Pelican Press

Mike Trout announces position change as Angels try to find way to keep slugger healthy for 2025 MLB season – CBS Sports Mike Trout announces position change as Angels try to find way to keep slugger healthy for 2025 MLB season – CBS Sports Mike Trout announces position change as Angels try to find way to keep slugger healthy for 2025 MLB season CBS SportsReacting to Mike Trout moving to right field MLB.comMike Trout Moving To Right Field MLB Trade RumorsMike Trout Changes Position to RF but Will ‘Mix in a Little DH, CF’ for Angels Bleacher ReportAngels’ Mike Trout Announces Position Change Ahead of 2025 Season Sports Illustrated Source link #Mike #Trout #announces #position #change #Angels #find #slugger #healthy #MLB #season #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek apps paused in South Korea over privacy fears DeepSeek apps paused in South Korea over privacy fears DeepSeek, a ******** artificial intelligence startup, has temporarily paused downloads of its chatbot apps in South Korea while it works with local authorities to address privacy concerns, according to officials. South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission said DeepSeek’s apps were removed from the local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play and that the company agreed to work with the agency to strengthen privacy protections before relaunching the apps. The action does not affect users who have already downloaded DeekSeek on their phones or use it on personal computers. Nam Seok, director of the South Korean commission’s investigation division, advised South Korean users of DeepSeek to delete the app from their devices or avoid entering personal information into the tool until the issues are resolved. Many South Korean government agencies and companies have either blocked DeepSeek from their networks or prohibited employees from using the app amid worries that it was gathering too much sensitive information. South Korea’s Ministry of Finance and Environment announced two weeks ago it was blocking DeepSeep, joining the ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defence and Economy, Trade and Industry. The South Korean privacy commission, which began reviewing DeepSeek’s services last month, found the company lacked transparency about third-party data transfers and potentially collected excessive personal information. Nam said the commission did not have an estimate on the number of DeepSeek users in South Korea. A recent analysis by Wiseapp Retail found DeepSeek was used by about 1.2 million smartphone users in South Korea during the fourth week of January, emerging as the second-most-popular AI model behind ChatGPT. DeepSeek has revolutionised the global AI landscape after its latest language model was unveiled last month, impressing experts with its more efficient and cost-effective performance compared to the US competition. However, its data management has led countries such as Italy and Australia to further analyse the service and impose access restrictions on public institutions, citing risks to national security. with EFE Source link #DeepSeek #apps #paused #South #Korea #privacy #fears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baby ‘would have lived’ but for hospital infection Baby ‘would have lived’ but for hospital infection A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has heard that a doctor told the father of a baby girl that she would have lived if she had not caught an infection in hospital. Sophia Smith died at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children on 11 April 2017 after contracting an infection similar to MRSA, which developed into sepsis. Police previously carried out an investigation into her death, alongside other fatalities at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) – including leukaemia patient Milly Main, 10, who died after a catheter became infected when she was in remission. Last January, the lord advocate said it was in the public interest to hold an FAI into Sophia’s death. Sophia’s father Matthew Smith told the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court that he wanted to know how she got the infection and if it was preventable. The inquiry heard his daughter, who had Down’s syndrome, was born on 31 March 2017 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. She had breathing issues and it was decided to move her to the Royal Children’s Hospital, which is on the campus of the QEUH in Glasgow. On admission, her parents Matthew and Theresa were told there was an issue with her heart. Mr Smith told the inquiry Sophia was gradually improving and doctors had said she was fighting well. He said he understood his daughter was “out of the death danger zone.” But he said on 10 April – like “a bolt from the blue” – she suddenly deteriorated. It was then discovered she had a collapsed lung. Mr Smith said there had been a blackening of part of Sophia’s body and an infection had been discussed. It was after samples were analysed from Sophia’s post-mortem examination that it was discovered she had contracted MSSA, an aggressive form of MRSA. The inquiry heard Mrs Smith was informed this could have played a role in her daughter’s death. Speaking of a meeting with a doctor after Sophia died, Mr Smith told the inquiry: “I remember Theresa asking an opinion if Sophia hadn’t caught the infection in her life, would we have her?” According to Mr Smith, the doctor said she would have lived a normal Down’s syndrome life. Mr Smith told the inquiry that he wanted to know how a baby who was progressing well could die within a matter of days or hours from an infection. Police investigation Before the inquiry got under way, Sophia’s parents, who live in Inverclyde, said they hoped to finally get an answer as to why their daughter died and if it was preventable. A statement read out by their lawyer said: “It has been a long road to get to this milestone that we have reached today. “We are pleased that a fatal accident inquiry has been finally set up and hope that by the end of this process we will know the truth about our daughter and why her life was tragically and heartbreakingly cut short.” In 2020, a police investigation into Sophia’s death was handed over to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) but a decision was made not to bring criminal charges. The fatal accident inquiry continues. Source link #Baby #lived #hospital #infection Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

X is blocking links to Signal, a secure messaging platform used by federal workers – TechCrunch X is blocking links to Signal, a secure messaging platform used by federal workers – TechCrunch X is blocking links to Signal, a secure messaging platform used by federal workers TechCrunchView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #blocking #links #Signal #secure #messaging #platform #federal #workers #TechCrunch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China says U.S. stance on Taiwan has ‘gravely backpedaled’ – National China says U.S. stance on Taiwan has ‘gravely backpedaled’ – National China’s Foreign Ministry took issue Monday with a revised U.S. government fact sheet that removed a line on American opposition to independence for Taiwan. The United States has “gravely backpedaled” on its position on Taiwan and sent the wrong message to “separatist forces” on the island, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. Taiwan and China split in 1949 during the civil war that brought the communists to power in China. The defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up a rival government there. Taiwan has its own government and military but has never declared formal independence from China. “We urge the U.S. to … stop emboldening and supporting Taiwan independence and avoid further damaging China-U.S. relations and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” Guo said when asked about the revision at a daily media briefing. The Taiwan Strait is a narrow waterway that separates the island of Taiwan from China’s east coast. Story continues below advertisement 5:46 Could China invade Taiwan? The U.S. State Department removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” from the fact sheet last week. The document on America’s relations with the self-governing island is posted on its website. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Taiwan’s government welcomed the move, though a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday did not mention the language specifically. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted that the U.S. State Department updated the ‘Current State of U.S.-Taiwan Relations’ page … with text that is positive and friendly toward us, reflecting the close and amicable partnership between Taiwan and the United States,” it said. Trending Now Ukraine rejects U.S. minerals proposal, wants security guarantees ********* man sells both Teslas, cancels Cybertruck order to boycott Elon Musk It’s not the first time the State Department has removed the phrase. It did so in May 2022 but restored it a few weeks later after a strong protest from China. It’s unclear why the State Department changed the language again and whether it signals any shift in policy under President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House last month. Story continues below advertisement The government in Taiwan is worried that Trump might not be as steadfast a supporter of the island as his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. The U.S. does not recognize Taiwan as a country but is its strongest backer and biggest arms supplier. Trump said last week that Taiwan, a leading maker of semiconductors, had taken the chip business away from the U.S. and that he wants it to come back. China, which says that Taiwan must come under its control, has stepped up military exercises around the island of 23 million people in recent years. The U.S. government fact sheet says that it expects “differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides.” More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #China #U.S #stance #Taiwan #gravely #backpedaled #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Security Interviews: Yevgeny Dibrov, Armis The Security Interviews: Yevgeny Dibrov, Armis Over the past 20 to 30 years, the intelligence community has generated a stream of cyber security leaders – private cyber security companies are littered with former operatives of the American and British intelligence services. But in Israel’s case, the intelligence-to-cyber pipeline has produced arguably the highest density of cyber security startups and organisations in the world. The likes of Check Point, CyberArk, Imperva, Palo Alto Networks and Radware can all claim links back to the Israel Defence Force’s (IDF’s) technology units. Among these units, which likely date back to before Israel’s founding in 1948, are the highly secretive cyber weapons and tech development shop Unit 81, and the more widely known signals intelligence Unit 8200. Israel’s astonishing concentration of cyber security talent is largely attributable to both Unit 81 and Unit 8200, whose existence has only been fairly recently acknowledged. Mossad may get international attention, but it is Unit 8200 that gets the data to support it and Unit 81 that builds the tech. Acting as incubators for cyber security and hacking talent, these units benefit from Israel’s compulsory military service laws and intensive screening processes, which divert individuals with potential from frontline armed service, although they also scout after-school computer clubs for likely-looking candidates. That the IDF is the wellspring of Israel’s cyber talent is these days no secret, but Armis CEO, Yevgeny Dibrov – who is allowed to say little more about the time he served in Unit 81 beyond the fact that he was there – says there’s more to the growth of Israel’s cyber community than just the hothouse conditions at the IDF. He compares the environment to that of a startup. “When you’re a startup, when you’re building something, you don’t have much budget, but with what you have you still need to do outstanding things that differentiate a lot, that achieve a lot, and that puts you in a great place. “We don’t have the same budget as the CIA or the NSA, maybe point one of a percent, but we have no choice. There is no other way,” he explains. “We have a lot of enemies and we want to win.” Make the impossible possible At first. Dibrov’s pipeline into the IT industry does not seem all that different from most other people’s – stemming from an initial schoolboy interest in computers, maths and physics – but he became hooked when he was tapped for Unit 81 as a fresh-faced teen. “In the years I spent there I became fascinated by different capabilities, fascinated by this world, fascinated also by working hard for my country,” he says. “Twice during my service I was part of the team that won the Israel Defence Prize, which is for outstanding achievements in the technology space. “The slogan of our unit was ‘Make the Impossible Possible’,” says Dibrov. “It’s written over the door when you enter. You see it every day, and so you kind of live towards it. It’s not just a cliché.” Twice during my service [at Unit 81] I was part of the team that won the Israel Defence Prize, which is for outstanding achievements in the technology space Yevgeny Dibrov, Armis But the intelligence forces serve not only as a hub for creative talent, but a hub for team-building. Indeed, of Armis’s first cohort of employees, about 50% served alongside Dibrov himself at Unit 81, and the others worked alongside his co-founder – and chief technology officer (CTO) – Nadir Izrael at Unit 8200. “People get to know each other, and during my time at Unit 81, we were always talking to alumni that actually started companies and did great things,” says Dibrov. “I remember my team leader in the army was [Wiz CEO] Assaf Rappaport, so we were always meeting some of the alumni from our unit and learning what they had done. “It makes you excited,” he says, “it makes you think, ‘okay, when, when I’m out, here is what I want to do’. I already knew that I wanted to start a company.” Alongside heading off to study at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology between 2010 and 2013, at the end of his service, Dibrov helped set up Adallom, with which Rappaport was also involved. Adallom was a cloud access security brokerage (CASB) specialising in visibility, governance and protection across business applications such as Box, Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365 and Salesforce. The firm’s Office 365 work clearly stood out, because in September 2015, Microsoft bought the company for over $300m. Just a couple of months later, Dibrov and Izrael started Armis, with the first employees coming on board in February 2016. Google Maps, but for vulnerable assets Asked to “explain like I’m five”, Dibrov describes Armis as a cyber exposure management platform that essentially provides its customers with a Google Map of their IT environment, with every single asset accounted for, whether it’s something run-of-the-mill like a laptop or smartphone, to operational technology (OT) like industrial controllers, even medical equipment. On top of this basic map, Armis provides additional layers covering security risk discovery, monitoring and management, and ultimately, remediation. “We want to not just allow you to see your risk, but reduce it, whether through patching devices or mitigating threats with different rules in your technology environment,” he says. Armis was earlier than many to the OT/internet of things (IoT) side of security, mapping it as a factor early on in its history, before the topic really started to hit mainstream security conversations about six or seven years ago. What was the spark that led Dibrov to make this bet? “We really started from talking to a lot of customers, talking to a lot of CIOs, and we were hearing about the explosion of connected devices,” he explains. “We looked at the variety of different environments and we saw there was a gap. “On the one hand, you have laptops and servers that are covered by your antivirus or next-gen antivirus, and then you have everything else. And then everything else changes in different industries. If you look at an airport, they have a big gap around a lot of operational technology stuff. They have different distribution centres, logistics centres and more. They have datacentres. They have buildings with building management systems.” At about the same time, incidents such as NotPetya and WannaCry were exposing the precarious security of such environments – particularly in healthcare settings – and this helped push people towards a more holistic view of cyber security. Security teams have no idea what cameras they have, and they’re 90% ********, potentially exploited with backdoors, and often in the most critical environments Yevgeny Dibrov, Armis “It was a huge push across the board,” says Dibrov. “Everyone suddenly understood that they needed to have visibility into what they have in these environments – because imagine if I’m an attacker, why would I attack a laptop if the laptop has 50 agents on it? I attack the most vulnerable thing, and that’s usually devices that don’t run any agents or antivirus, devices that are mostly not updated or cannot be patched, and a bunch of old XP machines in those areas. “These devices are often the most important in the organisation. Look at a hospital. How can you compare the importance of a laptop versus an MRI scanner?” Customers took to this like ducks to water, and today Armis works with over 35% of the Fortune 100. From day-to-day there is no such thing as a typical customer, says Dibrov, but they tend to be larger, distributed organisations with highly complex environments and a lot of devices. Armis claims currently to have approximately 5.3 billion connected devices in harness. What’s the weirdest ‘thing’ he ever found? “We have things like cars that connect to the company network, to wireless air fryers – we see those a lot. And the amount of types of cameras you would never believe,” says Dibrov. “Security teams have no idea what cameras they have, and they’re 90% ********, potentially exploited with backdoors, and often in the most critical environments.” Like many of its peers, Armis has also been branching out into threat research and frequently publishes its own thought leadership on diverse topics – recent ones include breaking down CISA’s most exploited vulnerabilities and the emergence of DeepSeek. “We have so much data now, and our customers can benefit from that,” says Dibrov. “We also acquired a company in the space, some super-talented guys who merge a lot of their own data with data we generated to provide early warning, which has been very significant.” What’s next? Keeping in touch with Armis’s buyers is a source of pride for Dibrov, who makes a point of frequently checking in with his user advisory board and speaking to six or seven individual customers every day, whether those are long-term existing ones, new ones, or those moving through their procurement or onboarding processes. “What do they need? What do they think like? What do we need to do different?” says Dibrov. “This is something that is ongoing for us – always listening, always developing, always running fast, and always providing real solutions to real problems.” Dibrov declares himself particularly paranoid when it comes to the competition, and likes to try to think about 18 months ahead in terms of innovation. “This is something that is always on my mind because that’s the biggest differentiator,” he says. “You need to have first of all the best product, and then to execute from there. That’s what keeps me up at night.” Armis recently closed a large Series D funding round, raising $200m to take it to a total valuation of over $4bn. And having made two acquisitions in the past 12 months – Silk Security in April 2024 and CTCI in February 2025 – Dibrov is open to more, as well as exploring the possibility of an initial public offering (IPO). Beyond these goals, Dibrov is, of course, keeping a close eye on the developing threat landscape. His views on where things are going tally with those of many other observers. “We keep seeing a lot of state actors, from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran. We keep seeing them, and we keep seeing a lot of targeting of EMEA and US critical infrastructure and manufacturing,” he says. “We see them sometimes also leveraging AI [artificial intelligence]. My guess is we’ll see that more and more, and defenders really need to be prepared.” Source link #Security #Interviews #Yevgeny #Dibrov #Armis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BlueScope Steel boss seeing upside to ‘complete turmoil’ of Donald Trump’s pro-growth agenda BlueScope Steel boss seeing upside to ‘complete turmoil’ of Donald Trump’s pro-growth agenda The boss of BlueScope boss has held firm that the US is the ‘best market’ to be in right now despite having no clear read on how ruthless President Donald Trump will be on *********** steel imports. Source link #BlueScope #Steel #boss #upside #complete #turmoil #Donald #Trumps #progrowth #agenda Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Don’t buy a MacBook this Presidents’ Day – get this amazing Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED offer instead and save $400 Don’t buy a MacBook this Presidents’ Day – get this amazing Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED offer instead and save $400 This year’s ongoing Presidents’ Day sales have made me break my usual advice, by telling people not to buy a MacBook Air. Instead, you should jump on this incredible deal from Best Buy, which is selling the brilliant Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED for just $549.99 – a massive $400 saving from the usual price of $949.99. This price is so good, that I would even recommend this deal to die-hard Apple fans. With the cutting-edge Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 2 processor, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM, the Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED can easily compete with the M3-powered MacBook Air when it comes to performance, yet it’s almost half the price. And, while the 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) resolution of its 14-inch screen is lower resolution than the 2560 x 1664 resolution of the MacBook Air’s 13.6-inch screen, the OLED tech behind the Asus Vivobook S 14’s display is far superior to the MacBook Air’s LED backlight tech, so in many cases, the image quality will be better. Asus also makes fine-looking and dependable laptops, so at this price the Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED could even win over Mac fanatics, since most applications that run on macOS are also available on Windows 11. Today’s best Presidents’ Day laptop deal For the price, you’re really not going to find a better laptop – it’s not that much more expensive than a lot of Chromebooks, but you have the flexibility and power of a Windows 11 laptop with a stunning screen and plenty of storage space. If you’re dead set against ditching macOS for Windows 11, however, then Best Buy also has the MacBook Air M2 (2022) on ***** for $799. This isn’t a bad price for the MacBook Air, though it comes with half the storage space (256GB), and the M2 chip is older than the Intel Core Ultra 5 found in the cheaper Zenbook S 14 OLED. More Presidents’ Day sales today Amazon: TVs, robot vacs & air fryers from $12.99 Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99 Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones Casper: up to 35% off mattresses Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99 Cocoon by Sealy: 35% off mattresses + free accessories Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99 Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $299 + free shipping Home Depot: 50% off tools, appliances & furniture Lowe’s: organization, appliances & tools from $17.31 Mattress Firm: Queens from $149.99 Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry Purple: up to $600 off mattresses Saatva: up to $500 off luxury mattresses Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances Target: save on furniture, gifts, tech & clothing Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances Wayfair: deals on furniture, decor, rugs & outdoor Source link #Dont #buy #MacBook #Presidents #Day #amazing #Asus #Vivobook #OLED #offer #save Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Building Crumbles Under Heavy Snow In Massachusetts Building Crumbles Under Heavy Snow In Massachusetts A building collapsed over the weekend in Brookline, Massachusetts, and heavy snow may have been a contributing factor. Bricks scattered the road, crushed a car and damaged several others after a wall of the building crashed to the ground. Winter Storm Jett dumped 5 to 6 inches of snow on the area over the weekend. Source link #Building #Crumbles #Heavy #Snow #Massachusetts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sony Has a PS5 Curation Problem and This Trailer Proves It Sony Has a PS5 Curation Problem and This Trailer Proves It High Chaos Run says: “The Kapih PS5 launch trailer proves Sony is tone deaf about curating the best games for the console.” Source link #Sony #PS5 #Curation #Problem #Trailer #Proves Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Raspberry Pi powers miniature ‘Severance’ MDR computer Raspberry Pi powers miniature ‘Severance’ MDR computer Makers never cease to amaze us when it comes to making custom cases and builds to house their Raspberry Pi. They make everything from minimal, simple designs to complex creations inspired by works of science fiction. Today we have an excellent example to share of the latter put together by maker and developer Andrew Chilicki. Using our favorite SBC, the Raspberry Pi, he’s built a custom miniature MDR computer from Severance. This custom PC both imitates the MDR computer from the show and works as a PC on its own. It’s small enough to sit on your desk as a decoration piece and resembles the design and function of the MDR computers in the series. Everything for the build was constructed from the ground up just for the project by Chilicki including the housing and software. In Severance, MDR computers are terminals operated by a fictional company called Lumon Industries. The MDR acronym stands for “Macrodata Refinement” and feature an array of numbers that the workers must sort and process. This project replicates that array of numbers and animates the data processing to resemble the show as much as possible. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Andrew Chilicki) (Image credit: Andrew Chilicki) (Image credit: Andrew Chilicki) We’re not sure exactly which model of Raspberry Pi is used in this project but you could likely get away with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W for a smaller form factor or if you want more power, the latest Raspberry Pi 5 has all the performance that you need. The Pi is connected to LCD screen, likely via an SPI interface, which is used for visual output. All of the hardware is housed inside of a custom 3D-printed shell that Chilicki modeled just for this project. According to Chilicki, the software that imitates the MDR terminals was created using C++. It generates an array of numbers, grouping together numbers that are deemed “bad” that must be processed. Like we mentioned before, this data processing features animations that resemble the interface seen in the show. If you want to get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi project in action, you can find the full source code over at GitHub and explore the project thread shared to Reddit where you’ll find more pictures and demo videos of the MDR terminal animation. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Raspberry #powers #miniature #Severance #MDR #computer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Innovaccer launches AI agents for doctors, hospitals to fix burnout Innovaccer launches AI agents for doctors, hospitals to fix burnout Innovaccer CEO Abhinav Shashank. Courtesy: Innovaccer As doctors and nurses face historic rates of burnout, Innovacer says artificial intelligence is here to help. The health-care data company on Monday announced a suite of AI agents that are designed to automate repetitive, “low-value” tasks for clinicians. “We just don’t have enough capacity in the health system to really serve everyone to the degree that they deserve,” Innovaccer CEO Abhinav Shashank told CNBC in an interview. “The need for an agentic workforce to supplement our caregivers is really, really high.” AI agents can complete specific assignments without human intervention. They’re sweeping across all industries as the next phase of AI takes root, and are of particular importance in health care due to burnout, labor constraints and the amount of administrative work required of medical practitioners. A shortage of 100,000 critical health-care workers is expected by 2028, according to consulting firm Mercer. Clinicians spend nearly nine hours a week on documentation alone, according to an October study from Google Cloud. Shashank co-founded Innovaccer in 2014 to build a platform that could streamline information exchange across the health-care system. In recent years, the company has been building additional applications that can help doctors, care managers and administrative staff work more efficiently. Innovaccer serves more than 60 million patients in the U.S. each day, spread across more than 100 health systems. The company announced a $275 million funding round in January, from investors including Generation Investment Management, co-founded by Al Gore, Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft’s M12. The company’s suite of AI agents is called Agents of Care. It initially includes seven different agents, though Shashank said Innovaccer will add more over time. The company also plans to open up the platform so startups and customers can build their own agents, he added. Innovacer shared demo videos with CNBC of its agent for protocol intake and another for referrals. For protocol intake, Innovacer collects basic information from patients and can coordinate care manager follow-ups, the company said. It’s voice activated and calls patients by phone to ask questions like, “Can you please tell me in your own words what brought you to the emergency room?;” “Did your doctor clearly explain your diagnosis to you?;” and “Have you noticed any changes in your pain levels?” The agent converses with the patient in a natural cadence and can respond to specific details and problems. In the demo, a patient had fallen and hurt her ankle and was having trouble getting her pain medication. The agent said it would share that information with a care manager and scheduled a followup call for later that day. The referral agent is also voice activated and calls patients to connect them with the right specialists. In the demo, the agent helped a patient select a date and time for an appointment with a cardiologist and added a reminder to bring her photo ID, insurance card, a list of medications and relevant medical records. Innovaccer’s other new agents are for automatically booking and managing appointments and for providing 24-hour support for patient inquiries. Shashank said if the company does its job well, its agents could help bring more care to patients and reduce clinician burnout in a “very meaningful” way. “If AI can have an impact anywhere, health care is the one place where it’s really, really needed,” he said. The company has been testing the agents at five health systems. Shashank said the agent for protocol intake has been the most popular so far since calling and checking on patients can be so time consuming. Innovaccer is rolling out the suite to its existing customers, and said it will be widely available in two to three months. WATCH: AI agents key at CES 2025 Source link #Innovaccer #launches #agents #doctors #hospitals #fix #burnout Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The anti-Musk protest movement is expected to ramp up with Congress on recess – The Associated Press The anti-Musk protest movement is expected to ramp up with Congress on recess – The Associated Press The anti-Musk protest movement is expected to ramp up with Congress on recess The Associated PressProtesters target Tesla showrooms in US over Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting The GuardianProtesters march outside Lyndhurst Tesla Cleveland 19 News‘Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk’: Protests outside Bay Area showrooms seek to dissuade buyers San Francisco Chronicle‘Smash the broligarchy’: Protest in Seattle joins national Musk backlash The Seattle Times Source link #antiMusk #protest #movement #expected #ramp #Congress #recess #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pilbara basketball talent on show at Belt Up Country Championships Pilbara basketball talent on show at Belt Up Country Championships Six teams from Karratha and one team from Hedland are bringing their A-game in Perth for the 2025 Belt Up BWA Country Championships with the Pilbara’s basketball talent on show. Source link #Pilbara #basketball #talent #show #Belt #Country #Championships Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Woman shot dead in Valentine’s Day pub attack named by police as hunt for gunman continues Woman shot dead in Valentine’s Day pub attack named by police as hunt for gunman continues A woman shot dead at a Kent pub has been named by police as 43-year-old Lisa Smith from Slough. She was pronounced dead outside the Three Horseshoes pub on Valentine’s Day, after police were called shortly after 7pm. Police are continuing to search the River Thames for a suspect who is believed to have been seen on the wrong side of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Dartford. A car and firearm linked to the suspect were recovered next to the Dartford Crossing after police were called to Main Road in Knockholt at 7.02pm on Friday. Police are focusing their efforts to locate the suspect, who was known to Ms Smith, and recover him from the water. She was pronounced dead while the suspect is believed to have entered the River Thames (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) Flowers and balloons, including one which read “Wonderful Mum”, were accompanied by messages such as “rest in peace” and “fly high, pretty lady”. Landlady Michelle Thomas told Sky News that she had been preparing the Valentine’s dinner when she heard two loud bangs she initially thought were fireworks. She said: “There was so much commotion — screaming, shouting, crying.” Ms Thomas added that the victim was not a regular at the pub, where floral tributes were laid yesterday, but had been there before, “mostly in the summer”. She also described how an off-duty firearms officer intervened to get the situation under control. It is understood neither the suspect nor victim were from Kent but had local connections to the area. Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector David Higham, said on Saturday: “Call handlers received reports of a man on the wrong side of the barrier and we are not ruling out the possibility that he may have entered the water. (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) “We are currently only looking for one suspect and do not believe there to be an ongoing risk to the public. “Specialist officers continue to work with the families of both parties involved to support them following this tragic incident.” Local parish councillor Ray Picot told KentOnline that he heard “a couple of loud bangs” at 7pm. He added: “It’s a shock. We’ve never had anything like this. It’s a very busy pub – a great pub. It never has any trouble and is very well managed. “I understand those inside the pub were ushered back to their houses by police as they were all in terrible shock. It sounded awful.” Fellow parish councillor Steve Maines told the BBC he heard a “commotion” outside the venue, and was told someone had been shot. He said: “We were sitting having our Valentine’s Day meal when all of a sudden we heard this huge commotion outside in the car park. “We were told someone had been shot so we had to leave.” Source link #Woman #shot #dead #Valentines #Day #pub #attack #named #police #hunt #gunman #continues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

IDF to remain in five strategic posts in south Lebanon after Tuesday withdrawal – The Times of Israel IDF to remain in five strategic posts in south Lebanon after Tuesday withdrawal – The Times of Israel IDF to remain in five strategic posts in south Lebanon after Tuesday withdrawal The Times of IsraelIsrael Says It Will Keep Troops ‘Temporarily’ in 5 Points in Lebanon The New York TimesIDF expected to withdraw from Lebanon tomorrow, but forces to triple along border The Jerusalem PostIsrael will leave troops in 5 locations in Lebanon after Tuesday deadline, military spokesperson says Reuters.comIsrael planning to pull out of Lebanon tomorrow, Israeli official says The Times of Israel Source link #IDF #remain #strategic #posts #south #Lebanon #Tuesday #withdrawal #Times #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Avalanche founder’s new studio makes layoffs but will ‘continue to work on new IP’ Avalanche founder’s new studio makes layoffs but will ‘continue to work on new IP’ The NetEase-backed studio formed by ex-Avalanche Studios founder Christofer Sundberg has announced that it’s making a round of layoffs. In a message posted on its website, Sweden-based Liquid Swords said it was making the cuts following a review of its finances and in the face of “the present challenges of the video game industry”. It said the “deeply regrettable” changes are “intended to ensure the studio’s long-term sustainability”. Liquid Swords was established in 2020 by Sundberg, who was previously the founder, owner and creative director at Avalanche, which is best known as the developer of the Just Cause franchise. When the indie studio was announced in 2022, it said it was planning to grow to a 100-strong team in 2023. Its website has also described its debut project as “a connected single player action RPG” and “a hard-boiled take on the open-world crime genre”. Sundberg said in today’s statement that the company remains committed to its vision despite the planned restructuring. “I promised our employees and shareholders success and to build a studio redefining game development with a small, expert-driven team and a sustainable work model,” he wrote. “While we achieved much of this, shifting market conditions prevented us from succeeding within our timeframe. “As a result, we must part ways with talented individuals who have been instrumental in our journey. This is incredibly difficult, but we remain committed to our vision and will continue to work on our IP and first game with a dedicated team.” Liquid Swords’ development team includes staff whose credits include the Just Cause, Battlefield, Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft, and PayDay franchises. Source link #Avalanche #founders #studio #layoffs #continue #work Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AI-driven personalisation appealing to *** shoppers, says research AI-driven personalisation appealing to *** shoppers, says research Almost a third of shoppers in the *** have said that personalisation assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) increases their loyalty to brands, according to research from Bazaarvoice. The content generation platform’s Shopper experience index report found that 31% of shoppers in the *** believe AI-driven loyalty rewards increase their brand loyalty, and 28% claimed tailored rewards makes them shop more often. More than 40% of shoppers in the *** also reported that personalised discounts or offers are more likely to encourage them to share a product or brand on their social media. Zarina Stanford, CMO of Bazaarvoice, said: “In an era where consumers are inundated with choices, personalisation and contextualisation can prove to be a differentiator for brand loyalty and customer engagement. “Why? It creates seamless and relevant experiences. Personalised and contextual – right time, right place, right form – offers and rewards go beyond generic discounts; they shape consumer decisions by delivering meaningful value tailored to individual preferences.” Retail isn’t the only place where AI is having a huge impact, with a large number of companies and individuals already using technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) in their daily lives. Personalisation has played a large role in retail over the past 10 years as consumers become increasingly demanding, so AI becoming entangled in the generation of personalised rewards is a natural step that has developed along the way. Shopping habits have been changing as younger consumers grow to gain spending power, leading a large number of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 to increasingly turn to social media for inspiration about what to buy and from where. But consumers have also been turning away from shopping online in recent years as physical discount stores offer more lucrative deals, forcing online retailers to try harder to entice shoppers back to the web through the use of loyalty schemes and personalised deals. Content from other shoppers, such as reviews, are also becoming increasingly important for *** consumers when online shopping, with more than half of shoppers saying they find reviews useful, and 45% saying an item needs to have between 11 and 50 reviews before they will even consider buying it. Almost 70% of shoppers said they also find content generated by other shoppers useful when making decisions about what to buy, with 12% saying it definitely impacts their shopping behaviour, and 43% saying it can have an effect most of the time. Some 16% of shoppers report they are likely to make a purchase based on user-generated content such as reviews, ratings, photos and videos. Stanford said that retailers need to be utilising personalisation, combined with good timing, to encourage consumers to make more purchases, something AI can help with, adding: “AI-infused tools like product recommendations and targeted offers and social proofing present a massive opportunity to amplify these personalised, relevant, contextual experiences. They save time and deliver tailored information to shoppers that brands might not otherwise have the resources or ability to provide.” But personalisation isn’t the only aspect of retail AI is helping with – this year’s Retail Federation Big Show saw retailers showcase AI use cases such as creating “digital twins” of stores to keep track of inventory, or helping retail associates use generative AI to more easily access and interpret store or product data. Regardless of how they are using it, retailers using AI to help boost purchases and productivity is an inevitability as AI dominates the next wave of tech adoption. Source link #AIdriven #personalisation #appealing #shoppers #research Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Westpac and Bendigo bank drag ASX200 lower Westpac and Bendigo bank drag ASX200 lower Banks weighed on the ASX on Monday with disappointing earnings updates from Westpac and Bendigo Bank pushing the index to the red. Source link #Westpac #Bendigo #bank #drag #ASX200 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Guerrero Jr. deadline approaching for Blue Jays Guerrero Jr. deadline approaching for Blue Jays DUNEDIN – Bo Bichette and George Springer sat in a corner of the Blue Jays’ locker room on Monday, catching up on things as they prepared for morning workouts at the team’s player development complex. The stall between them, normally occupied by teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., remained vacant, save for a few uniforms, hoodies, warm-up pants and three plastic-wrapped baseball gloves. Normally a presence in the clubhouse well before reporting day for position players, Guerrero is instead working out at a private gym in nearby Tampa as the hours ticked down on his player-set deadline for contract extension talks. Guerrero, entering the final year of his contract with the Blue Jays, was expected to arrive at camp later in the day for his physical. Position players have until Tuesday to formally report. Guerrero has said that if extension talks between his agent and the team do not result in a deal by then, he will not continue negotiations. Story continues below advertisement The 25-year-old first baseman would likely be the biggest name available if he were to become a free agent in the fall. Related Videos 0:29 Bo Bichette going viral for openly flirting with trade Previous Video Next Video Guerrero posted a photo of his gym’s workout area on his verified Instagram Stories feed on Monday, complete with a clock emoji. 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. The pressure is squarely on a Blue Jays’ front office that must balance trying to lock down the services of a homegrown face of the franchise with its spending comfort level on deal that would easily be the biggest in franchise history. General manager Ross Atkins, who was on-site at camp Monday, has offered few specifics on the talks. He said last week that the discussions would be the entirety of his focus ahead of Tuesday’s reporting date. Guerrero hit .323 last season with 30 homers and 103 RBIs. He has been a key offensive cog in the Toronto lineup in recent years. Story continues below advertisement Guerrero came up through the Toronto system and made his big-league debut in 2019. In the four seasons since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, he has averaged 34 homers and 101 RBIs a year. Both sides would be taking a risk by not getting a deal signed. Guerrero’s stock could drop if his numbers slip or he suffers a serious injury. Of course, another strong campaign would only pad his wallet even more down the road. More on Sports More videos The optics of the Blue Jays losing their superstar for nothing would be grim for a franchise with a competitive window that’s open now but may not be beyond this season. Trending Now ‘Saturday Night Live’ celebrates 50 years. How to watch the celebration Ukraine rejects U.S. minerals proposal, wants security guarantees Signing the four-time all-star would also prevent a media circus when the Blue Jays take to the road this year in big-spending markets like New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Missing out on an extension would also be another blow after Toronto settled for being among the finalists in the pursuit of superstars Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki over the last year or two. The Blue Jays appear to have the money to spend and were active in the free-agent market this off-season as they look to rebound from a disappointing 74-88 campaign. They signed slugger Anthony Santander to a five-year deal worth US$92.5 million and inked closer Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33-million contract. Story continues below advertisement A Guerrero extension would blow those numbers out of the water. Depending on the term, he could be looking at a deal somewhere in the $450-million range or even beyond that. The Blue Jays recently avoided arbitration with Guerrero for 2025 when the two sides agreed to a $28.5-million deal for the final year of team control. Pre-season play begins Saturday against the Yankees. The regular season kicks off on March 27 against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. This report by The ********* Press was first published Feb. 17, 2025. &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Guerrero #deadline #approaching #Blue #Jays Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

China’s Xi holds rare meet with business leaders amid US tech rivalry China’s Xi holds rare meet with business leaders amid US tech rivalry STORY: President Xi Jinping held a rare meeting with some of the biggest names in China’s tech sector Monday (Feb 17) – marking a turnaround in Beijing’s approach to its tech giants after a regulatory clampdown four years ago. The likes of Alibaba founder Jack Ma and DeepSeek’s Liang Wenfeng were present at the highly choreographed event. Analysts said it was a show of support to rally private companies. The first images from ******** state media showed Xi speaking to executives aligned in rows before him. Investors raced to see who was in and out among top business leaders. Images showed bosses from Huawei and electric vehicle giant BYD sat directly in front of Xi. Leaders from ******** giants including Xiaomi, Meituan and Tencent were also reportedly present. Shares of Baidu dropped more than 8% after no top executive was spotted. Two sources said the founders of Baidu and ByteDance were among those who did not attend. Jack Ma’s attendance was notable. The once high-profile entrepreneur largely withdrew from public life after the IPO of his fintech company Ant was stopped by authorities five years ago. That move was triggered by a speech he gave the same year criticizing China’s regulatory system. The official Xinhua news agency said Xi delivered a speech after listening to executives, but gave no details of his remarks. Analysts said Xi’s move to gather business leaders underscores the new importance of private-sector innovation for China to gain ground in technology. U.S. tariffs have recently threatened more pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. The country has struggled with weak domestic consumption and a debt crisis in the property sector. Neither company’s officials immediately responded to requests for comment. Source link #Chinas #holds #rare #meet #business #leaders #tech #rivalry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China's Xi promises policy stability at meeting with business leaders, including Alibaba's Jack Ma – The Associated Press China's Xi promises policy stability at meeting with business leaders, including Alibaba's Jack Ma – The Associated Press China’s Xi promises policy stability at meeting with business leaders, including Alibaba’s Jack Ma The Associated PressChina’s Xi urges entrepreneurs to ‘show their talents’ in sign of support for private business CNBCJack Ma and Other ******** Business Leaders Meet With Xi Jinping The New York TimesWhy China Investors Finally Believe Xi’s Tech Crackdown Is Over BloombergIn from the cold? Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma spotted among top tech bosses who met China’s Xi CNN Source link #China039s #promises #policy #stability #meeting #business #leaders #including #Alibaba039s #Jack #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nurse in transgender doctor row faces disciplinary hearing Nurse in transgender doctor row faces disciplinary hearing BBC Sandie Peggie brought an employment tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Beth Upton A nurse who is in the middle of an employment tribunal against NHS Fife has been called to a separate disciplinary hearing by the health board. Sandie Peggie claims she was subjected to unlawful harassment by being made to share a changing room at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, with Dr Beth Upton – who is a transgender woman. Her claim is disputed by the health board and the doctor. On Friday, the tribunal judge adjourned the case until July. The BBC has learned that NHS Fife has scheduled a conduct hearing this Friday to examine allegations against Ms Peggie of misconduct, failures of patient care and misgendering Dr Upton. The potential outcomes range from no case to dismissal. In response, Sandie Peggie’s legal team are planning further action in the form of another tribunal claim. NHS Fife have been approached for a comment. The employment tribunal previously heard how Ms Peggie had encountered Dr Upton in the women’s changing room on two occasions in August and late October or early November 2023. Ms Peggie, who has been a nurse at NHS Fife for more than 30 years, said she felt “uncomfortable” and waited outside of the room until Dr Upton left. On a third occasion on Christmas Eve 2023, the pair exchanged words in the room and Ms Peggie said the doctor should not be using the women’s changing area. Both sides have disputed exactly what was said. Dr Beth Upton made a bullying and harassment complaint about Sandie Peggie During her evidence, Ms Peggie confirmed she had called Dr Upton a man and said she believed the medic was a biological male. She acknowledged that this would be considered harassment under NHS Fife’s diversity and equality guidance. Dr Upton told the tribunal the incident was “quite scary” and claimed the nurse compared the situation to the case of Isla Bryson, a transgender ******* who attacked two women while known as Adam Graham and was initially remanded to a women’s prison. “I felt really distressed, really awful,” the doctor added. “I’ve never had somebody say things like that to me before.” Dr Upton complained and the nurse was put on leave. She was then suspended for eight weeks while the health board carried out an investigation into alleged bullying and harassment. But Ms Peggie said it was discriminatory for Dr Upton, who was not registered female at birth, to use the women’s changing room. The nurse claims she was “subjected to ******* harassment” by the medic and that NHS Fife had breached the Equality Act. NHS guidance states that trans men and women are allowed to use the changing rooms that align with their gender identity. Ms Peggie also criticised how long the investigation into the bullying allegations had taken and said she had not been asked for her side of the story. In January, it was decided that the tribunal would be heard in public and that Ms Peggie and her legal team were allowed to refer to Dr Upton as a man. After two weeks of evidence, the hearing was expected to have concluded. The delay is due to questioning of witnesses taking longer than anticipated, and the judge and lawyers’ availability. So far, Ms Peggie, Dr Upton and nursing manager Esther Davidson have given evidence among others. The tribunal will resume again on 16 July and is expected to last a further 11 days. Source link #Nurse #transgender #doctor #row #faces #disciplinary #hearing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Copilot: Microsoft’s AI chatbot is out of the gate What is Copilot: Microsoft’s AI chatbot is out of the gate Copilot is Microsoft’s all-encompassing AI chatbot and assistant – one which feels as if it’s pretty much everywhere and one that bills itself as “your everyday AI companion”. It’s available as a website, an app and as a sidebar in the Edge web browser. You’ll also find it’s baked into Windows and usable in Microsoft 365 apps including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Whether you’re asking questions about the world or making use of Microsoft’s tools and need a helping hand, Copilot can help us, so let’s discover more about what it can do. This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries. What is Copilot? Microsoft’s generative AI chatbot was released in 2023 to replace the virtual assistant Cortana and barely a month goes by when it doesn’t benefit from tweaks or new features. It’s driven by the multimodal large language model GPT-4, developed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI. And while requests are primarily processed via Microsoft’s cloud, there’s a range of Copilot+ PCs powered by a turbocharged neural processing unit which processes locally and offers a range of unique features. In that sense, Copilot has been unleashed and it’s getting deeper and deeper and deeper – quite literally. At the start of 2025, it made ChatGPT-o1 free for all Copilot users, manifesting it as a Think Deeper button. Offering improved reasoning and logic abilities for everyone, it allows for broader and more complex queries with results to match. (Image credit: Future) What can you use Copilot for? Copilot’s use varies depending on how you’re accessing it. You could, for example, use it via the web, app or Bing browser and get it to write code or tap into its huge dataset of books, websites and texts to get answers to all manner of questions. Alternatively, ask it to write documents tailored to your needs – for instance, a complaint letter, a report or an article. Since it’s a chatbot, you can then have a back-and-forth conversation to ask follow-up questions or steer Copilot towards a better result. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Accessing Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps, however, will boost your productivity. You can use it to overcome writer’s block, summarize documents, brainstorm ideas or lay down the basis of a presentation. It’ll answer questions about information detailed in a document too and allow image generation using DALL-E. In Windows, you can automate routine tasks and receive suggestions based on your usage. It’s great for personal and business use. Finally, in the mobile app you can use Copilot Voice to chat to it as if it were a real person in 40 different languages. What can’t you use Copilot for? Copilot is available as part of Windows, but it won’t allow you to directly change your computer’s settings. Instead, it will simply explain how you can do it manually. Copilot will also transcribe your meetings in real-time and you can record or upload audio files in Word for transcription, but you can’t upload audio and transcribe via the web. And if you want to get Copilot to do something it knows will infringe copyright or be harmful, it won’t go ahead. How much does Copilot cost? Copilot has a free plan, but it’s limited. You will only gain access to the latest models during non-peak times, you’ll have limited use of Copilot Voice – which allows for natural, spoken communication, and you’ll only have 15 image boosts each day. If you want full, peak use with preferred access to the latest models, 100 image boosts each day and, crucially, to unlock Copilot for use with all Microsoft 365 apps (not just Designer) then you need Copilot Pro. It costs $20/£19/AU$33 per month, but there’s a month-long free trial. Copilot now comes built into the paid-for Microsoft 365 tiers. Where can you use Copilot? Copilot is available on the web and via iOS and Android apps. You can also access it within Microsoft 365 apps, within Microsoft Teams meetings and in Windows 11. It’s available in messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp as well – as we said at the start, Copilot can feel as if it’s pretty much everywhere. (Image credit: Future) Is Copilot any good? Microsoft has finally found its feel with respect to Copilot, having gone through a confusing array of options and name changes when it began to tune into AI. Since it’s part and parcel of so many Microsoft products, it makes sense to at least try it and the good news is that, yes, it is a solid offering that goes beyond ChatGPT, particularly in its integration with Microsoft 365 apps. It enhances web searches, makes information easier to find and access and it’ll immediately tap into current affairs without asking for permission to check the web, a la ChatGPT. Use Copilot if… Copilot is excellent if you have already bought into the Microsoft ecosystem or want to get more out of Microsoft’s products. It’s also great if you use Microsoft 365 apps and/or Teams and want to use AI to ease your workflow and be more productive. And you should use it if you want free, extended access to OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model. Don’t use Copilot if… Copilot is not the best option if you’re an Apple user who would rather use Safari and steer clear of Microsoft’s apps. Also think about avoiding Copilot if you don’t want an AI that is highly dependent on an internet connection or if you’re worried about privacy since Copilot needs to access user data to make personalized suggestions. Also consider ChatGPT is a natural consideration because Copilot is based on GPT-4 model , but it’s focus is less on optimizing productivity and workflow. Apple Intelligence is, to some extent, the Copilot equivalent for Apple users and, while it’s still in its infancy even compared to Copilot, it’s improving fast with each new update. Want to read more about Copilot? Source link #Copilot #Microsofts #chatbot #gate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Microsoft crowbars new ‘recommendations’ for PC Game Pass into Windows 11, so excuse me while I start beating my anti-advert drum (again) Microsoft crowbars new ‘recommendations’ for PC Game Pass into Windows 11, so excuse me while I start beating my anti-advert drum (again) Windows 11 has a new advert for PC Game Pass in testing It offers the ability to give up to five friends a 14-day free trial Microsoft doesn’t appear to be giving up with a broader push to get these kind of ‘suggestions’ into its desktop OS Windows 11 is undergoing yet more experimentation with adverts, this time in the Settings app (again), as driving users with targeted ‘suggestions’ of one kind or another appears to be a habit Microsoft isn’t going to relent with anytime soon. The new ad – or ‘recommendation’ as Microsoft might call it – is present in the latest preview build of Windows 11 released in the Dev and Beta channels, meaning it’s still just in testing for now. It’s an advert that appears in the Settings app home page which is targeted at Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Microsoft instigated a similar advert in testing last year, though that was trying to cajole people into signing up for Game Pass itself. It was still targeted at gamers only, though, we were told at the time. The difference with this fresh advertising initiative is that it’s aimed at those who already subscribe, and it’s a referral ad. The idea is to “share a 14-day free trial” with up to five friends in an effort to get them to sign up. As with the past advert for Game Pass, this only appears for those who are signed into their PC on their Microsoft account. In the blog post for the new preview build 26120, Microsoft also notes that it’ll be improving the Recall feature in its next release for testers. It doesn’t say how, only that: “This important update will improve your experience. As part of this upcoming update, your existing snapshots will be deleted.” Recall is the (controversial and tricky to implement) AI-supercharged search feature that only applies to those who have a Copilot+ PC (as it needs the beefy NPU incorporated with these laptops to ensure the process runs smoothly). Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. There’s a neat extra for those who use OneDrive in that Windows 11 will present a notification on your PC offering the chance to resume working on a file that you were just editing on your phone. This happens if you were interacting with a file on your smartphone within the last five minutes, then you subsequently unlock your PC – a nifty touch. (Image credit: Microsoft) Analysis: Boss drum, here we go again I know, you’re probably sick of hearing the ‘stop this with the veiled advertising in Windows 11’ drum, and I’m sick of beating it, believe me. Microsoft doesn’t appear to take any notice, though, and would likely argue that there’s some value to its latest nudge. After all, you might want your friends on Game Pass, too, and offering the ability to take a two-week test trial could be something your pals appreciate. Well, fair enough I guess, but what I’d still like to see (and again, this is another well-worn drum) is the ability to turn off all these kinds of recommendations as a system-wide switch. Then those who don’t want some of their screen real estate taken over by such nudges – which are in quite a few corners of the Windows 11 interface – could just flick that switch and enjoy a cleaner UI all around. Meanwhile, those who felt some of the recommendations were useful could keep them turned on. Everybody wins, no? Anyhow, I should again emphasize that this latest plug for Game Pass is just in testing at the moment, so it may not be realized. Those who aren’t so keen on the idea can make their feelings known via the usual feedback channels, and maybe throw in a vote for that system-wide ad (sorry, recommendation) kill switch. I can dream, can’t I? You may also like… Source link #Microsoft #crowbars #recommendations #Game #Pass #Windows #excuse #start #beating #antiadvert #drum Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]