Pelican Press

Data Mine Findings Suggest Civ VII May Introduce A Fourth Age Along With Additional Leaders & Civs Data Mine Findings Suggest Civ VII May Introduce A Fourth Age Along With Additional Leaders & Civs 2K and Firaxis Games’ turn-based strategy game, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, may be introducing a fourth age. Source link #Data #Findings #Suggest #Civ #VII #Introduce #Fourth #Age #Additional #Leaders #amp #Civs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South Africa batter Breetzke breaks 47-year ODI record South Africa batter Breetzke breaks 47-year ODI record South Africa opener Matthew Breetzke has broken a 47-year-old record after making the highest score on one-day international debut with 150 in a losing effort against New Zealand in a Tri-Nations fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Breetzke, 26, struck 11 fours and five sixes in his 148-ball innings as South Africa, batting first, amassed 6-304 in their 50 overs on Monday. New Zealand chased their target down with eight ****** to spare thanks to an unbeaten 133 from Kane Williamson to win by six wickets. Breetzke’s score beat the previous best mark of West Indian Desmond Haynes, who made 148 on his debut against Australia in Antigua in 1978. The South African record had been 124 by Colin Ingram against Zimbabwe in 2010. “It hasn’t sunk in yet and I’m a bit tired,” Breetzke said. “The pitch was tacky and (New Zealand seamer Will) O’Rourke was really tough to face. “My mindset was to bat as long as possible and give myself a chance at the end.” Breetzke, who is not part of South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad, batted until the 46th over. He has played 10 Twenty20 internationals and a single Test, making his ODI debut in a weakened line-up missing several leading batters who are not available for the series. After losing captain Temba Bavuma (20) inside the power play, Breetzke shared 93-run stand with Jason Smith (41). He pushed the scoring rate with some exhilarating hitting, especially on the off side of the wicket, and added further 131 runs with Wiaan Mulder, who made 64 off 60 ******. Breetzke raised his century off 128 ****** with an audacious square cut boundary of fast bowler Will O’Rourke and needed just another 20 ****** to surpass Haynes’ 47-year record. He was finally dismissed after hitting 11 boundaries and five sixes when he misread Matt Henry’s slower ball and was caught at mid-off. Williamson and Devon Conway set up the run-chase with a solid second-wicket partnership of 187 runs against a weakened South African pace bowling attack. Williamson used his feet well against inexperienced bowlers and even experienced wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi could not separate the pair on a flat wicket. Williamson completed his second fastest century in ODIs off 72 ****** with a single, but Conway missed out on his hundred when he fell for 97 while attempting the landmark with a square cut. The tournament now moves to Karachi, one of the three venues upgraded for the Champions Trophy, with Wednesday’s winner of South Africa v Pakistan match taking on New Zealand in the final on Friday. Karachi will also host Champions Trophy’s opening game between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19. Source link #South #Africa #batter #Breetzke #breaks #47year #ODI #record Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

World of Kungfu: Dragon & Eagle brings wuxia RPG action to the palm of your hand World of Kungfu: Dragon & Eagle brings wuxia RPG action to the palm of your hand World of Kung-fu: Dragon & Eagle brings exciting wuxia action to the palm of your hand Create your own distinct fighting style, explore medieval China and meet a vast array of characters Experience it now on Google Play, or check it out on iOS when it releases on March 6th When it comes to fighting on mobile, you might cast your mind back to something like Skullgirls and it’s side-scrolling 1v1 action. But what about something with a little more in line mechanically with RPGs, and featuring a sweeping Asian-inspired world to explore? Well, that’s where World of Kung-fu: Dragon & Eagle comes in as it brings you wuxia action in bite-sized sprite style. But what’s a wuxia when it’s at home? Well, essentially it’s epic ******** fantasy based around martial arts, swordplay and larger-than-life characters. Think Arthurian legend but mixed in with a healthy dose of fisticuffs and soliloquies. It’s a vibrant genre well beloved in film, and in gaming as fans of Bioware cult-classic ***** Empire can attest. World of Kung-fu will see you explore medieval China from Xiangyang, Jingzhou, Jiangdong, Central Plains and even further afield. Boasting a diverse array of characters to meet and recruit, side activities and more, the World of Kung-fu naturally centres around a detailed and exciting system of martial arts action. The Mystery of Chess-boxing How complex? Well, how about 300+ special abilities and 350+ traits to create your own distinctive fighting style? Whether that’s swordplay, staff-fighting or good old-fashioned fisticuffs. You’ll also encounter varied martial arts schools with their own styles both as adversaries and as allies. The best part? If you’re somewhat sceptical about all this you can try World of Kung-fu: Dragon & Eagle for free and experience the trial version letting you explore Xiangyang City and its surroundings. Then, when you’ve gotten a taste for it you can purchase the whole release to explore further afield and hone your abilities further. Find World of Kung-fu: Dragon & Eagle now on Google Play, coming to the iOS App Store on March 6th! Meanwhile, if you’re looking for some more Eastern-inspired mobile gaming why not check out Catherine’s review of Crunchyroll: Tengami and see where it succeeds (or falls flat)? Source link #World #Kungfu #Dragon #Eagle #brings #wuxia #RPG #action #palm #hand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef Paul Glynn Culture reporter Getty Images Compton’s Kendrick Lamar, aka K.Dot Kendrick Lamar’s show-stopping performance at Super Bowl on Sunday was, for many, a victory lap following his knock-out blow in a long-running beef with fellow rapper Drake. The Compton star’s entire half-time set seemed to slowly build to a performance of Not Like Us, his Grammy-winning takedown of Drake which was one of last year’s biggest hits… but is also now the subject of a potential libel case brought by the *********. Drake was performing in Australia on Sunday, dishing out cash to several of his fans at a Melbourne show, before the whole world tuned in to watch his rival. The origins of the argument go back more than decade. But here’s a quick reminder of where we are now and how we got here over a heated 12 months. Getty Images Toronto’s Drake, aka Drizzy ‘The big three’ In March last year, producer and former Drake collaborator Metro Boomin’ and rapper Future released a collaborative album called We Don’t Trust You. Hidden in the tracklisting was a song called Like That with an uncredited verse by Kendrick Lamar… and it was explosive. In it, Lamar took aim at rapper J Cole’s previous claim – that himself, Kendrick and Drake were “the big three” – proclaiming: “big three – it’s just big me”. After years of tension, the fuse had been lit. Three become two Soon after, Drake appeared to address Kendrick’s verse at a concert in Florida. He told the crowd: “I know that no matter what, it’s not a [person] on this earth that could ever [expletive] with me in my life!” Two weeks later, J Cole offered his own reply to Kendrick’s verse, on a track called 7 Minute Drill, but he soon realised it had been a huge “mis-step”. Speaking on stage at the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, he apologised for the song, praised Lamar’s back catalogue and asked for forgiveness. Boiling point Drake then released a song called Push Ups (Drop and Give Me 50), in which he took aim at Lamar’s height, calling him a midget (he’s 5ft 4in tall) and a record label puppet who’s forced to collaborate with pop artists. “Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty / Then we need a verse for the Swifties,” he cajoled. He also took issue with Lamar’s position in the hip-hop hierarchy, suggesting other artists had overtaken him. More rappers, including Kanye West and Rick Ross got drawn into the feud. But Drake’s attention was solely focused on Lamar. The Toronto star goaded his US adversary by dropping yet another diss track called Taylor Made Freestyle, which suggested Lamar was too cowardly to release music in the same week as Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department. What’s more he used artificial intelligence to deliver the insults in the voices of Lamar’s heroes, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. Kendrick comes out fighting Lamar finally responded with a full-blown, six-minute re-post on record. Titled Euphoria (a reference to the HBO show where Drake serves as an executive producer), it saw him brand Drake as “predictable”, a “master manipulator” and a “habitual liar”, while calling his sparring partner’s parenting skills into question. “Let me say I’m the biggest hater,” he rapped. “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress.” Less than 72 hours later, he followed up with a second song called 6:16 in LA. In it, he claimed that someone inside Drake’s organisation was leaking damaging information. “You must be a terrible person/ Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it.” Families embroiled In May, Drake shot back with a song called Family Matters, which took the feud to new heights. On the track, he speculated that Lamar might be a perpetrator of domestic abuse (the star has never faced such an allegation). Within 20 minutes, Lamar retaliated with a third diss track, Meet The Grahams, which opened with the ominous warning: “You [messed] up the minute you called out my family’s name”. Each verse was addressed to one of Drake’s closest family members, listing the rapper’s supposed failures. Among the claims, he said Drake had secretly fathered second child, and was addicted to gambling, sex and drugs. Drake responded on Instagram by asking whoever had his “hidden daughter” to hand her back, adding that Lamar’s claims were a “shambles”. But the Californian wasn’t finished and he dropped a fourth diss track, Not Like Us, in which he accused Drake of having relationships with underage women. “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” he rapped. Drake hit back a day later, angrily denying the accusations and daring Lamar to reveal proof. “Drake is not a name that you gonn’ see on no sex offender list, easy does it / You mentioning A minor … B sharp and tell the fans: Who was it?” Getty Images Lamar’s career-spanning Super Bowl set crammed 11 songs into 13 minutes Club hit Drake sues record label Fast forward to January this year, and Drake decided to sue the Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation and harassment, over its release of Not Like Us. In papers filed in New York, Drake’s lawyers accused the record label of launching “a campaign to create a viral hit” out of a song that made the “false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response”. In response, Universal, which has been Drake’s label for more than a decade said his claims were not only untrue but “illogical”. It also accused the star of trying to “silence” Lamar, who shares the same label, by taking their rap battle to the courts. “Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists,” the label said. “He now seeks to weaponise the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from [Universal] for distributing that artist’s music.” Super Bowl show Which brings us to the Super Bowl. A couple of minutes into his half-time show, Lamar said: “I want to play their favourite song… but you know they love to sue.” In the build-up to the big event, there had been questions over whether he would, or even could play it, legally-speaking. Lamar leaned into the dilemma, teasing the song during his set, before finally giving the audience what they wanted. When the song finally played, Kendrick self-censored the most contentious lyric. But he looked directly into the camera with a mischievous grin as he called out Drake’s name; and left intact the song’s notorious double-entendre: “Tryin’ to strike a chord and it’s probably A minor.” That lyric echoed around the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, indicating that no amount of legal action could ever hope to diminish the song’s popularity. In playing it, Lamar was expected to have reached more than 120 million TV viewers who had tuned in to see the game, as well as the likes of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney and Stormzy who were in the stadium. The performance was further heightened by the surprise appearance of tennis star Serena Williams, reportedly an old flame of Drake’s. Williams, a Compton kid like Kendrick, performed the Crip Walk – a notorious Los Angeles dance move – as the headliner prowled the stage. In a review of the gig, the Guardian said the Pulitzer prize-winning rapper “delivered the final blow to his diss track nemesis”. While over in the US, Variety noted how Lamar had quite literally declared “game over” in the battle. Source link #Kendrick #Lamar #Drake #beef Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dragon Quest 12: Series Creator Yuji Horii Offers A Small, But Important Update Dragon Quest 12: Series Creator Yuji Horii Offers A Small, But Important Update Square Enix hasn’t forgotten about Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. In fact, series creator Yuji Horii reportedly confirmed that the company is working hard on the RPG over the weekend, with the hope that more info will be dished out piece by piece. Automaton states that Horii chatted about Dragon Quest XII with his radio show group KosoKoso Hōsō Kyoku on YouTube. That’s when Horii reportedly made it clear his team has been toiling away at the RPG. Dragon Quest XII was revealed almost four years ago at this point, with minimal official updates since that time. For instance, no platforms have been announced. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Dragon Quest 12: The Flames Of Fate – Official Title Reveal Trailer Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter However, in April 2024, producer Yu Miyake reportedly stepped down from working on Dragon Quest XII at Square Enix because of repeated delays for the RPG. This caused some public concerns about the development of the game. The last mainline entry in the RPG franchise was Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2017 (though the worldwide release was 2018). Square Enix did launch Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake this past November, with the first two games getting the same treatment sometime this year. For more, GameSpot has chronicled the history of Square and Enix joining forces in the early 2000s, which led to the formation of an RPG powerhouse. The merger brought Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest under the same roof. Source link #Dragon #Quest #Series #Creator #Yuji #Horii #Offers #Small #Important #Update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zotac has a plan to keep RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs away from the clutches of scalpers – and it sounds like it might be working Zotac has a plan to keep RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs away from the clutches of scalpers – and it sounds like it might be working Zotac has fired up a scheme via its US Discord channel Active community members can enter a raffle to win the chance to buy an RTX 5090 or 5080 It looks like this plan is helping in the good fight to beat scalpers The scramble for Nvidia’s new graphics cards has been an unpleasant affair (once again), especially with the RTX 5090, as stock of the flagship GPU has been even more scarce than the RTX 5080 – but Zotac has a plan to help genuine buyers (as opposed to scalpers) in the US. VideoCardz reports that Zotac’s Discord channel in the US is running a “priority access campaign exclusively for our loyal community” to offer active members an opportunity to purchase an RTX 5090 or 5080 graphics card. It’s a raffle system, with a chance to buy as the prize, and there are some conditions attached, as you might expect. Notably a clause that any Discord member must have been actively engaged in discussions, challenges, and the like, to be eligible. Anyone joining to spam a few three-word-messages in the hopes of getting a purchase won’t (or shouldn’t) be considered. Any kind of “manipulation” or “cheating” won’t be tolerated either, Zotac says. Furthermore, the board maker will keep an eye on reselling activity, with serial numbers of GPUs that are bought being recorded, and a threat of publicly exposing any scalper who does resell their graphics card. (Image credit: Zotac) Analysis: Zotac shows the way Quite how Zotac might police the entire playing field for resellers isn’t clear, and probably not feasible, but still – I’ve got to admire the stance taken here against scalpers and bots. These nefarious characters make any low-stock hardware launch much more of a nightmare than it should be, so efforts such as the scheme Zotac has concocted here must be applauded. Wondering how Zotac plan has played out so far? According to the Reddit thread that VideoCardz picked up on this development through, Zotac’s Discord channel has witnessed a flood of folks signing up since the announcement. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. So, it’s certainly going to drive more traffic for the channel, clearly, but if all a new member does is spam rubbish, they should be weeded out and be ineligible for the Blackwell purchase raffles. Those who were active members before the announcement have apparently got a private channel with separate raffles to the main ones, with much greater chances of winning (like 25%, compared to less than 1% for the main raffles, we’re told, though take that with some seasoning). It all sounds well enough organized, in short. Why don’t all graphics card makers go down this route? Well, as VideoCardz points out, Zotac is one of the smaller outfits of the larger manufacturers (if you get what I mean), and it’s probably much more of a headache for some of the biggest operations in the GPU sphere to run a scheme such as this. Still, shoring up defenses against scalping more broadly when it comes to popular launches like the RTX 5000 GPUs is well worth giving some more thought to, for both retailers and Nvidia’s board-making partners alike. Sadly, what we’ve seen elsewhere is official asking prices from graphics card makers themselves creeping up, or even jumping up, as a reaction to thin supply in the face of huge demand – so, what’d be a start is not doing this, please. We’re trying to help as best we can, through our guides on where to buy an RTX 5080 today and also our RTX 5090 graphics card finder too. Best of luck out there, GPU hunters, but of course if you’re already on the Zotac Discord, you need to get yourself in the lottery there. You might also like… Source link #Zotac #plan #RTX #GPUs #clutches #scalpers #sounds #working Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Guatemala bus falls off bridge, killing 30: authorities Guatemala bus falls off bridge, killing 30: authorities At least 30 people have died and more are injured in Guatemala City after a bus travelling on a busy highway fell off a bridge, a spokesperson for the city’s fire department says. The bus was travelling a busy route in and out of the city when it fell from Puente Belice, a highway bridge that crosses over a road and creek. Images shared by the fire department on social media showed the bus partially submerged in a water surrounded by victims’ bodies. On social media, Guatemala City Mayor Ricardo Quinonez said that emergency services had been deployed while traffic police worked on establishing alternate routes in the affected area. Source link #Guatemala #bus #falls #bridge #killing #authorities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Are Space Video Games Not Weird Enough? Are Space Video Games Not Weird Enough? The video game industry is already so creative, but one thing that can be improved is its handling of space. Source link #Space #Video #Games #Weird Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration seeks urgent end of ‘impermissible’ court order blocking access to Treasury systems Trump administration seeks urgent end of ‘impermissible’ court order blocking access to Treasury systems The Trump administration is making an urgent push to end a court order barring top officials’ access to the federal government’s massive payment system operated by the Treasury Department, saying the “remarkable intrusion” is unconstitutional and should be “dissolved immediately.” “Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency’s work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the president,” Justice Department attorneys wrote in the 11-page filing, calling the order “impermissible” and “anti-constitutional.” The attorneys are asking Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas to quickly end or modify the order to ensure Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his top leadership can be briefed on the payment system and perform their legally required roles. A different federal judge, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, issued the orderearly Saturday, barring system access to all but career employees who had taken proper trainings. That order came in response to states that sued over the access that Elon Musk allies embedded within Treasury had been given, arguing that the team from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency appeared to be putting the enormous database at risk of hacking or manipulation. Justice Department lawyers say they are negotiating with the states to come up with a quick agreement to narrow Engelmayer’s order. Early Monday, Vargas said that if they failed to reach an agreement by 5 p.m. she would demand an expedited review of the matter by late Monday night. The Engelmayer order set off a furor among Trump allies who suggested it was an improper incursion by a judge against the president’s ability to operate the Treasury that might even bar Bessent himself from fully running the department. Several Trump allies suggested the administration should consider ignoring the order. But in the filing, the Justice Department emphasizes that Treasury officials have been adhering to the strict limits imposed by Engelmayer. Only one official covered by the order — Musk ally Thomas Krause — had access to the system prior to the judge’s restriction. In a seven-page statement,Krause emphasized he has discontinued access and said he had complied with the orders limits. Prior to those limits, Krause said his access was considered “over the shoulder” — meaning he could view data accessed by other authorized Treasury employees as well as copies of “source code.” The Justice Department indicated that a second Musk ally — Marko Elez — who resigned last week amid a furor over racist social media posts, had previously had access to copies of the code in a “sandbox environment.” Though Musk has suggested rehiring Elez, the late Sunday filing from the Justice Department only mentions his departure and indicates he returned his equipment and credentials. Krause emphasized that despite his adherence to the order, it’s urgent for Treasury leaders to resume access to the system to fulfill their responsibilities. In addition, the system is routinely accessed by outside agencies and organizations who make payments to the government. The Justice Department is urging Vargas to end Engelmayer’s restrictions immediately or, short of that, postpone them until additional arguments can be made in court. Source link #Trump #administration #seeks #urgent #impermissible #court #order #blocking #access #Treasury #systems Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SlimeClimb takes you straight to the top in a subterranean world of action platforming SlimeClimb takes you straight to the top in a subterranean world of action platforming SlimeClimb sees you taking on the dense dungeons and caverns of Subterra Leap, bounce and jump to avoid obstacles and take on deadly bosses This solo-developed effort is currently in open beta, with Testflight coming to iOS The humble platformer used to dominate consoles, but in previous years it seems to have faded into obscurity amongst AAA developers. But over in the world of indies, it remains a thriving genre, and one that stuck out recently was the solo-developed, Terraria-inspired action platformer SlimeClimb. Boasting a fully F2P model, SlimeClimb sees you, well, take a guess. As a humble ******, you’ll bounce upwards in the underground world of Subterra, avoiding obstacles and enemies as you go. But watch out because it’s not just sawblades and fire you’ll need to keep an eye out for. Powerful boss monsters are also intent on halting your ascent. In my opinion, it’s not hard to see another significant source of inspiration for SlimeClimb in that old indie icon Super Meatboy. But that’s not a bad thing at all, and SlimeClimb has very clearly been built from the ground up for mobile devices with its portrait mode-style levels. And for an indie-level project, the amount of polish is quite impressive. He slimed me SlimeClimb also brings one of the latest trendy inclusions for many indie releases, which is a creator mode. It lets you create your own levels and share them with others. Now, while this isn’t exactly innovative it’s a very welcome inclusion sure to extend the longevity of SlimeClimb if it gains some traction. You can try SlimeClimb now in open beta over on Google Play, or sign up for the iOS version on Testflight! And if you want to see what I mean whenever I talk about the potential of indie on mobile you should hop on over to check out some of our lists on the subject. We’ve ranked the top 20 best indie games on mobile at the moment to let you step outside the typical AAA bubble. Source link #SlimeClimb #takes #straight #top #subterranean #world #action #platforming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Poco X7 Series, M-Series Smartphones Go on ***** at Discounted Prices Ahead of Valentine’s Day Poco X7 Series, M-Series Smartphones Go on ***** at Discounted Prices Ahead of Valentine’s Day Poco has announced discounts on recent smartphone models ahead of Valentine’s Day, via the e-commerce platform Flipkart. As part of its ongoing ***** event that will conclude on February 14, the ******** brand has lowered the prices of the Poco X7 series of smartphones, as well as the Poco M6 Plus 5G and the Poco M7 Pro 5G. However, customers will need to complete their purchases using an eligible bank card in order to avail of the discounted prices. Poco X7 Series, Poco M6 Plus 5G and Poco M7 Pro 5G Discounted Prices The Poco X7 5G will be available for Rs. 18,999, while the Poco X7 Pro 5G will be priced at Rs. 24,999. These smartphones were launched in India last month, with prices starting at Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 27,999, respectively. Similarly, the Poco M6 Plus that was introduced last year at Rs. 13,499 is now available for Rs. 10,249, while the more recent Poco M7 Pro 5G that arrived in December 2024 priced at Rs. 14,999 is currently priced at Rs. 13,499. It’s worth noting that buyers who are looking to avail of these discounts on the Poco X7 series must complete their transactions using SBI and ICICI Bank credit and debit cards. The Poco M6 Plus 5G and the Poco M7 Pro can be purchased at the abovementioned prices using SBI and HDFC Bank credit and debit cards. Poco X7 Series, Poco M6 Plus 5G and Poco M7 Pro 5G Specifications Both the Poco X7 and Poco X7 Pro sport 1.5K AMOLED screens. The Poco M7 Pro 5G has a Super AMOLED display, and the Poco M6 Plus 5G has an LCD screen. The displays on all four phones refresh at 120Hz. The standard and Pro variants in the Poco X7 series are equipped with a Dimensity 7300 Ultra and Dimensity 8400 Ultra chips, respectively. The Poco M7 Pro 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra SoC, and the Poco M6 Plus 5G features a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE (Accelerated Edition) chipset. You get a 50-megapixel primary camera on both the Poco X7 and Poco X7 Pro, along with an 8-megapixel ultrawide. On the other hand, the Poco M7 Pro 5G also has a 50-megapixel primary camera, paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. These three phones have a 20-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The Poco M6 Plus 5G has a 108-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, it features a 13-megapixel selfie camera. The Poco X7 Pro 5G features a 6,550mAh battery with 90W charging, while the Poco X7 5G, has a 5,500mAh battery with support for 45W charging. Meanwhile, the Poco M7 Pro 5G and Poco M6 Plus 5G are equipped with 5,110mAh (45W charging) and 5,030mAh (33W charging) batteries, respectively. Source link #Poco #Series #MSeries #Smartphones #***** #Discounted #Prices #Ahead #Valentines #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AppDynamics founder Jyoti Bansal merges startups Harness, Traceable AppDynamics founder Jyoti Bansal merges startups Harness, Traceable Jyoti Bansal, co-founder and CEO of startup Harness. Harness Jyoti Bansal knows about weird acquisitions. Eight years ago, his software company, AppDynamics, was on the doorstep of a blockbuster IPO. A day before the offering, Cisco swooped in and bought the company for $2.7 billion Now Bansal is at the center of an equally unconventional combination. Since 2020, Bansal has been running two startups as co-founder and CEO: Harness and Traceable. The former’s technology helps companies manage code and the latter’s software observes where companies are unintentionally letting out sensitive data. Late this month or early next, Harness and Traceable will merge. The resulting company will have 1,100 employees, $250 million in expected 2025 annualized revenue, a 50% growth rate and a valuation of about $5 billion. “It’s about the same size that AppDynamics was when we were about to go public,” Bansal told CNBC in an interview last week. Through the combination, Bansal said, Harness will be able to sell more products to customers, and Traceable will be better insulated from competitors like HashiCorp, which IBM has agreed to buy, and Akamai, which acquired security startup Noname last year. This time, Bansal wants an active stock ticker. In an interview last year with CNBC’s Make It, Bansal said he was unfulfilled after selling AppDynamics and that he didn’t finish what he had started. “Everyone told me, ‘You should retire. Go on the beach. What else do you need to do?'” Bansal said. “That was my first instinct, as well. I wanted to trek in the Himalayas, hike Machu Picchu, do a safari in Africa, see the fjords in Norway. In six months, my bucket list was done. And I started to realize: That’s not it for me.” Bansal got back to work and set up Big Labs, a studio for exploring startup ideas. Big Labs spawned Harness in 2017 and then Traceable in 2020. Sanjay Nagaraj, Traceable’s other co-founder, recalled working on the security startup in a dedicated Big Labs room at Harness’ San Francisco headquarters. The arrangement was unorthodox. “I’ve never done this before, backed a CEO to run two companies simultaneously,” said Harrick, who joined Institutional Venture Partners in 2001 and sits on the boards of Harness and Traceable. “But Jyoti is that good. He’s not only a great executive, but he hires well and he delegates well, and so I just talked to Jyoti. I said, ‘This is a major risk.’ I got his assurance he wouldn’t do a third one.” Establishing Harness and Traceable as separate companies made sense to Bansal at the time, because their products would typically get sold to different buyers within an organization. But that’s changed in the past year or two, he said, as engineering and technology leaders have started to also make decisions on procuring tools for securing code and data. Employees took notice of the shift and, during all-hands meetings at both companies, would repeatedly ask Bansal about a consolidation, he said. Questions also came from clients. “The Harness team would go set up a meeting with an executive at a bank or some of our customers,” Bansal said. “I would go into the meeting and the executive would say, ‘It’s a one-hour meeting. Can we save the last 15 minutes? Because I also want to talk about Traceable.'” Bansal was effectively the first IT person at both companies, setting up the same Google productivity apps and Carta equity management software as each got started. A spokesperson said 70% of Traceable’s largest customers are Harness customers as well. The cultures were also similar. As Harness and Traceable matured, Bansal picked a general manager to run each distinctive new product, or module. When examining revenue for the modules, executives at both startups rely on a theory that Battery Ventures investor Neeraj Agrawal calls “triple, triple, double, double, double,” or T2D3. The model, which Agrawal wrote about in TechCrunch in 2015, describes the annualized revenue growth that cloud software startups can target. In November, Bansal told the two boards that his companies were on converging paths and that it would be difficult to keep them from competing with each other. He got clearance for a merger. Initially, Traceable will operate as as its own unit within Harness, the parent company, and Nagaraj will be general manager. Bansal said the structure may change in the future. He’s confident that the technologies will pair well together and can benefit from tighter integrations. Harness will be able to help clients understand the origin of their source code, and Traceable can show how people are using it. Harrick calls it’s a good outcome, and said he’s excited to consolidate his bet on Bansal. “I think it’s a benefit for all investors for him to focus on operating one company instead of two,” Harrick said. WATCH: AppDynamics founder is building a new start-up Source link #AppDynamics #founder #Jyoti #Bansal #merges #startups #Harness #Traceable Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Senate Republicans just keep rolling over for Trump – The Hill Senate Republicans just keep rolling over for Trump – The Hill Senate Republicans just keep rolling over for Trump The HillHow Each Senator Has Voted on Trump’s Nominees So Far The New York TimesKennedy, Gabbard nominations top this week’s congressional to-do list Roll Call President Trump Meets With Japanese Prime Minister at White House C-SPAN Source link #Senate #Republicans #rolling #Trump #Hill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Henry and Hans Offer a Great Blueprint for Video Game Friendships Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Henry and Hans Offer a Great Blueprint for Video Game Friendships Kingcome Come Deliverance 2 is shaping up to be the best RPG of the year. The game is off to a strong start, peaking at 175K concurrent players on Steam. Based on a heavily modified variant of the Cry Engine, it’s a departure from the recent flurry of Unreal Engine 5 titles. Source link #Kingdom #Deliverance #Henry #Hans #Offer #Great #Blueprint #Video #Game #Friendships Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google drops pledge not to develop AI weapons Google drops pledge not to develop AI weapons Google parent company Alphabet has dropped its pledge to not use artificial intelligence (AI) in weapons systems or surveillance tools, citing a need to support the national security of “democracies”. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in a blogpost published Jun 2018, previously outlined how the company would “not pursue” AI applications that “cause or are likely to cause overall harm”, and specifically committed to not developing AI for use in “weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people”. He added that Google would also not pursue “technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms”. Google – whose company motto ‘Don’t be Evil’ was replaced in 2015 with ‘Do the right thing’ – defended the decision to remove these goals from its AI principles webpage in a blogpost co-authored by Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind; and James Manyika, the company’s senior vice-president for technology and society. “There’s a global competition taking place for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality and respect for human rights,” they wrote on 4 February. “And we believe that companies, governments and organisations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth and supports national security.” They added that Google’s AI principles will now focus on three core tenants, including “bold innovation”, which aims to “assist, empower, and inspire people in almost every field of human endeavour” and address humanity’s biggest challenges; “responsible development and deployment”, which means pursuing AI responsibly throughout a systems entire lifecycle; and “collaborative progress, together”, which is focused on empowering “others to harness AI positively”. Commenting on Google’s policy change, Elke Schwarz – a professor of political theory at Queen Mary University London and author of Death machines: The ethics of violent technologies – said that while it is “not at all surprising” given the company has already been supplying the US military (and reportedly the IDF) with cloud services, she is still concerned about the shifting mood among big tech firms towards military AI; many of which are now arguing it is “unethical not to get stuck in” developing AI applications for this context. “Google now feels comfortable enough to make such a substantial public change without having to face a significant backlash or repercussions gives you a sense of where we are with ethical concerns about profiteering from violence (to put it somewhat crudely). It indicates a worrying acceptance of building out a war economy,” she told Computer Weekly, adding that Google’s policy change highlights a clear shift that the global tech industry is now also a global military industry. “It suggests an encroaching militarisation of everything. It also signals that there is a significant market position in making AI for military purposes and that there is a significant share of financial gains up for grabs for which the current top companies compete. How useful this drive is toward AI for military purposes is still very much speculative.” Experts on military AI have previously raised concerns about the ethical implications of algorithmically enabled killing, including the potential for dehumanisation when people on the receiving end of lethal force are reduced to data points and numbers on a screen; the risk of discrimination during target selection due to biases in the programming or criteria used; as well as the emotional and psychological detachment of operators from the human consequences of their actions. There are also concerns over whether there can ever be meaningful human control over autonomous weapons systems (AWS), due to the combination of automation bias and how such weapons increase the velocity of warfare beyond human cognition. Throughout 2024, a range of other AI developers – including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta – walked back their own AI usage policies to allow US intelligence and defence agencies use their AI systems. They still claim they do not allow their AI to harm humans. Computer Weekly contacted Google about the change – including how it intends to approach AI development responsibly in the context of national security, and if it intends to place any limits on the kinds of applications its AI systems can be used in – but received no response. ‘Don’t be Evil’ The move by Google has attracted strong criticism, including from human rights organisations concerned about the use of AI for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance. Amnesty International, for example, has called the decision “shameful” and said it would set a “dangerous” precedent. “AI-powered technologies could fuel surveillance and lethal killing systems at a vast scale, potentially leading to mass violations and infringing on the fundamental right to privacy,” said Matt Mahmoudi, a researcher and adviser on AI and human rights at Amnesty. “Google’s decision to reverse its ban on AI weapons enables the company to sell products that power technologies including mass surveillance, drones developed for semi-automated signature strikes, and target generation software that is designed to speed up the decision to kill. “Google must urgently reverse recent changes in AI principles and recommit to refraining from developing or selling systems that could enable serious human rights violations. It is also essential that state actors establish binding regulations governing the deployment of these technologies grounded in human rights principles. The facade of self-regulation perpetuated by tech companies must not distract us from urgent need to create robust legislation that protects human rights.” Human Rights Watch similarly highlighted the problematic nature of self-regulation through voluntary principles. “That a global industry leader like Google can suddenly abandon self-proclaimed forbidden practices underscores why voluntary guidelines are not a substitute for regulation and enforceable law. Existing international human rights law and standards do apply in the use of AI, and regulation can be crucial in translating norms into practice,” it said, noting while it is unclear to what extent Google was adhering to its previous principles, Google workers have at least been able to cite them when pushing back on irresponsible AI practices. For example, in September 2022, Google workers and ************ activists called on the tech giant to end its involvement in the secretive Project Nimbus cloud computing contract, which involves the provision of AI and machine learning (ML) tools to the Israeli government. They specifically accused the tech giant of “complicity in Israeli apartheid”, and said they feared how the technology would be used against Palestinians, citing Google’s own AI principles. A Google spokesperson told Computer Weekly at the time: “The project includes making Google Cloud Platform available to government agencies for everyday workloads such as finance, healthcare, transportation and education, but it is not directed to highly sensitive or classified workloads.” Human Rights Watch added: “Google’s pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark. Militaries are increasingly using AI in war, where their reliance on incomplete or faulty data and flawed calculations increases the risk of civilian harm. Such digital tools complicate accountability for battlefield decisions that may have life-or-death consequences.” While the vast majority of countries are in favour of multilateral controls on AI-powered weapons systems, European foreign ministers and civil society representatives noted during an April 2024 conference in Vienna that a small number of powerful players – including the ***, US and Israel – are holding back progress by being part of the select few countries to oppose binding measures. Timothy Musa Kabba, the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation in Sierra Leone, said at the time that for multilateralism to work in the modern world, there is a pressing need to reform the UN Security Council, which is dominated by the interests of its five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the ***, and the US). “I think with the emergence of new realities, from climate change to autonomous weapons systems, we need to look at multilateralism once again,” he said, noting any new or reformed institutions will need to be inclusive, democratic and adaptable. Source link #Google #drops #pledge #develop #weapons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Governor Youngkin declares a state of emergency for Virginia in advance of winter weather Governor Youngkin declares a state of emergency for Virginia in advance of winter weather RICHMOND — Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Monday in advance of an impending winter weather, according to a press release. He is urging all Virginians to take preparatory actions and heed the warnings from their local and state officials. “With another round of winter weather across the state this week forecasted to bring heavy snow and ice, I am declaring a state of emergency so we can move resources around the state,” said Youngkin. “I urge all Virginians to monitor your local forecast and to prepare for possible impacts to roadways and infrastructure beginning overnight Monday throughout Tuesday.” The National Weather Service forecasts are predicting areas of accumulating snow, freezing rain, ice, and excessive rainfall that could cause flooding, power outages, and hazardous travel conditions. To coordinate the state’s response activities, the Virginia Emergency Support Team will be activated, the release said. If needing to travel during the storm, drivers are reminded to do the following: Use ***********. Increasing your visibility helps you to avoid slick and dangerous spots on the road, as well as helps other drivers see you better. Slow your speed. Though state police works closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to identify problem areas on Virginia’s highways during a winter storm, drivers still must drive for conditions. Slowing your speed gives you more time to safely react and avoid a ******. Drive your vehicle based on your ability to properly maintain control of your vehicle. Don’t tailgate. You need increased stopping distance on slick road surfaces. Give yourself more space between vehicles traveling ahead of you to avoid rear end collisions. Buckle Up. Most crashes that occur during winter weather are caused by vehicles sliding into guardrails, off the road or other vehicles. Wearing your seat belt protects you from being thrown around the inside of your vehicle and suffering serious injury in a ******. Check Your Vehicle. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order for the conditions. Fill up the tank in advance. Check windshield wipers, windshield wiper fluid, tire tread, battery life, etc. Don’t leave home without a window scraper, blanket, bottled water, snack, cell phone charger and flashlight. More: NWS Winter Storm Watch: Augusta, Rockingham, Highland, Northern and Central Blue Ridge, VA Personal preparedness actions During a winter storm, stay off the roads as much as possible and only drive when absolutely necessary. Always give snowplows and responders the right of way. Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning device inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any other partially enclosed area. Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks. Always avoid overexertion when shoveling. When severe weather occurs, plan to check on elderly or disabled neighbors and relatives. If you must travel, know road conditions before you leave home. Visit 511.vdot.virginia.gov, check the 511 Virginia mobile app, or call 511 while in Virginia for information on road and traffic conditions. Protect yourself from Frostbite. Hands, feet and face are the most commonly affected areas so wear a hat, mittens (which are warmer than gloves) and cover your mouth with a scarf to reduce heat loss. Keep dry. Change out of wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat.Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer or heavy clothing. More: Woodrow Wilson library event, Grow Waynesboro, Shenandoah Valley Conservancy and holiday schedules: The Digest Prepare your home Make sure your home is properly insulated Check the weather stripping around your windows and doorsLearn how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts Have additional heat sources on hand in case of a power outages Keep a fire extinguisher accessibleReplace the batteries in your Carbon Monoxide detector annually Batteries lose power as temperatures drop, be sure to have yours tested Check your car’s antifreeze levelHave your radiator system serviced Replace your car’s windshield wiper fluid with a wintertime mix Proactively replace your car’s worn tires and wiper blades To help with visibility, clean off your car entirely – including your trunk, roof, windows and *********** Please heed warnings to avoid travel. If you absolutely have to be on the roadway, prepare your vehicle and have a kit for you and your passengers. This could include items such as: Drinking water and snacks for everyone in the car, including pets Warm coat and insulating layers (sweatpants, gloves, hat, socks,) Rags, paper towels or pre-moistened wipes Car emergency warning devices such as road flares or reflectorsIce scraper/snow brush CashItems for children such as diapers, baby wipes, toys, etc. Flashlight, with extra batteries Portable smartphone power bank Traction aid such as sand, salt or non-clumping cat litter Tarp, raincoat and gloves To learn more about how to prepare yourself, your family, and your business for winter weather, visit www.vaemergency.gov/winter-weather. For real-time traffic conditions anywhere in the state, dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.vdot.virginia.gov. Power outages To report an outage, please contact your service providerCheck with your provider directly to determine repair schedulesFor more information and tips on what actions to take during a power outage, please visit: [Hidden Content] Emergency alerts These days, emergency alerts can reach you in so many ways–WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) come to your cell phone, EAS (Emergency Alert System) on TV and Radio, NOAA weather radio alerts, mobile apps and more. It’s important to have several different ways you can receive emergency alerts, and to be armed with the knowledge you need before an emergency happens. Sign up to receive alerts on your phone, tune in to your local weather station, or listen to your NOAA Weather Radio More: Bell, Scott combine for 45 in Staunton’s win over Wilson; Draft girls hold off Gap: Basketball roundup This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Governor Youngkin declares a state of emergency for Virginia in advance of winter weather Source link #Governor #Youngkin #declares #state #emergency #Virginia #advance #winter #weather Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NYT Crossword: answers for Monday, February 10 NYT Crossword: answers for Monday, February 10 The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn’t the Sunday issue! If you’re stuck, we’re here to help you out with today’s clues and answers. Source link #NYT #Crossword #answers #Monday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Core Ultra 9 275HX beats AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 mobile chip by 7% in PassMark — 34% faster than the i9-14900HX Core Ultra 9 275HX beats AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 mobile chip by 7% in PassMark — 34% faster than the i9-14900HX Preliminary benchmarks at PassMark put Intel’s new Arrow Lake-based Core Ultra 9 275HX 7% ahead of AMD’s Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor in CPU Mark. Moreover, despite a 400 MHz clock deficit, the 275HX manages to land 34% faster than last generation’s i9-14900HX, with a solid 9% lead when looking at single-threaded performance. Because this test is based on only one sample of the processor, it is suggested to wait for in-depth, independent reviews before jumping to conclusions. Gaming laptops equipped with Intel’s Arrow Lake-HX family are expected to launch soon, most likely hitting shelves next month with the launch of Nvidia’s RTX 50 mobile series. Arrow Lake-HX CPUs act as desktop replacements, employing an architecture similar to Core Ultra 200S chips on desktop, but in a BGA package. There are some minor differences between these CPUs and Arrow Lake-H, including the elevated TDPs and the lack of LPE cores on the SoC tile. These are Intel’s highest-performing laptop chips this year, designed to be paired with a dedicated GPU, with a PBP (Processor Base Power) of 55W, going as high as 160W depending on the use case. The Core Ultra 9 275HX in question is only second to the flagship 285HX, both offering 24 cores (8P + 16E) and 24 threads. The 275HX clocks at a maximum of 5.5 GHz on the performance cores, a 400 MHz deficit versus the last generation, and 100 MHz slower than the 285HX. Nonetheless, Intel has managed to extract somewhat decent efficiency and performance gains thanks to the newer TSMC N3B process and updated Lion Cove and Skymont architectures. In the single-threaded benchmark at PassMark, the 275HX leads the pack; up to 16% faster than the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D. This is not an exact apples-to-apples comparison as AMD’s new Zen 5-based Fire Range chips are just around the corner, so we aren’t sure if Intel can maintain its performance throne for long. In any case, this lead extends to 34% against the i9-14900HX in CPU Mark; PassMark’s proprietary tool for estimating a CPU’s performance. Despite a near 7% reduction in boost clocks, the Arrow Lake chip still lands roughly 9% ahead in terms of single-core performance. (Image credit: PassMark) The Core Ultra 9 285H (Arrow Lake-H based) delivered lackluster efficiency numbers in a recent user review. While this could simply boil down to the dated Meteor Lake SoC tile, which shouldn’t carry over to Arrow Lake-HX, it’s best to hold off until detailed reviews are available to get a clearer picture. Given the TDP of these chips, performance will largely depend on the laptop’s thermals and power delivery capability. The integrated GPU has been updated to Alchemist+ with support for XMX supporting DPAS instructions. None of Intel’s Arrow Lake chips are compliant with Microsoft’s CoPilot+ requirements, except for Lunar Lake. Laptops packed with Intel’s Arrow Lake-HX chips are slated for a late Q3 launch, so you’ll probably see a handful of these on shelves next month. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Core #Ultra #275HX #beats #AMDs #flagship #Ryzen #mobile #chip #PassMark #faster #i914900HX Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canada’s TD Bank to exit Charles Schwab stake worth $15.4 billion Canada’s TD Bank to exit Charles Schwab stake worth $15.4 billion A pedestrian walks by a Charles Schwab office on November 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Toronto-Dominion Bank announced on Monday it will exit from the 10.1% stake it has in financial services firm Charles Schwab, as part of a strategic review undertaken by the ********* lender following a landmark fine from U.S. regulators. TD holds 184.7 million shares of Schwab’s common stock, worth roughly $15.4 billion based on its last closing price. Charles Schwab shares were last down 3.2% in premarket trading. Canada’s second-largest bank had warned of a challenging 2025 in December and suspended its medium-term earnings forecast as it works through its anti-money laundering remediation program following a U.S. regulatory probe. TD also said it would hold a strategic review. In October, TD became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to violating a federal law aimed at preventing money laundering, and agreed to pay more than $3 billion in penalties to resolve the charges. The plea deal, which includes a rare imposition of an asset cap and other business limitations, was a result of multiple U.S. government investigations into what authorities described as pervasive issues. “As part of our strategic review, we have been evaluating capital allocation and have made the decision to exit our Schwab investment,” TD’s newly appointed CEO Raymond Chun said. Chun became CEO on February 1, replacing long-time chief Bharat Masrani more than two months earlier than initially planned. TD said it plans to use C$8 billion ($5.58 billion) of the proceeds for share buybacks and invest the remainder in its businesses to boost performance and accelerate organic growth. The bank added it will continue to manage capital prudently and strengthen its infrastructure. TD is currently Schwab’s largest shareholder, a stake which it acquired as part of the financial services firm’s $26 billion purchase of TD Ameritrade in 2020. Schwab in a separate statement said it has agreed to repurchase shares worth $1.5 billion from TD in a private transaction. Source link #Canadas #Bank #exit #Charles #Schwab #stake #worth #billion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tested: Intel’s Arrow Lake 140T iGPU mostly maintains an edge over AMD’s older 880m Tested: Intel’s Arrow Lake 140T iGPU mostly maintains an edge over AMD’s older 880m Late last year, our extensive testing showed that Intel’s Lunar Lake Arc 140V integrated graphics outperformed AMD’s top-end 890M integrated silicon (driver concerns and software aside) by an average of 7% over 27 tested games. Now that Intel has launched its Arrow Lake mobile parts, we’ve spent some time testing an Intel-provided MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo laptop running an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, to see if Intel’s integrated performance edge still holds. And in a broad sense, the answer is yes. The Arc 140T iGPU in the 285H (despite being based on the older Xe+ architecture rather than the Xe2 of Lunar Lake’s 140V) maintains a slight edge over AMD’s 880M, which we also recently re-tested in MSI’s Prestige A16 AI+ laptop for comparison. But things aren’t cut and dry once you drop below 1080p. Also, AMD still leads on drivers and software for gaming, so you might have a better overall gaming experience if you opt for AMD. And really, while most games should broadly be playable at reduced settings and sub-1080p resolutions, those at all serious about on-the-go gaming should still strongly consider stepping up to a laptop with dedicated graphics, or perhaps something built around AMD’s flagship Strix Halo, which the company says offers up to 1.4x the performance of the 140V iGPU in Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V. Below, we’ll look at the specs of our two MSI Prestige test laptops. Then we’ll delve into our limited gaming test results across five titles and see how the two similarly configured systems stack up in gaming, as well as in CPU performance and battery life. Note that we also managed to re-test Lunar Lake’s 140V graphics in an Asus Zenbook S14 and AMD’s flagship Strix Point iGPU, the 890M, inside a Zenbook S16. These tests were run right before the deadline for this article and are in different laptop chassis, with specs that vary more than the two MSI Prestige laptops. So we aren’t going to comment on these results. They’re just in our charts below for context. Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo MSI Prestige A16 AI+ A3HMG CPU Intel Core Ultra 9 285H AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 Graphics Intel Arc 140T AMD Radeon 880M GPU Max Frequency 2.35 GHz 2.9 GHz Memory 32GB 7500 32GB 7500 Display 2560×1600 2560×1600 Battery 99.9 Whr 82 Whr Power Adapter 140W 100W Operating System Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Home Dimensions 14.11 x 10.02 x 0.75 14.09 x 10.18 x 0.68307087 inches Weight 3.31 pounds 4.19 Price as configured Row 11 – Cell 1 $1,279 Gaming Tests: Intel Core Ultra 285H / Arc 140T versus AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 / Radeon 880M Given time constraints, we couldn’t test a wide swathe of games so we focused on some titles that we use for laptop testing and ordered them in the charts below based on when the games were released. As you’ll see, some less-demanding titles that are several years old run pretty well even at high settings. But newer games will force you to drop below 1080p and dial down the detail. We aren’t going to bother reporting performance at the laptops’ native 2560×1600 resolution, because neither integrated chip got anywhere close to playability while pushing that many pixels. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) This 2018 franchise title gives Intel’s GPU its first win, though the results are close. The 3 FPS lead the 140T holds over AMD’s 880M at 1080p is at least reasonably definitive, but stepping down to 720p for more playable frame rates, there’s a single-frame difference between the two competitors. These results are an average of three runs, but that’s still within general benchmark variance. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Using a 2019-era title that wasn’t particularly GPU-demanding when it was new, it’s not exactly a surprise that both GPUs here flirt with 30fps at 1080p in Borderlands 3, and the Intel laptop has a nearly 2 FPS edge there. But interestingly, when dropping down to 720p, the AMD silicon pulls ahead by about 6.5 FPS. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Moving forward in terms of time and difficulty, we get to Cyberpunk 2077, where we had to turn off ray tracing entirely and drop the settings down to low to stay well out of single-digit territory. This test is a mixed bag for Intel’s chip, where it pulls three FPS ahead at 1080p but again falls behind by 8 FPS at 720p – which is what you’ll probably want to stick to with this title if you want anything approaching smooth results on modern integrated graphics. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The 2022 strategy title, Total War: Warhammer III is one title where Intel’s 140T has a clear advantage. It beats the AMD 880M in our MSI test laptop by 2 FPS at 720p and an impressive 13 FPS at 1080p. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Last up is last year’******, ****** Myth: Wukong, which wasn’t exactly smooth on either iGPU, even when we dropped our typical test settings down from Cinematic to the Medium preset. Intel’s silicon turned in a 7 FPS edge over AMD at 1080p, but once again, dropping the resolution down a more playable 720p saw AMD’s 880M pull to just a few FPS behind Intel’s result. These results show that, while Intel’s integrated graphics tend to perform better overall, things are going to vary between titles, especially when gaming below 1080p. It also shows that modern demanding games are already pushing these integrated chips to their gaming limits. You’ll likely be able to play most games without dedicated graphics for now at reduced settings and resolutions. But before long, future titles may leave you wishing you’d invested in a true gaming laptop with dedicated graphics. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. A quick look at CPU performance and battery life I was curious to see whether AMD’s advantage in some of our gaming tests at 720p could be an indicator that the Ryzen AI 9 365 might have an edge over the Core Ultra 9 285H on the CPU side. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, as you can see below, where we compared the two MSI Prestige laptops in a few of our productivity benchmarks. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Starting with the Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 9 365-based laptop is competitive in the single-core test, falling just 1.59% behind the Core Ultra 9 285H in the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo. But on the multi-core test, Intel’s 16 cores and 16 threads managed to best AMD’s 10 cores and 20 threads by 20.62%. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Shifting to our real-world Handbrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p, Intel’s lead is 24 seconds or just under 10%. That’s a win for Intel and Arrow Lake. But keep in mind that we’re comparing mid-2024 AMD silicon to an Intel chip that’s arriving on the scene in February of 2025. Battery Life Our battery test is a mix of web browsing, video streaming, and graphical tests with the screen brightness set to 150 nits. So it’s not an indication of gaming performance, but it’s still a key consideration for any laptop. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Once again, the Intel-based machine is the clear leader here, offering up four extra hours of unplugged power in our test. But don’t read much into those numbers as an indication of power efficiency. According to MSI’s specs, the battery in the Intel-based Prestige (99.9 Whr) is 21.9% larger than the (82 Whr) battery in the AMD model. Still, the Intel laptop did get 36% longer run time, so it seems likely Intel does have some advantage in power efficiency, but we’ll have to test more Arrow Lake laptops to say for sure. At this point, we’re just happy to see that both options deliver over ten hours with their large 2560 x 1600 screens. Final thoughts (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) After putting Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H chip and its 140T integrated graphics through our typical laptop tests compared to a similarly equipped MSI Prestige system running AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 and its 880M graphics, we are left with more or less the same conclusions we had late last year in our much more extensive laptop graphics testing. After many years of dominance by AMD, Intel’s integrated graphics are now the best in terms of raw performance overall. And thanks to its work over the past few years on dedicated cards like the Arc B580, its driver and software stack have improved greatly. But we’d still give the edge to AMD on the software side, which isn’t surprising given its GPU focus since acquiring ATI way back in 2006. And regardless of how much integrated graphics have improved in the last few years, just because you can play most modern games these days on an iGPU doesn’t necessarily mean everyone will want to. As our testing shows, you’ll often have to drop below 1080p resolution, even on older games at high settings. And the more demanding games that have come out in the last few years will force you to stick to low settings and 720p to keep things running above even 30 FPS. So unless you’re really counting on game developers downgrading the visuals due to rising costs, you should probably still choose a laptop with dedicated graphics if you want to play the best games of 2025 and beyond. Source link #Tested #Intels #Arrow #Lake #140T #iGPU #maintains #edge #AMDs #older #880m Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Laika: Aged Through Blood Devs Talks Present and Future Plans for The Brainwash Gang Laika: Aged Through Blood Devs Talks Present and Future Plans for The Brainwash Gang In an Interview with Game Rant, The Brainwash Gang discusses Laika: Aged Through Blood, their plans for the future, and more. Source link #Laika #Aged #Blood #Devs #Talks #Present #Future #Plans #Brainwash #Gang Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eagles Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts proves he belongs in upper echelon of any elite QB conversation – CBS Sports Eagles Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts proves he belongs in upper echelon of any elite QB conversation – CBS Sports Eagles Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts proves he belongs in upper echelon of any elite QB conversation CBS SportsEagles top Chiefs to win Super Bowl, led by Jalen Hurts and a brilliant defensive performance Yahoo SportsPatrick Mahomes takes blame for Super Bowl LIX rout, promises Chiefs ‘will be back’ Fox NewsEagles fly to an easy Super Bowl victory, fans celebrate in street WHYY Source link #Eagles #Super #Bowl #MVP #Jalen #Hurts #proves #belongs #upper #echelon #elite #conversation #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Monday, February 10 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Monday, February 10 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Connections Hints for today’s Connections Today’s Connections answers NYT Connection FAQs Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end. How to play Connections Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024 Please enable Javascript to view this content You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android. In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc. There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections. Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups. Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends. Hints for today’s Connections We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below. Today’s themes SPRINKLE SCENTS OF WINE “AAH, ENOUGH!” WORDS FAMOUSLY PRONOUNCED DIFFERENT WAYS One-answer reveals SPRINKLE – DUST SCENTS OF WINE – AROMA “AAH, ENOUGH!” – MERCY WORDS FAMOUSLY PRONOUNCED DIFFERENT WAYS – AUNT New York Times Today’s Connections answers Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below: SPRINKLE – DUST, PEPPER, SCATTER, SHOWER SCENTS OF WINE – AROMA, BOUQUET, NOSE, NOTE “AAH, ENOUGH!” – MERCY, STOP, TRUCE, UNCLE WORDS FAMOUSLY PRONOUNCED DIFFERENT WAYS – AUNT, EITHER, TOMATO, VASE Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow. NYT Connection FAQs What time does the Connections puzzle change? The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time. Who edits the NYT Connections game? Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.” On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Monday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Girl dies in South Korea after being stabbed at school Girl dies in South Korea after being stabbed at school A child has died after being stabbed in a South Korean primary school alongside a woman in her 40s who also had stab wounds, local media reports say. Police were investigating the case in the city of Daejeon with the woman as a suspect in the stabbing, local media quoted police as saying. Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for information. The child was a seven-year-old girl and was found with stab wounds in the neck and face, a local fire department official told Reuters. Local media said the girl died after being transferred to hospital, and that the woman was a teacher at the school. The woman was hospitalised, the fire official said. The Yonhap news agency said the woman later admitted to being responsible for the crime. The woman had taken a leave of absence while suffering from depression before returning to work late last year, according to Yonhap. Source link #Girl #dies #South #Korea #stabbed #school Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diablo creator says fast levelling up in modern ARPGs ‘cheapens the entire experience’ Diablo creator says fast levelling up in modern ARPGs ‘cheapens the entire experience’ The creator of Diablo says he feels that modern action RPGs level up the player too quickly. In an interview with Videogamer, David Brevik – who was senior designer and lead programmer on Diablo, and project and design lead on Diablo 2 – criticised modern takes on the genre for rewarding players too quickly. One of the main criticisms levelled at Diablo 3 (which Brevik didn’t work on) is that players can reach level 70 within a matter of 3-4 hours depending on how they play the game, much faster than in previous games in the series. According to Brevik, the pace of Diablo 2 is “great” because it takes the player longer to level up, arguing that slower progression makes it more satisfying when you reach that point, and that too many of today’s ARPGs are more focused on levelling up the player faster. “When you’re shortening that journey and making it kind of ridiculous, you’ve cheapened the entire experience, in my opinion,” Brevik said, stating that the fun in an ARPG “actually isn’t getting to the end, it’s the journey”. Brevik also suggested that while the Diablo games he worked on had moments where there were a lot of enemies to defeat, modern ARPGs focus too much on throwing hordes of enemies at the player and having them defeat them en masse. “I don’t find that as kind of personal and realistic as like Diablo 2,” Brevik explained. “The pacing on Diablo 2, I think, is great. That’s one of the reasons it’s endured. “I just don’t find killing screen-fulls of things instantly and mowing stuff down and walking around the level and killing everything, very enticing. I just don’t feel like that is a cool experience. I find it kind of silly.” Last month it was claimed that a Switch 2 port of Diablo 4 is in the works. Source link #Diablo #creator #fast #levelling #modern #ARPGs #cheapens #entire #experience Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]