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Alienware AW3423DWF 34-inch curved QD-OLED gaming monitor is now discounted to $609, its lowest price ever recorded Alienware AW3423DWF 34-inch curved QD-OLED gaming monitor is now discounted to $609, its lowest price ever recorded Today at Amazon, you can find the Alienware AW3423DWF 34-inch curved QD-OLED gaming monitor for one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen, according to data from Camel Camel Camel. It has a recommended price of $899, but right now, it’s available for just $609. As of this writing, we’re unsure how long this offer will be available. We have a lot of experience with this gaming monitor and even put it on our list of best gaming monitors as our top recommended widescreen display. When reviewing the Alienware AW3423DWF gaming monitor, we rated it 5 out of 5 stars, having been blown away by its performance. One thing is for sure: this gaming monitor isn’t for casual users. The Alienware AW3423DWF gaming monitor features a 34-inch quantum dot OLED panel with a curvature of 1800R. It has a WQHD resolution of 3440 x 1440px, a high refresh rate of 165 Hz, and a short response time of just 0.1 ms. The screen’s performance is certified by AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. It covers 99.3% of the DCI-P3 and 149% of the sRGB color gamuts and is illuminated by a maximum brightness of 1000 Nits. The device has a USB hub with five USB 3.2 ports, an HDMI 2 port, and two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs. Two 3.5mm jacks are available for external audio peripherals. For more details and purchase options, visit the Alienware AW3423DWF curved QD-OLED gaming monitor product page at Amazon. Source link #Alienware #AW3423DWF #34inch #curved #QDOLED #gaming #monitor #discounted #lowest #price #recorded Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Six Nations 2025: Scotland 31-19 Italy – Huw Jones hat-trick inspires nervy win Six Nations 2025: Scotland 31-19 Italy – Huw Jones hat-trick inspires nervy win It was soon to become 19-9 when Allan’s unerring boot lashed over another penalty, and then another early in the second half to make it a just a seven-point game. Allan’s boot kept Italy in the game and their confidence started to soar as a consequence. The game began to take on shades of Rome a year ago, when Scotland raced into a lead and then got pegged back slowly but surely. That sense only hardened when Russell, in two minds around kicking or passing, threw a weak ball in Jones’ direction which was picked off by Brex. The centre ran away to the posts. Allan converted and the game was level. History repeating? It was a scrap now, a disjointed, nervy slugfest, but when you have a little genius like Graham in your ranks then you always have hope. The try that put Scotland back in the lead, and gave them a bonus point, was startling. From a scrum on the edge of their own 22, they went right, eventually to Graham, who cut back inside, evading two defenders, put on the turbo boost to skip away from another and then found Jones who scampered away. Boy, did Scotland need something to happen at that time. They had become stodgy and error-prone until the wee man did his thing and electrified Murrayfield. A try from nothing that settled home nerves. Russell made it a 26-19 with the conversion. Graham’s brilliance sparked something and Scotland scored again five minutes later. This time, it was Jones at his outstanding best. He had three Italians to get by near the visitors’ line and he did them all. A treble for the centre and precious breathing space for the Scots. Italy came again, piled on the heat, came close to another comeback but the belligerence in the home defence kept them out amid some hairy moments. Source link #Nations #Scotland #Italy #Huw #Jones #hattrick #inspires #nervy #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Soul-searching’ for England captain after whitewash ‘Soul-searching’ for England captain after whitewash Demolished by a ruthless Australia, England’s Heather Knight says she will consider her future as captain. Knight admits there will be “soul-searching” within the England camp after losing all seven games on their tour of Australia to become the first team in women’s Ashes history to be whitewashed. Only three weeks ago, former England international Alex Hartley said she believed it would be the most evenly matched Ashes in 15 years. But Australia only extended their dominance over the series, as England capitulated in stunning fashion to lose the historic day-night Test at the MCG by a whopping innings and 122 runs. “Things are pretty raw and it’s all happened pretty quickly,” Knight said when asked about her future. “I think the coming weeks is a time for everyone to reflect on what we could have done better, how we’re going to improve as a side. “That’s (decision on the captaincy) not an emotional decision that’s going to be made now, it’s in the coming weeks. “We unfortunately haven’t played our best cricket here, and we’ve got a lot of soul searching and a lot of things to try and get better at when we do play against them next.” England coach Jon Lewis wants to continue in his position, vowing to review what went so drastically wrong after drawing the last Ashes series in 2023. “The *********** team probably won the big moments, and that’s something we need to try and do better,” Knight said. “When we’re on top, try and really press home that advantage. “I’m certainly frustrated with with how the team has gone. “We haven’t showed our best cricket. “We’re all obviously very frustrated with that and pretty gutted.” Former men’s captain Michael Vaughan was among the English pundits bitterly disappointed by the humiliating tour, while appreciative of the home team’s excellence. “Big questions to be answered about the England women’s team .. mainly from those who have been involved at the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) for many years,” Vaughan wrote on his X account. “But let’s not lose sight of how good the Aussie women team are .. exceptional team of skilled/disciplined & ruthless cricketers.” Amid all the English gloom, their only consolation was their star spinner Sophie Ecclestone becoming the first visiting female bowler to get her name up on the MCG honours board. She did, however, concede 143 runs, the second-biggest tally for any bowler in a women’s Test taking a five-wicket haul. Source link #Soulsearching #England #captain #whitewash Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Teenager dies of ‘cardiac arrest’ at go-karting track Teenager dies of ‘cardiac arrest’ at go-karting track A teenager has died of a suspected cardiac arrest at an indoor go-karting track in Staffordshire. Emergency crews were called to reports of a man in his late teens collapsing at TeamSport Go Karting Stoke in Burslem at about 8.15pm on Friday. The teenager was reported to be unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the venue. Staffordshire Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and the coroner will be informed. The teenager was was pronounced dead at the go-karting venue in Burslem after a suspected cardiac arrest – Wakila/iStockphoto A spokesman for the force said: “We were called to TeamSport Go Karting Stoke following reports of a cardiac arrest. Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service were already there and found a man in his late teens unresponsive at the scene. “Sadly, he was later pronounced dead. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner. Our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this difficult time.” The venue, which remained open on Saturday, said on its website that it offers “a fantastic high octane experience – perfect for all motorsport enthusiasts aged eight and up”, with “state-of-the-art spectator facilities”. TeamSport Go Karting Stoke declined to comment on the teenager’s death. Source link #Teenager #dies #cardiac #arrest #gokarting #track Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘It’s over, Dad’: Jubilant reunions as latest round of Israeli hostage releases passes smoothly – CNN ‘It’s over, Dad’: Jubilant reunions as latest round of Israeli hostage releases passes smoothly – CNN ‘It’s over, Dad’: Jubilant reunions as latest round of Israeli hostage releases passes smoothly CNNHamas releases 3 more hostages, including US citizen, as part of fragile ceasefire deal Fox NewsWhite House welcomes release of US-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel The Times of IsraelLIVE: Israel frees Palestinians after 3 captives released in Gaza Al Jazeera English Source link #Dad #Jubilant #reunions #latest #Israeli #hostage #releases #passes #smoothly #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

OpenAI responds to the DeepSeek buzz by launching its latest o3-mini reasoning model for all users OpenAI responds to the DeepSeek buzz by launching its latest o3-mini reasoning model for all users OpenAI has pushed out o3-mini models to ChatGPT The launch has previously been teased OpenAI is facing increasing competition from China As promised last week, OpenAI has now launched its latest o3-mini AI model to users on all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. The new model brings with it improved reasoning capabilities, especially in math, coding, and science. The o3-mini release “advances the boundaries of what small models can achieve”, OpenAI says, and it apparently responds 24% faster than the o1-mini model it’s replacing. As per external testers, o3-mini answers are preferable to o1-mini answers 56% of the time, and include 39% fewer mistakes. As with o1-mini, this reasoning AI model will show its workings above its responses – so you can check the ‘thought’ processes involved. You can also combine this reasoning with web searches if needed, though this integration is still in its early stages. Of course, the release comes after a tumultuous week in AI, in which the models offered for free by China’s DeepSeek have attracted millions of users with their speed and accuracy – and now OpenAI is trying to grab back some of the limelight (and traffic). Try it yourself OpenAI o3-mini is now available in ChatGPT and the API.Pro users will have unlimited access to o3-mini and Plus & Team users will have triple the rate limits (vs o1-mini).Free users can try o3-mini in ChatGPT by selecting the Reason button under the message composer.January 31, 2025 Free users can get at o3-mini by clicking the Reason button in the text input box. OpenAI hasn’t specified what the limits on its use will be, but it’s likely to be in line with current restrictions on GPT-4o use – so a handful of queries per hour. For paying users, o3-mini can be selected from the model picker in the top left corner. If you’re on a Plus or Team plan, you get 150 queries of o3-mini daily, and if you’re on the Pro plan, access is unlimited – for a mere $200 (about £160 / AU$320) per month. Paying ChatGPT users also get access to an o3-mini-high model that applies the same reasoning skills but takes longer to think and respond. It boosts performance even further, if you don’t mind waiting a few extra seconds. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. OpenAI has also highlighted the safety assessments that o3-mini has gone through before launched – it apparently “significantly surpasses” the GPT-4o model when it comes to assessing unsafe use and jailbreak attempts. You might also like Source link #OpenAI #responds #DeepSeek #buzz #launching #latest #o3mini #reasoning #model #users Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Six Nations highlights: Scotland 31-19 Italy Six Nations highlights: Scotland 31-19 Italy Watch highlights as Scotland survive an Italy comeback in their opening Six Nations game, as Huw Jones scores a hat-trick of tries to give the home team a bonus-point win at Murrayfield. READ MORE: Jones hat-trick gives Scotland nervy win over Italy Watch highlights on Six Nations Rugby Special on BBC iPlayer. Available to *** users only. Source link #Nations #highlights #Scotland #Italy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump fires Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Trump fires Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau President Trump has fired the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, in the latest purge of a Biden Administrator holdover. Chopra was one of the more important regulators from the previous Democratic administration who was still on the job since Mr. Trump took office on Jan. 20. In a letter to the president shared on social media, Chopra said it was an “extraordinary privilege” to serve as director of the CFPB. “With so much power concentrated in the hands of a few, agencies like the CFPB have never been more critical,” he wrote. “I’m proud that the CFPB has done so much to restore the rule of law.” FILE – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, speaks from the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, April 11, 2022. Jacquelyn Martin / AP Chopra was notified of his firing via an email from the White House, a person familiar with the notice who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told the Associated Press. During his term, Mr. Trump had picked Chopra as a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission. An ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Chopra then was tapped by former President Joe Biden to lead the consumer agency that he helped launch after the 2008-09 financial crisis. He served as its deputy director, sounding the alarm about skyrocketing levels of student loan debt. Warren, one of Mr. Trump’s favorite targets, said in a statement that the CFPB under Chopra held “Wall Street accountable for cheating hard-working families” and prevented “the de-banking of Americans across the country, including consumers locked out of the financial system due to overdraft fees, religious organizations, and conservatives.” Under the law, Chopra was to serve a five-year term, which meant he could have stayed on as the CFPB director. But he had publicly stated that he would leave his post if the new president asked. “I hope that the CFBP will continue to be a pillar of restoring and advancing economic liberty in America, and I wish you good luck in serving our great country,” Chopra said in his letter to Mr. Trump. Consumer Reports applauded Chopra’s work at the CFBP saying he “leaves behind an impressive track record of accomplishments for working families.” “Rohit Chopra has worked tirelessly at the CFPB to make sure that consumers are protected when they take out a loan, make a payment, or open a bank account,” said Delicia Hand, Senior Director, Digital Marketplace, at Consumer Reports. “Under Chopra’s leadership, the Bureau has scored a number of big wins for consumers, securing billions of dollars in relief for those who have been cheated out of their money and establishing critical new rules to ensure they are treated fairly.” Source link #Trump #fires #Rohit #Chopra #director #Consumer #Financial #Protection #Bureau Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These Two iPhone Settings Can Free Up Big Storage Without Deleting Anything These Two iPhone Settings Can Free Up Big Storage Without Deleting Anything tips-tech.png You’re out and about, capturing moments on your iPhone, whether it’s a weekend getaway, a family gathering, or just everyday snapshots. It’s so easy to snap photos and record videos that before you know it, you’re hit with the dreaded “iPhone Storage Full” notification. But don’t panic. You don’t need to upgrade to a phone with more storage or painstakingly delete precious memories to make room for new ones. Instead, take advantage of built-in iOS features designed to help you free up space with minimal effort. With a few simple tweaks, you can reclaim valuable storage, keep your favorite photos and videos, and ensure your iPhone stays ready for whatever comes next. Luckily, you don’t have to rush out to buy a new phone with a terabyte of storage just to download new music or TV shows. You also don’t have to sift through your precious photos and videos to decide which are worth keeping. Instead, simply take advantage of certain iOS features and you might be able to free up considerable extra storage on your iPhone. Read more: Change These 8 iOS 18 Settings First Before You Do Anything Else There are two built-in iOS settings that can help you clean up a significant amount of storage on your iPhone — one permanent and the other temporary. More free space will let you install the latest software updates, take more photos and videos and download more apps. Here’s what you need to know. If you want more tips on getting more iPhone storage, check out secret iOS settings that every iPhone user should know and the best cloud storage options in 2024. Optimize iPhone photos and videos to get more storage If you want to keep your precious memories (even just your meme screenshots) but still want to free up storage, the easiest way is to optimize the photos and videos already stored on your device. By default, every time you take a photo or video, it’s saved in full resolution on your device. If you’re capturing photos and videos in the highest resolution possible, they can take up quite a bit of space. A minute of video shot in 4K at 60fps takes up approximately 400MB — nearly half a GB. That’s pretty significant. To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you’ll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled). Depending on how many photos and videos you have on your iPhone, this can take up quite a bit of time, but once it’s finished, you should see significantly more space on your device storage. For this to work, you need to have the iCloud Photos setting turned on. All of your full-resolution photos and videos are then transferred over to your iCloud, while smaller, lower-resolution versions are kept on your device, to take up less space. If you want to access your higher-resolution photos and videos, you can go into the Photos app and download any file that’s being optimized; this requires a decent internet connection. Your recently taken photos and videos may exist in full resolution, so you won’t need to download every photo or video. If you don’t have enough iCloud storage, it’s easier to upgrade your cloud than get a new phone. In the US, you can upgrade to 50GB for only a dollar a month, or you can go *******: 200GB for $3 a month or 2TB for $10 a month. Prices vary depending on your country or region. To upgrade your iCloud on your iPhone, go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Buy More Storage. Choose a plan and then follow the instructions. If you upgrade to any paid iCloud subscription, you’ll get access to iCloud+, which also offers the iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email features. You can spend as little as $1 per month for more iCloud storage. Offload your largest apps to save iPhone storage space You don’t use every application stored on your iPhone. Many of them just sit there, like apps for airlines, third-party cameras and music production. Even if you use these apps occasionally, you probably don’t need daily access to most of them, which is why you should consider offloading apps, especially when you desperately need storage. Say you want to download and install the latest iOS update. If it’s a major update, like iOS 16, you may need a little over 5GB to install the software. If it’s a point update, like iOS 16.1, you’re looking at around 1GB. And if you don’t have enough storage space to update, you can quickly offload apps, which is a middle ground between keeping and deleting your apps. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check which apps are taking up the most storage. Certain built-in apps like Photos and Messages can’t be offloaded, so be warned. If you find a sizable app you want to offload, tap on it and hit Offload App. Wait a little bit and the app should then be removed offline, while your documents and data will stay saved on your device. If you need temporary storage, for a software download, just go through the list and offload every app you can. The amount that’s offloaded for each app will vary, but you should see the number next to App Size. Discard the number next to Documents & Data, because that will stay on your device. The only way to get rid of that is to actually delete the app. Offload as many apps as you need until you have enough storage. You can’t use an app that’s offloaded, but if you want to get an app back, go to your App Library and tap on the iCloud button to re-download it. If the offloaded app is on your home screen, simply tap on it to download it. You won’t have to re-sign in or anything; you’ll have access to the app as if it was never deleted. Source link #iPhone #Settings #Free #Big #Storage #Deleting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sissi speaks to Trump, says world ‘counting on’ him for Middle East peace – The Times of Israel Sissi speaks to Trump, says world ‘counting on’ him for Middle East peace – The Times of Israel Sissi speaks to Trump, says world ‘counting on’ him for Middle East peace The Times of IsraelTrump spoke to Egyptian president about plan to evict Palestinians from Gaza AxiosTrump drops Gaza bombshell, shattering diplomatic orthodoxy – analysis The Jerusalem PostArab nations reject trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. The Associated Press Source link #Sissi #speaks #Trump #world #counting #Middle #East #peace #Times #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Edward Snowden slams Nvidia’s RTX 50-series ‘F-tier value,’ whistleblows on lackluster VRAM capacity Edward Snowden slams Nvidia’s RTX 50-series ‘F-tier value,’ whistleblows on lackluster VRAM capacity An infamous former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor and whistleblower has unexpectedly shared his opinion on the state of the graphics card market. Naturalized Russian citizen Edward Snowden has called the recently released Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 “a monopolistic crime against the consumer” due to its “crippling 16GB.” Imagine his ire if he was considering the upcoming RTX 50 laptop family… Snowden is brutally clear in sharing his disappointment with the RTX 50-series (Blackwell) family VRAM quotas. However, his opinion isn’t dissimilar to that of Tom’s Hardware GPU editor. In our review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition earlier in the week, we also grumbled about the VRAM gap between the RTX 5090 (32GB) and the RTX 5080 (16GB, the same amount as the RTX 4080/S). We also noticed that some modern games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, running 4K are already constrained by 16GB. So, we wrote that “24GB would have been far better for a $1,000 (or more) graphics card,” resulting in the RTX 5080 being an underwhelming second-tier offering from the new Blackwell series. Endless next-quarter thinking has reduced the Nvidia brand to “F-tier value for S-tier prices”. 5070 should have had 16GB VRAM minimum, 5080 w 24/32 SKUs, 5090 32/48/+. Releasing a $1,000+ GPU in 2025 with a crippling 16GB is a monopolistic crime against the consumer.January 31, 2025 Things slide into even more desperate VRAM constraints lower the RTX 50-series GPU stack. In contrast, the RTX 5070 Ti with 16GB GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus (basically the same memory config as the RTX 5080) might find some favor among consumers; the ‘70’ card this generation comes packing 12GB VRAM, just like last gen. Thus, it isn’t surprising that Snowden also called out the RTX 5070, asserting that it “should have had 16GB VRAM minimum.” It is easy to agree with the criticism of the Green Team’s stingy VRAM specifications for its new Blackwell series of consumer graphics cards. In February 2021, the chipmaker launched the popular RTX 3060 with 12GB as standard and lowered the RTX 3050 to 8GB. The consumer Blackwell series offering the RTX 5070 with 12GB and its expected RTX 5060 SKUs with as little as 8GB seems retrograde in 2025. As mentioned in the intro, laptop buyers are even less fortunate, particularly the RTX 5070 and 5060 laptop GPUs with 8GB VRAM, which appear to be hobbled at birth in the VRAM stakes. AMD has yet to launch the Radeon RX 9700 XT, but leaked specifications have pegged the RDNA 4 GPU and the regular Radeon RX 9700 with 16GB of VRAM. Of course, the kind of performance the pair of RDNA 4 GPUs will bring remains to be seen. AMD’s next-gen GPUs will reportedly hit the market in late March. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Edward #Snowden #slams #Nvidias #RTX #50series #Ftier #whistleblows #lackluster #VRAM #capacity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

England’s Callum Tarren leads Bahrain Championship England’s Callum Tarren leads Bahrain Championship England’s Callum Tarren heads into the final round of the Bahrain Championship with a one-shot lead as he goes in search of his first European tour title. The 34-year-old had led by two at the halfway stage but was caught at the summit early in his third round on Saturday before three birdies in four holes from the fourth took him four shots clear. Tarren then saw his advantage wiped out altogether as bogeys on the eighth, 11th and 12th dropped him back to 13 under par, where he had started the day. But he was never overtaken at the top and safely parred his way home to keep his nose in front of a high-quality chasing pack just one shot back. Englishmen Dan Brown and Brandon Robinson-Thompson were in a tie for second on 12 under alongside Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and Italian Francesco Laporta. Tarren was pleased with the way he hung in there as he signed for a level-par 72, saying: “I’m a bit frustrated really. I got off to such a good start, felt so comfortable. “I just missed a few putts in that mid-section of the round, three-putted the eighth, a short one at the ninth, a good chance at the 10th and didn’t capitalise. “I’ve felt comfortable all week and I felt comfortable out there today. The start showed it – through seven holes I was cruising. “Just a couple of missed putts here and there, but that’s golf. Final group tomorrow again and I have the lead so there’s lots of positives to take from it.” *********** Jason Scrivener was way back in the pack in joint-32nd position after his 73 left him at four under, while David Micheluzzi was tied for 55th on one under for the week after his 73. Source link #Englands #Callum #Tarren #leads #Bahrain #Championship Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Princess Tycoon codes (February 2025) Princess Tycoon codes (February 2025) Updated February 1, 2025: Found the latest code! Not all princesses like to sit around and look pretty. Some princesses prefer to craft swords, run a capitalist empire, and look pretty. Create a pastel pink factory and rock that outfit while earning money. Princess Tycoon codes will pamper you like royalty, so redeem them before they expire. All Princess Tycoon codes list Active Princess Tycoon codes PRINCE — 10 minutes of Double Cash (New) JEWEL — 10 minutes of Double Cash (New) TREASURE — 10 minutes of Double Cash (New) SPARKLES — 10 minutes of Double Cash (New) 5K — 5 minutes of Double Cash MAGIC — 10 minutes of Double Cash Expired Princess Tycoon codes There are currently no expired Princess Tycoon codes. Related: Dress To Impress codes and Clothing Factory Tycoon codes How to redeem codes in Princess Tycoon To redeem Princess Tycoon codes, follow the instructions below: Image by PC Invasion Launch Princess Tycoon on Roblox. Click the Shop button on the left side of the screen. Paste a code into the Enter Code Here text box. Hit Claim to get your rewards. If you want to be the first to know about the upcoming Princess Tycoon codes, bookmark this page and visit it from time to time. PC Invasion is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy Source link #Princess #Tycoon #codes #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump says he stopped $50 million for condoms going to Gaza. Is it true? Donald Trump says he stopped $50 million for condoms going to Gaza. Is it true? WASHINGTON – It was an astounding revelation, one that Donald Trump’s White House was eager to share with the American public. The Trump administration, eager to stop wasteful government spending, halted the distribution of $50 million in taxpayer dollars set aside to buy condoms to be sent to Gaza, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced at her first press briefing Tuesday. The next day, Trump drew chuckles from the crowd gathered for a bill signing in the White House East Room when he repeated a variation of the same story, claiming his administration had “identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for ******.” The problem: There’s no evidence it’s true. “You are not finding any evidence of that because it simply cannot be true,” said Matthew Kavanagh, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Policy and Politics. President Donald Trump For years, the U.S. government has provided millions of dollars worth of condoms and other contraceptives to foreign countries as a way to help prevent the spread of AIDS and **** and to make sure that family planning is available in developing nations. The U.S. Agency for International Development, the government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, said in a report last April that it had spent $61 million in 2023 to provide condoms and other contraceptives to other countries. But just $8 million of that went for the purchase of condoms, the report said. And not a cent was used to send condoms to Gaza. Between 2016 and 2022, the agency spent $118 million to buy condoms for 60 countries – an average of about $17 million per year, according to a separate report released in 2023. None of those went to Gaza either. More: Trump floats plan to ‘just clean out’ Gaza, move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan Asked to back up its claim, the White House referred to a State Department statement that said the administration had stopped “two $50 million buckets of ‘aid’” headed to Gaza through the International Medical Corps, a nonprofit humanitarian assistance organization based in Los Angeles. “The $100 million for these programs included contraceptives,” the statement said. “Condoms have traditionally always been used for family planning in developing countries by USAID.” The White House did not respond to an inquiry about how much of the $100 million it paused was to be used to purchase condoms. The answer: None of it, according to the International Medical Corps. The organization has received $68 million from USAID since 2023 to support its operations in Gaza, including two large field hospitals that provide medical care to roughly 33,000 civilians a month in a dangerous environment where the healthcare infrastructure has been decimated, said Todd Bernhardt, the group’s spokesman. The corps provides lifesaving activities such as surgical and post-operative care for trauma, emergency maternal and newborn care, neonatal intensive care and pediatrics, orthopedics, pulmonology and cardiology care, Bernhardt said. “No U.S. government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms,” Bernhardt said. Humanitarian groups defend the use of government funding to send condoms and other contraceptives to foreign countries, saying they are essential to stopping the spread of AIDS and other ********* transmitted diseases and making sure that people have access to family planning in countries where it otherwise may not be available. Most of the condoms and contraceptives purchased with government funds have gone to countries in Africa that are still dealing with a significant AIDS epidemic. Some of the contraceptives have been distributed through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a global health initiative started by George W. Bush. “Ensuring that people in Africa, but also in other low- and middle-income countries, have access to condoms is one of the most important parts of the AIDS response and one that the United States has been funding and should be funding,” said Kavanagh, the Georgetown global health expert. More: Judge temporarily blocks Trump policy that aimed at freezing federal grant funding Family planning is also important to help women survive in countries where poverty and the maternal mortality rate are high or in places where quality health care is unavailable, said Beth Schlachter of MSI Reproductive Choices, which works to make sure contraception is accessible around the world. “If you are a woman living in Gaza over the last year, it’s not the ideal time to get pregnant,” said Schlachter, a former population policy adviser for the State Department. “Providing family planning or contraceptives is a routine part of humanitarian assistance because women bring their uteruses with them when they are in a time of crisis and they still need all the reproductive health care they would need at any other time in their life.” Even so, humanitarian groups said the administration’s claim that $50 million was about to be spent to send condoms to Gaza is absurd. “Condoms cost four cents (to make), so $50 million in condoms is over a billion condoms,” Kavanagh said. “There’s only a million adults in Gaza. I did a quick calculation, and I think on average that would be three condoms per day for every adult in Gaza. That’s not happening.” Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X @mcollinsNEWS. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he halted $50 million ******* shipment to Gaza. Did he? Source link #Donald #Trump #stopped #million #condoms #Gaza #true Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Costco, Teamsters negotiating committee reach tentative agreement – CNBC Costco, Teamsters negotiating committee reach tentative agreement – CNBC Costco, Teamsters negotiating committee reach tentative agreement CNBCCostco clerks will soon make up to nearly $32 an hour CBS NewsCostco raises nonunion pay to over $30 an hour as union deadline looms The Washington PostCostco and Teamsters union reach tentative agreement to avoid strike Business Insider Source link #Costco #Teamsters #negotiating #committee #reach #tentative #agreement #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Government websites face outages as Trump orders removal of 'gender ideology' references – KATU Government websites face outages as Trump orders removal of 'gender ideology' references – KATU Government websites face outages as Trump orders removal of ‘gender ideology’ references KATUCDC Data Are Disappearing The AtlanticFederal employees told to remove pronouns from email signatures by end of day ABC News Source link #Government #websites #face #outages #Trump #orders #removal #039gender #ideology039 #references #KATU Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple reportedly shelved a Mac-connected AR glasses project Apple reportedly shelved a Mac-connected AR glasses project Apple was apparently developing augmented reality glasses powered by its Mac computers, but it canceled the project before the company could even announce it. According to Bloomberg, Apple scrapped the program this week because the product didn’t perform well when executives tested it and the company kept on changing the features it wanted for the device. The glasses, while still powered by visionOS, weren’t supposed to be the direct successor to the Vision Pro. They reportedly weren’t a headset, but a pair of normal-looking glasses instead. Bloomberg says Apple originally wanted the AR glasses to be powered by the iPhone, but the smartphone didn’t have the processing capacity to sustain the device’s features. They also drained the iPhone’s battery. The scrapped AR glasses had built-in displays that can project information, images and video into the user’s field of view. They were lighter than the Vision Pro and didn’t show the wearer’s eyes like the headset can, but they had lenses that could change their tint to show if the user is working on a task or isn’t busy and can be approached. Bloomberg compared the canceled product to XReal’s One glasses and to the Orion prototype Meta revealed last year. While the Orion needs to be paired with a “wireless compute puck” to work, it doesn’t need to be connected to a computer or a phone. Apple was developing the glasses as a device people can use every day. One of the issues it’s reportedly facing is that people who already own the Vision Pro aren’t using it as much as the company expects. However, employees part of the company’s vision products group reportedly thought the project suffered from a lack of focus and clear direction. Apple is still working on a successor to the Vision Pro, though, and it’s still looking to develop AR glasses in the future. It’s also continuing to work on the technologies the scrapped glasses used, such as microLED-type screens, for future projects. Source link #Apple #reportedly #shelved #Macconnected #glasses #project Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anthony Nolan stem cell plea issued to save baby’s life Anthony Nolan stem cell plea issued to save baby’s life PA Media Dolcie-Mae must remain in hospital until a matching stem cell donor can be found The mother of a three-month-old baby girl diagnosed with a rare blood disorder is urging people to sign the stem cell register in a bid to save her daughter’s life. Doctors initially suspected Dolcie-Mae Edwards-Raymond, from Newport, had a viral infection when she fell ill and failed to gain weight. However, she was just four weeks old when her parents were told Dolcie-Mae has hemophagocytic lymphohistiocystosis (HLH) – a life-threatening disorder if left untreated or not diagnosed promptly. The infant must now remain in hospital until a matching stem cell donor can be found. HLH is an immune deficiency disorder which happens when certain types of white blood cells, known as histiocytes and lymphocytes, become overactive and attack the body. There were 1,674 people with HLH diagnosed in England between 2003 and 2018, according to a study published in 2022. Following her diagnosis, Dolcie-Mae was airlifted from her home to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle up on Tyne, where she is receiving specialist treatment. Her parents Courtney-***** Edwards, 22, and Ashley David Raymond, 28, are now appealing for people between the ages of 16 and 30 to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register to find a donor. PA Media Courtney-***** Edwards and Ashley David Raymond with their daughter Dolcie-Mae Ms Edwards said no family “should have to go through such an awful journey watching their child fight a battle ******* than themselves”. “When Dolcie-Mae’s dad, Ashley, and I found out our daughter had HLH we were devastated. We had no idea about this rare blood disorder until she was diagnosed,” she said. “To hear that our daughter’s body was attacking itself was just so heartbreaking. Knowing there was absolutely nothing we could do but sit beside her and pray for better days was awful, leaving us feeling so helpless.” Ms Edwards said stem cell donors can give patients like her daughter “a second chance at life”. “A stem cell transplant from a stranger, someone like you, can be their only hope. Please join the stem cell register,” she said. PA Media The family are appealing for help to find a donor for Dolcie-Mae Dolcie-Mae’s older sister Dollie-Rae is living with her grandmother while her parents are in hospital with Dolcie-Rae. The girls’ aunt, Stephanie Curtis, said the family were keeping in touch with daily FaceTime calls rather than visiting them in hospital to avoid the risk of spreading any infections to Dolcie-Mae. “It’s not the same as being there together but it’s the closest we’ll ever get to seeing her at this time,” Ms Curtis told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. ‘Second chance at life’ “We’ve got to stay strong for Courtney and Ashley and the baby and, not forgetting, Dollie-Rae who is without her mum as well.” Ms Curtis said the family had joined the register to try and help Dollie-Rae and others, and urged more people to do the same. “She really does need an urgent stem cell transplant to save her life, to give her second chance at life.” Charlotte Cunliffe, director of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: “It’s heartbreaking to think about what little Dolcie-Mae and her family are going through and we are supporting them through this uncertain time. “At Anthony Nolan we give hope to families affected by blood cancers and disorders, but we can’t do it without the lifesavers that sign up to our register. “If you are aged 16-30, please sign up to the Anthony Nolan register online and send back your swabs. You could be the match that someone like baby Dolcie-Mae needs to survive.” Source link #Anthony #Nolan #stem #cell #plea #issued #save #babys #life Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – The Associated Press Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – The Associated Press Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Associated PressRohit Chopra is leaving his role as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director CNNTrump Administration Fires Consumer Bureau Chief The New York TimesThe head of a federal agency for consumers has packed up his office. But will Trump fire him? The Associated PressTrump removes Rohit Chopra as director of CFPB The Washington Post Source link #Trump #fires #director #Consumer #Financial #Protection #Bureau #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Six Nations: Huw Jones gives Scotland early lead against Italy Six Nations: Huw Jones gives Scotland early lead against Italy Watch as Duhan van der Merwe sets up Huw Jones to score Scotland’s second try against Italy at Murraryfield Stadium in the Six Nations. WATCH LIVE: Scotland v Italy Watch highlights on Six Nations Rugby Special on BBC iPlayer. Available to *** users only. Source link #Nations #Huw #Jones #Scotland #early #lead #Italy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Northeast Philadelphia plane ****** aftermath: New view of destruction as investigation begins – 6ABC Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia plane ****** aftermath: New view of destruction as investigation begins – 6ABC Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia plane ****** aftermath: New view of destruction as investigation begins 6ABC PhiladelphiaAviation Experts Suspect ****** Hawk Helicopter Did Not See American Airlines Plane Before ****** PEOPLEUS army refuses to name female pilot killed in helicopter ****** with passenger jet Yahoo! VoicesThe moments before 67 souls perished in a midair collision over the Potomac River CNN Source link #Northeast #Philadelphia #plane #****** #aftermath #view #destruction #investigation #begins #6ABC #Philadelphia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Troubling issues clatter onto Yvette Cooper’s desk Troubling issues clatter onto Yvette Cooper’s desk Laura KuenssbergPresenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg•@bbclaurakBBC “Whichever cupboard you open, you know all sorts of terrible things that have been crammed in there for years will fall out.” That’s how a long-serving former Home Office minister describes working in the department. And for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper – who joins us on Sunday’s show – a number of tricky and emotive issues have landed with a thump on her desk. The grooming gangs scandal. The obvious failures of the authorities in the Southport murders. This week, a new row with police forces who warn they’ll have to make cuts despite some extra funding. Cooper’s successes or failures really do affect every one of our lives. She is responsible for the safety of our streets, handling threats we face from terrorists, and policing the border. Just how big is the job she’s facing – and how is she faring so far? Sign up for the Off Air with Laura K newsletter to get Laura Kuenssberg’s expert insight and insider stories every week, emailed directly to you. Like all cabinet ministers, Cooper and her team are conscious of the ticking clock. The new government isn’t so new anymore. She has complicated problems to solve that can’t be fixed in a hurry, and Labour wants to be able to demonstrate the difference to voters as soon as possible. Her job is “simply vast”, says one insider – and the challenges facing Cooper are fast evolving, whether that’s dangerous Channel crossings by migrants who want to make a life in the *** in numbers unimaginable 10 years ago, a huge rise in fraud, or the ways in which predators are using rapidly advancing technology to help them with their crimes in the most hideous ways. New figures from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) shared with us this weekend show how rapidly that challenge is growing and changing. The IWF, a charity with unique powers to hunt down and remove child abuse imagery and material, has told us that the use of artificial intelligence to create ******** content depicting children is growing at an alarming rate. According to its analysts, reports of AI-generated child ******* abuse have risen by 380% in the last 12 months. In 2024, there were 245 reports, compared to 51 in 2023. Of those, the IWF says 193 involved imagery that was so realistic it had to be treated the same as if it had been real images of children being abused. The home secretary has already promised new laws in the coming weeks to try to crack down on this problem. And it’s one of the issues we’ll talk about when she joins us in the studio. Getty Images Yvette Cooper has a reputation as being an expert in her brief Cooper has a reputation in government as being a proper expert in her brief, having studied every nook and cranny of the department as chair of the Home Affairs Committee and as shadow home secretary. A source describes her as “methodical and very thorough”. But the list of jobs on her list is dizzying. One senior Whitehall figure describes her department as having “low morale and struggling to deliver”. How can she tackle record levels of shoplifting, with brazen, kamikaze-style attacks being carried out on retailers? What about trying to “smash the gangs” – Labour’s answer to its predecessors’ vow to “stop the boats”? We pressed Cooper on these plans when we spoke to her in Rome just before Christmas, and laws introducing anti-terror-style offences to help combat people smuggling arrived in Parliament this week. But she has always been reluctant to give the public a timetable on when she’ll have been able to make a difference. Getty Images/ Bernard Barron Both the left and right have been critical of Labour’s strategy on migrant crossings There is little sign of a deal to get France to take migrants back – often seen as the measure that could make the biggest difference. The government is being attacked from the right for ditching the Conservatives’ plans to send migrants to Rwanda, as well as some other planned measures like age tests for those who arrive. From the left, it is criticised for maintaining some of the former government’s plans, like banning migrants from claiming protection under modern slavery laws. What about Labour’s promise to halve violence against women and girls? On Friday, a report from the National Audit Office made pretty embarrassing reading for the department, saying despite successive attempts to set a direction, the Home Office doesn’t fully understand the problem and hasn’t made a convincing difference. The Home Office does not instinctively like headlines. And Cooper is not a politician who seeks attention, content to be seen as a “quiet doer”, as a source describes her. But the stakes are so high. Whether they like it or not, the responsibility to answer for failures, or respond to moments of national distress, so often falls to them. Getty Images Keir Starmer appointed Yvette Cooper to the position of home secretary after Labour won the general election in July A former long-serving minister in the department says: “You always hesitate before looking at the front pages – at some point, somebody, somewhere might do something that could end your career”. Cooper’s rivals in opposition say “she’s been making big mistakes” in the first weeks of this year. They suggest she didn’t respond quickly enough to calls for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs. She initially refused a national investigation then, as political pressure built, announced a “national audit” and local inquiries. The move appeared to follow a classic Whitehall habit: if in doubt, call for straight-talking troubleshooter Baroness Louise Casey to do the work. Rivals say “it’s ridiculous” to imagine Cooper’s plans to “smash the gangs” will make much difference to the number of Channel crossings. But Home Office sources say this January had the lowest number of small boat arrivals of any January since 2021, at 1098, despite having twice the number of days with weather conditions less treacherous for crossings. Even so, the overall task facing the Home Office is enormous, with no less than the safety and protection of the country and the public in the Cooper’s hands. A former home secretary said, “it’s not the ministry of fun, but it is doable”. With so much riding on her progress, Labour had better hope they’re right. Top picture credit: Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below. Source link #Troubling #issues #clatter #Yvette #Coopers #desk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The 10 best things I saw at NAMM The 10 best things I saw at NAMM The 2025 NAMM Show is over. Every year music gear manufacturers, ranging from iconic synth brands like Korg, to boutique guitar pedal makers like Walrus Audio, and even companies making fog machines and knobs descend on Anaheim to show off their latest wares. It is chaos in all the ways that you’d expect a convention to be — miles-long lines for coffee, hordes of strangers jockeying for position around new products, food options that range from barely edible to instant heart attack. But NAMM is also a special beast. If you’ve ever wondered what eight out-of-sync drummers, two finger tapping guitar solos, an acoustic slide blues riff and a simple ukulele ditty would all sound like simultaneously vying for your attention, well, this is the only place to experience that particular brand of hell. But, now that my legs and, more importantly, my eardrums have finally started to recover I’ve had a chance to reflect on some of the best things I saw on the show floor. Here are the 10 things that grabbed my attention the most. Eternal Research ****** Box Terrence O’Brien for Engadget Eternal Research launched a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign back in September, but this was the first time I was able to see the ****** Box in person. Think of it like a supercharged version of the Soma Labs Ether featured in a handful of our gift guides. The ****** Box doesn’t make any sound on its own, instead it features three pickups that turn EMFs (electromagnetic fields) into music — or at least audible noise. Run a cellphone, power drill or a tuning fork across the top and you’ll get unique whines, hisses, clicks and beeps that only that device could produce. But where the Ether is basically just a microphone, the ****** Box is an instrument designed for live interaction and controlling other devices. In addition to outputting audio, it can also convert those electro magnetic fields into CV (control voltage) for controlling eurorack synths or MIDI for triggering a visual synthesizer, or all three simultaneously. There are tons of options out there if you want a buzzy sawtooth bass, but if you want to turn the invisible radiation emitted by a TV remote into a centerpiece of a multimedia performance, this is basically your only option. Circle Guitar Terrence O’Brien for Engadget The Circle Guitar is impractical. It costs over $12,000 (insert grimacing emoji). But it’s also just insane fun. Instead of playing it with a pick or finger plucking the strings (though, you can do that if you want), the strings are strummed by movable plectrums you mount inside a spinning wheel. There are sixteen slots allowing you to design your own strumming rhythm, and then there are six sliders under the pickups for controlling the volume of each string individually. This allows you to create complex, robotic rhythms like a drum machine, but on your guitar. And, what’s more, you can sync it to a DAW to make sure you’re in lockstep with your backing track, even when it stutters and pauses. It’s a completely unique creation that has already drawn the attention of artists like Ed O’Brien of Radiohead. Akai + Native Instruments To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. One of the biggest announcements out of NAMM wasn’t really a new product, but two titans of the industry joining forces. Several of Native Instruments (NI) Play Series synths and genre-specific Expansion Pack sound kits are being ported over to Akai’s new MPC 3.0 platform. While the availability of some existing soft synths on some existing hardware might not seem like a big deal at first, it greatly expands the sonic palette of the MPC and gives NI another foothold in the world of standalone music hardware after giving it go on its own with the Machine+. The selection of sounds is limited at the moment, with three synths (Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, and Nacht) and just one expansion (Faded Reels) available. But two more synths and four more expansions will be added soon and, if all goes well, I’m sure more will follow. Korg HandyTraxx Play Terrence O’Brien for Engadget The HandyTraxx Play is the first and only portable turntable that I know of with built-in effects. It has a DJ filter, a delay and even a simple looper which can, in theory, negate the need for a separate mixer and even a second turntable in some cases. While I can not scratch, I’ve always wanted to learn, and the all-in-one portable nature of the HandyTraxx Play, including a speaker and battery power, is pretty appealing to someone who just wants to dip their toe in and doesn’t want invest a ton of money and space in a separate mixer and dual turntable setup. Plus, Korg designed the Play in conjunction with the late Toshihide Nakama, the founder of Vestax and builder of the original Handy Trax (two words, one x), an icon in the world of portablism. Donner Essential L1 Synthesizer Terrence O’Brien for Engadget Over the last few years ******** music gear maker Donner has started to really expand its offerings, going from mostly digital pianos and some bargain bin guitar pedals, to shockingly decent DSP effects, drum machines and even a pocketable groovebox. The L1 is the latest in its growing line of synths and it has a lot of promise. It’s based in large part on the Roland SH-101, an iconic instrument from the ‘80s that found particular favor among artists like Aphex Twin, Orbital, Depeche Mode, KMFDM, and Boards of Canada. What makes the L1 particularly intriguing is that it’s the first entry in the company’s new Snap2Connect (S2C) system. The keyboard attaches to the synth magnetically, allowing you to leave it behind if you want, or use it as a separate MIDI controller with your DAW or another synth. But Donner also says it plans on adding other instruments to the S2C system, so you could buy a module based on, say, a Juno-60 one day and just slap it on to the keyboard you already own. Enjoy Electronics DeFeel Terrence O’Brien for Engadget The DeFeel is hard to explain. The company calls it a “modular monotony degenerator,” which is both extremely accurate and extremely unhelpful. Basically, you stick this thing between your sequencer and your synthesizer and it mangles the incoming CV to generate fills, stutters, and all manner of barely controlled chaos. In short, it takes that rock-solid sequence you’ve programmed and makes it less monotonous. It can resequence your sequence or add modulation. You can draw modulation curves using the 4.3-inch touchscreen, or even turn it into an X/Y pad for live performance. It’s designed mostly with eurorack synths in mind, but it’s also available as a standalone unit in a classy wooden case. Melbourne Instruments RotoControl Terrence O’Brien for Engadget The RotoControl might not seem like the most exciting device at first. It’s a MIDI controller with eight knobs and keys on the right side, and a handful of other buttons on the left for navigating the device. But what makes it special is that those knobs are motorized — if you change a parameter in your DAW or softsynth, that is reflected physically on the controller. That might sound a little gimmicky, but it’s actually incredibly useful. See, knobs on a controller or synth generally come in two flavors: pots and encoders. A pot, or potentiometer, has a beginning and end. So, if you change a preset or switch instruments, it may no longer reflect the actual setting in question. Encoders have no beginning or end. Since they don’t point to a concrete position in space, there’s no need to worry about a disagreement between knob position and an actual parameter value. But they’re also less than ideal for live performance. Judging how far you need to turn to get that filter sweep just right is difficult, and encoders generally have a less smooth response than a pot. Melbourne solves this by just moving the pots to where they’re supposed to be. Roli Piano & Airwave Terrence O’Brien for Engadget I’ve been saying for a few years that I’m going to finally learn how to play piano. But, I’m a busy dad of two, a part-time bartender and a full-time freelancer. I don’t really have the time or disposable income, frankly, to treat myself to piano lessons. And the app-based or video options I’ve tried have been a bit underwhelming. I don’t know that the Roli Piano and Airwave are for sure more effective than Melodics or Duolingo at teaching how to play, but it seems like there’s more potential there. Where most music education apps are basically glorified versions of Guitar Hero, Roli uses the Airwave’s camera to track your whole hand, letting you know if you’re out of position, if your wrists are at the wrong angle or if you’re using the wrong fingers. It’s probably not as good as having a real professional teaching you the ropes, but it’s probably better than a repurposed video game bolted on to some rudimentary music theory lesson. Oh, and once you feel comfortable enough with your playing, the Roli Piano and Airwave combine to create what is probably the most extensive MPE controller on the market. Entropy & Sons Recursion Studio Terrence O’Brien for Engadget Video synthesizers are not new, but they’re also not the most common things on the planet. And the Recursion Studio from Entropy & Sons is probably one of the most capable I’ve ever seen. For one, this is not some simple visualizer where a basic clip of animation is manipulated, all of the visuals are generated live, algorithmically. In addition it can process incoming video, distort images and react to incoming audio, it even has multiple oscilloscope modes builtin. For those that like to get their hands dirty there are over 300 modules that can be combined to create custom visual patches. But there are also about a 1,000 presets on board so you can quickly get some visuals up immediately to go with your synth jam. And the company is constantly updating the device and adding new features. SoundToys SpaceBlender Terrence O’Brien for Engadget SoundToys is one of the biggest names in effect plugins out there. They’re used by everyone from Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad to Kenny Beats and Trent Reznor. The company’s Decapitator saturation plugin is one of the best things to ever happen to drums and EchoBoy is a must have delay. But, it doesn’t introduce new effects terribly often. SuperPlate was added to the roster in mid 2023, but that was the first new addition since Little Plate in November of 2017 — the company takes its time. SpaceBlender is SoundToys’ take on an ambient granular reverb. It’s not really a straight granular plugin, that chops up your audio and spits it back out in little bits, instead it’s a bunch of delays that get combined and smeared into something ethereal. It even has an interactive envelope designer that you can manipulate to not only hone the shape of your reverb, but even has potential as a live performance tool. SpaceBlender isn’t quite ready for release just yet, but even in this early sneak peek it sounded phenomenal and seemed pretty stable. Source link #NAMM Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Highly portable pressure-sensitive mouse has a design that reminds you of a sleek car remote Highly portable pressure-sensitive mouse has a design that reminds you of a sleek car remote Astract Japan has launched CapacMouse Pro, the successor to its previous-gen CapacMouse Neo, for crowdfunding and preordering on Makuake.com, a Japanese crowdfunding platform. CapacMouse Pro is a hyper-compact mouse. The whole unit resembles a car beeper remote more than anything else, but it is complete with two scroll buttons, two side buttons per side, and two main buttons. Various key combinations rather than dedicated software allow for adjustments to DPI and scrolling sensitivity. Still, a four-tier status indicator light displays the level of DPI or scrolling sensitivity when you change those settings. Now, as for why it’s called CapacMouse, the mouse seems to use capacitive touch for a few functions. The top scroll button appears to be pressure—and touch-sensitive, with direction and range varying based on direction and pressure. The bottom mouse button would otherwise be a scroll wheel click on another mouse. Regarding pricing, the MSRP will be 7,680 yen (roughly $50), but early bird discounts via crowdfunding can get you the mouse when it releases for just 5,370 yen (approximately $35). These prices also seem to include shipping, though you may need to pay a bit extra since those calculations are likely made with Japanese customers in mind. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Astract Japan) (Image credit: Astract Japan) The CapacMouse Pro is an interesting choice for those needing a hyper-compact mouse. The adjustable DPI settings (1,000, 1,600, 2,400, and 4,000 DPI) should allow for a wide range of comfortable cursor speeds. The similar ability to adjust scroll speed/range from the scroll button is also a welcome addition, particularly the ability to have single scroll button taps move a set distance. As expected from a typical Mouse 3/Mouse 4 arrangement, the left-side buttons are for back- and forward-page navigation. Things get a little quirkier with the right-side buttons—down-right triggers an auto double-click function, while down-up is only used with other buttons to change DPI and scroll speed settings. With a total weight of 30 grams and support for wireless operation on both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz, the CapacMouse Pro seems suitable for its targeted niche of business and casual users on the go. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for PC gaming over something like the leading gaming mice from Logitech, Corsair, or Razer—but that’s not who this mouse is for. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Highly #portable #pressuresensitive #mouse #design #reminds #sleek #car #remote Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, in the latest purge of a Biden administration holdover. Chopra was one of the more important regulators from the previous Democratic administration who was still on the job since Trump took office on Jan. 20. Chopra’s tenure saw the removal of medical debt from credit reports and limits on overdrafts penalties, all based on the premise that the financial system could be fairer and more competitive in ways that helped consumers. But many in the financial industry viewed his actions as regulatory overreach. In a social media post Saturday about his departure, Chopra thanked people across the country who “shared their ideas and experiences” with the government’s consumer financial watchdog agency. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. “You helped us hold powerful companies & their executives accountable for breaking the law, and you made our work better,” Chopra posted above on X above pictures of his letter announcing that he would no longer lead the bureau. During Trump’s first term, the Republican had picked Chopra as a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission. In his letter, Chopra noted that the bureau was ready to work with the Trump administration. He said the agency had prepared rules to block Russia, China and others from using data brokers to surveil Americans, and had put forth policies intended to prevent people from losing access to banking services for exercising their constitutional right to express their political or religious views. The letter noted the CFPB has also analyzed Trump’s campaign proposal to cap credit card interest rates. Chopra was notified of his firing in an email, according to a person familiar with the notice who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Under the law, Chopra was to serve a five-year term, which meant he could have stayed on as the CFPB director. But he had publicly stated that he would leave his post if the new president asked. In many ways, Chopra exemplified some of the tensions between Trump’s promises to curb regulations for businesses and his populist appeals to voters. When The Associated Press reported on Jan. 22 that Chopra remained in his job after Trump took the oath of office, his critics in the financial sector quickly said the president needed to dismiss him. “The longer Director Chopra stays, the harder it will be for this pro-growth administration to undo the politically-driven, government-price setting agenda that former President Biden’s appointee has engaged in over the last several years at the Bureau,” emailed Weston Loyd, press secretary at the Consumer Bankers Association. Chopra is an ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of Trump’s favorite targets, and the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement that if Trump and Republicans “decide to cower to Wall Street billionaires and destroy the agency, they will have a fight on their hands.” She said the bureau under Chopra had held “Wall Street accountable.” California Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement that Chopra’s dismissal “marks the end of an era of strong consumer protection and the beginning of a plan to end this important agency.” The bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans and other consumer finance. It has long been opposed by Republicans and their financial backers. Last year, the Supreme Court rejected a challenged that could have undermined the bureau, ruling that the way it is is funded does not violate the Constitution. Unlike most federal agencies, the bureau does not rely on the annual budget process in Congress, but is funded directly by the Federal Reserve. Source link #Trump #fires #director #Consumer #Financial #Protection #Bureau Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]