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Google Calendar removes ****** History Month, Pride and other cultural events | US news Google Calendar removes ****** History Month, Pride and other cultural events | US news Google’s online and mobile calendars are no longer including references to ****** History Month, Women’s History Month and LGBTQ+ holidays, among other events. The world’s biggest search engine previously marked the beginning of ****** History Month in February and Pride Month in June, but the events do not appear for 2025. The removal of the holidays was first reported by the Verge last week. A Google spokesperson, Madison Cushman Veld, provided the Guardian with a statement that said the listed holidays were not “sustainable” for their model. “Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world. We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing – and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable,” the statement said. “So in mid-2024 we returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.” The decision to no longer acknowledge ******, LGBTQ+ and women’s holidays is another move on the growing list of changes that Google has made following the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency. The tech behemoth recently announced that it would be rolling back its previous commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in its employment policies following the US president’s orders to curb DEI in federal agencies in one of his first moves as president. Google also revealed in late January that users in the US would see the name of the Gulf of Mexico changed to the “Gulf of America” and that the company would start using the name “Mount McKinley” for the mountain in Alaska currently called Denali after executive orders from Trump signed during his first day in office. The company enacted the Gulf name change for US users on Monday. Many users on social media have expressed disappointment and frustration with Google’s latest decision. Following the changes, users who wish to track events such as Pride Month, ****** History Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Month must now manually add them to their calendars. Google clarified via email to the Guardian that these changes to Calendar will not have an impact on future Google Doodles, which usually celebrate these events with digital artwork on the website’s homepage. The company stated: “Google continues to actively celebrate and promote cultural moments as a company in our products,” such as YouTube Music still offering a ****** History Month playlist. Source link #Google #Calendar #removes #****** #History #Month #Pride #cultural #events #news Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

East Germany is a far-right stronghold — economics helped make it happen East Germany is a far-right stronghold — economics helped make it happen Alice Weidel, chancellor candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, speaks to supporters as they wave ******* flags at the AfD election campaign launch rally. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images Germany’s far-right party is dominating polls in the country’s eastern region less than two weeks before the federal elections on Feb. 23 — and economic concerns have played a part in its popularity. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the economy in East Germany broadly collapsed as local businesses and companies faltered and unemployment soared. Despite the federal government spending hundreds of billions of euros boosting the region’s economy and developing its infrastructure, the turmoil has left a sour taste in the mouth of many from the region. “Since the transformation of the 1990s, economic insecurity has been a regular sentiment among part of the eastern ******* population,” Manes Weisskircher, a political scientist at TU Dresden, told CNBC. This has played into the hands of the Germany’s Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) and other fringe parties that historically tend to perform far better in East Germany. Germans will cast two votes at next week’s polls: one for which candidate will directly represent their constituency, and one for a party. The latest polling and modeling from YouGov of the constituency vote shows something of a right-wing blue wall in Germany’s east. In most eastern constituencies, AfD candidates are in the lead. This is not the case across the country, however. The CDU, with its affiliate party the CSU, is leading national polls with around 30% of the vote, while the AfD is in second place with around 20%, reflecting growing support for the party across the country. The AfD clinched just over 10% of the vote in the last federal election. It is unlikely to join the next ruling coalition, as mainstream parties have so far refused to partner with the AfD. Economic perceptions vs. reality After the ******* reunification following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the economy of East Germany was characterized by lower incomes, higher unemployment and weaker growth compared to the West. These issues have since largely disappeared, and factors such as economic growth and unemployment are no longer major concerns, according to Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg. Germany’s Ifo Institute for Economic Research is projecting 0.7% economic growth in East Germany this year, more than is expected for the country overall. Data from Germany’s federal employment agency shows that the unemployment rate in East Germany has more than halved from its highs, with the gap compared to unemployment in the West shrinking sharply. In some ways, East ******* states are actually ahead of their Western counterparts, Schmieding said. “Adjusted for cost of living, East ******* living standards are no longer substantially below those in the West. The infrastructure is usually newer and in better shape than in most parts of the West,” he told CNBC. Nevertheless, residents in East Germany still have a negative perception of the economy, according to 2024 research conducted by the ******* Economic Institute (IW). Less than one third of East ******* respondents said they were satisfied with how the labor market has developed, and only one in five people said they believed they lived in a region with emerging growth. Matthias Diermeier, head of the research unit for democracy, society and the market economy at IW, told CNBC that while AfD supporters are only slightly more concerned about their personal economic situation, compared to others, “their perception of the economy in general is much worse.” The vast majority of AfD voters say they are strongly concerned about the wider economy, while those who endorse other parties are on the other end of this spectrum, Diermeier added. AfD capitalizes on economic insecurity Despite what IW refers to as a clear economic catch-up process, inequalities between East and West Germany remain, Diermeier noted. “This is seen as unjust, unfair … by supporters of the fringe parties, but it’s also a sentiment that is very strongly activated by these political actors,” he explained, adding that the far right has worked to trigger pre-existing feelings of economic insecurity, being a “second class citizen,” and social decline among voters. “And this is what they do very successfully,” Diermeier said. At the same time, the AfD questions the accuracy of positive economic news, and — given the perception that the economy is not faring well — plays an “easy game” by claiming that mainstream parties, statistics agencies and other state-controlled bodies are misleading voters, he said. The AfD did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment. TU Dresden’s Weisskircher also noted that the historical context is a significant factor. “Economics matters, rather because of a sentiment of long-term insecurity and unclear economic prospects — in a region that experienced severe economic problems in the 1990s and early 2000s, with high unemployment rates, among other issues,” he said. Anti-immigration, anti-establishment, anti-climate change It isn’t just economic concerns that have driven the success of the AfD in East Germany. Opposition to immigration is much higher in East Germany, and mainstream parties have less of a loyal base in the region, where they were not as present prior to the national reunification, Weisskircher said. Skepticism regarding climate change and green energy policies are also part of the AfD’s campaign. Wind turbines in particular have become a contested topic, with the AfD’s lead candidate Alice Weidel for the upcoming election calling for them to be torn down. The AfD also positions itself as the party representing those who have been left behind. A growing number of East Germans are leaving more rural regions in favor of major cities, Berenberg’s Schmieding explained, and this has weighed on local businesses, services and development. Those remaining in these areas are prime targets for the AfD’s rhetoric, and, as IW’s Diermeier noted, research has shown that these demographics are more prone to voting for the far right. Source link #East #Germany #farright #stronghold #economics #helped #happen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Philippines law agency recommends filing criminal charges against VP Duterte over threat Philippines law agency recommends filing criminal charges against VP Duterte over threat MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation has recommended filing criminal charges against Vice President Sara Duterte over an alleged threat to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and others, the agency’s head said on Wednesday. “We have finally recommended the filing of inciting to sedition and grave threats against the vice president,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago told radio broadcaster DZBB in an interview. Santiago said the recommendation has been submitted to the justice ministry, which will then decide if it will conduct a preliminary investigation. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Duterte, in a brief comment sent through her media officer, said the NBI’s recommendation was “as expected”. The case stemmed from Duterte’s remarks in November that she has spoken with an assassin, and instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife and his cousin, the speaker of the Philippine House, if she were killed. She has denied threatening them and reiterated last week that she made no such threat. The vice president has been embroiled in a long-running row with former ally Marcos. She is facing a separate impeachment complaint over the threat she made and for allegedly misusing public funds while vice-president and education minister. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair) Source link #Philippines #law #agency #recommends #filing #criminal #charges #Duterte #threat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk owning OpenAI would be a terrible idea. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen | Chris Stokel-Walker Elon Musk owning OpenAI would be a terrible idea. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen | Chris Stokel-Walker Elon Musk and Sam Altman aren’t exactly the best of friends. The two had a blowout argument over the future direction of OpenAI – the company they came together to found in 2015 – with Altman seemingly content to pursue a for-profit approach and Musk feeling that was forswearing the founding principles of the firm as well as its name. OpenAI couldn’t be open, he reckoned, if it was closed off and trying to make money rather than better humanity. So it’s no surprise that Musk, who lodged an audacious bid to take over Twitter a little more than two years ago, which ended up with his ownership of the platform now called X, has sought to put a spoiler in two years of near-untrammelled growth for OpenAI. Musk – who is currently overhauling (to his supporters; “tearing down” to his opponents) the US government to be, as he would describe it, leaner and more efficient while also devastating important programmes such as international aid and cutting-edge scientific research – has lodged a near $100bn bid for OpenAI’s non-profit arm. “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said in a statement supplied by the lawyer shepherding his bid. “We will make sure that happens.” The attempt was rebuffed today. “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74bn if you want,” Altman responded. It is hard to believe matters will end there. To take Musk at his word, the bid is an attempt to wrest back control of OpenAI to ensure it is developing AI for the benefit of society rather than to line the pockets of investors who have pushed the firm’s valuation up to nearly $300bn in the last week. Yet that’s tricky to do, based on past precedent. What’s most likely is that Musk has seen another opportunity to be a wrecking ball against an opponent who has become a sworn enemy. Musk and Altman have tussled over an on-off lawsuit about the way in which that original founding agreement for OpenAI back in 2015, when Musk bankrolled its creation, was allegedly reneged on. By putting in a bid to take over the non-profit arm, Musk may think he has managed to increase the price Altman will have to pay to roll the non-profit into a profit-making entity. For more than a decade now, Musk has seen a for-profit model for OpenAI as a bad idea, and may think the best way he can try to stop it is to highlight that OpenAI may be selling its non-profit rights on the cheap. Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Washington, 19 January 2025. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters How else to explain the bid, which is significantly less than the overall valuation of OpenAI? With Musk, there are always other options – both frivolous and potentially more serious. Musk sees himself as a troll, and the idea of lodging a bid just to make headlines and cause trouble could well be at the front of his mind. Take his initial bid to buy Twitter for $43bn, at $54.20 a share, which – with the inclusion of the digits 420 (a reference to a trope for smoking **********) – many received as a wink-wink reference to that practice. The price he’s willing to pay for OpenAI’s non-profit branch, $97.4bn, could be chosen equally carefully in jest. The best theory so far is that it’s a reference to 974 Praf, a character in Iain M Banks’ Look to Windward, part of a sci-fi novel series that Musk has long loved (he has named multiple SpaceX rockets after starships that feature in the series of novels). That’s the jokey theory. The more sinister one is that the bid is serious – or at least serious enough that Donald Trump might take a fancy to it. Musk has served Trump well as his right-hand man leading the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) with his suite of cost-cutting measures that have echoes of how Musk chopped Twitter to the bone immediately after his purchase was finalised. Trump clearly sees OpenAI as a national champion that ought to be cherished – he put it front and centre of his $500bn project to cement the United States’ supremacy in the AI race announced in the first week of his presidency, Stargate. Putting a trusted deputy in charge of arguably the most important AI company in the world would make sense for Trump. And making clear his preference for business deals that suit him first – and the country last – is par for the course for the man and his Art of the Deal. My heart says the bid is nothing more than Musk attempting to cause mischief. But my head says there’s a small chance there could be a twist in the tale that results in Musk’s xAI and OpenAI merging in the future. It’s a concept that would have been inconceivable just a few months ago, but these are no ordinary times. They are extraordinary for sure, and not in a good way. Source link #Elon #Musk #owning #OpenAI #terrible #idea #doesnt #wont #happen #Chris #StokelWalker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

'Hitch' Director Says Will Smith Is Developing A Sequel Film Without Him: "Hey, That's Hollywood" – Deadline 'Hitch' Director Says Will Smith Is Developing A Sequel Film Without Him: "Hey, That's Hollywood" – Deadline ‘Hitch’ Director Says Will Smith Is Developing A Sequel Film Without Him: “Hey, That’s Hollywood” Deadline’Hitch’: How behind-the-scenes drama almost sank Will Smith’s now-classic rom-com Business Insider‘Hitch’ Director Andy Tennant Says Working With Will Smith Was ‘A Battle’ Yahoo Entertainment‘Hitch’ Director Says Will Smith ‘Tried to Back Out Three Days Before Shooting’ and ‘Is Developing a Sequel Without Me’: ‘I Never Heard From Him’ After 2005 Variety’Hitch’ director says Will Smith tried backing out of rom-com days before filming started Entertainment Weekly News Source link #039Hitch039 #Director #Smith #Developing #Sequel #Film #quotHey #That039s #Hollywoodquot #Deadline Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kanye West’s online store shut down after t-shirt with nazi symbol was listed for ***** Kanye West’s online store shut down after t-shirt with nazi symbol was listed for ***** American rapper Kanye West’s online shop has been shut down after a t-shirt featuring a swastika was listed for *****. Source link #Kanye #Wests #online #store #shut #tshirt #nazi #symbol #listed #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Patriarch Bartholomew Honors Greek as the ‘Mother Tongue of the Spirit’ Patriarch Bartholomew Honors Greek as the ‘Mother Tongue of the Spirit’ The Greek language has remained unified from ancient times to today, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said. Credit: AMNA Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew paid tribute to the Greek language on Tuesday describing it as the “mother tongue of the spirit.” As Greeks celebrated Greek Language Day last weekend Bartholomew reminded the audience at the Cultural Center of the Greek Diaspora in Istanbul that it has been the medium for unique works that have shaped the course of global civilization. “In the hearts of all of us resides a feeling of pride for our language—the language of our ancestors and our own today—which serves as the key to entering what is perhaps the greatest intellectual paradise of the world,” Bartholomew stressed. “Here lie unique works that have left their mark on the course of world civilization: the Homeric epics, the Tragedies, the Platonic dialogues, the Aristotelian corpus, the New Testament, the writings of the Greek Fathers, and all the flourishing fruits of these roots,” he added. Bartholomew: Greek bridged Christianity and Hellenism The Ecumenical Patriarch went on to highlight the vital role of the Greek language in bridging Christianity with Hellenism, as well as the Church’s enduring contribution to the preservation and dissemination of Greek thought. “It is impossible for one who knows the Greek language not to philosophize and theologize. It has been rightly said that those who engage in philosophy, wherever they may be, ‘think in Greek.’ “Likewise, it is no coincidence that Greek became the central language of Christian theology. Through it, the great philosophical and theological achievement was realized: the authentic and admirable expression of the experience of salvation in Christ through the terminology of Greek philosophy. “The union of Christianity and Hellenism was a decisive turning point not only in the course of the Church and theology but also in the history of thought and civilization,” he underlined. Bartholomew referred to the Church’s role in cultivating, enriching, preserving, and spreading the Greek word. He noted that the Church established and operated schools and academies to promote both secular and Christian education. The Greek language is a universal tongue Continuing, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that the Greek language has maintained its continuity from antiquity to the present day, despite its evolution and transformations: “This continuity is not an ideological construct but a tangible linguistic reality. The Greek language has remained unified from ancient times to today. “As Odysseas Elytis wrote, words like ‘sky,’ ‘sea,’ ‘sun,’ and ‘freedom’ are three thousand years old, yet as fresh as if they had just been lifted from the sea, among the pebbles and seaweed of an Aegean shore, within the deep blue and absolute transparency of the ether. They are words ‘one might call azure, still fragrant with the salt of the sea plants.” Concluding his speech, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that Greek remains a universal language and underscored the importance of preserving it in the era of artificial intelligence: “The proper learning of the Greek language requires great effort, study, and diligence. However, it rewards us a hundredfold—it enriches us existentially, humanizes us, grants us spiritual joy, and liberates us from confinement in banality, the rigid logic of machines and statistical data.” Related: Greece Honors Professor Korinthios Who Instigated Greek Language Day Source link #Patriarch #Bartholomew #Honors #Greek #Mother #Tongue #Spirit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why Are Dead Great White Sharks Washing Up On North American Beaches? Why Are Dead Great White Sharks Washing Up On North American Beaches? Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Scientists are stumped by a recent uptick in the number of dead Great White Sharks washing up on beaches in North America. For more than three decades the ********* Wildlife Health Cooperator has kept tabs on the apex predator and never reported a deceased sharks washing ashore, but according to recent reporting from the New York Times, since 2023 five Great Whites have washed up along the eastern ********* coast. Another four dead Great Whites have shown up on U.S. beaches, bringing the total to nine dead sharks. What’s unsettling about the shark corpses is that scientists can’t seem to figure out what’s causing the deaths. The sharks don’t show any outward signs of injuries or trauma, ruling out the animals being either savaged by orcas (which has been recorded in South Africa and Australia), and they don’t appear to be the result of being hit by a vessel. Most sharks have been found with full stomaches, eliminating the theory that they may have starved to death. But scientists have noticed unusual swelling in the brains of the sharks “Three of these five seem to have the same potentially infectious disease affecting their brain,” Megan Jones, a ********* veterinary pathologist, told the NYT. Scientists believe the deaths may be a result of meningoencephalitis, which is a condition where brain tissue swells. The working hypothesis is that the sharks’ brains are inflamed, pressing against their skulls, which causes pressure that eventually leads to their ultimate demise. How they’re contracting this ailment remains a mystery. “I feel very strongly that there’s something significant going on,” Alisa Newton, chief veterinarian for the shark research group OCEARCH, share with the NYT. The the ocean warming and currents changing, figuring out what’s causing the shark deaths may provide insight into the state of the sea and how even the mightiest of predators is being impacted. Related: Video: Shark Attacks Crocodile In Australia Source link #Dead #Great #White #Sharks #Washing #North #American #Beaches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bobby Kotick Revealed Which Studio He Regrets Acquiring at Activision Bobby Kotick Revealed Which Studio He Regrets Acquiring at Activision Bobby Kotick, the infamous former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has revealed on a podcast which studio acquisition taught him ‘an expensive lesson’ almost twenty years ago. While sitting down with Bing Gordon, former Chief Creative Officer at Electronic Arts, Kotick took a stroll down memory lane, looking back over the last forty years of the gaming industry. When it was mentioned by Gordon that Kotick and his team had a ‘flawless’ mergers and acquisitions record, Kotick set the story straight by mentioning one studio buyout that was less than ideal. In his words, it was an $80 million lesson. ‘We Wrote it Off’ In a recent episode of the ‘Grit’ podcast, which at the time of publishing is unlisted on YouTube, Kotick took a quick dive into an awful acquisition that Activision made before merging with Blizzard in 2008. He said: It’s not true, we actually had a bad acquisition. We bought the company that was in Manchester that did the driving game for Xbox, and it was called… (blanks) They had a good guy who was running the day-to-day, but he was like… A brilliant guy who — like a ‘McKenzie guy’, and he was in strat planning. It was $80 million and we wrote it off two years later. It was everything — everything about it violated all our principles. That guy was an expensive lesson. In this segment, Kotick is referring to Bizarre Creations, the developer behind Project Gotham Racing, a series of titles that were exclusive to the Xbox platform. While the acquisition left Microsoft with the PGR label, Activision would lean on Bizarre Creations to piece together ‘Blur’, which was released in 2010, three years after the 2007 buy-out occurred. Blur was intended to be released in 2009, but it was delayed by Activision to allow Bizarre to further polish the game. Less than a year later, Activision closed Bizarre Creations, dissolving the studio (which was based in Liverpool and not Manchester, as Kotick suggested) and releasing around 200 employees. To this day, the Project Gotham Racing series stands abandoned Kotick went on to walk Gordon through Activision’s former acquisition processes, which were centred mostly around retaining the identity of studios and allowing them to keep doing what they were already doing. By contrast, he explained how Electronic Arts – Gordon’s former company – would ‘take over’ acquired studios and rebrand them, stripping out their image somewhat. In the same discussion on the Grit podcast, both Gordon and Kotick explained that, once upon a time, Electronic Arts almost purchased Activision and Blizzard, which would have left franchises like Call of Duty under the EA umbrella. Do you miss Project Gotham Racing? Let us know about your experiences with the age-old series on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out why The Order: 1886 didn’t get a sequel SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Bobby #Kotick #Revealed #Studio #Regrets #Acquiring #Activision Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump administration readies reciprocal US tariffs as trade war fears mount – Reuters.com Trump administration readies reciprocal US tariffs as trade war fears mount – Reuters.com Trump administration readies reciprocal US tariffs as trade war fears mount Reuters.comTrump May Dust off 1930 Trade Discrimination Law to Back Reciprocal US Tariffs U.S. News & World ReportFact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Section 232 Tariffs The White HouseWho sells the most steel and aluminium to the US and who is facing tariffs? Al Jazeera EnglishAmericans could pay a high price for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs CNN Source link #Trump #administration #readies #reciprocal #tariffs #trade #war #fears #mount #Reuters.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Politicians and local stakeholders criticise new Broome sobering up centre location Politicians and local stakeholders criticise new Broome sobering up centre location After more than three years, the location of the new Broome sobering up centre has finally been revealed. The State Government has chosen a vacant lot on Napier Terrace, about half a kilometre from Broome’s town centre, as its preferred site for the new facility. But Liberal Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Neil Thomson has slammed the location, saying the decision to place the facility in the town centre is “deeply flawed”. “This location threatens the town’s amenity and is opposed by over 70 per cent of local businesses and nearby residents,” he said. “The lack of proper consultation is glaring, and concerns about increased antisocial behaviour around Male Oval are valid. “I fully support the need for a sobering up shelter, but it should be situated closer to health services for better management and support. “The Government must reconsider and explore alternative sites that won’t negatively impact our community. I ask the minister to outline what alternatives were looked at and what sites were examined. Why did the Government come to this decision?” Broome’s peak business body shares similar views. In its submission to the State Government on the location, Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the establishment of a sobering up centre, but strongly opposed its location near the CBD. BCCI chief executive Sharni Foulkes said a site closer to services such as the Broome Hospital and Centrecare would be a better fit for the facility. “The sober up shelter should be located near essential wraparound services such as Centrecare, Broome Hospital and other support providers,” she said. “A location in proximity to these facilities will enhance the shelter’s effectiveness and ensure individuals can access a continuum of care. “We also emphasise that Broome’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination for tourists must be preserved.” BCCI’s submission also cited potential misuse of the facility as short-stay accommodation for itinerant people rather than addressing the needs of Broome’s existing vulnerable residents. Mental Health Commissioner Maureen Lewis said the location was supported by a majority of Broome stakeholders. “An independent First Nations consultant (Yamagigu Consulting Pty Ltd) conducted consultation regarding the proposed site with key stakeholders, including service providers, Aboriginal elders, members of the public, local community members and local government,” she said. “Most of the stakeholders supported the proposed location at 18 Napier Terrace, Djugun because it was easily accessible to the town centre and wraparound services, including culturally safe medical support. “We continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure the facility design is culturally appropriate, fit-for-purpose, and appropriate for the community’s needs.” Source link #Politicians #local #stakeholders #criticise #Broome #sobering #centre #location Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Computer engineer has a new idea to recover his $765M of buried Bitcoin Computer engineer has a new idea to recover his $765M of buried Bitcoin Buried in a garbage dump in Wales, U.K., is a hard drive containing Bitcoin worth a colossal $765 million, according to computer engineer James Howells. Howells accidentally discarded the smartphone-sized drive in 2013, but his local council has repeatedly refused him permission to enter the landfill site and search for it, citing factors such as environmental concerns and arguments over who is the lawful owner of the device now that it’s part of the dump. But there’s been a new twist in this long-running story, as Newport Council recently revealed that it’s planning to close down the site in the next 12 months so that it can transform it into a solar farm to power the council’s new garbage trucks. The decision to close it has given Howells a new idea for how he might be able to get hold of his much-missed hard drive. “I would be potentially interested in purchasing the landfill site,” he said in comments reported by the BBC this week. “I have discussed this option recently with investment partners and it is very much on the table.” The entire site is filled with more than 1.4 million tons of waste, and Howells thinks the hard drive is in an area containing around 100,000 tons of it. To find the drive and its 8,000 Bitcoins, Howells said he would deploy a team of human sorters, robot dogs, and an AI-powered machine that’s capable of identifying a hard drive as it passes by on a conveyor belt. But if the drive has suffered damage, there’s a chance he won’t be able to ever recover his precious Bitcoins. But if the endeavor succeeded, Howells has said he would keep around 30% of the Bitcoins for himself, with 30% going to the recovery team, 30% to investors, and the remainder shared among local causes and Newport residents. Digital Trends reported on Howells’ lost hard drive in 2020, when the Bitcoin on it was valued at $75 million, around $700 million less than what it’s worth now. Howells told Business Insider in 2022 that he tries not to think too much about what his share of the money will enable him to do if he ever recovers it, “otherwise you just drive yourself crazy.” Source link #Computer #engineer #idea #recover #765M #buried #Bitcoin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SoftBank posts surprise loss in third quarter, revenue also misses estimates – CNBC SoftBank posts surprise loss in third quarter, revenue also misses estimates – CNBC SoftBank posts surprise loss in third quarter, revenue also misses estimates CNBCSoftBank Swings to a Loss Ahead of Big Stargate AI Bet BloombergJapan’s Softbank Group seen booking $1.5 billion quarterly profit Yahoo FinanceSoftBank falls to $2.4bn loss amid plans for huge AI investments Financial Times Source link #SoftBank #posts #surprise #loss #quarter #revenue #misses #estimates #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Matt Sherratt: Who is Wales’ new caretaker head coach after Warren Gatland departure? Matt Sherratt: Who is Wales’ new caretaker head coach after Warren Gatland departure? Having cut his teeth at Gloucester and Cheltenham, Sherratt spent four years at Worcester Warriors academy, before becoming an attack specialist for Bristol, Ospreys and Cardiff before being handed his first head coach role at the Arms Park just 20 months ago. With his teaching background, Sherratt has gained a reputation as a man-manager, a motivator and a mentor for young players. Last season alone, the likes of Cam Winnett, Mason Grady, Ellis Bevan, Alex Mann, Corey Domachowski, Keiron Assiratti, Evan Lloyd, Efan Daniel and Mackenzie Martin all graduated under Sherratt at Cardiff to the national team. “He is very well spoken of, a real people-person and man-manager and we felt, right now, that was a really important criteria and meant he could hit the ground running in the middle of the Six Nations,” explained WRU chief executive Abi Tierney. Source link #Matt #Sherratt #Wales #caretaker #coach #Warren #Gatland #departure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Body of woman found in Surfers Paradise apartment after fire Body of woman found in Surfers Paradise apartment after fire Footage of the incident shows giant clouds of smoke billowing out of the third-storey apartment’s glass windows where a body was found afterwards. Source link #Body #woman #Surfers #Paradise #apartment #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s purchases of chipmaking equipment to decline in 2025, consultancy says China’s purchases of chipmaking equipment to decline in 2025, consultancy says By Che Pan and Brenda Goh BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s purchases of chipmaking equipment are set to decline this year after three years of growth, as the industry grapples with overcapacity and faces greater constraints from U.S. sanctions, a consultancy said on Wednesday. China has been the biggest buyer of wafer fabrication equipment for at least the past two years, purchasing $41 billion worth of tools and accounting for 40% of global sales in 2024, ********* semiconductor research company TechInsights said. But this year, China’s spending is expected to drop to $38 billion, down 6% year-on-year, and its share of global purchases will fall to 20% in the first decline since 2021, Boris Metodiev, a senior semiconductor manufacturing analyst at TechInsights, told an online seminar. “We can see some slowdown in ******** spending due to export controls and overcapacity,” he said. China was the growth driver globally for the global wafer fabrication equipment sector in 2023 and 2024, when the broader market experienced a downturn due to slumping consumer electronics demand. Many of China’s purchases were driven by stockpiling as the U.S. levied a series of sanctions in a bid to stymie Beijing’s ability to access and produce chips that could help advance artificial intelligence for military applications or otherwise threaten U.S. national security. ******** chip firms have continued to make progress in spite of Washington’s efforts, with China’s largest chipmaker SMIC and U.S. sanctioned Huawei producing an advanced chip last year by using more expensive and laborious efforts. They have also expanded heavily into the mature-node chip segment, dramatically increasing production capacity and taking market share from Taiwanese rivals. SMIC flagged on Wednesday that it saw oversupply risk in mature node chips. ******** leading equipment makers including Naura Technology Group and AMEC have been expanding their footprint globally, with Naura now the world’s seventh-largest equipment maker in terms of sales, Metodiev said. While China has been working to become more self-sufficient in chipmaking equipment, its biggest weaknesses remain lithography systems, as well as testing and assembly tools, Metodiev said. The Netherlands’ ASML is the world’s largest manufacturer of lithography machines. ******** companies provided only 17% of testing tools and 10% of assembly equipment used in the country in 2023, Metodiev added. (Reporting by Che Pan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jamie Freed) Source link #Chinas #purchases #chipmaking #equipment #decline #consultancy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla wobbles as BYD gets ahead in self-driving Tesla wobbles as BYD gets ahead in self-driving Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump appear during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images Elon Musk is the world’s richest person, and the leader of Tesla, SpaceX, X, the Boring Company, xAI, Neuralink, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency as well as a recent group of investors bidding to buy OpenAI. From a business point of view, Musk’s accomplishments are undeniable. The companies he heads are not only market leaders, but often trailblazers in their field — consider how Tesla kickstarted the electric-vehicle industry or how SpaceX successfully commercialized space flight. Paradoxically, achieving success too broadly can have negative effects. Investors seem to be growing worried that Musk, for all his business acumen, is getting distracted. Tesla shares have fallen for the past five trading days, plunging over 6% on Tuesday as ******** rival BYD appears to be eclipsing the company on AI-enabled autonomous driving. If hands-free driving becomes a reality atTesla, that could free up Musk to have his fingers in other pies without dragging down the company’s shares. What you need to know today BYD threatens TeslaTesla shares fell 6.3% Tuesday after ******** EV maker BYD said it will integrate DeepSeek into its autonomous driving technology and offer it in nearly all its vehicles. There are also concerns over Musk’s distractions, such as his bid for Open AI and his role at the “Department of Government Efficiency” in the White House. Tesla’s stock price has fallen over 16% in the past five trading days. Tentative U.S. marketsU.S. markets were mixed Tuesday as investors digested U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments in the Senate that the central bank doesn’t need to “be in a hurry” to adjust its policy stance. The S&P 500 was mostly flat, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.28% and the Nasdaq Composite retreated 0.36%. Asia-Pacific stocks traded higher Wednesday. The Hang Seng Index rose around 1.9% as Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba popped 7.15% on reports it is partnering Apple to roll out iPhone AI features in China. Baidu to release next-generation AI modelChinese tech giant Baidu plans to release its next-generation AI model in the latter half of the year, according to a source familiar with the matter. Named Ernie 5.0, the model is set to have “big enhancements in multimodal capabilities,” the source said. Multimodal AI models can work across media formats. Baidu’s release comes amid AI advancements in China, such as the cost-effective DeepSeek released in January. Super Micro Computer reassures investorsSuper Micro Computer CEO Charles Liang said on Tuesday he is “confident” that the company will file its delayed annual report by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Feb. 25 deadline. The company also said it expects to hit $40 billion in revenue in fiscal 2026, higher than the $30 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG. Shares of the company jumped as much as 8.4% in extended trading. CATL files for listing in Hong KongChina’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, also known as CATL, has filed for listing on Hong Kong’s stock exchange. The initial public offering is expected to raise at least $5 billion, Reuters reported, which would make it the city’s largest IPO in five years. The company supplies batteries to automakers like Tesla. In January, the U.S. Department of Defense included CATL and Tencent on its list of “******** Military Companies.” [PRO] How to play the CPIThe U.S. consumer price index report will be released Wednesday and comes at a time when inflation concerns have resurged because of tariffs and higher-than-expected wage growth in January. JPMorgan traders laid out how the S&P 500 could react based on the CPI reading. The scenarios range from a 1.75% increase to a 2% fall, including an asset class that could “react violently.” And finally… The dock at the Port of Sikka in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Dhiraj Singh | Bloomberg | Getty Images India’s oil minister says ‘we play by the rules,’ as markets weigh U.S. energy sanctions India will “play by the rules” and not “go around” international sanctions regarding oil markets, the country’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri told CNBC on Tuesday at the sidelines of the India Energy Week conference. India’s refiners have been snapping up discounted Russian oil since Western and G7 energy sanctions barred many consumers from Moscow’s supplies. New Delhi has repeatedly defended its purchases as a matter of national interest. Puri also signaled that the government of Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, had endorsed India’s bolstered intake of Russian oil. “I’ve had a chat with the Americans, the previous administration. They said, please buy as much as you like. Just make sure that you buy it within the price cap. And that’s what we did,” Puri said. Source link #Tesla #wobbles #BYD #ahead #selfdriving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Monty the Giant Schnauzer wins Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – CNN Monty the Giant Schnauzer wins Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – CNN Monty the Giant Schnauzer wins Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show CNN2025 Westminster Kennel Club dog show – in pictures The GuardianWestminster Dog Show 2025: Behind-the-Scenes Photos The New York TimesBourbon the Whippet wins the WKC Hound Group | Westminster Kennel Club FOX Sports Source link #Monty #Giant #Schnauzer #wins #Show #Westminster #Kennel #Club #Dog #Show #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Electronic Arts Almost Owned Call of Duty and Blizzard Electronic Arts Almost Owned Call of Duty and Blizzard In a recent interview as part of an episode of the ‘Grit’ podcast, Bobby Kotick sat down with Bing Gordon, former Chief Creative Officer at Electronic Arts. It was revealed in the earlier minutes of the episode – which spans a whopping two hours – that Electronic Arts once passed up opportunities to acquire Blizzard, Call of Duty, and Guitar Hero, among other brands. Eventually, Activision Blizzard, which was formerly led by Bobby Kotick as CEO, was purchased in its entirety by Microsoft, with the tech titan acquiring all aforementioned labels. What Might Have Been The Grit podcast episode opened with Bobby Kotick suggesting that Bing Gordon would have been one of the toughest CEOs in gaming to deal with as a competitor and that he and his team would have paid to keep the then-CEO in place at Electronic Arts. It was all in jest and talk turned to mergers and acquisitions, with Gordon gushing over Kotick’s notorious success in the space. That’s not entirely true, though – Kotick explained some of the rougher patches of the M&A streak: We actually had a bad acquisition. The company that was in Manchester that did the driving game for Xbox… We had a good guy who was running the day-to-day but he was like a brilliant guy, who — he was in strat planning. It was $80 million and like, we wrote it off two years later. Everything about it violated all our principles. That guy was an expensive lesson. I can assume Kotick is referring to Bizarre Creations, the developer behind Project Gotham Racing – but the studio was based in Liverpool, not Manchester. Kotick then explained how Electronic Arts tried acquiring Activision and Blizzard (assumedly pre- the 2008 merger): They tried to buy us a bunch of times, we had merger conversations a bunch of times. Gordon then expanded: While you were doing Blizzard, that EA passed on, and you were doing King, EA did PopCap — just stupid things. These revelations were in the first ten minutes of the two-hour podcast episode. It’s a plethora of gaming history that sees Gordon and Kotick walk down memory lane while discussing the origin stories of some of the biggest franchises in the business. In one segment, Kotick explained about how Overwatch was created at Blizzard. He stressed that it went against the Blizzard ‘aesthetic’ and mentioned it was ‘unbelievable’ that the team pieced it together after focusing on ‘dark’ games for so long. Do you think Electronic Arts would have tanked the Call of Duty brand as it did with Medal of Honor and (arguably) Battlefield? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out our recent feature on the ‘secret power’ company inside the COD League SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Electronic #Arts #Owned #Call #Duty #Blizzard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Technical View: Nasdaq Sideways as Semiconductors Stuck Range Bound Technical View: Nasdaq Sideways as Semiconductors Stuck Range Bound It was a mixed bag of action for indices yesterday. Some finished slightly up, some slightly down – all on low volume. It wasn’t really a day to get excited about anything. An index I haven’t mentioned in a while is the . All key moving averages have converged once again after a ******* when it looked like the 20-day MA was about to do a runner. The index itself is struggling to get above these averages, but this is range bound between 4,400 and 5,450, and will remain so until one of these levels are breached. Because of its relative position to the averages, you could call this a ‘glass half full’ and edge bearish on the outlook. The posted the second day’s worth of a small gain and is nicely positioned to turn tomorrow into a third day. The MACD ‘sell’ trigger is a weak signal, as is the underperformance relative to the . The is likewise knocking on the door for a challenge on the January ‘bull trap’. The two consecutive ‘up’ days gives cause for optimism, although the bearish harami is usually a reliable (bearish) reversal pattern. Technicals remain net bullish. For tomorrow, look to the S&P and Dow Industrial Average to (eventually) break to new all-time highs. It would be good if the Semiconductor Index could start to put some sort of direction as to where to go next, but it will take more than tomorrow’s action to do that. Source link #Technical #View #Nasdaq #Sideways #Semiconductors #Stuck #Range #Bound Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

One killed in ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine says One killed in ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine says James Waterhouse Ukraine Correspondent Jacqueline Howard BBC News Reuters One person has been killed and four injured in Russia’s latest missile attack on Ukraine’s capital overnight. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a nine-year-old girl was among the injured in the attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down six out of seven ballistic missiles and 71 drones launched by Russia overnight. It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Ukraine would be prepared to swap land with Russia in potential peace negotiations. The attack caused damage in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Obolonskyi districts, Klitschko said on Telegram. Meanwhile, the city of Kryvyi Rih saw damage to various infrastructure and residential buildings as it too was targeted in a Russian missile strike overnight, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram. Reacting to the attack on messaging app Telegram, Zelensky said Russian president Vladimir Putin was “not preparing for peace”. “He continues to kill Ukrainians and destroy cities. “Right now, we need unity and support from all our partners in the fight for a just end to this war,” he said. It comes after Zelensky earlier told the Guardian that he would be prepared to swap land with Russia in a future peace negotiation. He told the paper that parts of Russia’s Kursk region – which Ukraine has held since an offensive six months ago – could be returned in exchange for Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Moscow. Ukraine has never said it wanted to permanently occupy the hundreds of square kilometres it seized in Russia’s Kursk region, but the goal has perhaps become clearer. It was initially hoped the operation would relieve pressure on overstretched Ukrainian troops on other parts of the front line, however with continued Russian battlefield dominance, President Zelensky is now looking to use it as political leverage. He admits Ukraine can’t enjoy any security guarantees without its biggest ally, the US. On Friday he will meet with Vice President JD Vance, who has been a critic of American military support for Kyiv. With the Whitehouse eyeing up Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for continued aid, Ukraine’s leader is very much in pitching mode. Source link #killed #ballistic #missile #attack #Kyiv #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South of Midnight Preview — Myths, Legends, And Fables | Console Creatures South of Midnight Preview — Myths, Legends, And Fables | Console Creatures Richard Bailey Jr. of The Koalition writes: Compulsion Games officially revealed South of Midnight during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase. Described as a stunning third-person action-adventure game set in a fictionalized version of the Deep South, the concept sounded and looked intriguing. I walked away curious to learn more about this world and its characters. Source link #South #Midnight #Preview #Myths #Legends #Fables #Console #Creatures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Top Dividend Kings for Safe Income 3 Top Dividend Kings for Safe Income Investors looking for safe dividends should consider the Dividend Kings, a group of just 54 stocks that have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. There are many Dividend Kings that have promising long-term growth prospects, and pay solid dividends to shareholders—even during recessions. This article will discuss 3 dividend stocks that are on the list of Dividend Kings, with yields above the average. Automatic Data Processing Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:) is one of the largest business services outsourcing companies in the world. The company provides payroll services, human resources technology, and other business operations to more than 700,000 corporate customers. Automatic Data Processing was founded in 1949 and currently trades with a market capitalization of $125 billion, producing annual revenue of about $20 billion. ADP posted first-quarter earnings on October 30th, 2024, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $2.33, which was 12 cents ahead of estimates. Earnings were up from $2.08 in the year-ago *******. Revenue was up 6.7% year-over-year to $4.8 billion, beating expectations by $30 million. Management noted revenue and margin performance exceeded expectations as the company benefited from new business bookings, strong revenue retention and higher client funds interest revenue. Employer Services revenue was $3.26 billion, up 7% year-over-year while segment earnings grew 15% to $1.16 billion. That was good enough from pretax margin to rise from 33.1% of revenue to 35.7%. PEO Services revenue was $1.57 billion, up 7% year-over-year, while segment earnings rose 1% to $226 million. Pretax margin was lower from 15.2% of revenue to 14.3%. ADP acquired WorkForce Software, a workforce management solutions provider that specializes in supporting large, global enterprises, for $1.2 billion in cash. Automatic Data Processing has compounded its adjusted earnings per share at a rate of more than 13% per year over the last decade, which we believe it can come close to matching moving forward. Much of this growth is likely to be driven by the company’s Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services segment, which continues to deliver very impressive revenue growth. Importantly, this revenue growth has been accompanied by meaningful margin expansion, which means that the segment’s growth has had an outsized impact on the firm’s bottom line. In addition, the company’s buyback has been a low single-digit tailwind annually for earnings-per-share growth. ADP stock currently yields 2% and the company has increased its dividend for 50 years. Colgate-Palmolive Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:) has been in existence for more than 200 years, having been founded in 1806. It operates in many consumer staples markets, including Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, and more recently, **** Nutrition. These segments afford the company just over $20 billion in annual revenue. Colgate-Palmolive posted fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on January 31st, 2025. The company managed to beat estimates on earnings-per-share by two cents at 91 cents. Revenue was fractionally lower year-on-year to $4.94 billion and missed estimates by $50 million. Organic sales were up 4.3%, including a 0.5% negative impact from lower private-label **** food volume. Positive pricing and volume added to organic growth, helping to offset the private label impact. Gross margin expanded 70 basis points despite forex headwinds. The product mix is helping margins, particularly from Hill’s and Oral Care, both of which sport high margins. The company achieved record free cash flow and operating cash flow for the full-year and reached $20 billion in full-year sales for the first time. Management reaffirmed organic sales growth of 3% to 5% for 2025, with both pricing and volume contributing roughly equally. Management also expects slight market share gains. Further, the company expects strong cash flow to be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, and investment in growth areas. We expect growth for Colgate-Palmolive at 8% annually. Organic revenue growth continues, as well as cost-saving measures in place, we think the future looks bright. The repurchase program is providing another tailwind to earnings per share as well. CL has increased its dividend for 63 years and the stock currently yields 2.3%. Sysco Corp (SYY) Sysco Corporation (NYSE:) is the largest wholesale food distributor in the United States and is expanding internationally. The company now serves 600,000 locations with food delivery, including restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels, and other facilities. According to estimates, the company has a 16% market share of total food delivery within the United States. On January 28th, 2025, Sysco reported second-quarter results for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The company reported a 4.5% increase in sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, reaching $20.2 billion. U.S. food service volume grew by 1.4%, while gross profit rose 3.9% to $3.7 billion. Operating income increased 1.7% to $712 million, with adjusted operating income growing 5.1% to $783 million. Earnings per share (EPS) remained at $0.82, while adjusted EPS grew 4.5% to $0.93. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, projecting sales growth of 4%-5% and adjusted EPS growth of 6%-7%. Additionally, Sysco increased its planned shareholder returns to $2.25 billion through $1.25 billion in share repurchases and $1 billion in dividends. The company demonstrated strength across its business segments, particularly in international operations, which reported a 14.5% increase in operating income and a 26.5% rise in adjusted operating income. U.S. Foodservice sales increased 4.1% to $14.0 billion, though local case volume declined slightly. Meanwhile, the International Foodservice segment saw a 3.6% increase in sales to $3.7 billion, with gross margin improving by 71 basis points to 20.4%. The company attributed its performance to effective cost management, volume growth, and strategic investments in sales professionals and specialty offerings. Sysco’s balance sheet remained strong, with a cash balance of $793 million at the end of the quarter. The company returned $803 million to shareholders in the first half of the fiscal year, including $300 million in share repurchases and $503 million in dividends. Sysco has an economic moat due to its large-scale and entrenched distribution infrastructure, which gives it a cost advantage over most competitors. This moat is evidenced by the company’s double-digit returns on invested capital every year, much higher than its weighted average capital cost. It’s also quite defensive; the company was almost unfazed by the previous recession and recovered from a mild earnings dip within one year. Thanks to this stability, Sysco has raised its dividend every year since it went public, 53 years ago. SYY shares currently yield 2.9%. *** Neither the author, Bob Ciura, nor this website, The Tokenist, provide financial advice. Please consult our website policy prior to making financial decisions. This article was originally published on The Tokenist. Check out The Tokenist’s free newsletter, Five Minute Finance, for weekly analysis of the biggest trends in finance and technology. Source link #Top #Dividend #Kings #Safe #Income Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

WA Election 2025: With history looking on, political leaders fail to make their mark WA Election 2025: With history looking on, political leaders fail to make their mark Watched on by relics and museum exhibits, our State leaders failed to make history during a leaders’ forum on Wednesday. Source link #Election #history #political #leaders #fail #mark Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google I/O 2025 Dates Confirmed, Android 16 and Gemini AI Announcements Expected Google I/O 2025 Dates Confirmed, Android 16 and Gemini AI Announcements Expected Google I/O 2025, the company’s developer-focused conference, is confirmed to be held on May 20 and 21. The tech giant’s annual event will be hosted at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. Google has opened registration for the event, which will be held both offline as well as online via live streams. The event typically consists of hardware and software announcements, developer-focused demonstrations and technical sessions, as well as workshops and networking opportunities. Android 16 and Gemini-related announcements are expected during the event. Google I/O 2025: What to Expect In a blog post, the Mountain View-based tech giant confirmed that Google I/O 2025 will be a two-day event held on Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21. The company has also put up a microsite for the event that contains details about the conference, a countdown clock, and a direct link to register for the event. Historically, the event kicks off with a keynote session by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who highlights the major products and software that will be introduced in the calendar year. The keynote session is expected to start at 10am PT (11:30 pm IST). New features in Android 16 could be a major focus during the keynote session by Pichai. Google’s native AI chatbot Gemini could also be another focus area for the company, with a new Gemini 2.0 AI model expected to be released. Last year, the company introduced the Gemini 1.5 Pro model with a context window of two million tokens. The microsite also highlights Google AI Studio, open-source Gemma models, and NotebookLM which could see new upgrades during the event. No additional information is available at the moment. Recently, the company rolled out the Android 16 Beta 1 update to compatible Google Pixel devices. The update introduced a new Live Updates feature which shows the status of ongoing activities such as food delivery apps or Google Maps navigation. This is similar to Apple’s Live Activities feature. Android 16 is also adding the predictive back animation to the back button when using the three-button navigation mode. This was earlier only available with the gesture-based navigation when a user makes the swipe back and hold gesture. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Sony Confirms PlayStation State of Play Broadcast for January 12: Here’s What to Expect Source link #Google #Dates #Confirmed #Android #Gemini #Announcements #Expected Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]