Pelican Press

No, Spain isn’t banning tourists. Here’s what to know before planning a trip No, Spain isn’t banning tourists. Here’s what to know before planning a trip MADRID (AP) — Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, making the Southern European nation famous for its Mediterranean coastline, sweeping landscapes and historic cities among the most visited countries on earth. The surge in visitors has stoked complaints at times from some Spaniards about “overtourism, ” with concerns about overcrowding, water use and particularly the availability and affordability of housing. Spain’s government has started listening to demands for more regulation, particularly around housing in Spain’s big cities, where rising home and rental prices have become a key concern for voters. Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez introduced a 12-part plan to tackle the housing crisis, with measures aimed at bringing stricter regulations to short-term rentals that mainly cater to tourists. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. But that doesn’t mean Spain is putting the brakes on tourism, an industry that accounts for about 12% of its GDP. Here’s what you should know before planning a visit: Is Spain restricting tourists? No, but some cities have started to regulate tourism rental properties. Malaga, an Andalusian port city on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, will prohibit new rental properties in 43 neighborhoods of the city where those rentals exceed 8% of the residential stock. The policy went into effect earlier this month and will be tested for three years. Meanwhile, Barcelona plans to close down all of its 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals in the coming years to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. The Mediterranean city known for its beaches, art and surrealist architecture announced last year that it would not renew any new tourism apartment licenses after they expire in 2028. Can tourists still book hotels and other accommodation? Yes. Tourists can book hotel stays and short-term apartment-style rentals just about anywhere in Spain. What’s prompting Spain to take these measures? Spain is in the throes of a growing housing affordability problem. Skyrocketing rents are particularly acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for young people. Housing prices are also steadily rising, especially in cities and coastal areas. Short-term contracts mainly offered for tourists are seen as driving up rental costs for locals, too. What else should visitors know before booking travel? Visitors renting a car in Spain or booking hotel stays will also have to file more paperwork thanks to a new law that requires hotel owners and car rental companies to send personal information to the government for national security reasons. Passport details, home addresses and payment information used by travelers above 14 are among the details that will be collected. Source link #Spain #isnt #banning #tourists #Heres #planning #trip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dow futures tumble 300 points, Nasdaq futures lose 3% as Nvidia leads AI stock rout: Live updates – CNBC Dow futures tumble 300 points, Nasdaq futures lose 3% as Nvidia leads AI stock rout: Live updates – CNBC Dow futures tumble 300 points, Nasdaq futures lose 3% as Nvidia leads AI stock rout: Live updates CNBCChinese app DeepSeek hammers US tech stocks with cheaper open-source AI model Fox BusinessNvidia, chip stocks plummet amid market sell-off as DeepSeek prompts questions over AI spending Yahoo FinanceNvidia, TSMC, ASML Among Tech Stocks Sinking on DeepSeek Threat Investopedia Source link #Dow #futures #tumble #points #Nasdaq #futures #lose #Nvidia #leads #stock #rout #Live #updates #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Concerns raised over future of Post Offices in branches Concerns raised over future of Post Offices in branches A union has raised concerns over the future of its members who work in post offices operating inside WH Smith shops. WH Smith is in talks over a potential ***** of its High Street stores as the business has become more focused on its shops in airports and service and train stations. This has raised questions over the future of 195 post offices housed within the High Street stores. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Post Office staff in the shops, warned any potential closures would be “devastating”. A spokesman for the Post Office told the BBC the company remained in contact with the retailer over its plans. Since news of WH Smith’s potential High Street stores ***** emerged over the weekend, the BBC has been contacted by many people asking about the fate of post offices within the stores. WH Smith has said its High Street stores remain a “profitable and cash-generative part of the group”, and it is exploring various options, “including a possible *****”. It added: “There can be no certainty that any agreement will be reached, and further updates will be provided as and when appropriate.” The BBC understands the commercial relationship between both the retailer and the Post Office is strong, with benefits for both parties, therefore any new potential buyer might maintain the current arrangement. The announcement comes amid a difficult economic outlook for High Street retailers. The first of WH Smith’s 500 stores opened more than 230 years ago, operating as a news vendor. It has since grown into a major High Street and travel retailer. The travel retail business side of WH Smith – which operates from airports, train stations and hospitals – now accounts for more than 85% of its profit and operates 1,200 stores across 32 countries. The Post Office said it had been in contact with WH Smith to “understand more about their plans for their High Street stores”. A CWU spokesperson said any potential closures would be “devastating, but they are sadly all too predictable”. “For far too long, certain communities are being turned into postal deserts, and bad economic decisions are eroding High Streets up and down the country,” the union said. Source link #Concerns #raised #future #Post #Offices #branches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Worried AMD’s FSR 4 frame rate boosting won’t be as good as Nvidia DLSS 4? Good news! Initial game support is rumored to be healthy Worried AMD’s FSR 4 frame rate boosting won’t be as good as Nvidia DLSS 4? Good news! Initial game support is rumored to be healthy AMD FSR 4 will supposedly be a ‘drop in’ replacement for FSR 3.1 In theory, that means all FSR 3.1 games should support the newer tech This is just a rumor, though it chimes with hints AMD has already dropped AMD could have a whole bunch of games lined up for FSR 4 support, its frame rate boosting tech exclusive to incoming RDNA 4 graphics cards, right from the get-go (one of which will be Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6, pictured above). So far, there’s been something of a guessing game as to how FSR 4 support could shake out – especially given that Nvidia has a lot of PC games lined up for its rival DLSS 4 from launch – but this is the best news Team Red fans could’ve hoped for. The theory is – and it is just a rumor, floated on X by a regular hardware leaker, Kepler – that AMD is just going to replace the existing FSR 3.1 DLL file with the new FSR 4 one. What that means, as a drop-in replacement, is that FSR 4 will be compatible with all existing FSR 3.1 games, without the game developers needing to do anything. In other words, it’ll ‘just work’ with the existing titles that are covered for FSR 3.1 support. Or this ‘should’ be the case, as Kepler phrases it, so we must note that they aren’t fully sure on this. As ever with rumors, we should exercise caution around them, but in this case, AMD has already hinted that FSR 3.1 games would get FSR 4 in marketing materials (during the FSR 4 reveal at CES 2025). As VideoCardz, which noticed the above post, points out, there are in excess of 50 games which currently support FSR 3.1, so should be good to go with FSR 4. If you’re wondering why that support is based on FSR 3.1, rather than FSR 3, it’s because AMD made the move to include frame generation with the former, so the latter being brought up to FSR 4 would require a lot more work than just dropping in a new DLL file. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Good news, but with that RDNA 4 catch This is seemingly good news, then, for those looking at buying an RX 9070 graphics card, which will be the first boards to use FSR 4 when these next-gen GPUs are released in March. Indeed, AMD has already said that the reason it’s taking a bit more time with these RDNA 4 graphics cards is to get them right for launch, and perfect the graphics drivers as well as enabling more FSR 4 games. This sounds like a smart move to me, especially given the rumors around Nvidia’s RTX 5000 range, which currently make it seem like there’s no a big rush to get RX 9070 on *****. I’d like all these next-gen GPUs to be on ***** sooner rather than later, ideally, but if I have to wait for a good product, then so be it. AMD’s FSR 4 sounds like a sizeable stride forward for frame rate boosting from Team Red, but the catch, of course, is that it’s exclusive to RDNA 4. This goes against the grain for FSR in that the tech has previously been open in nature and available for Nvidia RTX GPUs, as well as previous-gen AMD graphics cards (back to the RX 5000 series, technically, albeit not with frame generation). So, it’s a definite shame to lose that aspect, but that’s seemingly the price Team Red has had to pay for making FSR 4 offer better quality upscaling (and frame generation). Given the constant chatter from gamers about how AMD is behind DLSS in this respect, I’m hardly surprised Team Red made this call, but as we’ve discussed in the past, it’s a compromise which some PC gamers could find difficult to accept. You might also like… Source link #Worried #AMDs #FSR #frame #rate #boosting #wont #good #Nvidia #DLSS #Good #news #Initial #game #support #rumored #healthy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Celtic complete Jota return from Rennes Celtic complete Jota return from Rennes Celtic have secured the return of Portuguese winger Jota from French club Rennes for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old left Celtic in July 2023 but failed to become a regular starter at both Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League and then in the French top flight. Jota has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Scottish champions. More to follow. Source link #Celtic #complete #Jota #return #Rennes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How Long is Sniper Elite Resistance? Game Length Explained How Long is Sniper Elite Resistance? Game Length Explained Sniper Elite Resistance’s game length and how many hours are required to beat it keeps coming up. This is because previous games have a consistent model, so let’s see if Resistance deviates, or if you can expect the usual-length adventure. Sniper Elite games are not known for having a ton of missions and chapters. Instead, it’s quality over quantity with a select palette of levels deep enough to fill in the Grand Canyon. Most entries feature an array of playgrounds giving you freedom and flexibility in how you approach them. Sniper Elite Resistance is a lot more of the classic action fans have come to love. If you want to know how much bang you’re getting for your buck, I can tell you using my hands-on experience. How Many Hours to Beat Sniper Elite Resistance? A beautiful beginning. Image by Insider Gaming My first playthrough of Sniper Elite Resistance took just over eight hours to complete. By this, I mean the main Campaign. No Propaganda missions, Invasion distractions to deal with, or replaying missions. It was a chronological playthrough of each level in the main story. The first level is more of an introduction to the game’s mechanics, and the epilogue is over in a couple of minutes. The bulk of the content lies in the main missions. I had some levels last 45 minutes to an hour, whereas one had me in the palm of its hands as I easily racked up over 90 minutes of playtime. Each person’s logged hours depend on your goals. I enjoy exploring the full map, completing every objective, and looking for collectibles. You might be more fixated on completing the main objective and that’s it. You’re looking at closer to six hours if you approach Sniper Elite Resistance this way. Furthermore, the difficulty you play on has a huge bearing on the hours logged too. I opted for the middle of the three, meaning I got a fair amount of assistance lining up shots, but enemies still proved to be stern opposition and used me for target practice quite regularly. How Long is a Sniper Elite Resistance Full Completionist Run? Sniper Elite Resistance is likely to take you 30-40 hours if you want to see and do everything. I’d consider the multiplayer aspects of the game optional. So, to complete every mission with full stars on Authentic Difficulty, along with the Propaganda side content, and find all Workbenches, Posters, and collectibles, my timeframe feels accurate. Your experience with Sniper Elite games, your ability, and your time and patience all factor into the total time-to-beat estimation. If you’re a veteran, you could maybe attempt Authentic Difficulty right away. If this is your first Sniper Elite purchase, expect 40 hours—and maybe more—for full completion. Check out our full guide to all Sniper Elite games and detailed chronology of the series. Plus, we have the full Trophy list for you to browse. Let me know how you get on with Resistance. How long did your first playthrough take you? Is Authentic Difficulty something you’re even going to bother with? SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Long #Sniper #Elite #Resistance #Game #Length #Explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11? Microsoft’s upcoming Drag Tray feature could change your mind Don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11? Microsoft’s upcoming Drag Tray feature could change your mind A new menu has been spotted when you drag-and-drop files in Windows 11 Currently only available in a (very) early version of an upcoming Windows 11 update Could it be enough to convince Windows 10 users to upgrade? Microsoft is struggling to convince some people to upgrade to Windows 11 – but a new feature that’s currently being tested out could make people change their minds. The feature is known as ‘Drag Tray’, and as Tom’s Hardware points out, it will appear when the user selects and drags a file in File Explorer, offering quick options to send the file via email, or to your smartphone. The Drag Tray was spotted by X user phantomofearth in an early version of an upcoming Windows 11 update, known as Insider Preview Build 22635.4805. Microsoft is experimenting with a new file sharing UI in Windows 11: the “Drag Tray”. When dragging a file, the tray shows up at the top of the screen with a drag here to share hint and lists a few apps. Has a more options button to open the share sheet. (hidden, Beta 22635.4805) pic.twitter.com/LXpkTwKZu2January 24, 2025 As you can see from the video, dragging a file from File Explorer and dropping it on an icon of an app within the Drag Tray will open up the app and automatically attach the file. It looks pretty slick, and being able to drag and drop a file from your Windows 11 PC to your smartphone could prove to be incredibly helpful. However, judging by the video, it looks like this feature will work best with Microsoft’s own apps – it uses the Phone Link app to send files to your phone, and either Outlook or Mail to send the file via an email attachment. This shouldn’t be too surprising, as it’s obviously easier for Microsoft to integrate new features like this with its own apps, but if you use a different email client, such as Thunderbird, then you might not get the best experience. All is not lost, however, as in the video, we can see a ‘More options’ button, which looks like it’ll allow you to choose other apps. It’s also worth bearing in mind that this is just a short video clip without much context – so we don’t know if you’re able to choose and rearrange the apps that are displayed in the Drag Tray, or if third-party apps appear if you have them installed, and they are simply not in the video as the user only uses Microsoft apps. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. When will we get it? Another important consideration is that this looks like it’s a very early glimpse of the Drag Tray feature, and that means the finished product could look and behave a lot differently from what we see here – and that also means more apps could be supported. It certainly looks like it could be a very useful addition to Windows 11, and if it works well, it could convince people still using Windows 10 to upgrade to the newer operating system. This is a key aim for Microsoft, as there are still a significant number of Windows 10 users who don’t want to switch, but after October 14, 2025, the company will stop supporting Windows 10 with free updates, and that could leave Windows 10 holdouts in a tricky situation. Adding cool new features like this to Windows 11 is a much better way to convince people to move to the operating system than some of Microsoft’s more heavy-handed attempts in the past. However, we don’t currently know when we can expect Drag Tray to arrive. As Tom’s Hardware points out, Microsoft didn’t even mention Drag Tray in its release notes for the update, and it’s currently only found by using a third-party app called ViVeTool. This suggests that the feature is very early in development, so don’t expect it any time soon. Presumably, Microsoft will continue to work on the feature and release it to Windows Insiders for testing over the coming months, where people who have signed up to be Insiders can test it out and report back if there are any bugs or issues. Assuming that all goes to plan, then Microsoft could roll out Drag Tray to all Windows 11 users in the future. How long that will take is anyone’s guess, and there’s also the risk that the company doesn’t continue to work on it, and quietly drops the feature altogether. That would be a shame, as adding new features like this to make Windows 11 easier to use is the best way Microsoft can convince people to upgrade from Windows 10 – and it’ll also benefit those of us who are already using Windows 11. You may also like… Source link #Dont #upgrade #Windows #Microsofts #upcoming #Drag #Tray #feature #change #mind Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Auschwitz liberation was 80 years ago. How the ‘unimaginable’ is remembered – National Auschwitz liberation was 80 years ago. How the ‘unimaginable’ is remembered – National The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops is being marked on Monday at the site of the former death camp, a ceremony that is widely being treated as the last major observance that any notable number of survivors will be able to attend. Among those who traveled to the site is 86-year-old Tova Friedman, who was 6 when she was among the 7,000 people liberated on Jan. 27, 1945. She believes it will the be last gathering of survivors at Auschwitz and she came from her home in New Jersey to add her voice to those warning about rising hatred and antisemitism. “The world has become toxic,” she told The Associated Press a day before the observances in nearby Krakow. “I realize that we’re in a crisis again, that there is so much hatred around, so much distrust, that if we don’t stop, it may get worse and worse. There may be another terrible destruction.” Story continues below advertisement Nazi ******* forces murdered some 1.1 million people at the site in southern Poland, which was under ******* occupation during World War II. Most of the victims were Jews killed on an industrial scale in gas chambers, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, gay people and others who were targeted for elimination in the Nazi racial ideology. Elderly camp survivors, some wearing blue-and-white striped scarves that recall their prison uniforms, walked together to the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed, including Poles who resisted the occupation of their country. They were joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, whose nation lost six million citizens during the war. He carried a candle and walked with Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum director Piotr Cywinski. At the wall, the two men bowed their heads, murmured prayers and crossed themselves. 2:09 ROM presents largest-ever exhibition of Auschwitz “We Poles, on whose land — occupied by Nazi Germans at that time — the Germans built this extermination industry and this concentration camp, are today the guardians of memory,” Duda told reporters afterward. Story continues below advertisement He spoke of the “unimaginable harm” inflicted on so many people, especially the Jewish people. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. In all, the Nazis regime murdered 6 million Jews from all over Europe, annihilating two-thirds of Europe’s Jews and one-third of all Jews worldwide. In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Across Europe, officials and others were pausing to remember. More on World More videos “As the last survivors fade, it is our duty as Europeans to remember the unspeakable crimes and to honor the memories of the victims,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is *******, said on X. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who leads a nation defending itself against Russia’s brutal invasion, placed a candle at the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial a day before in Kyiv, where tens of thousands of Jews were executed during the Nazi occupation. On Monday he arrived in Poland to attend the commemorations. “The evil that seeks to destroy the lives of entire nations still remains in the world,” he wrote on his Telegram page. Commemorations will culminate when world leaders and royalty will join with elderly camp survivors, the youngest of whom are in their 80s, at Birkenau, the part of Auschwitz where the mass ******* of Jews took place. Trending Now Sailor dead after boat capsized in Halifax’s Bedford Basin: Royal ********* Navy ‘Heil Tesla’: Elon Musk’s salute projected onto carmaker’s factory in Germany Politicians, however, have not been asked to speak this year. Due to the advanced age of the survivors, about 50 of whom are expected, organizers are choosing to make them the center of the observances. Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, will also speak. Story continues below advertisement Among the leaders expected to attend are Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Germany has never sent both of its highest state representatives to the observances before, according to ******* news agency dpa. It is a sign of Germany’s continued commitment to take responsibility for the nation’s crimes, even with a far-right party gaining increased support in recent years. 8:07 Holocaust survivor recalls her experience at Auschwitz as 8-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron will attend after paying his respects at the Shoah Memorial in Paris, a symbolic tomb for the 6 million Jews who don’t have a grave, and meeting with a survivor from Auschwitz and one from the Bergen-Belsen camp. Britain’s King Charles III will also be there, along with kings and queens from Spain, Denmark and Norway. Russian representatives were in the past central guests at the anniversary observances in recognition of the Red Army liberation of the camp on Jan. 27, 1945, and the huge losses of Soviet forces in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. But they have not been welcome since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Story continues below advertisement The Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to participants saying: “We will always remember that it was the Soviet soldier who crushed this dreadful, total evil and won the victory, the greatness of which will forever remain in world history.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a briefing Thursday: “There is something that needs to be said to the organizers and all the Europeans who will be there: your lives, your work and leisure, the very existence of your nations, your children have been paid for by Soviet soldiers, their lives, their blood.” &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Auschwitz #liberation #years #unimaginable #remembered #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sniper Elite Resistance Review — Still Elite, But For How Much Longer? Sniper Elite Resistance Review — Still Elite, But For How Much Longer? I still get the same buzz from finding the perfect sniper perch, zoning in on my target, waiting for an opportune moment, and turning an enemy’s head into a fine paste. Sniper Elite Resistance keeps this feeling going 20 years after the first foray into stealthy sniping. But I’m left with an uncomfortable feeling after rolling Sniper Elite Resistance’s credits—is this the end? Sniper Elite 5 introduced a few new features and shook up the formula enough. However, 2025’s Sniper Elite feels more like renaissance than Resistance as rousing feelings of elation are becoming fleeting moments of fatigue and familiarity. My Sniper Elite Resistance review is a generally positive one, don’t get it twisted, but it feels like we’re swiftly approaching a pivotal moment in the series’ history. Sniper Elite Resistance Review Another World War Explosive action as always. Credit to Rebellion Sniper Elite Resistance‘s story takes place alongside Sniper Elite 5, with new protagonist Harry Hawker providing a parallel adventure to regular hero Karl Fairburne. Harry sounds like a local comedian trying his best Jason Statham voice he’s spent days practicing in the mirror. I appreciate the efforts to elevate the new hero and give him personality, but he comes off a bit contrived—and annoying. I think I speak for most when I say the World War dynamic has been played to death. Call of Duty: Vanguard showed the populous doesn’t crave this ******* anymore, and maybe we leave it as a bygone era for now. Resistance offers another fictional glimpse into the past as we go behind enemy lines to destroy the Nazi’s Wunderwaffe superproject. The narrative chugs along as you’d expect, with next-to-no twists, and it’s a fairly cut-and-dried tale. Cutscenes try to explore the emotional resonance of its main characters, but when they’re given no backstory or time to develop, it’s hard to become truly invested. It’s a solid story, but I guarantee you’ll have forgotten the bulk of the missions and monologues quicker than it takes to be seen, and your mission become all-out armageddon. A change of scenery would be nice for Sniper Elite. You can only destroy so many ******* top-secret weapons and infiltrate underground bunkers before you’re stuck in a loop. Modern shooters are oversaturated, but that’s because World Wars have been recycled more than a glass bottle. After 20 years, I think it’s worth a go, and it would be interesting to see if the formula can be adapted to a fresh setting. A Buffet of Bullets Awaits Brutal. Credit to Rebellion Sniper Elite’s intricate level design and multi-layered maps are why fans (and I) keep coming back. I genuinely have few grievances with Resistance’s missions, and each of the seven main missions feels unique enough to warrant an hour or more of my time a pop. Speaking of pop, the moment a high-caliber bullet explodes out of my Sniper Rifle, I do an internal giddy dance. Sniper Elite’s trademark X-Ray killcams continue to thrill as I spill more blood in cinematic fashion. There are plenty of weapons and ammo types to keep the job fun and each mission has several objectives to complete. Every map is a giant playground allowing you to replay the level in new ways, even if it does lack the imagination of better contemporaries like IO Interactive’s devilishly smooth Hitman. You’ll find Resistance’s lower difficulties demand respect as AI can track you from far away. You need to time your shots well, factor in velocity and distance, and think about your next move before you contemplate the current one. One errant shot—or a successful one within the sight and eye line of others—and Harry suddenly lands a starring role in The Great Escape as half the map converges on his position. You’re encouraged to replay levels multiple times to seek out Workbenches, upgrade your gear, and take in some French-inspired sightseeing by finding special Propaganda posters throughout levels to unlock bonus trials. Honestly, there’s tons to do—even if I feel I’ve played this before—and longevity is the name of the game. Multiplayer and Invasion modes are sure to satisfy the PvP enthusiast in you, and DLC content is scheduled too. Guns feel punchy, Melee kills feel stabby, and Resistance kills it in this regard—as Sniper Elite always does. A couple of eyebrows need to be raised at having fewer overall missions than its predecessor though, and one mission is half-repeated. I often fell back on the same feeling playing Sniper Elite: Resistance: “This feels like glorified DLC.” Battle For The Ages A long-range legend. Credit to Rebellion Resistance is visually the best-looking entry yet. It’s still rough around the edges with character models still looking janky and robotic, but architecturally and aesthetically speaking, it’s a treat. I feel immersed in my virtual world of France. Add to it the dynamism of planes flying overhead, guns going off, and the explosive syncopated interruptions caused by yourself, and the audio shines brighter than any invasive enemy spotlight. The world around you feels dangerous and terrifying. It’s just sometimes hurt by the ineptitude of the enemy AI and world-building hiccups souring my experience somewhat. I will preface Rebellion has addressed these issues, saying they “Will be addressed/improved in a title update prior to the game’s release.” Enemies regularly got stuck and Harry had trouble performing the simplest of actions such as walking up a flight of stairs. Bushes are made of concrete, making sneaking around needless tougher, and I had instances of being seen by the enemy through walls and other inanimate objects. Hopefully, the full release fixes these problems. Sniper Elite Resistance Review Verdict One of Sniper Elite Resistance’s missions is called “End of the Line.” I found it fitting as I flirted with the notion in my mind. The franchise has something that demands more games and maintains a pretty consistent fanbase eating up everything Rebellion puts out. But I think even hardened fans will have a hard time seeing the need for this sequel. Again, it’s a solid game, a 7/10 even and Resistance does what the series has always done right. But the excitement is waning, and recent releases barely feel like a step forward. I rate Sniper Elite Resistance as WAIT. It’s guaranteed to keep you entertained for a few hours, and it’s fun but doesn’t quite justify a full-price release. I hope the developer understands the law of diminishing returns and takes some time to reinvent the weapon wheel. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Sniper #Elite #Resistance #Review #Elite #Longer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sniper Elite Resistance Trophy Guide—All Achievements & Trophies Sniper Elite Resistance Trophy Guide—All Achievements & Trophies A loaded Sniper Elite Resistance Trophy and Achievements list awaits hungry hunters. But I hope you’ve got plenty of spare ammo because there are a lot of optional objectives to go around. Rebellion’s Sniper Elite Resistance is the next shooter in the long-running, sniper-centric series. In it, we’re once again tasked with sneakily (but not always) chopping down Germans during wartime. Many missions await, along with fun challenges, and the Trophy and Achievement list goes one step further and challenges all facets of your sniping abilities. This is an extensive list and one that demands respect. It features offline play, online play, and much more in between. How Many Sniper Elite Resistance Trophies & Achievements Are There? Can you give me a second, please? Credit to Rebellion There are 62 PlayStation Trophies in Sniper Elite Resistance and 61 Xbox Achievements if you want to do everything. Xbox continues to use Gamerscore as its reward for Achievements, whereas PlayStation users always get a bonus courtesy of Platinum Trophies. This is the key difference between Trophies and Gamescore. Sniper Elite Resistance still has a ton of additional tasks for you to do, whichever console you choose to play. Just know that going for total completion will sap your time, energy, and patience. Every Sniper Elite Resistance Achievement & Trophy Get ready to complete the campaign, master a bunch of skills and talents, and battle opponents online. Also, be prepared to land an unbelievably precise shot on one unfortunate enemy’s *******! Now I’ve piqued your interest, check out the non-hidden list. Trophy & Achievement Name Description Trophy Rarity Sniper Elite Obtain all Trophies. Platinum Dam Buster Sabotage the Dam and destroy the AA guns. Bronze Welcome to the Resistance Find the Mole and uncover the Superweapon plot. Bronze Trainwreck Raid the Hotel Terminus and sabotage the Sonderzüge. Bronze Bomb Squad Ensure Allied secrets remain unknown and confirm the location of Site D. Bronze Climbing the Ranks Reach rank 40. Silver Vive La Résistance Complete the campaign. Gold Crème de la Crème Complete the entire campaign on Authentic difficulty. Gold Full English Complete 11 Optional objectives. Bronze Hostile Takeover Win one Axis Invasion as an Invader. Bronze Hold the Line Defeat an invading Sniper Jager. Bronze Brothers in Arms Play one team-based PVP match. Bronze Just a Scratch Complete any mission, excluding Mission 1 and Mission 9, on any difficulty without healing. Silver Open Surgery Hit every Organ at least once with a Rifle. Bronze Tactician Make a Tank shoot and destroy another enemy Vehicle. Bronze Pistol Perfectionist Obtain Six Pistol-related Mastery Medals. Bronze Secondary Supremacy Obtain Eight Secondary-related Mastery Medals. Bronze Revered with Rifles Obtain Seven Rifle-related Mastery Medals. Bronze Master-at-arms Become the Master of each Weapon. Silver Gunslinger Kill 150 enemies with a Pistol. Bronze Skirmisher Kill 300 enemies with a Secondary Weapon. Bronze Sharpshooter Kill 350 enemies with a Rifle. Bronze Going The Distance Total kill distance of 100,000 meters. Bronze Blaze of Gory Kill 50 enemies with Traps. Bronze Eyes on the Prize Kill 150 enemies with any weapon while in Iron Sights. Bronze Scoping Mechanism Kill 150 enemies with a Rifle while in Iron Sights. Bronze Set to Blow Kill 20 soldiers using Booby traps. Bronze The Big Guns Kill 50 soldiers with Heavy weapons. Bronze Three Birds One Stone Kill 3 on-foot soldiers with one Grenade. Bronze Jack of All Trades Get a kill with 20 different Weapons. Bronze Das Nuts! Get a testicle shot with a Rifle from a distance of 100 meters or more. Bronze Finders Keepers Kill 50 enemy soldiers with Found Weapons. Bronze Le Fantome Achieve 250 Ghost Kills. Bronze Silent but Deadly Kill 50 enemies during a Sound Mask. Bronze Knives for a Pro Perform 100 lethal Takedowns. Bronze Always Greener While in Tall Grass, kill 50 Soldiers. Bronze Pen Pal Collect 35 Personal Letters. Bronze Top Secret Collect 35 Classified Documents. Bronze Treasure Hunter Collect 22 Hidden Items. Bronze Spread Your Wings Destroy 21 Dead-eye Targets. Bronze Innovator Interact with 21 Workbenches. Silver Survivalist Complete an entire Survival mission. Silver File O’ Facts Recover evidence implicating Resistance members within the Library in Dead Drop. Bronze Sprung a Leak Sabotage the Dam’s pump room in Collision Course. Bronze Stopping Traffic Destroy the Trucks carrying Kleine Blume ingredients in ******’s Cauldron. Bronze Tanks for Nothing! Destroy the Panzer Tank in End of the Line. Bronze Mastermind Headshot Kruger. Bronze Propagandist Complete all Propaganda missions with a 3 Star Rating. Silver Propaganda Machine Complete all Propaganda missions with a 3 Star Rating on Authentic difficulty. Silver All Sniper Elite Resistance Hidden Trophies & Achievements Sniper Elite Resistance has quite a few hidden Trophies and Achievements. I wouldn’t say they’re the most spoiler-heavy tasks, but they’re initially hidden nonetheless. Check out the list of hidden Trophies and Achievements. Trophy & Achievement Name Description Trophy Rarity Industrial Action Destroy the underground chemical weapons plant and cease Kleine Blume production. Bronze Blast from the Past Infiltrate Fort Rouge and escape before Allied bombers level the site. Bronze Grapes of Wrath Infiltrate the V1 rocket launch site and destroy the Zugwerfer. Bronze Whatever it Takes Stop the Zugwerfers from leaving and obliterating the D-Day landings. Bronze Lost its way Gnome Find the French Resistance Gnome and take a Picture. Bronze All Sniper Elite Resistance DLC Trophies & Achievements There are at least eight extra DLC Trophies and Achievements for Sniper Elite Resistance. This is due to the Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! content which you can buy separately. Be warned: Some incredible puns beckon in this list. If you do obtain Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG!, here’s what you need to do. Trophy & Achievement Name Description Trophy Rarity Take 5, and… ACHTUNG! Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Kill Hitler 5 times. Bronze Fast and Fuhrer-less Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Kill only Hitler and exfiltrate. Bronze He did Nazi-it Coming Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Kill Hitler at a distance of 250 meters or more. Bronze In The Dead Of Reich Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Kill Hitler and exfiltrate without ever being detected. Silver Blockbuster Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Complete the mission on Authentic difficulty. Silver That’s a Wrap! Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Complete the mission. Bronze B-Movie Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Complete the mission with a 2 star rating. Silver Mein Juewel! Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! – Kill Hitler with a testicle shot. Bronze Sniper Elite Resistance Trophies & Achievements Difficulty Rating Many Sniper Elite Resistance Trophies and Achievements need you to prevail on Authentic Difficulty and achieve Three-Star Ratings—which is why this gets an 8 out of 10 for toughness. This is a very skill-based list, and your mileage will depend on you. Completing missions and Propaganda quests without assistance is the bulk of the list’s difficulty. Take your time, understand the game’s mechanics, harness patience, and you might walk away with everything. Does this list look achievable to you? Have you had experience with Sniper Elite games in the past? Let us know down below. Plus, take a look at some other lists: Balatro, ****** Ops 6, and Marvel Rivals. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Sniper #Elite #Resistance #Trophy #GuideAll #Achievements #Trophies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bundle of Joy, a game about the frantic monotony of early parenthood | Games Bundle of Joy, a game about the frantic monotony of early parenthood | Games I don’t remember much from the first weeks of parenthood – a colicky baby and extreme sleep deprivation will do that to you – but I do vividly remember one night with my baby son when absolutely nothing I did seemed to help him. I walked him around: he screamed. I tried to feed him: he screamed. I put him down: more screaming. So it went for a couple of hours. I remember thinking: this is like a text adventure video game where none of the answers are right. Game designer and college teacher Nicholas O’Brien had similar thoughts. His first child was born during the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City, and he and his partner were trapped at home, on the endless merry-go-round of menial baby-care tasks. It was getting to him, like it gets to all new parents. “I didn’t have a lot of social or emotional outlets besides my partner,” he tells me. “I felt like I needed to create something about how I was feeling, work my way through it by making something.” The result is Bundle of Joy, a quasi-ridiculous yet heartfelt game about early fatherhood. It breaks baby care down into frenetic microgames: aim your spoon to feed baby! Press a button with decent timing to burp baby! Try to get a pair of tiny socks on to baby’s feet! Fit the baby’s head through the impossibly small opening in this tiny jumper! Some of these made me laugh with recognition; my kids are in school now, so I had forgotten about the little bulb that you use to ***** snot out of a tiny nose, and how much they hate it when you try. I’ve never had to fit a nebuliser over one of my children’s faces, but I have now successfully managed it with a virtual child. These frantic vignettes are interspersed with moments of reflection. If you fail at the games, you get stressed out, and the game makes you take a break and perform a few deep breaths. When the baby is sleeping, you can talk to your partner, reflecting on your feelings (and theirs). But mostly, you’re caught up in the endless now, a sequence of repetitive actions. It does capture something of the busy monotony of caring for a baby: you’re never at rest for a second, but the tasks are all so unstimulating and repetitive that it saps your very sense of personhood. O’Brien initially made a prototype that was more narrative-driven, and heavier in tone, but he landed on this minigame-driven format because the act of play felt more closely aligned to his actual experiences. “The thing that was so important to capture was that chaotic energy, that moment to moment feeling that you have when you’re taking care of an infant,” he says. “So I thought, ‘What’s a gameplay type that’s very similar to that?’ The WarioWare/Bishi Bashi format immediately jumped to mind.” The difficulty of each day varies based on how the baby has slept (and consequently how you have slept); day after day, when you revisit each game, there’s a new wrinkle. The baby kicks their feet more enthusiastically when you’re trying to get the socks on. A hand will appear to swipe the spoon away from their mouth. It takes an hour or two to play through, depending on how deeply you engage in the written dialogue during moments of calm. The thoughts and feelings that show up in these reflective moments are based not just on O’Brien’s experiences, but those of other dads who shared their stories with him. They touch on many of the complex feelings that early parenthood excavates from your marrow: not just the exhaustion, joy and tedium of the moment, not just the self-doubt, but how you feel about your own parents and the way that you form relationships. On the advice of his partner, he’s kept it to the experiences of one parent, rather than guessing at the experiences of the other; you can choose your co-parent’s gender at the beginning of the game, and everyone’s skin tone, but you are always playing from the perspective of Dad. Making Bundle of Joy has been an act of catharsis for its developer, and he hopes it might be cathartic for players, too. “You feel stuck on a loop. I think a lot of parents have that feeling. Even when you’re not in lockdown, you lose track of days,” he says. “Especially for dads, I don’t think that there’s a lot of material out there that’s positive and reinforcing and encouraging. I hope it’s positive encouragement for people going through that experience. You’re doing it, you CAN do it. You don’t have to beat yourself up along the way. The baby will do that!” skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald’s weekly look at the world of gaming 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 Bundle of Joy is released on PC on 25 March Source link #Bundle #Joy #game #frantic #monotony #early #parenthood #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Power stocks plunge as AI energy needs questioned due to new China model Power stocks plunge as AI energy needs questioned due to new China model The cooling towers of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024. Danielle DeVries | CNBC Power companies that are most exposed to the tech sector’s data center ***** plunged early Monday, as the debut of China’s DeepSeek open source AI laboratory led investors to question how much energy artificial intelligence applications will actually consume. Constellation Energy and Vistra Corp. tumbled more than 14% in premarket trading. GE Vernova slid nearly 16% trading while Talen Energy lost more than 8%. Constellation, Vistra and GE Vernova have led the S&P 500 this year as investors speculated that AI data centers will boost demand for enormous amounts of electricity. But DeepSeek has developed a model that it claims is cheaper and more efficient than U.S competitors, raising doubts about the vast sums of money the tech sector is pouring in to data centers. The tech companies have anticipated needing so much electricity to supply data centers that they have increasingly looked to nuclear power as a source of reliable, carbon-free energy. Constellation, for example, has signed a power agreement with Microsoft to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Talen is powering an Amazon data center with electricity from the nearby Susquehanna nuclear plant. Vistra has not inked a data center deal yet, though investors see promise in its nuclear and natural gas assets. GE Vernova has soared this year as the market believes its gas and electric grid businesses will benefit from AI demand. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Source link #Power #stocks #plunge #energy #questioned #due #China #model Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

SpaceX to launch 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Caneveral SpaceX to launch 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Caneveral Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Jan. 27 (UPI) — SpaceX is preparing to send its next round of Starlink satellites into lower Earth orbit with a launch scheduled for Monday afternoon at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, officials said. The Space Force 45th Weather Squadron said there will be a 95% chance of liftoff based on weather conditions, with little chance of cumulus clouds in the region. It marks SpaceX’s 12th mission of the year, expected to take off at 3:22 p.m., EST, with a launch window that will extend through 6:21 p.m. SpaceX announced an additional launch opportunity for Tuesday at 2:50 p.m. if Monday’s mission is scrubbed. The payload includes 21 Starlink satellites, 13 of them with “direct-to-cell” capabilities. The payload will be carried into space on a Falcon 9 rocket. The first stage of the rocket will be making its 20th launch. The first stage is expected to autonomously return to Earth and land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean roughly eight minutes after launch. Once it separates from the second stage, the first stage will perform what is called a flip maneuver that will send it back to Earth, followed by two engine burns, the last slowing it down so it can make a soft landing on the drone ship. Source link #SpaceX #launch #Starlink #satellites #Cape #Caneveral Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AI prototypes for *** ******** system dropped as officials lament ‘false starts’ | Artificial intelligence (AI) AI prototypes for *** ******** system dropped as officials lament ‘false starts’ | Artificial intelligence (AI) Ministers have shut down or dropped at least half a dozen artificial intelligence prototypes intended for the ******** system, the Guardian has learned, in a sign of the headwinds facing Keir Starmer’s effort to increase government efficiency. Pilots of AI technology to enhance staff training, improve the service in jobcentres, speed up disability benefit payments and modernise communication systems are not being taken forward, freedom of information (FoI) requests reveal. Officials have internally admitted that ensuring AI systems are “scalable, reliable [and] thoroughly tested” are key challenges and say there have been many “frustrations and false starts”. Not all trials would be expected to make it into regular use, but two of those now scrapped had been highlighted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in its latest annual report as examples of how it had “successfully tested multiple generative AI proofs of concept”. A-cubed was intended to help staff steer jobseekers into work. Aigent was supposed to accelerate personal independence payments relied on by millions of people with disabilities. This month the prime minister declared “AI is the way … to transform our public services” and wrote to all cabinet ministers “tasking them with driving AI adoption and growth … and making that a top priority for their departments”. “Unsuccessful pilots and trials aren’t necessarily a cause for concern, as they offer an opportunity to improve, but these failures raise important questions for the government’s approach to AI in the public sector,” said Imogen Parker, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute, an independent research body focused on data and AI. “Are the right lessons being learned and acted upon, and does the reality of AI match the rhetoric?” No information about AI used by the DWP in the ******** system has yet been disclosed on the government algorithm transparency register, which has been a requirement across Whitehall for almost a year. Officials say the time spent on the pilot software is not wasted, as the technology could later appear as part of a system that is rolled out, and thorough testing is essential prior to rollouts. But the move illustrates the complexities of Labour’s hope to deploy AI to revolutionise public services and increase economic productivity. This week Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, announced a “blueprint for a modern digital government” and said his department “will put AI to work, speeding up our ability to deliver our Plan for Change, improve lives and drive growth”. Writing in December after a year of running i.AI, the Whitehall AI incubator, its director, Laura Gilbert, admitted “there have been abundant blockers, frustrations and false starts”, but said “if something fails, we try, try again and find another route to impact”. She said that of 57 ideas tested, 11 made it to rollout in various stages of testing and scaling. She added it has been working with US AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft. skip past newsletter promotion Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters 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 DWP officials told tech companies at a private meeting in August that making sure “products are scalable, reliable [and] thoroughly tested” are key challenges in moving AI systems from proofs of concept [POC] to full use, according to meeting notes released under FoI. They showed that “approximately 9 POCs have so far been completed” and “one POC has gone live, one is in the process of going live”. “It’s encouraging that the public sector isn’t taking a rigid or dogmatic approach to AI, particularly in ********, where the risks of amplifying inequalities and causing real injustice are significant,” said Parker. “Yet a lack of transparency remains a critical issue … [It] should not depend on journalistic investigation – openness, evaluation, and learning must be central to the government’s strategy.” The DWP declined to comment on the specific reasons AI pilots were dropped, but said considerations can include technological maturity, business readiness, business value, and scalability. It said it rigorously tests how much value the technology provides to officials and the public and its value for money. A government spokesperson said: “Proof of concept projects are deliberately short, enabling new and innovative technologies to be explored and prototyped – not all projects are expected to become long-term, and the learning from them can be used in the future. “This aligns with our ‘scan, pilot, scale’ approach set out in the AI opportunities action plan – because we recognise the tremendous potential of AI to transform our public services and save taxpayers billions.” Source link #prototypes #******** #system #dropped #officials #lament #false #starts #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer: “We Want Our Hardware To Win” Xbox Boss Phil Spencer: “We Want Our Hardware To Win” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has said doubled down on Microsoft’s commitment to the hardware space via Xbox, saying the company aims to “win” by providing the best experience out there. At the same time, Spencer admitted that times have changed. These days, it’s a “game-first” market as opposed to “platform-first,” he said. Appearing on the GamerTag Radio podcast, Spencer said, “I want people to pick hardware based on the capabilities of that hardware and how that fits into the choices they want to make about where they want to play. We want our hardware to win based on the hardware capabilities that we have.” Spencer said the biggest, most-played, and most successful video games out there today are multiplatform games that are not locked to one device. Spencer said he’s hopeful his teams can create a platform with Xbox that appeals to developers who make those kinds of games. “I want to build a platform that services those creators: those creators that are trying to meet people on every screen,” he said. Spencer also pushed back against the ongoing claims and assertions that Microsoft should get out of the hardware business given its place as the No. 3 system out there today, behind PS5 and Switch. “Our own hardware? I think it’s fundamental to what Xbox is. It’s not lost on me that, ‘Box’ is in the name of our brand. I’ll say, in the position I’m in, I look at hardware as a critical part of what we do,” he said. Spencer said it’s his mission, as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, to “build innovative hardware” that he hopes will attract players. That could be a traditional console that plays on a TV, or a handheld device, or even in “other places” via Xbox, he said. On the subject of the handheld market, there are ongoing rumors of Microsoft creating its own dedicated Xbox portable device. Spencer didn’t confirm anything, but said he’s learned a lot from Steam Deck and ROG Ally, specifically. “What does Xbox mean on those platforms? I don’t think we’ve tuned it perfectly yet,” he said. The video game hardware market in the US had a difficult 2024, with all three major platforms–PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch–seeing their yearly sales sink year-over-year. A downturn was expected due to the age of the systems, but the falloff was greater than some experts envisioned. The Xbox Series X|S platform is seeing particularly challenging results, as sales relative to the Xbox One are down as well, whereas PS5 sales are up over PS4 over a similar ******* of time. Source link #Xbox #Boss #Phil #Spencer #Hardware #Win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jennifer Lopez celebrates moment she’s long ‘been waiting for’ at ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ – CNN Jennifer Lopez celebrates moment she’s long ‘been waiting for’ at ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ – CNN Jennifer Lopez celebrates moment she’s long ‘been waiting for’ at ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ CNNView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Jennifer #Lopez #celebrates #moment #shes #long #waiting #Kiss #Spider #Woman #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Valley of the Architects is a building-based puzzler set to release in March The Valley of the Architects is a building-based puzzler set to release in March The Valley of the Architects is an upcoming elevator-based puzzler releasing this March Solve the mysteries left behind by the titular Lost Architect Experience a fully voice-acted storyline to boot The Valley of the Architects, an upcoming iOS puzzler, is set to release in March. You may remember us covering it last week, where we took a gander at what this narrative puzzle adventure has to offer. So if you were intrigued then you won’t have to wait long with the release date well on its way. The Valley of the Architects, as you might expect, sees you pursuing the titular lost architect. You play as Liz, a writer who journeys to Africa as she tries to uncover the secrets of their designs. She narrates her journey as she solves each elevator-based puzzle, attempting to discover the true story beneath it all. Catherine was very effusive when we initially covered this upcoming release, and it’s not hard to see why. It combines the simple pleasure of puzzle solving with the surprisingly rare inclusion of a fully voice-acted story to let you experience it from Liz’s point of view. An architect’s dream Again, it’s not hard to see why Catherine was so intrigued by The Valley of the Architects! I think puzzlers that concentrate on one core mechanic and produce different twists on it throughout the experience always tend to be more fluid and fun than those that throw in everything and the kitchen sink. At the same time, I can’t help but feel that the look of The Valley of the Architects may be a pitfall, as it has some gorgeously detailed-looking buildings, but ones that look small even on a PC screen. Still, I don’t doubt there’s plenty of you looking forward to giving it a go when it releases for iOS and Steam in March. Looking to give your brain cells an exercise before playing? Why not try some of our picks for the top 25 best puzzlers on iOS and Android? Source link #Valley #Architects #buildingbased #puzzler #set #release #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 15 best Xbox Series S/X games to play in 2025 | Games The 15 best Xbox Series S/X games to play in 2025 | Games It was November 2020 when Microsoft launched its latest console duo into the rapidly evolving gaming marketplace. Over four years later, the Xbox Series X – together with its more budget-friendly counterpart, the Series S – has amassed an impressive and varied library of games, ranging from sprawling open-world blockbusters to intimate indie puzzlers. If you’re just getting started with the console, here are 15 games that represent the variety on offer, each one interesting, enjoyable and rewarding in its own right. Alan Wake 2 Alternate dimension … Alan Wake 2. Photograph: Remedy Entertainment Thirteen years after the original game, cursed horror author Alan Wake returns, now trapped in an alternate dimension and determined to write his way out, while FBI agents close in on the mysterious town of Bright Falls. Why we love it: “a thoroughly entertaining blend of detective procedural and surrealist survival horror.” Read the full review. Baldur’s Gate 3 Bursting with imagination … Baldur’s Gate 3. Photograph: Larian One of the greatest role-playing fantasy games of the modern era, providing players with almost as much narrative and imaginative freedom as a table-top D&D adventure as they face off against the mighty mind-flayers. Why we love it: “It’s a towering landmark of an RPG. Bustling with life, brimming with scope, and bursting with imagination.” Read the full review. Psychonauts 2 Psychic playground … Psychonauts 2. Photograph: Double Fine The long-awaited sequel to Double Fine’s cult 3D platformer sees the return of psychic acrobat secret agent Raz embarking on a mission to root out a dangerous new adversary. Why we love it: “I’ve rarely played anything that is so unashamedly itself. Each hour is different, each character distinct and memorable, each new psychic playground full of surprises.” Read the full review. Death Stranding A quest to save humanity … Death Stranding. Photograph: Kojima Productions Hideo Kojima’s elegiac science-fiction adventure is like nothing else you’ll ever play, a post-apocalyptic quest to save humanity, following a parcel courier with an extremely valuable and unlikely parcel. Why we love it: “This uncompromising, unashamedly political work of artistic intent is 2019’s most interesting blockbuster game by a distance.” Read the full review. Elden Ring Spectacular landscapes … Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Photograph: FromSoftware A grandiose fantasy opera from the makers of Dark Souls, filled with spectacular landscapes, bizarre characters and seemingly insurmountable bosses. Complete with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC it’s a challenging and engrossing open world like no other. Why we love it: “This is a massive world, astonishingly rendered (the sun and moon wheel in the sky, casting each scene anew) and seemingly limitless in its creative diversity. It is an unrivalled feat of design and inventiveness.” Read the full review. Forza Horizon 4 Perfectly recreated cars … Forza Horizon 4. Photograph: Microsoft A beautiful open-world driving game providing hundreds of square miles of the British countryside to explore while racing other drivers, completing challenges and collecting stunningly modelled supercars. Why we love it: “As driving games go, it’s the best I’ve ever played, not only because of its irresistible scenery, exhilarating driving and perfectly recreated cars, but because spending time with it puts me in a lasting good mood.” Read the full review. Hades Hell of a fight … Hades. Photograph: Supergiant games Fight your way out of hell while enjoying the horny shenanigans of ancient Greek gods. Has there ever been a more attractive premise for a Rogue-like action role-playing romp? Why we love it: “Interesting things happen all the time, and no matter how long I spend with Hades I feel like I am only just getting acquainted with it.” Read the full review. Hi-Fi Rush Unashamedly music-centred … Hi-Fi Rush Better known for its horror adventure series The Evil Within, Tokyo studio Tango Gameworks surprised us all with this stomping rhythm action brawler where enemies, action and hallucinogenic environments are all in sync with the infectious beat. Why we love it: “As brazenly colourful as a Jet Set Radio fever dream, it’s refreshing to play a game that is so unashamedly music-centred.” Read the full review. Minecraft Ultimate crafting adventure … Day Gliding in Minecraft: Console Editions Holiday Update Minecraft (2016). Photograph: Mojang The ultimate crafting adventure, providing a vast procedurally generated world to explore and an almost limitless range of activities from building castles, to fighting zombies, to competing in mini games. Fifteen years old and showing no sign of running out of ideas. Why we love it: “By constructing the world from 1×1 blocks that can be arranged in every imaginable combination, Minecraft is perhaps the closest we have to a true god game.” Read the full review. Pentiment Inspired by illuminated manuscripts … Pentiment. Photograph: Xbox Game Studios In an Alpine Bavarian village during the 16th century a young artist sets out to solve a series of gruesome murders. With luscious visuals inspired by illuminated manuscripts of the era, this is an extraordinary detective adventure. Why we love it: “It provides a wonderfully evocative window into the past […] a gift to any player who longs for a historical setting that’s more than a surface texture.” Read the full review. Persona 5 Royal Messy adolescent love … Persona 5 Royal. Photograph: Atlus/ ***** A group of Tokyo high-school students develop incredible powers and set out to battle evil and corruption – while also falling in and out of messy adolescent love. Part sprawling metaphysical role-playing game, part super cute dating sim. Why we love it: “With its stylish cuts and transitions, loose and unorthodox structure and real-world setting Persona 5 is unlike any other video game. Its depth and texture far outstrips even earlier games in the series.” Read the full review. Resident Evil 4 Remake Bloody thrills … Resident Evil 4 Remake. Photograph: Capcom Arguably the greatest ever survival horror game, brought bang up to date while retaining its mix of bloody thrills, cunning puzzles and truly horrible monsters. Why we love it: “It is resplendent, delicious and decadent, like an incredibly rich banquet served amid the detritus of some horrible battle.” Read the full review. Sea of Thieves A rollicking adventure … Sea of Thieves. Photograph: Rare Effectively a pirate fantasy simulator, player crews take to the high seas together, discovering buried treasure and battling with other buccaneers. A rollicking co-op adventure filled with memorable moments of shared excitement and hilarity. Why we love it: “You’ll laugh, you’ll sail, you’ll drink grog until you’re sick. What a luscious, singular sandbox experience.” Read the full updated review. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Chaotic world … The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Photograph: CD Projekt RED Gruff monster hunter Geralt takes on his defining quest as he searches for his adopted daughter Ciri through a chaotic world of giant beasts and warring factions. Memorable characters and a rich seam of romantic tension bring depth to the destruction. Why we love it: “Geralt has a Swiss army knife of interactive tools, and his set of abilities offer a uniquely varied and diverse journey”. Read the full review. Yakuza: Like a Dragon Interactive comedy soap opera … Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Photograph: ***** This hilarious, shambolic and gripping refresh for the Yakuza series features low-level gangster Ichiban Kasuga attempting to get his life back in order on the mean streets of Yokohama. Come for the fights, stay for the karaoke. Why we love it: “Like a Dragon preserves the old-fashioned, somewhat unreconstructed vibe of the previous Yakuza games, while adding a new twist that diverts it into a different genre […] a very Japanese, gangster-themed, interactive comedy soap opera”. Read the full review. Source link #Xbox #Series #games #play #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

National Socialist Network: Neo-nazi group boasts it’s on the rise in WA after Australia Day rally arrests National Socialist Network: Neo-nazi group boasts it’s on the rise in WA after Australia Day rally arrests A neo-nazi group claims to be expanding in WA and is actively recruiting young men on social media where they pose in ****** outfits proudly holding far-right flags. Source link #National #Socialist #Network #Neonazi #group #boasts #rise #Australia #Day #rally #arrests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump immigration crackdown underway as Colombia backs down over tariff threat – CNN Trump immigration crackdown underway as Colombia backs down over tariff threat – CNN Trump immigration crackdown underway as Colombia backs down over tariff threat CNNColombia Agrees to Accept Deportation Flights After Trump Threatens Tariffs The New York Times Source link #Trump #immigration #crackdown #underway #Colombia #backs #tariff #threat #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Emma Raducanu: British number two loses at Singapore Open Emma Raducanu: British number two loses at Singapore Open Britain’s Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing defeat to world number 101 Cristina Bucsa of Spain in the opening round of the Singapore Open. The 22-year-old was playing for the first time since her 6-1 6-0 third round loss to Iga Swiatek at the *********** Open and the news her coach Nick Cavaday was stepping back from the role to “prioritise getting back to full health”. But in a gruelling encounter lasting three hours and three minutes and featuring 17 breaks of service, Bucsa came through 5-7 7-5 7-5 against the seventh seed in the pair’s first meeting. The Spaniard had served for the opening set at 5-4 up but Raducanu, ranked 56, rattled off the next three games to take control of the match. The second set started with three consecutive breaks of service to leave Bucsa 3-1 and then 4-2 up but Raducanu continued to battle and another run of three games in a row saw her go 5-4 up but Bucsa responded with the next three games to level the match. Both players struggled to hold serve in the decider but although a weary-looking Raducanu dug deep to edge 5-4 ahead, Bucsa held and then broke her opponent at a crucial time to leave her serving for the match. The British number two saved a couple of match points but Bucsa, the Olympic women’s doubles bronze medallist, quickly earned another and this time Raducanu netted. Bucsa will next face either Sijia Wei of China or Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand in the last 16. Source link #Emma #Raducanu #British #number #loses #Singapore #Open Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Difficult sacrifice:’ Parents make hard choices just to pay for kids education ‘Difficult sacrifice:’ Parents make hard choices just to pay for kids education *********** families are being forced to choose between necessities for their kids’ education or the family home. Source link #Difficult #sacrifice #Parents #hard #choices #pay #kids #education Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander says Iran purchased Russian-made Sukhoi 35 fighter jets Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander says Iran purchased Russian-made Sukhoi 35 fighter jets DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran has purchased Russian-made Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander said on Monday, amid Western concerns about Tehran and Moscow’s growing military cooperation. This is the first time an Iranian official has confirmed the purchase of Su-35 jets. However, Ali Shadmani, who was quoted by the Student News Network, did not clarify how many jets were purchased and whether they had already been delivered to Iran. “Whenever necessary, we make military purchases to strengthen our air, land, and naval forces. […] The production of military equipment has also accelerated,” the deputy Coordinator of the Khatam-ol-Anbia Central Headquarters said. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. “If the enemy acts foolishly, it will taste the bitter taste of being hit by our missiles, and none of its interests in the occupied territories will remain safe,” Shadmani warned referring to Iran’s arch-rival in the region, Israel. In November 2023, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Tehran had finalised arrangements to buy Russian fighter jets. Earlier this month, Iran and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership which did not mention arms transfers but said the two will develop their “military-technical cooperation.” Iran’s air force has only a few dozen strike aircraft, including Russian jets as well as ageing U.S. models acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Toby Chopra) Source link #Irans #Revolutionary #Guards #commander #Iran #purchased #Russianmade #Sukhoi #fighter #jets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Study Reveals Integration of 1,024 Silicon Quantum Dots into On-Chip Electronics, All Functioning at Low Temperatures Study Reveals Integration of 1,024 Silicon Quantum Dots into On-Chip Electronics, All Functioning at Low Temperatures Researchers have achieved a milestone in quantum computing by integrating 1,024 silicon-based quantum dots with digital and analog on-chip electronics, all operating at cryogenic temperatures below 1 Kelvin. This innovation is expected to advance the development of scalable quantum computing systems, which have long faced challenges in balancing scalability, performance, and energy efficiency. The integration method offers a pathway for overcoming technical obstacles while maintaining compatibility with standard silicon manufacturing techniques. System Combines Quantum Dots and On-Chip Electronics According to findings published in Nature Electronics, the research was conducted by a team at Quantum Motion in London, led by Edward J. Thomas and Virginia N. Ciriano-Tejel. The system demonstrates the potential to bridge room-temperature transistor behaviour with properties observed in cryogenic environments. Spin qubits within silicon quantum dots were leveraged for their high control fidelities and suitability for large-scale integration, as per the research paper. Key Role of Quantum Dots and Rapid Characterisation The quantum dots used in this system are nanoscale structures designed to trap and manipulate individual electrons. By incorporating these structures into a high-frequency analog multiplexer, the researchers enabled rapid characterisation of all 1,024 devices in less than 10 minutes. The system relied on radio-frequency reflectometry to ensure signal integrity, achieving a signal-to-noise voltage ratio exceeding 75 for an integration time of 3.18 microseconds, as detailed in the study. Implications for Cost-Effective Quantum Technology Development Automated machine learning tools were applied to extract parameters from the quantum dots, enabling insights into their performance and design. These tools were reported to offer a deeper understanding of device variability and the factors influencing quantum dot yields. Correlations were identified between cryogenic quantum dot performance and room-temperature transistor behaviour, presenting opportunities for more cost-effective optimisation processes. As reported by phys.org, the researchers emphasised that the findings could reduce the cost and complexity of developing quantum technologies. Wider industry applications may benefit if pre-cryogenic methods and process monitoring tools are further refined, enabling enhanced scalability and performance in quantum computing systems. Source link #Study #Reveals #Integration #Silicon #Quantum #Dots #OnChip #Electronics #Functioning #Temperatures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Chiefs’ reach for immortality, Bills, Eagles (and refs) be damned: Sando’s Pick Six – The Athletic The Chiefs’ reach for immortality, Bills, Eagles (and refs) be damned: Sando’s Pick Six – The Athletic The Chiefs’ reach for immortality, Bills, Eagles (and refs) be damned: Sando’s Pick Six The AthleticView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Chiefs #reach #immortality #Bills #Eagles #refs #damned #Sandos #Pick #Athletic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]