with a foot injury. Fellow second-rower Connelly Lemuelu was a regular last year but had post-season shoulder surgery and has been named on the bench as Woolf takes a cautious approach. Plath will certainly be in the 17 to play against the Rabbitohs, likely as the No.14, but his move to the unfamiliar back-row is another opportunity for him to showcase a rare ability to play in multiple positions and do a stellar job. He has trained on occasions in the pre-season in the position. The clash in Redcliffe on Saturday night will be the first time Finefeuiaki has worn a Dolphins jersey. The former North Queensland powerhouse signed with the Dolphins after talking to two of his former Cowboys teammates and he is looking forward to playing alongside them. “Tom Gilbert and Connelly talked to me and said it’s a good environment and good culture here and I just wanted to be a part of that,” he said. “I’ve always admired the Dolphins for their scramble in defence, especially on the goal line. “If the ball goes out wide and they get beat on the outside, all their forwards just chase through the middle and they follow through and have each other’s backs. “Hopefully I can cement a starting position, get these connections going and make this club go the right way.” Reuniting with Gilbert has also been a source of encouragement for the 21-year-old. “Nothing’s changed, it’s still the same old Tom Gilbert,” he said. “He works his butt off and you just want to be like him. To have a guy like that in your team is outstanding. “He always wants to get better each and every day. If there’s something he’s not happy about he’ll just work on it and if he’s happy with something he’ll just keep building on it. That’s who Tom Gilbert is.” The Dolphins will field a full-strength backline and will be captained by veteran Felise Kaufusi. Source link #Plath #trials #role #Dolphins #answers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dead Cells final two updates are now live on iOS and Android, with fresh content to wrap it up Dead Cells final two updates are now live on iOS and Android, with fresh content to wrap it up Dead Cells’ final two updates, Clean Cut and The End is Near are now live Both bring the final set of content to Dead Cells, which has been continuously updated for years New weapons, enemies and more send it off with a bang It’s perhaps the most ironic thing about Motion Twin and Evil Empire’s Dead Cells is that the only time it was ever criticised heavily was when they finally ceased free updates. Since its release way back in 2018, Dead Cells has continuously received new weapons, gear, enemies and more. But now the end is nigh as its final two updates finally arrive! Clean Cut and The End is Near, however, are certainly a big send-off for this fan-favourite roguelike. Both bring four new weapons in total, with bold new additions like giant Sewing Scissors and the Misericorde respectively, while adding new modes like Speedrun and Boss Rush DIY. Finally, you can expect 40 new heads, multiple enemy types and even an NPC that lets you change the look of your head on a whim! Yes, while Dead Cells may now be transitioning to long-term quality-of-life features as the developers move on, it’s undeniable that this glut of content will keep you going for a while longer. Undead cells I do think that, like many, I was a bit galled to see so many complaints levied when Dead Cells ceased further free updates. A half-decade is nothing to be sniffed at when it comes to free content (not to mention paid expansions) and the long-term bug fixes and quality-of-life features will, I’m sure, keep it relevant for years to come If you’re taking this chance to leap into Dead Cells for the first time, don’t get caught unprepared. Instead, why not dig into our Dead Cells weapons tier list to ensure you’re using the best equipment possible? Or, if you’re the kind of completionist who’ll run through this in a matter of days, maybe you can feed your hunger for roguelikes and Metroidvanias by checking out our list of the top 7 mobile games like Dead Cells. Source link #Dead #Cells #final #updates #live #iOS #Android #fresh #content #wrap Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump will sign new executive orders while his first joint TV interview with Musk airs in prime time Trump will sign new executive orders while his first joint TV interview with Musk airs in prime time WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday was set to sign new executive orders from his Florida home while his first joint TV interview with adviser Elon Musk airs in prime time. Trump’s Florida home will also be the setting for an awards program by a conservative group led by Mike Flynn, who briefly served as national security adviser in the Republican president’s first term. Trump was spending part of Tuesday at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. The White House had no immediate comment on the executive actions Trump was signing later Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach. In the first weeks of Trump’s second term, he has used executive orders — signed statements about how the president wants the federal government to be managed — to address issues including border security, the environment and transgender rights. Trump and Musk, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, gave their first joint interview to Sean Hannity of Fox News Channel. The interview was taped on Friday at the White House and is set to air as Musk leads Trump’s effort to cut federal spending and slash the federal workforce. Musk has drawn criticism from Democrats in Congress and others for the methods he and his team at DOGE are using to cut spending, including foreign aid, and eliminate jobs across the bureaucracy. The Fox News interview also follows Musk’s appearance with Trump in the Oval Office last week, when both defended Musk’s approach to federal cost-cutting. In an excerpt from the interview that Fox News released on Sunday, Musk said he “used to be adored by the left” but “less so these days” because of the work he’s doing at Trump’s direction. “They call it Trump derangement syndrome. You don’t realize how real this is until you can’t reason with people,” Musk said, adding that normal conversations with Democrats about the president are impossible because “it’s like they’ve become completely irrational.” Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club is the setting Tuesday night for an awards program by America’s Future, which is led by Flynn to preserve individual rights and promote American values and traditions, according to its website. The event, celebrating American exceptionalism, will honor one member from the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Space Force. The event includes a poolside reception, musical performances and dinner in Mar-a-Lago’s Grand Ballroom, where other award presentations are expected from a lineup that includes such names as Russell Brand, Ted Nugent and Mike Tyson. It’s unclear whether Trump will participate in the event. ___ Follow the AP’s coverage of President Donald Trump at [Hidden Content]. Source link #Trump #sign #executive #orders #joint #interview #Musk #airs #prime #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung’s Digital Key technology now works with Volvo and Polestar EVs Samsung’s Digital Key technology now works with Volvo and Polestar EVs Owners of a or may soon be able to unlock and start their electric vehicle with a Samsung Galaxy phone. Samsung is rolling out Digital Key support for Polestar’s SUV in North America, Europe and Asia starting this month. EX90 drivers in those regions and Latin America will get access to the feature in the coming days too. Samsung says it will support more models from each automaker in the future. You can use the Digital Key to lock, unlock and start a paired car using a supported Galaxy device (S20, Z Fold 2, Z Flip 5G and later). It’s possible to share a key with family and friends if they need access to your car, and you can remotely lock or delete a Digital Key from a lost or stolen Galaxy phone. Samsung uses biometric and PIN-based authorization to help make Digital Key use secure. The company started Digital Key in 2021 (a similar function is available on recent Google Pixel devices and Android phones). , Genesis, Hyundai, Kia and Mini are among the other brands that support the feature. Source link #Samsungs #Digital #Key #technology #works #Volvo #Polestar #EVs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration to continue Biden merger guidelines Trump administration to continue Biden merger guidelines The Trump administration on Tuesday said it will keep using strict guidelines by the administration of former President Joe Biden to review proposed corporate mergers. The decision to retain the regulatory guidelines —which have been widely disliked by corporations since their adoption in 2023 — was detailed by Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and a memo by Omeed Assefi, the acting head of the Department of Justice‘s antitrust division. The decision is a victory for the populist, anti-corporate wing of the Trump administration, embodied by Vice President JD Vance. Vance frequently found common ground with Biden’s FTC chair Lina Khan, who made anti-trust enforcement a centerpiece of the agency’s mission. U.S. President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2024. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The existing guidelines detail more than a dozen criteria that the FTC and DOJ will use to determine whether to seek to block a merger. They include mergers not significantly increasing concentration in already highly concentrated markets, not eliminating substantial competition between firms, and avoiding vertical mergers that create market structures that foreclose competition. “Stability is good for the enforcement agencies,” Ferguson said in a statement. “The wholesale rescission and reworking of guidelines is time consuming and expensive.” “We should undertake this process sparingly,” he said. “We have limited resources to patrol the beat and constant turnover undermines agency credibility.” In a social media post, Ferguson said the 2023 guidelines build on previous guidelines and many decades of case law. “That stability is important for enforcement agencies and the business community.” “The FTC has limited resources,” Ferguson wrote. “Rewriting guidelines after every election would be expensive and time-consuming. It would also be destabilizing. Enforcement agencies should avoid a wholesale change in guidelines with every new administration,” he wrote. “Otherwise, the guidelines would become worthless to businesses and the courts.” Source link #Trump #administration #continue #Biden #merger #guidelines Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unannounced Tony Hawk Remaster On The Way, Pro Skater Claims Unannounced Tony Hawk Remaster On The Way, Pro Skater Claims Pro skater Tyshawn Jones said that he’s going to be in a new remastered Tony Hawk game, despite Activision not announcing any new ones. “I’m in a Tony Hawk [game] coming out, so they got a new one they’re remastering…that’s about to come out. I was in the last one,” Jones said in an interview with The Breakfast Club. He was was one of the new playable pro skaters added to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Jones specifically mentioned that the unannounced game was a remaster. Although it’s unclear which game he’s referring to, he may have also meant remakes. Last year, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake was reportedly rejected in order for developer Vicarious Visions to focus on more Call of Duty content. However, Tony Hawk himself came out and confirmed that the series will continue on in some form. It’s unknown what the future of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise holds, but former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently revealed that Activision offered Hawk $300,000 and a 1.5% royalty rate to lend his name and likeness to the first game on the original PlayStation. At the time, Kotick claimed that the famous skater was desperate and living out of his car, but his fortunes turned around, as he earned four million in royalty checks from Pro Skater 4. Source link #Unannounced #Tony #Hawk #Remaster #Pro #Skater #Claims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stocks are little changed as S&P 500 trades near record high: Live updates – CNBC Stocks are little changed as S&P 500 trades near record high: Live updates – CNBC Stocks are little changed as S&P 500 trades near record high: Live updates CNBCStock market today: S&P 500 rises as Dow, Nasdaq wobble with Fed’s rate path in focus Yahoo FinanceFutures: S&P 500 On Cusp Of Highs; Big Tesla China News Investor’s Business Daily5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens Today Investopedia Source link #Stocks #changed #SampP #trades #record #high #Live #updates #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals is Nerfing the New Triple Strategist Meta Marvel Rivals is Nerfing the New Triple Strategist Meta Marvel Rivals competitive players have been embracing the triple-strategist meta, but the devs are not letting it dominate the higher ranks thanks to some upcoming nerfs. The new changes, which will go in effect at the start of the Season 1 second half, shouldn’t kill the triple-strategist meta, but will make it less “oppressive.” Cloak & Dagger, Loki, Other Strategists to Receive Ultimate Nerfs The triple-strategist meta has become very popular in competitive Marvel Rivals play. With three characters providing healing and support, vanguards (tanks) can absorb far more damage, making it hard to slow down attacking teams during convoy games. However, the devs have noted concerns that characters like Cloak & Dagger or Loki can charge their ultimate abilities really quickly. Because of this, teams running triple-initiator always seem to have an ultimate ready to counter one from an opposing duelist or vanguard. In the Season 1 mid-season update, the energy costs for “frequent ultimates” like Cloak & Dagger or Loki’s will be increased. Certain ultimates will also receive targeted nerfs, and the devs have explicitly stated that Cloak & Dagger will be one of the recipients. Further more, some vanguards and duelists such as Venom and Magik will also get a reduced energy cost to their ultimates, allowing them to use them more frequently. These changes will go hand-in-hand with some more hero balance changes: Reduced survivability of Doctor Strange and Magneto Buffs to movement-based vanguards (likely Captain America and Venom) Nerfs to Storm and Moon Knight (reducing buffs from start of Season 1) The game’s lead combat designer said the goal is not to get rid of playstyles like the triple-strategist meta, but only to encourage other playstyles and provide an appropriate amount of counterplay opportunities. These changes will officially go into effect when the second half of Season 1 begins on February 21. Is nerfing the triple-strategist meta the right call for Marvel Rivals? Let us know down below in the comments or on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out what Ubisoft’s VP of Esports has to say about Rainbow Six. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Nerfing #Triple #Strategist #Meta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. won’t reduce troops in eastern Europe, Poland’s president says – National U.S. won’t reduce troops in eastern Europe, Poland’s president says – National By Staff The Associated Press Posted February 18, 2025 12:05 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that he has received U.S. assurances that Washington will not reduce its troop presence in Poland and elsewhere along NATO’s eastern flank. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has not announced any plans to pull forces out of the region, but has said Europe must do more to provide for its own security. His administration’s stance has raised questions in the region about whether Washington will maintain its longstanding commitments to NATO partners. “There are no concerns that the U.S. would reduce the level of its presence in our country, that the US would in any way withdraw from its responsibility or co-responsibility for the security of this part of Europe,” Duda told reporters in Warsaw. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “On the contrary, I hope that thanks to the efforts that President Trump is currently making, the war in Ukraine will end.” Story continues below advertisement 1:15 NATO chief backs Trump’s call for equal Ukraine aid, urges higher defence spending Trending Now Toronto plane ******: Video captures moment Delta flight overturns, bursts into flames Here’s the latest on the Delta plane ****** at Toronto Pearson airport Duda, who has long been friendly to Trump, spoke to reporters after meeting Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Duda said his assessment was based on conversations he had in recent days, both with Kellogg and with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whom he hosted in Warsaw last week. He called on the population “to remain calm” in light of shifting priorities under Trump. The U.S. deployed troops to Poland after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, but increased the deployment and created a long-term presence there after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #U.S #wont #reduce #troops #eastern #Europe #Polands #president #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Acer to raise prices by 10 percent following President Trump’s tariffs Acer to raise prices by 10 percent following President Trump’s tariffs Acer laptops are getting a price hike in the US come March. In an interview with The Telegraph, Acer’s chief executive and chairman Jason Chen announced a 10 percent increased cost for all products due to President Trump’s tariffs on China. His straightforward statement is one of the first clear cause and effects of Trump’s import taxes. “We will have to adjust the end user price to reflect the tariff,” Chen stated. “We think 10 percent probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It’s very straightforward.” Acer’s most expensive laptop, the 17-inch Acer Predator Triton gaming laptop, could go up to $4,178 from $3,799. Trump introduced a ten percent tariff to China this month, the country responsible for about 80 percent of laptop imports to the US. While he had claimed tariffs wouldn’t impact consumer prices, he changed his tune last week, admitting that, surprise, surprise, they could. Time will tell if all items increase in price next month or only recently imported devices. Chen also shared that the company is considering moving some of its manufacturing to other countries, including the US. Source link #Acer #raise #prices #percent #President #Trumps #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek-R1: Budgeting challenges for on-premise deployments DeepSeek-R1: Budgeting challenges for on-premise deployments Until now, IT leaders have needed to consider the cyber security risks posed by allowing users to access large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT directly via the cloud. The alternative has been to use open source LLMs that can be hosted on-premise or accessed via a private cloud. The artificial intelligence (AI) model needs to run in memory and, when using graphics processing units (GPUs) for AI acceleration, this means IT leaders need to consider the costs associated with purchasing banks of GPUs to build up enough memory to hold the entire model. Nvidia’s high-end AI acceleration GPU, the H100, is configured with 80Gbytes of random-access memory (RAM), and its specification shows it is rated at 350w in terms of energy use. China’s DeepSeek has been able to demonstrate that its R1 LLM can rival US AI without the need to resort to the latest GPU hardware. It does, however, benefit from GPU-based AI acceleration. Nevertheless, deploying a private version of DeepSeek still requires significant hardware investment. To run the entire DeepSeek-R1 model, which has 671 billion parameters in-memory, requires 768Gbytes of memory. With Nvidia H100 GPUs, which are configured with 80GBytes of video memory card each, 10 would be required to ensure the entire DeepSeek-R1 model can run in-memory. IT leaders may well be able to negotiate volume discounts, but the cost of just the AI acceleration hardware to run DeepSeek is around $250,000. Less powerful GPUs can be used, which may help to reduce this figure. But given current GPU prices, a server capable of running the complete 670 billion-parameter DeepSeek-R1 model in-memory is going to cost over $100,000. The server could be run on public cloud infrastructure. Azure, for instance, offers access to the Nvidia H100 with 900 GBytes of memory for $27.167 per hour, which, on paper, should easily be able to run the 671 billion-parameter DeepSeek-R1 model entirely in-memory. If this model is used every working day, and assuming a 35-hour week and four weeks a year of holidays and downtime, the annual Azure bill would be almost $46,000 a year. Again, this figure could be reduced significantly to $16.63 per hour ($23,000) per year if there is a three-year commitment. Less powerful GPUs will clearly cost less, but it’s the memory costs that make these prohibitive. For instance, looking at current Google Cloud pricing, the Nvidia T4 GPU is priced at $0.35 per GPU per hour, and is available with up to four GPUs, giving a total of 64 Gbytes of memory for $1.40 per hour, and 12 would be needed to fit the DeepSeek-R1 671 billion-parameter model entirely-in memory, which works out at $16.80 per hour. With a three-year commitment, this figure comes down to $7.68, which works out at just under $13,000 per year. A cheaper approach IT leaders can reduce costs further by avoiding expensive GPUs altogether and relying entirely on general-purpose central processing units (CPUs). This setup is really only suitable when DeepSeek-R1 is used purely for AI inference. A recent tweet from Matthew Carrigan, machine learning engineer at Hugging Face, suggests such a system could be built using two AMD Epyc server processors and 768 Gbytes of fast memory. The system he presented in a series of tweets could be put together for about $6,000. Responding to comments on the setup, Carrigan said he is able to achieve a processing rate of six to eight tokens per second, depending on the specific processor and memory speed that is installed. It also depends on the length of the natural language query, but his tweet includes a video showing near-real-time querying of DeepSeek-R1 on the hardware he built based on the dual AMD Epyc setup and 768Gbytes of memory. Carrigan acknowledges that GPUs will win on speed, but they are expensive. In his series of tweets, he points out that the amount of memory installed has a direct impact on performance. This is due to the way DeepSeek “remembers” previous queries to get to answers quicker. The technique is called Key-Value (KV) caching. “In testing with longer contexts, the KV cache is actually ******* than I realised,” he said, and suggested that the hardware configuration would require 1TBytes of memory instead of 76Gbytes, when huge volumes of text or context is pasted into the DeepSeek-R1 query prompt. Buying a prebuilt Dell, HPE or Lenovo server to do something similar is likely to be considerably more expensive, depending on the processor and memory configurations specified. A different way to address memory costs Among the approaches that can be taken to reduce memory costs is using multiple tiers of memory controlled by a custom chip. This is what California startup SambaNova has done using its SN40L Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit (RDU) and a proprietary dataflow architecture for three-tier memory. “DeepSeek-R1 is one of the most advanced frontier AI models available, but its full potential has been limited by the inefficiency of GPUs,” said Rodrigo Liang, CEO of SambaNova. The company, which was founded in 2017 by a group of ex-Sun/Oracle engineers and has an ongoing collaboration with Stanford University’s electrical engineering department, claims the RDU chip collapses the hardware requirements to run DeepSeek-R1 efficiently from 40 racks down to one rack configured with 16 RDUs. Earlier this month at the Leap 2025 conference in Riyadh, SambaNova signed a deal to introduce Saudi Arabia’s first sovereign LLM-as-a-service cloud platform. Saud AlSheraihi, vice-president of digital solutions at Saudi Telecom Company, said: “This collaboration with SambaNova marks a significant milestone in our journey to empower Saudi enterprises with sovereign AI capabilities. By offering a secure and scalable inferencing-as-a-service platform, we are enabling organisations to unlock the full potential of their data while maintaining complete control.” This deal with the Saudi Arabian telco provider illustrates how governments need to consider all options when building out sovereign AI capacity. DeepSeek demonstrated that there are alternative approaches that can be just as effective as the tried and tested method of deploying immense and costly arrays of GPUs. And while it does indeed run better, when GPU-accelerated AI hardware is present, what SambaNova is claiming is that there is also an alternative way to achieve the same performance for running models like DeepSeek-R1 on-premise, in-memory, without the costs of having to acquire GPUs fitted with the memory the model needs. Source link #DeepSeekR1 #Budgeting #challenges #onpremise #deployments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

U.S. appeals court blocks Biden SAVE plan for student loans U.S. appeals court blocks Biden SAVE plan for student loans US President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, April 8, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration’s student loan relief plan known as SAVE, a move that will likely lead to higher monthly payments for millions of borrowers. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the seven Republican-led states that filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education’s plan. The states had argued that former President Joe Biden lacked the authority to establish the student loan relief plan. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. Source link #U.S #appeals #court #blocks #Biden #SAVE #plan #student #loans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Stop picking sides': silence over Islamophobia slammed 'Stop picking sides': silence over Islamophobia slammed An *********** cricket star has accused the prime minister of double standards when it comes to condemning Islamophobic attacks. Source link #039Stop #picking #sides039 #silence #Islamophobia #slammed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fortnite Shows Why Cheaters Never Prosper After Epic Successfully Sues Pro Player Fortnite Shows Why Cheaters Never Prosper After Epic Successfully Sues Pro Player Epic Games has sent a loud and clear message to the cheaters and hackers of the world about Fortnite. The company “took legal action” against a pro player called RepulseGod and banned them from ever participating again in organized tournaments for the battle-royale game. On top of that, RepulseGod, whose name is Morgan Bamford, had to return prize money from Fortnite back to Epic. Eurogamer reports that the company then donated the reclaimed funds to the Child’s Play Charity, which provides games and technology to children’s hospitals. Last but not least, RepulseGod released a public apology video on YouTube summarizing the situation–which the Fortnite Competitive account on X also highlighted. “Cheating in tournaments ruins the fun for the players who earned their spot in tournaments, and I apologize to the Fortnite community for my actions,” RepulseGod posted in text on the apology video. “I won’t ever cheat in Fortnite again.” It’s unknown exactly how much money RepulseGod was required to return to Epic, though the player admits to sharing their Fortnite account with the player Forbes during qualifications for the 2023 Fortnite Championship Series grand finals. Meanwhile, Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 is just days away from launching this Friday, February 21. The upcoming season is called Lawless, and Epic has unveiled all of the battle-pass skins (which include Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero). There have also been rumblings that the new Fortnite season could have some sort of Fast & Furious collaboration. Looking even further ahead, Disney’s Fortnite project has reportedly reached a notable milestone in development. It’s not quite clear exactly what this experience will be for players, but we do know Disney invested $1.5 billion into Epic last year. Source link #Fortnite #Shows #Cheaters #Prosper #Epic #Successfully #Sues #Pro #Player Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Video shows Toronto plane’s hard landing before flipping Video shows Toronto plane’s hard landing before flipping The passenger plane that crashed in Toronto appeared to hit the runway hard before bursting into flames and flipping upside down, new video showed Tuesday. A fire ball and thick plumes of ****** smoke engulfed the Delta Air Lines plane as it skidded to a halt on its roof, but none of the 80 people on board were killed. The airline said in a statement on Tuesday that “21 injured passengers were initially transported to local hospitals. As of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released.” Paramedic services told AFP on Monday that three people had been critically injured, including a child, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s. The flight with 76 passengers and four crew was landing in the afternoon in Canada’s largest city, having flown from Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota. Todd Aitken, the airport’s fire chief, said late Monday that it was too early to determine the cause of the ******. “It’s really important that we do not speculate. What we can say is the runway was dry and there was no crosswind conditions,” he told a news conference. The video posted to social media and verified by AFP was taken from the cockpit of another jetliner waiting on the tarmac. It showed the moment the Delta plane hit the ground. “Oh no no no no no,” the pilot is heard saying in the video that laced with expletives. The aircraft came in for what looked like a normal landing when it slammed into the ground, bounced and slid forward in a roll to the right, with its wings sheared off before it stopped on its back. Flames are seen shooting out from the fuselage the moment it hit the ground, along with billowing ****** smoke. Rescue services quickly responded, spraying water at the jet, whose underside was scraped and blackened. Toronto airport authority chief executive Deborah Flint said the incident did not involve any other planes. A massive snowstorm hit eastern Canada on Sunday. Strong winds and bone-chilling temperatures could still be felt in Toronto on Monday when airlines added flights to make up for weekend cancellations due to the storm. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has deployed a team of investigators to the site of the ******. They will be assisted by the US Federal Aviation Administration, which also sent a team to the scene, according to US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Officials at the airport were expected to provide an update on Tuesday. amc/bs/bgs Source link #Video #shows #Toronto #planes #hard #landing #flipping Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Another VR Studio Suffers Layoffs As Toast Interactive Closes Office Another VR Studio Suffers Layoffs As Toast Interactive Closes Office · · February 18, 2025 The layoffs within the VR space continue to happen. *********** studio Toast Interactive has announced the closure of its office and layoff of the “majority” of its staff. In a post on social media, the studio’s founders—Toni and Richard Eastes—called the decision “heartbreaking”. “To everyone in the VR community: we are closing the Toast Interactive office,” they said. “It’s a heartbreaking decision that we never wanted to make. The majority of our talented staff have suffered redundancies, and we will assist where we can with their next journey.” RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: 10:10 Games Employees Offered No Severance, Layoffs Happened While On Holiday, And More They added that they are “incredibly grateful and proud of everything the team has accomplished.” The statement wrapped saying that the company will “continue to improve Richie’s Plank Experience and Max Mustard with a leaner approach.” A reason for the layoffs and studio closure wasn’t revealed. Nor did they say how many people were part of the layoffs at the company. Founded in 2016, Toast Interactive has released two VR games: 2016’s Richie’s Plank Experience and 2024’s Max Mustard. What do you think of Toast Interactive being the latest VR studio hit by layoffs? Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, read our full review of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and check out the latest on the potential return of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Studio #Suffers #Layoffs #Toast #Interactive #Closes #Office Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Watch these stocks that can see strong returns through company-specific drivers, per Goldman Watch these stocks that can see strong returns through company-specific drivers, per Goldman Goldman Sachs is expecting another good year for stock pickers — and has some stocks to watch. The S & P 500 in 2024 hit its highest annual dispersion levels since 2007 when excluding recessions, according to chief U.S. equity strategist David Kostin. This points to less correlation between individual stocks, creating more opportunities for investors to pick their spots and potentially beat the broader market. “For active stock-pickers this reflected a favorable environment for alpha generation,” Kostin said, referring to a measure of risk-adjusted returns. “From a fundamental perspective, the healthy return dispersion environment in 2024 was marked by declining macroeconomic uncertainty and the growing importance of thematic debates around AI and the US election.” The market has been more micro-driven than usual since the start of 2023, Kostin said. That isn’t expected to change anytime soon, with high return dispersion expected to continue this year. That outlook for 2025 is based in part on expectations for healthy economic growth and the continued differentiation between stocks based on their exposure to artificial intelligence, the strategist said. Given this backdrop, Kostin team looked for stocks that could generate the strongest returns based on company-specific drivers. He calculated this using a dispersion score. In other words, the higher the score, the stronger the potential risk-adjusted return. Here are 10 names that made the list: Super Micro Computer led the way with a score of nearly 32. This comes amid a strong ******* for shares: The stock has surged more than 75% in 2025 alone, putting it on track to notch its seventh straight winning year. One major idiosyncratic driver for the stock is the potential of easing regulatory scrutiny. Earlier this month, the company said it was confident it will meet a key Securities and Exchange Commission deadline. Wall Street analysts see a pullback ahead after that big run, however. Most of the ones polled by LSEG have a hold rating, with a price target reflecting downside of more than 16%. Enphase trailed with the second highest score of S & P 500 stocks at 20.5. Unlike Super Micro, the energy stock slid 5% in 2025 and is now on track for its third negative year in a row. The majority of analysts also have a hold rating on the stock, per LSEG. But the typical price target implies that shares can bounce more than 21% over the next year. To be sure, the stocks on this list could also see increased volatility, as some have in the past. Super Micro, for example, rallied more than 300% at one point last year before tumbling more than 85% from that peak. Source link #Watch #stocks #strong #returns #companyspecific #drivers #Goldman Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]