Australia wants to ban social media for under-16s, but it won't work
Australia wants to ban social media for under-16s, but it won't work
Attempts to prevent *********** children from accessing social media are likely to fail, and could do more harm than good
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#Australia #ban #social #media #under16s #won039t #work
Pelican News
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Canon imageCLASS LBP674Cdw review: quick and compact ******
Canon imageCLASS LBP674Cdw review: quick and compact ******
Canon ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw
MSRP $629.99
“Canon’s ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw offers excellent printing quality at incredible speeds.”
*****
Extremely fast print speeds
Excellent ****** document quality
Two paper trays
Easy setup and use
Reliable operation
*****
Tall for a print-only device
No borderless printing
****** cost per page is just OK
Canon’s ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is a high-performance ****** laser printer that promises to be a great fit with your busy office thanks tovibrant documents that roll out in seconds. This sturdy printer can handle heavy workloads and has expansion options to grow with your business needs.
While it’s built for work, you can also use the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw in a home office, where it can serve as a superfast photo printer, label maker, and all-around printer for schoolwork and projects. Since a durable, high-quality ****** laser printer can be expensive, I researched costs and reviewed the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw’s performance and usability to find out if it’s the best printer for your needs.
Specs
Canon ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw
Dimensions
16.8 x 16.9 x 15.0 inches
Weight
35.5 pounds
Print speed
35 ppm (******), 35 ppm (******)
Print resolution
1200 x 1200 dpi
Ports
Hi-Speed USB, 10/100/1000Base‐T/TX Ethernet
Paper capacity
250 sheets (main), 50 sheets (media)
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, dual-band
Design
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw’s 50-sheet multipurpose tray is convenient for envelopes and labels. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends
The Canon ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is a ****** laser printer that’s built to last. It’s a print-only model that stands 15 inches high. The footprint is a fairly standard 16.8 by 16.9 inches. While the 35.5-pound weight is enough to keep this printer steady, it’s more manageable than heavier all-in-one units with an automatic document feeder (ADF).
If you need an ADF, Canon’s ****** imageClass MF753Cdw is an excellent multifunction ****** laser printer that’s just as fast and matches the quality of the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw.
Canon reduced the boxy appearance, making the front a full inch shorter than the back, so the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw looks sleeker and aerodynamic. The height difference is practical as well. It’s a little easier to see the top of this somewhat tall printer, even if it’s on a counter-height stand.
A large, adjustable five-inch ****** touchscreen at the top right makes setup and maintenance easy. On the opposite side, Canon hid a USB-A port behind a tilt cover for walk-up printing.
There’s a button on the left side that pops open the front panel so you can access toner cartridges, but Canon shipped the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw with starter cartridges already installed.
The main paper tray slides out from the bottom and holds 250 sheets. A 50-sheet multipurpose tray tilts forward and provides a convenient way to print envelopes and labels.
Printing performance
Canon’s ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw delivers speed without sacrificing quality. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends
There’s no doubt that the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is fast. In fact, it’s one of the quickest ****** laser printers I’ve tested. The first page shoots out in just 7 seconds. Sustained print speeds for long documents reach up to 35 pages per minute (ppm), and ****** is just as fast as monochrome.
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw has great photo quality for a ****** laser printer. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends
Despite the blazing speed, ****** document quality is exceptional. There are no lines in ****** graphics and gradations are smooth. Photo prints look vibrant and have good detail, but there’s no borderless option. The only way to surpass this picture quality is by using an inkjet photo printer optimized for photographs.
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw handles monochrome printing with ease, delivering razor-sharp graphics and crisp text even when using fine print. Technical documents, specifications, envelopes, and labels are top quality.
Special features
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw’s shows thumbnails to simplify flash drive access. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw has a convenient USB-A port to the left of the output bin to allow for walk-up printing. Canon includes security features with this business printer so only authorized users can access this feature. Since I’m testing the printer at home, I used settings to unlock the thumb drive port for quicker access.
The content of the flash drive shows up in a list on the large ****** touchscreen, and I can even view thumbnails to help find photos visually. This feature lets me print to the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw without installing an app on my phone. It’s also useful when you want to let a guest use the printer.
Software and compatibility
Canon’s ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw connected to Wi-Fi quickly for fast ****** prints from any device. Alan Truly / Digital Trends
Canon’s quick-start guide instructed me to insert paper in the main tray, power on the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw, and then follow instructions on the touchscreen to complete the setup. The toner was already installed, making everything quick and simple. Wi-Fi connected instantly and the Canon Print mobile app saw the printer within seconds.
The only hiccup was when I skipped the option to set the Remote UI admin code and PIN. I soon regretted that decision since I needed that information for a firmware update. I scanned a QR code to get the manual and quickly found the default is 7654321 for each.
Remote UI provides convenient access to printer settings from a web browser if you don’t want to install Canon software. If you want to manage printing with this security feature, it’s easiest to set the codes when the opportunity arises.
Canon notes that the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is compatible with Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS computers, as well as iOS and Android phones. I connected via Wi-Fi. USB-B and Ethernet cables are supported for computer connection.
Price
Canon’s list price for the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is $630, but online retailers often discount it to $550 or less. It’s more expensive than HP’s equally fast ****** LaserJet Pro 4201dw, but has a few extras. While HP opted for a low-cost dial-based control scheme and monochrome display, Canon chose a large ****** touchscreen for printer setup and management.
While the purchase price of a ****** laser printer must be considered, toner costs have the most significant impact on the total cost of ownership. You’ll get the best value from high-capacity toner cartridges. Canon’s 069H ****** yields 7,600 sheets and lists for $184, while the standard 069 cartridge costs $98 and prints up to 2,100 sheets. That makes the cost per page (cpp) for monochrome documents 2 cents and 4 cents, respectively.
****** toner always costs significantly more. Canon’s high-yield ****** cartridges cost $226 and supply up to 5,500 sheets, while a standard ****** cartridge is $116 and prints about 1,900 pages. That means each ****** page costs 12 cents and 18 cents, respectively. That’s fairly standard for a ****** laser printer. If you want to minimize ****** toner costs, Brother’s HL-L3295CDW reduces the cost of ****** pages to as low as 10 cents if you invest in super-high-yield ****** toner.
Canon ships the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw with starter cartridges with reduced capacity, so you’ll need to purchase toner relatively quickly. The yield is approximately 1,100 pages for cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges and 1,200 pages for ******.
Is this the printer for you?
The Canon ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is a high-performance printer with exceptional ****** document quality and impressive photo prints. The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw feels quite sturdy and should last for many years.
Since all-in-one models sell in higher volume, the ****** imageClass MF753Cdw is sometimes available at a lower cost than the print-only models. However, the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdwyou is smaller and lighter and a large heavy unit is awkward to move.
The ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw can handle a heavy workload and Canon recommends a monthly print volume of up to 4,000 pages. An optional paper cassette adds a lower tray that can hold 550 sheets. Expanding paper capacity to 800 sheets and installing high-yield toner cartridges can keep a busy office rolling instead of stopping frequently to replenish supplies.
While the ****** imageCLASS LBP674Cdw is a fast, high-quality printer from one of the best brands, it’s worth shopping around. There are plenty of efficient and durable small business printers to choose from.
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Democratic senators ask Pentagon and DOJ to investigate any Elon Musk contact with ****** and other top Russians
Democratic senators ask Pentagon and DOJ to investigate any Elon Musk contact with ****** and other top Russians
Two top Democratic senators are asking the Pentagon and the Justice Department to investigate billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk’s reported contacts with Russian President Vladimir ****** and other top Russian officials in recent years.
Sen. Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a top member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, wrote a letter to Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch and Attorney General Merrick Garland Friday, urging them to determine whether Musk’s reported contacts with the Russians should force a review of the federal government’s contracts with his company, SpaceX. Reuters was first to report the request.
The Wall Street Journal reported in October that Musk has been in regular contact with ****** since late 2022, and that ****** asked Musk to activate his Starlink satellite internet program over Taiwan for ******** President Xi Jinping. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shaheen and Reed expressed concern that giving a security clearance to someone with a reported history of Russian communications could pose a national security risk.
“These relationships between a well-known U.S. adversary and Mr. Musk, a beneficiary of billions of dollars in U.S. government funding, pose serious questions regarding Mr. Musk’s reliability as a government contractor and a clearance holder,” the senators wrote.
The world’s richest man has become a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump in recent months, giving over $130 million to help elect him, campaigning and traveling with him, and weighing in on Cabinet picks. Trump announced earlier this week that he’s tapping Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
CBS News also reported Friday that Musk recently met with Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, at the ambassador’s residence in New York, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. The U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Iran.
The senators also sent a separate letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, expressing their concern that the Space Force’s reliance on SpaceX could also affect national security.
Eleanor Watson,
Camilla Schick and
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
Kathryn Watson
Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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#Democratic #senators #Pentagon #DOJ #investigate #Elon #Musk #contact #****** #top #Russians
Pelican News
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Germany’s Scholz urges ****** in phone call to open talks with Ukraine
Germany’s Scholz urges ****** in phone call to open talks with Ukraine
******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, r) and Russian President Vladimir ****** look up after several hours of one-on-one talks at a ****** press conference. Scholz met the Russian president for talks on the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border.
Kay Nietfeld | picture alliance | Getty Images
******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir ****** in a rare phone call on Friday to begin talks with Ukraine that would open the way for a “just and lasting peace.”
In a one-hour phone conversation, their first in almost two years, Scholz also demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and reaffirmed Germany’s continued support for Ukraine, a ******* government spokesman said.
The call comes as Ukraine faces increasingly difficult conditions on the battlefield amid shortages of arms and personnel while Russian forces make steady advances.
“The Chancellor urged Russia to show willingness to enter talks with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“He stressed Germany’s unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression for as long as necessary,” the spokesperson added.
Scholz spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of his call with ****** and would brief the Ukrainian leader on the outcome afterwards, the spokesperson said.
Germany is Ukraine’s largest financial backer and its largest provider of weapons after the ******* States, whose future support for Kyiv appears uncertain following Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the scale of Western financial and military aid to Ukraine and has suggested he can put a swift end to the war, without explaining how.
Scholz and ****** last spoke in December 2022, 10 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, plunging relations with the West into their deepest freeze since the Cold War.
Scholz, the most unpopular ******* chancellor on record, is preparing for a national election on Feb. 23 in which his Social Democrats face stiff competition from left-wing and far-right parties that are critical of Germany’s backing for Ukraine.
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#Germanys #Scholz #urges #****** #phone #call #open #talks #Ukraine
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Microsoft is About to Abandon Every ********* Xbox Fanatic That Defended Them from PlayStation
Microsoft is About to Abandon Every ********* Xbox Fanatic That Defended Them from PlayStation
For a long time, Xbox enthusiasts have been defending their hardware in the console wars against Sony’s PlayStation in countless online debates. These users have always been praising how Xbox has unique offerings, from its exclusive titles to its game-changing services like the Game Pass. These fans are loyal supporters who believed the brand was the ultimate gaming platform.
The loyal Users who have been defending the hardware are feeling frustrated after the recent marketing campaign. | Image Credit: Microsoft
However, after the recent interview with Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and the new marketing campaign, it looks like Microsoft is trying to change its promises that have the potential to leave the same loyal fans feeling betrayed. While this shift might be great news for the future of the company, it leaves a bad taste for the ********* fans who have supported the console-first vision of the brand for nearly two decades.
Xbox Shifting its Identity From A Box to A Platform
Spencer’s interview has painted a clear picture of the future of the brand. | Image Credit: Microsoft
In a recent interview, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer made it clear that the brand’s future ***** not in its traditional consoles, but in a broader vision of gaming. He wants to spread the brand far beyond just the confines of a living room. From the looks of it, the company is pivoting toward a future where the brand is a platform, not just a box.
Spencer’s goal is to make the games that the brand offers accessible from nearly anywhere, be it on smart TVs, PCs, phones, and even cloud-connected devices. When asked about the console he said:
Our biggest growth in Xbox players is on PC and cloud. The console space all up isn’t growing, across all of them. We love those customers, but in terms of continuing to expand and grow Xbox, it’s about PC, it’s about cloud, and it’s about making our games more available in more places.
This statement shows that from his perspective, this is a natural shift and reflects the growing importance of accessibility in the gaming world. With the demand for cloud gaming and cross-platform support increasing and the recent studio acquisitions by the company, the brand now offers a plethora of games.
To make these newly acquired games available to everyone, what’s better than to make them available on almost any device with an internet connection? In a way, he wants to break down the traditional barriers between consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.
However, for the ********* Xbox fans who’ve always associated the brand with physical consoles and exclusive content, this shift must be very frustrating and even painful as they defended the very idea of it being exclusive hardware, for years.
Is Microsoft Going to Abandon Its Consoles Altogether?
The fans are looking forward to seeing how the company handles its hardware. | Image Credit: Microsoft
While Spencer expressed great enthusiasm about expanding the brand’s accessibility to everyone, he was very quick to reassure the loyal fans that the company was not going to abandon the console’s hardware entirely. He even went ahead and said:
We’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices.
By saying this, he might be signaling that the company is looking to potentially enter the new gaming devices market. The recent trend of handheld consoles is certainly enticing as portable PCs/consoles like Valve’s Steam Deck and Asus’ ROG Ally become very popular. The unofficial member of the console war, Nintendo is also selling very well, despite still offering Switch.
All these future plans are very exciting to hear about but the core issue still ********: will these new devices replace the Series X and S or coexist side by side? From the instant response to promising future hardware, it is clear that Microsoft wants to create successors to Series X and S but what about the next one after that? The future seems blurry, and the hardware fans can only hope.
In the end, the “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign is both a blessing and a curse for the entire gaming community. While some are happy that there are fewer exclusive titles, others are worried that the efforts they put to defend the brand for years were a waste. Only time will tell what direction Microsoft will take.
Will Microsoft continue to prioritize hardware, or fully embrace its service model? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
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#Microsoft #Abandon #********* #Xbox #Fanatic #Defended #PlayStation
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Bluesky has no intention to train its AI on user content
Bluesky has no intention to train its AI on user content
Cristina Alexander / Digital Trends
After adding its 16 millionth user to the platform on Friday morning, social media platform Bluesky addressed concerns from the bevy of artists and content creators streaming over from X.com. The company has pledged that it has “no intention” of using their posted content to train generative AI.
A number of artists and creators have made their home on Bluesky, and we hear their concerns with other platforms training on their data. We do not use any of your content to train generative AI, and have no intention of doing so.
— Bluesky (@bsky.app) 2024-11-15T17:17:39.921Z
“Bluesky uses AI internally to assist in content moderation, which helps us triage posts and shield human moderators from harmful content,” the Bluesky team explained in a subsequent post. “We also use AI in the Discover algorithmic feed to serve you posts that we think you’d like. None of these are Gen AI systems trained on user content.”
Granted, Bluesky’s wording is not an outright denial that the platform could change course at some point in the future, as user Casey Johnston points out. However, it is a marked departure from the new rules being rolled out at X on Friday. The social media platform, run by billionaire Elon Musk, has announced that it has modified its privacy policy and will begin using its expansive archive of user posts to train the next generation of its Grok large language model.
This isn’t the first time that X.com has attempted to cannibalize its users’ content for private gain. The company quietly changed its privacy policy in July to give the company access to user-based training data. In mid-October, the company tried it again, this time allowing third-party “collaborators” to train models on X data, unless users opt out:
“Depending on your settings, or if you decide to share your data, we may share or disclose your information with third parties. If you do not opt out, in some instances the recipients of the information may use it for their own independent purposes in addition to those stated in X’s Privacy Policy, including, for example, to train their artificial intelligence models, whether generative or otherwise.”
Those policy changes take effect today, Friday November 15. All public posts, including the text, images, and interactions, can be harvested for training Grok (and any other models that the company plans to pursue). If you’d prefer your content not be scraped, you may want to take a deep ***** into how to clean up your social media accounts.
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#Bluesky #intention #train #user #content
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Elon Musk met Iran’s UN ambassador in New York
Elon Musk met Iran’s UN ambassador in New York
Elon Musk met Iran’s ambassador to the UN a day before he was made ****** head of Donald Trump’s new cost cutting department, the BBC’s US partner CBS has confirmed.
The meeting took place at ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani ‘s residence in New York, with the aim of discussing how to ease tensions between the two nations, according to the New York Times which first reported the story.
It is not clear if President-elect Trump or his national security team were aware of the meeting.
Several of the recent appointees to Trump’s national security team, including Mike Waltz and Marco Rubio are known Iran hawks, believing the US should take a tough stance against Iran.
The US does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran but a private meeting with Musk provided a workaround, allowing Iran to avoid a meeting with an ********* official, according to the New York Times.
The newspaper also said that Musk requested the meeting with the ambassador, and that it was described by Iranian officials as “positive” and “good news”.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said “We do not comment on reports of private meetings that did or did not occur.”
The Iranian mission to the UN and the White House declined a request for comment from CBS News.
During his first term as president, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, brokered in 2015 during Barack Obama’s presidency, and reinstated harsh economic sanctions which largely prohibit US companies from doing business in Iran.
Trump also ordered the air strike which ******* Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
The president-elect is also a strong supporter of *******, which has been at war with the Iranian-backed groups ****** and Hezbollah since ******’s 7 October ******* on ******* last year.
Musk was recently appointed ****** head of Donald Trump’s new cost cutting department, which will advise on government cost cutting but will not be an official arm of the government.
The tech billionaire and Tesla boss also joined Trump in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and has played a key role in providing communications to Ukraine’s military via his Starlink satellite internet system.
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#Elon #Musk #met #Irans #ambassador #York
Pelican News
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Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review – Mastered Masterpiece | The Outerhaven
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review – Mastered Masterpiece | The Outerhaven
The Outerhaven writes: The iconic third entry in the Dragon Quest series has now been remade in the HD 2D engine. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the best way to play Dragon Quest III. It looks beautiful, sounds amazing, and is an extremely satisfying game to complete.
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#Dragon #Quest #III #HD2D #Remake #Review #Mastered #Masterpiece #Outerhaven
Pelican News
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Boulter powers GB into BJK Cup quarter-finals
Boulter powers GB into BJK Cup quarter-finals
Katie Boulter cruises past Germany’s Laura Siegemund with a straight-sets win to put Great Britain into the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals in Malaga.
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#Boulter #powers #BJK #Cup #quarterfinals
Pelican News
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The best cards in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
The best cards in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Cards are what make up the entirety of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. You want to collect the rarest cards from Booster Packs to show your friends or win battles against them. But if you want to create the best possible deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket, you’ll need the best cards.
While the mainline Pokémon games are focused more on turn-based battles with real Pokémon, the Trading Card Game, now available on everyone’s mobile device, has a myriad of cards that range from useless to overpowered. We’ll give you a rundown of the best cards you should be using in at least one of your decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
The best Pokémon TCG Pocket cards
Gardevoir
Nintendo
A Stage 2 Pokemon evolved from Ralts and Kirlia, Gardevoir is a must-have card for any of your Psychic decks. Its passive ability, Psy Shadow, allows you to take one Psychic energy and bring it to the Psychic Pokémon in your active spot.
This means that if you have a Mewtwo ex in the active spot, it can use its most powerful move every turn. It requires four energy and consumes two. And with Gardevoir on the bench, you can feed your Mewtwo ex two Psychic energies each turn.
Giovanni
Nintendo
You may not think such a small boost of damage is worth a spot in your deck, but you’re wrong. Giovanni is a Supporter card that gives your Pokémon 10 extra damage to your *******. This ability comes into== clutch so often that you won’t even realize how many times it’ll win you games.
There will be many times in battle where you’re dealing damage to your opponent’s Pokémon and it’s left at 10 HP. Using Giovanni pushes it to a one-turn defeat instead of two, which can turn the tides of battle from losing to winning immediately.
Lilligant
Nintendo
Lilligant is useful both for her Leaf Supply ability, and her damage and health. Sitting at 100 HP, Leaf Supply only requires two Grass energy to deal 50 damage and place an extra Grass energy onto a benched Pokémon.
It only requires a Petilil to evolve from and is an easy way to build up to a Venusaur from a Bulbasaur on the bench. This way, your Venusaur won’t get hurt and Lilligant can tank some hits and deal damage back.
Misty
Nintendo
Misty is one of those Supporter cards that you should immediately craft if you haven’t already pulled one. It’s vital for any Water deck since she can make a Water Pokémon go from having no energy to an abundance of energy.
When you use Misty, you keep flipping coins until you get tails, and for every heads, you attach that amount of Water energy to one Pokémon. Some players have gotten lucky and pulled five, seven, and even up to a dozen energy just from how the RNG of this card works. It’s best to use her on a good Water ex card that needs a lot of Water energy.
Greninja
Nintendo
Another good card for a Water Deck is Greninja. Evolved from Froakie and Frogadier, Greninja can sit on your bench and still deal 20 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokémon every turn with its Water Shurikan passive ability.
It also has 120 health and the Mist Slash ability can dish out 60 damage just from two energy. This makes Greninja a great Pokémon to evolve to on your bench to act as backup for the Pokémon in your active spot.
Hypno
Nintendo
Speaking of cards with passive abilities, Hypno is a Psychic type that evolves from Drowzee. Every turn, you can use Hypno’s Sleep Pendulum, either on your bench or in the active spot, to flip a coin. If it’s heads, it puts your opponent’s active Pokémon to sleep.
Hypno is a great Pokémon to have sitting on your bench in any Psychic deck to try and inflict Asleep on your opponent since that can stop them from attacking during their turn. It also has 100 HP and its Psypunch ability deals 50 damage, which isn’t too bad coupled with its powerful Sleep Pendulum ability.
Butterfree
Nintendo
If you need some more healing Pokémon, get a Butterfree. This Pokémon evolves from Caterpie and Metapod, has 120 HP, and can deal 60 damage with its three-energy Gust move. Its best move is its Powder Heal passive ability, which lets it heal 20 damage to all of your damaged Pokémon.
So not only can you heal one Pokémon, but you can heal 20 damage from any Pokémon who is hurt. Alongside Venusaur (can heal itself with its best damage move) and Erika (can heal 50 damage from any Grass type), Butterfree can help keep your Grass Pokémon alive.
Ex cards
Nintendo
Since there are so many ex-type cards that are the best of the best, we’re grouping them all together to highlight the best ex cards you should use when making a deck.
Mewtwo ex: Is unstoppable with Gardevoir on the bench, has 150 HP, and can deal 150 damage with Psydrive.
Pikachu ex: Deals a total of 90 damage if there are three benched Pokémon. This Circle Circuit move only requires two energy.
Charizard ex: Although it costs four energy and discards two each time it’s used, Crimson Storm deals a whopping 200 damage. It also has a good chunk of health, which is 180 HP.
Zapdos ex: With only three Lightning energy, Zapdos ex will flip four coins and for each heads, it will deal 50 damage. This can make it deal up to 200 damage in one turn.
Starmie ex: Only requiring two Water energy, Starmie ex can use Hydro Splash to inflict 90 damage on an ******. It can also retreat for free.
Venusaur ex: Sitting at 190 HP, Venusaur ex can use Giant Bloom to deal 100 damage. It also heals 30 damage each time it’s used.
Articuno ex: Its Blizzard move only needs three Water energy to deal 80 damage. This move simultaneously deals 10 damage to all your opponent’s benched Pokémon.
Moltres ex: This Pokémon’s best move, Inferno Dance, only requires one ***** energy, but can flip three coins, and for every heads, it can grant ***** energy to any benched Pokémon. It also has 140 HP and can deal 70 damage with Heat Blast.
The best hidden gem cards
Nintendo
While the previous list showcased the best of the best cards, there are a few other underrated cards that are nearly as good and shouldn’t be ignored. They aren’t necessary for decks, but they can still be incredibly useful.
Koga: If you have a deck with Muk or Weezing, Koga is a good Supporter to have. He can pull these two Pokémon from your active spot right into your hand as a free retreat.
Pidgeot: A Stage 2 Pokémon evolved from Pidgey and Pidgeotto, Pidgeot has 130 HP and can deal 70 damage with its two-energy Wing *******. Not only that, but its passive ability, Drive Off, allows you to force your opponent to switch out their Pokémon from their active spot.
Ditto: When matched against the right deck, Ditto can use Copy Anything to copy any of your opponent’s Pokémon moves. You need the same energy type and amount, but if you’re lucky enoug,h it can come in handy.
Grapploct: Evolved from Clobbopuss, Grapploct has 130 HP and can inflict 70 damage with Knock Back. This move also pushes your opponent’s active Pokémon to the bench.
Kabutops: From Dome Fossil to Kabuto and Kabutops, this Pokémon can use Leech Life, only requiring one energy, to deal 50 damage and heal it for the same amount of damage it dealt.
Cinccino: Similar to how Pikachu ex works, Cinccino can use Do the Wave and will deal 30 damage for each of your benched Pokémon. This can deal a total of 90 damage if you have three on the bench.
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Gmail may add a handy temporary email address feature
Gmail may add a handy temporary email address feature
Future Gmail versions could include support for temporary email addresses if Google ever enables this feature that has been discovered within its app code.
Android Authority discovered the feature, referred to as “Shielded Email,” within the code of the recent 24.45.33 release of the Google Play Services APK. The publication detailed that its APK teardown revealed several clues about how the feature would work.
With such an ability, you could be able to select alternate addresses under your main account for several uses. A main function could be inputting an option that requires an email where you don’t want to use your actual email address. This feature could also be another effort against fighting spam, as well as increasing security measures within Gmail.
The Shielded Email system appears to work as a “single-use” or “limited-use” function, where Gmail will generate an alternate email for your account to use as you wish. When using the alternate address, all emails will be forwarded to your main account. Android Authority also found evidence of the feature within the Autofill settings menu, suggesting that it could be associated with filling out forms within the Google ecosystem.
If the feature was made available, we could see Google filtering mail from Shielded Email addresses to a different folder away from the primary inbox, much like how Gmail is organized into social, promotions, and updates folders. This would allow you to know where the email originates from, and that it isn’t spam. However, keep in mind that this feature was discovered and analyzed as an unofficial *****, and there is no confirmation that it will ever be publicly released.
The security factor of Shielded Email suggests you can use an alternate email to protect your main email from being subject to data breaches by dubious third parties. If something happens to your data with a Shielded Email, you can simply delete the address within your Gmail interface, preventing spam or further cybersecurity infringement.
Notably, Apple already has a feature for its Cloud Mail address accounts, called Hide My Email, that works similarly to Shielded Email. You’re able to edit, deactivate, or reactivate addresses created with Hide My Email. Apple detailed how you can use Hide My Email addresses for “filling out a form on the web or signing up for a newsletter.” However, the feature is only available to iCloud+ or Apple One subscribers.
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Body found in search for former jockey Keith Banks
Body found in search for former jockey Keith Banks
Police have found a body believed to be former jockey Keith Banks following a widespread search for the 81-year-old in NSW’s Hunter region.
Mr Banks was reported missing after he was last seen at his Woolooma home on Monday afternoon.
Police and family held concerns for Mr Banks, who had dementia, due to his health.
He left his home, east of Scone, in a dark grey Honda sedan and stopped at the Gundy General Store.
A multi-agency search was launched and his vehicle was found at Upper Rouchel on Wednesday afternoon.
Camera IconFormer jockey Keith Banks went missing from his Woolooma home earlier this week. NSW Police/Supplied. Credit: News Corp Australia
On Friday, a body was located at Upper Rouchel.
NSW Police said the body had not been formally identified but was believed to be Mr Banks.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Mr Banks had a 28-year career as a jockey including riding in two Melbourne Cups.
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X sues California over deceptive AI-made election content ban
X sues California over deceptive AI-made election content ban
Elon Musk’s X is taking the state of California to court over a new law that prevents the spread of AI-generated election misinformation. reports that X filed a lawsuit against AB 2655, also known as the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024, in a Sacramento federal court.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on September 17, creating accountability standards for using false political speech faked with AI programs close to an election. The legislation prevents the distribution of “materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate within 60 days of an election at which the candidate will appear on the ballet.”
X argues that the law will create more political speech censorship. The complaint says the First Amendment “includes tolerance for potentially false speech made in the context of such criticisms.”
Newsom signed AB 2655 into law as part of a large package of bills addressing concerns about the use of AI to create ********* explicit deepfakes and other deceptive material. The next day, a federal judge issued against the law and other bills from Newsom’s signing.
California has become one of the epicenters of debate over the use and implementation of AI. Concerns about the use of AI in film and television projects, among other issues, prompted to go on strike in 2023. SAG eventually reached a deal that included AI protections for actors prohibiting studios from using their likeness without permission or proper compensation. The following year, the state of California passed AB 2602, a law that makes it ******** for studios, publishers and video game studios to use someone’s likeness without their permission.
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Texas court allows ********** of inmate convicted of ‘shaken baby’ *******
Texas court allows ********** of inmate convicted of ‘shaken baby’ *******
By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said the state could set a new ********** date for a man convicted of murdering his toddler on evidence of “shaken baby syndrome,” ruling that a legislative committee exceeded its authority in delaying the sentence.
The court granted a temporary stay in October, halting the ********** so it could consider the request by the legislators. But that stay was vacated on Friday, which means the ********** can move ahead.
In October, Robert Roberson, 57, was set to become the first person in the U.S. to be ********* for a ******* attributed to internal brain trauma caused by violent shaking. He was convicted of ******** his two-year-old daughter Nikki in 2002.
Hours before the sentence was to be carried out, he was spared ****** by lethal injection because a ***-partisan group state lawmakers wanted him to testify before them about the case, and successfully petitioned the high court.
Lawmakers were reviewing Roberson’s case while debating whether to strengthen a Texas statute that addresses convictions linked to so-called junk science. While generally still accepted in the pediatric community, the theory that shaking can cause fatal brain injuries in children, especially those who show no other signs of injuries, has come under *****.
“Categorically prioritizing a legislative subpoena over a scheduled **********, in other words, would become a potent legal tool that could be wielded not just to obtain necessary testimony but to forestall an **********,” the Texas Supreme Court said in its ruling on Friday.
But the court also said that state lawmakers can still interview Roberson as long as the testimony does not interfere with a new ********** date.
Roberson has maintained his innocence, saying his daughter fell out of bed and stopped breathing – days after a doctor diagnosed her with a viral infection.
Gretchen Sween, Roberson’s lawyer, was not immediately available for comment on Friday. But she said in a statement to the media that, “Nikki’s ****** was a tragedy not a ******; Robert is innocent.”
“Given the overwhelming new evidence of innocence, we ask the State of Texas to refrain from setting a new ********** date,” she said.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Frank McGurty and Nick Zieminski)
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Ubisoft Clarifies Rumors About Animus Hub, The New Name Of *********’s Creed Infinity
Ubisoft Clarifies Rumors About Animus Hub, The New Name Of *********’s Creed Infinity
Ubisoft has responded to a big *********’s Creed ***** that revealed the first information about Animus Hub, which is the new name for the codename Infinity project. In a post on Reddit, Ubisoft said “inaccurate rumors” were spreading online, so it decided to clear a few things up.
First off, all rewards in the Animus Hub are “entirely free,” Ubisoft said. Additionally, there will be no paid subscriptions or paid battle pass in the Animus Hub. The company went on to say that it will add “content and missions” to the Animus Hub regularly at no extra cost.
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*********’s Creed Shadows – Who Are Naoe and Yasuke?
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More details will come closer to launch, Ubisoft said. Ubisoft’s Reddit post was the first time the company officially revealed the real name for codename Infinity, though a developer used its name back in June in a media interview.
The ***** revealed that players will be able to unlock a variety of cosmetics for their characters and weapons. As we reported previously, some of the cosmetics include futuristic ******* skins and armor alongside mythological mounts and resources that players can use inside the game, and one of the other leaked images shows co-protagonist Yasuke standing inside the Animus Hub.
Originally scheduled to launch in October, *********’s Creed Shadows was delayed to February 14, 2025 so that its developers would have more time to polish the game. In other news, *********’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Coté recently spoke about the modern-day aspect of the *********’s Creed Games, and how Ubisoft is aiming to introduce a new direction for the storylines set in modern times.
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Occidental Petroleum Hits New Low: Will Buffett Take the Bait?
Occidental Petroleum Hits New Low: Will Buffett Take the Bait?
Anyone watching the Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:) market will know that Warren Buffett has driven the price action. Fundamental qualities aside, Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE:) stock purchases began in early 2022, coinciding with an updraft in share prices, and have supported the stock numerous times since. With the stock falling below the trigger point, the question is if he’ll take the bait and buy more.
The Berkshire stake is already approaching 30% but could quickly grow to over 40% if more stock is bought, including warrants. Berkshire hasn’t purchased any OXY shares tracked by MarketBeat since June 2024, but the next may come any day.
Occidental Petroleum Had a Good Quarter: Reduces Debt
Occidental Petroleum had headwinds in Q3, but its operational performance offset them. The company $7.154 billion in net revenue, a decline of 3.3% compared to last year. However, ramping production in key energy-producing regions and strength in the mid and downstream segments led to sequential growth and outperformance.
Revenue outpaced the consensus by nearly 50 basis points, a slim margin. Still, it revealed the company’s resilience and improved operational quality, which resulted from CEO Vicki Hollub and the team’s efforts.
Margin and cash flow are central to the investment thesis. The company experienced margin contraction due to deleveraging oil and prices but offset the decline with efficiency improvements. The net result is operating and free cash flow margins of 53% and 21%, respectively, allowing for sustained capital return and debt reductions.
Among the report’s highlights is a $4 billion debt reduction, which puts the company on track to meet and exceed its near-term debt reduction target in FQ4.
The company is targeting $15 billion in ****** debt or less than 0.5X equity relative to the end of Q3. Regarding equity, the company’s positive cash flow quarter and debt reduction efforts allowed for a cash build and a 20% increase in shareholder value.
Occidental: Dividends Growth is in the Forecast
Occidental’s dividend is safe and expected to grow but is offset by dilution in 2024. The company isn’t selling tons of shares but has increased the float by 1.7% over the last few quarters. In contrast, the dividend is worth about 1.75%, trading near $49.50. However, the long-term outlook is for share sales to cease as the balance sheet improves and for the dividend to increase. Occidental’s balance sheet isn’t in bad shape but is burdened by debt following acquisitions. As it is, Occidental is running with net long-term leverage below 1X equity and pays less than 30% of its current-year earnings outlook. It has been increased 3 times since 2022 and is due for another this quarter.
The analysts’ response to the news is mixed. MarketBeat.com tracks several revisions, including increased and decreased price targets. The takeaway is that 20 analysts show a high conviction in the Hold rating, and the bias is bullish. 95% rate that stock as Hold or better, 35% as Buy, and the consensus price target assumes a 30% upside for the market.
Occidental Stock Price Falls to Critical Support
Occidental’s stock price is falling and may move lower. However, it is close to a critical support target that will likely bring in new money from the market, if not more money from Berkshire Hathaway. The level is near $48.25, coinciding with support and resistance targets dating to early 2020 and the mid-point of a large green candle sparked by Buffet’s initial buying spree. A move below it would signal a significant shift in market dynamics and raise the risk of a deeper decline. The more likely scenario is that the market and possibly Berkshire Hathaway will support the market.
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Value investor Einhorn’s latest moves: Gold, Peloton and agriculture
Value investor Einhorn’s latest moves: Gold, Peloton and agriculture
David Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital this week revealed a fresh stake in agriculture equipment maker CNH Industrial , and increased its bets on Peloton Interactive and gold in the third quarter. The hedge fund, which Einhorn founded in 1996, disclosed in its latest regulatory filing that it took a roughly $79 million stake in CNH during the latest quarter. On Wednesday, Einhorn told CNBC that the maker of tractors and harvesting equipment is an overlooked value play as the agricultural investment cycle nears a bottom. U.K.-based CNH, parent of the Case and New Holland farm businesses, also pays a 4.4% yield. “It’s exactly the kind of situation that absolutely nobody cares about right now because it’s cheap, and the news over the next ******* of time isn’t going to be very good,” Einhorn said at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha conference in New York City earlier this week. “This year, the ag equipment universe is probably 20% below its average. … And sometime three or four years from now, it’ll probably be 20% above.” Einhorn also increased his holding in Peloton by roughly 40%, bringing his stake in the company to about $45 million. Einhorn made a pitch on Peloton at the Robin Hood Investors Conference in October, saying shares of the exercise equipment company that thrived during the Covid-19 pandemic are significantly undervalued now. Peloton is up more than 29% year to date, but fell nearly 13% this week. The 55-year-old Cornell grad has been cautious on the market this year, saying it is the most expensive he has seen since the start of his career. That led him to buy medium-sized stakes in a few value companies and take a larger position in gold. Einhorn added 3.1% to his holding in SPDR Gold Trust in the most recent quarter, bringing it to $51 million. Einhorn also increased his stake in Capri Holdings , Penn Entertainment , HP and Roivant Sciences in the third quarter, while lowering his holdings in Graphic Packaging , Tenet Healthcare and Viatris . He sold his entire positions in health-care companies Sotera and Talis Biomedical . Greenlight’s hedge fund returned just 9% in 2024 through the end of the third quarter, net of fees and expenses, significantly underperforming the S & P 500 , given its limited exposure to the ” Magnificent Seven ” tech stocks that have helped drive sky-high returns this year.
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GTA Trilogy dev calls credits removal ‘a ***** move’
GTA Trilogy dev calls credits removal ‘a ***** move’
The CEO of Grove Street Games, the primary developer of the much-criticized Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive Edition ports, has blasted Rockstar for removing it from the games’ opening credits.
Earlier this week, a surprise update was released for GTA Trilogy, which made potentially hundreds of changes, including significantly overhauling the three-game package’s graphics.
However, one of the most notable changes was removal of Grove Street Games’ logo at the start of each game, and references to them in the games’ copyright blurb (however, their staff still remain in each game’s credits).
Now, Grove Street Games CEO Thomas Williamson has responded to the move, which seemingly came as a surprise to him. Writing on X, the owner criticized Rockstar for the opening credit removal, and claimed that his team was behind hundreds of fixes added in the recent update.
“Speaking entire hypothetically: It’s a ***** move to remove primary developers from credits in an update, especially when an update includes hundreds of fixes that were provided by those developers that stayed out of players’ hands for years,” he wrote.
Released in 2021, GTA Trilogy DE – which is made up of GTA3, Vice City, and San Andreas – received significant criticism for its disappointing presentation and visuals. However, Tuesday’s surprise update seems to have made big improvements.
Patch notes simply note that a classic lighting mode – previously added to the mobile versions last year – has been added to consoles. By itself, this appears to have improved the Trilogy’s visuals significantly, but fans have noted there are more changes than Rockstar has mentioned.
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Outlook for November 18-22, 2024
Outlook for November 18-22, 2024
What exactly President-elect Donald Trump’s second term means for the stock market will be the question investors continue to grapple with in the week ahead. Nvidia earnings results will also be on deck as investors deal with stubbornly high interest rates as well. The postelection rally took a pause this week, with all three major averages headed for losses after a historic rally in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s victory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged past 44,000 for the first time ever, and the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite similarly posted new records. Nevertheless, all three benchmarks are now off their highs. Many remain optimistic the recent momentum can lift an expensive equity market still higher straight through the rest of the year, and possibly right up to Inauguration Day. But investors are trying to understand what happens after the president-elect is sworn into office, seeking clarity on a number of campaign promises including tax cuts and tariffs that could spur domestic economic growth but aggravate inflation, and potentially upend markets in the process. “The real heavy lifting starts after [Inauguration Day], at which time, I think, the market will probably start to get bumpier,” said Jimmy Chang, chief investment officer at Rockefeller Global Family Office. On Friday, the three major averages were more than 1% off their record, each. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped back to around 4.5%, after being lower for much of the week. .SPX 5D mountain S & P 500 Nvidia’s ‘insane’ demand Nvidia reports next week, with expectations running high into the print, especially after CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime” last month that demand for the Blackwell AI chips is “insane” — a term the chief executive is unlikely to throw around lightly. Indeed, what will matter most to investors is not a beat in expectations for the October quarter, but what management can share about demand for its chips ahead of its product launches. Sales of Blackwell and Grace Blackwell are expected to start to show up in results next year. Harsh Kumar, senior research analyst at Piper Sandler, said he is bullish on the stock, and anticipates having to hike his price target significantly in the coming year. His current price target of $175 on the stock is about 19% above where Nvidia closed Thursday. NVDA 3M mountain Nvidia, 3 months “The build up for the Blackwell is what matters in the minds of people,” Kumar said. “Blackwell will be missing in October. It will show up in January at a constrained level, and then it will really show up as Blackwell and Grace Blackwell starting the April timeframe. And I would agree that the backlog is should be insane. I would agree with Jensen’s comment.” “[I’m] expecting Jensen to say something around the lines, … that we’ll be sold out for all of 2025,” Kumar said. ‘A new sheriff in town’ For investors, the new administration could have more sway over how they invest going forward, given the potential changes that could come from a raft of nominees to key government appointments this week. For example, vaccine maker stocks slid Thursday after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Shares of Moderna closed down more than 5%, while Novavax dropped more than 7% on Thursday. The development has Ken Mahoney, CEO of Mahoney Asset Management, steering clear of pharmaceuticals, which he expects will have the “weight of the government on top of them.” “You might as well not get stuck in an industry which may get stuck with more regulation, or, you know, a new sheriff in town, so to speak,” said Ken Mahoney. “We would definitely stay away from those.” Conversely, the investor said he’s positive on banks, another beneficiary of the Trump trade. The SPDR S & P Regional Banking ETF has surged 11% this month. “There’s definitely winners and losers here,” Mahoney said. Rockefeller’s Chang said something similar: “While we are fundamental investors — a lot of people say they just focus on the companies, right? — you actually have to pay more attention to policies, because I do think they matter in an era of fiscal dominance.” The interest rate outlook Investors are growing concerned about the interest rate outlook. While the Federal Reserve’s most recent dot plot shows the overnight lending rate will fall to 3.4% at the end of 2025 — down more than one full percentage point from 4.50% to 4.75% where it currently stands — some recent economic signals, and the return of Trump to the White House, complicates the path forward. For starters, the latest consumer and producer prices reports indicate the last mile in getting pricing pressures down to the Fed’s 2% target could be more challenging than previously anticipated, though the overall trend ******** to the downside. And, Trump’s threat to slap a 10% tariff across all imported goods — and at least a 60% tax on China — could trigger a global trade war that could reignite inflation. “The economy is not slowing down and core inflation is not cooling down, and with the threat of import tariffs from the new administration in the year ahead, this is a recipe for disaster where the deflation trend in core commodities prices could turn around in a heartbeat,” Chris Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS, wrote this week. Already, investors are recalibrating their expectations, with markets last pricing in a scenario where the overnight lending rate ends 2025 in the range of 3.75% to 4.00%, reflecting fewer than four quarter-point cuts from here, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. That could mean pressure in the bond market, which investors are already carefully monitoring. Some expect a retest of 5% in the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, which was last hovering around 4.5%, could pressure equities, and lead to a pullback in the stock market. This week, Treasury yields spiked after Chair Jerome Powell said he is not in a hurry to bring interest rates down, given the strength of the U.S. economy. Week ahead calendar All times ET. Monday Nov. 18 10 a.m. NAHB Housing Market Index (November) Tuesday Nov. 19 8:30 a.m. Building Permits preliminary (October) 8:30 a.m. Housing Starts (October) Earnings: Walmart , Lowe’s Companies Wednesday Nov. 20 No notable events Earnings: Nvidia, Palo Alto Networks , TJX , Target Thursday Nov. 21 8:30 a.m. Continuing Jobless Claims (11/09) 8:30 a.m. Initial Claims (11/16) 8:30 a.m. Philadelphia Fed Index (November) 10 a.m. Existing Home Sales (October) 10 a.m. Leading Indicators (October) 11 a.m. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index (November) Earnings: Ross Stores , Intuit, Deere Friday Nov. 22 9:45 a.m. PMI Composite preliminary (November) 9:45 a.m. S & P PMI Manufacturing (November) 9:45 a.m. S & P PMI Services (November) 10 a.m. Michigan Sentiment final (November)
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The college football road night game dynamic: Real or imagined?
The college football road night game dynamic: Real or imagined?
ATHENS, Ga. — Aaron Murray and his teammates never liked to sit around their hotel room, waiting for hours to leave for the stadium. That was the worst part. Then they would get there, kickoff would approach, the sky was dark, and the lights were on. That atmosphere was something else.
“We could feel the difference in the night games from the fans,” said Murray, Georgia’s starting quarterback from 2010-13. “Just the energy, the excitement, the more ****** they were, probably, the livelier they were going to be in the stadium.”
Murray never lost a home game that started under the lights, a domination that hasn’t stopped: Georgia is 20-0 in prime-time games at home since 2010, the last night loss at Sanford Stadium coming to Kentucky on Nov. 21, 2009.
That’s a big reason for hope for No. 12 Georgia on Saturday as it hosts No. 7 Tennessee in a win-or-else game for the Bulldogs’ College Football Playoff hopes. Also, as good as Josh Heupel has been as Tennessee’s coach, he’s only 7-8 in road games, including 2-4 the past two seasons. The Vols’ lone loss this season, at Arkansas, was a night game.
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But is hosting a night game a real advantage, or anecdotal? It depends on who you ask.
Lane Kiffin was adamant a few weeks ago that playing a night game at home was advantageous when the Ole Miss coach complained about not having any night home games in SEC play, while LSU got two.
“I think that’s proven over time – both in NFL and college – that playing at night in electric atmospheres is a home-field advantage and tough when you got to do that as an opposing team,” Kiffin said. “That’s been proven for a long time.”
Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team has no home night SEC games scheduled this season. (Petre Thomas / Imagn Images)
Ole Miss overcame only getting a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff to beat Georgia last Saturday. And the coach he beat in that game, Kirby Smart, is skeptical that night kickoffs make that much of a difference, saying that some of the best atmospheres he has had at Georgia were afternoon games. That includes a win over Tennessee two years ago, which kicked off at 3:30 p.m.
“I just think a home game in general in the SEC is ***** on the road team. I think it’s really hard, man,” Smart said.
But not always. Alabama just went into ****** Valley at night and routed LSU. Smart’s own Georgia team, while it lost at Alabama and eked out a one-point win at Kentucky, won comfortably at Texas under the lights.
In the Smart era, Georgia has lost four home games, and three started at noon: Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in 2016 and South Carolina in 2019. The other was 3:30 p.m. to Tennessee in 2016, a game the Vols won on a Hail Mary.
In Murray’s case, he compares the atmosphere in his two games at South Carolina: The 2010 game was at noon, while the 2012 game at night. Georgia lost both, and the atmosphere for the visitors was daunting in both, but it was worse in 2012.
“You went to more of a fun energy (in 2010) to, ‘Oh my ****, this place is on top of us, swarming us alive’ type of atmosphere,” Murray said. “As an opponent, going in somewhere at night, you feel the energy more too. I don’t know what it is. It’s a completely different feel. It’s louder.”
There is data to back up the night-game effect. But some data offers nuance.
TruMedia looked at the last decade of SEC games that started at 6 p.m. or later and only those when the home team, either ranked or unranked, played a visitor that was ranked in the AP poll. The purpose was to try to gauge the night-game effect in ******* games. The results show that, compared to all other games involving a visiting ranked team, the home team did better at night, both in winning the game and covering the point spread.
SEC home teams vs. AP ranked visitors
**********
All others
Record
53-60
60-86
Win pct.
0.469
0.410
Cover ATS
64-46-3
71-71-4
Cover pct.
0.582
0.500
What’s more, when the home team was the underdog, it fared better at night than in other games.
SEC home underdogs vs AP ranked visitors
**********
All others
Record
25-52
23-77
Win pct.
0.325
.230
Cover ATS
41-35-1
47-51-2
Cover pct.
0.539
.480
Interestingly, TruMedia found a different story in games when the home team was favored against a ranked visiting team. The home teams fared worse in those night games.
SEC home favorites vs AP ranked visitors
**********
All others
Record
26-8
36-9
Win pct.
.765
.800
Cover ATS
21-11-2
23-20-2
Cover pct.
0.656
.535
Digging deeper, in games that were closer than expected — meaning, the home favorite didn’t cover the spread — those teams went 3-8 outright, compared to 11-9 in non-night games of the same type (home team favored over a ranked visitor). The lesson? Maybe the home favorite gets wound up in closer games in big atmospheres, or the visiting team capable of keeping it close on the road is better at finishing off the game.
That’s the worry for Georgia, which is favored this week by as many as 10 points, in a fluid line with Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s status uncertain.
One theory on visiting teams’ struggles centers on the crowd noise affecting the offense’s ability to communicate and make changes at the line of scrimmage. But Murray pointed out that wouldn’t apply as much to Tennessee, which plays at a fast tempo and doesn’t make many checks at the line.
And as much as Murray respects Georgia fans, he thinks the team’s unbeaten record since 2009 has more to do with normal home dynamics and having the better team, rather than anything special about Sanford Stadium. The reason: the acoustics. The stadium is in a more open, spread-out setting, compared to some other SEC stadiums.
“The atmosphere is great. It will get loud, it will get difficult,” Murray said. “But we’re not Knoxville where it’s 100,000 people enclosed and coming down on you. It’s not Baton Rouge. Those stadiums are built to keep sound in, and it’s *****. Georgia’s going to be loud, it’s going to be difficult, but it will never be one of those places because of the way it’s built.”
Still, Murray could see Georgia fans taking it up a notch this week. Smart called them out for not enough crowd noise after the Auburn game. They’ve only had three home games, and they haven’t been big games. This one is different.
That’s why it’s at night.
“A night game signals that it’s an elite matchup, that it’s a really important game. Everyone puts more into it,” Murray said. “We can all say we prepare the same way every single week, obviously the coachspeak, the playerspeak. But I think we all know — and I think the fans are the same way too — you know when “College GameDay” is on your campus, and it’s a night game, and it’s a big-time matchup.
“So I think everyone takes it a little bit more seriously, everyone prepares a little bit more, everyone brings a little more juice. That’s everyone: Players, coaches, fans, the whole shebang.”
Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images
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Xbox First-Party Studios Pick up the Slack With Insane Updates in 1 Week
Xbox First-Party Studios Pick up the Slack With Insane Updates in 1 Week
The console war between Microsoft and Sony has always been a rollercoaster of epic proportions, with each gaming giant taking turns to dominate the headlines. This week, however, Xbox seems to have pulled off something rather extraordinary, dropping more announcements and updates than we’ve seen in quite some time.
Pulling out all the stops. | Image Credit: Xbox/YouTube
While PS5 owners have been patiently waiting for their next big exclusives, Microsoft’s first-party studios have been cooking up a storm. From the mystical depths of ancient Greece to the supernatural vibes of the ********* South, and everything in between, Xbox’s recent announcements have left gamers scratching their heads and wondering: “Did they just do that?”
Xbox Studios Finally Show Their Hand
It’s been a long time coming, but Xbox‘s first-party studios seem to have finally found their rhythm. The sheer volume of announcements this week has been nothing short of staggering:
Xbox first-party studios fired out of all cylinders this week.
• Indiana Jones and The Great Circle | Gameplay Deep ***** • South of Midnight | New info / gameplay • Avowed | Pre-orders open / new info • Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 | Season 01 release • Warcraft | Remastered… pic.twitter.com/J0957xkIAr
— Klobrille (@klobrille) November 15, 2024
That’s quite the lineup, isn’t it? Dr. Jones whip-cracking his way through the Himalayas, the mysterious depths of South of Midnight bringing Southern Gothic to life, and Avowed promising to scratch that first-person RPG ***** that Bethesda fans have been feeling. And some fans are definitely here for it:
Xbox on top like always
Gotta respect it
— Master Shake (@_Master__Shake_) November 15, 2024
While we might not agree with the “like always” part, credit where credit’s due—Microsoft seems to be making all the right moves lately. The diversity of genres on display is particularly impressive, from strategy games like Age of Empires II‘s new Greek campaign to the grand scope of Ara: History Untold.
Some long-time Xbox fans are particularly optimistic about what this steady stream of content means for the future:
It takes them 4 years and it seems that we are finally going to have a constant cadence of releases
— TheSewerRat (@TheSewerRat3) November 15, 2024
The excitement is understandable. After years of hearing about Xbox’s lack of exclusive content, seeing such a varied lineup of games and updates all dropping in the same week feels like a statement of intent. Even the PlayStation faithful might have trouble arguing with this showing:
“But.. but… the box has no games…” pic.twitter.com/dO7w34SOTy
— ᛞᚨᚱᚲ ᚹᛟᛚᚠ – 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐮𝐬 (@mgnlps) November 15, 2024
The irony is particularly delicious given Sony’s recent announcement of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swinging its way to PC, leaving PS5 “exclusivity” looking about as permanent as a web in the wind. Maybe it’s time for PlayStation diehards to update their talking points?
The Cost of Gaming’s Infinity War
“What did it cost?” …“Everything.” | Image Credit: Xbox/YouTube
However, this impressive showing comes with its own set of complications. As one fan nervously noted:
Small heart ******* reading “Xbox first-party studios fired-“
But, otherwise: Yes, agreed! Future looks bright
— Maui (@Mauimndz) November 15, 2024
That reaction isn’t without cause. Microsoft’s journey to this point has been anything but smooth sailing. The company’s aggressive studio acquisition strategy—from Bethesda to the mammoth Activision Blizzard deal—has come at a significant cost, both financially and in terms of industry stability.
Recent months have seen widespread layoffs across the gaming industry, with Microsoft’s gaming division not being immune. While executives continue to see salary increases, many talented developers, and sometimes entire studios, have found themselves caught in the crossfire of corporate restructuring.
It’s a stark reminder that behind every flashy game announcement and exciting reveal, there’s a complex web of business decisions that affects real people. Yes, Xbox might be “scoring all the Ws” this particular week, but at what cost to the industry as a whole?
Still, there’s no denying that this is an exciting time for Xbox fans. Whether this momentum can be maintained—and more importantly, whether it can be done in a way that’s sustainable for the industry—******** to be seen.
What do you think about Xbox’s recent announcements? Are you excited about what’s coming, or concerned about the broader implications for the gaming industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Elon Musk recently met with Iran’s ambassador to U.N.
Elon Musk recently met with Iran’s ambassador to U.N.
Why does Musk want to join Trump?
Why does Musk want to join Trump during second term as president?
03:04
Elon Musk recently met with Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
The meeting took place at the ambassador’s residence in New York. There’s no indication that President-elect Donald Trump’s national security transition team was aware of the meeting. Nor is it clear that his newly assembled team of advisers, including Iran hawks Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, Trump’s picks for secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively, knew of the meeting. It is also not clear if Trump himself was aware of the meeting.
The New York Times, which was first to report on the meeting, said two Iranian officials described it as a discussion on how to defuse tensions between the two countries.
The U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran, which means the Biden administration’s contact with Iran is indirect and typically conducted via third parties. ********* companies are largely forbidden from doing business in Iran due to extensive sanctions. The U.S. considers Iran to be the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.
Musk’s meeting comes as the Iranians seek a channel into Trump’s orbit. They know Trump is keen on dealmaking and that he has praised Iran’s negotiating prowess.
Many of the recent appointees to Trump’s national security team are Iran hawks, so seeking a meeting with Musk was a way for Tehran to bypass them.
Musk, the richest man in the world, also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently. Trump put him on the phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the Ukrainian leader called to congratulate the president-elect on his victory last week, according to the Associated Press. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk has been in touch with Russian President Vladimir ****** regularly since late 2022.
The Standoff with Iran
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Margaret Brennan
Margaret Brennan is the moderator of CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” Based in Washington, D.C., Brennan is also the Network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent and a contributing correspondent to 60 Minutes.
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#Elon #Musk #met #Irans #ambassador #U.N
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Grammy nominated star says ‘you can do anything’
Grammy nominated star says ‘you can do anything’
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Jordan Adetunji said: “Having a song that I made in my bedroom in Belfast be up for a Grammy is crazy”
“It’s great for music coming out of Belfast; it just shows you can do anything no matter where you’re from.”
Northern Irish hip-hop artist Jordan Adetunji, who has been nominated for a Grammy, has said he’s “still processing”.
The Belfast rapper was named in the shortlist for Best Melodic Rap Performance alongside Beyoncé and the Weeknd for his song Kehlani.
Speaking on BBC’s Across The Line programme, he said: “Having a song that I made in my bedroom in Belfast be up for a Grammy is crazy.”
‘Exciting’Getty Images
Jordan Adetunji performing during the 2024 VMAs Block Party in Brooklyn, New York
The song has amassed 300 million streams worldwide.
Adetunji, who had no inkling that he’d be nominated, said it’s “exciting”.
“That’s why it was such a surprise, because when it came out I thought it was maybe, you know, those fake prediction lists,” he said.
“But then I turned my phone up, because I was in the studio for an hour, and… I was like, why are so many people ringing me and then I realised.”
‘Your phone is your tool’
Adetunji was born in Croydon, London, and moved to Belfast when he was 10.
He made his debut back in 2019, posting rap videos to social media while in school.
He managed to gain greater musical recognition posting his music to TikTok resulting in him being snapped up by RCA Records, after being spotted by Bring Me the Horizon’s Oli Sykes due to a song Adetunji made called ‘Woke Up.’
His song Kehlani contains elements of R&B melodies and rap..
“It’s taught me a lesson to keep going, no matter what the circumstances are. Your phone is your tool.”
“You can do it all. You can do it all from your bedroom,” he said.
Getty Images
Jordan Adetunji said, if you want to be an artist, “don’t give up”
America rapper Lil Baby “was one of the first to reach out to” Adetunji after he “first dropped Kehlani”.
The rapper asked him to send him some music to listen to.
The ********* singer-songwriter Kehlani also FaceTimed him asking for an “open verse” when he was out in a club.
“I remember that day like yesterday,” he said.
‘You only fail when you give up’
Adetunji has been working on “mixing different drum patterns with R&B-sounding music” for his next project.
He’s been working in America, where “the crowds have been taking to my music quite well,” he said.
“They loved the unreleased music, which was really reassuring.”
His advice to blooming artists who want to follow in his footsteps is to “always think of new ways of getting your content out there. Always be on the ball”.
“If it’s not doing, try again tomorrow,” he said.
Adetunji said being nominated has taught him that “you can make it happen”.
“The world is so big, and there is such a way for people to discover you, so don’t give up.”
“You only fail when you give up.”
Dublin post-punk group Fontaines D.C. have also been nominated for Best Rock Album for their fourth album, Romance, and Best Alternative Music Performance for the single Starbuster.
The 67th Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on 2 February.
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Bitcoin rises over 16% in a week on hopes of crypto-friendly U.S. policy: CNBC Crypto World
Bitcoin rises over 16% in a week on hopes of crypto-friendly U.S. policy: CNBC Crypto World
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CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what’s ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today’s show, Will *****, head of digital assets at WisdomTree, discusses what a national bitcoin stockpile could mean for prices and the future of crypto-focused ETFs.
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#Bitcoin #rises #week #hopes #cryptofriendly #U.S #policy #CNBC #Crypto #World
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