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DeepSeek: What you need to know about the AI that dethroned ChatGPT DeepSeek: What you need to know about the AI that dethroned ChatGPT Table of Contents Table of Contents What is DeepSeek? What can DeepSeek do? Who can use DeepSeek? Why is DeepSeek suddenly such a big deal? A year-old startup out of China is taking the AI industry by storm after releasing a chatbot which rivals the performance of ChatGPT while using a fraction of the power, cooling, and training expense of what OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic’s systems demand. Here’s everything you need to know about Deepseek’s V3 and R1 models and why the company could fundamentally upend America’s AI ambitions. What is DeepSeek? DeepSeek (technically, “Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.”) is a ******** AI startup that was originally founded as an AI lab for its parent company, High-Flyer, in April, 2023. That May, DeepSeek was spun off into its own company (with High-Flyer remaining on as an investor) and also released its DeepSeek-V2 model. V2 offered performance on par with other leading ******** AI firms, such as ByteDance, Tencent, and Baidu, but at a much lower operating cost. The company followed up with the release of V3 in December 2024. V3 is a 671 billion-parameter model that reportedly took less than 2 months to train. What’s more, according to a recent analysis from Jeffries, DeepSeek’s “training cost of only US$5.6m (assuming $2/H800 hour rental cost). That is less than 10% of the cost of Meta’s Llama.” That’s a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars that US firms like Google, Microsoft, xAI, and OpenAI have spent training their models. Introducing DeepSeek-V3! Biggest leap forward yet: 60 tokens/second (3x faster than V2!) Enhanced capabilities API compatibility intact Fully open-source models & papers 1/n pic.twitter.com/p1dV9gJ2Sd — DeepSeek (@deepseek_ai) December 26, 2024 Benchmark tests put V3’s performance on par with GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. A December 2024 Op-Ed in The Hill categorized DeepSeek’s success as America’s “Sputnik Moment.” DeepSeek released its R1-Lite-Preview model in November 2024, claiming that the new model could outperform OpenAI’s o1 family of reasoning models (and do so at a fraction of the price). The company estimates that the R1 model is between 20 and 50 times less expensive to run, depending on the task, than OpenAI’s o1. DeepSeek subsequently released DeepSeek-R1 and DeepSeek-R1-Zero in January 2025. The R1 model, unlike its o1 rival, is open source, which means that any developer can use it. As such V3 and R1 have exploded in popularity since their release, with DeepSeek’s V3-powered AI Assistant displacing ChatGPT at the top of the app stores. Venture capitalist Marc Andreesen, in a recent social media post, called DeepSeek’s chatbot “one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs I’ve ever seen” and a “profound gift to the world.” What can DeepSeek do? As an open-source large language model, DeepSeek’s chatbots can do essentially everything that ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can. That includes text, audio, image, and video generation. What’s more, DeepSeek’s newly released family of multimodal models, dubbed Janus Pro, reportedly outperforms DALL-E 3 as well as PixArt-alpha, Emu3-Gen, and Stable Diffusion XL, on a pair of industry benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1, rivaling o1, is specifically designed to perform complex reasoning tasks, while generating step-by-step solutions to problems and establishing “logical chains of thought,” where it explains its reasoning process step-by-step when solving a problem. oh boy #deepseek — Alexios Mantzarlis (@mantzarlis.com) 2025-01-27T16:50:40.640Z What DeepSeek’s products can’t do is talk about Tienanmen Square. Or the Yellow Umbrella protests. Or President Xi Jinping’s likeness to Winnie the Pooh. Basically, if it’s a subject considered verboten by the ******** ********** Party, DeepSeek’s chatbots will not address it or engage in any meaningful way. Who can use DeepSeek? Andrew Tarantola / DeepSeek / Digital Trends As an open-source LLM, DeepSeek’s model can be used by any developer for free. OpenAI charges $200 per month for the Pro subscription needed to access o1. DeepSeek’s models are available on the web, through the company’s API, and via mobile apps. You will need to sign up for a free account at the DeepSeek website in order to use it, however the company has temporarily paused new sign ups in response to “large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services.” Existing users can sign in and use the platform as normal, but there’s no word yet on when new users will be able to try DeepSeek for themselves. Why is DeepSeek suddenly such a big deal? Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2023, American AI companies have been laser-focused on building *******, more powerful, more expansive, more power and resource-intensive large language models. Rather than seek to build more cost-effective and energy-efficient LLMs, companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, and Google instead saw fit to simply brute force the technology’s advancement by, in the American tradition, simply throwing absurd amounts of money and resources at the problem. In 2024 alone, xAI CEO Elon Musk was expected to personally spend upwards of $10 billion on AI initiatives. OpenAI and its partners just announced a $500 billion Project Stargate initiative that would drastically accelerate the construction of green energy utilities and AI data centers across the US. Google plans to prioritize scaling the Gemini platform throughout 2025, according to CEO Sundar Pichai, and is expected to spend billions this year in pursuit of that goal. Meta announced in mid-January that it would spend as much as $65 billion this year on AI development. DeepSeek just showed the world that none of that is actually necessary — that the “AI *****” which has been helping spur the American economy in recent months and which has made GPU companies like Nvidia exponentially more wealthy than they were in October 2023, may be nothing more than a sham. It also calls into question just how much of a lead the US actually has in AI, despite repeatedly banning shipments of leading-edge GPUs to China over the past year. “The bottom line is the US outperformance has been driven by tech and the lead that US companies have in AI,” Keith Lerner, an analyst at Truist, told CNN. “The DeepSeek model rollout is leading investors to question the lead that US companies have and how much is being spent and whether that spending will lead to profits (or overspending).” In short, DeepSeek just beat the American AI industry at its own game, showing that the current mantra of “growth at all costs” is no longer valid. “DeepSeek clearly doesn’t have access to as much compute as U.S. hyperscalers and somehow managed to develop a model that appears highly competitive,” Srini Pajjuri, semiconductor analyst at Raymond James, told CNBC. If a ******** startup can build an AI model that works just as well as OpenAI’s latest and greatest, and do so in under two months and for less than $6 million, then what use is Sam Altman anymore? “Time will tell if the DeepSeek threat is real — the race is on as to what technology works and how the big Western players will respond and evolve,” Michael Block, market strategist at Third Seven Capital, told CNN. “Markets had gotten too complacent on the beginning of the Trump 2.0 era and may have been looking for an excuse to pull back — and they got a great one here.” Source link #DeepSeek #dethroned #ChatGPT Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (PC) Review – CGMagazine Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (PC) Review – CGMagazine The newest entry in the Orcs Must Die! series, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap combines action and rouglike elements for a new take on tower defence! Source link #Orcs #Die #Deathtrap #Review #CGMagazine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

California pushes back on Trump claim US military entered state, ‘turned on the water’ – The Hill California pushes back on Trump claim US military entered state, ‘turned on the water’ – The Hill California pushes back on Trump claim US military entered state, ‘turned on the water’ The HillTrumps claims military entered California to release water flow, but state says that did not happen Fox News Source link #California #pushes #Trump #claim #military #entered #state #turned #water #Hill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Crossword: answers for Tuesday, January 28 NYT Crossword: answers for Tuesday, January 28 The New York Times has plenty of word games on its roster today — with Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini Crossword, there’s something for everyone — but the newspaper’s standard crossword puzzle still reigns supreme. The daily crossword is full of interesting trivia, helps improve mental flexibility and, of course, gives you some bragging rights if you manage to finish it every day. While the NYT puzzle might feel like an impossible task some days, solving a crossword is a skill and it takes practice — don’t get discouraged if you can’t get every single word in a puzzle. If you’re having trouble completing today’s NYT Crossword, we’re here to help. We’ve got all the answers for today’s clues down below. Please enable Javascript to view this content NYT Crossword answers today New York Times Across 1 Wagner heroine : ISOLDE 7 Words before date or speed : UPTO 11 Like some scientists and dashes : MAD 14 Go off track : DERAIL 15 Old-fashioned prelude to a duel : SLAP 16 Big bird : EMU 17 The 68 participants in the N.C.A.A. March Madness tournament, e.g. : SEEDEDTEAMS 19 Quick drink : **** 20 Staff : ROD 21 Deserve : EARN 22 In the buff : NUDE 23 Rank below marquess : EARL 25 Convenience : EASE 28 Michelangelo’s David and the Venus de Milo, for two : MARBLESTATUES 33 A, in Aachen : EIN 34 The “S” of CBS: Abbr. : SYST 35 Like some remedies or teas : HERBAL 37 Sow’s sniffer : SNOUT 39 Listen here : EAR 41 Cheers (for) : ROOTS 42 Bit of shut-eye : CATNAP 44 C-worthy : SOSO 46 Young fellow : LAD 47 Purim or Rosh Hashanah : JEWISHHOLIDAY 50 Mononymous Irish singer : ENYA 51 Pop : SODA 52 The ___ of Avon : BARD 55 Doesn’t keep : ROTS 57 Sgt. or cpl. : NCO 60 Bowl over : AWE 61 Old TV series featuring the creepy main character Barnabas Collins : DARKSHADOWS 65 Drag accessory : BOA 66 Et ___ (and others) : ALII 67 Place for a lace : EYELET 68 With 69-Across, courtroom directive … or, homophonically, what the starts of 17-, 28-, 47-and 61-Across are : ALL 69 See 68-Across : RISE 70 Tranquil : SERENE Down 1 T.S.A. requirements : IDS 2 Nostradamus, for one : SEER 3 Cookie with its name on it : OREO 4 Item on a fire truck : LADDER 5 Stop running : DIE 6 In one’s golden years : ELDERLY 7 App customer : USER 8 Venus, but not Serena : PLANET 9 Many a tartan cap : TAM 10 Photo ___ : OPS 11 List of options : MENU 12 Surrounded by : AMID 13 Trick : DUPE 18 “Honor Thy Father” author : TALESE 22 Prefix with -logical : NEURO 24 Choose not to participate : ABSTAIN 26 “Feels so good!” : AAH 27 Olympics no-no : STEROID 28 Nicki with the 2014 hit “Anaconda” : MINAJ 29 Make ___ of (jot down) : ANOTE 30 Secret store : STASH 31 Virus first discovered in 1976 : EBOLA 32 Skewered Indonesian dish : SATAY 33 F1 neighbor : ESC 36 It’s taken to start a trip : **** 38 Like bachelors : UNWED 40 Fowl poles? : ROOSTS 43 Therapist’s maj. : PSY 45 Walks through water : SLOSHES 48 2024 campaign name : HARRIS 49 It’s up when you’re angry : DANDER 52 ___ ghanouj : BABA 53 Way off base? : AWOL 54 Bona fide : REAL 56 Steinbeck’s Tom Joad, e.g. : OKIE 58 ___ slaw : COLE 59 Clive of “Inside Man” : OWEN 61 ___ es Salaam, Tanzania : DAR 62 “Beef” star Wong : ALI 63 House vote : AYE 64 French holy title: Abbr. : STE Source link #NYT #Crossword #answers #Tuesday #January Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms DLC (PC) Review – CGMagazine Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms DLC (PC) Review – CGMagazine “”Darkest Dungeon” creator Red Hook Studios is proud to announce that the new FREE game mode Kingdoms, along with its first of three adventure modules Hunger of the Beast Clan, as well as the next paid “Darkest Dungeon II” DLC, Inhuman ********, will be releasing simultaneously for PC on January 27, 2025.” – Red Hook Studios. Source link #Darkest #Dungeon #Kingdoms #DLC #Review #CGMagazine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

One of the best SSDs around is on ***** — $270 for 4TB One of the best SSDs around is on ***** — $270 for 4TB Best Buy is the home of the best SSD deals right now, with a huge $75 off the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB SSD. Usually $345, it’s down to $270 for a limited time only, and it’s one of the best brands and sizes around. If you keep running out of space on your PC due to the games you have installed or the video editing you’re performing, this is the kind of upgrade you need. Here’s all you need to know about it while the $75 discount continues. If you need something more portable, there are plenty of external hard drive deals out there too. Why you should buy the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB SSD Buying an SSD is an important part of your PC building experience. SSDs are far more useful for anything speedy than a regular hard drive. Go too small or too slow and it’s going to have a negative effect on how much you enjoy your system, no matter how fast your CPU might be, for instance. Buying one of the best SSDs helps a ton here, and Samsung is often a good name to pursue. With the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB SSD, you get sequential speeds up to 7,250/6,300MB/s with read speeds up to 45% faster than the 990 EVO. It also runs very cool with an efficiency boosting nickel coated controller, which increases MB/s per Watt by 73%. That means the same power level and thermal control as the 990 EVO but with 16% less power consumption. It’s compatible with both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2, which further helps with providing more bandwidth and higher data processing and performance — assuming you have the right motherboard to go with it. If you’re worried about how long SSDs last, don’t fret. Most last over ten years. Rounding things off nicely, the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB SSD also comes with Magician software for helping your firmware stay up to date, providing extra encryption, and allowing you to monitor your drive’s health. A well-rounded SSD in every way, the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB SSD is the SSD your high-end system deserves. The 4TB variety normally costs $345, but right now Best Buy has cut the price by $75, bringing it down to $270 for a limited time. This is the ideal time to give your storage needs a huge boost. Source link #SSDs #***** #4TB Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dead bodies on the streets and hospitals overwhelmed as rebels battle government in DR Congo city of Goma Dead bodies on the streets and hospitals overwhelmed as rebels battle government in DR Congo city of Goma Dead bodies litter the streets of eastern Congo’s Goma city after heavy explosions and gunfire were heard amid intensifying battles between Rwanda-backed rebels and pro-government forces. Health workers have been shot at and hospital patients, including babies, have been caught in the crossfire, the World Health Organisation said, as hospitals in the city are overwhelmed by hundreds of people with gunshot, mortar and shrapnel wounds. Tens of thousands of residents in eastern Congo’s largest city fled their homes after the rebels made swift gains in the North-Kivu province bordering Rwanda, in the conflict’s largest escalation since 2012 – when Goma was last occupied by the M23 group. “Hospitals are overwhelmed. There are currently hundreds of people in hospital, most admitted with gunshot wounds,” said Adelheid Marschang, WHO’s emergency response coordinator for the DR Congo. Residents leave their homes to fetch water from Lake Kivu as fighting subsides in Goma on Tuesday morning (AFP via Getty Images) Warehouses with food and medical supplies in Goma have been looted, the UN’s World Food Programme said on Tuesday, as concerns grow around food scarcity in the region with the possibility that food supply could become severely hampered by the fighting. Four more South African peacekeepers were killed in the fighting, bringing the total to 13 as they joined government troops in defending the Congolese city – a vital humanitarian and trade hub for the region. An elderly woman in Goma’s northern Majengo neighbourhood, near the airport, told Reuters: “I have heard the crackle of gunfire from midnight until now… it is coming from near the airport.” Another Majengo resident confirmed they had heard gunfire overnight and into Tuesday morning. “I’m lying on the ground with my family,” they said. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa discussed the recent escalation with Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame after the peacekeeper deaths. The pair agree on the need for a ceasefire. The M23 rebels, who have fought a number of rebellions in the east against Democratic Republic of Congo’s central government, have ignored calls from world leaders to halt their offensive in eastern Congo. M23 rebels walking through the streets of Goma on Monday morning (AFP via Getty Images) Rwanda has dismissed calls for troops to leave, saying its security is threatened, after previously having denied the presence of its military in Congo. Critics have accused the South African government of failing to do enough to ensure its peacekeeping troops were properly equipped for the conflict, as it bears the brunt of casualties among UN soldiers. A statement issued by the South African presidency after the phone call between Ramaphosa and Kagame did not mention the deaths. “The two heads of state have agreed on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict,” it said. UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Monday that the situation on the ground is “chaotic” but that peacekeepers remained “in their positions on the field”. The UN mission in December had 10,960 peacekeepers and 1,750 civilians in Congo, deployed mostly in the east. Goma is a key gateway in the DR Congo for the trade in ores of tantalum and tin, which are used in phones and computers. Source link #Dead #bodies #streets #hospitals #overwhelmed #rebels #battle #government #Congo #city #Goma Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Utomik, the cloud gaming subscription service, is set to shutter Utomik, the cloud gaming subscription service, is set to shutter Cloud gaming service Utomik is set to shut its doors a mere three years after launch It represents another major move in the arms race for cloud gaming Only 6% of players are seemingly on-board with the tech Utomik, one of the many cloud gaming subscription services out there, is sadly set to shut its doors. Having launched back in 2022, Utomik was initially surfing on a wave of enthusiasm for the cloud that appears to have rescinded somewhat. This means that, effective immediately, the service is no longer available. Cloud gaming, which of course allows you to play your favourite releases via streaming over the internet, was introduced only a few years ago but has been and remains a hot topic. The effect of the day-one introduction of top titles to their catalogues has sparked debate on how it affects sales and indeed perception from the broader gaming industry. Globally, however, reception from players is a bit more mixed, with only 6% of gamers having a subscription to a cloud service back in 2023. And although this is predicted to rise substantially by 2030 Utomik’s closure shows that this success is anything but assured. Not a poor man’s game While it’s tempting to start writing off cloud gaming as a fad, especially with the initial wave of optimism behind it I think that it’s not necessarily fair to do so. After all, one thing that separates Utomik from other companies in the field is that they were really more of a third-party company. Whereas those such as Nvidia, Xbox and PlayStation have huge catalogues of top releases to draw on at will, Utomik would always be one step behind. And with Xbox Cloud Gaming now allowing you to play titles in your catalogue that otherwise aren’t available on the service it seems as if the idea of the cloud is now inextricably tied into the continued arms race for consoles. But hey, why not just play on that tiny computer in your pocket? We’ve got the lowdown on top mobile releases with our latest list of the top five new mobile games to try this week! Source link #Utomik #cloud #gaming #subscription #service #set #shutter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cyberpunk 2077 SteamDB page indicates that the Apple MacOS port is just around the corner Cyberpunk 2077 SteamDB page indicates that the Apple MacOS port is just around the corner Earlier today, watchful eyes spotted some key updates to the SteamDB listing for CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 which corresponded to a MacOS executable and depots being added to the game. The update is roughly in line with the “early 2025” timeframe given by CDPR on the MacOS Cyberpunk 2077 release [h/t Notebookcheck.net]. At the time of writing, we have yet to see any footage of the MacOS port running, but it has been promised to also support ray tracing on Mac models that actually support the functionality, namely Apple Silicon M4 Mac Minis and M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max-based Macs. So, how well should we expect Cyberpunk 2077 to perform on Mac? With hacky workaround methods, modern Macs can already run the game at a consistent-ish 40+ FPS, but not with ray tracing enabled. With the native port, which is already stated to provide ray tracing support, 60 FPS performance should be totally possible… but with RT enabled? Well, things start getting a little dubious there. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on Mac! | M3 Max, RAY TRACING ON MAC, GPTK 2.0! – YouTube Watch On As an example, another recent game with Ray Tracing support, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, also got a native MacOS port with ray tracing functionality intact in the past year. Benchmarking that game with ray tracing enabled does show that playable AAA experiences with ray tracing are indeed possible on the Mac platform, but Rift Apart also isn’t going to push ray tracing hardware nearly as hard as Cyberpunk 2077 can in its “RT Overdrive Mode”. Based on existing performance information on recent Macs, it would seem likely that the Cyberpunk 2077 MacOS port will perform perfectly fine without ray tracing enabled, likely be capped to 30-40 FPS with some ray tracing enabled, and most likely be overtly unplayable with current-gen hardware when RT Overdrive is enabled. It will likely take at least a few generations for Apple’s own native silicon to be able to provide RT hardware that can actually push Cyberpunk 2077 to its upper limits of fidelity (consider how expensive such a feat remains even on PC, with the Best Gaming GPUs available to you), but even having the game playable on the platform in the interim should serve as a great benchmark for Mac gaming for quite some time to come. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Cyberpunk #SteamDB #page #Apple #MacOS #port #corner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Weak loonie has ‘panicking’ snowbirds looking to sell Florida homes – National Weak loonie has ‘panicking’ snowbirds looking to sell Florida homes – National Cesidia Cedrone has been soaking up the rays at her Florida condo every winter since 2011. “Sunshine all the time. Don’t have to shovel snow. The beach, the sand…” the Ontarian said from her second home in Hallandale Beach, halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Last week, her retirement reverie came to an end as Cedrone and her husband signed the closing papers on their home *****. “Things changed so drastically. The ********* dollar is not at par with the U.S. dollar,” she said. “That was behind our major decision to sell.” Other reasons played a role too — higher insurance rates, taxes and condo fees. “For us Canadians, it’s a double whammy,” Cedrone said, pointing to a loonie that trades for roughly 69 American cents, on top of rising maintenance costs. Story continues below advertisement “We love this place. But it came to a point now — we are in our 70s — and it’s cheaper for me to come here two months and rent.” Cedrone is not alone. Many snowbirds are scrambling to sell their homes in Florida as a weak loonie and high insurance costs drive a ********* exodus from the sunshine state. Canadians made up nearly one-quarter of foreign sellers in Florida between April 2023 and March 2024 versus 11 per cent in the same ******* a year earlier, according to a National Realtors Association report. Real estate broker Alexandra DuPont, who sells properties largely to Quebecers in southeast Florida, says she’s juggling twice her typical workload with 30-plus listings. 1:38 Okanagan tourism sees boost thanks to low loonie “I’ve never had this much in a decade. I picked up three new listings on Monday. That’s never happened to me in one day,” she said last week. Story continues below advertisement Properties used to last on the market for a day or two before being snapped up, said her father and real estate partner, Sylvain DuPont. Get weekly money news Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday. “Now the minimum in southwest Florida is 90 days, and they’re still not selling. Inventory’s growing by the day,” he said, noting most of his clients are Ontarians and Quebecers. “We feel that the market is going to collapse pretty soon … People are panicking now.” More on Money More videos As for whether Donald Trump’s return to the White House helped drive away homeowners — the U.S. president has taken an aggressive stance on Canada, threatening across-the-board tariffs and calling its sovereignty into question — Sylvain DuPont echoed the observations of several brokers and sellers: “I don’t think it’s about politics; it’s about money, the economy, inflation.” Residents and realtors say the higher cost of living, risk of damage from natural disasters and a growing taste for travel to different destinations each winter account for the flight from Florida. The ********* dollar has been hovering below 70 cents U.S. in recent weeks, continuing a decline that kicked off in early October because of a slower pace of rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve. “In ********* dollars, last week I paid $18 for 18 eggs,” Cedrone said. But departures by Canadians were picking up even before that slide. Story continues below advertisement 1:25 Low loonie concerns Insurance premiums have shot up in recent years because of more extreme weather, costing Cedrone more than US$16,000 a year — 10 times the rate when she first bought the property. She also paid nearly US$4,000 in taxes versus US$1,500 a decade and a half ago. Meanwhile, property upgrades required by stricter building codes meant residents had to cough up thousands more over the last few years, forcing the couple to remortgage their second home. Trending Now The winter ‘quademic’? You may be sick with one of these 4 viruses U.K. couple dies in Vietnam hotel after drinking possibly tainted limoncello Some would prefer to roam rather than roost. “Younger couples or people, they want to travel. They’ll spend a winter in Portugal, or they’ll go to Miami, they’ll go to Mexico, or they’ll go to the Dominican Republic,” said Sylvain, referring to newer retirees. “Buying a place in Florida is like our grandparents and our parents used to do. The youngsters, they don’t do so anymore,” he said. “They don’t want to be in the same place.” Story continues below advertisement Especially in certain places. Last fall, hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through Florida, causing US$40 billion in insured losses. The total amounted to 63 per cent of all insured losses caused by severe storms across the globe last year, according to a new report from reinsurance broker Gallagher Re. Those back-to-back cyclones followed Hurricane Ian in fall 2022, whose US$113 billion in damages made it the third-costliest storm in the country’s history. Six Florida insurance carriers folded the following year. Homeowners in that state now pay more than three times the national average to insure their properties, according to the Insurance Information Institute, making Florida the costliest home insurance state in the U.S. Aside from the effect of climate change on premiums, there’s also the question of safety and a perpetual sense of precariousness in storm-prone regions. 4:14 Insurance expert on rising home insurance premiums “I ain’t going nowhere that’s got hurricanes,” said Laurie Lavine, an Arizona-based realtor whose clientele consists largely of Canadians. Story continues below advertisement A former Albertan, Lavine said most clients share his sentiments. Nonetheless, he’s observed a recent surge in listings from Canadians in his desert state recently. Again, expense is the bottom line. “It’s costing them $20,000 a year just to have the property, between utilities and taxes and all the carrying costs of owning a property down here. They’re just not coming down as much as they want to because of the ********* dollar,” he said. Lavine said he’ll be handling eight listings — all *********-owned — in the next few weeks, twice his typical load. Nor is the departure strictly from stationary homes. “The RV park that we’re in is normally full of Canadians and Americans from cold weather places,” he said from the Phoenix area. “This year it’s down 30 per cent.” Source link #Weak #loonie #panicking #snowbirds #sell #Florida #homes #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Italy’s Mediobanca rejects Monte dei Paschi’s takeover bid Italy’s Mediobanca rejects Monte dei Paschi’s takeover bid The logo of a Mediobanca Premier bank branch in Brescia, Italy, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shareholders of Italian lender Mediobanca on Tuesday rejected a 13-billion-euro takeover offer from smaller domestic peer Monte dei Paschi, amid a ramp-up in consolidation bids in the Italian banking sector. “The Offer is devoid of industrial and financial rationale and is therefore destructive for Mediobanca,” the lender said in a statement. The company added that the proposal has no industrial value, compromises Mediobanca’s identity and business profile, as well as gains for shareholders of both the lender and Monte dei Paschi, “given the likelihood of a significant loss of customers in those business areas (such as Wealth Management and Investment Banking) which require professionals who are independent and of high standing and professionalism.” CNBC has reached out to Monte dei Paschi for comment. Monte dei Paschi shares were down 1.32% at 1:08 p.m. London time following the news, with Mediobanca shedding 2.7%. The world’s oldest bank, the bailed-out Monte dei Paschi (MPS) unexpectedly launched an all-share takeover proposal for Mediobanca (MB) on Friday, offering 23 of its shares for 10 of those of its acquisition target and valuing Mediobanca’s stock at15.992 euros each — or a 5% premium to the close price of Jan. 23. Some analysts have questioned the synergies that might result from the two banks’ union, with a Barclays note on Jan. 27 flagging that “this complementarity, the value creation drivers and in general MPS strategy on MB are not yet clear.” Tuscany’s Monte dei Paschi, which required state rescue in 2017 after years of battering losses, has long been the poster child of trouble in the Italian banking sector, before a brisk turnaround in its fortunes after the 2022 appointment of UniCredit veteran Luigi Lovaglio to helm the bank. The Italian government has long sought to privatize the lender, but retains a 11.73% stake after diluting its position last year. Monte dei Paschi’s investors include Mediobanca shareholders such as business tycoon Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone and Delfin — the holding company of late billionaire Leonardo del Vecchio, which increased its MPS stake to 9.78% since January. In its Tuesday statement, Mediobanca stressed the “significant cross-shareholdings of Delfin and Caltagirone” in the lender, Monte dei Paschi and Italian insurer Assicurazioni Generali, questioning whether this represents a “potential misalignment of interests relative to other shareholders” in the context of the takeover offer. The Rome government of Giorgia Meloni has long attempted to find a partner for Monte dei Paschi, which was once courted as a potential acquisition target by UniCredit until talks dissolved in 2021. Last year, Italy’s third-largest lender Banco BPM purchased a 5% stake in Monte dei Paschi from the government. But UniCredit’s surprise $10.5 billion offer for Banco BPM in November has paralyzed any potential further moves on MPS, pushing Rome into a corner and pitting UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel against Meloni. Back in September, UniCredit also unexpectedly spread its wings with a stake build in ******* lender Commerzbank, raising questions over potential ambitions of cross-border consolidation. Source link #Italys #Mediobanca #rejects #Monte #dei #Paschis #takeover #bid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WWE 2K25 adds an open-world mode and intergender matches WWE 2K25 adds an open-world mode and intergender matches WWE 2K25 is coming this March and it’s adding several new features, including an all new open-world mode, intergender matches, and more. The Standard Edition will launch on March 14, though players who shell out for special editions can start playing on March 7. Yesterday, 2K Games began rolling out details on this year’s wrestling simulator. It revealed its Standard Edition cover star, Roman Reigns, as well as a Deadman Edition featuring The Undertaker. We now have full details on the game, which includes updates to modes across the board. The biggest addition is The Island, a brand new mode that adds an open-world twist to the series. Here, players explore WWE-themed world full of quests and challenges. It’s a story-driven mode that has players trying to join The Bloodline. That mode will only be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. 2K Games New match types are coming with this year’s game, including Bloodline Rules and Underground Match. Intergender matches will be possible this time, which is surprising given that men and women rarely clash on real WWE programming. Chain wrestling will make its return to the series, as will promos in the series’ sandbox Universe mode. As for new mechanics, wrestlers can now perform barricade dives. Please enable Javascript to view this content All of WWE 2K24‘s modes will return with each getting its own upgrade. This year’s Showcase, The Bloodline’s Dynasty, will tell the story of The Bloodline, charting the history of the Anoa’i family back to the Yokozuna days. MyRise will have one story instead of two this year, which can be played with either a male or female superstar. MyGM will add online multiplayer for up to four players, alongside additional General Managers. MyFaction is getting a small tweak too, with a non-linear mode called Faction Wars replacing Proving Grounds. This year’s list of playable wrestlers is set to be significant too, with 2K calling it its “biggest roster ever.” In addition to Bloodline members like Jacob Fatu and Tonga Loa, the roster will include John Cena, CM Punk, ***** Cargill, Rob Van Dam, Trish Stratus, Lita, and more. Those who pre-order the Standard Edition will get the Wyatt Sicks pack, adding Uncle Howdy, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, and Erick Rowan as playable characters. 2K Games The Standard Edition costs $70 and grants players dual-entitlement across console generations. The $100 Deadman Edition includes some Undertaker-themed cosmetics, a season pass that grants access to all 5 upcoming DLC, and access to the game a full week ahead of those who buy the Standard Edition. A $130 Bloodline Edition adds in even more extras, as well **** a Ringside Pass, which includes both the season pass and a Superstar Mega-Boost. WWE 2K25 launches on either March 7 or March 14, depending on which edition you buy, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Source link #WWE #2K25 #adds #openworld #mode #intergender #matches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Working on a ‘Talk Live About Screen’ Shortcut for Gemini Live Google Working on a ‘Talk Live About Screen’ Shortcut for Gemini Live Google is working on a new shortcut for its Gemini Live feature. The ‘Talk Live about screen’ feature was first mentioned at the recently hosted Galaxy Unpacked event, and it allows users to have two-way voice conversations with Gemini about whatever is on the screen. Now, a tipster has found evidence of this feature, confirming that the Mountain View-based tech giant might launch the feature soon. While the capability was showcased for the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 series, it is expected to be rolled out to other Android devices as well. Gemini Live Could Soon Get a ‘Talk Live about screen’ shortcut Tipster AssembleDebug on X (formerly known as Twitter) posted about the new shortcut. While the tipster did not reveal how he found the shortcut, it was likely found within the latest beta of the Google or Gemini app. Google Gemini’s “Talk Live about screen” shortcut automatically attaches a screenshot and starts a Gemini Live conversation. You also get a camera shortcut for quick capturing images and ask Gemini Live about it without leaving the conversation.#Gemini #AI #Google pic.twitter.com/l7As5BnLVu — AssembleDebug (Shiv) (@AssembleDebug) January 27, 2025 Based on the attached screenshot in the post, the shortcut appears on top of the redesigned Gemini overlay. When a user activates Gemini AI assistant, a rectangular tab now opens with a plus icon on the left and icons for the microphone and Gemini Live on the right. On top of the bar, an “Ask about screen” icon is present that lets the AI capture a quick screenshot of the screen. Users can then type their prompts and ask the AI questions about the image. However, if users want to do this while having a live conversation with the chatbot, currently, this is not possible. The ‘Talk Live about screen’ feature solves this problem. The shortcut appears on top of the ‘Ask about screen’ button. A Google representative at the Galaxy Unpacked event highlighted that tapping the shortcut would automatically capture a screenshot and open the Gemini Live interface. Users can then verbally ask the AI about the image and get real-time responses from the chatbot. The tech giant has not revealed any release date for the feature so far. Notably, Gemini Live is also getting another update that will allow users to have live conversations about a YouTube video or a document as well. This functionality is expected to be added to the AI chatbot at a later date. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Windows 11 Could Offer Quick Options to Send Files, Evidence Spotted in Latest Preview Build Mudrex Resumes Crypto Withdrawals, Claims to Have Upgraded Compliance Process Source link #Google #Working #Talk #Live #Screen #Shortcut #Gemini #Live Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump revives push to denaturalize US citizens – USA TODAY Trump revives push to denaturalize US citizens – USA TODAY Trump revives push to denaturalize US citizens USA TODAYTexas Republicans in Congress propose bills to codify Trump executive orders The Texas TribuneHarry Enten breaks down how Trump’s base feels about ending birthright citizenship CNN InternationalIs Trump’s Plan to End Birthright Citizenship ‘Dred Scott II’? The New York Times Source link #Trump #revives #push #denaturalize #citizens #USA #TODAY Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI’s Sam Altman calls DeepSeek ‘impressive’ but promises to launch ‘much better models’ soon OpenAI’s Sam Altman calls DeepSeek ‘impressive’ but promises to launch ‘much better models’ soon OpenAI’s Sam Altman called DeepSeek’s viral AI model “impressive” In response, he says, “we will obviously deliver much better models” President Trump calls DeepSeek a “wake-up call” for US tech giants China’s viral DeepSeek app has a missile-like name, and it’s blasted a hole in the stock prices and plans of ChatGPT and other AI giants. But OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is – at least publicly – unperturbed by the unexpected new rival. Commenting on X (formerly Twitter), Altman said DeepSeek’s R1 is an “impressive” model, and it’s hard not to hear that in the voice of Patrick Bateman during the American Psycho business card scene. But Altman was also bullish about how OpenAI would respond. He added that “we will obviously deliver much better models” and that it’s “legit invigorating to have a new competitor”. 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.January 28, 2025 The reason why DeepSeek has caused such commotion is because it’s both open-source and was built on less advanced Nvidia chips, which mean its development costs were comparatively tiny compared to major models like ChatGPT 4o. Yet Altman doesn’t think this has changed the AI game. He doubled down on OpenAI’s vision, adding that the company believes “more compute is more important now than ever before to succeed at our mission” and that “the world is going to want to use a LOT of AI, and really be quite amazed by the next-gen models coming”. Newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump doesn’t quite agree, calling the rise of DeepSeek a “wake-up call” for US tech giants. Talking to reporters on Air Force One, he added: “If you could do it cheaper, if you could do it [for] less [and] get to the same end result. I think that’s a good thing for us.” Presumably, Trump only sees DeepSeek as a “good thing” as long as US AI giants learn quickly from its lessons, but that’s far from guaranteed… Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. What happens next? (Image credit: DeepSeek) DeepSeek’s short-term impact on AI is undeniable – the chip-making giant Nvidia suffered the biggest one-day market value dive in US history yesterday, after doubt was thrown on the need for its massive compute power in what could now be an age of radically more efficient models. But what happens next is less clear. Almost immediately after DeepSeek hit the top of the App Store and Google Play Store in the US, the app was hit by a massive cyber-attack that saw it temporarily close its doors to new registrations. More importantly, questions have now started to be raised about DeepSeek’s privacy and security policies. Its Privacy Policy explicitly states that “we store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People’s Republic of China”. That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but it does raise questions about whether the US and other countries could embark on a TikTok-style crackdown on ******** AI models like DeepSeek – or at least dissuade consumers and businesses from using them in the meantime. You might also like Source link #OpenAIs #Sam #Altman #calls #DeepSeek #impressive #promises #launch #models Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

****** Swan’s Taleb Says Nvidia Rout Is Hint of What’s Coming ****** Swan’s Taleb Says Nvidia Rout Is Hint of What’s Coming (Bloomberg) — The ****** Swan author Nassim Taleb is warning that Monday’s brutal selloff in Nvidia Corp. is just a taste of what’s in store for investors who blindly piled into Wall Street’s AI-driven stock rally. Most Read from Bloomberg Future pullbacks could be two- or even three-times ******* than the 17% slump posted by Nvidia at the start of this week, Taleb said on the sidelines of what’s become known as Hedge Fund Week in Miami. That drop wiped $589 billion from the chip maker’s valuation, making it the worst in market history. “This is the beginning,” Taleb told Bloomberg News in an interview after the close of markets on Monday. “The beginning of an adjustment of people to reality. Because now they realize, now, it’s no longer flawless. You have a small little chip on the glass.” The frenzied selling was triggered by sudden fears that US tech giants may not dominate the field of artificial intelligence as expected. The concerns follow the emergence of DeepSeek, a ******** AI startup that has demonstrated a lower-cost approach to developing the technology. Investors interpreted that as a threat to both demand for and reliance on Nvidia’s advanced chips. Taleb said investors have until now been too focused on a single narrative: That the company’s shares would keep rising as it maintains its dominance of AI. Monday’s retreat was actually “very little” considering the risks in the industry, he said. ****** Protection Taleb, whose best-selling book explores the extreme impacts of rare and unpredictable occurrences, is also scientific adviser to Universa Investments. That’s a tail-risk hedge fund, which effectively offers a form of insurance to help protect portfolios from violent market events. The former options trader is well-known on Wall Street for his gloomy pronouncements, not all of which have proved accurate. In early 2023, he said many investors were ill-prepared for the era of higher interest rates when assets may no longer be “inflating like crazy.” The benchmark US equity gauge is up almost 50% since, in large part because of the frenzy for all things AI. Taleb and Universa’s argument is not that investors should run from the market, and hence miss such gains. Rather, they advocate allocating a sliver of portfolios toward protection from unexpected shocks. Story Continues Taleb said too many investors have been bidding up prices of firms related to AI without properly knowing the details of how it functions or is able to succeed. He described technology firms as “gray swans,” because investors underestimate the deviations in their prices that are possible in a day. (Updates with context surrounding Universa’s investment approach.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Source link #****** #Swans #Taleb #Nvidia #Rout #Hint #Whats #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All Mission 2 Dead Drop Workbenches in Sniper Elite Resistance All Mission 2 Dead Drop Workbenches in Sniper Elite Resistance Dead Drop’s Workbenches in Sniper Elite Resistance Mission 2 represents a big step up. The hand-holding is gone, and you need to go on a serious expedition to find all the Collectibles if you don’t know where to look. Mission 1’s Workbench Collectible is child’s play compared to the rest of Sniper Elite Resistance. Dead Drop is the first big, open map to explore. It has 19 Collectibles to find—including three Workbenches. Finding these is imperative to give Harry the best chance of surviving the never-ending onslaught of ******* troops. I’ve provided a simple and easy-to-use map showing you the locations of every Workbench, but if you need a few extra details with more specifics, we have that too. Every Workbench Location in Sniper Elite Resistance Mission 2 Dead Drop Force your path. Image by Insider Gaming The little Cog symbol represents a Workbench—and I’ve circled them for you anyway. Each one is equidistant from the other and they’re spread fairly well around the map. There’s no necessary route to take to find all of Sniper Elite Resistance’s Mission 2 Workbench locations, but I’ll provide my experience and how I found them. Dead Drop Mission 2 Workbench Location 1 in Sniper Elite Resistance It’s just behind this door. Image by Insider Gaming Start Dead Drop and head to the broken stone bridge. Go left, and climb up the vines to get into a broken tower. Climb the tower, kill the guard, and head through the castle doorway. Pick up the first Propaganda Poster on the stairs to your left if you haven’t already, carry on up, and go into the house. Charge down both sets of stairs and exit the house left. Head West through the streets—doing your best to avoid becoming a human bullet sponge. Using the screenshot “Every Workbench Location” screenshot earlier, you can see the Workbench is found in a big building in the very Southwest quadrant of the level. Reach the building, and the Workbench is up the stairs and behind a locked door—after you pass through a mini-courtyard area. Dead Drop Mission 2 Workbench Location 2 in Sniper Elite Resistance Go up to the courtyard and look left. Image by Insider Gaming It’s time to head North from this building. Head left past the “Find Vertigo’s Dead Drop at the Balisca” Main Objective building. Pass through the gardens and keep running in a straight line—watch out for the Sniper ahead up high who can easily spot you. You should eventually reach a small flight of stairs to go down, situated next to a barbed-wire fence and locked door. Go between the houses and run around to the entrance of the “Locate Vertigo’s Office” building. Head up to the main gate and into the courtyard. Immediately on your left is a locked door. Either open it manually or use Bolt Cutters. Inside is the second Workbench. Dead Drop Mission 2 Workbench Location 3 in Sniper Elite Resistance Go through to the other side, and down the stairs. Image by Insider Gaming I find the easiest way to reach Workbench three is to follow the natural road around the top of the map, sticking to the outside parts of the map and using walls for cover. Go past the “Find Stolen Resistance Files” area, and opposite it is a building with open doors. Go through this doorway and the other open doors round the back. Turn right, and go down the stairs. Go right again, and you should see a locked door. Once more, either pick the lock, or use Bolt Cutters, go inside, and the Workbench is right there! I hope this guide was useful and you have all three Workbenches ticked off and added to your collection. I’ve put together other handy guides to help your Sniper Elite Resistance experience too: All mission names, the Trophy list, and how long Resistance is. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Mission #Dead #Drop #Workbenches #Sniper #Elite #Resistance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 review: a $650 laptop that could cost twice as much Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 review: a $650 laptop that could cost twice as much Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 MSRP $650.00 “Minus a dull screen, the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is an absolute steal.” Pros Very attractive ***** price Good productivity performance Strong battery life Solid build Attractive aesthetic Cons Display has poor colors No fast ports Only an IPS panel Table of Contents Table of Contents Specs and configuration Design Keyboard and touchpad Connectivity and webcam Performance Battery life Display Attractive while on *****, but questions remain As we await the latest wave of new laptops from CES 2025, I’ve been taking a look at some lower-priced budget laptops. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i was a 14-inch 2-in-1 that came in at around $550, but sometimes you want a larger machine that doesn’t break the bank. That’s where the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 comes in. It features a large 16-inch display in a convertible 2-in-1 form factor, and it has some fairly redeeming features. The only thing holding it back from a solid recommendation is a disappointing display. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Specs and configuration Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 Dimensions 14.24 x 9.84 x 0.67 inches Weight 4.39 pounds Display 16.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS, 60Hz CPU AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS GPU Radeon 760M Memory 8GB 16GB Storage 512GB SSD 1TB SSD Ports 2 x USB-C 2 x USB-A 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x microSD card reader 1 x 3.5mm audio jack Camera 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello Wireless Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Battery 71 watt-hour Operating system Windows 11 Price $587+ There are only a few configurations of the Yoga 7 2-in-16, and they’re all on ***** right now at Lenovo’s web store. For $587, you get an AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 16.0-inch FHD+ IPS display (the only option). Upgrading to a Ryzen 7 8840HS that will be considerably faster is just $31, and 16GB RAM has an upcharge of $25. That makes the high-end model with the Ryzen 7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD (only available with 16GB of RAM) just $650. List prices range from $805 to $890, which is a lot less attractive. However, at the ***** prices, the Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is great. You’ll struggle to find another large laptop that’s as good at these prices, but the display is one thing that might stop you from pulling the trigger. Design Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Despite its relatively low price, the Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is constructed of aluminum rather than plastic. There was a time when a large near-budget laptop like this would likely have included some plastic in the chassis, and I’m happy to see that’s not the case here. The Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is a solid laptop, with no bending, flexing, or twisting in the chassis, keyboard deck, or lid. It feels as robust as laptops costing twice as much and more. The design is also comfortable, with rounded edges that make the laptop feel great in hand. Lenovo has adopted the same design for many of its recent laptops, and I like it. There’s also the reverse notch at the top of the display housing the webcam and other electronics, which keeps the top and side bezels reasonably thin. The bottom chin is rather large, though, which is typical for convertible 2-in-1s. The width and depth are OK, while the Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is thin at just 0.67 inches and reasonably light at 4.39 pounds. Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Aesthetically, it’s minimalist but attractive, with a dark gray colorway unbroken by chrome or other adornment. I have no complaints there, and really, it’s necessary to point out at this point because outside of gaming laptops, very few are ostentatiously designed. Minimalism is pretty much the game today. But, importantly, you won’t look at the machine and see “budget.” Keyboard and touchpad Mark Coppock / Digital Trends The keyboard is Lenovo’s usual version, with sculpted keycaps (although somewhat smaller than I remember on other recent laptops), plenty of key spacing even with the (likely unnecessary) numeric keypad, and snappy switches. The bottoming action is a little abrupt, which would be my only complaint. It’s not as good as Apple’s Magic Keyboard or HP’s version on its new OmniBook lineup, but it’s still good enough for comfortable long-term typing like writing this review. The touchpad is OK. It’s mechanical — unsurprising at these prices — and it’s large enough. The button clicks are a bit loud and sharp, though. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible, either. The display is touch- and pen-enabled, befitting a 2-in-1. Connectivity and webcam Connectivity is fine, with a number of ports that will support the needs of most people. The biggest limitation is that there are no fast ports such as Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. But most people will likely find connectivity sufficient. Wireless connectivity is fast enough. The webcam is a 1080p model, which has become the new standard. It’s fine, offering a decent image for videoconferencing. The AMD chipset doesn’t have a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to speed up on-device AI processing, so it’s a bit behind other, newer chipsets. The Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 isn’t a part of the new AI generation of laptops, so you don’t get features like AI background blur or microphone processing. Performance Mark Coppock / Digital Trends The Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is available with AMD’s Ryzen 8000 series chipsets, either the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 8840HS or the 6-core/12-thread Ryzen 5 8640HS. I reviewed the machine with the latter. Both run at 28 watts, so they consume more power than the more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon X and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chipsets (also known as Lunar Lake) which are the more contemporary offerings. The Ryzen 7 is faster and more competitive with the Qualcomm chipsets and AMD’s own Ryzen AI 9 offerings, while the Ryzen 5 in the Yoga 7 is closer to the Intel chipset. What that means in practice is that while the Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is fast enough for most productivity uses, it’s not the fastest laptop by a considerable margin. Its Radeon 760M graphics also don’t impress, but then none of these laptops except for the Asus ProArt PX13 with an entry-level discrete GPU are great for gamers or creators. Geekbench 6 (single/multi) Handbrake (seconds) PCMark 10 Complete Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 (Ryzen 5 8640HS/ Radeon Graphics) Bal: 2,368 / 9,475 Perf: 2,369 / 9,654 Bal: 97 Perf: 88 6,644 Dell Inspiron 14 2-in- (7445) (Ryzen 7 8840HS / Radeon Graphics) Bal: 2,440 / 11,219 Perf: 2,508 / 11,243 Bal: 76 Perf: 73 6,906 Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) (Snapdragon Plus X1P-64-100 / Adreno) Bal: 2,445 / 8,740 Perf: 2,451 / 8,744 N/A N/A Asus Zenbook S 14 (Intel Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc) Bal: 2,738 / 10,745 Perf: N/A Bal: 113 Perf: N/A N/A Asus ProArt PX13 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 / RTX 4050) Bal: 2,710 / 14,696 Perf: 2,690 / 14,243 Bal: 54 Perf: 52 7,540 HP Envy x360 14 2024 (Core Ultra 7 155U / Intel Arc) Bal: 2,130 / 8,175 Perf: 2,229 / 8,298 Bal: 139 Perf: 120 5,750 HP Spectre x360 14 (Core Ultra 7 155H / Intel Arc) Bal: 2,234 / 11,878 Perf: 2,246 / 11,821 Bal: 138 Perf: 83 6,316 Apple MacBook Air (M3) Bal: 3,102 / 12,078 Perf: N/A Bal: 109 Perf: N/A N/A Battery life Mark Coppock / Digital Trends The Ryzen 8000 series isn’t aimed at extreme efficiency like the Qualcomm and Lunar Lake chipsets. Even so, the Yoga 7 2-in-1 16’s 71 watt-hour battery and low-res IPS display combine for decent battery life. The laptop has good enough efficiency that you’ll make it through most of a working day on a charge. You won’t get multi-day longevity as you will with some other laptops, but there’s nothing to complain about here. Web browsing Video Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 (Ryzen 5 8640HS) 9 hours, 20 minutes 13 hours, 31 minutes Dell Inspiron 14 2-in- (7445) (Ryzen 7 8840HS) 8 hours, 30 minutes 8 hours, 45 minutes Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) (Snapdragon Plus X1P-64-100) 10 hours, 19 minutes 19 hours, 28 minutes Asus Zenbook S 14 (Core Ultra 7 258V) 16 hours, 47 minutes 18 hours, 35 minutes HP Envy x360 14 2024 (Core Ultra 7 155U) 7 hours, 37 minutes 9 hours, 30 minutes Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2024 (Core Ultra 7 155H) 10 hours, 24 minutes 14 hours, 30 minutes Apple MacBook Air (Apple M3) 19 hours, 38 minutes 19 hours, 39 minutes Display Mark Coppock / Digital Trends Although it’s been less common over the last few years, there’s one corner that’s often cut to hit budget prices: the display. On paper, that’s exactly what you see here. The Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 has a large, 16-inch display that’s too low-resolution at FHD+ (1920 x 1200). If you like sharp displays, you’ll immediately dislike this one. It doesn’t help that the IPS technology doesn’t produce dynamic colors or deep ******* — something I’ve grown used to in reviewing so many laptops with OLED displays. Things didn’t get much worse when I used my colorimeter to evaluate the display objectively. It was bright at 408 nits, well above our 300-nit baseline, and contrast as good at 970:1, just below our 1,000:1 threshold. But colors weren’t very wide at just 68% of sRGB, 48% of AdobeRGB, and 48% of DCI-P3. IPS displays average around 100%, 75%, and 75%, respectively. And color accuracy came in at a DeltaE of 3.20, a lot worse than the 2.0 or better you want to see for productivity use and worse than I usually see today. Ultimately, the display matters a lot on a large laptop like this. If you don’t care about dynamic or accurate colors, then it’s not terrible. But you can do better. Attractive while on *****, but questions remain The Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 is well-built, reasonably portable, and gets good enough performance even with its entry-level chipset. Battery life is a strength as well. It looks fine, its keyboard and touchpad are good enough, and you can’t argue with a price that tops out at $650. What makes this a difficult laptop to rate is its display, which isn’t high-res enough at 16 inches and has poor color width and accuracy. But, if you just have to have a large laptop and colors aren’t as vital, the price might be enough to convince you. Source link #Lenovo #Yoga #2in1 #review #laptop #cost Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This 8.8% CEF Is the Perfect Contrarian Play on Inflation This 8.8% CEF Is the Perfect Contrarian Play on Inflation Trump 2.0 has exploded out of the gate, and we’re quickly lining up the best bond buys in response—including an 8.8% payer, we’ll dive into below. “Bond Vigilantes” May Return (But We’re Not Waiting Around) “Wait, we’re buying bonds now?” you might be thinking. “Aren’t inflation and rates going to tick higher in the new administration?” It’s a reasonable question. And yes, when rates go up, bonds go down. That’s just the way it works in bond-land. Tariffs are on the way. Ditto mass deportations. And last I checked, the federal government was running a $ 2 trillion deficit. (And let’s be honest, DOGE or no, politicians are in no hurry to take that problem on.) All those things are, of course, inflationary. Which is why the pundits are nearly unanimous in calling for a return of the “Bond Vigilantes”—bond investors who will dump Treasuries in protest of these moves, driving up the yield on the 10-year Treasury note (and with it the interest payable on government debt). Truth is, the bond vigilantes strike terror into the hearts of all governments. The “Ragin’ Cajun,” James Carville, said it best: “I used to think if there was reincarnation, I wanted to come back as the president or the pope or as a .400 baseball hitter. But now I would want to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody.” That fear is exactly why bonds are despised right now. And why we contrarians are interested! The “5% Ceiling” Is Holding Strong Look, I’m not saying rates won’t rise in Trump 2.0. I’m just saying that predictions of spiking Treasury rates are, at best, early. In fact, I see a continued 5% “ceiling” on rates. The reason why comes back to none other than Jay Powell himself. Jay cut rates by a quarter point in December—but importantly, he also gave investors a stern pre-holiday “talking-to,” with the Fed slashing its rate-cut forecast to two from four in 2025. But here’s the thing: The bond vigilantes stirred, causing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to spike. In other words, the Fed cut but interest rates still rose. The bond market is clearly telling Jay, in no uncertain terms, that the job on inflation is not done. And finally, he appears to be listening. Powell’s parental guidance may very well set a ceiling on the 10-year yield. That sure would surprise Wall Street, wouldn’t it? The Fed pause should cement the 10-year rate’s already-strong ceiling at 5%. It means inflation will keep trending down. This means the current level of long yields may be plenty high. The Wall Street herd is betting that this ceiling breaks in dramatic fashion—I just don’t see it! 10-Year Rate Bounces Off the Ceiling That opens the door for bonds as more investors realize this. Our best avenue here is through a discounted, high-yield closed-end fund (CEF), like the DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund (NYSE:). An 8.8% Dividend With a “Stealth” Discount DLY’s ace in the hole is its lead manager, the so-called “Bond God,” Jeffrey Gundlach, whose contrarian calls have a record of being right (and profitable). The 2008/2009 crisis? Gundlach called it. Trump’s 2016 win? He called that, too, as well as the 2022 panic. Gundlach doesn’t fool around with investment-grade bonds. Instead, he holds a bit more than 72% of DLY’s portfolio in below-investment-grade bonds and unrated securities. That may cause a bit of concern, but we need to keep in mind that this is where the best bond bargains are. Pensions, for example, aren’t allowed to own this paper. That leaves more room in the bargain aisles for us! Besides, we’ve got Gundlach as our assigned shopper here, and that’s critical in bond-land, where deep connections are a must. And no one is more connected than the Bond God, who gets tipped off when the best new issues roll out. By the way, this is why we think CEF, not ETF, when buying bonds. Algo-run ETFs simply can’t take advantage of deals like these. You can see that in DLY’s performance, which has clobbered that of the corporate-bond benchmark SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (NYSE:) in the last year: Gundlach Outruns the Algorithm Now let’s talk dividends, as DLY has dropped a steady monthly payout on shareholders since it rolled down the skids in early 2020 (a launch date that sounds like terrible timing—but did allow Gundlach to snap up some high-quality assets for cheap). The fund has also rewarded us with two sweet special payouts, at the end of both 2023 and 2024: A Steady Monthly Payout (With Extra Bonus Divvies) Source: Income Calendar DLY’s bonds have an average duration of 3.2 years, so it will continue to enjoy high yields for a while after the (finally) begins to cut rates. That duration also lets Gundlach change course if rates suddenly shoot higher. The fund also uses 17.5% leverage, which is a happy medium—not high enough to add much risk but still sufficient to boost returns. Finally, this one does trade at a slight premium (less than 1%) as I write this. We don’t normally buy funds when they’re trading at premiums, but in light of the overdone fear over rates, I do see this premium getting ******* as more investors come to their senses. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #CEF #Perfect #Contrarian #Play #Inflation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

*** raises cloud competition concerns, singles out Microsoft and Amazon *** raises cloud competition concerns, singles out Microsoft and Amazon Amazon’s computing unit AWS is in talks with Italy to invest billions of euros in the expansion of its data center business in the country as part of the tech giant’s effort to boost its cloud offer in Europe, four people familiar with the matter said. Cesc Maymo | Getty Images News | Getty Images LONDON — Britain’s antitrust watchdog on Tuesday raised concerns over competition in the multi-billion-pound cloud computing market and singled out Microsoft and Amazon as the dominant players. An independent Competition and Markets Authority inquiry group provisionally recommended that the regulator considers investigating Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft’s Azure cloud unit under new digital markets legislation. In a statement, the CMA said it estimates the cloud services market was worth £9 billion ($11.18 billion) in 2023 — a figure growing over 30% year-on-year. The CMA said that, currently, businesses face a limited choice of providers when it comes to cloud services. The regulator called AWS and Microsoft “the two large providers of cloud services, each with a share of up to 40% of *** customer spend on cloud services.” Notably, it added Google was the third-biggest provider “with a much smaller share.” Previously, the CMA said it was concerned by several elements of the cloud market that could pose competition issues, including so-called “egress” fees on transfers of data from one cloud to another, licensing fees, volume discounts, and interoperability issues that make it harder to switch vendor. The CMA probe traces its history back to 2022, when U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom kicked off a market study examining the dominance of cloud giants Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Ofcom subsequently referred its cloud review to the CMA to address competition issues in the market. Cloud infrastructure services is a market dominated by U.S. technology giants Amazon and Microsoft. Amazon is the largest player, offering cloud services via its Amazon Web Services (AWS) arm. Microsoft is the second-largest, selling cloud products under its Microsoft Azure unit. This is a breaking news story. Please check back later for updates. Source link #raises #cloud #competition #concerns #singles #Microsoft #Amazon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ViewSonic VG1656N portable monitor review: Delivering wireless freedom ViewSonic VG1656N portable monitor review: Delivering wireless freedom ViewSonic is one of the most prolific portable monitor manufacturers. The company makes monitors in various sizes and resolutions, some geared toward general consumers and others more toward a professional audience. Due to its interesting feature set, ViewSonic’s VG1656N could appeal to a wide range of users. Not only does the VG1656N go a step beyond the usual 1920 x 1080 resolution by offering a slightly taller, 1920 x 1200 panel, but it also supports wireless connectivity to a smartphone, tablet, or smartphone. This wireless support is achieved with a USB-C dongle that you plug into your computing device. Since it supports wireless functionality, it should be no surprise that the VG1656N also has a built-in battery to give you an authentic, wire-free experience. With a street price of less than $300, the VG1656N is designed to compete against the best portable monitors currently available. Design of the ViewSonic VG1656N The VG1656N is a 16-inch portable monitor with an unassuming appearance and a roughly 2-pound body made of plastic and aluminum. The main chassis (rear panel and sides) is made of aluminum, while the display bezels are made of ****** plastic. The top and side bezels measure just under a quarter of an inch, while the bottom bezel is half an inch thick. The only adornment on the front of the display is the word “ViewSonic” imprinted on the bottom bezel. Speaker grills take up the upper half of the left and right side panels, and there’s one USB-C port on each side of the monitor. You get two USB-C ports, but no provisions for HDMI or DisplayPort connections. There’s also a Power button and a rocker switch to adjust the volume and navigate the OSD. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) You’d never know it from looking at the monitor, but it includes a built-in 4,000 mAh battery to support its wireless mode, which provides up to three hours of endurance. When combined with the included power adapter, the VG1656N supports 60-watt passthrough over USB-C to a connected laptop. Although the VG1656N doesn’t include a built-in kickstand, it does include a magnetic Smart Cover in the box. The Smart Cover allows the VG1656N to be used in landscape (at various angles) or portrait orientations. When the monitor is not in use, the Smart Cover fully envelopes the VG1656N to protect it during transport. The VG1656N measures 14.04 x 9.25 x 0.38 inches and weighs 1.9 pounds without the stand (3.1 pounds with the included Smart Cover). (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) In addition to the Smart Cover, a USB-C cable and a 60-watt USB-C power adapter are included in the box. Another critical accessory that you’ll find is ViewSonic’s VG19948 USB-C wireless dongle. This device lets you wirelessly cast content from your laptop or smartphone to the VG1656N. The main body is made of rigid plastic and features a flexible cord that contains the USB-C connector. There’s a single connection status LCD and a pinhole button for pairing the dongle with the VG1656N. Of course, you don’t have to use the dongle – you can rely on the tried and true USB-C connection if you desire. ViewSonic VG1656N Specifications Swipe to scroll horizontally Panel Type / Backlight IPS / WLED Screen Size / Aspect Ratio 16 inches / 16:10 Max Resolution & Refresh Rate 1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz Max Brightness 250 nits Contrast Ratio 1,000:1 Screen Coating Matte Ports 2x USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode) Wireless Support Yes, via ViewSonic VG19948 USB-C dongle Battery 4,000 mAh Speakers Yes (2x 2 watts) Weight 1.9 pounds without stand, 3.1 pounds with Smart Cover Wireless Support on the ViewSonic VG1656N The headlining feature of the VG1656N is its wireless casting support via the VG19948 USB-C dongle. I successfully paired the USB-C dongle with a MacBook Pro, Mac mini, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 convertible, and an iPhone. When connected to the iPhone, the VG1656N was treated as an AirPlay display, allowing video and audio to be transmitted wirelessly. Although I don’t have a personal use case for navigating iOS on a 16-inch portable display, playing games or video on the VG1656N is quite fun. I had plenty of fun playing Alto’s Adventure and GTA: Vice City on the comfort of a 16-inch display versus the 6.1-inch display of my iPhone 16 Pro. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The VG1656N also worked as expected in macOS 15.3 and Windows 11. Again, the monitor showed up as an AirPlay device in macOS and as a standard wireless display in Windows 11. Multimedia content was flawless, and I didn’t notice any syncing issues. For example, lip movements are accurately synced with speech. However, I noticed the slightest hint of lag when using my mouse and scrolling. The VG1656N’s built-in battery allows you to enjoy multimedia content or perform everyday productivity tasks without wires crisscrossing your desk. Another bonus of the built-in battery and wireless connectivity is that when using the VG1656N in portrait mode, you don’t have an unsightly USB-C cable sticking straight up in the air that then wraps around to connect to your PC. On-Screen Display of the ViewSonic VG1656N The VG1656N’s OSD looks nearly identical to the one featured on the TD1656-2K, which I reviewed in late 2024. When the OSD is inactive, the rocker switch adjusts the volume up or down. Pressing the power button invokes the OSD, after which the rocker switch functions to navigate up and down through the menu system—the power button then acts as an action comment. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The only picture settings available are to adjust brightness or contrast. There are no additional color modes or HDR options for the display. An audio menu allows you to choose from three settings: Standard, Voice, Movie, and Music. The only other notable option is the Input Select, which gives three options: USB-C, Wi-Fi Display, and Wi-Fi Re-pair. The first two settings are self-explanatory, while the third one reestablishes the connection between the wireless USB-C dongle and the VG1656N if there’s ever a problem. As with the TD1656-2K, there are no settings for OSD positioning or even an OSD timeout. The last omission stings, because the OSD, by default, times out after just a few seconds. Image quality and audio on the ViewSonic VG1656N The VG1656N uses a 16-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The panel is matte-finished to diminish reflections that might otherwise mar the viewing experience. Looking at the actual instrumented test figures for the VG1656N, we can see where ViewSonic chose to devote most of its resources. You can’t have a large internal battery and wireless functionality in a 16-inch monitor for under $300 without some compromises, and ViewSonic chose to compromise on the display. The IPS panel struggled in our color gamut tests, covering just 39.3 percent of DCI-P3 and 55.5 percent of sRGB. This put it behind even the Philips 16B1P3300, one of the worst performers in our testing database. At 238 nits, maximum brightness was also behind the competition. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) In everyday use, the colors on the VG1656N didn’t look very vibrant or lifelike. I’m a 1/24 scale car modeling hobbyist, so I often watch videos of YouTubers painting, building, and customizing kits. I watched a video of a 1/24 scale Tamiya Mercedes 300SL Gullwing being assembled and the dashboard is painted bright red in real life. However, it looked reddish orange on the VG1656N. These color discrepancies were noticeable in all content and were even more unbearable because there were no color adjustments available in the OSD to massage the end result. However, not all is bad here. The added vertical resolution is appreciated for web browsing, spreadsheets, and word processing. And despite offering the lowest maximum brightness of the assembled competition, I found the output more than adequate in my home office setting. The VG1656N includes a pair of 2-watt speakers. I used the speakers to listen to music, movies, and podcasts. As with the TD1656-2K, speech output was OK, but music and films lacked any dynamic range, and bass was non-existent. Not many people buy portable monitors expecting to be blown away by the sound output, and ViewSonic wisely chose to focus its product budget elsewhere. Bottom Line ViewSonic has largely succeeded in creating a compelling, do-it-all portable monitor with the VG1656N. It offers a large 16-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and includes a Smart Cover in the case. The cover provides adequate protection for the display when not in use and doubles as a highly adjustable stand for use in portrait or landscape modes. However, the VG1656N’s crowning achievement is its wireless functionality, supported by the included USB-C dongle. Coupled with the integrated battery, this allows for a true, wire-free display when used as a primary or secondary monitor. The VG1656N’s poor color performance, which cannot be rectified due to limited OSD controls, is a letdown. In addition, the speakers are lacking, although this is true of most portable monitors. That said, the VG1656N offers a lot of functionality for the buck. At around $270, it is an intriguing choice if the wireless feature is a benefit to you. MORE: Best Portable Monitors MORE: Best Budget 4K Monitors MORE: Best Computer Monitors Source link #ViewSonic #VG1656N #portable #monitor #review #Delivering #wireless #freedom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Final Preview – Epic Medieval RPG in the Making | MP1st Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Final Preview – Epic Medieval RPG in the Making | MP1st MP1st take one last look at Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in this hands-on preview, just days before the game is released. Source link #Kingdom #Deliverance #Final #Preview #Epic #Medieval #RPG #Making #MP1st Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft’s underperformance has investors looking to cloud for growth Microsoft’s underperformance has investors looking to cloud for growth Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box outside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22nd, 2025. Gerry Miller | CNBC Microsoft is in the middle of the artificial intelligence *****, but it’s been a while since investors have seen the rewards. The software giant’s stock price is up less than 8% in the past year. That’s by far the weakest gain among the eight U.S. tech megacap companies. Apple has the next slimmest increase at 19%, followed by Alphabet at 26%. All the others are up at least 48%, and Tesla is the top performer in the group, up 117%. Microsoft is also badly trailing the tech-heavy Nasdaq, which has gained 25% in the past year. That’s the backdrop heading into Microsoft’s quarterly earnings report Wednesday. The company is kicking off tech earnings season, along with Meta and Tesla. Apple follows on Thursday, and Alphabet and Amazon report next week. The biggest question for Microsoft shareholders surrounds the company’s Azure cloud-computing business and whether it will show accelerating growth. In October, Microsoft told investors that demand for Azure services outstripped supply because of a delay from a third-party provider. Finance chief Amy Hood said she still foresees an increase in Azure’s growth rate in the first half of 2025, but for the December quarter, she called for 31% to 32% growth at constant currency, which would be down from 34% in the prior *******. Microsoft’s stock slipped 6% the next day. Since the last quarter of 2023, Azure growth has increased by 2 percentage points. Meanwhile, top rivals Amazon and Alphabet have seen cloud growth over that stretch accelerate by 7 points and 13 points, respectively. It’s a matter of particular importance to investors, because Microsoft now has tens of billions of dollars in quarterly capital expenditures to meet cloud and AI needs of customers. A Microsoft spokesperson didn’t provide a comment. Microsoft operates in many other markets. But investors gravitate to cloud first, because it’s a sizable category that’s still rapidly expanding as companies continue to move away from owning and operating their own data centers and as they add heftier workloads. Overall, Microsoft is expected to report revenue growth of 11% from a year earlier to $68.8 billion, according to LSEG. That would mark the slowest year-over-year growth for any quarter since mid-2023. Analysts expect earnings per share to increase to $3.11 from $2.93 a year ago. Investors were more bullish on Microsoft in 2023, sending the stock up more than 50%, its best year since 2009. The driving force was Microsoft’s intimate relationship with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, which sparked the generative AI ***** and led to a historic increase in investments. Microsoft is OpenAI’s leading backer, having poured nearly $14 billion into the AI startup. Through the partnership, Microsoft gets a lot of cloud business but also spends heavily on building out infrastructure. The relationship changed in an important way last week, when Microsoft said OpenAI will no longer use Azure on an exclusive basis, except when it comes to handling incoming queries from developers. Going forward, OpenAI will have to check with Microsoft when it seeks more computing capacity, and Microsoft will be able to accept or turn away the request. The announcement came at the same time as President Donald Trump’s introduction of Stargate, an AI infrastructure initiative involving SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle. In its own blog post, OpenAI named Microsoft as a technology partner but not a member of the group that will build and operate Stargate, which has the potential to draw up to $500 billion in investment. Microsoft has committed to $80 billion in AI-related capital expenditures in the year that ends June 30. Much of that is being directed toward Nvidia’s graphics processing units, or GPUs. Analysts at Cowen wrote in a report that last week’s developments could help Microsoft reaccelerate the Azure growth rate into the mid-30s. They said Microsoft has been “funding GPU capex investments for OpenAI model training but not collecting revenue,” and that by pushing some of that training elsewhere, the company can “show improved capex efficiencies and stronger returns on capital spend” while keeping its access to OpenAI. Kevin Walkush, a portfolio manager at Jensen Investment Management, said he expects the AI investment will pay off in the long run. “If AI doesn’t show up, there’s still a long runway for cloud,” said Walkush, whose firm held about $913 million in Microsoft shares at the end of September. “But I think the chance of AI showing up is really high, so that’s the bet I’m willing to let them make to take advantage of this opportunity.” Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Microsofts #underperformance #investors #cloud #growth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to change your avatar on PS5 How to change your avatar on PS5 So, you’ve got a brand-new PlayStation Portal and are looking forward to the hours and hours of fun you’ll have using its Remote Play functionality to play your PlayStation 5 games. Well, yeah, you should be excited — it’s pretty rad, after all. But when you first dive in, you may want to take a look at some of the device’s settings to be sure things are set up exactly how you like them. Here are five settings we recommend adjusting on your PlayStation Portal. Decide your preferred vibration intensity Controller vibration can be a cool feature, but not everyone likes to feel it super strongly (or at all). Luckily, you can adjust the intensity of the vibration to meet your personal preferences. Doing this requires you to go to Settings > Controller > Vibration Intensity. You can choose between Strong, Medium, or Weak — or you can just turn vibration off altogether. Select the intensity of the trigger effect Similarly to vibration, the trigger effects from the PS5’s DualSense controller are available on the PlayStation Portal’s triggers. This can add immersion in some games, but it can also be frustrating if you’re not the type of person who wants that extra layer of realism to your gaming. Source link #change #avatar #PS5 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The crafting/MMO PvP/RPG “Legacy: Steel and Sorcery” is coming to Steam EA on February 12th (2025) The crafting/MMO PvP/RPG “Legacy: Steel and Sorcery” is coming to Steam EA on February 12th (2025) Notorious Studios are today very proud and happy to announce that their crafting/MMO PvP/RPG “Legacy: Steel and Sorcery”, is coming to Steam EA on February 12th.”The Irvine-based (CA, the US) indie games developer Notorious Studios are today very proud and happy to announce that their crafting/MMO PvP/RPG “Legacy: Steel and Sorcery” (one of Steam Next Fest’s top games last year), is coming to Steam Early Access on February 12th (2025).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #craftingMMO #PvPRPG #Legacy #Steel #Sorcery #coming #Steam #February #12th Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]