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Chatbots are going to Washington with ChatGPT Gov Chatbots are going to Washington with ChatGPT Gov Matheus Bertelli / Pexels In an X post Monday commenting on DeepSeek’s sudden success, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised to “pull up some releases” and it appears he has done so. OpenAI unveiled its newest product on Tuesday, a “tailored version of ChatGPT designed to provide U.S. government agencies with an additional way to access OpenAI’s frontier models,” per the announcement post. ChatGPT Gov will reportedly offer even tighter data security measures than ChatGPT Enterprise, but how will it handle the hallucinations that plague the company’s other models? According to OpenAI, more than 90,000 federal, state, and local government employees across 3,500 agencies have queried ChatGPT more than 18 million times since the start of 2024. The new platform will enable government agencies to enter “non-public, sensitive information” into ChatGPT while it runs within their secure hosting environments — specifically, the Microsoft Azure commercial cloud or Azure Government community cloud — and cybersecurity frameworks like IL5 or CJIS. This enables each agency to “manage their own security, privacy and compliance requirements,” Felipe Millon, Government Sales lead at OpenAI told reporters on the press call Tuesday. deepseek’s r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they’re able to deliver for the price. we will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor! we will pull up some releases. — Sam Altman (@sama) January 28, 2025 The company also provided a demonstration of what ChatGPT Gov, which runs atop the GPT-4o model, can do during the press call. In the demo, a “federal employee” signed into ChatGPT, generated a five-week plan for their job duties and then analyzed a printed version of the same 5-week plan marked up with hand-labeled notes and addenda. ChatGPT then drafted a memo to the agency’s legal and compliance department summarizing its plan. “I know President Trump is also looking at how we can potentially streamline that, because it’s one way of getting more modern software tooling into the government and helping the government run more efficiently,” OpenAI CPO Kevin Weil told CNBC. “So we’re very excited about that.” ChatGPT Gov is built largely upon the existing ChatGPT Enterprise framework, which is still going through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program and has not yet been cleared to handle non-public data. There is no timeline yet for when that accreditation might come through but the AI likely won’t be rolled out to actual agency employees before that happens. Even with the focus on data and operational security, relying on generative AI for such vital and sensitive tasks as the functioning of government poses unique and difficult challenges. We’ve already seen more than one lawyer get caught using chatbots to “perform research,” resulting in them citing hallucinated case law, as well as police rely on faulty AI-based evidence to wrongfully arrest people. California voters also recently rejected a measure that would have put AI in charge of bail sentencing. What’s more, a 2024 Stanford HAI study found that popular legal models from Thomas Reuters and LexisNexis, which promise “hallucination-free legal research,” actually did hallucinate in their responses, 34% and 17% of the time, respectively. The study’s authors point out that’s still a significant improvement over general-purpose chatbots which hallucinated responses to legal queries anywhere between 58% and 82% of the time. OpenAI’s announcement came just hours after DeepSeek revealed V3, its latest generative model, which offers comparable performance to OpenAI’s state of the art o1 reasoning model while using 20 to 50 times less power, depending on the task. The ******** startup has thrown the American AI industry into disarray with that revelation, calling into question the need to continually build more and more data centers and power plants if more efficient AI code could accomplish the same. Nvidia, the leading global supplier of GPUs, the specialized processing units that AI systems require for training and inference tasks, lost $600 billion in market capitalization in response to the DeepSeek news. Gas and nuclear energy companies saw their stock values decline as well. Source link #Chatbots #Washington #ChatGPT #Gov Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Major tuberculosis outbreak hits Kansas City area – Reuters Major tuberculosis outbreak hits Kansas City area – Reuters Major tuberculosis outbreak hits Kansas City area ReutersKansas City Chiefs game drew lots of travelers. Should you be worried about tuberculosis? USA TODAYDo I need a tuberculosis vaccine in Kansas? What to know amid ‘unprecedented’ outbreak Kansas City StarTuberculosis outbreak in Kansas: What you need to know USA TODAYKansas Is Dealing With Major Tuberculosis Outbreak The New York Times Source link #Major #tuberculosis #outbreak #hits #Kansas #City #area #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Microsoft Gaming Revenue Declines 7%, Xbox Hardware Down 29% Year-on-Year Microsoft Gaming Revenue Declines 7%, Xbox Hardware Down 29% Year-on-Year neomahi2h ago Shakeup. Why does everyone keep saying that or acting like something huge has just transpired? Nothing’s gonna change. NOTHING. A shake up would be PlayStation regaining confidence in their own hardware and acknowledging they don’t need PC. If Nintendo, who has the most to lose if gaming folds, Microsoft just going back to making office software and Sony going back to, well, the only company with and end-to-end ecosystem, Nintendo has nothing to do back to. They’ve proven Console Exclusivity does sell as they’re about to dethrone the number 1 selling console of all time…..AND ALL OF THEIR GAMES ARE 100% ON THEIR HARDWARE with no possibility of EVER being on the competitions hardware…. So why is PlayStation following the one company that’s failing? Xbox went to PC because they were desperate, they were losing the console market because of their long list of screwups, and PlayStation wants to follow that rather than remain on top where they’ve been since they started? That would be a shake up going back to their roots like Nintendo does having full faith in their hardware. Porting to PC makes them look weak. When Nintendo starts porting to PC and the competition, come back and I’ll say you’re right. But don’t tell me console exclusives don’t sell hardware. You’re not gonna see anything different, in fact, I think it’ll get worse with the same two at the helm Source link #Microsoft #Gaming #Revenue #Declines #Xbox #Hardware #YearonYear Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Ryzen 9 9950X and Asus TUF motherboard has a $100 discount The Ryzen 9 9950X and Asus TUF motherboard has a $100 discount Once considered to be one of the best processors around, there’s a fantastic deal on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X CPU along with an Asus TUF Gaming X870-Plus motherboard. Right now, you can buy the bundle for $836 at B&H Photo Video, so you’re saving $100 off the usual price of $936. A great bundle for anyone keen to upgrade their PC for themselves, the deal is only available for the next two days, so you don’t have long to make a decision. We’re here to tell you all it has to offer to make that choice easier. Why you should buy the Ryzen 9 9950X CPU and Asus TUF Gaming X870-Plus bundle We spent some extensive time in our AMD Ryzen 9 9950X review discussing its merits alongside the Ryzen 9 9900X. At the time of launch, it was the flagship of AMD’s Zen 5 range and we found it to be far more efficient than Zen 4, with far improved performance in productivity apps over Intel. With 16 cores and 32 threads, on paper it’s the ideal CPU for all your productivity-based tasks, which is good because it’s not necessarily the best value choice for gaming (but that changes when on *****). Our full review gives you benchmark figures and it’s a strong boost compared to older CPUs. We also have a look at the differences between the Ryzen 9 9950X against the Intel Core i9-14900K too. After all, the battle of AMD and Intel continues, so it’s important to know what’s best for your situation, while investing in the best AMD processor for your plans. Besides the CPU, never overlook your motherboard choice. It’s vital to pick the right motherboard for your plans, even though it’s an easy mistake to ignore the motherboard‘s capabilities. With the Asus TUF Gaming X870-Plus, you get four DDR5 slots supporting up to 192GB of memory, a place to install two M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSDs as well as an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0, and there are two SATA III connectors too. Two USB4 ports on the rear panel mean you can connect 40 Gb/s compatible devices or a USB-C compatible 8K display. There are also three 10 Gb/s compatible USB-A ports, four USB-A Gen 1 ports, and one USB-A 2.0 port. There are some great overclocking features on the motherboard as well. Finally, enjoy Wi-Fi 7 support too. A strong combo of hardware for anyone seeking an upgrade to their PC soon, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Asus TUF Gaming X870-Plus motherboard bundle is down to $836 right now at B&H. Normally costing $936, you save $100 off the regular price and score yourself some great hardware. Check it out now before the deal ends on January 31. Source link #Ryzen #9950X #Asus #TUF #motherboard #discount Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa reject Arsenal approach for striker Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa reject Arsenal approach for striker Aston Villa have rejected an approach from Arsenal for England striker Ollie Watkins. Sources confirmed to BBC Sport the Gunners made their enquiry for the 29-year-old on Monday. Reports of a £60m Arsenal bid first surfaced just hours before Aston Villa’s Champions League game against Celtic on Wednesday night at Villa Park. Watkins started and scored, but also slipped to miss a bizarre penalty in the second half. Villa sources say they have no intention of allowing Watkins to leave, especially with continued speculation linking fellow striker Jhon Duran with a move to Saudi Arabia. Sources also told BBC Sport that Villa are unhappy with the timing of the approach, which came in the build-up to a key Champions League fixture and a week before January’s transfer deadline day. It is not clear if Arsenal will return with further offers before Monday’s 23:00 GMT deadline. Watkins has 11 goals in 32 games this season and scored the equaliser in Villa’s 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium this month. The England international has 80 goals in 200 appearances for the Midlands club since joining from Brentford for £28m in 2020. The Gunners are looking for a new striker before the January transfer window closes, with Gabriel Jesus out with a serious knee injury he suffered in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United this month. Source link #Ollie #Watkins #Aston #Villa #reject #Arsenal #approach #striker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Comcast introduces ultra-low lag internet for gamers and streamers Comcast introduces ultra-low lag internet for gamers and streamers Today, Comcast announced the rollout of a new Internet connection with ultra-low latency, designed for use while gaming or videoconferencing. The company’s Xfinity Internet will see a major drop in latency during FaceTime calls, while using a VR headset, and better performance on “many” games on Steam. Comcast says the service will be initially limited, but the low-lag experience will become more widely available as more content providers offer support for the technology. Emily Waldorf, SVP, Consumer Products, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms said, “Modern applications are real-time and interactive and require more than just fast speeds. Xfinity Internet’s lower lag times will be a differentiator for Comcast.” This service could be a particular boon for the competitive gaming space. One of the disadvantages of online gaming is lag, and games where split-second reactions are required (like fighting games and shooters) can lend an unfair advantage to the player with the least latency. 343 If you play against someone else on the same machine, there’s virtually no lag. That’s one reason many fighting game tournaments are held in-person versus online, although developers have found ways to make online play more accurate in the form of rollback netcode. Please enable Javascript to view this content If Xfinity’s new service delivers on its promises, frame-perfect blocks might happen more often (at least for players skilled enough to pull them off). The technology has been in a testing phase over the last year and is starting its initial rollout in a few specific cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, but will expand to more cities in the future. You’ll need an XB6, XB7, or XB8 model of the Xfinity Gateway to participate, but again, the service will spread to more modems in the future. The technology holds tremendous potential for improving one of the main obstacles in online play. Source link #Comcast #introduces #ultralow #lag #internet #gamers #streamers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia stock drops again thanks to rumors of expanded China chip sanctions by Trump administration Nvidia stock drops again thanks to rumors of expanded China chip sanctions by Trump administration The Trump administration is considering expanding the chip sanctions the Biden administration put on China, according to people familiar with the matter. This expansion would cover Nvidia’s H20 chips, which the company specifically developed for China to comply with the U.S.’s export limitations. This talk of expansion will not take effect soon, however, according to Bloomberg, especially as the new administration is still putting its own people in the various positions the needs to be filled. This marked another blow to Nvidia’s market capitalization this week; the company lost $589 billion in value on Monday after the release of DeepSeek AI. Nvidia’s shares dropped to $118 on Monday (down from $142 the week before), and rebounded to $127 per share yesterday. But after news of possible expanded chip sanctions, the share price dropped by 6.9% to $122 per share. China is still Nvidia’s biggest customer despite all the bans and sanctions the U.S. government has imposed. The company is still estimated to make $12 billion selling AI GPUs to China in 2024, even though they’re only offering the Nvidia H20 — a defanged version of its H200 AI chip. In fact, the company’s sales of this sanctions-compliant chip has increased by 50% quarterly since its introduction. There’s a chance that even the compliant H20 chip will be banned for export, though, especially as the release of DeepSeek showed that China could create leading-edge AI models while using less powerful hardware. Trump’s Commerce Secretary nominee, Howard Lutnick, said that he will have a strong stance on semiconductor controls during a confirmation meeting. While he did not give any more specifics, this could mean that the Trump White House will consider an expansion of trade sanctions against China, which will negatively affect Nvidia’s bottom line. Nvidia has previously said that these restrictions do more harm to the American economy than good, claiming it forces ******** companies to be independent and create their own technologies that could potentially leave the West behind. Furthermore, it weakens American companies that rely heavily on sales in China, reducing revenue that it could otherwise use for further research and development to advance U.S. technologies. Even former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that holding back China’s chipmaking progress is a fool’s errand. Nvidia still has time to present its case to the White House before a new round of bans and sanctions comes down. The company must walk a fine line between appeasing the people in power in Washington, D.C. and keeping its revenues at a record high, so it must tread carefully. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Nvidia #stock #drops #rumors #expanded #China #chip #sanctions #Trump #administration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Year of the Snake: Lunar New Year 2025 Festivities Begin Worldwide Year of the Snake: Lunar New Year 2025 Festivities Begin Worldwide The Lunar New Year 2025 festivities have officially kicked off, marking the start of the Year of the Snake. Credits: Newtown Graffiti, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The 2025 Lunar New Year festivities have officially kicked off, marking the start of the Year of the Snake. Just as a snake sheds its skin revealing a new set of scales, the Year of the Snake symbolizes renewal and regeneration. January 29th marks the beginning of a fortnight of celebration for the ******** New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam, and many other New Year festivities throughout Asia. These two-week festivities consist of of parties, traditional observances, and many, many, feasts. The Lunar New Year 2025: Year of the Snake China celebrates its Lunar New Year with stunning jellyfish fireworks. pic.twitter.com/WO2HzeRvt6 — Tansu Yegen (@TansuYegen) January 29, 2025 Also referred to as the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year celebrates the arrival of spring after the harsh winter season. The arrival of the fertile season also indicates a New Year based on the ******** Lunisolar Calendar. The Year of the Snake is one of transformation and is a celebrated time for those in the Eastern Hemisphere. Despite snakes’ bad reputation in the Western side of the world, this year is meant to be a positive one. The only catch? You must be willing to let go of the old and move on to new things. One must shed their skin like a snake to reap the benefits of its year. “It’s shedding the ego, letting go of the past, letting go of anger, letting go of love lost,” said Jonathan H. X. Lee, an Asian and Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University whose research focuses on ******** folklore. “This is the year where that kind of growth — personal and macro, internal and external — is very much possible. 1,800 drones in Dubai performed flying dragons in the sky at Dubai Sailing Hotel to celebrate the China Lunar New Year #Dubai pic.twitter.com/t4HgVtqSgZ — 孙松.SunSong (@sunsong0909) February 13, 2024 Shedding the Old Year Snakes symbolize self-improvement, urging the release of detrimental habits, people, and ideas that may hinder progress. The snake, which corresponds to individuals born in the years 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025, is most commonly associated with intelligence and the pursuit of love and happiness. It is also considered the most tenacious ******** Zodiac member, meaning that people born in the Year of the Snake will achieve their goals by any means necessary. “They are known to have this innate potential to be really successful because they can think outside the box, and they will endure and they will persevere,” Lee said. In 2025, it is the year of the wood snake. The wood element in ******** religions holds significant meanings that complement the snake zodiac’s symbolism. The Wood Snake represents shedding the superfluous and returning to one’s core self in Daoism. It symbolizes becoming a more accomplished person in Confucianism. And finally, it signifies letting go of the old for new growth in Buddhist belief. Source link #Year #Snake #Lunar #Year #Festivities #Worldwide Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia stock ****** saw retail investors dump more than $900 million into the name Nvidia stock ****** saw retail investors dump more than $900 million into the name Nvidia (NVDA) stock tanked on Monday, falling more than 17% and losing nearly $600 billion off its market cap as investors digested the growing popularity of a new cost-effective artificial intelligence model from the ******** startup DeepSeek. But retail investors bought the dip. Data from VandaTrack shows retail investors bought more than $562 million of the name on Monday, the largest single-day inflow into the stock in VandaTrack’s data. On Tuesday, as the stock rebounded and rose roughly 9%, there was once again a large swath of retail buying totaling nearly $360 million. Across the two days of chaotic market action, retail investors sent more than $920 million into shares of Nvidia. Wall Street strategists largely agreed with retail investors’ bullish outlook on the name. “We think this is probably going to end up a ‘buy the dip’ Nvidia moment,” Fundstrat head of Research Tom Lee said in a video to clients on Monday night. Bank of America research analyst Vivek Arya provided similar sentiment in a note to clients on Wednesday, saying the recent drawdown in Nvidia, Broadcom (AVGO), and Marvell (MRVL) provided an “enhanced [buying] opportunity.” The team behind DeepSeek, the artificial intelligence model maker, claimed that its new AI model uses cheaper chips and less data. Investors grew concerned this could hurt future AI chip sales for a company like Nvidia as well as bring into question the dominance of US hyperscalers in the market. It could also challenge a consistent trend in the bull market of Nvidia and other Big Tech companies seeing their earnings estimates revised higher. Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon told Yahoo Finance’s Seana Smith the DeepSeek-driven sell-off was “overblown.” Rasgon added that the new developments don’t spell out “doomsday for AI infrastructure.” A sign for a Nvidia building is shown in Santa Clara, Calif., May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) · ASSOCIATED PRESS Josh Schafer is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X @_joshschafer. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Source link #Nvidia #stock #****** #retail #investors #dump #million Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Is Sniper Elite Resistance on Xbox Game Pass? Is Sniper Elite Resistance on Xbox Game Pass? Rebellion’s Sniper Elite Resistance being on Xbox Game Pass would be a shot to the head to Microsoft subscribers. It’s one of 2025’s biggest releases early on, and with a history of bullets blistering their way through bones, Sniper Elite on Game Pass would be a win-win for all. I’ve dabbled in various Sniper Elite games over the years. The formula doesn’t change too much, but it’s not the end of the world when it’s a good one. Big levels, high stakes, and bullets booming loud enough to make your ears go pop. Sniper Elite Resistance is the epitome of the series and perhaps could do with an even ******* audience. Sniper Elite has sold millions of copies, sure. But it’s never too late to attract newcomers, so if you’ve got Xbox Game Pass, you must read on for the latest news. Can You Play Sniper Elite Resistance on Xbox Game Pass? Still more work to do. Image by Insider Gaming Sniper Elite Resistance is playable day one on Xbox Game Pass on January 30 if you have a valid subscription. Yes, the news was confirmed on Oct. 24, 2024, with the debut of the “Sniper Elite: Resistance – Release Date Trailer” on YouTube. The short video piece showcased several of the missions and locales playable in Resistance. It also showed off its new hero Harry Hawker, and finished up by announcing its platforms—and Game Pass status. The “Game Pass” logo is clearly visible at the end of the trailer. Furthermore, an Xbox Wire newsletter on January 21 doubled down on this notion. It advertises Resistance as “Offering unparalleled sniping mechanics, stealth and tactical third-person combat,” and confirmed the January 30 release date and Game Pass crossover. How Long is Sniper Elite Resistance on Xbox Game Pass? There is no official word on how long Sniper Elite Resistance can be enjoyed on Game Pass. Games are on Xbox Pass for anywhere between 12 months and a few years, so it’s on a case-by-case basis. I’d recommend you still play Sniper Elite Resistance straight away with it being free. I labeled the shooter as a “Wait” in our review, but it’s a must-try if you have Xbox Game Pass! Are you a first-time player enjoying your first Sniper Elite? Or is this your first venture into the world of sniping and stealth? Get involved below, you never know, you might not be alone. If you end up playing Sniper Elite Resistance on Xbox Game Pass we have guides to help you out: The location of the Mission 1 Workbenches, Mission 2 Workbenches, and where to find those pesky Propaganda Posters. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Sniper #Elite #Resistance #Xbox #Game #Pass Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snag an LG 34-inch OLED gaming monitor for under $800 today Snag an LG 34-inch OLED gaming monitor for under $800 today If you’ve been indulging in the best gaming PC deals around, then you need a great gaming monitor to truly reap the benefits. One monitor that you really don’t want to miss out on is the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor. It normally costs $1,297, but B&H Photo Video has cut the price by a huge $500 for a limited time. That means you pay $797, which is still expensive but much better value for what you’re getting. Let’s take a look at one of the best monitor deals out there. Why you should buy the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor LG may not be in our list of the best gaming monitors, but it’s a huge name in the TV world, so its display panels are an ideal choice for anyone who wants vibrant colors and sharp imagery. In the case of this LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor, you get a 34-inch 21:9 OLED panel with a resolution of 3440 x 1440. The 1440p resolution is fantastic for most of the best gaming PCs, with 4K still far from essential in PC gaming. The panel has a refresh rate of 240Hz, so it looks silky smooth with no chance of motion blur. It also has an impressive GtG response time of 0.03ms and 275 nits of brightness. The 800R curvature is just right for allowing you to immerse yourself into whatever you’re playing. It also has a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and 1.07 billion colors to gaze at. Anyone looking for one of the best ultrawide gaming monitors will be delighted with this option. Due to the monitor using an OLED panel, you get the deepest ******* while also enjoying vibrant colors. The self-lit pixels help everything come together at the same time. It also has VESA DisplayHDR True ****** 400 certification. Besides the great looking display, the monitor also has USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports built-in for easy access any time you need to charge a device or accessory. If you want to use the sound, there’s DTS Audio as well. The LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor normally retails at $1,297, but right now you can buy it from B&H Photo Video for $797. The huge $500 discount is extra special, and we can’t guarantee when it’s likely to end. A great investment for gamers (and one I’m certainly tempted by), check it out now before the price cut ends soon. Source link #Snag #34inch #OLED #gaming #monitor #today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ottawa could limit oil to U.S. over tariffs. Will they? It may be unlikely Ottawa could limit oil to U.S. over tariffs. Will they? It may be unlikely Restricting Alberta energy exports to the U.S. is within Ottawa’s purview, experts say. But recent comments suggest that move may be unlikely, even if it’s not “off the table.” U.S. President Donald Trump does not appear to be backing off on imposing tariffs against Canada, set to be imposed as soon as Saturday. As the country contemplates how to respond, two federal ministers are signalling that a ban on Alberta energy exports may not be the best path to take. “I would say that anything that we do has to be done in a thoughtful way, it has to ensure regional equitability and it also has to ensure that you’re not provoking long-term unintended consequences,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said on Wednesday. “Any response needs to be done in a thoughtful way targeting products that will hurt Americans more than they will hurt Canadians.” Story continues below advertisement Two weeks ago, the federal government and most premiers appeared together to say they supported a joint response to the tariff threat, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying “everything (is) on the table.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith did not appear with them, and issued a statement saying she opposed any plan that involves cutting off energy exports especially oil, gas or energy that comes from her province. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon echoed Wilkinson’s remarks on Wednesday, saying that if tariffs come into place, the government would need to support workers and industries, while retaliating. “No one region, no one sector will suffer disproportionately should Trump decide to put tariffs on his closest ally and partner,” MacKinnon said in Edmonton. The comments appear to suggest that Alberta energy may not be a primary focus of retaliation for Ottawa, but he added that doesn’t mean it’s completely “off the table.” “I’m not saying that we are not going to look at doing that at all ever, but I would say in the context of thinking about how best to respond, it has to be done in a manner that is thoughtful, that actually doesn’t harm Canada’s long-term interests and as I say, that is regionally fair,” Wilkinson said. Can Ottawa restrict Alberta oil to the U.S.? Canada sends 75 per cent of all goods and services exports to the United States. Story continues below advertisement Canada has been the top source of U.S. oil imports for many years, and supplied more than half of the total U.S. crude imports in 2023. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. The Canada Energy Regulator is the federal body with authority to regulate energy exports and “authorizes oil exports by issuing short-term orders for periods less than one year for light crude oil and less than two years for heavy crude oil.” It also regulates the export of natural gas and natural gas liquids. More on Canada More videos “If a pipeline system crosses provincial or international boundaries, it is regulated by the CER,” the regulator states. “Pipelines which lie completely within the borders of a single province are regulated by that province’s regulatory body.” The federal government also has the authority to issue export or import restrictions. “Export and import restrictions aim to hinder the economy, or specific sectors of the economy, of the targeted country,” according to Global Affairs Canada information. “They typically prohibit buying, selling or shipping identified goods to or from the country; for example, oil and petroleum products or certain telecommunication products.” ********* and American trade lawyer Mark Warner with MAAWLAW said when it comes to products crossing the border, the federal government has the ability to put rules in place. Story continues below advertisement “Fundamentally, the Constitution gives authority for things that are at the border, since they belong to the federal government,” he said. “The power of the federal government is at its maximum when the goods are crossing the border.” While Parliament is prorogued, Warner noted a full export ban of oil could be done by an order-in-council by the cabinet, meaning it would not require a vote in the House of Commons. 1:25 ‘Canada comes first’: Doug Ford reacts after Alberta premier rejects joint response to Trump tariffs Trending Now ‘Deport Selena Gomez’: Singer responds to politician who called for her exile Judge blocks Trump funding freeze that sparked confusion for aid providers Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after the provinces signed the agreement that he respected the position by Smith, but that “Canada comes first” because no region will be exempt from the impacts of Trump’s potential tariffs. Story continues below advertisement Trudeau noted Trump’s tariff threat and other comments targeting Canada appeared focused on the Ontario auto sector rather than Alberta oil and gas. Trump has threatened to impose a tariff of 25 per cent on all products from Canada, though it’s still not clear how widespread it will be as the president did not sign any executive orders once sworn in to put said tariffs in place last week. He has still stood by his widespread threat with the current date set for Saturday. Smith has said she opposes not only a ban on Alberta’s various energy products, but also any potential tariff, telling reporters earlier this week that oil and gas is owned by the provinces. She added that cutting off pipeline supplies from going into the U.S., would choke key supplies to Ontario and Quebec as well as it would be unable to flow through Michigan to reach the latter provinces. Joe Calnan, energy security forum manager at the ********* Global Affairs Institute, said it also could cause a ******* problem for ********* producers if Canada were to put an import or export tax on top of the 25 per cent tariff proposed by Trump. “If we put an export tax on top of that, then we’ll just be increasing the economic burden carried by ********* producers without necessarily impacting U.S. refiners,” he said. Story continues below advertisement When the United States Canada Mexico Agreement (USMCA or CUSMA) on free trade was signed in 2019, it saw the U.S. drop the 25 per cent tariff Trump imposed during his first term on ********* and ******** steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminum. A year later in 2020, Trump re-imposed another 10 per cent tariff on aluminum, though after Canada put its own retaliatory tariffs in place the president dropped it. According to Brookings Institute, a non-partisan think tank in Washington, D.C., tariffs against either country would “undermine” the “key role of trade and investment across North America” that CUSMA stresses. Though the institute adds with the agreement up for review in 2026, it is possible the tariffs could be a means for the U.S. to “extract concessions” from both countries prior to the review. Calnan added if the federal government does go the route of an export ban or tariff, it should impress on Americans why it’s doing so. “The most important thing we need to do is make sure that the American people know that if and when there are downstream consequences of these tariffs, to make sure that we’re communicating that the reason they’re paying more at the pump is because of the tariff, it’s not because Canada just wants to punish them,” Calnan said. Source link #Ottawa #limit #oil #U.S #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

IBM shares surge 10% on earnings beat IBM shares surge 10% on earnings beat Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM Arvind Krishna attends the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2025. Yves Herman | Reuters IBM reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday that topped Wall Street expectations for earnings and revenue. The shares rose 10% in extended trading. It’s the largest rise in IBM’s stock price since March 2020. Here’s how the company did versus LSEG consensus expectations: Earnings per share: $3.92, adjusted, versus $3.75 expectedRevenue: $17.55 billion, versus $17.45 billion expected IBM reported $2.92 billion in net income, or $3.09 per diluted share, versus $3.29 billion, or $3.55 per share, in the year-ago *******. IBM’s overall revenue rose 1% during the quarter. For the entire year, IBM’s revenue rose 1% to $62.8 billion, with software growing 8%, while infrastructure revenue declined 4%. IBM said that its software segment grew 10% year-over-year to $7.9 billion, partially thanks to demand for artificial intelligence technology and strong performance from its Red Hat Linux operating system. Revenue in IBM’s consulting division dropped 2% to $5.2 billion in the quarter. In a statement, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the company has recorded $5 billion in bookings for its generative AI business, which includes sales and future sales in the company’s software and consulting division. “We closed the year with double-digit revenue growth in Software for the quarter, led by further acceleration in Red Hat,” ” Krishna said in a statement. “Clients globally continue to turn to IBM to transform with AI.” Source link #IBM #shares #surge #earnings #beat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The best open-world games on Switch The best open-world games on Switch Even when the system launched, the Nintendo Switch was clearly the weakest console of the generation. While the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games were pushing graphics to the limit, Nintendo was more focused on delivering fun experiences you could play on your TV or in handheld mode. Despite its lack of raw power, which the Switch 2 addresses to some degree, it hasn’t stopped the system from delivering amazing open-world games with vast landscapes to explore. Sure, they may not have the best graphics, but the simple fact that such massive experiences are playable on the Switch makes them technical marvels. These aren’t watered-down experiences where it counts, which is the fun factor, so let’s list off the best open-world games for the Switch you should be playing. Source link #openworld #games #Switch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek’s censorship is a warning shot — and a wake-up call DeepSeek’s censorship is a warning shot — and a wake-up call Table of Contents Table of Contents How DeepSeek embraces censorship Why is DeepSeek problematic? Are businesses ready for DeepSeek? The Deep-er picture The AI industry is abuzz with chatter about a new large language model that is taking the fight to the industry’s top dogs like OpenAI and Anthropic. But not without its generous share of surprises. The name is DeepSeek. It comes out of China. It is open source. Most importantly, it is said to have been developed at a fraction of the cost compared to what current industry leaders from OpenAI, Meta, and Google have burned. “Affordability opens the door for smaller companies and startups to leverage advanced AI technology that was previously inaccessible,” Mel Morris, chief of an AI-driven engine for researchers, tells Digital Trends. Open-source and low-cost are an irresistible AI concoction. In the wake of the expert chatter and Wall Street buzz, Nvidia — the overlord of AI hardware — saw nearly $600 billion wiped off its market share. OpenAI backer and Microsoft chief, Satya Nadella, is talking about the Jevons Paradox. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends The DeepSeek arrival is even being equated with the Sputnik moment, but not without deeper doubts. The biggest concern is how the company is storing a huge chunk of user data in China-based servers, a strategy that dunked TikTok into the hell of a nationwide ban. “If you use their first-party hosted API (or app) it is very likely the traffic can be seen and shared with various state-level actors,” Randall Hunt, CEO of cloud engineering firm Caylent, tells Digital Trends. There is, however, another aspect of DeepSeek that mimics China’s version of a tightly controlled internet. Censorship. “The reward modeling in the model is heavily influenced by ******** censorship laws,” adds Hunt, who has worked at engineering powerhouses like NASA, SpaceX, Amazon, and Meta. How DeepSeek embraces censorship ”Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope.” “Let’s talk about something else.” “I’m not sure how to approach this type of question yet. Let’s chat about math, coding, and logic problems instead!” Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends Those are some of the answers you get when you broach topics such as Uyghur human rights, the Falun Gong religious sect, the removal of former leader Hu Jintao, troop provocation in India’s Galwan territory, or Tibetan monks fighting for freedom. Those are all topics heavily censored on China’s internet ecosystem and social media sites. The Great Firewall of China, as they call it. Events like the Tiananmen massacre are banned. Even indirect mentions, such as “the man who stood in front of the tanks,” referring to the iconic image of a protester blocking the march of tanks, return a non-answer. The strategy is not surprising. In October last year, China’s internet regulators even began a crackdown on memes, puns, jokes, wordplays, and homophones trying to skirt around banned topics. The mention of topics like Winnie the Pooh — heavily censored in China due to an old meme that drew the character’s similarity with Premier Xi Jinping — are strictly banned. Difference in the responses generated by Google Gemini (Left) and DeepSeek (Right). Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends It can crack a joke about U.S. President Donald Trump and his love for money. It won’t do the same even if you try “Xi dada” in the same request prompt. “Let’s talk about something else,” DeepSeek returns. But unlike the Great Firewall, we are dealing with a large language model here. It doesn’t always perform word or hash-matching to detect and automatically block offense terms. The situation with DeepSeek is a bit tricky. Based on its training dataset, it outright refuses to answer a few topics. In a few cases, however, it would start composing a long answer like a typical chatbot, but stops midway and returns its repetitive error message. As we’ve seen with ChatGPT, this is a type of jailbreaking for DeepSeek that skirts its typical restrictions. That sounds like a flub. Yet, at the same time, finding the full scope of censorship in DeepSeek is tricker than going through a state-defined list of blocked topics and banned content. DeepSeek’s responses are either censored, or it will repeat the government agenda. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends For a handful of other topics like abortion rights, LGBTQ representation, and feminism, it paints a flowery picture of the ******** government, one that contradicts ground realities. It also lies, akin to the responses we usually see from the state media or embassy officials. On certain topics, it entirely rewrites the truth and sings the glory of the government, contradicting the truth uncovered by journalists, whistleblowers, and human rights organizations. DeepSeek is inherently lenient to China, but occasionally “accepts” a few widely known truths. In a nutshell, it is not a reliable research tool in the same vein as Deep Research by Gemini. Why is DeepSeek problematic? Komninos Chatzipapas, founder of HeraHaven.AI, a company that lets users interact with AI companions, experimented with DeepSeek via a U.S.-based provider. He tells Digital Trends that censorship has been baked at the very core of the underlying model, and not just as a superficial layer. DeepSeek occasionally starts collecting the answers, but ultimately erases it all in favor of censorship. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends “Although one could possibly fine-tune R1 to teach it to respond to all questions, I am against this type of censorship on the base model as it might bias it in being pro-China in other questions users ask,” he says. “It has no problem talking about American controversy.” Broadridge, a New York-based company that ranked third on IDC’s 2024 fintech ranking, has experimented with DeepSeek and says the company has been impressed with its quality. Joseph Lo, Head of Enterprise Platforms at the company, tells Digital Trends that DeepSeek is good news for investors and that it proves big technology jumps are possible. Security, however, remains a concern. “It is our perspective at Broadridge that DeepSeek’s hosted service should not be used for any application within financial services due to its processing in non-U.S. areas,” Lo adds. DeepSeek will even censor wordplays on controversial topics. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends He is not the only industry leader concerned about privacy risks. Aleksandr Yampolskiy, a Forbes Council member who has led security efforts at Oracle and Goldman Sachs, also recommended caution. “We can certainly have a possibility of ******** spyware storing all the inputs and this being a “******* horse” approach more dangerous than Tiktok,” he warns. To recall, TikTok has attracted heat not just over data storage in China, but also over its alleged role in influencing elections. Ben Walker, chief at Ditto, says companies that deploy DeepSeek with its censorial nature intact, could face legal and regulatory heat. He cited the example of the transcription services that his company provides, catering to law firms, academic institutes, police departments, and federal agencies. “If a law firm used DeepSeek to transcribe witness statements for a trade secrets case involving ******** manufacturing, the AI might skip key phrases about factory locations and production methods,” Walker tells Digital Trends. “The lawyers would then miss critical evidence because the censored transcript leaves out details that trigger the AI’s filters.” Are businesses ready for DeepSeek? DeepSeek’s censorial behavior mirrors that of the Great Firewall on China’s internet. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends The arrival of DeepSeek has not only shaken the AI tech circle but has also echoed among the top echelons of the bureaucracy, all the way to President Trump. The latter’s trade sanctions could hamper how far China can go in the AI race. In the second week of January, the U.S. government announced new “AI Diffusion” export rules that aim to curb China’s access to advanced hardware (read: the kind of stuff that turned Nvidia into a trillion-dollar behemoth) and AI models. Trump seems intent on doing just that. “Trump Can Keep America’s AI Advantage,” says a headline in The Wall Street Journal, penned by Anthropic founder and chief, Dario Amodei. “China is trying to catch up. The U.S. needs proactive development efforts and strong export controls.” DeepSeek has, in literal terms, given shape to those fears. And it’s just the first one to do so. “The release of DeepSeek, AI from a ******** company should be a wakeup call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win,” Trump was quoted as saying by Reuters. The conclusions drawn by DeepSeek in response to queries kowtow the state’s stance. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends The latest trade curbs, which mirror the strategy that recently crippled ******** giant Huawei, make sense from a U.S.-centric viewpoint. If China’s shadow is apparent on domestic AI products, which are dramatically cheaper and at par in performance, what could stop their adoption in the rest of the world? Well, there are tangible risks at play for businesses. Steven Hall, an advisory member at the Consortium for Information & Software Quality and Chief AI Officer at Information Services Group, notes that scaling a censorship-friendly AI product will be tougher for business, and comes with a multitude of risks. “They can erode consumer trust, attract regulatory scrutiny, and limit operational effectiveness,” Hall told Digital Trends. “Organizations relying on censored or biased models could face reputational damage and compliance challenges, especially when transparency and neutrality are expected.” The Deep-er picture Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends “I think that China PRC must be quite pleased to see that it has been able to force the American Government to increasingly emulate China’s hands-on, heavy government active involvement inside what is on paper supposed to be free market, laissez-faire minded, independent technology companies,” Brad Greenspan, founder of MySpace — the first social network to find a worldwide audience and one that paved the way for upstarts like Facebook — tells Digital Trends. The tech lobby, especially the AI leaders’ proverbial “kiss of the ring” is overtly brazen. Aside from personal donations, the presence of tech hot shots like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Google chief Sundar Pichai, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was a clear sign that AI players need something — A kind of control, or assurance, that only bureaucracy can guarantee so that they can milk their AI fare without the fear of ******** upstarts eating their lunch. However, complex trade rules and sanctions will also hurt local players with compliance. Overseas expansion, legal costs, and global R&D will hurt them, as well. “The only difference I see as a defining characteristic is that China spends a lot less time and effort publicly pretending and claiming not to be trying to banzai bureaucrats into their best businesses,” Greenspan adds. DeepSeek has rattled the AI industry’s top players. Digital Trends The problem with this race and the China threat hype”is that there are no clear winners. There never will be. The U.S. tried its best to curb the progress of China in the EV race. Yet, the likes of BYD have managed to beat Tesla, in terms of deliveries, as well as revenues. Tesla is not even a leader in the all-too-important metric of EV range. China has also bested the U.S. in terms of high-quality research papers in the past couple of years — across different domains. AI happens to be one of them. Industry watchers say we are barely scratching the surface with DeepSeek. More such breakthroughs from China, borne from tech behemoths as well as obscure labs, will soon be here. When that happens, it would be interesting to see whether security remains the larger concern, or censorship emerges as the new alarmist banner. For a tool that is inherently a word predictor, DeepSeek is a clear signal that censorship chatter will only get more intense as we unravel how it affects what a generative AI tool is supposed to do, and what it eventually delivers. Source link #DeepSeeks #censorship #warning #shot #wakeup #call Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump accuses Fed, Powell of creating inflation on heels of rate decision Trump accuses Fed, Powell of creating inflation on heels of rate decision President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the U.S. central bank, saying they “failed to stop the problem they created with Inflation” and have done a “terrible job on Bank Regulation.” Trump’s reaction to the first Fed rate decision of his second term came less than a week after he said he would “demand that interest rates drop immediately.” Powell has stressed the importance of the central bank’s independence from outside influence, and newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has echoed that view. But Trump, a critic of Powell, has questioned the longstanding tradition of Fed independence, saying he believes the president should get a say on interest rate decisions. As a presidential candidate in 2024, Trump said he would not reappoint Powell when his current term as Fed chair ends in 2026, though he also said he would not try to end Powell’s tenure early. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #accuses #Fed #Powell #creating #inflation #heels #rate #decision Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thursday Briefing: Trump Reverses Spending Freeze Thursday Briefing: Trump Reverses Spending Freeze Trump reversed an order to freeze federal funds The White House yesterday walked back President Trump’s order to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Tuesday after it caused mass confusion across the country. The Trump administration had struggled to explain the funding freeze, a decision that interrupted the Medicaid system, which provides health care to millions of low-income Americans. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, wrote on social media that “This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze.” She said the president’s executive orders on federal funding “remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.” The decision by the Trump administration to pull the directive was a significant reversal. Democratic leaders celebrated the announcement. Grilling: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for health secretary, faced tough questions and struggled to convince senators that he was not against vaccines during confirmation hearings in Washington. Kennedy — who has been vocally skeptical of vaccines, supports unorthodox diets and has spouted conspiracy theories — is one of Trump’s most polarizing choices. More on TrumpA stampede at a Hindu festival left dozens dead At least 30 people were killed and dozens of others injured yesterday in a crush that occurred when pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela Hindu festival rushed to bathe in river waters. Safety barricades broke and fences were toppled during the gathering, held where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers meet. Thousands of people who were lying or sitting on the banks were trampled. People in the water tried to escape, adding to the chaos. The Maha Kumbh Mela festival draws millions of Hindu pilgrims to the city of Prayagraj once every 12 years. The chief minister of the state government said that there would be an inquiry to find out how, despite heavy precautions, an accident like this could occur. In photos: Atul Loke, a Times photographer, documented the panic and confusion from the deadly crowd crush. ****** is expected to release more hostages ****** will release eight hostages today — three Israelis and five Thai nationals — after more than a year of captivity in Gaza, Israeli officials said. The release would be the third so far in the six-week truce. More than a billion people across the world began celebrating the Lunar New Year with fireworks, family time and feasts. Here’s how people said goodbye to the Year of the Dragon and welcomed the Year of the Snake. Lives lived: Mauricio Funes, a former president of El Salvador who fled to Nicaragua to escape corruption investigations, died at 65. CONVERSATION STARTERS We watched a ******** chatbot argue with itself As DeepSeek rattled markets this week with its new chatbot, my colleague Vivian Wang had a question: Given that the start-up is from China, how does it navigate Beijing’s censorship? Vivian decided to test it out. “I was absolutely fascinated by the way the chatbot talked to itself during the reasoning process as it tried to negotiate with itself what was and wasn’t acceptable to share,” Vivian told us. “It felt a little like watching someone argue with themselves.” DeepSeek was far less censored than most ******** platforms, but it also couldn’t answer questions like, “Who is Xi Jinping?” Read more about Vivian’s test. RECOMMENDATIONS Source link #Thursday #Briefing #Trump #Reverses #Spending #Freeze Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced Wednesday for corruption and bribery scheme – CNN Former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced Wednesday for corruption and bribery scheme – CNN Former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced Wednesday for corruption and bribery scheme CNNDisgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in bribery case Fox NewsFormer Sen. Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison The Wall Street JournalEx-US Senator Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison BBC.com Source link #Sen #Bob #Menendez #sentenced #Wednesday #corruption #bribery #scheme #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spanish police rescue kidnapped man thanks to photo of steering wheel – National Spanish police rescue kidnapped man thanks to photo of steering wheel – National Spanish National Police rescued a man after he was kidnapped in the Andalucían province of Málaga and shoved into the trunk of a vehicle — by taking a photo of the abductor’s car’s steering wheel. The unnamed man managed to contact his girlfriend, without his abductors knowing, by sending her a photo of the steering wheel, in which the logo of the vehicle’s brand could be seen. It was the key piece of evidence in finding the victim after the police had become aware of the kidnapping on Jan. 23. It took under 16 hours to locate him. He also managed to send videos to his girlfriend, showing his kidnappers threatening him with a gun while interrogating him about a third party who had allegedly defrauded the group of kidnappers of 30,000 euros (nearly C$45,069.90), according to the police report. The victim had been taken by a group of men travelling in two cars, who were looking for information on the other man who allegedly owed the group the money from a drug deal. Story continues below advertisement He was abducted on a seafront public street in the Malaga town of Sabinillas, forced into the trunk of one of the cars. 2:39 Trial for man accused of kidnapping teen in 2020 over drug debt involving victim’s half-brother begins While the victim was held hostage he managed to send his girlfriend and a friend both of the photographs, which included geographic coordinates that placed him on a street in Torre del Mar. Trending Now Bank of Canada cuts key rate 0.25% but warns of tariff uncertainty ‘Deport Selena Gomez’: Singer responds to politician who called for her exile Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. “Officers then headed immediately to the location, where they found a parked car that matched the make and model of the vehicle in the victim’s photo,” the police said in the report. “They then discovered another vehicle in the same area, which matched one of the cars used in the kidnapping in Sabinillas. “A few hours later, the agents spotted two vehicles parked near the previous ones, one of them matching the make, model and colour of the other car used in the kidnapping. It was at that moment that the investigators observed how, from the last mentioned vehicle, the victim was taken out of the back to be placed in the central rear of another of the cars.” Story continues below advertisement The agents began to follow the vehicle, which was finally intercepted while travelling on a motorway in the direction of Malaga. According to the report, the victim was healthy and uninjured and officers have arrested four people as alleged perpetrators of the crime of kidnapping, belonging to a criminal organization and ******** possession of weapons. More on World More videos &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Spanish #police #rescue #kidnapped #man #photo #steering #wheel #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Review: Frogue is a rather odd duck, but an excellent game in the end – Entertainium Review: Frogue is a rather odd duck, but an excellent game in the end – Entertainium “The São Paulo-based (Brazil) indie games developer Wired Dreams are today very happy and excited to announce that their retro-like turn-based action platformer “FROGUE”, is coming to consoles (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch) via digital stores on June 27th, 2024.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Review #Frogue #odd #duck #excellent #game #Entertainium Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US Open to expand main draw to 15 days in 2025 US Open to expand main draw to 15 days in 2025 The US Open will expand its main draw to 15 days, kicking off a day earlier than the usual with the tournament’s first weekend start in the open era. The schedule change from the United States Tennis Association will have the men’s and women’s singles first rounds play out over three days from Sunday, August 24. The added day will allow main draw access for another 70,000 fans after a third straight year of record-breaking attendance in 2024. The Sunday opener will include six new ticketed sessions, with day and night sessions for the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium and the Louis Armstrong Stadium at Flushing Meadows in New York. Source link #Open #expand #main #draw #days Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The botanical puzzle game “Botany Manor” is now available for the PS5 and PS4 The botanical puzzle game “Botany Manor” is now available for the PS5 and PS4 VGChartz’s Lee Mehr: “Whether you call it a brainteaser, a conundrum, or – dare I say – a puzzle, the point remains the same: challenging one’s mental ingenuity moreso than their finger dexterity. In this respect, the list of genre-defining titles from last year ranked among the best of the past decade. That doesn’t mean 2024 was a slouch though; hell, even Mario was getting in on the puzzle action. That’s often the surprise with the genre as a whole: indie titles with fresh ideas and established franchises have an equal chance of enjoying the winner’s circle. Our varied shortlist represents that to a tee. Whether it’s the aforementioned Mario-themed game, the splendid pair of indie darlings, or a sequel over a decade in the making, there’s no telling who makes the final cut. It’s another eclectic list of disparate aesthetic & design personalities slowly moving the genre forward. Without further ado, here are the final four.” Source link #botanical #puzzle #game #Botany #Manor #PS5 #PS4 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Queen Camilla Favors ****** and White in Fiona Clare Midi Dress While Duchess Sophie Rewears Beulah London for Buckingham Palace Reception Queen Camilla Favors ****** and White in Fiona Clare Midi Dress While Duchess Sophie Rewears Beulah London for Buckingham Palace Reception Queen Camilla and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh used their latest royal event as an opportunity to rewear dresses from their respective wardrobes. The two members of the British royal family attended a reception for members of parliament and members of the house of lords at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday in London. For the reception, Queen Camilla chose a midi dress by one of her go-to designers. The queen consort wore a Fiona Clare ****** dress with long sleeves. The dress featured ornate embroidery, with a delicately designed white motif on the bodice of the dress and on the cuffs. More from WWD King Charles III and Queen Camilla, center, at a reception for members of Parliament newly elected in the 2024 election, and members of the House of Lords, at Buckingham Palace on Jan. 29 in London. Queen Camila wore ****** boots to complete the ensemble. As for her accessories, the queen consort styled pearl earrings and a pearl necklace with a silver pendant at the center. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh wore a creation courtesy of Beulah London. The cream midi length long sleeve dress featured a fitted bodice and full skirt with ruffled cuffs for an extra feminine touch. She also wore a pair of neutral heels and delicate pieces of jewelry, so her dress remained the center fixture of the ensemble. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, right, speaks to Tessa ***** during a reception for members of Parliament newly elected in the 2024 election, and members of the House of Lords, at Buckingham Palace on Jan. 29 in London. While Queen Camilla wore her Fiona Clare frock in recent years past for special occasions and royal engagements, Duchess Sophie wore her Beulah London frock for such high-profile British royal family events as Trooping the Colour in 2023. Other members of the British royal family have styled designs by Beulah London in the past. Princess Beatrice wore the crimson “Christina” midi dress, made of wool crepe, for a Buckingham Palace garden party in May 2024. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh speaks to Lee Pitcher during a reception for members of Parliament newly elected in the 2024 election, and members of the House of Lords, at Buckingham Palace on Jan. 29 in London. Royal rewears are a staple part of the wardrobes for women in the British royal family. Queen Camilla has long reworn designs by Fiona Clare and Anna Valentine. Kate Middleton also regularly repurposes her dresses and suits, often rewearing designs by Roland Mouret, Alexander McQueen and more. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s Style: Suits, Florals and More [PHOTOS] View Gallery Launch Gallery: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s Style: Suits, Florals and More [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Sign up for WWD’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source link #Queen #Camilla #Favors #****** #White #Fiona #Clare #Midi #Dress #Duchess #Sophie #Rewears #Beulah #London #Buckingham #Palace #Reception Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Climate change increased the odds of Los Angeles’ devastating fires, researchers say Climate change increased the odds of Los Angeles’ devastating fires, researchers say As Los Angeles reels from the loss of lives and homes to the Easton and Palisades fires, scientists are asking why the events of this January have been so catastrophic. Climate change very likely played a part in setting the stage that caused multiple fires to sweep through the region, according to analysis from the World Weather Attribution, an international research initiative. “Eight of the eleven models examined also show an increase in extreme January [Fire Weather Index], increasing our confidence that climate change is driving this trend,” the group said of their . Earth is currently 1.3°C hotter than it was before the industrial era began. The WWA found that extreme Fire Weather Index conditions are 35 percent more likely to occur in the LA area at this temperature. If the planet increases 2.6°C from its pre-industrial temperature, extreme conditions become another 35 percent more likely. Based on current policies, a 2.6°C higher temperature is the minimum increase the Earth is projected to reach by the year 2100. The researchers noted, however, that the growing odds of those peak conditions is not a linear progression. Other factors also contributed to the widespread devastation across the Los Angeles area, including lack of rain; the region had not received significant rainfall since May 2024. This type of drought condition is 2.4 times more likely at the Earth’s current temperature than at its pre-industrial level. Santa Ana winds also caused the rapid spread and difficulties containing the blazes. The team said that the impact of wind is not always reflected well in climate models. The World Weather Attribution conducts rapid studies into extreme weather events to analyze whether climate change was a factor. The international team of researchers aim to address the impact of climate in natural disasters “while the impacts of the extreme weather event are still fresh in the minds of the public and policymakers, and decisions about rebuilding are being made.” Source link #Climate #change #increased #odds #Los #Angeles #devastating #fires #researchers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anthropic CEO Amodei says he doesn’t view DeepSeek as ‘adversaries’ Anthropic CEO Amodei says he doesn’t view DeepSeek as ‘adversaries’ Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box outside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21st, 2025. Gerry Miller | CNBC Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a blog post Wednesday that he doesn’t view China’s DeepSeek “themselves as adversaries” but believes that export controls are more critical than ever when it comes to artificial intelligence. “In interviews they’ve done, they seem like smart, curious researchers who just want to make useful technology,” Amodei wrote, about DeepSeek. “But they’re beholden to an authoritarian government that has committed human rights violations, has behaved aggressively on the world stage, and will be far more unfettered in these actions if they’re able to match the US in AI.” DeepSeek’s sudden emergence in the U.S. and its ascent to the top of on Apple’s App Store rocked the tech markets this week, spurring a selloff in Nvidia’s stock that resulted in the largest one-day market cap loss in U.S. history Monday. DeepSeek’s new reasoning AI model, called R1, was a fraction of the cost to create relative to models built by U.S. competitors, according to analyst estimates. The matter is of particular concern to Anthropic, which is competing with OpenAI, Google and others in the race to develop the most advanced generative AI model. Anthropic has raised billions of dollars from Amazon, and Google recently agreed to a more than $1 billion investment in the company, which was founded by former OpenAI research executives, including Amodei. On Monday, U.S. lawmakers called for actions to slow down the ******** tech startup, with some calling DeepSeek “a serious threat.” U.S. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick suggested during his Wednesday hearing that DeepSeek stole technology from the U.S. And David Sacks, the new White House AI and crypto czar, posted on X that DeepSeek R1 shows “that President Trump was right to rescind” President Joe Biden’s executive order. Last week, Trump signed an executive order unwinding some of the Biden administration’s rules surrounding AI development. Some experts have said that DeepSeek’s technology can safely be used in the U.S. because it’s open source, so companies can run it on their own servers without data being sent back to China. Still, Amodei said that DeepSeek’s advancements show why the U.S. needs to stay on top and avoid ceding too much of the market to China. Amodei wrote that the rise of DeepSeek makes controls on chip exports to China “even more existentially important” than a week ago. The model was created despite a slew of Biden administration controls restricting the ***** of certain advanced chips to China that could enhance military capabilities. “To be clear, they’re not a way to duck the competition between the US and China,” Amodei wrote. “In the end, AI companies in the US and other democracies must have better models than those in China if we want to prevail. But we shouldn’t hand the ******** ********** Party technological advantages when we don’t have to.” Anthropic was founded in 2021, and is now in talks to raise money at a $60 billion valuation, largely due to the popularity of its Claude chatbot, which competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. — CNBC’s Hayden Field contributed to this report. WATCH: DeepSeek and distillation Source link #Anthropic #CEO #Amodei #doesnt #view #DeepSeek #adversaries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]