Pelican Press

PlayStation Leadership Shake-Up Sees New Sole CEO In Charge PlayStation Leadership Shake-Up Sees New Sole CEO In Charge Sony Interactive Entertainment is switching from the co-CEO system–currently occupied by Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst–to just one person in charge. Nishino has been promoted to sole CEO of SIE and will step into this role starting April 1, 2025. Hulst will continue to serve as CEO of the Studio Business Group, reporting directly to Nishino. “It has been a pleasure working more closely with Hermen and Nishino and gaining insight into the ever-changing, fast-paced world of Sony Interactive Entertainment,” CFO Hiroki Totoki said in a press statement. “As we hand the baton to Nishino and this exceptional leadership team, I am confident that SIE will reach new heights in the days ahead.” Nishino and Hulst originally stepped into their co-CEO roles in 2024, taking over from outgoing CEO Jim Ryan. In a statement, Nishino said that Sony plans to grow the PlayStation community in new ways such as IP expansion and technology innovation. 2024 was a mixed year for Sony, as it saw Helldivers 2 emerge as a sleeper hit while Concord was a massive flop. That has led to some big changes behind the scenes, as Sony’s ambitious plans to launch 12 live-service games by 2025 were overhauled. This number was cut in half, resulting in the cancellation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game and a God of War live-service spin-off was also reportedly been canceled. 2025 does have a more positive outlook for Sony, as big games like GTA 6, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Ghost of Yokei are scheduled to arrive this year. At the same time, Sony is also expanding into forms of media as Horizon and Helldivers live-action adaptations are on the way. Source link #PlayStation #Leadership #ShakeUp #Sees #Sole #CEO #Charge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek advances could heighten safety risk, says ‘godfather’ of AI | Artificial intelligence (AI) DeepSeek advances could heighten safety risk, says ‘godfather’ of AI | Artificial intelligence (AI) The potential for artificial intelligence systems to be used for malicious acts is increasing, according to a landmark report by AI experts, with one of the study’s authors warning that DeepSeek and other disruptors could heighten the safety risk. Yoshua Bengio, regarded as one of the godfathers of modern AI, said advances by the ******** startup DeepSeek could be a worrying development in a field that has been dominated by the US in recent years. “It’s going to mean a closer race, which usually is not a good thing from the point of view of AI safety,” he said. Bengio said American firms and other rivals to DeepSeek could focus on regaining their lead instead of on safety. OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, which DeepSeek has challenged with the launch of its own virtual assistant, pledged this week to accelerate product releases as a result. “If you imagine a competition between two entities and one thinks they’re way ahead, then they can afford to be more prudent and still know that they will stay ahead,” Bengio said. “Whereas if you have a competition between two entities and they think that the other is just at the same level, then they need to accelerate. Then maybe they don’t give as much attention to safety.” Bengio was speaking in a personal capacity before the publication of a wide-ranging report on AI safety. The first full International AI Safety report has been compiled by a group of 96 experts including the Nobel prize-winner Geoffrey Hinton. Bengio, a co-winner in 2018 of the Turing award – referred to as the Nobel prize of computing – was commissioned by the *** government to preside over the report, which was announced at the global AI safety summit at Bletchley Park in 2023. Panel members were nominated by 30 countries as well as the EU and UN. The next global AI summit takes place in Paris on 10 and 11 February. The report states that since publication of an interim study in May last year, general-purpose AI systems such as chatbots have become more capable in “domains that are relevant for malicious use”, such as the use of automated tools to highlight vulnerabilities in software and IT systems, and giving guidance on the production of biological and chemical weapons. It says new AI models can generate step-by-step technical instructions for creating pathogens and toxins that surpass the capability of experts with PhDs, with OpenAI acknowledging that its advanced o1 model could assist specialists in planning how to produce biological threats. However, the report says it is uncertain whether novices would be able to act on the guidance, and says models can also be used for beneficial purposes such as in medicine. Speaking to the Guardian, Bengio said models had already emerged that could, with the use of a smartphone camera, theoretically guide people through dangerous tasks such as trying to build a bioweapon. “These tools are becoming easier and easier to use by non-experts, because they can decompose a complicated task into smaller steps that everyone can understand, and then they can interactively help you get them right. And that’s very different from using, say, Google search,” he said. The report says AI systems have improved significantly since last year in their ability to spot flaws in software autonomously, without human intervention. This could help hackers plan cyber-attacks. However, the report says carrying out real-world attacks autonomously is beyond AI systems so far because they require “an exceptional level of precision”. Elsewhere in its analysis of the risks posed by AI, the report points to a significant increase in deepfake content, where the technology is used to produce a convincing likeness of a person – whether their image, voice or both. It says deepfakes have been used to trick companies into handing over money, to commit blackmail and to create pornographic images of people. It says gauging the precise level of increase in such behaviour is difficult due to a lack of comprehensive and reliable statistics. There are also risks of malicious use because so-called closed-source models, where the underlying code cannot be modified, can be vulnerable to jailbreaks that circumvent safety guardrails, while open-source models such as Meta’s Llama, which are free to download and can be tweaked by specialists, pose risks of “facilitating malicious or misguided” use by bad actors. In a last-minute addition to the report written by Bengio, the ********* computer scientist notes the emergence in December – shortly after the report had been finalised – of a new advanced “reasoning” model by OpenAI called o3. Bengio said its ability to make a breakthrough on a key abstract reasoning test was an achievement that many experts, including himself, had thought until recently was out of reach. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion “The trends evidenced by o3 could have profound implications for AI risks,” wrote Bengio, who also flagged DeepSeek’s R1 model. “The risk assessments in this report should be read with the understanding that AI has gained capabilities since the report was written.” Bengio told the Guardian that advances in reasoning could have consequences for the job market by creating autonomous agents capable of carrying out human tasks, but could also assist terrorists. “If you’re a terrorist, you’d like to have an AI that’s very autonomous,” he said. “As we increase agency, we increase the potential benefits of AI and we increase the risks.” However, Bengio said AI systems had yet to pull off the long-term planning that could create fully autonomous tools that evade human control. “If an AI cannot plan over a long horizon, it’s hardly going to be able to escape our control,” he said. Elsewhere, the near 300-page report cites “well-established” concerns about AI including generating scams and child ******* abuse imagery; biased outputs; and privacy violations such as the leaking of sensitive information shared with a chatbot. It said researchers had not been able to “fully resolve” those fears. AI can be loosely defined as computer systems performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. The report flags AI’s “rapidly growing” impact on the environment through the use of datacentres, and the potential for AI agents to have a “profound” impact on the job market. It says the future of AI is uncertain, with a wide range of outcomes possible in the near future including “very positive and very negative outcomes”. It says societies and governments still have a chance to decide which path the technology takes. “This uncertainty can evoke fatalism and make AI appear as something that happens to us. But it will be the decisions of societies and governments on how to navigate this uncertainty that determine which path we will take,” the report says. Source link #DeepSeek #advances #heighten #safety #risk #godfather #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spirit Airlines rejects Frontier’s bid, expects to exit bankruptcy in first quarter Spirit Airlines rejects Frontier’s bid, expects to exit bankruptcy in first quarter (Reuters) – Spirit Airlines on Wednesday said it expects to exit bankruptcy in the first quarter and rejected a merger with rival Frontier Group, saying it was not favorable for the low-cost carrier. It received a proposal from Frontier earlier this month, where in its shareholders would $400 million in debt and a 19% share in Frontier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Spirit rejected the proposal as it would not provide the anticipated shareholder value and raised concerns over the timing and successful completion of the deal. The Florida-based airline declared bankruptcy in November after grappling with prolonged periods of financial losses, unsuccessful merger efforts and a substantial levels of debt. The airline said it expects to complete its restructuring process in the first quarter. (Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) Source link #Spirit #Airlines #rejects #Frontiers #bid #expects #exit #bankruptcy #quarter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Why Ghost of Yotei's Atsu Could Be a More Complex Protagonist Than Tsushima's Jin Why Ghost of Yotei's Atsu Could Be a More Complex Protagonist Than Tsushima's Jin Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai may have been a fairly complex protagonist, but Ghost of Yotei’s Atsu may take that complexity up a few notches. Source link #Ghost #Yotei039s #Atsu #Complex #Protagonist #Tsushima039s #Jin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Frontier Airlines proposes merging with fellow budget carrier Spirit — again – CNBC Frontier Airlines proposes merging with fellow budget carrier Spirit — again – CNBC Frontier Airlines proposes merging with fellow budget carrier Spirit — again CNBCFrontier in Talks with Spirit Airlines for Merger for 3rd Time Aviation A2zFrontier makes a second bid for Spirit with budget airlines struggling The HillFrontier makes new offer to combine with Spirit Airlines via new debt, stock offering MarketWatchFrontier Airlines Makes Bid for Spirit Skift Travel News Source link #Frontier #Airlines #proposes #merging #fellow #budget #carrier #Spirit #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Princess Beatrice gives birth to second baby Princess Beatrice gives birth to second baby PA Media Princess Beatrice has given birth to her second child, named Athena, the Royal Family has announced. Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi welcomed their second child a week ago on 22 January at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. Source link #Princess #Beatrice #birth #baby Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

From the NES to Modern Day: The History of Ninja Gaiden From the NES to Modern Day: The History of Ninja Gaiden Many of you who have already played Rise of the Ronin may have noticed some elements of our previous works such as Ninja Gaiden and Nioh from Team Ninja. Today we’re excited to share some of the behind-the-scenes development stories for the first time. Plus we share details on an upcoming game update. Source link #NES #Modern #Day #History #Ninja #Gaiden Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Interview: Digital tech fuels AutoTrader’s drive into the future Interview: Digital tech fuels AutoTrader’s drive into the future AutoTrader’s team of tech staff is driving the company forward amid the lightning pace of digital transformation, with a technology enthusiast in the business’s driving seat. The company, which is today a digital marketplace for buying and selling cars, published its last magazine in 2013. It is now drilling into the latest technologies to make business better for its car industry customers and life easier for theirs. CEO Nathan Coe is an IT enthusiast who started his career working in mergers and acquisitions in the early 2000s when the internet was “really starting to kick off”. “I’ve kind of been born and bred on the internet and in technology businesses,” he tells Computer Weekly. “I was buying and selling companies, but building stuff is what I really like doing, so I pretty quickly became involved in tech and ran product and tech at AutoTrader for years.” Although AutoTrader had its first website in 1995, when Coe began working there in the early 2000s, about 60% of its revenue was from its magazines. In 2007, backed by investors, the company decided to become a digital business. “We ended up doing that probably more aggressively than imagined,” says Coe. It published its last magazine in 2013 to become a 100% digital business. Transformation in stages The digital transformation has happened gradually. Over time, the company introduced a mobile business, a data business, and now offers platforms for other organisations in its sector to run their businesses from. Coe says all these developments together form the digital business. “It’s not like those things are sequential steps, they all still exist together. We are still a web business, still a data business, still a mobile business, and we are still adding and augmenting,” he says. Behind all these projects and plans sits a team of tech staff, which currently accounts for a third of the organisation’s total workforce of 1,200. The tech team comprises engineers, designers, product specialists and data scientists. “For the past 10 years, we’ve been developing our data and data science capabilities so that we’re able to provide highly scalable, highly performant, AI-driven recommendations on the retailer side” Nathan Coe, AutoTrader It’s a demanding and dynamic work environment. AutoTrader’s website is visited by about 1.6 million people a day, who spend a combined 500 million minutes a month on it. “These aren’t glory stats,” says Coe. “There are 30,000 retailers that use our platform, and on our website, we’ve got 440,000 or so cars, which – unlike products on most e-commerce sites – change every day and are all unique.” This is a challenge for IT staff, who do more than 1,000 software releases every week, using agile techniques. “We were early into agile, moving into it about 10 years ago. Now [we operate] continuous delivery and continuous integration,” says Coe. “We’ve got a group of engineers that focus on the infrastructure. That means we can adapt our software, develop our software, and deliver really quickly and reliably. And importantly, we can respond and make many small changes, which reduces the risk of release and increases the velocity of innovation.” Collaborative culture It is rare in this day and age for a company so reliant on technology not to use IT outsourcing suppliers. But, according to Coe, this is the very reason the company doesn’t use them. “We’re very, very principled when it comes to our technology and the way we do it. One of those principles is that because what we do is technology, we want full-time AutoTrader staff working on it. They are people with our culture and our values, people who stay and are not just here for a project,” he says. “We don’t use any outsourcing providers at all. We have *** staff working in the office more than they are out of the office, in an in-person, highly collaborative environment.” The organisation’s technology team is based mainly in Manchester, where about 750 of its 1,200 staff are based. It also has an office in London. IT recruitment at AutoTrader is heavily focused on finding staff in the early years of their careers, says Coe. “We pay very well, but we don’t want to just say, ‘We pay the most so come and work with AutoTrader’, because the proposition is much ******* and better than that,” he says. Platformisation of fragmented industry AutoTrader also wants its retail customers and other partner firms to benefit from its IT team’s output. It receives huge volumes of application programming interface (API) requests from organisations that use its platform to run their business. These include garages, lenders, retailers and insurers. Potentially, AutoTrader’s biggest IT project, according to Coe, is known as “digital retailing”, wherby it offers small organisations in the car dealing sector the opportunity to access the latest technologies through its platform. “All the technology that we build to run AutoTrader, we now allow others to use to run their business off,” says Coe. He says this one of the company’s “big goals” at the moment. “Now we’re saying, ‘Actually, you should be able to do more than a transaction on AutoTrader, a brand that you trust’.” Coe says many industry customers are small and don’t have big technology functions. “This is not us taking interest in selling the cars, but allowing our retailers to get all the advantages of selling in an omnichannel way,” adds Coe. Perfect problem for AI While the company is finding answers for its customers, it is creating problems for artificial intelligence (AI) to solve. AutoTrader is currently engaged in multiple AI projects and, according to Coe, it is a good testing ground for the most discussed technology of today. He says having 440,000 cars on its site, which change frequently, is a “perfect problem for AI” to solve. “Our products are all unique, so you need to use models to decompose the data and rebuild up to, for example, value products and tell our sellers how long they will take to sell,” says Coe. But he says while AI is now being talked about by everyone, from big businesses to schools, there are different varieties, much of which is not business-ready. “I think it’s important to rewind a little bit, because AI to people often means plugging ChatGPT into something to write an email, which we think is maybe interesting, but not a particularly intelligent use of AI. “ AutoTrader’s IT team is currently engaged in three separate projects that harness AI technology, but this is nothing new to the company. “For the past 10 years, we’ve been developing our data and data science capabilities so that we’re able to provide highly scalable, highly performant, AI-driven recommendations on the retailer side,” says Coe. “We’ve been using AI, mainly machine learning, for years, and we do that because all those vehicles are different and people want to know what the value is. Car dealers want to understand what’s on the cars, what makes them stand out and how quickly they can sell them.” Source link #Interview #Digital #tech #fuels #AutoTraders #drive #future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

European Central Bank to cut rates again with Trump threat in focus European Central Bank to cut rates again with Trump threat in focus The European Central Bank is widely expected to kick off its 2025 meetings with another interest rate cut on Thursday, as traders aim to gauge how far the central bank is willing to diverge from a stalled Federal Reserve. Money markets on Wednesday were pricing in 35 basis points worth of rate cuts for the January meeting, indicating the euro zone’s central bank will cut by at least a quarter-percentage point. That would take the deposit facility, its key rate, to 2.75% marking its fifth trim since it began easing monetary policy in June 2024. Market pricing then suggests follow-up cuts at the ECB’s March and June meetings, with a fourth and final reduction bringing the deposit facility to 2% by the end of the year. Expectations for a swift pace of easing this year have solidified, even after headline euro area inflation increased for a third straight month in December. A slight uptick in the rate of price rises was expected due to effects from the energy market, while business activity indicators for the bloc show continued weakness in manufacturing and tepid consumer confidence. Economists polled by Reuters are expecting fourth-quarter growth figures to show GDP expanding just 0.1%, down from 0.4% in the third quarter. While this week’s ECB rate move is near guaranteed, several key questions remain that its president, Christine Lagarde, will likely be quizzed on during her post-announcement press conference — and many of those relate to the U.S. and its new leader. One concern is whether the ECB is comfortable with the increasing distance between its own monetary policy path and that of the world’s biggest central bank, the Federal Reserve, which is set to hold rates on Wednesday. Markets are pricing in just two quarter-point rate cuts from the Fed this year, as projected by Fed members in December. Some strategists suggest the Fed could enact just one cut, and at the very least tread water as it awaits more detail on President Donald Trump’s actual policies versus his extreme trade threats and their potential inflationary impact. Interest rates won’t fall as fast as expected if tariffs stoke inflation, UBS CEO says Lagarde acknowledged that divergence in an interview at the World Economic Forum last week, telling CNBC that it was the result of different economic environments. While the euro area has fallen into stagnation, the U.S. economy has continued to grow at a solid clip in the higher interest rate environment, and many investors are optimistic on the 2025 outlook despite Trump uncertainty. “We have to look at a differentiation here through the lens of growth and the spare capacity that is building up in the U.S. We have an economy that’s performing strongly and rapidly … We can’t say the same thing when we look at the euro zone,” Sandra Horsfield, economist at Investec, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday. “That divergence does mean that inflationary pressures are more likely to be sustained for some time in the U.S.,” she said, leading her to forecast one more Fed cut followed by a pause, and a greater scope for cuts in Europe. Currency drag The ECB has repeatedly stressed that it is willing to move ahead of the Fed and that it is focusing on its domestic picture of inflation and growth. However, a major impact of policy differentials is in foreign exchange, with higher rates tending to boost a domestic currency. This reinforces expectations that the euro could be pulled back to parity with the greenback and suggests even further strength for an already-mighty U.S. dollar in 2025. That matters for the ECB, because a weaker currency increases the cost of importing goods, even if the central bank’s ******* concerns right now relate to domestically-generated services and wage inflation. Lagarde downplayed the impact of this effect, telling CNBC the exchange rate “will be of interest, and … may have consequences.” However, she also said she was not concerned about the import of inflation from the U.S. to Europe and continues to expect price rises to cool toward target. The ECB president added that bullishness around the U.S. economy was a positive “because growth in the U.S. has always been a favorable factor for the rest of the world.” Trade question While a weaker euro could be a factor that spurs the ECB to cut rates with slightly more caution, there is also the possibility that Trump sparks a global or even Europe-focused trade war which further slows euro zone growth and creates the need for even more cuts. The U.S. president has not re-proposed his idea of sweeping, universal tariffs on imports to the U.S., and is currently zeroed in on duties targeting China, Mexico and Canada. However, in a speech at the World Economic Forum, he accused the European Union of treating the U.S. “very unfairly” on trade, pledging: “We’re going to do something about it.” Trump slams trade relationship with European Union: ‘We have some very big complaints’ Trade wars could disrupt global supply chains and stoke inflation, warranting higher interest rates at the ECB, said George Lagarias, chief economist at Forvis Mazars. “Inflation and rate risks are definitely on the upside” for the euro zone, he told CNBC by email. “EU company selling price expectations have flattened and show an upward tendency. This is a leading indicator to the ECB’s own projections … and the Fed will likely be on a more hawkish path, so significant divergence from the ECB could risk flight of capital towards the Dollar,” he added. On the possibility that the ECB could enact a ******* half-point rate cut, he said: “If we do see a sharp rate cut, it would mean that the board seeks to protect growth in the core of the euro zone, and make sure that political uncertainty in France and Germany or a loose fiscal policy in Italy do not cause a precipitous rise in borrowing rates.” Bas van Geffen, senior macro strategist at RaboResearch, also said he was “less optimistic when it comes to the inflation outlook than the ECB is, or markets appear to be,” forecasting a fall in rates to 2.25% this year. “When the ECB incorporates Trump tariffs in their baseline scenario, we would expect higher inflation forecasts on their part too,” he told CNBC. Source link #European #Central #Bank #cut #rates #Trump #threat #focus Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

“Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap” is now available for PC and Xbox “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap” is now available for PC and Xbox “The Plano-based (Texas, the US) indie games developer Robot Entertainment are today very happy and excited to announce that their third-person combat/trap-laying strategy game “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap”, is now available for PC (via Steam and EGS) and Xbox (Xbox Series X|S via Xbox Game Pass).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Orcs #Die #Deathtrap #Xbox Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Dozens Fled an Inferno on a South Korean Plane How Dozens Fled an Inferno on a South Korean Plane The fire spread quickly after starting near the end of the plane’s cabin. But the captain, despite being informed of the escalating danger, did not announce an evacuation order on the intercom. What followed was a chaotic scene of nearly 170 passengers shouting and pushing one another in panic, desperate to get off the plane and save their lives. It was Tuesday night, at the airport in Busan, South Korea, with millions celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday. Some were headed to Hong Kong, on Air Busan Flight ABL391, which was running late. It was still on the ground minutes after its scheduled takeoff of 10:15 p.m., when passengers spotted a flame in the overhead bins in the plane’s rear left. The incident happened barely a month after the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil, and that tragedy, which involved another budget airline, probably would have been fresh on the minds of people onboard. “Flames were coming out of the gaps between the overhead bin doors,” Shin Min-su, who was on the flight, told reporters later. “People were screaming trying to get out, but there was a line so they were stuck.” Mr. Shin said he got up to try to put out the fire. But when he attempted to open the overhead bins, a flight attendant told him not to. The cabin crew reported the situation to the captain, who shut off the plane’s hydraulic and fuel systems and, according to the airline, declared an emergency evacuation. But passengers got no word of this. The airline would say later, “there was no time for a separate announcement.” “A lot of smoke filled up inside,” Jeong Yeong-jun, another passenger told KBS, a South Korean broadcaster. “From then on, the passengers just kept pushing forward, shouting around me, ‘Open the door, open the door!’” Kim *****-wan and other passengers told reporters that they had opened some of the plane’s doors on their own and jumped onto the slides, to escape. At least one of the emergency doors was opened by a flight attendant, Yonhap News Agency reported. Air Busan did not provide a detailed accounting of the evacuation by Wednesday evening, but all 176 people on board — including 169 passengers, two pilots, four flight attendants and a flight engineer — survived. Three passengers sustained minor injuries from the evacuation process, while four flight attendants were briefly hospitalized after inhaling smoke, the airline said. After escaping, some passengers began filming the scene and sharing videos with news organizations. The footage showed smoke billowing out of an emergency exit as passengers slid down the emergency slides, some rolling off onto the tarmac with no one helping them to land. People yelled for their families. “We’re lucky we didn’t take off!” someone said. Firefighters reached the scene minutes later, after the plane had emptied out. They focused on saving the plane’s wings because 35,000 pounds of fuel was stored there. The blaze was extinguished by 11:30 p.m., but the fuselage of the Airbus A321-200 jet was destroyed. The lack of an announcement to passengers raises concerns about whether Air Busan’s crew had followed standard safety procedures, aviation experts said. Kim In-gyu, the managing director of the Korea Aerospace University’s Flight Training Center, said that proper protocol required the captain to announce emergency procedures on the cabin’s intercom. He added that the flight attendants should typically guide passengers by using megaphones to give them clear, short commands. “Ideally, the cabin crew would take charge of evacuating the aircraft,” said Keith Tonkin, an aviation expert and managing director of Aviation Projects in Brisbane, Australia. In a best-case scenario, “passengers would be following directions,” he said. Mr. Kim added that the flight attendants should have first moved the passengers away from the fire. Then they should have gone down the slides first, helped passengers coming down and directed them away from the slides. Finally, he said, the airplane doors that were not emergency exits were supposed to be opened only by crew members. In a statement, Air Busan, a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, one of South Korea’s two main airlines, said its crew had followed protocol, and apologized to its customers. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. On Wednesday, the transport ministry said that it had conducted a counterterrorism investigation and found that no prohibited items had been carried onto the aircraft. Over the past few weeks, South Korean transport officials have been under pressure to overhaul the nation’s aviation safety standards. The ****** on Dec. 29, in which a Jeju Air jet crashed at Muan International Airport, killed 179 people. Only two people onboard survived. A safety inspection by the government found that seven South Korean airports altogether had concrete structures containing navigation devices near their runways, similar to the one in Muan — into which the Jeju Air jet crashed and which did not meet safety recommendations. The authorities also found that several budget airlines had failed to comply with safety checks. Last week, the government ordered nine low-cost carriers to tighten safety measures that include reducing flight hours, improving pilot training and increasing the number of maintenance workers. On Wednesday, one passenger from the Air Busan flight remained in the hospital. The airline canceled eight flights planned for Wednesday at the airport, known formally as Gimhae International Airport, but all other flights operated normally. Mr. Kim, the aviation expert, said that it was fortunate that the fire had broken out before the plane took off. “If the plane had been on time, if it were in flight,” he said, “it would have been a very serious situation.” Source link #Dozens #Fled #Inferno #South #Korean #Plane Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trickcal: ReVive to get global launch and major fanfare at Taipei Games Show Trickcal: ReVive to get global launch and major fanfare at Taipei Games Show Trickcal Re:Vive is set to arrive on mobile as it hits global launch Developer Bilibili Games made a big splash at the Taipei Games Show Trickcal Re:Vive is an absurdist, turn-based, card-collecting RPG Well, it seems our globetrotting writer Anderson Han can give himself a pat on the back because one of his personal picks for Korean mobile releases he wanted to see a global launch is now set to do just that! Trickcal Re:Vive was billed alongside other top picks, and now publishes Bilibili Games has made a splash at Taipei Games Show with more than just the announcement that Trickcal is soon to release globally. But first, what is Trickcal Re:Vive? Well, this turn-based card-collecting RPG is a bit of a change of pace from some of the more melodramatic releases out there. Leaning heavily into an absurdist world it sees you recruit from over fifty different apostles as a protagonist that unexpectedly becomes the leader of a worldwide religion. While these kinds of epic adventures may sound rather serious, Trickcal Re:Vive is eager to showcase a sense of humour. Whether that’s the more animesque trope of cute characters doing cute things or nods to everything from Cyberpunk 2077 and Grand Theft Auto to a vast number of sublime and stupid subplots. Rev up your engines That sort of over-the-top absurdity was very much on show at the Taipei Games Show this year, where Trickcal Re:Vive was showcased with a specially wrapped Ferrari Itasha that ferried lucky guests around Taipei. That and the requisite boatloads of merch alongside the announcement of an impending global launch indicates Bilibili and Epid Games have high hopes for Trickcal Re:Vive when it hits global storefronts. As for when we can expect it? Your guess is as good as mine since all we know for certain is that said global release is on the cards, with development ongoing. But for my money, I’d guess at a late 2025 or early 2026 release date, although I wouldn’t rule out a mid-2025 release either. Source link #Trickcal #ReVive #global #launch #major #fanfare #Taipei #Games #Show Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI says DeepSeek used its models illegally, and it has evidence to prove it, new report claims OpenAI says DeepSeek used its models illegally, and it has evidence to prove it, new report claims New report claims OpenAI has detected evidence of distillation by DeepSeek Move represents a potential breach of intellectual property Whitehouse AI czar weighs-in on the subject According to a new article by the Financial Times, OpenAI claims to have evidence that DeepSeek, the ******** startup that has thrown the US tech market into financial turmoil, used the company’s proprietary models to train its own open-source LLM, called R1. This would represent a potential breach of intellectual property, as it goes against the OpenAI terms of service agreement. In the article the FT writes that a source at OpenAI claims it has evidence of “distillation” occurring, which is a technique used by developers to leapfrog on the work done by larger models to achieve similar results at a much lower cost. The OpenAI terms of service clearly state that users cannot copy any of its service or “use output to develop models that compete with OpenAI.” David Sacks, the Whitehouse crypto and AI “czar” said in an interview on Fox that there is “substantial evidence” of distillation occurring from DeepSeek. OpenAI statement Speaking to TechRadar an OpenAI spokesperson said: “We know PRC based companies – and others – are constantly trying to distill the models of leading US AI companies. As the leading builder of AI, we engage in countermeasures to protect our IP, including a careful process for which frontier capabilities to include in released models, and believe as we go forward that it is critically important that we are working closely with the U.S. government to best protect the most capable models from efforts by adversaries and competitors to take US technology.” OpenAI tells us it has observed and investigated attempts to distill its models and has responded through banning the accounts in question and revoking access. Security concerns Meanwhile security concerns still seem to be dogging DeepSeek, particularly around the security of user data, exactly what data is being collected, and where it is storing it. If you or your company has issues with data being stored in China, Perplexity, the AI search engine, is now offering its Pro users access to DeepSeek using data that is only stored on servers in the US. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. New registrations for DeepSeek are still temporarily paused, “due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services”. For the latest news on this big breaking story, see the our DeepSeek live blog. You may also like Source link #OpenAI #DeepSeek #models #illegally #evidence #prove #report #claims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Europe’s busiest airport is set to get *******, as Britain green-lights tortured Heathrow expansion project – CNN Europe’s busiest airport is set to get *******, as Britain green-lights tortured Heathrow expansion project – CNN Europe’s busiest airport is set to get *******, as Britain green-lights tortured Heathrow expansion project CNNRachel Reeves backs Heathrow expansion saying third runway is ‘badly needed’ – live updates BBC.comReeves looks to the skies in search of economic growth with support for Heathrow The IndependentBritain, in Push for Faster Growth, Backs Major Heathrow Expansion The New York TimesHeathrow expansion can support growth — with a long runway Financial Times Source link #Europes #busiest #airport #set #******* #Britain #greenlights #tortured #Heathrow #expansion #project #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple enables support for T-Mobile and Starlink satellite network on the iPhone Apple enables support for T-Mobile and Starlink satellite network on the iPhone The latest update Apple rolled out for the iPhone allows T-Mobile customers — a select few, for now — to be able to send text messages even in locations where they have no coverage. iOS 18.3 adds support for SpaceX and T-Mobile’s direct-to-cell satellite service, which is currently being trialed after the companies opened signups for beta testing in December. As Bloomberg notes, the service used to be only compatible with certain Android phones, including Samsung models like the Z Fold and S24 along with select devices running Android 15. Meanwhile, Apple already has a partnership with Globalstar that provides users with texting capabilities when they’re out of coverage. Users who’ve signed up to participate in the fledgling service’s beta trials have reportedly started receiving texts. “You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere,” the message reads, according to Bloomberg. And for iPhone users, it asks them to “update to iOS 18.3” to “start experiencing coverage beyond.” Once they do download the update, they’ll see a toggle in their cellular data settings to activate the capability. At the moment, the direct-to-cell service only offers text messaging. If a beta tester finds themselves in rural areas and other locations that typically don’t have coverage, they’ll be able to use Starlink’s satellite network to send a text. In the future, the plan is to add voice and data connectivity to give people more options in far-flung locations. Source link #Apple #enables #support #TMobile #Starlink #satellite #network #iPhone Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US introduces act to add tax credits for chip designers, extends credits for chip production, too US introduces act to add tax credits for chip designers, extends credits for chip production, too The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is applauding the U.S. House of Representative’s introduction of the bipartisan Semiconductor Technology Advancement and Research (STAR) Act which extends Section 48D of the CHIPS and Science Act, or the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC). According to the SIA Press Release, AMIC gives an eligible taxpayer a tax credit of up to 25% of a qualified investment in an advanced manufacturing facility for semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, but it expires by 2026. However, the STAR Act extends this and expands it to also include investments in semiconductor design. “The CHIPS Act’s investment tax credit has been hugely successful in strengthening America’s semiconductor ecosystem, spurring substantial private investment and helping to put the U.S. on track to more than triple domestic chip manufacturing capacity by 2032, the largest percentage increase in the world. By extending the duration of the credit, the STAR Act would build on this moment by promoting further growth in chip manufacturing here in the United States,” the SIA said in its statement. It also added, “By expanding coverage of the credit to include chip design, the STAR Act would ensure the U.S. secures the economic, national security, and first-mover advantages of being the global leader in semiconductor technology.” This CHIPS and Science Act is credited for reviving America’s semiconductor industry, with the country spending more on chip manufacturing in 2024 than in the past 28 years combined. However, it was also criticized for not going far enough in chip research and development—for example, Applied Materials was denied a $4-billion grant for its proposed R&D center in Sunnyvale, California. The STAR Act, if approved, would help remedy this, allowing research-intensive chip designs like Arm, AMD, and Nvidia do to be covered by federal investments. There has been some uncertainty in the past weeks, especially with President Trump criticizing the CHIPS and Science Act during his second campaign. This led to several chipmakers racing for federal funding before his January inauguration. However, it seems that the Trump administration will back at least some of the previous government’s semiconductor investment strategy, giving American chipmakers some hope that they can still continue their expansion plans. Aside from that, the STAR Act’s bipartisan endorsement signals broader support for additional expansion of the U.S.’s investments in semiconductors. The former U.S. Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, has called for CHIPS Act 2, saying that American chip makers need funds to build more fabs. So, if the STAR Act passes through Congress and the Senate and gets signed into law, it gives hope for a second CHIPS and Science Act-like that will further expand American investment into semiconductors. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #introduces #act #add #tax #credits #chip #designers #extends #credits #chip #production Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Charging Forward: 2 US Battery Stocks to Electrify Your Portfolio Charging Forward: 2 US Battery Stocks to Electrify Your Portfolio The global electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by multiple factors, including stringent government regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions, increasing environmental awareness among consumers, and rapid advancements in battery technology. This surge in EV adoption is significantly impacting the US battery component industry, creating a sector ripe with investment opportunities. The Electrifying Demand for Batteries The transition to electric vehicles is fundamentally reshaping the automotive sector, and consequently, the demand for high-performance batteries is escalating exponentially. Government regulations worldwide are pushing automakers to electrify their fleets, creating a massive surge in demand. Simultaneously, growing consumer interest in environmentally conscious transportation options is further fueling the market’s expansion. Technological advancements in battery technology are leading to improved energy density, faster charging times, and enhanced safety, which are also critical to driving this transition. The U.S. battery component market is projected to grow significantly, and globally, the battery materials market is expected to grow from $63.54 billion in 2024 to $70.68 billion in 2025. In line with this growth, the North American battery components supply chain is projected to be worth over $35 billion in 2025. 1. QuantumScape: Leading the Solid-State Revolution Quantumscape (NYSE:) is a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries. The company’s technology differs significantly from traditional lithium-ion batteries, utilizing an innovative anode-free design. This design offers several key advantages, including the potential for substantially increased energy density, dramatically faster charging speeds, and improved safety features. QuantumScape has recently made significant advancements. Notably, its Raptor separator production process, which shows marked improvements in film quality, performance, and heat treatment efficiency, is now fully integrated into its baseline production. Furthermore, the recent installation and operational release of its advanced Cobra separator technology is expected to increase production capacity and cost-effectiveness substantially. The company recently commenced low-volume production of its QSE-5 B-sample cells, boasting an impressive energy density of 844 Wh/L and a remarkable fast-charging capability of under 15 minutes from 10% to 80% state-of-charge. These cells are currently being shipped to automotive customers for testing, a crucial step toward commercialization. Additionally, the company’s strategic partnership with PowerCo, the battery manufacturing arm of the Volkswagen Group , promises to facilitate the large-scale production of QuantumScape’s technology. QuantumScape’s earnings report for the third quarter of 2024 (Q3 2024) showed an EPS of −$0.23, slightly missing analysts’ consensus estimates. This, however, should be viewed within the context of the company’s significant investment in research and development, as well as its ambitious commercialization goals. The company’s long-term prospects depend on the successful execution of its technology roadmap, scaling its production capabilities, and securing further funding. 2. Energizer Holdings: A Steady Current in the Battery Market Energizer Holdings (NYSE:) is a well-established consumer goods company that offers a diverse range of products, including batteries, auto care, and personal care products. While Energizer’s core business is centered around traditional battery manufacturing and distribution, it also participates in the auto care market through brands like Armor All, STP, and A/C Pro. Although Energizer is not directly involved in developing EV battery technology like QuantumScape, its established brands, such as Energizer, Rayovac, and Varta, maintain a strong presence in the overall battery market. The company may also indirectly benefit from increased EV adoption, as these vehicles will still require maintenance and care products. Energizer’s financial performance demonstrates its stability. In fiscal year 2024, the company reported net sales of $2.887 billion and net income of $38.1 million. It achieved an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.32 and generated an operating cash flow of $429.6 million. Analysts have assigned the stock a consensus rating of Hold, with an average price target of $38.38, suggesting a potential upside of around 11%. Energizer’s stock currently offers a dividend yield of 3.47%. However, investors should note the company’s relatively high payout ratio of 230.77%, which is based on the trailing year of earnings. A Sector Poised for Growth Driven by the global transition to electric vehicles, the US battery sector is experiencing a *****. Companies such as QuantumScape and Energizer are well-positioned to benefit despite the risks of technological uncertainty, competition, and raw material price volatility. QuantumScape’s strategic partnership with PowerCo and innovative solid-state battery technology position it at the forefront of the industry’s transformation. Although currently operating on a relatively small scale, the company shows potential for significant returns if it’s able to achieve its ambitious goals for technological advancements, production scaling, and successful market entry. The recent completion and release of the Cobra separator production equipment demonstrates promising progress toward high-volume production. Established player Energizer, with a diverse product portfolio, shows it can leverage its market position while adapting to the new energy sector terrain. Its strong financial performance and steady dividends may appeal to risk-averse investors. Original Post Source link #Charging #Battery #Stocks #Electrify #Portfolio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

85% of Greenlanders don’t want their island to become part of the U.S., poll finds 85% of Greenlanders don’t want their island to become part of the U.S., poll finds Copenhagen — The vast majority of Greenland residents do not want their island to become part of the United States, as envisaged by President Trump, according to a poll published Wednesday. Mr. Trump, who returned to the White House in late January, has signaled that he wants the Arctic island — which is believed to hold large untapped mineral and oil reserves — to become part of the United States and has suggested the possible use of force or tariffs to annex the autonomous Danish territory. When asked if they wanted to become part of the United States, 85% of Greenlanders said no, according to the poll published in the Danish Berlingske and Greenland’s Sermitsiaq dailies. 6% of those polled said they were in favor and 9% were undecided, according to the poll conducted by the Verian agency. “It’s the first poll that asked a representative section of Greenland’s population and I think this is very important,” Kasper Moller Hansen, a political science professor at the University of Copenhagen, told AFP. “I think this poll shows very clearly that they do not want to be American.” Around 45% of Greenlanders view Mr. Trump’s interest in their island as a “threat,” while 43% view it as an “opportunity” and 13% are undecided, according to the poll. Trump says he won’t rule out military force to take Greenland 02:55 The poll questioned 497 respondents 18 years and older between January 22 and 26, and it had a margin of error between 1.9 and 4.4 percentage points. Greenland has 57,000 residents. Officials in Greenland, which depends heavily on Denmark for subsidies, have long pushed for independence, but have said they are open to doing business with the United States. A day after Mr. Trump was sworn in as president, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede insisted that Greenlanders “don’t want to be American.” Getty/iStockphoto Greenland, located to the northeast of Canada and covered largely by the Greenland Ice Sheet, has a tiny population but is the largest island on the planet. In addition to the suspected natural resources, its location between the U.S., Russia and Europe makes it strategic for both economic and defense purposes — especially as melting sea ice opens up new shipping routes through the Arctic. Greenland has also been the home for many years of the northernmost U.S. military base. Source link #Greenlanders #dont #island #part #U.S #poll #finds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Carolyn Bennett’s ambassadorship to Denmark was expedited: emails – National Carolyn Bennett’s ambassadorship to Denmark was expedited: emails – National Bureaucrats working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had diplomats push Denmark to speed up the appointment of former cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett as ambassador to that country — a change most embassy staff learned of through a media leak. The government has not offered a rationale for asking Denmark to expedite its approval of Bennett’s appointment, which came a week before her resignation as MP. In a major upset, the Liberals lost Bennett’s former seat of Toronto-St. Paul’s in a byelection last year. The ********* Press obtained emails through an access-to-information request showing the Privy Council had Global Affairs push ********* diplomats multiple times to have Bennett accepted by Denmark and installed months ahead of schedule. Bennett announced in July 2023 that she would not seek re-election. She was shuffled out of cabinet days later. On Oct. 25, 2023, Global Affairs Canada’s head of diplomatic assignments emailed the then-ambassador to Denmark, Denis Robert, requesting a phone call. Story continues below advertisement 0:38 Liberal Minister Carolyn Bennett announces she won’t seek re-election Three weeks later, Denmark’s foreign ministry received a request to approve Bennett’s installation as ambassador on Nov. 16, 2023. Within four days, Robert met with Denmark’s chief of protocol to ask when the country would move on accepting his replacement. The Danish official said it would take three to four months, through a process formally called agrément. “I stressed the importance we attach to this request and that we would appreciate approval as quickly as possible,” Robert wrote in French to his colleagues in Ottawa on Nov. 20, 2023. Two weeks later, GAC staff noted in a Dec. 8, 2023 email that the Privy Council Office, which supports the prime minister, is “managing very specific timelines in this specific case.” Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. On Dec. 11, 2023, Robert relayed in an email that Denmark’s chief of protocol said “it would be a matter of weeks and not months.” Story continues below advertisement Copenhagen ended up approving Bennett in the first few days of 2024, ahead of the timeline it originally outlined. Robert passed along the official notice in a Jan. 8, 2024 email. In that email, he also seemed to ask whether Bennett could start in the spring. “To my knowledge, there is no serious imperative of national interest or for the people concerned that warrants an early transition,” Robert added in French. Another paragraph was largely redacted. An official at GAC responded with an email that was also largely redacted. In it, the official told Robert in French that “the government has indicated an interest in getting the posting started as soon as possible, so waiting until the end of the fiscal year is not realistic.” 3:00 Bennett defends ‘strict rules’ for obtaining controlled substance licenses Privy Council would not say why the Liberal government wanted the process expedited. Global Affairs Canada declined a request for an interview with Bennett. Story continues below advertisement Bennett is among a handful of former ministers Trudeau’s government has assigned to foreign postings. Ralph Goodale, Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K., started in the role in 2021 after holding multiple cabinet roles and losing his seat in the 2019 election. Former immigration minister John McCallum was appointed ********* ambassador to China in 2017. Former foreign minister Stéphane Dion has held various senior postings in Europe since 2017. Former fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan was tapped to be Canada’s consul general in Boston in 2023, replacing former MP Rodger Cuzner. More on Canada More videos Global Affairs said the federal cabinet appoints both career and non-career diplomats to serve as ambassadors and high commissioners abroad. “The timing of appointments of heads of mission varies, depending on operational needs,” reads a statement. Trending Now Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump shot, killed by police at traffic stop ‘Deport Selena Gomez’: Singer responds to politician who called for her exile GAC said Robert started his term in September 2020 and the Copenhagen posting usually lasts four years. “However, lengths of assignments abroad can vary,” spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod wrote. “The agrément and accreditation process for Ambassador Carolyn Bennett followed standard procedures,” says a statement from the Danish foreign ministry. The internal documents also show that staff at the embassy in Copenhagen learned of the change through a January 2024 email that a GAC manager accidentally sent to the embassy’s general inbox. The manager apologized “for inadvertently copying the mission on my message last night.” Shortly after the message was shared, Radio-Canada reported on Bennett’s pending appointment as ambassador. Story continues below advertisement “Although the news was announced in the press, this is not how your team should have learned about the upcoming change,” the manager later wrote in French. 1:22 Denmark ready to talk to Trump over Greenland and ‘legitimate US security interests’ The Kingdom of Denmark includes semi-autonomous Greenland, making the country a neighbour to Canada. Global Affairs says Bennett has been working to strengthen bilateral ties within Denmark proper, while focusing on the Arctic. “Ambassador Bennett has engaged in several outreach visits to Greenland, regular meetings and contact with Greenlandic MPs in the Danish Parliament and Greenlandic officials, as well as several public diplomacy initiatives promoting Canada’s Arctic engagement,” wrote MacLeod. Canada’s relationship with Greenland has come in for increased attention in recent weeks. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly launched an Arctic foreign policy last month that pledged to open a consulate in Greenland. Story continues below advertisement Weeks later, U.S. President Donald Trump started musing publicly about purchasing Greenland from Denmark, as he had done in his earlier presidency. On Jan. 13, Joly held a call with her Danish counterpart to discuss “current regional and global issues, including Arctic security (and) defence co-operation,” according to her post on the platform X. That call came two days after former prime minister Jean Chrétien proposed that Ottawa convene a meeting with Denmark and other countries whose territory Trump has suggested taking over, such as Panama and Mexico, “to formulate a plan for fighting back these threats.” The Danish government on Monday announced a $2.8 billion plan to bolster its ship, drone and satellite capacity in the Arctic. Source link #Carolyn #Bennetts #ambassadorship #Denmark #expedited #emails #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Frontier Airlines proposes merging with fellow budget carrier Spirit Frontier Airlines proposes merging with fellow budget carrier Spirit A Frontier Airlines plane near a Spirit Airlines plane at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on May 16, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Frontier Airlines said Wednesday it has again proposed merging with struggling rival Spirit Airlines, which is in bankruptcy. Frontier and Spirit first announced a deal to merge in 2022, but a JetBlue Airways offer derailed that plan. JetBlue’s proposed acquisition of Spirit was blocked by a federal judge last year, and Spirit filed for bankruptcy protection in November. Frontier said in a release that it has met with Spirit’s board and executives since it made its proposal this month. Frontier executives said in a email to counterparts at Spirit this week that their plan is better than Spirit’s own plan to emerge from bankruptcy. “We continue to believe that under the current standalone plan, Spirit will emerge highly levered, losing money at the operating level, and this would not be a transaction we would pursue,” wrote Frontier Chairman Bill Franke and CEO Barry Biffle in a Tuesday email to Spirit Chairman Mac Gardner and CEO Ted Christie. “As a result, time is of the essence.” This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Frontier #Airlines #proposes #merging #fellow #budget #carrier #Spirit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Marvel Snap Developers Have Found a New Publisher After US Ban Fiasco Marvel Snap Developers Have Found a New Publisher After US Ban Fiasco Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner have announced that its found a new publisher following the US ban fiasco that saw TikTok and its game banned in the US. Announced on X (Formerly Twitter), Second Dinner said that the developer has “already signed agreements and started the work to bring almost all operational and publishing responsibilities in-house at Second Dinner with support from a new U.S.-based publisher, Skystone Games.” The move is to “ensure this never happens again,” they said, referring to the ban in the United States. Marvel Snap suffered the same fate as TikTok during the US ban, as ByteDance was the parent owner of Nuverse (the previous publisher), and as such, suffered the same fake as TikTok due to “security concerns.” At the time of the ban, Second Dinner said that the ban came as a surprise and wasn’t planned and that the game “wasn’t going anywhere.” Following its return, Marvel Snap announced a “Welcome Back Package,” which contained: Over Collection Level 500 2 Spotlight Keys 5000 Season Pass XP 4150 Credits 6200 Collector’s Tokens 1000 Gold 5 Gold Conquest Ticket 3 Infinite Conquest Ticket 4000 Conquest Medals 1 Mystery Variant 6 Premium Mystery Variants 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare) 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare) 155 x5 Random Boosters Under Collection Level 500 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards 5000 Season Pass XP 7150 Credits 1000 Gold 1 Mystery Variant 6 Premium Mystery Variant 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare) 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare) 155 x5 Random Boosters For non-US-based players– Global Gratitude Package: Over Collection Level 500 2 Spotlight Key 3000 Collector’s Tokens 1500 Credits 1 Mystery Variant 1 Premium Mystery Variant 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare) 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare) 155 x3 Random Boosters Under Collection Level 500 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards 3000 Credits 1 Mystery Variant 1 Premium Mystery Variant 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare) 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare) 155 x3 Random Boosters Are you happy Second Dinner found themselves a new publisher? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that we almost had Halo maps in COD SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Marvel #Snap #Developers #Publisher #Ban #Fiasco Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oracle Stock Drops Nearly 14% – Is Now the Time to Buy? Oracle Stock Drops Nearly 14% – Is Now the Time to Buy? After a horrendous start to the last week of January 2025, technology stocks across the United States stock market saw a massive sell-off. The reason behind this behavior is the bold claim made by ******** technology company DeepSeek, which allegedly was built quicker and more powerful than its American competitor ChatGPT. This is why there was some turmoil in the markets. Capital expenditure budgets were much higher than what DeepSeek claims, meaning that demand for chips and semiconductors might be overstated today. This is why shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:) led the way lower in the market, declining by over 17% in a single day. However, other stocks related to artificial intelligence also went down by association. Investors can take shares of Oracle (NYSE:), for example, which sold off by up to 14% during the same day as NVIDIA’s ******. However, there should be no association between this lower semiconductor demand and Oracle’s cloud and infrastructure business; if anything, it should boost it. Why? If DeepSeek proves anything, there will be a more energy-efficient and faster way to do things, and that’s where software dominates hardware. Price Action Left Clues Behind Before the sell-off, shares of Oracle rallied, following an announcement of an investment of up to $500 billion in developing artificial intelligence technology and infrastructure. Compared to other stocks, Oracle led the way. Now, taking that behavior for what it means, investors can feel more comfortable in a potential thesis where Oracle recovers quickly since it deals with the infrastructure and cloud computing businesses that can make artificial intelligence more cost-effective in the first place. Unlike NVIDIA’s business, where the faster chips get, the less need for chips there could be until a new revolutionary model is developed. Oracle’s upside seems to be an undeniable bargain now that the stock sits at only 82% of its 52-week high. For these reasons and its discount, some Wall Street analysts might want to keep their recent upgrades. The Market’s Take on Oracle Stock As of late January 2025, analysts from Cantor Fitzgerald decided to initiate coverage on Oracle stock, kicking things off with an Overweight rating and a valuation of up to $214 a share. This view, which is unlikely to change soon, would call for a net upside of as much as 35.3% from where Oracle stock trades today. Despite its discount on a price action basis, Oracle stock still commands a premium from the broader markets, as investors can see from its current price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 30.7x. Compared to the rest of the computer sector, valued at an average of 8.3x P/B, Oracle clearly trades at a significant premium to peers. Some value investors would call this expensive and filled with downsides. However, seasoned traders would confirm that the market is always willing to pay a premium for the names it expects to outperform its respective industry and the market. With this in mind, it shouldn’t surprise investors to see an overall downtrend in Oracle stock’s short interest over the past quarter. This means that, as the bullish evidence and catalysts built up for this company over the past few months, short sellers decided that the chances of a new rally outweighed the ones for a sell-off. So, they decided to close down some of their short positions, as investors can see through the 4.0% decline in short interest for Oracle over the past month alone. After these bearish traders left, some institutional buyers gladly came to take their place recently. As of late January 2025, institutional buyers from Jennison Associates decided to boost their holdings in Oracle stock by 280%, an allocation that netted their entire stake at a high of $201.8 million today. Those from Abrdn followed closely with an 8.1% boost of their own, leaving them with $166.4 million worth of Oracle stock today. What investors should take away from this DeepSeek sell-off is this: Making models and artificial intelligence more efficient doesn’t reduce its demand; it actually increases it due to the added benefits. This is when industries shift to catch up to the new norms, and Oracle seems to be front and center, ready to take on that shift today. Original Post Source link #Oracle #Stock #Drops #Time #Buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

iOS 18.3—Update Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users – Forbes iOS 18.3—Update Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users – Forbes iOS 18.3—Update Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users ForbesApple turns its AI on by default in latest software update CNBCTurning Off Apple Intelligence Can Free Up a 7GB Chunk of Your iPhone’s Packed Storage CNETHow to Turn Off Apple Intelligence on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac WIREDApple iOS 18.3 is here. What to know about top features. USA TODAY Source link #iOS #18.3Update #Warning #Issued #iPhone #Users #Forbes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6’s Persistent Issues Ruin the Game, but the Overpriced ****** Cell Pack Thrives on Steam ****** Ops 6’s Persistent Issues Ruin the Game, but the Overpriced ****** Cell Pack Thrives on Steam Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 just doesn’t want to let go of its problems. Despite continuous requests from the fans, Treyarch has yet to find a proper solution to deal with the hackers. Also, the game is overly infested with bugs and glitches. There is a bug in the Free-For-All mode that has frustrated the fans the most, but Treyarch seems to be pretty reluctant. The rough patch of ****** Ops 6 doesn’t seem to end. | Credit: Activision. All Treyarch is doing right now is focusing on mongering money from the fans. From Season 1 of Call of Duty, the developers have brought a new kind of battle pass system called BlackCell. And despite all the shouts and noises from the fans, this new battle pass in Season 2 has sold monumental figures. ****** Ops 6 Season 2 BlackCell battle pass sells the second highest on Steam Season 2 BlackCell has been released today. | Credit: Activision. We have seen players always complaining about a certain game. But those are the same players who don’t want to leave any aspect of that game before trying them out. Remember when the whole community was going out against ****** Ops 6 for its launch maps, new movement mechanics, and many other aspects of the game? Still, the game went on to have the greatest-ever Call of Duty launch in the entire franchise. So, all of those complaints were superficial. A similar incident has happened recently. There’s no stopping players from complaining about the recent issues hovering over the game, like the childish and fantastical Operator skins. However, the Season 2 BlackCell battle pass still became the 2nd most purchased item on Steam today, with the game capturing the top spot. Now, this comes as a surprise! The unfortunate reality as to why Activision refuses to make changes is this. BlackCell Season 2 is the #2 most purchased item on Steam today. pic.twitter.com/BlDiiYNeGG — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) January 28, 2025 If players are really ******* off after the massacres committed by the cheaters and bugs in the game, then why are they still jumping to buy the battle pass in the game? These are the same fans who threatened to leave the game, now they are showing other colors. Actually, these double-standard fans are the main reasons that Treyarch has become pretty reluctant. The developers have realized that no matter how bad the game becomes, people are still going to buy in-game stuff. So, it’s the responsibility of the fans to give a tight lesson to Treyarch, and finally make it pay heed to the fans’ concerns. What will you get in the Season 2 BlackCell battle pass? Season 2 BlackCell has a lot of things to offer. | Credit: Activision. BlackCell is the ultra-premium version of the Battle Pass in Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 which costs $30. Alternatively, you can also buy the regular Battle Pass with 1,100 COD. With the BlackCell, players essentially receive the Battle Pass along with a few additional rewards. Additionally, players can receive a 10% player and weapon XP bonus in the game through the BlackCell loyalty bonus. Activision has explained in detail what players can expect from the Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Season 2 Battle Pass in a recent blog post. The new Vortex Operator, one of the BlackCell rewards, is the Battle Pass’s main attraction. In addition, BlackCell owners will receive 1,100 COD Points and 20 Battle Pass Tier Skips, which will enable them to instantly unlock a variety of rewards. It also contains the “Blacksmoke” AMR Mod 4 Sniper Rifle Blueprint, Crimson Darkness Death FX, and the “Boneshard” Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint for the Jackal PDW Submachine Gun with Dread Shadow Tracers. Finally, players will also receive the “BlackCell” Clan Tag and the “Hound’s Tooth” Finishing Move with Void Howler Companion. However, the new weapons, such as the Cypher 091 Assault Rifle, PPSh-41 Submachine Gun, and Feng 82 Light Machine Gun, are the most thrilling aspects of the Battle Pass. All players will be able to access these Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 weapons for free. Additionally, the weapon now has bolts with explosive tips that explode when struck thanks to a new Crossbow attachment. Last but not least, players can also obtain a wide variety of other skins and blueprints. Source link #****** #Ops #Persistent #Issues #Ruin #Game #Overpriced #****** #Cell #Pack #Thrives #Steam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ethereum Can Reach the $5,000 Watermark in 2025; 'Wooden Snake' May Help Ethereum Can Reach the $5,000 Watermark in 2025; 'Wooden Snake' May Help Ethereum Can Reach the $5,000 Watermark in 2025; 'Wooden Snake' May Help Source link #Ethereum #Reach #Watermark #039Wooden #Snake039 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]