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Singer-Activist Buffy Sainte-Marie Stripped of Order of Canada, the Country’s Most Prestigious Civilian Honor Singer-Activist Buffy Sainte-Marie Stripped of Order of Canada, the Country’s Most Prestigious Civilian Honor Oscar-winning songwriter and ********* Music Hall of Fame inductee Buffy Sainte-Marie, known for the anti-war song “Universal Soldier” and stolen-land lament “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone,” has had her prestigious Order of Canada appointment terminated, the Toronto Star reported late Friday. The award is the country’s highest honor presented to a civilian. “Notice is hereby given that the appointment of Buffy Sainte-Marie to the Order of Canada was terminated by Ordinance signed by the Governor General [Mary Simon] on January 3, 2025.” The notice was given by Ken MacKillop, Secretary General of the Order of Canada. More from Variety No specific reason for the termination was stated, but an investigation by the ********* Broadcasting Corporation’s “Fifth Estate” show, published on Oct. 27, 2023 and now viewed on YouTube 1.5 million times, alleges that Sainte-Marie fabricated her Indigeneity, and presented a birth certificate shown on camera listing Boston, Mass. as her place of birth, “color of race” as “white,” and birth name as Beverly Jean Santamaria. A representative of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General told Variety via email, “The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General does not comment on the specifics of termination cases,” but pointed to the organization’s web site, which reads in part: “The recommendation of the Advisory Council shall be based on evidence and guided by the principle of fairness and shall only be made after the Council has ascertained the facts it considers relevant.” The rep noted that since its creation in 1967, more than 7,600 people from all sectors have been invested into the Order. Terminations are rare; just eight people to date. Saint-Marie, who turns 84 on Feb. 20, has spent six decades as a musician and activist, releasing 16 studio albums whose songs often address war and Indigenous rights. Her latest was 2017’s “Medicine Songs,” containing new and re-recordings of older material. Biographical information supplied by her team over the years states that she was born on the Piapot Cree First Nations Reserve in Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan. Her 2018 authorized biography also states she was likely born Cree, while her web siteonce said that she is “believed to have been born in 1941 on the Piapot First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan and taken from her biological parents when she was an infant.” The “Sixties Scoop” is a dark ******* in ********* history in which policies allowed for Indigenous children to be taken without consent from their birth families and adopted by white families. Sainte-Marie has frequently said she does not know where she was born and does not have her birth certificate, but was adopted by the Santamaria’s in America. In her early 20s, she was formally adopted into the Piapot family of the Piapot First Nation. However, the investigation by Fifth Estate (a “60 Minutes”-style news program) unearthed information that alleges Sainte-Marie is Italian-American and that she threatened family members to hide that information when she launched her music career in the 1960s. Family members were interviewed as part of the CBC investigation. A much-beloved figure in Canada, the report caused a split in support, some dismissing the information, others pointing to the good Sainte-Marie has done over her lifetime, while others condemned her for being a “pretendian,” the name given to a person claiming to be Indigenous or have Indigenous heritage. On Oct. 26, 2023, Sainte-Marie issued a lengthy statement following the Fifth Estate report, with the headline “My Truth as I Know It,” calling them “deeply hurtful allegations” and stating “I have always struggled to answer questions who I am.” She maintains she is “proud of my Indigneous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family.” She explains “what I know about my Indigneous ancestry I learned from my mother” and concludes with “I may not known where I was born, but I know who I am.” Major music bodies in Canada which have honored Sainte-Marie throughout her career have not revoked her awards. She has won seven Juno Awards, the country’s equivalent of a Grammy, including 1997’s Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording, as it was called then, 2009’s Aboriginal Recording of the Year, 2016’s Aboriginal Album of the Year and 2018’s Indigenous Music Album of the Year. In 1995, the Juno Awards inducted her into the ********* Music Hall of Fame and in 2017 gave her the Humanitarian Award. The ********* Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS) did not respond to Variety’s request for comment about these recent developments and if her awards still stand. The ********* Songwriters Hall of Fame also inducted Sainte-Marie in 2019. Her song “Universal Soldier” was inducted in 2005. Her official bio at that time, still on the CSHF web site, reads, “Born into a Cree family on the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan in 1941, Beverly Sainte-Marie was raised by relatives in the Eastern USA.” In 2015, she won Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize for her album, “Power in the Blood,” voted on by members of the music media. In 2021, Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp of Sainte-Marie and the following year the Toronto International Film Festival premiered the documentary “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It,” directed by Madison Thomas, which won a 2023 International Emmy Award, and two ********* Screen Awards. On Nov. 3, 2023, after its own examination of the Fifth Estate’s findings, Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation, stood by Sainte-Marie, outlining its decision in a statement. “The SSHF Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Staff unanimously stand by Buffy Sainte-Marie as an ally and advocate for the Sixties Scoop Survivor constituents of the Foundation, whether or not she is herself an actual Sixties Scoop Survivor,” it concludes, signed by the Board of Directors and CEO. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source link #SingerActivist #Buffy #SainteMarie #Stripped #Order #Canada #Countrys #Prestigious #Civilian #Honor Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Officials race to recover remains from Alaska plane ****** before winter storm – The Guardian Officials race to recover remains from Alaska plane ****** before winter storm – The Guardian Officials race to recover remains from Alaska plane ****** before winter storm The GuardianInvestigators probe fatal Alaska plane ****** as crews push to recover wreckage before inclement weather CNNTwo Alaska plane ****** victims ID’d as tribal health workers who ‘made lasting impact on rural communities’ New York Post Small Plane With 10 Dead Found Crashed in Alaska The New York Times Source link #Officials #race #recover #remains #Alaska #plane #****** #winter #storm #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Screen Queen: Amandaland review, Invisible Boys, St Denis Medical, Mysteries of Loch Ness, Celebrity Bear Hunt Screen Queen: Amandaland review, Invisible Boys, St Denis Medical, Mysteries of Loch Ness, Celebrity Bear Hunt AmandalandStreaming now on Stan The British series Motherland may have passed you by. Which is a shame, because it really is one of the best — and most accurate — portrayals of motherhood to grace our screens in recent years. Created by Sharon Horgan, (she’s the genius behind Catastrophe and Bad Sisters, so you know already you’ll want to watch it) it bills itself as a comedy about a group of “less-than-perfect parents as they navigate the chaos, craziness and hyper-competitive world of middle-class motherhood”. Needless to say, it spoke to my soul. If it passed you by, don’t stress: old episodes are on Stan, and you can binge all three seasons, plus the Christmas specials, which will set you up beautifully for this very funny spin-off series. It sees Lucy Punch reprising her role as the insufferable Amanda — she’s one of the mums featured in the series. Time has passed, and her kids are now in high school. She’s divorced and has downsized from her posh Chiswick home to (shock, horror!) South Harlesden — if you know anything about London geography, you’ll know this is a mighty fall from grace. The always-fabulous Joanna Lumley returns as her mum, and Philippa Dunne is also back playing long-suffering Anne. It’s all fabulously good fun. Joining them is Derry Girls favourite Siobhan McSweeney, who plays the obnoxious celebrity chef Amanda’s keen to befriend; she’s hilariously awful, as per usual. When I tell you I HOWLED at this first episode . . . It really is that funny. Chances are you’ll love it too — don’t miss it. Invisible BoysThursday, streaming on StanCamera IconZach Blampied and Elaine Crombie star in Invisible Boys. Credit: Stan/David Dare Parker Geraldton is front-and-centre in this new original series, based on the award-winning novel by WA author Holden Sheppard. The series, which filmed in the coastal town, tells the story of four gay teens and what happens after one of them is outed on social media following an encounter with a married man. Beautifully shot and superbly acted by the mostly unknown young cast, the story has been beautifully re-imagined for television. Creator Nicholas Verso says he wanted to give today’s young LGBTQIA+ youth a story that resonated in the same way that 1998’s Head On did for him, and he’s more than succeeded. This has all the makings of a modern classic. St Denis MedicalScreening now, 7PlusCamera IconSt Denis Medical is a pleasant surprise. Credit: NBC/Danny Ventrella Let’s face it, nothing will ever be as great as early-Noughties comedy, Scrubs. But I tell ya, this one, buried away on 7Plus, has a solid basis. Love that this is on a free streaming platform — worth a look! Mysteries of Loch NessSunday, 7.30pm, SBSCamera IconIt’s behind you! Mysteries of Loch Ness is screening on SBS. Credit: Supplied/SBS I’ve visited Loch Ness; it’s a pretty little spot. Not that I’d know, because my eyes were glued to the water. This is a deep dive into theories about what lurks beneath. Love a good beat up. Celebrity Bear HuntScreening now on NetflixCamera IconThere’s a bear in there, and some celebs. Celebrity Bear Hunt is coming to Netflix. Credit: Tom Dymond/Netflix A group of British celebs are being dumped in the central American jungle as “prey for one of the world’s most fearsome predators”. Spoiler alert: that predator is Bear Grylls. Embarrassed to say, I’m excited for this one. Source link #Screen #Queen #Amandaland #review #Invisible #Boys #Denis #Medical #Mysteries #Loch #Ness #Celebrity #Bear #Hunt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Growing confidence’ for accumulating snow next week ‘Growing confidence’ for accumulating snow next week 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 The Brief A winter storm system could bring accumulating snow and a wintry mix to the D.C. region next week. The National Weather Service’s Hazards Outlook has put D.C., northern Virginia, and Maryland under a heavy snow threat by Tuesday. Snow may begin early Tuesday, transitioning to rain, snow, and freezing rain by Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Winter storm to hit DC region next week WASHINGTON – Snow lovers get ready! It’s possible a winter storm system could bring accumulating snow and a wintry mix of precipitation to the Washington, D.C. region next week. Heavy snow threat Tuesday? According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, a Hazards Outlook has put D.C. and a large swath of northern Virginia and Maryland under a heavy snow threat by Tuesday of next week. “We have growing confidence that Tuesday could be a snow day for many of us, or at least a winter weather day,” FOX 5’s Tucker Barnes said. READ MORE: Snow, sleet, freezing rain expected Saturday across DC region Snow or wintry mix? The latest models suggest that snow could potentially begin early Tuesday morning before a transition to rain, snow, and freezing rain for parts of the region from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Stay with the FOX 5 Weather Team for the latest forecast and updates on any possible closings and delays. For live weather updates, download the FOX LOCAL app. The Source Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and the FOX 5 Weather Team. Source link #Growing #confidence #accumulating #snow #week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New NIH policy: Pitt faces 25% cut in federal research money – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette New NIH policy: Pitt faces 25% cut in federal research money – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette New NIH policy: Pitt faces 25% cut in federal research money Pittsburgh Post-GazetteDeep Cuts to Medical Research Funds Could Hobble University Budgets The New York TimesOutcry as NIH Plans $4 Billion in Cuts to Reimburse Scientists BloombergNIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately The Washington Post Source link #NIH #policy #Pitt #faces #cut #federal #research #money #Pittsburgh #PostGazette Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Minister Andrew Gwynne sacked over messages Minister Andrew Gwynne sacked over messages Health Minister Andrew Gwynne has been sacked and has apologised for offence caused by “badly misjudged” messages on WhatsApp. The Mail on Sunday reported the MP for Gorton and Denton had sent a string of offensive and abusive messages, insulting constituents, fellow MPs and councillors. A government spokesperson said: “The prime minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a government in the service of working people. He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.” Andrew Gwynne said on X that he deeply regretted his “badly misjudged comments” and apologised for any offence caused. He added: “I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.” A Labour spokesperson said: “Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended as a member of the Labour Party. We are investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures. “Swift action will be taken if individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.” In one instance reported by the Mail on Sunday, Gwynne allegedly said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead, after she wrote to a local councillor about bin collections. The councillor is said to have shared the woman’s letter in a WhatsApp group containing Labour figures, which is where Gwynne wrote his response. Source link #Minister #Andrew #Gwynne #sacked #messages Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ben Simmons’ injury-marred career with the Nets is over Ben Simmons’ injury-marred career with the Nets is over The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on *********** star guard/forward Ben Simmons, ending his disappointing, injury-marred three-year stay with the club. Simmons joined the Nets on February 10, 2022, acquired in the five-player trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, as it was reported on Saturday that the Nets and Simmons had negotiated a contract buyout. He reportedly met with the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom are said to have interest in adding Simmons to their roster. ESPN said that Simmons now intends to sign with the Clippers. With the Nets, Simmons appeared in 90 games (69 starts) and averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists over 25.4 minutes per game. He played 33 of those games this season. His numbers in Brooklyn lagged behind those he put up with the 76ers, who made him the No.1 overall pick back in 2016. In 275 games with the Sixers, the 28-year-old averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists. He missed two full seasons with the Sixers — 2016-17 due to injury and 2021-22 because of a hold-out and back injury. Back issues have plagued him throughout his career. The three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year was in the final season of a five-year, $US177.2 million ($A282.6 million) deal, earning $US40.3 million ($A64.3 million) this season. Simmons was not with the Nets for their victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night as the sides worked on completing the deal. Coach Jordi Fernandez praised him before the game for working his way back from a series of injuries that caused such an ineffective time in Brooklyn. “I know that not playing for a season and then limited games another season and now fighting his way back, playing I think it was a little over 20 minutes or mid-20s,” said Fernandez, in his first season with the Nets. “So that’s pretty good. Really good to see that after going through a surgery, now being back playing basketball.” But it’s far less than the Nets hoped when they acquired the three-time All-Star in the Harden deal. He was never able to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the court that season after hurting his back trying to work his way back into shape after sitting out the first half of that season in Philadelphia. With AP Source link #Ben #Simmons #injurymarred #career #Nets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Phoenix Open attendee in viral video hurls slurs, Nazi symbolism Phoenix Open attendee in viral video hurls slurs, Nazi symbolism A man who was banned from the Phoenix Open after being caught on video calling for violence against Mexicans, displaying neo-Nazi symbols, and using racial slurs, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, according to Scottsdale police. Brandtbert J. Brudenell, 19, was arrested Thursday evening at TPC Scottsdale and booked on suspicion of criminal trespassing, refusing to provide his name truthfully, and underage alcohol consumption, Scottsdale police told The Arizona Republic. According to police, Brudenell was found walking near the 2nd hole after the course had closed and refused to leave. Security personnel reported that he attempted to flee from them before officers arrived. Police told The Arizona Republic that Brudenell is the man seen in a viral video filmed at the Phoenix Open, where he talks about his belief that Mexicans at the border should have their throats “sliced,” shortly after saying “Heil Hitler” and appearing to mimic white supremacist rhetoric. In the video, Brudenell adds the N-word to “border-hopping” when referring to Mexicans. Moments earlier, he used a slur against Mexicans and ******** Americans. When confronted by the off-camera women filming him, he responds with insults, calling them “**** girl, **** girl” and “dumb— b——.” He also says “1444” in the video. According to the Anti-Defamation League, white supremacists frequently use the numerical code “1488.” The “14” represents the white supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” The “88” serves as a numerical stand-in for “Heil Hitler,” as “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Brudenell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Having gone viral, the explicit video was shared on different social media platforms, including Thursday on the Instagram account thesquarephoenix. By Saturday morning, the video had been removed on that account but was still up on Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s Instagram account. It is unclear when the video was filmed or by whom. Companies respond to ‘abhorrent’ video Scottsdale police spokesperson Sgt. Allison Sempsis told The Republic that officers encountered Brudenell after the video was filmed. Police are seeking to understand the circumstances surrounding the footage and would like to speak with the person who recorded it, Sempsis said. According to Sempsis, the Phoenix Open informed police that Brudenell had been banned from the event and would be treated as a trespasser if he returned. In a statement to The Republic, the Phoenix Open confirmed that the man in the video was an attendee and condemned his hate speech as “unacceptable and not representative of our fans, players, and organizers.” The statement also referenced the event’s organizer, The Thunderbirds civic group, and its corporate sponsor, Waste Management. “The Thunderbirds, WM and the PGA TOUR have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech in any form and have banned the individual from the premises and all future PGA TOUR events,” read the statement. Vivint, a home security company with Phoenix-area locations, told The Republic on Friday that the man was fired upon him being identified as an employee of less than three months following an investigation prompted by the video. The man is seen in the video wearing a ****** cap with the Vivint logo. “This behavior is abhorrent and in no way reflects the values of our brand,” read a company statement. Neither Vivint or the Phoenix Open identified the man in the video by name. Brudenell is also seen wearing a green shirt with a ****** logo that appears to be from The Raven Club, a private golf course located on East Baseline Road between 40th and South 32nd streets in Phoenix. As of Friday night, the club had not responded to requests for comment or confirmed whether Brudenell was affiliated with them as a member or employee. Pushback against similar incidents In recent weeks, there have been instances across the country where individuals have received backlash for expressing perceived neo-Nazi or racist sympathies. Calvin Robinson was defrocked as a priest by the Anglican Catholic Church following a Washington, D.C., appearance where he appeared to mimic Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO had raised his right hand during a Jan. 20 rally for President Donald Trump’s inauguration, a gesture widely interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute.Laura Smith resigned from the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors in Pennsylvania after a video she posted on social media showed her smiling as she did a salute similar to Musk’s. The ADL initially dismissed Musk’s actions as an “awkward gesture.” However, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt later condemned Musk’s use of Nazi references as puns on his social media platform X, calling it “inappropriate and offensive.” Marko Elez, a 25-year-old staff member in Musk’s federal Department of Government Efficiency, resigned after controversial posts he made on X were uncovered. Over the past few months, Elez shared messages such as “Normalize Indian hate” and “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool.” His posts also supported eugenics in immigration policy and advocated for the repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. On Friday, Musk announced in a post on X that he was reinstating Elez. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Open’s viral video of racist tirade was before man’s arrest Source link #Phoenix #Open #attendee #viral #video #hurls #slurs #Nazi #symbolism Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nets waive Ben Simmons after 2-plus seasons – The Athletic – The Athletic Nets waive Ben Simmons after 2-plus seasons – The Athletic – The Athletic Nets waive Ben Simmons after 2-plus seasons – The Athletic The AthleticSources: Simmons bought out; Cavs, Clips next? ESPNBen Simmons hits NBA buyout market, and at least three teams will meet with former All-Star, per reports CBS SportsNets Buy Out Ben Simmons hoopsrumors.comNBA buyout market tiers: 35 players to watch now that 2025 trade deadline has passed The Athletic Source link #Nets #waive #Ben #Simmons #2plus #seasons #Athletic #Athletic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

England 26-25 France: Elliot Daly’s 79th-minute try seals precious Six Nations win England 26-25 France: Elliot Daly’s 79th-minute try seals precious Six Nations win England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Martin, T Curry, Earl, Willis Replacements: George, Baxter, Heyes, Chessum, Cunningham-South, B Curry, Randall, Daly France: Ramos; Penaud, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Roumat, Meafou, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt. Replacements: Marchand, Baille, Colombe, Auradou, Guillard, Jegou, Le Garrec, Gailleton. Source link #England #France #Elliot #Dalys #79thminute #seals #precious #Nations #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Maps changed the way we get around. It all began in a spare bedroom in Sydney | Technology Google Maps changed the way we get around. It all began in a spare bedroom in Sydney | Technology Stephen Ma has every right to claim bragging rights for helping to hatch the world’s most popular online mapping platform. Instead, for the past two decades Ma, one of the four co-founders of Google Maps, has buried himself in a big ****** hole of anonymity. But not because of any shame or regret – it’s just that he isn’t one to blow his own trumpet. “I tend to be a very private person,” Ma says in a rare interview. “I find the limelight uncomfortable.” In the years since launching on 8 February 2005, Google Maps has wormed its way into our daily lives, becoming – like water or electricity – an essential service. It’s a pocket atlas, compass, restaurant guide, bus timetable and the go-to search and recommendation engine for all our geospatial queries. Google Maps has become an online juggernaut boasting more than 2 billion monthly users worldwide that remains on a trajectory of relentless expansion in both scope and scale. It also powers countless third-party platforms like Airbnb, Uber, real estate portals and food delivery and e-commerce platforms that rely on Google Maps’ locational and navigational prowess. The technology is now a key pillar of the Google/Alphabet technology complex, a company the author and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari describes as one of our “unfathomable, algorithmic overlords”. Now, on the eve of Google Maps’ 20th anniversary, the 54-year-old *********** software engineer has had a change of heart. He wants to write himself back into the foundation story – as well as acknowledge others whose contributions have been overlooked or undersold. ‘I’m actually surprised how similar [the prototype] looks to what Google Maps looks like today,’ Ma says. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian Being recognised as a Google Maps founder still garners a lot of respect from the Stem community – particularly in Australia, where Google Maps was born. It might not make you a household name, but it can open doors. Stephen Ma’s story begins in the New South Wales country town of Cooma, where his family ran a ******** restaurant. For 20 years until the mid-1980s, the Dragon’s Gate was a fixture on Cooma’s main street, serving Cantonese-*********** favourites such as chicken chow mein and sweet and sour pork. It provided a livelihood for the extended family and everyone pitched in. When he wasn’t attending school, Ma worked the till, taking payments, bookings and takeaway orders. In all other respects, however, he remembers it as a normal childhood – much of which was spent in front of screens. “I did a lot of the stereotypical tech nerd things like playing video games and learning how to program on an Apple II computer,” he recalls. By 1998, Ma had graduated from university and was working in Sydney when he landed a job in Silicon Valley, just as the dotcom ***** was careering towards peak insanity. Then the bubble burst and by the early 2000s Ma, along with thousands of others in the tech sector, found themselves unemployed. Returning to Sydney, he was contacted by a former colleague and fellow *********** called Noel Gordon who invited Ma to join him and two other unemployed software engineers – Danish brothers Jens and Lars Rasmussen – to work on a startup. Their big idea was to build a new type of mapping platform. At that time, the undisputed market leader in online mapping was MapQuest, which had been acquired by the internet giant AOL in 1999 for the then staggering sum of $US1.1bn. But MapQuest was clunky and lived halfway between the digital and analogue worlds: a user plotting a route had to print the turn-by-turn directions from their desktop or laptop computer. It was a digital dinosaur, completely unaware of the approaching cataclysm. Calling themselves Where 2 Technologies, the four partners based themselves in the spare bedroom of Gordon’s apartment in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill and began building a Windows application program they dubbed Expedition. A screenshot of the 2004 prototype Ma shows me has a familiar look and feel. There’s an address bar at the top and in the centre, a map of downtown San Francisco with a route following Interstate 80 over the Bay Bridge highlighted as a red line. Two location pins, in the form of an American-style letterbox on a pole, mark specific locations. “I’m actually surprised how similar it looks to what Google Maps looks like today,” says Ma, inspecting the screenshot for the first time in many years. The Where 2 team was acquired in 2004 by Google; months later, Google Maps made its debut. Photograph: Algi Febri Sugita/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock This was the demo they presented to Sequoia Capital, the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has been bankrolling some of the biggest names in the startup world since the 1970s. The Where 2 crew was hoping to secure some seed funding and take the pressure off their dwindling personal savings and maxed-out credit cards. But in March 2004, Yahoo Maps launched a new feature called SmartView, enabling users to conduct map-based searches for categories like restaurants and entertainment. Today, it’s a standard feature on all online maps; back then, it was groundbreaking enough to spook Sequoia into pulling the plug on the deal. As a consolation prize, the Where 2 team was introduced to Google, one of Sequoia’s star clients. And not just anyone at Google: they got to present their demo to Larry Page, one of Google’s co-founders. Page was impressed but had no interest in desktop software. “We really like the web,” he told the Rasmussen brothers – meaning Google was only interested if the map features worked in the web browser. The Where 2 team scrambled together a web version of their program using a little-known set of web development techniques known by the acronym Ajax, short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a web language. It meant an already loaded webpage could fetch new data – in other words, update itself – without needing to refresh the entire page. Instead of loading a massive image of a map, the webpage would load multiple smaller map tiles and display them as required. It gave the sense of dynamic, frictionless motion you now experience on all online mapping platforms. The demo was a hit. Google hired the Where 2 team and subsequently bought their intellectual property for an undisclosed price. “Google was very good at picking up good teams at very low prices because there was no competition in the acquisition space at that time,” says Ma. The Where 2 ***** price has never been revealed, but there are clues in Google’s 2004 annual report: it disclosed that $US66m was outlaid in a combination of cash, future performance bonuses, shares and options for four small acquisitions, including Where 2. That would be have been split between multiple owners. Since then, shares in Google’s holding company Alphabet have surged. Adjusting for stock splits, a share was worth about $US2 when the company floated in 2004. This week, shares are trading in the $US190 to $200 range. On 7 June 2004, the Where 2 crew turned up for work as Google employees at the company’s Sydney office, which at that time only comprised six salespeople. Eight months later, Google Maps made its debut. “It’s a great product and they did what they did very successfully,” says Prof Scott McQuire, a professor of media and communications at the University of Melbourne. “[But] Google Maps works on the basis of data extraction. It’s getting location information, so that’s very valuable data for all kinds of people who want to gather information about you.” Ma says commercialisation and data mining were not on the radar when he was working on the maps. These emerged after he moved on to other projects in 2006. “I don’t think we were thinking about it too much about it at the time,” he says. “The prevailing belief was that once you get the users on board, you could then figure out a strategy.” He acknowledges the privacy concerns: the task of keeping companies honest and transparent is partly in the hands of the user and partly the responsibility of governments, he says. “The biggest issue is the fact that the technology landscape changes so quickly. It’s very hard for these regulatory mechanisms to keep up.” It’s not just privacy that is raising red flags, however. There’s also an emerging anxiety about the effect overreliance on satellite navigation – and by inference, Google Maps – is having on brain function. Recent scientific studies show that extended reliance on these drivers’ aides may be associated with a reduction in the hippocampus, the part of the brain dealing with spatial memory. This could be a factor in cognitive decline. Ma acknowledges that there are potential dangers in the uptake of many new technologies, but believes we should be aware more than concerned. “I think as humans, we are very adaptable. But are we adapting it in a way that is overcoming the potential detriment? I don’t know.” ‘Knowing that so many people are using something that I helped build, that’s probably the most satisfying part of it,’ … Stephen Ma. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian Ma is not the type of garrulous, big-vision character usually associated with the startup scene. He’s a bit unkempt, a bit traditional and not one for chit-chat. But he is proud of the role he played in getting Google Maps off the ground. “There are ways to feel rewarded. It could be monetary, it could be recognition,” he says. “But knowing that so many people are using something that I helped build, that’s probably the most satisfying part of it.” In terms of who gets the credit, Ma says while there were originally four people behind Where 2, most of the kudos should go to Jens and Lars Rasmussen: it was their idea in the first place. But there are others whose contributions have been overlooked. In particular, he cites Bret Taylor, James Norris, Andrew Kirmse, and Seth LaForge, whose names were also included on the original Google Maps patent. If there are any arguments about Google Maps’ origin story, Ma says this list should settle the dispute. “I think it’s important because quite often the perception is that one or two people are responsible for the majority of the work, whereas almost always it’s going to be a team.” Noel Gordon, Ma’s Google Maps co-founder, describes Ma as a “rockstar software engineer” who can write beautiful code with “no **** on it”. “Stephen is one of those people who gets straight to the point that needs to be solved, really quickly. He’s just one of a kind.” These days, Ma is working with a partner in a venture called Reggie Health. It uses AI to automate administrative tasks for healthcare providers and anyone else who needs to juggle appointments, manage patients and send reminders. Since leaving Google 14 years ago, Ma has only ever worked in startups: up to this point, none has been successful. But that doesn’t deter him. He’s someone who gets a thrill from tackling problems and finding solutions. Source link #Google #Maps #changed #began #spare #bedroom #Sydney #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Call to end 'tech bro' era to bolster national security Call to end 'tech bro' era to bolster national security The gender gap in the cyber industry has been called out as a “security risk” that leaves many women and girls more vulnerable in a diverse threat environment. Source link #Call #039tech #bro039 #era #bolster #national #security Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. sales of non-alcoholic drinks surge ahead of the Super Bowl U.S. sales of non-alcoholic drinks surge ahead of the Super Bowl 2025 might be the year of the sober Super Bowl. With the championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles right around the corner, NielsenIQ (NIQ) reports that sales of non-alcoholic liquor, beer, and wine have jumped 26 percent in the U.S. this past year, coming in at $800 million. Non-alcoholic beer represented 84 percent of all sales with Athletic Brewing, Bud Zero, and Heineken 0.0 being the top three brands loved by alcohol-free drinkers. Heineken 0.0 was famously introduced in the first non-alcoholic drink brand commercial during the 2023 Super Bowl. This year, Michelob Ultra Zero will debut during the commercial breaks. Amid the rise in alcohol-free consumption, U.S. sales of alcohol have reportedly dropped by one percent for the first time since 2022. In fact, 41 percent of Gallup’s survey participants confessed they no longer consume alcohol. This was the highest percentage recorded in 25 years. Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption was at a high, with 67 percent of people saying they occasionally drink alcohol in 2022, up from 60 percent in 2021. NIQ attributed the rise in non-alcoholic sales to an emerging “mindful drinking” trend in the country. To be a “mindful drinker,” you must be aware of how much alcohol you are consuming and when you may be consuming too much. U.S. sales report shows a 26 percent increase in alcohol-free beverages (Getty Images/iStockphoto) “Consumers have opted for a moderation mindset, where they may have overconsumed to their liking during the at-home ******* during Covid, and coming out of that, they were a little more focused on health and wellness,” NIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault said. Other popular wellness fads with a focus on minimizing alcohol intake and overall health, specifically after the holidays, are “Dry January” and “75-hard.” Dry January is a challenge designed to give your body a reset by refraining from alcohol consumption that month. 75-Hard, on the other hand, is a program that includes a strict, everyday workout regimen, as well as diet modifications and reading requirements. Surprisingly, Gen Z does not appear to be one of the driving generations behind the alcohol-free movement. NIQ found the generation of individuals aged 21 and up to be the “growing cohort in alcohol purchasing.” “Gen Z emerged as a key player, influencing trends in consumption and premiumization,” the trend report reads. That said, Tom Holland, a 28-year-old Gen Z star, is championing non-alcoholic drinking with a new alcohol-free beverage brand called Bero. The Spider-Man lead’s idea for his company percolated amid his Dry January in 2022, a time that inspired his sobriety for the past three years. “I was definitely addicted to alcohol. [I’m] not shying away from that at all,” Holland confessed on the Jay Shetty Podcast, noting how he’d originally planned to only extend Dry January until his birthday that June. “A lot of low and non-alcoholic beers just don’t quite hit the mark, and that’s where Bero comes in,” Holland said. “We want people to feel good about drinking in moderation without missing out on anything fun. We focused on using top-notch ingredients and our brew master and his team have worked so hard at crafting beer that I am so proud of and love.” Source link #U.S #sales #nonalcoholic #drinks #surge #ahead #Super #Bowl Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Seagate’s fraudulent hard drives scandal deepens as clues point at ******** Chia mining farms Seagate’s fraudulent hard drives scandal deepens as clues point at ******** Chia mining farms A Heise investigation of used Seagate datacenter-grade hard drives sold as new revealed that they originated from ******** cryptocurrency mining farms that used them to mine Chia several years ago. This does not deny that the fraudulent HDDs were obtained from channels that did not buy from official distributors; the results confirm this. Investigations suggest the used HDDs originated in China, likely from cryptocurrency mining farms that previously mined Chia. During Chia’s peak, HDD demand surged, leading to shortages and price hikes. However, the economic sense of Chia mining declined over time, leading to many farms shutting down and flooding the market with second-hand drives. According to the report, these drives — many with 15,000 to 50,000 hours of prior use — had their internal records altered to appear unused. Seagate denies involvement; it has launched an investigation and now offers a tool to determine whether HDDs are shiny new or used (more on later). Reports — over 200 of them so far — of affected HDDs have now surfaced worldwide; cases reported include not only in Europe but also in Australia, Thailand, and Japan. The fraudulent sales were first reported in January when it was discovered that supposedly new Seagate Exos datacenter-grade HDDs had been used for thousands of hours. Resetting the SMART parameters that track drive usage concealed the actual wear. However, a deeper analysis using a query of the FARM (field-accessible reliability metrics) values reveals the operational history. Retailers have responded differently to the scandal. Alternate claims neither the store nor its ******* suppliers knew the drives were not new, but it suggests customers contacted the store using an email. Galaxus has set up an online help page, while Proshop allows free returns and replacements. Some sellers state that warranty laws apply, while Wortmann insists on checking the HDDs before offering compensation. Seagate has distanced itself from the issue, insisting it only distributes genuine new drives. It announced a full-scale investigation and has urged affected buyers to report fraud cases directly via *****@*****.tld. The company believes the drives were resold as new somewhere in the secondary market before reaching customers. Buyers concerned about their purchases can verify HDD usage. SMART parameters are sometimes unreliable, but the true operational time can be checked using FARM values. To do this, one has to use the Smartmontools application version 7.4 or higher (via command: smartctl -l farm /dev/sda) or Seagate’s Seatools software. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Seagates #fraudulent #hard #drives #scandal #deepens #clues #point #******** #Chia #mining #farms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China landslide: More than 30 missing in Sichuan – BBC.com China landslide: More than 30 missing in Sichuan – BBC.com China landslide: More than 30 missing in Sichuan BBC.comChina hunts for survivors following landslide in Sichuan province Al Jazeera EnglishLandslide in southwest China prompts search for dozens; hundreds forced to evacuate CBS News30 missing, homes buried in landslide in southwest China South China Morning PostLandslide in Southwest China Leaves Over 30 Missing, CCTV Says Bloomberg Source link #China #landslide #missing #Sichuan #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

I used the Asus Chromebook CM14 for everything from productivity to gaming and found its performance as light as its weight I used the Asus Chromebook CM14 for everything from productivity to gaming and found its performance as light as its weight Asus Chromebook CM14: Two-minute review The Asus Chromebook CM14 occupies the lower end of the market with its low price and spec, but it aspires to nail the basics. It boasts a thin and light design that’s impressive for a 14-inch Chromebook. The steely ****** colorway is fairly austere but it looks smart. Build quality is also good, although the lid is a little flimsy – still, it does recline all the way back to 180 degrees, so it’s certainly flexible. The partially recycled materials feel solid, and the keyboard is laid nicely, with plenty of space between keys whilst remaining compact, which is a combination I prefer. There’s also a good selection of ports on the Asus Chromebook CM14, with two USB-C ports, a SuperSpeed (SS) USB-A port, a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone port. What isn’t so good, however, is the display. It lacks the clarity and sharpness of some of the best Chromebook devices around, and it’s too reflective when it strays even marginally beyond the optimal viewing angle, either washing out or blacking out entirely. Things are worse when it comes to performance. Although it can handle light productivity, general browsing, 2K video playback and some light gaming, it can struggle with these on occasion. What’s worse, though, is that it’s severely hamstrung by multitasking, with stutters, slow downs, and crashes a frequent occurrence, at least when equipped with 4GB of RAM, which is low by today’s standards. The typing experience of the Asus Chromebook CM14 is pleasant enough, thanks to the tactile feel of the keys and their low profile. However, the touchpad is another drawback, as there’s too much friction; the surface is nowhere near as smooth as that on, say, the best MacBook models. And no matter what you do with the sensitivity settings, it either travels too much – continuing to move even once your finger stops – or too slowly, making it feel sluggish and imprecise. One of the saving graces of the Asus Chromebook CM14, though, is the battery life. It lasted over nine hours during our battery test, which isn’t that far off its claimed 15 hour figure. It’s also quite quick to charge, taking about four hours to replenish completely from empty, again close to Asus’ claim. The Asus Chromebook CM14 is also very cheap, and undercuts many other Chromebooks, even those that are considered good value. But performance is sacrificed, especially when multitasking. If you’re on the lookout for Chromebooks that won’t break the bank, then the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is the best in this regard, while the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is great for students. Asus Chromebook CM14: Price and availability (Image credit: Future) $299 / £299 (about AU$473) Available now in ****** Cheaper than the competition The Asus Chromebook CM14 costs $299 / £299 (about AU$473) and is available now in one color: ******. It can be configured with 4GB or 8GB of RAM, but only one storage size: 64GB. It’s cheaper than the best laptops in the budget-friendly realm, and even cheaper than the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook, which is the best Chromebook for those on a budget in our view. However, the IdeaPad Flex 3 is a 2-in-1 device, so can be used like a tablet when the mood strikes. It also has an even better battery life than the Asus Chromebook CM14, and is built like a tank to boot. For about the same price or cheaper than the Asus Chromebook CM14 in some territories, you could have the Acer Chromebook 314, which is one of the best student Chromebook picks for those on a budget. Like the Asus Chromebook CM14, it has a great battery life, but with the added benefits of a 2-in-1 design and an impressive display – aspects the Asus Chromebook CM14 lacks. Asus Chromebook CM14: Specs The review unit of the Asus Chromebook CM14 I had was configured with 4GB of RAM. Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell – Column 0 Asus Chromebook CM14 Price: $299 / £299 (about AU$473) CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 520 2.0 GHz (1M Cache, up to 2.0 GHz, 8 cores) Graphics: ARM Mali-G52 MC2 RAM: 4GB Screen: 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9 aspect ratio, non-touch screen Storage: 64GB eMMC Ports: 1x Type-A USB, 2x Type-C, 1x Micro SD, and 1x headset jack Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2, Bluetooth 5.3 Camera: 720p HD camera with privacy shutter Weight: 3.20lbs (1.45kg) Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.93 x 0.72 inches (32.46 x 22.67 x 1.83cm) Asus Chromebook CM14: Design (Image credit: Future) Thin and light for its size 180-degree opening Not the sharpest display The Asus Chromebook CM14 sports a smart, understated design. The dull ****** colorway does little to inject much interest, but it certainly fits in a professional environment. It’s also pleasantly light and thin given its 14-inch size, weighing just 1.45kg (3.20 lbs). Both these aspects make it easy to travel with. The build quality seems quite good too, with the partially recycled materials appearing relatively robust for a Chromebook of this class. However, the hinge for the lid isn’t the tightest, causing the screen to feel a little flimsy, but I wouldn’t highlight this as a major concern. The hinges also prop up the back of the chassis when the lid is open past 90 degrees, but thankfully the bottom remains stable enough to type on. The lid also reclines all the way to 180 degrees, which provides flexible usage options. The two USB-C ports are a welcome addition considering their versatility, as they allow for power and data – including internet – to run through, as well as facilitating connections to a myriad of peripherals, including external displays. There’s also one USB-A port with SuperSpeed (SS) capability, a Micro SD slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack, useful for those using wired headphones or speakers. The display, on the other hand, is a let down. The 1366 x 768 resolution looks outdated, with an ever-present blurriness plaguing the interface, no matter how you resize it in the system settings. It also looks a little washed out, lacking the vibrancy of other Chromebook displays. It’s quite reflective too, with certain angles causing the screen to turn almost completely white or ******, depending on the ambient lighting. Asus Chromebook CM14: Performance (Image credit: Future) Handles light work and gaming Good for typing Terrible for multitasking Benchmarks These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Asus Chromebook CM14: TechRadar Battery Life Test: 9 hours and 26 minutes Jetstream2 Benchmark: 86.506 Kraken Benchmark: 1769.0ms Speedometer 3.0: 3.49 (±0.12) The Asus Chromebook CM14 handles the kind of light productivity Chromebook users typically perform reasonably well. Word processing and spreadsheet creation are viable, as is video playback, even at 2K resolutions – but expect the occasional buffer and slowdown at this quality. As for gaming, the Asus Chromebook CM14 can handle titles with low graphical demands smoothly. I was able to play Clash of Clans with no issue, and Asphalt Legends Unite was just about feasible on high settings; although it was prone to stutter and slowdowns, it wasn’t enough to render it unplayable. At lower settings and 30fps, it ran much more smoothly. I was also able to connect a controller via Bluetooth with no issue. More demanding games would be out of the question, though, as the spec is certainly no match for the best gaming laptops out there. Unfortunately, the Asus Chromebook CM14 falls flat when it comes to multitasking, with the 4GB of RAM installed in my test unit failing to handle even weak workloads. Lightweight applications, including Google’s own software, can create serious issues, with frequent slow-downs, freezes, and outright crashes. If you hope to run even a couple of apps in tandem, then you’ll likely be disappointed with the performance. Even Chrome can struggle to run with a less-than-moderate amount of tabs open, and basic ChromeOS functions, such as entering task view, can result in freezes too. (Image credit: Future) One of the more positive aspects of the performance, though, is the lack of heat and noise produced by the Asus Chromebook CM14. During my time with it, I never heard the fans whirring up under heavy loads, and it never got too hot to touch. Typing on the Asus Chromebook CM14 is mostly a pleasant experience as well, as the keys are well-spaced and provide enough tactility. Their profile is low too, which makes gliding around them easy. And despite the corner of my right palm making contact with the touchpad while typing, gestures, swipes and clicks never unintentionally registered. However, that’s about the only positive aspect of the touchpad, as it’s one of the more frustrating aspects of the Asus Chromebook CM14. No matter what sensitivity settings I used, cursor movements were either too sluggish or too fast, with the cursor continuing to move after my finger had stopped, making accurate navigation difficult. What’s more, the surface isn’t smooth enough and generates too much friction, causing a ****** rubbing sensation on the fingers. As for the webcam, the 720p resolution provides just enough clarity, but there is certainly an element of graininess to images. My camera footage did freeze when making a call in Google Meet, but this could’ve been more of a software glitch rather than a hardware one. The speakers on the Asus Chromebook CM14 provide reasonable playback quality, with little in the way of distortion and tinniness, as other Chromebook and laptop speakers can suffer from. However, as they’re located on its underside, audio is somewhat muffled, so those after the utmost clarity won’t be best pleased. However, I found them sufficient for calls and other content where sound quality isn’t a top priority. Asus Chromebook CM14: Battery life (Image credit: Future) Great battery life Better than rivals Quick charging too The Asus Chromebook CM14 redeems itself somewhat with its battery life. Asus claims it will last up to 15 hours, and during our benchmark, it lasted close to nine and a half hours, which is an admirable performance. Charging it from flat to full took about four hours, which is in line with what Asus claims. It beats the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, our current pick as the best student laptop, which only managed five hours according to our test and was one of the biggest drawbacks of that particular Chromebook. However, it is bested by the best Chromebook overall in our view, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314, which managed over ten hours. Should I buy the Asus Chromebook CM14? Swipe to scroll horizontally Attributes Notes Rating Price It might be cheap, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to good value. 3.5 / 5 Design The Asus Chromebook CM14 is light and thin, yet still a good size for easy use. The display is disappointing, though. 3.5 / 5 Performance It can handle light tasks by themselves, but becomes very sluggish when you attempt anything more. 2 / 5 Battery life Both the running and charging times are impressive, and closely match the figures Asus claims. 4 / 5 Total Score The overall form of the Asus Chromebook CM14 sadly isn’t matched by its functionality, as it struggles with even basic multitasking, while the display fails to inspire with its visual fidelity. It does have a low price, but for good reason. 3 / 5 Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… Asus Chromebook CM14 review: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell – Column 0 Asus Chromebook CM14 Acer Chromebook Spin 314 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Price: $299 / £299 (about AU$473) $380 / £329 (around AU$661) $349 / £399 / AU$549 CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 520 2.0 GHz (1M Cache, up to 2.0 GHz, 8 cores) Intel Pentium N6000 Processor 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N4020 (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 2.8GHz Burst) Graphics: ARM Mali-G52 MC2 Intel shared graphics Intel UHD Graphics 600 RAM: 4GB LPDDR4X 4GB DDR4 4GB DDR4 Screen: 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9 aspect ratio, non-touch screen 14-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080p 11-inch IPS touchscreen, 1,366 x 768 pixels Storage: 64GB eMMC 128GB eMMC 64GB eMMC Ports: 1x Type-A USB, 2x Type-C, 1x Micro SD, and 1x headset jack USB Type-C x 2, USB 3.1 x 1 , HDMI x 1 2x USB-C with charging, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1, Micro SD Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2, Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 802.11AC (2 x 2) WiFi, Bluetooth® 4.2 Camera: 720p HD camera with privacy shutter 720p webcam 720p webcam Weight: 3.20lbs (1.45kg) 3.42lbs (1.55kg) 2.64lbs ( 1.2kg) Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.93 x 0.72 inches (324.6 x 226.7 x 18.3m) 26.5 x 326 x 227mm 0.7 x 11.41 x 8.18 inches (17.8 x 290 x 207.8mm) If you’re in the market for a new Chromebook, here are some alternatives to the Asus Chromebook CM14… How I tested the Asus Chromebook CM14 Tested for about a week Used in a variety of scenarios Extensive laptop and Chromebook experience I tested the Asus Chromebook CM14 for about a week, during which time I used it for working, browsing, watching video content and playing games. I also connected various peripherals to it via Bluetooth and USB, including a mouse and a gamepad. I played games such as Clash of Clans and Asphalt Legends Unite. I used Google Docs and Google Sheets, and made use of third-party apps, including Steam and VLC. I also used other popular apps, including YouTube for watching video content in full-HD and ultra-HD. I also streamed video content via Twitch and made a video call to try out its webcam and inbuilt mic. I have experience testing laptops and have owned a number of such devices, including other Chromebooks, Windows and Mac laptops. Source link #Asus #Chromebook #CM14 #productivity #gaming #performance #light #weight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Parents suing TikTok over children’s deaths say it has ‘no compassion’ Parents suing TikTok over children’s deaths say it has ‘no compassion’ Laura Kuenssberg Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC From left to right: Parents Hollie Dance, Lisa Kenevan, Liam Walsh and Ellen Roome The four British families suing TikTok for the alleged wrongful deaths of their children have accused the tech giant of having “no compassion”. In an exclusive group interview for the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the parents said they were taking the company to court to try to find out the truth about what happened to their children and seek accountability. The parents believe their children died after taking part in a viral trend that circulated on the video-sharing platform in 2022. TikTok says it prohibits dangerous content and challenges. It has blocked searches for videos and hashtags related to the particular challenge the children’s parents say is linked to their deaths. The lawsuit, filed in the US on Thursday, claims that Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee, 12, Julian “Jools” Sweeney, 14, and Maia Walsh, 13, died while attempting the so-called “blackout challenge”. The complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware by the US-based Social Media Victims Law Center on behalf of Archie’s mother Hollie Dance, Isaac’s mum Lisa Kenevan, Jools’ mother Ellen Roome and Maia’s dad Liam Walsh. In the interview, Ms Kenevan accused TikTok of breaching “their own rules”. In the lawsuit, the families claim that the platform breached the rules in a number of ways, including around not showing or promoting dangerous content that could cause significant physical harm. Ms Dance said that the bereaved families were brushed off with “the same corporate statement” showing “no compassion at all – there’s no meaning behind that statement for them”. Ms Roome has been campaigning for legislation that would allow parents to access the social media accounts of their children if they die. She has been trying to obtain data from TikTok that she thinks could provide clarity around his death. Ms Kenevan said they were going to court to pursue “accountability – they need to look not just at us, but parents around the world, not just in England, it’s the US and everywhere”. “We want TikTok to be forthcoming, to help us – why hold back on giving us the data?” Ms Kenevan continued. “How can they sleep at night?” ‘No faith’ in government efforts Mr Walsh said he had “no faith” that the *** government’s efforts to protect children online would be effective. The Online Safety Act is coming into force this spring. But Mr Walsh said, “I don’t have faith, and I’m about to find out if I’m right or wrong. Because I don’t think it’s baring its teeth enough. I would be forgiven for having no faith – two and a half years down the road and having no answers.” Ms Roome said that she was grateful for the support she had from the other bereaved parents. “You do have some days particularly bad – when it’s very difficult to function,” she said. The families’ lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance claims the deaths were “the foreseeable result of ByteDance’s engineered addiction-by-design and programming decisions”, which it says were “aimed at pushing children into maximizing their engagement with TikTok by any means necessary”. And the lawsuit accuses ByteDance of having “created harmful dependencies in each child” through its design and “flooded them with a seemingly endless stream of harms”. “These were not harms the children searched for or wanted to see when their use of TikTok began,” it claims. Searches for videos or hashtags related to the challenge on TikTok are blocked, a policy the company says has been in place since 2020. TikTok says it prohibits dangerous content or challenges on the platform, and directs those who search for hashtags or videos to its Safety Centre. The company told the BBC it proactively finds and removes 99% of content that breaks its rules before it is reported. It says the law requires it to delete personal data, unless there is a valid request from law enforcement prior to the data being deleted. The interview will air on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One at 09:00 GMT on Sunday 9 February. Source link #Parents #suing #TikTok #childrens #deaths #compassion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Phillips ton powers New Zealand’s ODI win over Pakistan Phillips ton powers New Zealand’s ODI win over Pakistan Glenn Phillips has warmed up for the Champions Trophy with his first one-day international century as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 78 runs in the opening game of the tri-nation cricket series. Phillips smashed an unbeaten 106 off 74 ******, including six boundaries and seven sixes, at a newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday. The No.6 propelled New Zealand to 6-330 in their 50 overs on a flat wicket with Daryl Mitchell (81) and Kane Williamson (58) also getting the feel of the wickets for the upcoming Trophy with half-centuries. In reply, Fakhar Zaman, playing his first international in more than seven months because of illness, made a belligerent 84 off 69 – but the rest of the top-order batters struggled against spin as Pakistan were bowled out for 252 in 47.5 overs. Phillips capped a perfect day by trapping Zaman leg before wicket with his off-spin and also took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Babar Azam early in Pakistan’s run chase. Babar struggled in his new role as opener in ODIs for the first time since 2015 and scored a painstaking 10 off 23 ******. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner (3-41) clipped the top-order with his left-arm spin while Bracewell took 2-41. Fast bowler Matt Henry chipped in with 3-55. New Zealand, already sweating on the fitness of fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, had another injury scare when the ball hit Rachin Ravindra in the face as he misjudged a catch of Khushdil Shah in the outfield and had to leave the field. Phillips unleashed his power-hitting against Pakistan’s two premier fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah — in the last five overs that cost the home team 84 runs. Pakistan, who lost the toss, had kept New Zealand in check at 5-246 before Phillips cut loose. Williamson, playing his first ODI since November 2023, took his time to settle down. He reached the slowest ODI half-century in 82 ****** before he edged Afridi after sharing a 95-run stand with Mitchell. Mitchell survived a close run-out at the non-striker’s end before he had scored when Babar missed the stumps from close range, but settled in well to score nearly a run-a-ball before chipping a catch to midwicket. Pakistan also suffered an injury blow when Haris Rauf (1-23) had to leave the field due to side strain after he fell in his follow-through during his seventh over. He took no further part in the match. Phillips smashed three sixes against Agha, who filled in for Rauf, and then hit an audacious reverse scoop against Afridi which went for a flat six over third man. He reached his hundred in an expensive 25-run last over of Afridi, who ended up with 3-88 in 10 overs, while Michael Bracewell hit 31 in 23 ******. Lahore hosts the second game of the tri-nation series between South Africa and New Zealand on Monday. Source link #Phillips #ton #powers #Zealands #ODI #win #Pakistan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

100 slithery, venomous snakes found in homeowner’s backyard: ‘I’d be moving out!’ 100 slithery, venomous snakes found in homeowner’s backyard: ‘I’d be moving out!’ Boo, hiss. A homeowner was terrified to discover nearly 100 venomous snakes in a writhing ****** knot in his backyard — in a case experts have described as a “rare occurrence.” The trouble began last week when David Stein initially spotted a handful of the slithering creatures clustered together in his garden — leading the Australia man to immediately call in a specialized removal crew. David Stein immediately called Reptile Relocation last week after he spotted about six snakes at his home. AP While waiting for assistance, he began researching on the internet and learned that the snakes in question — red-belly ******* — are known to climb on top of one another before giving birth to a litter. Sure enough, when snake catcher Dylan Cooper arrived at Stein’s house in suburban Sydney a few hours later to help Stein remove the creatures from his yard, the pair discovered a whopping total of 102 of the poisonous beasts — from pregnant all the way down to newborns — hidden in the mulch. “Just seeing that amount in one group, it gives you a bit of the shudders,” Stein told the Associated Press. The men rolled up their sleeves and bagged the reptiles to take them away. Several of the snakes are believed to have given birth in the bag. Snake catcher Dylan Cooper arrived at Stein’s house a few hours later to help Stein remove the creatures from his yard when they discovered 102 pregnant and newborn ******* hidden in the mulch. REPTILE RELOCATION SYDNEY/AFP via Getty Images “You can get a decent number like that when the babies are hatching,” Reptile Relocation owner Cory Kerewaro said. “But to have this many venomous snakes, no one’s come across it.” In the end, the professionals counted five adult snakes and 97 offspring. “You can get a decent number like that when the babies are hatching,” Reptile Relocation Sydney owner Cory Kerewaro said. “But to have this many venomous snakes, no one’s come across it.” AP A video of the captured snakes squirming in a huge pile posted on Reptile Relocation’s Facebook horrified viewers. “I’d be moving out!” one person wrote online. “I wouldn’t even pack my stuff,” another agreed. “I’d just leave. The house, the mulch pile. It’s all theirs now!” A video of the captured snakes squirming in a huge pile posted on Reptile Relocation’s Facebook horrified viewers. AP However, Scott Eipper, an *********** snake expert, insisted “this is an isolated incident.” “It’s certainly a very rare occurrence,” he told the AP. The largest snake removal job Kerewaro has ever heard of was 30 non-venomous carpet Pythons. Stein was told more snakes could slither back to his property to give birth next year — so he’ll be making his lot much less hospitable for the creatures. Stein was told more snakes could slither back to his property in suburban Western Sydney to give birth next year — so he’ll be making his lot much less hospitable for the creatures. Sunrise “Within the next couple of days, this big pile of mulch will be gone,” Stein confirmed. Kerewaro has kept the snakes while determining the best way to release them back into the wild. “Because there was such a large number, obviously people were a bit concerned where 100 snakes were going to go,” Kerewaro said. He has been granted permission by government officials to release them into a national park but has yet to do so. To ease worriers’ minds, he insisted “they’ll be far enough away to avoid any human interaction: 100 snakes are going into the middle of the bush in the middle of nowhere.” While Stein quickly cleared his home in hopes of discouraging the snakes from returning, one man in Florida transformed his house into a haven for hundreds of exotic reptiles — and even lets his young kids cuddle with the slithery serpents in bed. “It’s normal for our family,” said Socratis Christoforu of Fort Lauderdale. His collection includes rare green tree pythons, Amazon basin boas, Boeleni pythons and two venomous species, including a rear-fanged Bioga. Source link #slithery #venomous #snakes #homeowners #backyard #moving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Bowl predictions, odds: 59 expert picks on score, spread, total, prop bets for Chiefs vs. Eagles 2025 – CBS Sports Super Bowl predictions, odds: 59 expert picks on score, spread, total, prop bets for Chiefs vs. Eagles 2025 – CBS Sports Super Bowl predictions, odds: 59 expert picks on score, spread, total, prop bets for Chiefs vs. Eagles 2025 CBS SportsSuper Bowl 2025: Predictions, picks, final score, MVP and more Yahoo SportsHistory at Stake: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs CNNWhat time does the Super Bowl start and end? Key times for Sunday’s big game CBS News Source link #Super #Bowl #predictions #odds #expert #picks #score #spread #total #prop #bets #Chiefs #Eagles #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israel and ****** exchange hostages and prisoners Israel and ****** exchange hostages and prisoners ****** released three Israeli civilians and Israel released 183 ************ prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement that has paused 16 months of war in Gaza. Source link #Israel #****** #exchange #hostages #prisoners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia’s new tech reduces VRAM usage by up to 96% in beta demo — RTX Neural Texture Compression looks impressive Nvidia’s new tech reduces VRAM usage by up to 96% in beta demo — RTX Neural Texture Compression looks impressive Nvidia’s RTX Neural Texture Compression (NTC) has finally been benchmarked, demonstrating the technology’s capabilities in an actual 3D workload. Compusemble on YouTube benchmarked Nvidia’s memory compression tech on an RTX 4090 at 1440p and 4K resolution, revealing a whopping 96% reduction in memory texture size with NTC compared to conventional texture compression techniques. Compusemble tested NTC in two modes: “NTC transcoded to BCn” and “Inference on Sample.” The former transcodes textures to BCn on load, while the latter only decompresses the individual texels needed to render a specific view, further reducing texture memory size. At 1440p with DLSS upscaling enabled, the “NTC transcoded to BCn” mode reduced the test application’s texture memory footprint by 64%, from 272MB to 98MB. However, the “NTC inference on sample” mode decreased the texture size significantly to just 11.37MB. Representing 95.8% reduction in memory size compared to non-neural compression and a 88% reduction compared to the previous neural compression mode. Compusemble benchmarks revealed that performance takes a minor hit when RTX Neural Texture Compression is enabled. “NTC transcoded to BCn mode showed a negligible reduction in average FPS compared to NTC off, though 1% FPS lows were noticeably better than regular texture compression with NTC disabled. “NTC inference on sample mode took the biggest hit, going from the mid-1,600 FPS range to the mid-1,500 FPS range. 1% lows significantly dropped into the 840 FPS range. First Look At RTX Neural Texture Compression (BETA) On RTX 4090 – YouTube Watch On Memory size reduction is the same at 1440p with TAA anti-aliasing instead of DLSS upscaling, but the GPU’s performance behavior differs. All three modes ran significantly faster than DLSS, operating at almost 2000 FPS. 1% lows in the “NTC inference on sample” mode ran in the mid 1,300 FPS range, a big leap from 840 FPS. Unsurprisingly, upping the resolution to 4K drops performance significantly. DLSS upscaling enabled shows an average FPS in the 1,100 FPS range in the “NTC transcoded to BCn” mode and just under 1,000 FPS average in the “NTC inference on sample” mode. 1% lows for both modes were in the 500 FPS range. Disabling DLSS in favor of native resolution with TAA anti-aliasing shows an average FPS boost into the 1,700 FPS range with the “NTC transcoded to BCn” mode and an average FPS in the 1,500 range with the “NTC inference on sample” mode. 1% lows for the former NTC mode were just under 1,100 FPS, while the latter mode’s 1% lows were just under 800 FPS. Finally, Compusemble tested cooperative vectors with the “NTC inference on sample” mode at 4K resolution with TAA. Cooperative vectors enabled resulted in an average frame rate in the 1,500 range, disabled average FPS plummets to just under 650 FPS. 1% lows similarly were just under 750 FPS, with cooperative vectors turned on; disabled 1% lows were just above 400 FPS, respectively. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Compusemble’s RTX NTC benchmarks reveal that Nvidia’s neural compression technology can reduce a colossal amount of a 3D application’s memory texture footprint but at the cost of performance, especially in the “inference on sample” mode. The most interesting aspect of the performance results is DLSS vs native resolution. The significant frame rate increase at native resolution shows that the tensor cores used to process RTX NTC are being taxed very hard, probably to the point where DLSS upscaling performance is hindered, enough to bottleneck the shader cores potentially. If this didn’t, we should see the DLSS mode operating at a higher frame rate than the native 4K TAA benchmarks. RTX Neural Texture Compression has been developing for at least a few years. The new technology uses the tensor cores in modern Nvidia GPUs to compress 3D applications and video game textures instead of traditional Block Truncation Coding. RTX NTC represents the first massive upgrade in texture compression technology since the 1990s, allowing for up to four times higher-resolution textures than GPUs are capable of running today. The technology is in beta, and there’s no release date. Interestingly, the minimum requirements for NTC appear to be surprisingly low. Nvidia’s GitHub page for RTX NTC confirms that the minimum GPU requirement is an RTX 20-series GPU. Still, the tech has also been validated to work on GTX 10 series GPUs, AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs, and Arc A-series GPUs, suggesting we could see the technology go mainstream on non-RTX GPUs and even consoles. Source link #Nvidias #tech #reduces #VRAM #usage #beta #demo #RTX #Neural #Texture #Compression #impressive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake CPU specs break cover — leak suggests up to 16 CPU cores and 180 total AI TOPS Intel Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake CPU specs break cover — leak suggests up to 16 CPU cores and 180 total AI TOPS When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Intel In a flurry of tweets detailing Intel’s upcoming processors, avid hardware leaker Jaykihn has shared specifications for Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake. Arriving in H2 this year, Panther Lake is the successor to Arrow Lake-H, which launched at this CES. Meanwhile, Wildcat Lake is rumored to power Intel’s next-gen N-series chips, designed for lightweight laptops and mini-PCs. Lunar Lake, crowned with the fastest integrated GPU per our testing, is a one-off design, as integrating memory directly into the CPU die has proven too costly for Intel to standardize. With no direct successor to Lunar Lake, Panther Lake follows Arrow Lake in less than one year, built using Intel’s flagship 18A process technology. Wildcat Lake has remained chiefly undercover, apart from a few design tools that surfaced at NBD. The same leaker claims it is designed for low-power and low-cost Chromebooks, mini-PCs, and embedded devices, and it succeeds the Alder Lake-N series. There have been rumors of an 18-core counterpart of Panther Lake, though the exact specifications of these SKUs haven’t been confirmed, per Jaykihn. Nonetheless, as reflected in the table below, the leaker has relayed details of three finalized Panther Lake variants. The top-end Panther Lake configuration boasts 16 CPU cores, likely based on Cougar Cove and Darkmont, alongside 12 Xe3 (Celestial) GPU cores. The second variant has fewer Xe3 cores but more PCIe 5.0 lanes, likely for a dedicated GPU. The third and last configuration features no E-cores, sticking to a 4P + 4LPE design. Wildcat Lake seemingly only has one variation with six cores (2P + 4LPE), presumably using the exact Cougar Cove and Darkmont cores as Panther Lake. However, the Compute Tile will likely only house the two P-cores, while the LPE-cores are expected to reside in the SoC Tile. On the other hand, 40 AI TOPS could make for some fascinating use cases of these processors in edge and mobile machine learning applications. Some SKUs may use LPCAMM, which offers fast and upgradable memory simultaneously. We don’t have an expected release timeframe for Wildcat Lake, but early 2026 or even late 2025 may be potential candidates. Source link #Intel #Panther #Lake #Wildcat #Lake #CPU #specs #break #cover #leak #suggests #CPU #cores #total #TOPS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

****** releases 3 frail-looking Israeli hostages for 183 ************ prisoners under Gaza ceasefire – The Associated Press ****** releases 3 frail-looking Israeli hostages for 183 ************ prisoners under Gaza ceasefire – The Associated Press ****** releases 3 frail-looking Israeli hostages for 183 ************ prisoners under Gaza ceasefire The Associated PressHamas frees 3 more hostages as part of ceasefire agreement with Israel Fox NewsIsrael and ****** complete fifth hostage-prisoner swap The GuardianIsraeli hostages and ************ prisoners freed as Israel condemns frail appearance of captives CNNHerzog: Emaciated hostages ‘a crime against humanity’; victims group: Evokes Holocaust The Times of Israel Source link #****** #releases #fraillooking #Israeli #hostages #************ #prisoners #Gaza #ceasefire #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Newcastle score controversial goal against Birmingham Newcastle score controversial goal against Birmingham Watch as Joe Willock brings Newcastle United level against Birmingham City after a “very, very tight” goal-line decision in the FA Cup fourth round. Source link #Newcastle #score #controversial #goal #Birmingham Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]