Look inside this millennial’s tiny home in the woods of Denmark
Look inside this millennial’s tiny home in the woods of Denmark
For years, 36-year-old Anders Boisen lived in apartments all over the city of Aarhus, the second-largest in Denmark.
Despite having a comfortable living situation — a two-bedroom apartment he shared with a girlfriend at the time — and a job working in city development at a local municipality, Boisen tells CNBC Make It he felt confined by his lifestyle and the societal pressure of what life should look like at his age.
“I had this claustrophobic feeling about living in an apartment, not so much because of the size of it but more because of the lifestyle that seems so predefined,” he says.
It took Boisen around eight months to finish building his tiny home in the woods.
Anders Boisen
During that time, Boisen came across a YouTube Channel that featured people living in tiny homes that were totally off the grid.
“I thought it was very inspirational, and it opened my eyes to a new possibility where I could actually live more economically free, and I could also live relatively sustainably,” he says. “If I could build a house that is off the grid and in sync with nature, then maybe I could learn how to get a better sense of life on a philosophical level.”
Boisen left his apartment and moved into a garden house where he came up with the idea to build a tiny home of his own. In 2018, Boisen started building a mobile one, but it was stolen just a few months later.
“It was all over the news here in Denmark, but we didn’t find it,” Boisen says.
Boisen’s bedroom is a lofted area above the kitchen area.
Anders Boisen
But Boisen didn’t give up and started building another the following year. In the spring of 2020, Boisen finished the tiny home after working on it on and off for eight months.
He did most of the building himself and estimates he spent 80,000 to 90,000 Danish Krone or USD $11,366 to $12,787.
The tiny house is six and a half meters long and two and a half meters wide, or 21.3 feet long by 6.6 feet wide.
At the time, Boisen lived on a piece of land he he’d been renting for over a year.
To finish building the tiny home, Boisen quit his job and focused on the project full-time. He also started a Facebook group to share his journey, and some of the people he met there helped with the building process along the way.
“I realized how personalized this home already was because I had built most of it on my own, so it was filled with my own memories and personal decisions,” he says. “But it also had the memories of all the people who came and helped out. It was qualitatively very different from what I imagine, having a contractor build a house for you.”
Since quitting his job, Boisen has made his career creating content for YouTube and giving talks around the country on tiny living and life off-the-grid.
Boisen’s kitchen features a mini stove and a lot of shelves for storage.
Anders Boisen
While Boisen has fond memories of building his tiny home, he admits there were many technical issues along the way, including having to move the house itself and a ***** in the roof.
“At that time I hadn’t secured the framing enough so it wasn’t stabilized. When I moved the house, it ended up tilted to one side, and it was hard to correct it later on,” Boisen says.
“It was a setback and I was kind of bummed out. In my dreams I dreamt about burning the house down because then I would get rid of the problem. But, of course, I didn’t do it but it was very stressful,” he adds laughing.
Despite those challenges, Boisen says there is no greater feeling than seeing the tiny home he built be finished.
“There were bad things but it was a nice feeling knowing I was creating something that will be my home. You get this giddy feeling because you’re so excited about the things that you’re doing. It was like realizing a dream,” Boisen says. “I wasn’t just building something like a roof over my head; I was actually building a dream. It was like stepping into a new chapter in my life and all the things that will hopefully follow in that life.”
Opposite the kitchen is the living area and a mudroom.
Anders Boisen
In September 2021, Boisen bought a plot of land about 17,800 square feet outside of Aarhus for 160,000 Danish Krone, or USD $22,791, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
“It’s at the end of a dirt road and it doesn’t have immediate neighbors. It also has a meadow and a big forest adjacent to it so it feels a lot ******* than it really is,” Boisen says.
A month later, Boisen had the tiny home moved from the property he was renting to the land he now owns.
The bedroom has a small window and a skylight.
Anders Boisen
Living off the grid in a forest
Boisen made sure his tiny home was equipped for life off the grid, which he defines as “self-sufficient with water, electricity, and heat.”
The house has a rainwater filtration system, solar panels, and batteries to store energy.
Boisen has lived in the tiny home for over four years now and says he’s run out of power several times and water just once.
Now he keeps a close eye on his water tank, takes short baths if his tank is starting to run low, and aims to save water in other ways.
“I tend to think I need power but then I think to myself is it the lack of power or is it how much power I’m actually consuming and that’s been part of my journey,” he says.
Boisen built an outhouse to give guests some privacy.
Anders Boisen
In the winter, Boisen uses less power and lives more sustainably by storing certain items like milk and condiments outside in the cold instead of using electricity for a fridge.
“The point of this house is to teach me how to consume less resources and that was part of the idea from the beginning,” Boisen says. “I wanted to see how low you can go in terms of still living comfortably in a tiny house. My journey is to not only make the tiny home liveable but also adjust my need for resources and my behavior. The house nudges my behavior in a way.”
The tiny home has solar panels and batteries to store energy.
Anders Boisen
Boisen also has a permaculture garden — which Better Homes and Gardens defines as one that “helps build soils and doesn’t rely on synthetic inputs” — where he’s growing potatoes, several berries, apples, leeks, cabbage, and different kinds of herbs.
“I try to plant permanent plants that will give me a yield for the greatest amount of time,” he says. “I will be expanding my entire food production because right now it’s only on an experiment level, but from next season, I will expand the size of the garden considerably.”
Boisen says growing his own food is an extension of his original journey to trying to be self-sufficient.
“On a personal level it teaches me how I can be more in sync with the seasons and with nature in general. In order for me to grow food, I need to learn a whole lot about gardening. It gives me joy that every season has its own types of foods so you’re always looking forward to something and you’re always eating food that is local and seasonal.”
Boisen uses his food scraps to feed his chickens and composts it to use for the soil in his garden.
Boisen bought the plot of land where his tiny home sits in 2021.
Anders Boisen
Since finishing up the initial work on the tiny home, Boisen has added a mud room and upgraded the water filtration system. He’s getting ready to build a new house and sell this one.
Boisen says the plan is to build a tiny home that is more practical for having a family and continuing a self-sufficient lifestyle: “I’m in a way, preparing for the future.”
He plans to finish the new home next spring.
Conversions to USD were done on November 15, 2024, using OANDA conversion rates. All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
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Russini’s what I’m hearing: This NFL coach hiring cycle is going to be huge
Russini’s what I’m hearing: This NFL coach hiring cycle is going to be huge
The judge, jury and ************ wants back in.
It took Bill Belichick one Super Bowl title, as a 14-point underdog to the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams, to gain complete control of the New England Patriots organization. The results were historic. Belichick’s success in New England with Tom Brady — six Super Bowl titles over two decades — earned him the trust of ownership and gave him the authority to operate with little oversight.
The setup with another team might not be quite the same. Belichick wants as much authority as he can get in his next job, but very few teams are willing to grant any candidate the kind of freedom he had in Foxboro. Regardless, make no mistake: Belichick wants to be an NFL head coach in 2025.
“Coaching is in his blood; he wants this,” a person close to Belichick shared over text. Belichick has spent this season working in media, appearing on seemingly every network and podcast as he tries to stay top-of-mind with the goal of working a whistle, not a microphone, next season. The 72-year-old is staying ready.
This is what I’m hearing from around the league this week:
• The upcoming coaching cycle could be very big — three themes to remember and the buzziest name (it isn’t Deion) as flirting season begins
• The Jets could have decisions on their quarterback, coach and GM — just as their owner is leaving
• Twenty-three million reasons Daniel Jones might have taken his last snap as a Giant
• What’s behind the Ravens’ defensive struggles
• The Bengals should have learned some roster-building things from the champs
• It’s Anthony Richardson again in Indy — what does that mean for Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard?
• The only tech advice I will ever give you
The names — and themes — of the upcoming coaching cycle
Seven head coaches were hired last winter; many across the NFL expect that number to be higher this year. The most coaches hired in a cycle is 10, most recently after the 2021 season. This upcoming coaching cycle might not hit double digits, but it will be close. It’s not even Thanksgiving week, there is still so much football to be played, yet conversations about the next wave of coaches are already brewing among owners and their front-office staffs. Search firms are collecting information, agents are making calls, and, most importantly, teams that know they want a change are already meeting internally to discuss the possibilities. From what I gather, flirting season is in full swing.
• It’s too early to say whether Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions’ highly regarded offensive coordinator, will become a head coach, but he is widely considered one of the top candidates. Despite interest last season, he chose to remain with the Lions to continue to learn and grow. With that in mind, the playcaller hopes to work with a strong owner and quarterback, but I’m told he will be particular about his pick. We’ll see if this is the cycle when he decides to jump in.
• Coach Prime isn’t landing at The Star. The 57-year-old University of Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback has said publicly he wants to stay in college football, despite some theories that Jerry Jones is targeting his former star. Sanders holds an 11-10 record over two seasons with the Buffaloes, and as of now, I have not spoken to a team decision-maker interested in bringing Sanders in as an NFL head coach. (A real shame; his sunglasses would be perfect for that glaring sun in Dallas.)
Jerry Jones brought in Deion Sanders as a free-agent star in 1995, but a reunion 30 years later is unlikely. (Paul K. Buck / AFP via Getty Images)
• For now, the former player-turned-coach getting the most hype around the league is former Titans head coach and current Browns consultant Mike Vrabel. As owners look around at the league’s successful head coaches, the culture-builders stand out (think Dan Campbell, Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris). Vrabel fits into that category, a former player who can unite a locker room while holding his players accountable. Vrabel was a finalist for the Chargers and Falcons jobs last year. He wants to coach in 2025 and I expect him to have his pick of available jobs.
• Speaking of Vrabel, a decision-maker expecting to make a coaching change pointed out to me a trend they are focused on bringing to their team for 2025: a physical brand of football. Pointing to the Chargers, Chiefs, Packers, Lions and Eagles, he made it clear that this season has proven running the football is part of a winning foundation. Trends always make their way back around!
• New Raiders ********* owner Tom Brady represents “excellence,” according to Raiders majority owner Mark Davis. While Brady is busy broadcasting for Fox and may have only 10 percent equity in the Raiders, I expect his involvement in running the team to be closer to 90 percent. We already know the organization wants to lean on Brady when picking a future quarterback. One of Davis’s strengths is his openness to listening to experienced football people, and he values Brady’s understanding of what it takes to win at a high level.
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NFL Draft 2025 Big Board: Travis Hunter takes No. 1 spot, 4 QBs in updated top 50
Jets in limbo
Both the NFL and the Jets are operating as if owner Woody Johnson will leave the organization again when (or if) he’s nominated the ambassador to the ******* Kingdom by President-elect Donald Trump. In 2017, Johnson was nominated for that position in January but didn’t leave until the summer, once he was confirmed. Christopher Johnson, his brother and the vice chairman of the Jets, took over in his stead.
It appears headed that way again, and plenty is hanging in the balance for the organization — the Jets will need to decide on their quarterback, head coach and possibly general manager this offseason. I’m told no decisions have been made on any of the above, but let’s be clear: There is no guarantee Aaron Rodgers will be back in a Jets uniform in 2025.
Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, said this week that he wants to play next year, and while Woody Johnson hasn’t been thrilled with his star QB’s performance, Rodgers has a strong relationship with Christopher Johnson. The next month-and-a-half will help shape the team’s decision.
The Jets do not owe Rodgers any guaranteed money in 2025. They would need to pay him a $35 million option bonus plus his $2.5 million salary if they decide to bring him back. Rodgers has a cap hit of $23.5 million. They are projected for a top-10 pick — No. 8, per Tankathon — which could put them in a position to draft a quarterback too.
Last week’s loss to the Panthers in Germany might have been Daniel Jones’ final time behind center for the Giants. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
A Daniel Jones decision to come
The New York Giants, on a bye week, have yet to inform their quarterbacks who will be starting Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll left the door open in their latest media availabilities, but this could be it for Daniel Jones.
The team is sitting at 2-8 and the organization faces significant financial implications tied to Jones’ contract: $23 million of his 2025 salary becomes guaranteed if he suffers a season-ending injury. That financial risk is one reason the Giants might decide to bench him if their playoff hopes remain dim; the backup options are Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito.
The Ravens’ defensive dip
If we were sitting at the bar together right now, we could debate dozens of NFL topics until the last-call bell. But the one topic that needs no arguing? Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the best player in football right now. His performance is so exceptional that even an opposing AFC coach couldn’t help but acknowledge: “If he was doing this with the Baltimore Ravens defense of the past, Baltimore would be the best team in the league. The Chiefs may be undefeated, but they’ve been heavily reliant on defense and special teams. Jackson is single-handedly winning games.”
Will the Ravens overcome their defensive struggles and pave the way for Jackson to reach the Super Bowl? Last year, Baltimore’s defense was the first in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways. This year, under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, the Ravens rank 27th in yards allowed and last against the pass. Baltimore has given up 253 total points this year, and 106 (41.9 percent) have come in the fourth quarter.
I’ve had multiple coaches and front office members point to the Ravens feeling the loss of their defensive trio of coaches: former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (now Seattle’s head coach), former defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson (defensive coordinator in Tennessee) and former defensive line coach Anthony Weaver (defensive coordinator for Miami). Those three were instrumental in shaping the Ravens’ defensive strategy, and their absence has been keenly felt. The team selected Orr as the defensive coordinator over Weaver, who interviewed with the Commanders and Falcons for the head coach job and ultimately left the organization to join the Dolphins.
As of late, Weaver’s group appears to be headed in the right direction, with a top-10 defense in the league. They are third in third-down defense and 11th in red-zone defense. The Dolphins are thriving under their first-year defensive coordinator, and I expect Weaver to once again garner significant head-coaching interest.
GO DEEPER
QB Betrayal Index: Lamar Jackson acing his toughest test; Justin Herbert finally gets a break
Burrow can only take Bengals so far
The 4-6 Bengals are on pace to be the only team to have each of the following in the same season: the passing yardage leader, receiving yardage leader and sack leader. Yet, they find themselves ninth in the AFC standings.
There’s a league-wide belief that Joe Burrow and this offense can propel the team into the playoffs, but overcoming this defensive performance ******** a significant hurdle. Efforts around the trade deadline to strengthen the defense — they tried to get a defensive tackle and corner — were in vain. Even the recent workout with former Dolphins corner Xavien Howard, who was offered a deal, didn’t lead to an agreement. The team hoped Howard could help against Steelers wideouts George Pickens and Mike Williams, whom the Bengals will face twice after their Week 13 bye. I’m told the two sides couldn’t come to a financial agreement.
A member of an AFC front office was critical of Cincinnati’s unwillingness to redo their defense the way the Chiefs have over the last few years. Just look at the last time these two teams faced each other in the AFC title game, after the 2022 season, to now. Kansas City has consistently revamped its defense through the draft, free agency and player development resulting in a younger, more dynamic group. The Bengals, meanwhile, have remained stagnant and their players have aged. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been known for his creative schemes, which previously masked roster deficiencies. However, this season, injuries and inconsistent performances have exposed vulnerabilities that scheme alone can’t cover up.
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The Colts’ QB flip-flop
Two weeks ago, the Colts seemed to be in survival mode. By benching Anthony Richardson, the fourth pick of the 2023 draft, and replacing him with 39-year-old Joe Flacco, coach Shane Steichen — and, by extension, embattled general manager Chris Ballard — were trying to save Indy’s season, and possibly their jobs.
The Colts were 4-4 at the time; they’re now 4-6. Flacco, a turnover machine the past two weeks, is Richardson’s backup again. They’re not necessarily tapping out on the season (too soon?) but owner Jim Irsay is undoubtedly tired of the organization’s inability to find a top-shelf quarterback since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement more than five years ago. Though with Richardson’s injury history, there’s still a chance we could see Flacco again at some point.
Richardson, like many young quarterbacks, is experiencing significant growing pains, but it makes sense for the franchise to see what he’s got and continue to evaluate him. That said, the Colts have some big decisions to make at season’s end, and it’s a very open question as to who will be making those calls.
A bit of life advice
Finally, this has nothing to do with football, but since I learned a difficult lesson this past week I wanted to pass along some advice so you can avoid the same mistake: Write your passwords down on a piece of paper and put it in a safe place. If you depend on your phone as much as I do, don’t keep your passwords stored in your actual phone! It’s been a long week, but I’m happy to be back on track — and if you want to hear more about my self-inflicted *****, listen to the latest episode of the “Scoop City” podcast:
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
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Pelican News
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Everything We Know About Delta Force
Everything We Know About Delta Force
It’s not every day that we receive a competent “Battlefield-*******,” though Delta Force, from developer Team *****, is shaping up to take on the crown with its free-to-play first-person shooter. From what we played during past beta periods, it’s an exceptionally good time, with fast-paced, satisfying ground combat, high-speed vehicle encounters, and customization options that keep us grinding for more ******* XP round after round. Here’s everything we know about Delta Force!
When Can You Play Delta Force?
Delta Force’s official release date is December 5. While Team ***** considers this an open beta, the game launches on Steam Early Access for everyone to download and play. If you missed out on previous beta periods, this is an excellent time to give the first-person shooter a genuine shot!
What Are the Delta Force System Requirements?
With the FPS launching first on PC, knowing the system requirements beforehand is essential to ensure your computer can run the game successfully. Thankfully, they’re not overly demanding.
Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel Core i3-4150 / AMD FX-6300
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 / AMD R9 380 / Intel Arc A380
Memory: 12 GB RAM
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB Available Space (SSD Recommended)
Recommended System Requirements
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel Core i5-6500 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500x
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6G / AMD RX5500 XT / Intel Arc A580
Memory: 16 GB RAM
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB Available Space (SSD Recommended)
Related: Delta Force Pay-to-Win Elements Will ‘Absolutely Not’ Be a Thing
Is Delta Force Coming to Consoles?
Yes! Delta Force is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, though there is no official release date for either system yet. Developer Team ***** revealed it’s targeting a Q1 2025 console release for the free-to-play first-person shooter.
Alongside the console release, PC players will receive full controller support.
Does Delta Force Feature Cross-Progression?
When Delta Force is finally available on all systems—PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S—it will feature cross-progression between each platform, allowing you to download and play anywhere you want. If you have multiple systems, download the FPS on PC and Xbox Series X|S, for example, and you’ll find that your stats, ******* XP, and rank all transfer over.
What Game Modes Does Delta Force Offer?
On launch, Delta Force will include three game modes:
Operations: An extraction shooter game mode featuring 3-person squads of Operators surviving, looting, and escaping with high-end items, all the while fighting against both AI and other squads of human players.
Warfare: The iconic, expansive game mode featuring PvP combat with large-scale encounters, including vehicles and Operators, across massive maps.
****** Hawk Down: An old-school, cinematic experience for those who grew up playing the Delta Force: ****** Hawk Down games of old.
Who Are the Delta Force Operators?
Delta Force features a wide array of unlockable Operators, or unique characters with abilities and personalities, to play as, including:
Uluru
Hackclaw
Vyron
D-Wolf
Shepherd
Luna
Stinger
Team ***** promises additional Operators in the future, though it’s unclear how many they have planned.
Related: The Full Delta Force: Hawk Ops Weapons List
Does Delta Force Feature Vehicle Combat?
Delta Force features extensive vehicle combat—land, sea, and air—across its various game modes. On launch, we’ll have access to multiple military vehicles, such as:
M1A4 Battle Tank
FSV Wheeled Tank Destroyed
AH-1035D ******** Helicopter
All-Terrain Vehicle
LAV-G1 IFV
LAV-AA
******** Vehicles
A few of these are generic military vehicles meant for quick insertions. Others, like the M1A4 or AH-1035D, fill more specialized roles on the battlefield.
Will you be playing Delta Force daily? Find a competent squad by visiting the Insider Gaming community forums!
Speaking of first-person shooters, you might want to unlock Dragon’s Breath in ****** Ops 6 to put a stop to all those Omnimovement-abusing players!
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Blink Mini 2 review: this home security camera is good price, but unimpressive performance might make you think twice
Blink Mini 2 review: this home security camera is good price, but unimpressive performance might make you think twice
Blink Mini 2 review: two-minute review
The Blink Mini 2 is a home security camera that can be used indoors, and outside when combined with the Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter sold separately. It has a list price of $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69 and is available to buy at Amazon.
Blink has followed in many other brands footsteps and requires you to pay a subscription fee to access recordings and most of the Blink Mini 2’s features. However, the camera does have the benefit of manual recording backup, though this will require an additional purchase of the Blink Sync Module 2 and a compatible USB drive.
The setup process was blissfully straightforward, and the Blink Home Monitor app worked well for the most part, aside from a couple of random glitches and the over-complicated process of getting to the device settings from the homepage.
(Image credit: Future)
The design of the Blink Mini 2 is small and simple; the camera is cube-shaped and sits on a ball ****** that connects it to the compact circular base slash bracket, depending on whether it’s placed on a surface or fixed to a wall or ceiling. The ball ****** only allows for manual repositioning, so regrettably, unlike many of the best home security cameras, there’s no capacity for remote control movement, meaning I could only view one static area at a time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a privacy cover, so while camera and audio feeds can be disconnected in the app, if multiple people have access there’s no guarantee of privacy while the camera is operational.
The activity and privacy zones did their job well. However, the process to select the areas was basic and was limited to a square or rectangular shape, which isn’t ideal if you want to block off your neighbor’s yard but the boundary isn’t straight or at the right angle. The privacy zones were also unsightly on the feed and recorded footage, replacing the area with an expanse of grey.
In terms of performance, the Blink Mini 2 didn’t bowl me over. The video and audio quality were disappointing, but not bad considering how cheap the hardware is. The footage was grainy on the default standard image quality setting, and the picture pixelated when there was movement on the screen. The best picture quality setting fared better, with little pixelation and a slight improvement to the graininess.
(Image credit: Future)
For the most part, motion detection and person detection worked well. I needed to up the motion sensitivity from the default level of five to seven as it didn’t detect me on my return to the room. The Blink Mini 2 didn’t detect my cats when it was set to this sensitivity level, but there were a few occasions when it recognized my cats as people when I upped it to the maximum setting of nine.
Overall, I wasn’t blown away by the Blink Mini 2, but for the price, it’s a good basic camera for those who don’t require crystal-clear footage or audio, and are just looking for something that won’t cost the earth to keep an eye on a particular area. If you’d like to check out some alternatives I recommend checking out our best home security cameras buying guide, which features several alternatives tailored to specific requirements.
Blink Mini 2 review: price and availability
List price: $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69
Availability: US, ***, and Australia
Release date: May 2024
The Blink Mini 2 is available at a list price of $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69, which is fairly low cost for a smart indoor/outdoor home security camera. It was released in May 2024 and is available to purchase at Amazon, which is no coincidence when Blink is in fact an Amazon company.
An upgrade to the previous generation, the Blink Mini, the Blink Mini 2 has been given some welcome new features including ****** night view, a wider field of view of 143 degrees and a built-in spotlight as standard. Additionally, it offers person detection and can be used outdoors, but additional purchases are required.
It’s a big positive that it’s possible to store recordings locally, which requires an additional Blink device and a compatible USB drive. As with other smart home security cameras, it also offers a cloud subscription service that gives access to recordings and additional features via the Blink Home Monitor app, downloadable from the App Store, Google Play, or Amazon Appstore.
If you intend to store your recordings locally, you’ll need to purchase a Blink Sync Module 2, and a suitable USB flash drive, which will save photos and videos from up to ten Blink cameras. Without a subscription plan, you’ll have access to your recordings if you’re backing them up via the Blink Sync Module 2 (but you’ll have to back them up manually), will receive motion-activated notifications, and can access the live view for up to five minutes at a time. It’s worth stressing here that if you choose not to continue with the initial free trial all recordings will be deleted, so make sure to back them up first if you take this route.
Blink Mini 2 subscription options
Blink Basic Plan: In addition to the features available without a plan, you also get live view and motion event recording, unlimited cloud storage for up to 60 days, automatic local storage backup every 24 hours, instant video access, video sharing, person detection, and photo capture. Applicable to one device only. Price: $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.95 per month, $30 / £24.99 / AU$49.95 per year
Blink Plus Plan: Along with the benefits of the Basic Plan, you’re able to snooze notifications, get 10% off Blink device purchases at Amazon, and use the Blink Moments feature, which seamlessly stitches together multiple events into one video. Applicable to all Blink devices. Price: $10 / £8 / AU$15 per month, $100 / £80 / AU$150 per year
Blink Mini 2 review: specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Price
$39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69
Resolution
Up to 1080p HD
Motion detection
Yes – customizable in app
Dimensions
2 x 2 x 1.5 inches / 51 x 51 x 40mm
Audio
Two-way audio
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Power supply
Plug-in power, USB-C in, USB-A power adapter
Privacy cover
No
Field of view
143-degree diagonal
Storage
Cloud subscription. Manual backup possible with Blink Sync Module 2 and USB flash drive
Blink Mini 2 review: design and features
Easy setup
No privacy cover
No remote control capabilities
The setup process was fairly quick and simple, I just needed to download the Blink Home Monitor app, scan the barcode on the back of the Blink Mini 2, and follow the step-by-step instructions. The only small stumbling block was when the app claimed that my phone ******* to connect to the Mini 2’s Wi-Fi hotspot automatically and to select it manually in my Wi-Fi settings. Before I got to my settings, the app pinged me a notification to let me know that the camera had connected successfully, so we got there in the end.
Available in ****** or white, the Blink Mini 2 is similar in size to its predecessor and has a rather dazzling spotlight above the camera lens that can be toggled on or off from the app. The camera sits on a sturdy but easily adjustable ball ****** that connects it to the base, but this is only for manual positioning, meaning it cannot be moved remotely.
(Image credit: Future)
As an indoor/outdoor camera, the Blink Mini 2 can sit happily on a flat surface on its stand or can be screwed to a wall or ceiling using the bracket that’s integrated into the base. It’s worth noting that to use outside it will require the Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter, which is sold separately.
Along with the Sync Module 2, the Blink Mini 2 can connect to other Blink devices, such as the Blink Video Doorbell, transforming the Mini 2 into a plug-in chime every time the doorbell rings.
Unlike some other indoor cameras, such as the 4.5-star rated Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, the Blink Mini 2 doesn’t feature a privacy cover, so there’s no way to manually cut the audio and visual feed to the camera short of just unplugging it. It was possible to block the camera view via the app if necessary by setting a privacy zone, though.
(Image credit: Future)
When I set one of these zones up myself to check how efficient they were, the live feed kept showing me the spinning-wheel-of-***** and wouldn’t load, so it seemed to struggle with this extra requirement initially. The video clips still recorded when spotting movement, however, and it was undoubtedly clear where the privacy zone was, as the image in this area was covered by a grey rectangle. By the time I’d finished testing this, the live feed had gotten itself back together, and the privacy area was again marked by a grey block, so nothing was viewable within that area.
It’s also possible to disable video recording and, as promised, it didn’t record anything after I switched it on. There’s also a setting to disable the audio connection, and true enough after applying this setting it cut off the feed to the microphone both on the live view and in recorded footage, so it was still possible to see what was going on but no sound was present. So while these are good features, privacy cannot be guaranteed if others can access the camera feed.
Design and features score: 3 / 5
Blink Mini 2 review: performance
Some lag and pixelization
Privacy areas work well, but they’re unattractive
Standard IR night vision performs better than best daytime setting
I used the Blink Home Monitor app to enable the different settings for testing and to view the live feed and recordings. In my opinion, the process required to get to the camera’s settings is somewhat inefficient. To access the camera settings for the Blink Mini 2 from the homepage I had to go into the settings menu, into device and system settings, then into Office (which is what I’d named my location), click on an inconspicuous all devices button, then click on TechRadar Office (the name of my Blink Mini 2), before I’m finally shown the device settings that I need. Admittedly, if I clicked on the three dots icon from the live view and then tapped device settings, it got me there too, but if you install a few cameras or devices at once, getting to the devices’ settings all gets a bit long-winded.
Video quality is set to standard by default, and although I wasn’t impressed with it, it was acceptable for the low price. The footage and live view were quite grainy, and some pixelization occurred when movement was present on the screen. This isn’t what I expected to see after viewing the marketing material, but at a $40 price tag, I suppose you get what you pay for.
The other two settings available were saver mode, which reduces video quality, and best, which is meant to be higher quality. The best footage was still grainy – but not as severely as it was in standard mode – and it did seem to pixelate less when there was movement present, so there was some improvement.
(Image credit: Future)
As was the case with the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, the Blink Mini 2’s Night View in ****** was only functional with enough ambient light. I found that I needed an LED lamp on in the corner at medium brightness for the image to be ********, and it did a good job of that. But if the environment was any darker than this it reverted to the standard ****** and white mode that we’re used to from other indoor security cameras. The ****** and white infrared night vision picture quality was great, and an improvement on the normal quality that’s recorded in daylight.
The audio quality left me unimpressed. There was loud static noise when there wasn’t any sound to relay, and voices weren’t particularly clear – but it was adequate enough for a cheaply priced security camera.
It was frustrating that clips didn’t auto-record if I happened to be viewing the live feed when an event happened. There was a button to save the recording on the bottom right of the screen, which is helpful and means that the clip can be saved. But I can err on the forgetful side, so if I happened to be looking at the feed when a burglar broke in, for example, I might well forget to hit save before coming off the feed to call the police.
(Image credit: Future)
I tested out the privacy and activity zones and found that the selection process is a little more restricted than in other brand’s apps, like Ring, for example. Instead of having adjustable multi-point areas, the Blink Home Monitor app only offers square privacy zones, with just four adjustable points. The activity zone area selection was even more basic, with an 8×8 grid of selectable rectangles. There was an advanced button I could click, but this only zoomed in on the image and offered more rectangles, so setting up the activity zones proved far more laborious than I’m used to. Nonetheless, the privacy zones worked, although it meant dealing with large grey squares over the live view and footage where I’d set them, which wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing.
Although my iPhone 12 Pro worked fine for viewing recorded content, and I could view it on my iPad too, I would have liked the option to view it on a browser as I could with some other brands’ camera feeds. So if you wanted to use Blink cameras to watch over your business, or to keep track of your pets around the house, you’re limited to smaller screens to do this.
I kept the motion sensitivity on the default setting of five, to begin with, and for the most part, it worked well. Unfortunately, though, it missed me a few times when I came back in from leaving my living room. It had detected me each time I left, but despite me facing the camera each time I reentered a little while later, it didn’t react upon my return. I raised the sensitivity level to eight, and it detected me that time, so it’s worth testing out which sensitivity works best for you if you purchase a Blink Mini 2.
(Image credit: Future)
At the same time, I was testing the motion detection, and I also tested out the person detection setting, which is meant to limit motion recordings and alerts to only trigger when a person is present. My two Maine-*****-cross cats were the perfect test subjects for this experiment. They didn’t set off the motion recording when the motion sensitivity was set to seven; however, when it was set to nine, which is the highest setting available, it detected my ******* cat, Mr Jinkx, on a few occasions that he wandered through the viewing area. On the other hand, it only detected his daintier sister, who is only slightly larger than the average cat, on one occasion when she jumped onto the TV cabinet (and made a lot of noise while doing it). So I’d wager that you may get away with not receiving unnecessary notifications if you have a standard-sized **** cat, but it could be a different story if your pets are any larger.
It was really easy for me to share recorded videos. I simply had to swipe left on the clip I wanted to send from the list, and it showed me the options to share or delete. Unfortunately, though, the first time I did this it caused the app to fall over. It returned to the clip list with the share screen still visible, and wouldn’t acknowledge any of my taps, so I had to force quit the app and reopen it. The recording did send, however, so that’s a positive, and the camera continued to detect my movements. I’m pleased to say I didn’t experience any further issues sharing clips after this occasion, though.
When I tried to share a clip of Mr Jinkx sitting on the window sill, I found I couldn’t unlink it from the next clip, which also included me, having to tell him that he can’t jump through a closed skylight. Eventually, I found that the icon of a film snippet and a clock on the “cloud storage” bar at the bottom of the screen was to switch the list of recorded footage from moments to separate events. I’m glad the function was there, but as it looked more like a scheduling icon I didn’t find it very clear.
Performance score: 3.5 / 5
Should I buy the Blink Mini 2?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Score
Price
Despite its downsides, this home security camera is well-priced, and the option to save footage locally is always a big plus. It’s just a shame that additional purchases are required to do this, and a subscription is required to access most of the features.
4/5
Design
The Blink mini 2 is compact, lightweight, and easy to set up. However, it lacks remote adjustment, so you have to settle for static viewing areas. It doesn’t have a privacy cover either, so others could view the feed or listen in if they have access to the camera on the app.
3/5
Performance
The image and audio quality are disappointing, but not terrible for the price. The ****** night vision feature worked well with ambient light, and the IR night vision was better quality than footage filmed in daylight. The customization of the privacy areas was limited, and they looked unsightly on the video footage, but they did the job.
3.5/5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Blink Mini 2 review: Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell – Column 0
Blink Mini 2
Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam
Wyze Cam v3
Price
$39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69
$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129
$36 / £56 / AU$59.99
Camera resolution
Up to 1080p
1080p
1080p
Motion detection
Yes – customizable in app
Yes – customizable
Yes – customizable
Dimensions
2 x 2 x 1.5 inches / 51 x 51x 40mm
2.37 x 2.37 x 5.78 inches / 60 x 60 x 147mm
2.05 x 2 x 2.3 inches / 52 x 51 x 58.5 mm
Audio specs
Two-way audio
Two-way audio with noise cancellation
Two-way audio and sound detection
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Privacy cover
No
Yes – cover cuts audio and visual
No
Field of view
143-degree diagonal
143-degree diagonal360-degree pan 169-degree tilt
121-degree diagonal
Storage
Cloud subscription, local manual backup possible with Blink Sync Module 2 and USB flash drive
Cloud only – subscription required
Cloud subscription and local – up to 128GB microSD (with restrictions)
Power supply
Plug-in power, USB-C in, USB-A power adapter
Plug-in power, USB-C in, USB-A power adapter
Plug-in power, micro-USB in, USB A power adapter
How I tested the Blink Mini 2
I tested it for a week at home and in a busy office
I tested the sound and video quality, live and recorded
I tested the ease of setup, usability, privacy settings, and motion detection
I reviewed how easy the Blink Mini 2 was to set up, and tested its app and features.
I tested the Blink Mini 2 in our busy TechRadar reviews office along with a quieter area of my home to establish how sensitive the motion detection was, and how efficient the privacy and activity zones were.
I tested the frequency of notifications and reviewed live and recorded footage, paying close attention to the visual and sound quality, and evaluating how well the camera handled movement.
I observed how well the Night ****** Vision worked in different environments, testing how well it performed in darkness and with varying levels of ambient lighting.
I compared the Blink Mini 2 against our previous camera reviews, and benchmarked it against other indoor cameras I am currently testing.
Read more about how we test.
First reviewed October 2024
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Arsenal cruise to 3-0 win at Spurs in north London derby
Arsenal cruise to 3-0 win at Spurs in north London derby
Arsenal continue their resurgence under interim boss Renee Slegers with a comfortable 3-0 win at Tottenham in the north London derby.
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Jannik Sinner is a tennis star. In Italy, his celebrity transcends his sport
Jannik Sinner is a tennis star. In Italy, his celebrity transcends his sport
TURIN, Italy — Olé, olé olé olé, Sinner, Sinner.
Olé, olé olé olé, Sinner, Sinner.
Jannik Sinner is trying to speak, but his own name is resounding too loudly across the Inalpi Arena in Turin. Lit up on billboards, written on placards, chanted across the aisles. Sinner, the first Italian to achieve the men’s world No. 1 ranking, isn’t just the featured attraction of the ATP Tour Finals tournament in his home country: He is the tournament, on the court and off it.
There he is on billboards in the train station. There he is on banners hanging from light poles. There he is — well, not him, a character of him — on GialappaShow, a satirical comedy programme in the vein of Saturday Night Live, which does skits playing off Sinner’s poodle of red hair and his meticulously even manner of speaking.
And there he is on the court, blowing away basically everyone who isn’t Carlos Alcaraz as he has done most of the year, slaloming into the semifinals with three wins from three and the noise of around 12,000 fans about his ears on every point.
Three years ago, despite flashes of brilliance, Sinner had kind of stagnated in tennis no man’s land.
Two years ago, he was a work in progress who fell short of making the season-ending Tour Finals here in Turin, the city that was supposed to be his northern Italian playground.
A year ago he lost in the final to Novak Djokovic but beat him along the way, hinting loudly at what might be coming. Alcaraz said he was the next No. 1.
This year, he fulfilled that prophecy: he is world No. 1 and maybe the most popular athlete in Italy — a country that doesn’t have a lot of sport oxygen left once soccer sucks on the hose.
“It’s different,” Sinner said on Tuesday of competing on home soil for the first time in nearly a year.
“I never take these chances for granted.”
Jannik Sinner does not really have to ask an Italian crowd for more noise. (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)
Italy has a long and illustrious conveyor belt of soccer stars. Major figures in other sports, especially ones who can penetrate the consciousness of people who barely pay attention to sports, are far more rare. But the country does have a way of rallying mightily around its Olympic champions and standouts in other sports.
For years, motorcyclist Valentino Rossi and then swimmer Federica Pellegrini were all the rage. People who have never clicked into a ski binding know all about Sofia Goggia, the Olympic downhill champion in 2018. Sinner is the latest of their number, and perhaps the most adored. Inter Milan played Napoli Sunday in a showdown of two of Italy’s biggest soccer clubs. The match drew 1.7million television viewers in Italy. Sinner’s match against Alex de Minaur of Australia, hardly a glamor matchup, drew 2.27million.
Tennis stars in their homeland are always a featured attraction, but maybe because he is the first Italian No. 1, or maybe because of that unmistakable mop of red hair, Sinner in Italy seems a different order of magnitude. As his steady, subdued demeanor anchors his game of grace and fury, one of those oddball alchemical pairings of a star and a nation catalyzes match after match.
Young and old alike are on board for the ride. He is what the Italians refer to as “fuoriclasse”, which roughly translates as out of this world, or world-class. He is one of the “predestinato”, predestined, as it were, for greatness.
“He’s young, but he’s not young in the way he plays,” said Turin native Federico Vangha, who was sipping on Aperol spritzes on Tuesday evening with his girlfriend, another **** Sinner fan named Monica Merlo.
Sinner walks duck-footed and does not appear to own a comb nor a hair dryer. His transformation from no-one’s idea of a Gucci model into, well, a Gucci model also makes him different. When he isn’t playing tennis, he’s now pitching: Gucci, Head, Nike, Rolex, La Roche-Posay, the pharmaceutical company, internet service provider Fastweb, Enervit, a nutrition company, and Pigna, a paper products company. The deal with Nike is $158million (£125.2million) over ten years; the annual value of his off-court deals is around $15m (£11.9m).
He also has a deal with pasta company De Cecco, and Italian coffee magnate Lavazza. During changeovers, his opponents don’t even get a break. Video screens play commercial after commercial, Sinner drinking an espresso or pushing Intesa Sanpaolo, the financial giant.
The madness started with the “Carota Boys”, the group of young men who seemingly will spare no expense to travel to a Sinner match wearing a carrot costume in honor of that flaming red hair. At his matches this week, the crowd has been littered with fans wearing fluorescent orange. Their shirts glow in the blue light of the Inalpi Arena, as the carrot and fox emojis — his other symbol — ***** orange across every social media platform.
Jannik Sinner with his trophy for being year-end world No. 1. (Valerio Pennicino / Getty Images)
Italian players who aren’t even in the tournament show up to watch is matches. Lorenzo Sonego, Sinner’s Davis Cup teammate, was courtside the other night.
Everyone else, including the other seven competitors, are the supporting cast, even Alcaraz.
“Exactly what I expected here in Turin,” De Minaur said in a news conference after Sinner beat him 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday. “Great atmosphere.”
Taylor ****** said the Italian faithful were a lot to deal with, but not too much. He’s had some run-ins with some raucous crowds pulling for their own, especially facing Frenchmen at the French Open. That wasn’t this.
“Fun match to play,” he said, even though he lost in straight sets.
Ubiquity carries a cost, especially at home. Sinner has given up hope of going out for a cup of coffee or a meal this week. There’s always a horde of fans outside the players’ hotel in the middle of the city. He wouldn’t get very far. Better to stay in and rest. At least that’s what he tells himself, as fans ****** up to get a glimpse of a man who is a hero to them for his person as much as his tennis.
“It’s important that he’s No. 1 but it’s who he is,” said Francesco Baccarani, a 12-year-old player who arrived at the Sinner-****** match wearing a red, white and green headdress. “He’s the example for all of us kids for how we want to play.”
GO DEEPER
Sinner confirmed as year-end world No. 1 after Alcaraz’s Shanghai loss
Sinner is only 23. This could go on for a long time, especially with the ATP close to another five-year deal with Italy’s tennis federation that would keep the tour’s richest event in the country through 2029.
Angelo Binaghi, the president of Italy’s tennis federation, the FITP, said in an interview in Turin that Sinner took something that was already happening — a growth in interest in tennis — and made it explode. His rise has coincided with expansion of a free-to-air tennis channel in Italy, SuperTennis, which has even begun carrying the U.S. Open. Conveniently enough, Sinner won that, and lots of less advantaged Italians who might not have been able to pay for television were able to see it.
Now Binaghi has another problem — accessibility. There aren’t enough tennis schools and clinics to accommodate all the children who want to play, and building new courts and facilities is going to take time.
“The bureaucracy,” he said, falling back on the notorious Italian lament. “It’s very difficult.”
Still, Sinner is the answer to Italian tennis prayers in other ways. A few years back, it appeared Matteo Berrettini and his hammer-like serve might have a shot at the pinnacle. He made the Wimbledon final in 2021.
Danillo Baccarani, Francesco’s father, said that the Berrettini power game doesn’t appeal to Italian tennis sensibilities the way Sinner’s does. Here, the tennis hero is Nicola Pietrangeli, the star of the 1950s and 1960s known for his stylish and instinctive play.
“Sinner is more close to someone like (Roger) Federer,” Baccarani said.
And what about the idea that Sinner is somehow less Italian, because he comes from the mountains of San Candido in northeastern Italy near the Austrian border that is closer culturally to its neighbor than to Rome? Sinner’s first language is *******.
“A ******* idea,” Baccarani said.
Sinner has managed to turn this into something of an advantage. With the retirement of Dominic Thiem, Austria is without a tennis star. The country has staked some claims to Sinner.
All the hoopla is a something of a goof to him.
“I’m just a 23-year-old man who just plays tennis,” he said in a news conference earlier this week. He walks outside, he sees a massive version of himself on a billboard. He turns on the television, he’s hawking coffee. His father was a chef. His mother a restaurant worker. He was supposed to become a skier.
Jannik Sinner has assumed the mantle of Italy’s most-beloved sportsperson, at least outside of football. (Tallio Puglia / Getty Images)
“I try to get used to it,” he said. “I’m just trying to play some good tennis.”
Other than some other hotshot besides Alcaraz coming along, there is one thing that could send the Sinner train off course. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking a ban of one or two years in its appeal of his doping case, which it submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September.
Earlier this year, Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid. Three tribunals convened by the tennis anti-doping authorities accepted his explanation that the substance inadvertently ended up in his system after his physiotherapist used it to treat a cut on his own finger, then gave Sinner a massage. WADA, too, accepts this explanation but believes he should bear some responsibility for the actions of his support team.
Clostebol has become a problem in Italian sport, with numerous athletes in different disciplines testing positive as a result of using healing creams. Memories linger of the doping scandal at Juventus of the 1990s, which went to the highest level of the Old Lady of Turin.
Sinner’s verdict is unlikely to come until 2025 and, even in Turin, it gets lost in the noise from point to set to, thus far at least, the inevitable conclusion.
Gioco, partita, incontro, Sinner.
And the olés strike up again.
(Top photos: Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)
(Additional reporting: James Horncastle)
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How Astro **** Could Keep the Content Train Rolling for Years to Come
How Astro **** Could Keep the Content Train Rolling for Years to Come
Following Astro ****’s recent DLC, the charming Sony-celebrating platform is sitting on a treasure trove of continuous content.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could be banned in Russia, and players could face ********* charges — Russian government will evaluate whether the game contains anti-Russian sentiments or terrorism justification
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could be banned in Russia, and players could face ********* charges — Russian government will evaluate whether the game contains anti-Russian sentiments or terrorism justification
The upcoming release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could land Russian gamers in serious trouble. According to RBC-Ukraine News, the Russian government is considering a ban on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Moreover, individuals who play it in Russia could face ********* charges for financially supporting “terrorism.”
For some context, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is being developed by Kyiv-based studio GSC Game World. The game was initially scheduled for release in late 2022. Still, Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and upheaval as several developers relocated to the Czech Republic seem like valid excuses for a delay.
RBC Ukraine News says that several factors could affect the legal status of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and any players in Russia.
Firstly, the game may be banned entirely depending on its content. “There could be the most severe measures if ******** content is found in the game upon release, such as extremism, justification of terrorism, or incitement of ******* hatred,” said Anton Gorelkin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Information Policy.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl – Exclusive Smoking Barrels Gameplay Trailer – YouTube
Watch On
Secondly, gamers “might face ********* charges,” RBC reports, citing the musings of Russian lawyer Mikhail Mushailov. This will likely depend on whether or not it can be established that the developers support the Ukrainian military in any way. In short, if you want to enjoy a bit of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 action in Russia, you better watch your back.
Last month, GSC Game World producer Evgeniy Kulik spoke to the BBC about the upcoming release. Kulik talked about how much effort was being put into making S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 a worthy successor to the original. The producer reminded us of the very real threat to life the Russian invasion represents: “Maybe half of our studio is currently working under the constant threat of being *******.” Despite this, Kulik reckons completing and publishing the game is very important.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is set in an alternate-history Chornobyl exclusion zone filled with dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies, and powerful artifacts. This first-person post-apocalypse open-world horror title is hoped to satisfy the expectations of fans of the original. The game is set for release on November 20 and can be pre-ordered for PC via Steam.
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Georgia’s Abkhazia protesters refuse to quit parliament
Georgia’s Abkhazia protesters refuse to quit parliament
Protesters in Georgia’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia have declined to leave the parliament building which they stormed the previous day, a departure proposed by the region’s president as a condition for resigning.
Protesters had occupied the parliament in protest at an investment agreement with Russia.
Russian news agency RIA reported that President Aslan Bzhania had said on Saturday he would resign and hold a snap election once protesters vacated the parliament in Abkhazia’s capital Sukhumi, and proposed a vice-president as interim head of state.
“When they leave the building, I will write my resignation letter and in the new election we’ll see how much support they get,” RIA cited Bzhania as saying.
He said he planned to run in that election.
Crowds that gathered in Sukhumi rejected the deal and opposition leaders said they would only accept Bzhania’s unconditional resignation.
“None of us have come here for the sake of seats (in parliament),” former Abkhazian prime minister Valery Bganba told the crowd.
“We came here to save our people, our country.”
At least 14 people were injured on Friday when opposition protesters clashed with police, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported.
MPs had gathered at the region’s parliament building to discuss ratifying measures allowing Russian citizens to buy property in the breakaway state.
However, the session was postponed as demonstrators broke down the gate to the building’s grounds with a truck and streamed inside.
Some threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas.
Protesters said in a statement on Saturday that the occupation was not against Abkhazia’s close ties with Russia but accused Bzhania of “trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests (and) manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime”.
Russia said on Friday it was following the “crisis situation” with concern and urged Russian citizens to avoid travel to Abkhazia.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after defeating Georgia in a five-day war.
It maintains military bases in both regions and props up their economies.
Most of the world recognises Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it broke away during wars in the early 1990s.
with AP
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Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review | NoobFeed
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review | NoobFeed
The Outerhaven writes: The iconic third entry in the Dragon Quest series has now been remade in the HD 2D engine. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the best way to play Dragon Quest III. It looks beautiful, sounds amazing, and is an extremely satisfying game to complete.
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Asus dual-screen laptop with Arrow Lake-H CPU listed for close to $3,800 — new Zenbook Duo features Intel Ultra 9 285H, 32GB RAM, and 2TB SSD
Asus dual-screen laptop with Arrow Lake-H CPU listed for close to $3,800 — new Zenbook Duo features Intel Ultra 9 285H, 32GB RAM, and 2TB SSD
A UAE and Middle East-based online retailer just listed a laptop that sports Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake-H processor. Although it’s still marked as ‘Out of stock,’ Gear-up.me (h/t @momomo_us) lists an Asus Zenbook Duo laptop with updated specs.
The Zenbook Duo packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H chip, 32GB of RAM, 2TB SSD storage, and Windows 11 Pro. However, this dual-screen device isn’t the first to be spotted with the Arrow Lake-H CPU, as we’ve already seen Geekbench 6 benchmarks for the Dell Pro Max 16 with the same processor.
The website lists the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H with 24 cores and a max CPU frequency of 5.6 GHz, although Geekbench leaks and the previous generation Intel Core Ultra 9 185H only have 16 cores. The 24-core Intel Core Ultra processor would likely sport the HX moniker and have a 5.5 GHz boost clock, but we will have to wait until January 2025, when the company launches the Arrow Lake-H chips, to confirm that.
Intel says its Arrow Lake desktop CPU launch didn’t go as planned, although the company said it will release a patch within the coming month to fix its new processors’ gaming issues. We hope that Team Blue can avoid these problems with its Arrow Lake-H chips, specially designed for high-performance gaming and computing. Nevertheless, it had a relatively successful launch with its mobile-focused Lunar Lake chips, which could potentially beat Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips in the battery life department while avoiding the compatibility issues that still plague Windows on Arm systems.
Aside from the anticipated arrival of more powerful mobile chips from Intel, the company is also expected to launch budget-friendly desktop Arrow Lake-S processors at CES 2025. These 200T and 200 non-K chips will have 65W and 35W TDPs spread across Intel Core Ultra 5, 7, and 9. Alongside them, Team Blue will likely announce its more affordable B860 and H810 motherboards, finally allowing budget-conscious buyers to enjoy Intel’s Arrow Lake chips.
Hopefully, these chip launches would give Intel the breathing room it needs, especially as it’s still struggling after announcing a $1.6-billion loss in August. After all, Team Blue still has the edge in laptop and mobile computing (partly because of AMD’s own doing), even though Team Red is rapidly gaining on Intel’s dominance in the desktop space.
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Welsh Government vows to change ‘beliefs and behaviour of the white majority’
Welsh Government vows to change ‘beliefs and behaviour of the white majority’
The Welsh Government has pledged to change the “beliefs and behaviour of the white majority” in Wales.
Labour’s devolved administration vowed to eradicate racism by 2030, and set out an anti-******* action plan which insists that all aspects of public life are made “inclusive”.
To meet the demands of the plan, public bodies have already launched policies which include potentially destroying statues of “old white men” that have been deemed offensive, and official reports have advised creating “dog free areas” to boost inclusion.
The Labour Government has now revealed that one outcome of the plan will be a change in “the beliefs and behaviour of the white majority”.
This is stated in an updated plan released with a foreword by Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, who has reiterated her “commitment to building an inclusive and equitable society for all our ******, ****** and ********* ******* people and communities”.
An explanation of the “logic” of the refreshed action plan states that the overall “ vision of an anti-******* Wales” will be achieved through “shifts in knowledge, beliefs, experiences, and behaviour as well systemic and cultural changes”.
It states that the outcomes of policy changes made to bring about this vision should take place at an organisational, societal, and ”individual” level.
The plan adds that this “includes shifts in the beliefs and behaviour of the white majority”.
Intended changes in society will be measured by the Welsh Race Disparity Evidence Unit, which will look at “whether we are seeing a reduction in any disparities”.
The plan states that this reduction in ******* disparities must be pursued across all public institutions and in all areas of life, from Civil Service employment to the work of museums and art galleries.
The Welsh Government as an employer has set out to “drive behaviour change” with action such as “induction for new recruits” and “options for mandatory training”.
Youth work is also required by the plan to support its goals by encouraging discussions of racism among the young.
The Labour Government gathered evidence to inform future policies intended to make the outdoors more inclusive for ******* minorities. One advisory report to the government suggested creating “dog free areas” to help achieve this.
In order to realise the goals of the anti-******* action plan, museums, galleries, and public artworks have been told to set the “right historical narrative” that provides a “decolonised account of the past”.
This version of Welsh history must be “one that recognises both historical injustices and the positive impact of ****** ****** and ********* ******* communities”.
This has led to institutions such as Big Pit National Coal Museum being mandated to provide educational material which will “tell stories through the lens of ******, ****** and ********* ******* people’s experiences”.
Welsh government directives have already led to official advice being issued on how to deal with potentially offensive statues of Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Henry Morton Stanley, who all have monuments in Wales
Government guidance created in 2023 stated that historical statues that often glorify “powerful, older, able-bodied white men” may be “offensive” to a more diverse modern public.
The active advice to councils and other bodies responsible for public art states that such statues could be hidden or destroyed.
Policy demands to bring about the vision of an anti-******* Wales led to a £130,000 project to make libraries more inclusive.
Preliminary work produced guidance which sought to have librarians “challenge the “paradigm of whiteness”, and anti-******* training was only to be provided in buildings which were not themselves “*******”.
A Welsh government spokesman said: “We are committed to creating an anti-******* nation by 2030. Our anti-******* Wales action plan is built on the values of anti-racism and calls for zero tolerance of all ******* inequality.”
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Katie Taylor wins controversial rematch with Amanda Serrano to retain super lightweight title
Katie Taylor wins controversial rematch with Amanda Serrano to retain super lightweight title
Another Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano superfight, another heavily disputed judging decision. For the second time, Taylor defeated Serrano via a decision that left more fans questioning the scorecards than praising Taylor’s skills.
Serrano fought through a gnarly cut above her right eye throughout much of the in the Arlington, Texas, bout thanks to a series of Taylor head butts, one of which resulted in a point deduction in the eighth round.
Taylor appeared to be fighting from behind throughout the bout, with Serrano fighting with tremendous precision, but Taylor’s strong finish in the final four frames swung the judges’ scorecards to earn the Irish fighter a trio of identical judgments, 95-94.
Afterward, Serrano was clearly gutted by the decision.
“She kept head butting me, but we knew that from the very beginning from the first ******,” Serrano said in the ring. “That’s what they do, not only my ******, she did it with Chantelle Cameron. Listen, I’m a Boricua. I’m going to **** in this ring no matter what, no matter how many cuts I have on my face.”
Serrano’s trademark early-****** onslaught had Taylor staggering from the first round when she connected on a mean overhand left in the final seconds. Serrano kept Taylor circling on her back foot through the first five rounds as the bout turned into a streetfight — exactly what Serrano wanted.
Taylor’s combinations came to life in the final four rounds, much like she did in the pair’s first bout, to pull off the comeback once again. Afterward, both women said they would be open to a third ******, but not before Serrano’s trainer Jordan Maldonado interrupted the post-****** interview to say another bout would require better refereeing.
In the ninth round, Maldonado told Ariel Helwani in a midfight interview, “(Taylor) is so ******, she leads with her head. She’s such a nice person outside, but she goes in there and is so ******. … She leads with her head, that’s her best attribute.”
In many ways beyond the scoring disputes, it was a fitting sequel to their bout in April 2022. That bout had been dubbed the biggest women’s boxing match of all time because of the setting and a tightly contested split decision. Friday’s battle was even more filled with spectacle, as the co-main event of a card that was sure to draw significant viewership as the lead-in to Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson.
The bout was streamed on Netflix at no additional cost to its subscribers, an unusual forum for the sport compared with the more traditional offering of a single pay-per-view event, though many subscribers complained about problems with the stream being frequently interrupted, a likely sign of the popularity of the event.
It was also staged at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, making the ring appear tiny compared with the football field below it and the giant screens above it.
Taylor won the initial bout two years ago by weathering a surge from Serrano in its middle stages. Serrano, 36, is known for her heavy punch output and landed with far more success in the rematch than she did in 2022.
Serrano, who fights under Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions label, would have become a two-division undisputed champion with the victory.
Required reading
(Photo: ********** Petersen / Getty Images)
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World of Warcraft's New D.R.I.V.E. Mount Explained
World of Warcraft's New D.R.I.V.E. Mount Explained
Game Rant speaks with WoW’s assistant lead quest designer about the new D.R.I.V.E. mount revealed during Warcraft’s recent 30th Anniversary Direct.
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A new way to detect daisy worlds
A new way to detect daisy worlds
Daisy Worlds are planets where the biosphere regulates the environment to keep it habitable. Earth is one, sort of. Can we use information theory to identify agnostic biosignatures from these living worlds? Credit: NASA
The daisy world model describes a hypothetical planet that self-regulates, maintaining a delicate balance involving its biogeochemical cycles, climate, and feedback loops that keep it habitable. It’s associated with the Gaia Hypothesis developed by James Lovelock. How can we detect these worlds if they’re out there?
By looking closely at information.
A daisy world (DW) is inhabited by two types of daisies: white and ******. They have different albedos, and the ******* absorb more sunlight and warm the planet, while the ******* reflect more sunlight and cool the planet.
As the DW’s star brightens, the planet’s temperature rises. At first, ****** daisies thrive because they absorb more energy. However, as the planet gets hotter, absorbing more energy becomes undesirable, and the white daisies begin to outcompete the ******* and thrive. As they thrive, they reflect more sunlight and cool the planet.
The result is a delicate homeostasis where the daisies regulate the planet’s temperature and keep it in a habitable range. It can’t get too hot and it can’t get too cold. The DW model shows how life can influence a planet’s climate and create conditions favorable for its own survival.
Earth is not exactly a daisy world, but life on Earth influences the climate. The DW model simply illustrates the concept of basic climate feedback mechanisms.
In new research, scientists from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Computer Science at Rochester University wanted to find ways to analyze how planetary systems like biospheres and geospheres are coupled. If there are self-regulating “daisy worlds” out there, how can we detect them?
The research is “Exo-Daisy World: Revisiting Gaia Theory through an Informational Architecture Perspective.” The lead author is Damian Sowinski, a research physicist and postdoctoral associate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester. The research is awaiting publishing and is not peer-reviewed yet, but is available on the arXiv preprint server.
The idea is to find a way to detect agnostic biosignatures on exoplanets. Regular biosignatures are specific chemicals like oxygen or methane that can be byproducts of living organisms. Agnostic biosignatures are indications that life is present but don’t rely on identifying which types of organisms might be producing them. Instead, they’re like overarching planetary patterns that living worlds produce.
The JWST captured this atmospheric spectrum of exoplanet K2-18 b showing the presence of methane, which can act as a biosignature. The authors say that information theory can help undercover agnostic biosignatures. Rather than specific chemicals like methane, agnostic biosignatures are patterns that can only be created by a biosphere. Credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, R. Crawford (STScI), J. Olmsted (STScI), Science: N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University)
For the authors, finding agnostic biosignatures begins with information and how it flows.
“In this study, we extend the classic daisy world model through the lens of Semantic Information Theory (SIT), aiming to characterize the information flow between the biosphere and planetary environment—what we term the information architecture of daisy world systems,” the authors explain.
Semantic information theory has been around since the mid-20th century. It attempts to define meaning in different contexts, how human subjective interpretation affects it, and related concepts in the same vein. It’s taken on a new focus as artificial intelligence and machine learning become more prevalent.
There’s a drive to understand exoplanet atmospheres and environments and to have a way to differentiate between those that may be life-supporting and those that aren’t. This is a complex problem that hinges on agnostic biosignatures.
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Agnostic biosignatures are complex patterns and structures that can’t be explained by non-biological processes. There’s also disequilibrium, novel energy transfer, unusual levels of organization at different scales, and cyclical or systematic changes that suggest a biological cause.
A search for agnostic biosignatures can involve complex molecules that need biological synthesis, chemical distributions that require metabolism, unexpected accumulations of specific molecules, and features in an atmosphere or on a planetary surface that require biological maintenance.
Some examples of agnostic biosignatures on Earth are methane and oxygen co-existing in the atmosphere, the “Red Edge” in Earth’s vegetation spectrum, and daily or seasonal cycles of gas emissions.
The Red Edge is a region of rapid change in vegetation reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR). It could be useful in detecting vegetation on exoplanets. Credit: Seager et al. 2024
“The search for life on exoplanets requires the identification of biosignatures, which rely on life having significantly altered the spectroscopic properties of a planet. Thus, exoplanetary life searches focus not on detecting individual organisms but on identifying the collective effects of life on the planetary system—what we refer to as exo-biospheres,” the authors explain.
In short, we can’t study biosignatures without studying biospheres. In doing so, it’s critical to understand where and how an exo-biosphere reaches a “mature” state where they exert a strong influence on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and lithosphere, collectively known as the geosphere. Once they’re mature and exert a strong influence, they’re in line with the daisy world hypothesis.
The authors’ aim is to study how information flows between a biosphere and the planetary environment. To do this, they modeled potential conditions on M-dwarf exoplanets and came up with equations that describe the co-evolution of the daisies on these worlds with their planetary environments. They created what they term an “information narrative” for exo-daisy worlds (eDWs).
Typically, the homeostatic feedback in DWs rests on physical quantities like radiation fluxes, albedos, and plant life coverage fractions. That’s the physical narrative. However, the researchers used Semantic Information Theory to derive a complementary narrative based on how information flows. In their work, SIT focuses on correlations between an agent—the biosphere—and an environment and how those correlations benefit the agent.
Their model showed that as stellar luminosity rises, the correlations between the biosphere and its environment intensify. The correlations correspond to distinct phases of information exchange between the two. This leads to the idea of rein control, a control exerted by flora through the positive and negative differences of their albedos compared to the bare ground. This is how the biosphere exerts a regulatory influence on a planet’s climate. In their informational narrative, the planetary temperatures are more constrained “at the cooler and warmer boundaries of the bearable temperature range.”
Not all of the information that flows between the biosphere and the environment is relevant. The biosphere doesn’t use all of it because some of it doesn’t help the biosphere maintain control. The authors say that by analyzing all this information according to information theory, they can determine which information, and when and how, it contributes to its own viability.
The daisy world model is instructive, but it’s a toy model. For example, it doesn’t include stochastic events like volcanic eruptions. But the big question is how does it relate to exobiospheres?
The authors say that their work shows the potential in using approaches like SIT to understand how exoplanets and their biospheres co-evolved like they have on Earth. More realistic models will be necessary that include more of the complex networks of interactions between an exoplanet’s living and non-living systems. The biosphere processes information in ways that non-living systems don’t, so information-centric systems can undercover agnostic biosignatures in ways that physical or chemical models can’t.
“As a result, the next step in our research program will involve applying SIT and other information-theoretic approaches to more complex models of coupled planetary systems,” the authors conclude.
More information:
Damian R Sowinski et al, Exo-Daisy World: Revisiting Gaia Theory through an Informational Architecture Perspective, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2411.03421
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A new way to detect daisy worlds (2024, November 16)
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Protecting your portfolio against risks tied to Trump’s tariff plan
Protecting your portfolio against risks tied to Trump’s tariff plan
Money manager John Davi is positioning for challenges tied to President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.
Davi said he worries the new administration’s policies could be “very inflationary,” so he thinks it is important to choose investments carefully.
“Small-cap industrials make more sense than large-cap industrials,” the Astoria Portfolio Advisors CEO told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.
Davi, who is also the firm’s chief investment officer, expects the red sweep will help push a pro-growth, pro-domestic policy agenda forward that will benefit small caps.
It appears Wall Street agrees so far. Since the presidential election, the Russell 2000 index, which tracks small-cap stocks, is up around 4% as of Friday’s close.
Davi, whose firm has $1.9 billion in assets under management, also likes staying domestic despite the tariff risks.
“We’re overweight the U.S. I think that’s the right playbook in the next few years until the midterms,” added Davi. “We have two years of where he [Trump] can control a lot of the narrative.”
But Davi plans to stay away from fixed income due to challenges tied to the growing budget deficit.
“Be careful if you own bonds for sure,” said Davi.
Since the election, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield is up 3% as of Friday’s close.
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Among the stakes when Falcons, Broncos meet Sunday: Elliss family bragging rights
Among the stakes when Falcons, Broncos meet Sunday: Elliss family bragging rights
As the Denver Broncos prepared to make their third-round pick in the NFL Draft in April, they were ecstatic to see Jonah Elliss’ name still on the board.
Denver coach Sean Payton said earlier this season that the team had a second-round grade on the pass rusher out of the University of Utah. They believed he had the tools to be a Year 1 contributor on the edge, a need enhanced by a spring injury to the prior year’s third-round pick, Drew Sanders.
There was only one problem. Selecting two picks ahead of the Broncos were the Atlanta Falcons. Their general manager is Terry Fontenot, who previously worked in the front office of the New Orleans Saints during nearly all of Payton’s 16 seasons as the team’s head coach. And on Atlanta’s roster was a linebacker named Kaden Elliss, Jonah’s brother and a seventh-round pick of Payton, Fontenot and the Saints in 2019.
“I turned to George (Paton, Denver’s general manager) and I said, ‘Terry’s going to draft the brother; I know it,’” Payton said this week. “They drafted another player and then we were excited, obviously, to make our selection.
The Falcons selected Washington outside linebacker Bralen Trice, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the preseason, with the 74th pick. Two picks later, the Broncos took Jonah Elliss.
Payton’s phone immediately buzzed with a text message. It was Kaden.
“I won’t tell you what it said,” Payton said with a laugh, “but I would say the exposure with Kaden really helped us understand the football mindset as it pertained to the next pick.”
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Kaden Elliss didn’t spill many details of the exchange, either.
“(I was) just, ‘You got a good one,’” the Falcons linebacker said. “Other things were said, but it is what it is. I’m just so excited he’s in Denver and with Sean (and) a good staff out there. We’ve got family out west so it’s a good spot.”
Two weeks after the draft, the NFL’s schedule was released and a date for an Elliss family reunion was born. On Sunday, when the Falcons visit the Broncos in a matchup of two teams trying to take another step toward the playoffs, Kaden and Jonah will face each other in the NFL for the first time. Both play defense — Kaden as a starting inside linebacker who leads the Falcons with 88 tackles; Jonah as an outside linebacker who has carved a role in the pass-rush rotation and has two sacks — so there won’t be any direct clashes between the two brothers.
Unless …
“We may find a way to sneak in a special teams matchup,” Kaden said.
Atlanta linebacker Kaden Elliss leads the Falcons with 88 tackles through 10 games. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
The brothers are two of five Elliss family members who have reached the NFL. ********** Elliss is linebacker for the New England Patriots and Noah Elliss is a defensive tackle who spent time during the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and is a free agent. Along with Kaden and Jonah, they are believed to be the only set of four brothers to have played in the NFL. Jonah said Friday he wouldn’t be surprised to see Elijah Elliss, a freshman defensive end at Utah, join the family’s NFL fraternity in the coming years.
“Can’t help but know an Elliss,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said this week. “There’s a million of them.”
GO DEEPER
How the Falcons’ ‘meatheads’ at inside linebacker want to transform the position
Their father, Luther Elliss, played 10 seasons in the league as a defensive tackle. The first nine came with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the first round in 1995 after an All-********* college career at Utah. He played his final season, in 2004, with the Broncos, a fitting career end for someone who grew up in Mancos, Colo. Elliss later became a team chaplain for the Broncos, a role he filled during the team’s Super Bowl season in 2015.
This 1 pm slate is actually very funny because I just watched Elliss 55 try to sack Dak and then watched Elliss 52 try to cover Justice Hill and then I saw Elliss 53 step up to tackle Tony Pollard.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 3, 2024
During Elliss’ lone season with the Broncos, it wasn’t rare to see the family’s full-sized van pull up to the team’s facility. Luther and his wife Rebecca have 12 children, seven of whom were adopted. With a family that size, competition was inevitable. Sometimes the fiercest races were the ones to the dinner table.
“We’d make up games. We’d play every game under the sun, every sport,” Kaden said. “Sometimes it was football. Sometimes it was soccer or random games we made up.”
Luther’s career served as a road map. Most of the Elliss boys didn’t play tackle football until eighth grade — Kaden snuck in seasons in fifth and seventh grade — but love for the sport that was baked into their collective upbringing grew quickly.
“My dad was obviously able to guide our work,” Kaden said. “So not only working hard but working smart, showing us where we needed to improve, what we needed to do if we wanted to make that step.”
GO DEEPER
Broncos rookie Jonah Elliss steadily improving his pass-rush plan
The matchup between the Broncos and Falcons on Sunday is full of familiar connections. Falcons safety Justin Simmons spent the first eight years in Denver after the team drafted him with a third-round pick in 2016. Thirty of his 31 career interceptions came in a Broncos uniform. He and his wife, Taryn Simmons, rooted themselves deeply into the Denver community through their work with the Justin Simmons Foundation, and the safety was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee three different times. He said this week he’ll be “a Bronco for life,” but his focus Sunday will be helping the Falcons get their seventh win.
“Practicing against him for years is one thing, but to get live bullets is going to be fun,” said Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. “I jokingly told him, ‘Hey, bro, if you see me coming across the middle, just remember we’re friends.’”
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, meanwhile, grew up in Denver. He was a Broncos fan whose family had season tickets. He later became a standout football player at Chatfield High School in the suburb of Littleton, Colo.
“Definitely, when I saw we were going to Denver, (my) family got excited,” Robinson said. “The atmosphere is tough to beat. Probably there and K.C. are the top two in the NFL. Looking forward to getting back home.”
Those returns will be special, but reunion games and homecomings happen every week in the NFL. A matchup of brothers, in one of their father’s home stadiums, with more than 30 family members on hand? Not so much.
“I played with one of my brothers in college, but this is obviously different,” said Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, whose locker is next to Jonah’s in Denver and who was previously a teammate of Kaden’s in New Orleans. “It was always competitive with me and my brother, and I’m sure that’s how they’re treating it, too.”
Broncos rookie Jonah Elliss (52) has 21 tackles and two sacks for Denver this season. (C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
The Elliss brothers aren’t taking Sunday’s opportunity for granted. But at the end of the day, it’s another competition in a never-ending string of them. Each year, usually during Fourth of July weekend, the family gathers for the Elliss Olympics, an event that spans multiple days and has a rotating list of competitions, from corn ***** to board games. The event includes a trophy, emblazoned with the names of the winners, that resides at Luther and Rebecca’s home. Including spouses and close family friends, the competition can include more than three dozen participants.
Trash-talking is an inherent part of the spectacle. Jonah shared this week that he and his fiancée dominate the pickleball competition, a fact that rankled his older brother.
“I think the most someone scored on us in a game to 11 is three or four,” Jonah said. “We’re pretty good. We ******* (Kaden). He did not like it.”
Most seem to agree, though, that Kaden sets the pace in the chirping department. So perhaps it’s no surprise the Falcons linebacker, who already owns a head-to-head NFL win over ********** when they met in 2022, delivered the parting words ahead of his matchup with Jonah.
“I’m 1-0,” he said of the Elliss matchups. “We’re going to make this 2-0 this week.”
(Top photos of Kaden and Jonah Elliss: Todd Kirkland and Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
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Bungie’s 1 Decision Turns Disastrous, Leading to Low Player Engagement This Season
Bungie’s 1 Decision Turns Disastrous, Leading to Low Player Engagement This Season
In the aftermath of The Final Shape‘s June 2024 release, Destiny 2 finds itself in a bit of a peculiar spot. While the expansion itself was a hit, bringing the Light and Darkness saga to its epic conclusion, recent player numbers paint a rather grim picture of the game’s current state.
Key art for Destiny 2: Episode Revenant. | Image Credit: Bungie
Bungie’s shift from traditional seasons to the new Episode format was supposed to be a fresh start, a way to keep things exciting in the post-Final Shape era. But one particular decision in Episode Revenant has the community scratching their heads—and more importantly, reaching for other games in their library.
The controversy centers around a fundamental change to one of the game’s core systems, and let’s just say it’s gone about as well as trying to solo a Grandmaster Nightfall… with blue gear.
Destiny 2‘s Latest Change (Once Again) Sparks Community Backlash
The removal of seasonal ******* crafting from Episode Revenant‘s content lineup probably seemed like a good idea in some meeting room at Bungie HQ. After all, the grind for red border patterns had been a point of contention in the community for some time. But as it turns out, sometimes the cure can be worse than the ********.
Steam charts tell a sobering story, with average player counts hovering around 32,000—a dramatic drop from the numbers seen during The Final Shape‘s launch. But raw numbers only tell part of the story:
This isn’t just another case of the Destiny 2 community being, well, the Destiny 2 community. Without ******* crafting, many players find themselves logging in just long enough to speed-run the story content before moving on to other games. The weekly ritual of hunting for that perfect red border drop may have been tedious, but at least it gave players something to chase.
The veterans of the community, those who’ve stuck with the game through thick and thin, are particularly unimpressed with the current state of affairs:
Comment byu/LoogixHD from discussion inDestinyTheGame
What makes this situation particularly interesting is how it fits into a broader pattern of recent decisions. Since the expansion’s release, the community has noticed a shift in how content and rewards are structured:
Comment byu/LoogixHD from discussion inDestinyTheGame
One particularly spicy take manages to sum up the situation in just eight words:
Comment byu/LoogixHD from discussion inDestinyTheGame
When your game’s core identity crisis can be summed up so briefly, it’s clear something needs to change.
The Evolution of Destiny 2 Post-Final Shape
A long time coming? | Image Credit: Bungie
The transition to Episodes was meant to herald a new era for the game, but the current situation raises some interesting questions about the future. Some players have started to wonder if this might be more than just a temporary slump:
Comment byu/LoogixHD from discussion inDestinyTheGame
This raises some interesting questions about where we go from here. While The Final Shape successfully concluded its narrative arc, the game’s new content structure seems to be struggling to maintain player interest. The removal of ******* crafting, combined with other recent changes, has created what many describe as a perfect storm of diminishing returns.
The coming weeks will be crucial for Bungie. With player engagement at historic lows and community feedback growing increasingly critical, something’s got to give. The real question now isn’t just whether they’ll reverse course on ******* crafting, but how they’ll adapt their overall approach to keep players invested in the game’s future.
What’s your take on the current state of Destiny 2? Has the removal of ******* crafting affected how much time you spend in the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Tributes to Irish comedian Jon Kenny who starred in Father Ted
Tributes to Irish comedian Jon Kenny who starred in Father Ted
Tommy Tiernan Show RTÉ
The actor, seen here on The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ One in June 2019, had been receiving treatment for ******* and heart ********
The taoiseach has paid tribute to the Irish writer, comedian and actor Jon Kenny following his ******.
He was best known for his work opposite Pat Shortt in the comedy duo D’Unbelievables.
The 66-year-old had been receiving treatment for ******* and heart ********.
The County Limerick-born star also had many screen credits to his name including Father Ted, The Van, Les Misérables (1998), Angela’s Ashes, and The Banshees of Inisherin, in which he reunited with Pat Shortt.
Getty Images
Taoiseach Simon Harris said Jon had had some “stunning dramatic performances” on stage and on screen
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris said he learnt of Jon’s ****** with “utmost sadness” and said he had the “ability, that very few people possess, to make his audiences ****** up laughing with a glance or a single word”.
“Behind that seemingly effortless talent to joke, there was a gifted performer and an extremely deep thinker,” Harris said in a statement.
“Jon was an interesting and thoughtful person, he had some stunning dramatic performances on stage and on screen and the country is still in stitches from the magic that was D’Unbelievables.”
Kenny was also an acclaimed singer, poet, and solo stand-up performer.
‘Entertainer to his core’
In a tribute, Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin described Kenny as “one of our most iconic actors and comedians”.
“Deeply saddened at the passing of Jon Kenny,” Mr Martin said in a statement.
“Through the D’Unbelievables, and his appearances on stage & on screen, Jon made us smile. He was an entertainer to his core.”
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Don’t Rule Out Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Story DLC, Yet
Don’t Rule Out Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Story DLC, Yet
A lot of people are making crazy assumptions about what Sony will unveil in celebration of their PlayStation 30th anniversary. So you never know if they will surprise the fans with the news that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story is DLC since Insomniac Games is already upgrading Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5 Pro.
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Federal Election 2025: Ian Goodenough set to run as independent in Moore after being dumped by Liberals
Federal Election 2025: Ian Goodenough set to run as independent in Moore after being dumped by Liberals
Ian Goodenough is set to exact revenge on the Liberals by running as an independent in next year’s election, after being dumped as the party’s candidate.
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#Federal #Election #Ian #Goodenough #set #run #independent #Moore #dumped #Liberals
Pelican News
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Muv-Luv Tactics Crowdfunding Campaign Launched to Create New Mecha Strategy JRPG
Muv-Luv Tactics Crowdfunding Campaign Launched to Create New Mecha Strategy JRPG
Today the crowdfunding campaign for Muv-Luv Tactics: Nightmare of Kalidasa has been launched, aiming to create the next big Muv-Luv game.
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#MuvLuv #Tactics #Crowdfunding #Campaign #Launched #Create #Mecha #Strategy #JRPG
Pelican News
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Man left with life-threatening injuries after being pulled from vehicle in Outagamie County
Man left with life-threatening injuries after being pulled from vehicle in Outagamie County
ELLINGTON, Wis. (WFRV) – A driver became trapped in his vehicle after it had rolled over multiple times during a single-vehicle ****** in Outagamie County early Saturday morning.
According to the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, on November 16 around 1:30 a.m., deputies were called to the area of State Highway 76 and Immel Road in the Town of Ellington for an automated ****** detection notification.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a 29-year-old man from Appleton was heading north on WIS 76 when it ******* to turn near Immel Road, hitting a ditch and rolling multiple times.
***** at Green Bay single-story residence results in $20,000 in damages, no injuries
Deputies say the driver of the vehicle became trapped and needed to be extricated. He was later taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The ****** investigation ******** ongoing.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 – Green Bay, Appleton.
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#Man #left #lifethreatening #injuries #pulled #vehicle #Outagamie #County
Pelican News
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The 45 best ****** Friday deals to shop from Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Anker and others
The 45 best ****** Friday deals to shop from Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Anker and others
With each passing year, ****** Friday seems to turn more and more into “****** November,” with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping ahead of time, without paying more than you have to.
To help you cut through the noise, we’re rounding up the best early ****** Friday deals we can find in one easy place. While most major tech retailers haven’t started their early sales in earnest just yet, we’ve seen more than a few new discounts on gadgets we recommend pop up. We’ll continuously update this post as more ****** Friday tech deals pop up, so if you’ve been eyeing something else, be sure to check back.
Engadget’s top picks
Apple Watch Series 10 for $349 ($50 off): The latest Apple Watch is our top pick for the best smartwatch you can get thanks to its slightly thinner and lighter design, wide-angle OLED panel for better viewing angles, watchOS 11 features and slightly improved battery life. We gave it a score of 90 in our Apple Watch Series 10 review.
Amazon ***** TV Stick 4K Max for $33 ($27 off): Amazon’s most powerful dongle supports 4K streaming with Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6E and live picture-in-picture mode so you can see security camera feeds directly on your TV as you’re watching a show or movie. In addition to being a solid streamer, it also makes a good retro gaming device.
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal for $89 ($40 off): The latest version of DJI’s smartphone gimbal includes improved tracking and a new Quick Launch feature for iPhones that automatically launches the companion app in camera view so you can get to filming.
Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $82.50 (25 percent off with coupon): This Qi2 charging station supports up to 15W of power output and can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at once. It also comes with a 40W USB-C charger and connecting cable, so you get everything you need to use it in the box.
Anker Prime Power Bank 200W with charging base for $110 ($75 off): This high-capacity power bank is one of our favorites thanks to its speedy charging performance, onboard display which shows how much juice is flowing to each connected device and the included charging station that provides a neat space for the brick to live when you’re not using it.
LG 65-inch B3 OLED smart TV for $998 ($301 off): This OLED TV has a 120Hz refresh rate, LG’s a7 AI processor Gen 6, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR for an even better gaming experience. A 65-inch OLED set under $1,000 is a great deal, as it’s more common to see 55-inch TVs drop below that threshold during ***** events.
The best early ****** Friday tech deals
Apple ****** Friday deals
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Anker ****** Friday deals
Anker 10K MagGo power bank for $70 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): This is one of our top picks for the best power banks you can buy today thanks to its versatile capacity, speedy Qi2 charging capabilities, clear screen that shows remaining battery power and its built-in kickstand.
Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $36 ($9 off, Prime exclusive): A top pick in our best power banks guide, this 10K brick has a built-in USB-C cable so you don’t need to remember to bring one with you, plus it has an extra USB-C port for charging other devices.
Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $44.25 ($35.75 off): The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn’t the best, and it won’t auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve seen — it’s only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker’s online store with an on-page coupon.
****** Friday gaming deals
****** Friday Lego deals
Lego
****** Friday subscription deals
Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $1 ($29 off): Those who don’t currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service’s Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible’s upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn’t call it essential, but if you’ve been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it’d work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel.
Amazon Kindle Unlimited for $0 for one month ($12 off): Amazon’s ebook subscription service gives you access to a catalog of thousands titles for unlimited reading, select Audible audiobooks to listen to and included magazines to read. Prime members can get a different deal: two months for only $5.
Headspace annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best meditation app has tons of courses that address specific anxieties and worries, a good in-app search engine that makes it easy to find the right meditation you need and additional yoga routines, podcasts and music sessions to try out.
MasterClass Premium for $10/month ($10 off): Premium subscriptions, which include access for up to six devices and offline mode, are half off for the holidays. MasterClass’ other subscription tiers are also discounted. Those who love learning and want to pick up a new hobby (or refine an existing one) can take courses with some of the best in their respective fields.
ProtonVPN Plus two-year plan for $72 ($168 off): Our top pick for the best VPN is based on open-source framework and has a no-logs policy. Its easy-to-use apps are available on most platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and more, and some of them even include a *****-switch feature.
ExpressVPN two-year plan plus six extra months for $150 (82 percent off): Our top pick for best VPN for travelers provides access to tons of servers and had some of the fastest connections of any VPN service we tested. In addition to a VPN, this subscription tier gives you access to an ad blocker and password manager.
****** Friday tech deals
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Google Pixel Watch 3 for $280 ($70 off): Google’s latest smartwatch is down to an all time low price. This is the model we recommend for anyone with an Android phone in our guide to the best smartwatches and it earned an 84 in our review. It detects workouts quickly, has an extra long battery life and is one of the more attractive smartwatches on the market. The deal applies to the 41mm size with GPS only but the larger and cellular-enabled models are on ***** too. Also at Best Buy and Target.
Google Nest Indoor security camera (wired) for $70 ($30 off): Google’s security camera can tell the difference between people, animals and vehicles while it’s monitoring your home, and it supports 1080p video, night vision and two-way audio.
Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $180 ($50 off): One of our favorite kitchen gadgets, this ice cream maker is super easy to use and makes an infinite amount of frozen treats; you’re really only limited by your imagination.
Dyson V11 cordless vacuum cleaner for $400 ($170 off): Dyson machines are some of the best cordless vacuums you can buy, and this model has three power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works well on all types of flooring and up to 60 minutes of runtime. Also available at Dyson.
Blink Outdoor 4 (6-pack) for $180 ($300 off): The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent (if not class-leading) 1080p video, it’s relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it’s a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We’ve seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it’s still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on ***** for $250, another low.
Hisense U8N 4K TV (55-inch) for $728 ($371 off): The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense’s TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don’t mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy.
Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $170 ($50 off): Our top pick for the best budget Android tablet sports an 11-inch 90Hz display, a microSD card slot for extra storage and a hefty battery.
Samsung T9 portable SSD (4TB) for $293 ($257 off): The latest model in the T-series of Samsung’s portable drives supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, and it has dynamic thermal guard to keep it cool even when you’re pushing it to its limits. Also available at Samsung.
Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $178 ($42 off): The top pick in our best air purifiers guide reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and takes inexpensive replacement filters.
Segway Ninebot Max G2 electric scooter for $775 ($225 off): The latest electric scooter from Segway can reach a maximum speed of up to 25mph, and it can run for up to 43 miles in Eco mode.
Solo Stove Bonfire Backyard Bundle for $400 ($180 off): Solo Stove ****** Friday deals include up to 30 percent off fit pit bundles that give you all of the necessary accessories to make the most out of your new ***** pit. Alternatively, you can pick up the Bonfire ***** pit with its stand over at Amazon for only $196.
****** Friday FAQs
When is ****** Friday 2024?
****** Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year.
When do ****** Friday deals start?
We expect some ****** Friday tech deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and you’ll likely find early ****** Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event.
When do ****** Friday deals end?
Some ****** Friday tech deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended ****** Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, we’ve seen many ****** Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday.
Where are the best ****** Friday deals?
There is no one place to buy all of the best ****** Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same ****** Friday deals available — both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure you’re getting the best deal before you cross things off your list.
Does Apple have ****** Friday deals?
You typically will not find cash discounts on Apple’s website for ****** Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during ****** Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isn’t a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple ****** Friday tech deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy.
Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.
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#****** #Friday #deals #shop #Amazon #Walmart #Apple #Anker
Pelican News
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