Pelican Press

Who is Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s new national intelligence director? Who is Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s new national intelligence director? Reuters Tulsi Gabbard – a former Democrat congresswoman who joined the *********** Party to back Donald Trump – is the president-elect’s pick for director of national intelligence. The wide-ranging role would mean she oversees US intelligence agencies like the CIA, FBI and the National Security Agency (NSA), which focuses on intelligence gathering. The nomination has raised questions over Gabbard’s lack of experience in intelligence as well as accusations that she has in the past amplified Russia ***********. She will require Senate confirmation to take up the role. If she is confirmed to the role Gabbard would manage a budget of more than $70bn (£55bn) and oversee 18 intelligence agencies. But the nomination has sparked criticism in some quarters. Reacting to the appointment on X, Democrat Virginia congresswoman member of the House Intelligence Committee Abigail Spanberger said she was “appalled at the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard”. “Not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in *********** theories and cozies up to dictators like Bashar-al Assad and Vladimir ******,” she said. Who is Tulsi Gabbard? A military veteran who served with a medical unit in Iraq, Gabbard has set a number of political precedents in her career. She was first elected to the Hawaii State Legislature aged 21 in 2002, the youngest person ever elected in the state. She left after one term when her National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq. Gabbard went on to represent Hawaii in Congress from 2013 until 2021 – becoming the first Hindu to serve in the House. She previously championed ******** causes like government-run healthcare, free college tuition and **** control. These issues were part of her 2020 run for the Democratic presidential nomination – which she eventually dropped out of, endorsing Joe Biden. In 2022 she left the Democrat Party and initially registered as an independent – accusing her former party of being an “elitist cabal of warmongers” driven by “cowardly wokeness”. Becoming a contributor to Fox News, she was vocal on topics such as gender and freedom of speech and became an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump before joining the *********** Party less than a month ago. Controversial remarks on Syria and Ukraine In 2019, during Gabbard’s bid to secure the Democratic presidential nomination she was criticised by rivals after receiving apparently favourable coverage on Russian state media. In the same year, she also faced criticism for her perceived support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, seen as a key Russian ally. She said Assad “is not the ****** of the ******* States because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the ******* States” – and defended meeting him in 2017, during Trump’s first term. In that same year, she said in an interview with CNN that she was “sceptical” that the Syrian regime was behind a chemical weapons ******* which ******* dozens of people. Trump said there could be “no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons”. In 2019, Gabbard did also describe Assad as a “brutal dictator”. Gabbard has also made a string of controversial statements relating to Russia and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Writing on social media on the day Russia invaded, she said the war could have been prevented if had the US and its Western allies had recognised Russia’s “legitimate security concerns” about Ukraine’s bid to join Nato. The following month, she said it was an “undeniable fact” that there were US-funded biolabs in Ukraine that could “release and spread deadly pathogens” as she called for a ceasefire. In response, *********** senator Mitt Romney said Gabbard had embraced “actual Russian ***********”. On Russian TV her nomination as intelligence director is being framed as likely to complicate Washington’s relations with Ukraine. Rossiya 1 correspondent Dmitry Melnikov said that her nomination “does not bode well for Kyiv”, noting that in the past she “openly accused the Biden administration of provoking Russia”. The channel’s presenter also pointed out that Gabbard had “strongly criticised Zelensky and called for dialogue with Russia”. Additional reporting BBC Monitoring’s Karine Mirumyan Source link #Tulsi #Gabbard #Trumps #national #intelligence #director Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Best Pokémon TCG Pocket Electric Deck Best Pokémon TCG Pocket Electric Deck Our best Pokémon TCG Pocket Electric deck handpicks the best and strongest lightning-charged Mon out there. Electric-type Pokémon are some of the most visually impressive and striking, and I’ve put together the most complete Electric Deck to use against AI or real-life trainers. The beauty of Pokémon is the veritable smorgasbord of cool-looking, devastating creatures. Pokémon has many different elemental types, tons of eye-catching moves, and strategies concerning weaknesses. This leads us nicely to Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Electric types and how they are utilized. Electric Pokémon have strengths and weaknesses like everyone else, but the type has one of the strongest sets of cards in the collecting game. Thanks to special EX cards and easy starters, you can build a strong deck, and become the scourge of almost anyone in Pokémon Pocket. Best Electric Deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket Focus your efforts on Pikachu packs. Credit to The Pokémon Company The best Electric Deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket requires multiple Pikachu EX, Zapdos EX, Voltorb, Electrode, Pincurchin, Item, and Supporter Cards. Our Electric Deck is honestly as good as anyone’s in the Pokémon Pocket scene. It’s hard to build, yes, and you need luck on your side when opening the best packs. However, if you can assemble this well-constructed Electric deck, your chances of success drastically go up, and it can render PvP into an exercise in futility for your opponent. Here’s the full deck and how to get it. Card Name Card Type How To Get Pikachu EX Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Pikachu EX Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Zapdos EX Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Zapdos EX Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Voltorb Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Voltorb Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Electrode Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Electrode Pokémon Pikachu Genetic Apex Booster Pack Pincurchin Pokémon Any Booster Pack Pincurchin Pokémon Any Booster Pack Giovanni Supporter Mewtwo Genetic Apex Booster Pack Sabrina Supporter Charizard Genetic Apex Booster Pack Sabrina Supporter Charizard Genetic Apex Booster Pack Professor’s Research Supporter Shop Purchase Professor’s Research Supporter Shop Purchase Poké Ball Trainer Shop Purchase Poké Ball Trainer Shop Purchase Potion Trainer Shop Purchase Potion Trainer Shop Purchase X Speed Trainer Shop Purchase To start, you need two Pikachu EX and Zapdos EX cards—these are the foundation of this Electric deck. You need to focus your efforts on opening Pikachu packs as this is how you can get both cards, and we all know the lottery of opening packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket—so fingers crossed for you. This deck requires Pokémon from Pikachu packs, so concentrate on this booster, free packs—get all the other cards too—and the deck is set. Best Electric type alternatives in Pokémon TCG Pocket The trio of Tynamo, Eelektrik, and Eelektross is a great evolution set to throw into the mix if you’re missing some cards for the best Electric Deck, and you can gamble on the regular Holographic Zapdos if you’re feeling lucky. Getting the four EX cards is tough, so alternatives are needed as a backup. I like to mix things up with Tynamo and its evolutions because if the cards fall in your favor, Eelektross is a low-key monster. 140 HP and its Thunder Fang ******* doing 80 damage and a coin flip to paralyze are big-time attributes. I’m not as fond of the normal Zapdos as it does “30 damage to one of your Benched Pokémon,” but it can be played from the get-go, and its one ******* does 100 damage. Why is Electric Deck so Powerful in Pokémon TCG Pocket? This Electric Deck is so powerful in Pokémon TCG Pocket because the EX cards can be played straightaway if you draw them, their main attacks deal high amounts of damage and don’t require much energy, their HP is high, and the retreat cost for each card is only one. At times, the other Pokémon in this Deck are there to look pretty. However, aside from the EX cards, Voltorb and Electrode are straightforward cards with low costs and solid damage output, and Pincurchin is an ace in the ***** thanks to its “Thunder Shock” ******* capable of paralyzing opponents. The Trainer and Supporter cards are ubiquitous across best decks, so there’s not too much out of the ordinary there. What do you think of our best Electric Deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket? Let us know, and if you want more Pokémon TCG Pocket guides, check out how to get Mew, as well as an explainer of the legendary **** Pack. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Pokémon #TCG #Pocket #Electric #Deck Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon launches fixed pricing to treat hair loss, erectile dysfunction Amazon launches fixed pricing to treat hair loss, erectile dysfunction A worker delivers Amazon packages in San Francisco on Oct. 24, 2024. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Amazon on Thursday announced Prime members can access new fixed pricing for treatment of conditions like erectile dysfunction and men’s hair loss, its latest effort to compete with other direct-to-consumer marketplaces such as Hims & Hers Health and Ro. Shares of Hims & Hers fell as much as 17% on Thursday, on pace for its worst day. Amazon said in a blog post that Prime members can see the cost of a telehealth visit and their desired treatment before they decide to proceed with care for five common issues. Patients can access treatment for anti-aging skin care starting at $10 a month; motion sickness for $2 per use; erectile dysfunction at $19 a month; eyelash growth at $43 a month, and men’s hair loss for $16 a month by using Amazon’s savings benefit Prime Rx at checkout. Amazon acquired primary care provider One Medical for roughly $3.9 billion in July 2022, and Thursday’s announcement builds on its existing pay-per-visit telehealth offering. Video visits through the service cost $49, and messaging visits cost $29 where available. Users can get treatment for more than 30 common conditions, including sinus infection and pink eye. Medications filled through Amazon Pharmacy are eligible for discounted pricing and will be delivered to patients’ doors in standard Amazon packaging. Prime members will pay for the consultation and medication, but there are no additional fees, the blog post said. Amazon has been trying to break into the lucrative health-care sector for years. The company launched its own online pharmacy in 2020 following its acquisition of PillPack in 2018. Amazon introduced, and later shuttered, a telehealth service called Amazon Care, as well as a line of health and wellness devices. The company has also discontinued a secretive effort to develop an at-home fertility tracker, CNBC reported Wednesday. — CNBC’s Annie Palmer contributed to this report. Source link #Amazon #launches #fixed #pricing #treat #hair #loss #erectile #dysfunction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Onion buys Alex Jones’s Infowars at auction The Onion buys Alex Jones’s Infowars at auction Satirical news publication The Onion has bought Infowars, the media organisation headed by *********** theorist Alex Jones, for an undisclosed price at a court-ordered auction. The Onion said that the bid was secured with the backing of families of victims of the Sandy ***** Elementary School *********, who won a $1.5b (£1.18b) defamation lawsuit against Jones for spreading false rumours about the victims. A judge in Texas ordered the auction in September, and various groups – both Jones’s allies and detractors – had suggested they would bid for the company. Jones founded Infowars in 1999. He has vowed to continue broadcasting using a different platform. Ben Collins, a former NBC News journalist who is chief executive of The Onion’s parent company, said on X: “We’re planning on making a very ******* website.” In a rambling video message posted Thursday morning, Jones called the takeover a “total ******* on free speech”. “I don’t know what’s going to happen but I’m going to be here until they come in and turn the lights off.” Source link #Onion #buys #Alex #Joness #Infowars #auction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gearbox, Bethesda and Epic veterans reveal their new multiplayer ‘suburban invasion’ game Gearbox, Bethesda and Epic veterans reveal their new multiplayer ‘suburban invasion’ game Ruckus Games, the studio set up by Gearbox, Bethesda and Epic Games veterans, has shown off its upcoming debut title. The currently unnamed project is described as a “session-based suburban invasion game combining RPG elements, crafting, town building and more”. Ruckus Games was set up in 2021 following the departure of a number of senior staff members from Gearbox. The studio is led by CEO and game director Paul Sage (who was creative director on Borderlands 3 and The Elder Scrolls Online). Its debut game will see Scott Kester in the art director role. Kester was the art director on Borderlands 3. “This new title will offer co-op for up to four players in an evolving world that will be updated with new emergent content over time,” the studio says. “Set in a reminiscent era amid the backdrop of the ********* heartland, players are thrust into the shoes of everyday people forced to become heroes when the town comes under *******. It is not clear what is behind the strange events, and things don’t quite seem to add up.” The studio recently secured $19 million of Series A funding to continue development on the game. “Notably, the investors were sold on Ruckus’ premiere project after playing a mere 20 minutes of its vertical slice demo – an especially impressive feat for a prototype made by only 14 people across 12 months,” it claims. The game will feature a “large roster of playable characters” and will allow the player to create “thousands of unique makeshift ******* combinations”, including a toaster which shoots saw blades and a power washer turned into a flamethrower. The studio says that in 2021 its members “saw an industry willing to take risks on huge budgets and recycled mechanics but unwilling to take risks on new gameplay and experiences for players,” and therefore left to form Ruckus Games. “We want games where people have fun from the get-go,” Sage said in a statement. “Games that are physical, joyous, and just a ***** good time to be shared with others. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store.” Source link #Gearbox #Bethesda #Epic #veterans #reveal #multiplayer #suburban #invasion #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A smart way to follow value investor David Einhorn into his latest play that generates income to boot A smart way to follow value investor David Einhorn into his latest play that generates income to boot Value investing is an investment strategy that involves buying stocks that appear to be undervalued by the market. The goal is to find companies trading below their intrinsic or book value, often using financial metrics like the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-book (P/B) ratio, or cash flow analysis. Value investors believe these companies are undervalued due to temporary issues, market overreactions, or broader economic conditions. Still, they expect the stock’s price to reflect the company’s true worth eventually. The approach is long-term, as value investors wait for the market to recognize the company’s actual value, which may take time. This method was popularized by investors like Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, who advocate for buying strong, financially sound companies at a “discount.” By focusing on fundamentals rather than short-term market fluctuations, value investing emphasizes patience, discipline, and a deep understanding of a company’s financial health and market position. On a podcast earlier this year, well-known hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital lamented that modern-day passive investors pay no attention to “value” of the companies they buy. On Wednesday at CNBC’s “Delivering Alpha” event , one of the opportunities he identified was the seemingly moribund agricultural equipment manufacturer CNH Industrial, whose share price has remained essentially unchanged over the past ten years. CNH is indeed trading at a seemingly cheap multiple. At just 9 times forward earnings, CNH is trading at a considerable discount to competitors such as Deere & Co (17.5x forward) and Agco Corp (13.2x), which in turn are considerably “cheaper” than either the industrial select sector index (27x) or the S & P 500 (25.3x). Investors who haven’t paid attention to value before now might see this as a juicy opportunity. The problem is that CNH is a “cyclical stock.” Cyclical companies operate in industries sensitive to economic cycles (e.g., automotive, construction, and commodities). They often trade at a discount because their earnings and revenues depend highly on the broader economic climate. These companies typically see reduced product demand during economic downturns, leading to lower profitability. Investors discount these companies because of the risk and uncertainty in their earnings potential. Agricultural equipment companies’ fortunes tend to follow agricultural commodity prices. Farmers buy new combines when crop prices are high and invest less when they fall. CNH ALL mountain CNH Industrial, long-term Einhorn’s point is that even though many crops, such as corn, wheat, and soybeans, have fallen precipitously from their highs a couple of years ago, equipment does eventually wear out and require replacement regardless, and the cycle may be nearing a bottom. Perhaps, but there’s another reason CNH might appeal to investors: yield. The company’s current dividend yield is about 4.6%, but it only pays it once per year. CNH will go ex-dividend on May 12th, 2025. The trade So what can a yield-seeking investor do in the meantime? A cash-covered put strategy is an options trading approach where an investor sells options on a stock they are willing to buy at a specified price while setting aside enough cash to cover the purchase if the option is exercised. Here’s how it works: Sell a put option : The investor sells a put option for a stock, agreeing to buy the stock at the option’s strike price if the option is exercised. In return, they receive a premium (the price of the option) from the buyer. Set aside cash : The seller must keep enough cash in their account to buy the shares if the option is exercised. This cash “covers” the obligation to purchase the stock. Outcome Scenarios : If the stock price stays above the strike price, the option expires worthless, allowing the investor to keep the premium as profit. If the stock price falls below the strike price, the option buyer will likely exercise it, obligating the seller to buy the stock at the strike price. A cash-covered put is a relatively ************* strategy, often used by investors willing to own the stock at a lower price and want to generate income through the premium. As of Wednesday’s close, an investor could sell the December $10 strike puts for 25 cents. While that may not seem like a lot of premium, that 2.5% of the current stock price for selling an essentially “at the money” put that expires in just over a month, or more than 20% annualized. If the share price is higher today, the bid for those puts is likely to fall, but provided the effective annualized yield is greater than 15% or so, repeatedly selling puts can represent an attractive way to generate yield on stocks like this that one would like to purchase at a slightly lower price. DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Source link #smart #follow #investor #David #Einhorn #latest #play #generates #income #boot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Banana-free areas requested’ over Swedish minister’s phobia ‘Banana-free areas requested’ over Swedish minister’s phobia A Swedish minister’s phobia of bananas has reportedly led to government officials asking for rooms to be free of the fruit. Local media outlet Expressen has quoted from leaked emails it has seen, in which staff working for minister Paulina Brandberg ask for any bananas to be removed before official visits. Brandberg, the country’s gender equality minister, is said to have posted on X in 2020, saying she has the “world’s weirdest phobia of bananas”. The posts have since been deleted. Fellow Swedish politician, Teresa Carvalho, also said on X that she too had bananaphobia, and was ******* with Brandberg on the issue. Although uncommon, bananaphobia can be triggered by seeing or smelling the fruit and can cause serious symptoms like anxiety and nausea. Emails reportedly sent in advance of official visits, including to a VIP lunch, ask for “no bananas” to be allowed on certain premises and refer to Brandberg having a “strong allergy” to the fruit. In a response to Expressen, the ******** party minister confirmed it was phobia, but described the impact it has on her as “sort of an allergy” and “something I’m getting professional help for”. BBC News has contacted Brandberg’s office for comment. Carvalho, MP and Social Democratic spokesperson for legal policy, said she suffered “from the same ailment” as Brandberg, and told her: “We may have had many tough debates about conditions in working life, but on this issue we stand ******* against a common ******.” As with many rare phobias, causal factors for people with bananaphobia can be hard to determine, but experts say it can often stem from childhood. Source link #Bananafree #areas #requested #Swedish #ministers #phobia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Biggest Risk for the Sequel Can ***** the Franchise to a Point of No Return The Biggest Risk for the Sequel Can ***** the Franchise to a Point of No Return Hogwarts Legacy‘s enormous success set high expectations for a sequel. With over 30 million units sold, Warner Bros. has confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy 2 is not only in development but is a top priority. But this anticipated sequel comes with a twist that may make or break it. Just how closely tied will the sequel be to the HBO reboot? | Image Credit: Warner Bros. Warner Bros. has also confirmed that the storyline will connect with the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series. This is a risky move. The first game was set a century before the events of Harry Potter. So will the sequel just abandon it and be a time skip? And what if the TV series flops? Hogwarts Legacy 2 Might Not Be the Sequel You Expect It to Be Warner Bros. has been eyeing a revival for the Harry Potter franchise for a while. And not just because Hogwarts Legacy sold over 30 million copies to date. Warner Bros. has prioritized the sequel to the gameand intends for it to connect with the HBO series, which will be a “faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s novels. Comment byu/LollipopChainsawZz from discussion inGamingLeaksAndRumours While the HBO series will revisit familiar characters and narratives, Hogwarts Legacy 2 could lose its unique storyline and appeal by focusing on synergy with the show. It could easily drive away fans of the first game who appreciated its standalone narrative. One of the core issues is that the two projects represent different eras within the wizarding world. The first Hogwarts Legacy was set a century before the events of Harry Potter’s life, offering players a fresh perspective without relying on established canon. Comment byu/KingdomHeartsII from discussion inHarryPotterGame Tying the sequel closely to the show might limit this freedom, as it could necessitate a more modern setting that aligns with the Harry Potter series timeline. Forcing a connection could strip the game of its identity and charm. What if fans have to watch the HBO show to fully understand Hogwarts Legacy 2? This would make the sequel less accessible to those who are not committed to following both forms of media. The Sequel Should Stick To What Worked So Well Image Credit: Avalanche Software Another potential issue with connecting the game to the HBO series is the responses each medium could receive. Hogwarts Legacy was a massive success for many reasons, but it had a neutral playing field. Comment byu/LollipopChainsawZz from discussion inGamingLeaksAndRumours A safer approach for the sequel would be to retain its historical context and avoid stepping directly into the well-trodden territory of the books. A unique setting that’s separate from what fans already know will ensure that the game series maintains its individuality while offering new stories and characters. The upcoming HBO series will face scrutiny due to fans’ deep attachment to the original books and movies. Given that this series aims to be a faithful retelling of the books, ******** to live up to fan expectations could negatively impact its reception. If the show does not meet fans’ high standards, the negative reception might also affect Hogwarts Legacy 2, especially if the connection between the two is big. Warner Bros. may inadvertently tie the game’s success to factors beyond the control of the game developers. It’s a high stakes decision for Warner Bros. For a series with the scope and legacy of Harry Potter, cross-media storytelling can be a powerful tool. But it is also a double-edged sword. Hogwarts Legacy was a phenomenon in its own right. If mishandled, the sequel will be the only thing that fans remember, just ask Game of Thrones about that. Source link #Biggest #Risk #Sequel #***** #Franchise #Point #Return Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rise of the Golden Idol review – a gruesome, bizarre and brilliant 1970s detective game | Games Rise of the Golden Idol review – a gruesome, bizarre and brilliant 1970s detective game | Games A ghoulish scene: a shadowy figure has just shoved someone into a high-voltage circuit box. The victim is stuck at the moment of ******, sparks flying as their body convulses; downstairs, everyone is frozen in surprise at the moment the lights went off. Scrutinising this scene, you must determine who everyone is, where they are, why they are there, and of course, who committed this *******. You examine faces and objects, go through everyone’s pockets to see what they have on them, read notes and signs and letters for clues. Eventually you piece it together, filling in a report with missing words that explains exactly who, what, when, where and why. Rise of the Golden Idol is an alternate-reality 1970s detective game where each individual scene, once solved, tells you something about a ******* mystery. It’s a sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol, set 300 years after that game’s age-of-exploration mystery, but following the trail of that same cursed object. Some of these scenes are relatively innocuous, even funny, like the drive-in cinema where an unexpected ***** sends the cosplaying customers scrambling for the exit. Others are gruesome: in the opening case, a strangling plays out on an infinite loop like an Instagram boomerang story. Intentionally grotesque art style … Rise of the Golden Idol. Photograph: ****** Gray Games Solving these cases is supremely satisfying, though you’d better hope you have a good memory for names and faces. Scenes might have 10 or more people in them, and I needed a notebook to keep track. There are increasingly obvious hints on offer when you get stuck, but as the game warns, using them robs you of the pleasure of using your deductive reasoning. Nonetheless, when I had figured out the main thrust of a case but couldn’t get someone’s surname straight, I was glad of the button that showed me which blanks were filled in incorrectly on my reports. It’s the strangeness of Rise of the Golden Idol that makes it so memorable: the intentionally grotesque art style, the characters’ asymmetrical faces and crazy, shifting eyes, the backgrounds daubed as if with paint pens. The murders and robberies and other ******* here are bizarre, the tableaux unsettling in their eternal two-second movement loops. I found it hard to get a scene out of my head until I had solved it, leaving me poring over my phone screen for half an hour at a time, thinking, cross-referencing and noting things down. Where is that character’s glance leading me? Why is that rug **********? Where did that stain come from? The larger story that arises from these details is very much worth all the effort. Between chapters, your fill-in-the-blank case reports turn into fill-in-the-blank summaries of everything you’ve learned from the last few cases, helping you to draw the connections that make the story crackle with intrigue. This isn’t a game that you can play with your mind on something else; it requires you to pay very close attention, to focus your thoughts, and see what your brain can do. I was pleasantly surprised by my own power of reasoning. The ****** scenes are so weird that you never know where this game is going to take you, but you’ll always have what you need to figure it out. Rise of the Golden Idol is out now; £16.75, or included with a Netflix subscription Source link #Rise #Golden #Idol #review #gruesome #bizarre #brilliant #1970s #detective #game #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canada Post: No agreement so far as work stoppage deadline nears – National Canada Post: No agreement so far as work stoppage deadline nears – National The clock is ticking for Canada Post and its workers’ union to reach an agreement to avoid a potential work stoppage. Canada Post has said it intends to continue operating despite having issued a lockout notice to the ********* Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which has served its own strike notices for both the urban operations unit and the rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC) unit. “Canada Post has notified the union that unless new agreements are reached, the current collective agreements will no longer apply as of Friday,” Lisa Liu, a Canada Post spokesperson told Global News on Tuesday. Liu said the notice was required to be filed with the union and the labour minister to “make the changes to our operations starting Friday, if needed.” The union will also be in a legal position to begin strike activity, as of 12:01 a.m. eastern on Friday, but it’s unclear what job action could look like. Story continues below advertisement When issuing its own 72-hour strike notices Tuesday morning, CUPW did not say if workers would walk off the job. 2:01 2 port worker stoppages, looming Canada Post strike have country in turmoil not seen in decades Both sides have been engaged in talks for almost a year in an attempt to reach collective agreements. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Canada Post says the looming job action could impact millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on their service. Amid the uncertainty of a work stoppage at the national postal service, other courier services are already preparing for an influx of deliveries and making contingency plans. The potential work stoppage has retailers, especially small businesses, worried ahead of the busy holiday season. Trending Now Police say missing Wisconsin kayaker faked his ******, fled to eastern Europe Still trying to see Taylor Swift in Toronto? Last-minute tickets priced as high as $33K “This is one of the main suppliers for parcel delivery for retail, and it couldn’t come at the worst time during the holiday season,” Matt Poirier, vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, told Global News in an interview Wednesday. Story continues below advertisement 1:41 As possible Canada Post strike looms, who could see biggest impact? The ********* Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said on Thursday that it is disappointed by the potential for another work stoppage impacting small businesses, urging both sides to come to an agreement. “Small firms depend on a reliable postal service, and they need mail and parcel delivery service provided by Canada Post to remain fully operational,” Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at CFIB, said in a statement. If a work stoppage does occur, it won’t be the first time for Canada Post, as the most recent rotating strikes were held in 2008 and 2011. More on Lifestyle More videos &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Canada #Post #agreement #work #stoppage #deadline #nears #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Live updates as the Jennings Creek Wildfire continues to ***** in New Jersey and New York Live updates as the Jennings Creek Wildfire continues to ***** in New Jersey and New York Firefighters’ efforts to contain the Jennings Creek Wildfire continued on Thursday morning after nearly a week of burning. Here is the latest information on the ongoing *****. Check back throughout the day for updates. Jennings Creek Wildfire is 50% contained The Jennings Creek W76272954007ildfire has burned through 2,283 acres in New Jersey alone, reaching 50% containment *****-wide as of approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to the most recent update posted on X by the NJ Forest ***** Service. This is up from 30% containment Wednesday morning, despite harsh weather conditions creating an elevated risk for the spread of wildfires throughout the day. Two residential structures in New Jersey remain threatened and zero structures are evacuated. Local roads as well as all trails in the Long Pond Ironworks State Park, Tranquility Ridge and the Ringwood Manor section of Ringwood State Park are closed. The cause of the ***** is under investigation. Battle continues against the largest wildfire in the state this fall The Jennings Creek Wildfire, which has grown to about 5,000 total acres spanning Passaic County into Orange County, New York, has become the largest of more than 500 wildfires reported in the state this fall, according to state officials. So far this year, close to 1,300 wildfires have scorched more than 11,000 acres across the state, significantly higher than the yearly average since 2000 which stands at 1,071 wildfires and about 4,000 acres burned. The remote, mountainous and rocky terrain in the area of the ***** has posed a challenge to firefighters over the course of the seven-day battle, with strong winds making it even ******* on some days. Volunteer firefighters from Sussex, Morris, Passaic and Bergen counties have all been on the ground, accompanied by helicopters, planes and drones that provide real-time visuals of the *****’s progression. Local residents ***** wildfire damage to their homes Residents of Ringwood and West Milford who live near the Jennings Creek Wildfire have been living on edge throughout the week as alerts have gone off regularly to keep them up to date on the nearby *****. Some have considered packing up and leaving while others are contemplating what they may need to take if they did in fact have to leave. Many of them sighed a slight breath of relief when firefighters announced that about 30% of the ***** was contained. Residents of Sheehan Drive and the western end of Peter’s Mine Road in Ringwood said that the smoke was at times unbearable. Fundraising, donations for firefighters and local community members Wayne Mann, a Ramapough Nation leader, was out in the community Tuesday and Wednesday, delivering masks to Ringwood residents impacted by smoke. The New Jersey Highlands Coalition also provided $1,700 for masks and water for rescue workers. If you would like to donate to the Coalition’s efforts, visit [Hidden Content]. Funds will be used to support the Turtle Clan of the Ramapough Lenape Nation as well as the numerous municipal ***** companies that are on site of the *****. Next update on the NJ/NY wildfire The next update will be provided by the NJ Forest ***** Service on their social media accounts at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The NJ Forest ***** Service and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation will also be providing updates at in in-person press conference at noon on Thursday. Wildfire map To track wildfires around the state as well as smoke, red flag warnings and more, visit the New Jersey wildfire, smoke map at [Hidden Content]. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jennings Creek Wildfire continues burning Thursday: live updates Source link #Live #updates #Jennings #Creek #Wildfire #continues #***** #Jersey #York Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Victor Wembanyama becomes fourth-youngest NBA player with 50-point game as Spurs top Wizards Victor Wembanyama becomes fourth-youngest NBA player with 50-point game as Spurs top Wizards Add a 50-point game to the growing legend of Victor Wembanyama. The San Antonio Spurs sophomore star reached the milestone before the midway point of the fourth quarter as the Spurs pulled away from the Washington Wizards in a 139-130 win in San Antonio on Wednesday. Wembanyama pulled off the feat in 32 minutes of game time, hitting 18-of-29 shots and eight 3-pointers along with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. 50 POINTS FOR WEMBY AND COUNTING There is still six minutes left in the game @NBApic.twitter.com/EMGKtNSO2k — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 14, 2024 Wembanyama entered Wednesday with a career-high 40-point game in late March against the New York Knicks. At 20 years, 314 days old, Wembanyama becomes the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 50 points in a game, trailing Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker. Before Wednesday’s game, Wembanyama’s second season was off to a slower start than his rookie campaign, averaging 19.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game with lower field goal and 3-point percentages than 2023-24. With Wednesday’s win, the Spurs improved to 6-6. The team has been coached on an interim basis by assistant Mitch Johnson for the past seven games since coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild ******* on Nov. 2, a medical update shared by the team Wednesday. A HISTORIC night for Wemby. Career-high 50 PTS Career-high 8 3PM Fourth-youngest player to score 50 First Spurs player with 50+ PTS and 5+ 3PM pic.twitter.com/mCSSssKWPQ — NBA (@NBA) November 14, 2024 Wembanyama’s historic ********* run after poor start Wembanyama’s first 50-point game comes right as he’s starting to get hot this season. After struggling with his jumper early — making only 21.4 percent of his seven 3-point attempts per game through his first eight games — he’s been on ***** for his last three. The 7-foot-4 prodigy has made at least six 3s in each of his last three games and hit an absurd 20 of his 36 3-point attempts in that time. Wembanyama’s the first center to ever hit at least 20 3s in a three-game span, per Basketball-Reference. As far as I can tell, he’s the first player over 6-foot-9 to ever hit 20 3s in a single three-game stretch. — Sam Vecenie, senior NBA writer Wemby cooked the Wizards bigs all night It is, of course, worth noting that the Wizards might be the team in the league least-equipped to deal with Wembanyama. They’re 2-8 this season with the 26th-ranked defense in the NBA. On top of that, the matchup just does not feed into their hands. The Wizards’ starting center, rookie Alexandre Sarr, is not strong enough to body up Wembanyama and keep him from getting to the basket. However, their backup center, Jonas Valančiūnas, is not quick or flexible enough to stay in front of his drives. Each had moments where Wembanyama was able to get free from them either off of the bounce or off the ball to ***** a 3. All of that led to several highlight-reel moments where Wemby would drive using an impressive array of eurosteps or crossovers to separate and either score at the rim or get fouled. Even when the Wizards bigs were able to wall him up and stop his drive, he also showcased a couple of impressive midrange jumpers with his high release point allowing the French phenom to ***** over the top of defenders who were merely 7-foot tall. Given his success, this game was probably the best encapsulation of why Wembanyama is such a mismatch problem league-wide. He has the propensity to get smoldering hot from 3, but then can also drive and ******* when the Spurs need a shot, or when he gets an opportunity in space on an empty side of the court. And let’s not forget his ability to ****** the offensive glass and create extra points via put-backs or tip-outs. He only had one of those tonight, but typically he’s creating a significant number of points beyond that per game. — Vecenie Where does this leave the Spurs early in the season? Largely through the early part of the season, the team’s defense led by Wembanyama has kept them afloat. Coming into tonight, they were eighth in defensive rating league-wide, allowing just 110.3 points per 100 possessions. Wembanyama has been the biggest piece of that defensive structure, dissuading opponents nightly from even attempting shots on the interior due to his length. With Wembanyama in the game, Spurs’ opponents only ****** 56.3 percent at the rim, a number that would be the best mark league-wide if he played all 48 minutes per game. He’s been that dominant on the interior. Following this win, the Spurs are tied for 10th in the West and look dangerous as a potential spoiler for a Play-In Tournament berth if Wembanyama stays healthy all season. They have wins over the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings, and have been competitive in every game outside of a loss on the road to the Rockets. — Vecenie Required reading (Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images) Source link #Victor #Wembanyama #fourthyoungest #NBA #player #50point #game #Spurs #top #Wizards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pokemon TCG Pocket Confirms Trading Is Coming In January Pokemon TCG Pocket Confirms Trading Is Coming In January · · November 14, 2024 Pokemon TCG Pocket’s developers have just revealed their future update plans for the game, which include new booster packs by the end of the year, trading for certain cards by January 2025, and more. In their post, the developers first thanked everyone for playing Pokemon TCG Pocket, which has helped the game hit some significant milestones. They then explained the future update plans for the title, where they wish to add various in-game and a lot more content. Check out the new content announced for Pokemon TCG Pocket’s future major update below. The game will receive new booster packs “by the end of the year”. Trading for certain cards will begin for Pokemon TCG Pocket in January 2025. The selection of cards that can be traded will be expanded gradually. We will have to wait and see what cards are tradable at launch. Additionally, the developers are working on some other new features, and more details will be revealed when the dates of these updates are finalised. The latest announcement is in line with a Pokemon TCG Pocket ***** from days ago. The ***** stated that a new booster pack will potentially arrive on December 16, which is near the “end of the year” window. In other news, check out how to solve the error for private matches. Also, here’s how you can get Mew in the game. What are your thoughts on Pokemon TCG Pocket confirming trading? Let us know in the comments or our new community forum! For more from Insider Gaming, read about Call of Duty ****** Ops 6 Season 1 patch notes. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Pokemon #TCG #Pocket #Confirms #Trading #Coming #January Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Political ****** on X is a global, widespread and cross-partisan phenomenon, says study Political ****** on X is a global, widespread and cross-partisan phenomenon, says study The network of political Twitter interactions is segregated across countries and polarized within then. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53868-0 A study suggests that political ****** is a key feature of political communication on the social media platform, “X,” and whether on the political left or right, it is just as common to see politically engaged users abusing their political opponents, to a similar degree, and with little room for moderates. The study was published in the journal, Nature Communications. While previous research into such online ****** has typically focused on the U.S., the current study found that ****** followed a common ally-****** structure across the nine countries for which there was available data: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, ***, and the U.S.. Led by City, St George’s, University of London, in collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute and others, the study suggests that individuals who deviate from their party norms are quickly treated as if they are a political ******. Such “outlier” individuals highlighted by the study include US politicians Liz Cheney and Tulsi Gabbard. Cheney, a former *********** congresswoman in the US, broke ranks with her party, choosing to support the impeachment of Donald Trump for the January 6, 2021 storming of the US capitol. Gabbard, originally a representative for the Democrats, defected to the Republicans very shortly after the current study was completed. Similarly, in the ***, the study found that former pro-********* ************* party politicians such as Anna Soubry were endorsed by partisans (a person who strongly supports a political party) on the political left, and attacked by partisans on the political right. In the study, the researchers used a complete data sample of X (then called Twitter) users posts, comprising 375 million tweets over a 24-hour ******* in September 2022. They mapped the posts of these users to another sample of over 1,800 politicians who have an active X account. By observing which users retweeted which politicians, the researchers were able to estimate what the political leaning of each user was, either to the left or right. They also measured the toxicity of the content of political posts to measure political ****** on X. The study found that posts which mentioned political opponents were consistently more toxic than mentions of political allies. While political interactions, in general, were more toxic than non-political interactions in all the countries with available data. While much attention has been given to social media facilitating the formation of ‘echo chambers,” where individuals are only exposed to similar content, this study highlights the other side: X also enables communication across political groups, but the nature of this communication is often abusive. The type of ****** aimed at political opponents which the study analyzed is sometimes called “affective polarization,” the phenomenon where partisans have negative feelings and emotions towards members of opposing political parties. First author of the study, Dr. Max Falkenberg, currently at the Department of Network & Data Science, Central ********* University, said, “Many of these trends may have worsened. Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, and the restrictions on data introduced, we no longer have access to the high quality data required to study these issues. This lack of transparency is democratically problematic and of significant concern if we are to improve the quality of political communication online.” Andrea Baronchelli, Professor of Mathematics at City, St George’s, University of London, and who led the project, said, “Our research reveals a key appeal of large platforms like X/Twitter: the chance to engage in aggressive exchanges with political opponents—unlike smaller platforms that simply allow conversations among like-minded users. “This work confirms that the trend spans across countries, suggesting a society where the ‘other’ is viewed only as an opponent, and listening is reserved for allies. Recognizing the implications for democratic life, our team will continue to study its broader impacts.” More information: Max Falkenberg et al, Patterns of partisan toxicity and engagement reveal the common structure of online political communication across countries, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53868-0 Provided by City St George’s, University of London Citation: Political ****** on X is a global, widespread and cross-partisan phenomenon, says study (2024, November 14) retrieved 14 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Political #****** #global #widespread #crosspartisan #phenomenon #study Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A fifth of new PCs shipped in Q3 were AI-optimised A fifth of new PCs shipped in Q3 were AI-optimised A fifth of all PCs shipped in the third quarter of 2024 were equipped to support artificial intelligence (AI), Canalys has reported in its latest PC market report. The Canalys data shows that AI-capable PC shipments hit 13.3 million in the quarter, accounting for 20% of all PCs sold. The analyst firm defines AI-capable PCs as desktops and notebooks that include a chipset for dedicated AI workloads, such as a neural processing unit (NPU). Canalys reported that Windows devices accounted for a majority of AI-capable PC shipments for the first time, capturing a 53% share. What is significant is that these Windows-certified devices, known as Copilot+ PCs, are based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM-based chip rather than an x86-compatible processor from the likes of Intel or AMD. Discussing the data, Canalys principal analyst Ishan Dutt said: “Copilot+ PCs equipped with Snapdragon X series chips enjoyed their first full quarter of availability, while AMD brought Ryzen AI 300 products to the market and Intel officially launched its Lunar Lake series. However, both x86 chipset vendors are still awaiting Copilot+ PC support for their offerings from Microsoft, which is expected to arrive this month.” While the Windows 11 refresh cycle and processor roadmaps will continue to drive ************, however, Canalys believes there may be a reluctance to buy the new technology, which is designed to provide on-device AI. “Despite the positive momentum, significant work must still be done to convince both channel partners and end customers of the benefits of AI-capable PCs,” said Dutt. “This is especially true for more premium offerings, such as Copilot+ PCs, which Microsoft requires to have at least 40 NPU TOPS [trillions of operations per second] alongside other hardware specifications.” There is a sense that these devices appear to be targeting the premium end of the PC market. For instance, even with ****** Friday deals, Currys’ cheapest AI-capable device is currently an HP OmniBook X 14in laptop Copilot+ PC, which is on ***** at £799, reduced from £999. The most expensive is a £2,149 Microsoft 15in Surface laptop Copilot+ PC. The majority of the devices listed are over £1,000, which may put them beyond the budget of many organisations. In fact, just under a third (31%) of PC resellers do not plan to sell Copilot+ PCs in 2025, according to Canalys, while a further 34% expect such devices to account for less than 10% of their PC sales next year. “With Windows 10 end of support now less than a year away, the coming quarters represent a critical opportunity to drive a significant portion of an aged installed base to be upgraded to an AI-capable PC,” Dutt added. Given the premium these AI-capable devices command, Canalys noted that manufacturers are working with software firms to help them sell the benefits of AI PCs. For instance, at its Imagine AI event in September, HP showcased its collaboration with software providers to deliver on-device AI experiences. Lenovo, meanwhile, has focused on embedding proprietary AI tools and agents into its PCs, such as Creator Zone, Learning Zone and Lenovo AI Now. “For vendors like Lenovo and Dell, whose offerings extend beyond PCs, on-device AI will be a key component of the delivery of broader, more holistic AI services and solutions,” said Canalys analyst Kieren Jessop. The Canalys data also reveals how Apple is not directly competing with Microsoft. Since 2020, Apple has shifted away from using Intel processors to its own chips based on ARM architecture. It is now shipping devices with the M3 chip, the third generation of so-called Apple “silicon”. This potentially makes Apple devices running ARM-based hardware a more mature offering than the mainstay of PC manufacturers, which have jumped on the Copilot+ bandwagon. “Apple’s strategic approach in this landscape is distinct,” said Jessop. “It is leveraging its vertically integrated ecosystem to create features that do not need to directly compete with Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools, such as Copilot Pro for Microsoft 365, which is compatible with macOS. Apple can instead focus its differentiation at the hardware and operating system level, positioning itself against Windows OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] in an effort to make market share gains during the ongoing refresh cycle.” Source link #PCs #shipped #AIoptimised Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** Airstrikes Hit Suburbs South of Beirut ******** Airstrikes Hit Suburbs South of Beirut The Dahiya, an area just outside Beirut, has been a frequent target of airstrikes since ******* stepped up its air war in Lebanon in September. Source link #******** #Airstrikes #Hit #Suburbs #South #Beirut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Danielle Collins on tennis retirement reversal and life with endometriosis: ‘I’ve settled into my skin’ Danielle Collins on tennis retirement reversal and life with endometriosis: ‘I’ve settled into my skin’ The Billie Jean King Cup was supposed to be a retirement party for Danielle Collins — her last event before saying goodbye to tennis and hopefully starting a family. Instead she arrives in Malaga to represent the ******* States having decided to prolong her career. Collins deals with endometriosis, a condition in which cells similar to those which line the ******* grow elsewhere in the body. In the lead-up to her proposed retirement, medical experts told her that her endometriosis would mean it would take longer than she had hoped to get pregnant. She decided to return to the court, announcing the reversal of her retirement in October. “On one hand, it’s great that I have my career and that I have that to kind of fall back on while this next part of my journey in life gets postponed a little bit,” she told The Athletic in Riyadh last week, in her first in-depth interview since she announced four weeks ago that she wouldn’t be retiring. “But at the same time, it’s not an easy thing dealing with endometriosis. It’s incredibly difficult.” It was January 2024 when Collins announced her intention to retire from tennis, in part to try and start a family with boyfriend Brian Kipp. Speaking to The Athletic in Miami in March, she said: “I’ve loved what I’ve done and the opportunity and the doors it’s opened, but it’s not easy, and I am a homebody. “If the format of tennis was different, it would be a totally different story and I’d probably reconsider it. “But the way that this sport works, it’s very hard.” In what was supposed to be a valedictory campaign, Collins, 31, exploded into one of the finest seasons of her career, winning her first WTA 1000 title in Miami and then the Charleston Open a week later, doubling her career titles in barely a week. She put together a 15-match winning streak, and her 70 percent win-rate for the year is second only to her 2021 campaign by less than a single percentage point. Danielle Collins celebrates during her run to the Miami Open title, where she beat Elena Rybakina in the final. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images) Then the problems began. She went out of the Olympics with a stomach muscle injury and after being upset by compatriot Caroline Dolehide in the first round of the U.S. Open, Collins admitted that she had run out of energy. “Sorry, I’m a little bit out of gas. I got a little tired,” she said in a news conference after the defeat. At that point the prospect of Collins reversing her decision to retire seemed remote. Despite those late-season issues, which led her to play just five events following the French Open, she secured the best year-end ranking of her career (No. 11) and arrived in Riyadh as an alternate for the season-ending WTA Tour Finals. She didn’t play, but found practicing with her elite peers a boon and a reminder of just how good her season had been, as bittersweet as the reasons for it not being her last might be. “I’ve had one of my best years on tour but while I had a ******* where I was feeling really good, I started having some issues again. “And then I had to go through a bunch of different medical things to just figure out, ‘OK, what are my next steps?’ And that’s been really tough,” she said. With Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro all absent, Collins is the highest-ranked player in the U.S. team for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, and will be the reference point for her compatriots this week and next. Team USA begins its campaign with a tie against Slovakia on Thursday, before the off-season and then the ******* Cup, which Collins will play before the *********** Open. But as she explains, this next part of Collins’ career is about more than just tennis. She aims to be a source of positivity and affirmation for women and ****** managing endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fertility, just as she has felt those things from others inside and outside tennis as she has come to understand and manage her expectations. “I think as you get older, you play for things that are ******* than the sport,” she says. “I know that I’ve been able to have a positive impact on a lot of people’s lives by sharing my story and being able to offer some inspiration at some level for women and for young ****** that are watching.” The experience has had a profound effect on her and is part of the reason she wants to keep playing — even if what Collins would really love to be doing next year is starting a family. GO DEEPER Danielle Collins wins the Miami Open — her way Endometriosis affects around 10 per cent (190 million) of reproductive age women and ****** globally, according to the World Health Organization, and can cause pelvic pain and extremely painful periods as well as making it ******* for women to get pregnant. Getting a definite diagnosis requires a surgical procedure called a laparoscopy; blood tests, scans and medical examinations cannot provide certain results and the symptoms are shared with so many other conditions that women and ****** frequently wait years spent in pain and discomfort to find out what is causing it. Danielle Collins’ surprise exit to Caroline Dolehide at the U.S. Open at the time looked to be the end of her Grand Slam career. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press) The weeks following Collins’ U.S. Open exit were punctuated by meetings with medical experts and that sense of going around in circles, desperately wanting a solution but finding again and again that with endometriosis and fertility it tends not to work like that. “You feel like you’re chasing your tail sometimes with the news that you get from your doctors because it can feel like Groundhog Day,” she says. “Other times you feel like, ‘Wow, I’ve I’ve done treatment, I’ve had surgery. And yet this thing continues to be an issue.’ And you think, ‘How is it like this?’ But that’s the thing with endometriosis, it’s not this like a tangible thing that you can just fix and that it can just go away. It doesn’t really go away.” Living in Florida, Collins was also seeing the damage of Hurricane Helene up close: “Driving through my childhood neighbourhood and seeing what has happened to so many families, it’s really hard to wrap your head around. “It was incredibly painful to witness,” she says. A few weeks after the hurricane dissipated, and having spent her time helping out her neighbours as best she could, Collins announced her retirement U-turn on Friday October 18. “Dealing with endometriosis and fertility is a massive challenge for many women and something that I am actively traversing, but I am fully confident in the team I am working with. It is just going to take longer than I thought,” she wrote of her dream to start a family. The positive response overwhelmed her, especially from her tennis peers. “One of my biggest support systems is the people that are in tennis, the people that I compete against, the people that I’ve become friends with,” she says. “Without that support system it would be incredibly difficult to deal with all this.” The *********’s openness about her health was spurred on by the support she received on and off the WTA Tour. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images) The benefits of that system extend to her getting her diagnosis in the first place. After numerous visits to doctors and specialists with no clear answer to what was causing her symptoms, it was a friend on the WTA Tour who had undergone a laparoscopy who pointed her towards the possibility of endometriosis. “I had a friend on tour that had endometriosis and she said to me, ‘I had surgery for this’. It changed my life and really helped me for a long ******* of time,” she says. “Things have been a lot better for me since I’ve had the diagnosis. If it wasn’t for having that friend in that conversation, I don’t think I would have been steered in the right direction.” The experience has left Collins feeling “obligated”, she says, to challenge the culture of silence and don’t ask, don’t tell that persists around fertility and women’s health. She recalls her school years in which teachers encouraged her to hide tampons and menstruation from public view, sneaking into a doctor’s or nurse’s office as quickly as possible and not telling anyone about what she might be going through. “I definitely think there’s a huge ****** around menstrual cycles, fertility, any type of reproductive health issues. With my platform, I’m in a position to really bring awareness to something that doesn’t get talked about all the time,” she says. “I want to be a help to someone because I’ve struggled with this for a long time in my life. And it took a long time to figure out what it was. I have another friend on tour that has a sister that has struggled with endometriosis and I met her at a tournament this year. We went to lunch and we sat down and talked to each other and when we were chatting it was like looking in a mirror. “Any time I can reach my hand out to support someone, I will. It’s just my way of trying to give them back as much as possible.” This is a very different Danielle Collins to the player who started her professional career relatively late after excelling in college tennis at the University of Virginia and who didn’t even own a passport until she was 22. When she first made it on to the WTA Tour, Collins was very private and resented the idea that she had to share her life with the public. A “very scary” experience with a stalker early on in her career had a “huge influence” on Collins in this regard, she says, leading her to be “very reserved and very closed off” before realizing that, in her words, “That mentality oftentimes rubs people up the wrong way. Privacy is very frowned upon by the general public.” Collins didn’t come from a privileged background — her dad was a landscaper who worked until he was 80, her mom a pre-school teacher. She has always fought for everything and at times that found her at odds with the genteel world of tennis. After her breakthrough in 2018, when she reached the Miami Open semifinals as a qualifier, beating Venus Williams along the way, she reached the *********** Open semifinals the following year and the French Open quarterfinals in 2020, before a run to the *********** Open final in 2022 where she lost to Ash Barty in two tight sets. That summer, she reached her career-high ranking of world No. 7, as her powerful serve, devastating backhand and never-quit attitude fused together in a whirlwind of talent and intensity. Always a fiercely determined competitor, she was putting it all together on court; it has taken a very private subject for her to show that same outspokenness off it. Danielle Collins serving to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during the 2019 *********** Open semifinal. (Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images) “I think when people just watch tennis they only get a glimpse of what’s actually happening,” she says. “We’re fierce competitors, we’re aggressive players. And then we can also be very dynamic in the sense that when we come off the court, we’re very different.” “The struggles that I faced made me feel like I actually have something I can offer other than just showing my talent and my skill,” Collins adds. “When I got diagnosed with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and endometriosis my perspective on privacy changed a little bit because I thought, ‘This is the career that I’ve chosen and this is what I’ve set out to do’. And with that comes some public responsibility and using your platform in a positive way. “I still have some level of privacy but I’ve been very open about my health journey and I’m so glad that I have, because it’s offered me so much meaningful connection with not just my friends, but being able to connect with fans and people on a deeper level and for people to really understand who I really am.” Collins has always been a fierce competitor, and at the Olympics in July that spirit led to a confrontation with the then world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Collins, who had earlier hit Swiatek at the net with a passing shot, had to retire in the third set of their quarterfinal because of an injured stomach muscle caused by cramping and dehydration in her previous match against Camila Osorio. As she shook Swiatek’s hand, she told her opponent that, “She didn’t have to be insincere about my injury”, with Swiatek appearing bewildered by the interaction. Collins then told reporters: “There’s a lot that happens on camera. And there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma (who) are one way on camera and another way in the locker room. I don’t need the fakeness.” Looking back at the incident, Collins says: “I think what happened on the court is very much just like sometimes people have friction at work.” She adds, laughing, “For most people, it’s not on the news.” “I’m trying to be the best person that I can be, but that’s not to say that I don’t fall short of that. I could have taken a different approach and done some things differently. But we had a moment there on court.” Have they spoken since? “She’s not someone that I really get to see a lot at the tennis and she’s very guarded with her group,” Collins says. “We all make mistakes and fall short. And I’m just trying to put that behind me. I think when guys kind of get into a little tiff or a little bit of friction, I think that it’s kind of expected. “With women, it becomes this way ******* issue than it really needs to be. There’s a lot of extrapolation.” Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek after their Olympic quarterfinal. (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images) Collins now has to rewire her brain after being all set for retirement. Does the prospect of being on the tour still in 2025 excite her? “I think each year offers something different and a different approach mentally as you grow and evolve,” she says. “I’m in a much different place now with my tennis, my career, my life. I think getting back out there, you’re trying to get into the competing mode and trying to find that consistency with the physical parts — because I have taken a little bit of time off to address all of this stuff. “That takes a lot of gas out of your tank.” The fact that her first event back after more than two months out is a team event is a bonus. Collins, a veteran of college tennis where she displayed the same passion and defiance that has stood out on the WTA Tour, adores playing as part of a team, describing team competitions as “my pride and joy”. The atmosphere blends the competitive and more open elements of her personality better than any other, giving no quarter in matches while caring and providing for her Olympic teammates with gift packs including gold necklaces with Olympic rings on them. “I wish we had the team tournaments more often, it’s just a totally different energy,” she says. “From being on the team with the ****** and competing to the little gifts that you prepare and all the festive stuff that you try to do. It’s really like a holiday in a lot of ways.” Her emotions going into Malaga mirror the complexity of her character. There’s sadness at the circumstances of her decision not to retire, but excitement at what she can deliver from here on in. “I think a lot of people would look at what I do on court and they would have no idea that I’ve gone through the physical struggles and chronic conditions that I suffer from,” she says. “That’s a testament to a lot of the resilience that I have. But it’s also important to share vulnerability. “I didn’t understand that originally. I think in the beginning of my career when I look back and reflect, I struggled a lot with being myself and I wasn’t really able to tap into that as much. Because I was so guarded and because I was so afraid sometimes put myself out there to share my story and journey. “I guess as I’ve matured, I’ve settled into my skin a little bit more and just let you know that this is who I am.” (Top photo: Kamran Jebreili / Associated Press) Source link #Danielle #Collins #tennis #retirement #reversal #life #endometriosis #Ive #settled #skin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gladiator II Review – Strength and Honour Gladiator II Review – Strength and Honour Gladiator II is a thrilling spectacle and Mescal was a formidable lead, and I can comfortably say I was entertained throughout. This sequel is spectacular, from the Colosseum reconstruction, the crowds the visceral action, the politics all of it had me gobsmacked and ready for more. The cast were amazing from Pascal to Washington they dominated the screen with their presence, Ridley Scott has once again produced a hit, tough to outdo yourself – but I can safely say Gladiator II is a masterpiece and improves on what was universally loved about the first film. Beneath its entertaining exterior, the film conveys a compelling and intentional theme about political power—who holds it and how it is exercised—though Scott cleverly integrates this message within the vibrant spectacle, a must watch film of this generation. Set 16 years after the pivotal clash between Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) the sequel unfolds in a Rome still grappling with unrest. Rather than ushering in a ******* of prosperity, Maximus’ sacrifice created a void in leadership that deepened the empire’s state of paranoia and peril, paving the way for the brutal rise of emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). Gladiator II focus is mainly on Lucius Verus’ story (Paul Mescal), the son of Lucilla and Maximus, is suddenly plunged into the brutal world of gladiators when General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) attacks his safe haven in Numidia, leading to his capture and servitude, along with the ****** of his wife creates an anger within him that helps him navigate his harsh reality, Lucius evolves into both a fierce combatant and a beacon of defiance, burdened by his heritage yet determined to carve out his own destiny. Revenge, Betrayal & Politics Lucius is hellbent on revenge against Acacius, while his mother, Lucilla, is frantic to rescue her son from the Coliseum. Meanwhile, Macrinus (Denzel Washington) is scheming to gain power in Rome for himself. Having risen from slavery to power, Macrinus is a shrewd, cunning, and ruthless figure—an ambitious man with a singular, self-serving agenda. Washington delivers a multi-layered performance, keeping the true nature of his character hidden until the film’s final act. His ability to shift between personas keeps the audience on edge. His cunning schemes slice through the chaotic reign of Geta and Caracalla, delivering a constant stream of unpredictability as he navigates the system to benefit himself. Washington’s nuanced depiction makes Macrinus more than just a power-hungry manipulator – he’s a figure whose intentions remain enticingly unclear, oscillating between the possibility of being an ally and the threat of becoming a foe. ‘Dream of Rome’ Mescal truly captures this symbolic role and provides a powerful performance, portraying a warrior who can withstand the harsh realities of the arena, and his Lucius portrayal transforms from a man consumed by anger and a thirst for revenge into an unexpected hero who starts to envision a Rome that serves its citizens. Witnessing this metamorphosis is exhilarating, particularly as he learns to accept his father’s legacy. Gladiator II is an incredible film crafted by a legendary director, delivering a truly epic cinematic journey that is both grand in scale and impactful. Every element—from the narrative and performances to the design, action, and score—plays a key role in its exceptional production and presentation, drawing you into the intense thrill of the arena. The phrase “What we do in life echoes in eternity” rings true here; much like its predecessor, Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is sure to leave a profound mark. Experience the Gladiator II at Numetro now and experience this cinematic masterpiece for yourself. Crème de la crème For more on our review scoring and scale information – click here Gladiator II is rated – 16 V Director: Ridley Scott Screenplay: David Scarpa Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington Rating: 16 V Genres: Adventure, Action Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures Based On: Characters created by David Franzoni Get Your Tickets Below: Source link #Gladiator #Review #Strength #Honour Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Realme Narzo 70 Curve Tipped to Launch in India Next Month; Price Range Leaked Realme Narzo 70 Curve Tipped to Launch in India Next Month; Price Range Leaked Realme launched the Narzo 70 Turbo 5G with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy 5G SoC in September this year. A report now suggests that the company will soon launch another Narzo 70-branded model in India — Realme Narzo 70 Curve. The report also hints about the price range of the handset. The Realme Narzo 70 Curve is expected to come with a curved display. It is said to debut as the fifth phone in the Realme Narzo 70 series. All existing Narzo 70 series phones run on MediaTek Dimensity chipsets. Realme Narzo 70 Curve India Launch Timeline, Price Leaked As per a 91Mobiles report, Realme will unveil the Narzo 70 Curve in India by the end of December. The new Narzo series phone with a curved screen could be priced between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000 in the country. Specifications of the purported Realme Narzo 70 Curve are yet to be leaked. It is expected to look similar to the other phones in the lineup, namely Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70 Pro, Narzo 70x, and Narzo 70 Turbo 5G. The price of Realme Narzo 70 5G starts at Rs. 14,999 while the Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G and Realme Narzo 70x 5G have initial price tags of Rs. 18,999 and Rs. 10,999, respectively. The price of Realme Narzo 70 Turbo 5G starts at Rs. 16,999. Realme Narzo 70 runs on MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G SoC, while the Narzo 70x ships with MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC. The Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC under the hood, while the Narzo 70 Turbo 5G came with a Dimensity 7300 Energy 5G SoC. The Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70 Pro, and Narzo 70 Turbo feature 6.67-inch screens and 16-megapixel selfie shooters, while the Narzo 70x has a larger 6.72-inch display and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. All four models feature a 50-megapixel primary rear camera and house 5,000mAh batteries. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Realme #Narzo #Curve #Tipped #Launch #India #Month #Price #Range #Leaked Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU fines Meta over abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace EU fines Meta over abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace Meta, the parent company of social networking site Facebook, has faced calls to do more about financial scams on its platforms. Artur Widak | Nurphoto via Getty Images The ********* Commission on Thursday fined Meta Platforms €797.72 million ($840.24 million) over abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace, it said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Reuters. “The ********* Commission has fined Meta … for breaching EU antitrust rules by tying its online classified ads service Facebook Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook and by imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers,” the ********* Commission said. Meta said it will appeal the decision, but in the meantime, it will comply and will work quickly and constructively to launch a solution which addresses the points raised. The move by the ********* Commission comes two years after it accused the U.S. tech giant of giving its classified ads service Facebook Marketplace an unfair advantage by bundling the two services together. The ********* Union opened formal proceedings into possible anticompetitive conduct of Facebook in June, 2021, and in December, 2022, raised concerns that Meta ties its dominant social network Facebook to its online classified ad services. Facebook launched Marketplace in 2016 and expanded into several ********* countries a year later. The EU decision argues that Meta imposes Facebook Marketplace on people who use Facebook in an ******** “tie” but Meta said that argument ignores the fact that Facebook users can choose whether to engage with Marketplace, and many do not. Meta said the Commission claimed that Marketplace had the potential to hinder the growth of large incumbent online marketplaces in the EU but could not find any evidence of harm to competitors. Companies risk fines of as much as 10% of their global turnover for EU antitrust violations. Source link #fines #Meta #abusive #practices #benefiting #Facebook #Marketplace Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘How about a C cup?’ on Making a Crucial Change to Uncharted That Stood Up Against the Likes of Tomb Raider ‘How about a C cup?’ on Making a Crucial Change to Uncharted That Stood Up Against the Likes of Tomb Raider Amy Hennig is considered to be a pioneer figure in the world of gaming as she has completely redefined the way people perceived women in video games and changed the narrative of the industry. Amy Hennig has worked really hard to redefine female representation in video games. Image Credit: @Sonaratv/Wikimedia Commons In the 20th century, video games were mostly made by men that catered to a limited audience comprised of just teenage boys. But things slowly began to change once Hennig picked up a pen and redefined people’s outlook towards the gaming industry. Amy Hennig Had To Endure A Lot During The Development of Uncharted Uncharted 2 had two strong female characters that hugely contributed to the story. Image Credit: Naughty Dog Amy Hennig was a film and literature student who had a keen interest in the audio-visual medium. She wanted to make films at the time but was forced to work on one of Atari’s games as a designer to pay off her bills; that is where the world of video games first opened up to her. However, sadly, that game could not see the light of day, but it still began the journey of one of the pioneer figures in the video game industry. Hennig’s breakthrough project was the Legacy of Kain games. She was the lead designer for the project and introduced an episodic narrative that spanned 3 games. This established her as a visionary and turned her into a star. While she was engaged with the Legacy of Kain series, she stumbled upon another very interesting IP that had a female protagonist who was not a damsel in distress but was a strong and powerful woman; the game came to be known as Tomb Raider. She was denied to work on it and was asked to focus on the current project instead. She later joined Naughty Dog, where she came up with Uncharted, which not only redefined narrative-driven games but also saved the sinking ship of Sony’s latest console, PS3. Uncharted was released as a PS3 exclusive and did extremely well in the market. However, not everything was smooth during the development process. In the earlier games, developers had the tendency to overs*xualize women or turn her into a damsel in distress waiting to be saved. Hennig’s approach changed that narrative. To save her female characters in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves from being overly s*xualized, she said: Let’s take it down. How about a C cup?” This approach proved to be a little controversial since it was something that had never been done before, but it later proved to be beneficial in the end. The Representation of Women In Video Games Is Improving Even the latest Tomb Raider represents the protagonist with more depth. Image Credit: Annapurna games In today’s time, things have started to change. The winds have shifted, and the video game industry is not run by men catering to teenage boys. The audience of games has expanded, and female representation is treated with respect and dignity. There has also been a rapid increase in women playing games. Back in 2010, there were only 40% women playing games. The number has now increased to almost 48%, although not much, but there is still a gradual increase, which can be seen as good news. Hennig had a huge role to play in establishing an environment where women are treated fairly and equally. She improved female representation and paved the way for female protagonists in games to flourish. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #cup #Making #Crucial #Change #Uncharted #Stood #Likes #Tomb #Raider Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mark Zuckerberg records ‘romantic’ cover of rap hit Get Low for wife Mark Zuckerberg records ‘romantic’ cover of rap hit Get Low for wife Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg met wife Priscilla Chan at a college party 21 years ago Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has recorded his own version of rap track Get Low alongside US star T-Pain, in tribute to his wife Priscilla Chan for their “dating anniversary”. Zuckerberg sings with the help of Auto-Tune on an acoustic guitar reworking of the filthy floor-filler, which was originally a hit for Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz in 2003. “Get Low was playing when I first met Priscilla at a college party, so every year we listen to it on our dating anniversary,” the Meta boss explained on his own platform Instagram. Zuckerberg, 40, perhaps ironically described the track as a “lyrical masterpiece”, and has released his rendition under the name Z-Pain. Getty Images T-Pain is known for popularising the use of Auto-Tune In response, Chan described the gesture as “so romantic”, adding: “Can’t get quite as low anymore but more in love and grateful for that love than ever.” Zuckerberg’s post included photographs of himself and T-Pain working on the song in a recording studio. The singer-songwriter and producer, real name Faheem Najm, noted on his own social media how “Z-Pain has arrived”. Zuckerberg leads the vocals on the uncensored take on the hip-hop tune, with his collaborator offering ad-libs, backing vocals and a verse. EPA Rapper Lil Jon performed the song at the recent Democratic National Convention The billionaire buisnessman’s version comes three months after Lil Jon gave a surprise performance of his song at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to mark Kamala Harris becoming the party’s presidential nominee. Zuckerberg has a history of elaborote displays of affection for his other half. In August, he unveiled a bizarre statue of Chan, apparently made of oxidised green copper and steel, by artist Daniel Arsham. “Bringing back the Roman tradition of making sculptures of your wife,” he wrote at the time. Source link #Mark #Zuckerberg #records #romantic #cover #rap #hit #wife Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CoD: ****** Ops 6 Season 1 Preload Goes Live With Massive File Size CoD: ****** Ops 6 Season 1 Preload Goes Live With Massive File Size It’s a big day for Call of Duty, as November 14 marks the launch of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Season 1, which also includes the debut of a new Call of Duty: Warzone map, Area 99. Season 1 is a big update, coming in at 74GB on Xbox and 50GB on PlayStation, according to CharlieIntel. Players can pre-load the update now so they can jump in when Season 1 officially goes live today at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Season 01 pre-load should be live for Xbox and PlayStation players. Xbox: around 74GB PlayStation around 50GB Season begins 9am PT. — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) November 14, 2024 Call of Duty updates are known to be massive in file size, and the Season 1 launch continues this trend. To help combat the growing file sizes, Activision has undergone efforts to decrease Call of Duty file sizes, including streaming some assets and other means. Despite this, given the size of the ****** Ops 6 Season 1 update, players may need to delete some files to make room. ****** Ops 6 Season 1 adds new multiplayer maps, modes, and weapons, while the in-game store gets fleshed out with a host of store bundles, including one that turns you into a shark. The in-game store also welcomes the first ****** Ops 6 BlackCell bundle, which includes the Goliath operator. For Warzone, the new Area 99 map takes players to the place Nuketown was born. The Season 1 update also marks the introduction of ****** Ops 6 content in Warzone, including the Omnimovement system. Source link #CoD #****** #Ops #Season #Preload #Live #Massive #File #Size Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel takes down AMD in our integrated graphics battle royale — still nowhere near dedicated GPU levels, but uses much less power Intel takes down AMD in our integrated graphics battle royale — still nowhere near dedicated GPU levels, but uses much less power We last took an in-depth look at integrated graphics performance four years ago, using a combination of desktop and laptop hardware. Things have changed a lot in the intervening years, and while no one is going to replace a high-end GPU with an integrated solution any time soon, budget gaming solutions are clearly in sight. Perhaps that’s why we haven’t really seen any true budget GPU solutions from Nvidia for several years, with the least expensive models often adding several hundred dollars to the price of a PC or laptop. With Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Ryzen AI mobile processors now launched, it’s time for a rematch. We’ve got three roughly equivalent laptops for testing, all from Asus (via AMD and Intel). The newest is the Asus Zenbook S14, equipped with a Core Ultra 7 258V processor and Arc Graphics 140V (aka Lunar Lake or LNL). It’s mostly the same chassis as the previous generation Asus Zenbook OLED 14, which has a Core Ultra 7 155H and Arc Graphics (aka Meteor Lake or MTL). And from the AMD camp, we have the larger Asus Zenbook S16 with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with an Radeon 890M GPU (aka Strix Point). We did some preliminary benchmarks last month, showing how Lunar Lake’s graphics fared against the other options. But after both user and vendor feedback, we felt a deeper comparison was in order. Also, Intel has updated drivers for Lunar Lake that improve the situation (though they’re still not on a unified driver version). This time, we’re going whole hog with a selection of 24 games, including many recent releases. We’re interested in both performance and compatibility, and have notified the appropriate companies of any issues we encountered (which means we told Intel one of the games we tested is borked). We also took steps to ensure a level playing field, as much as possible. That means — and this is an absolutely critical point — that we are not using things like FSR 1/2/3, frame generation, XeSS, HYPR-RX, AFMF2, or any other proprietary technologies. Because we know, from experience, that even if XeSS and FSR2 can run on GPUs from the other vendors, they don’t necessarily run optimally. We’re looking at the underlying GPU performance, at native resolution, plain and simple. Is that “fair?” And what does fair even mean? We think it’s best to level the playing field without bringing in outside software solutions for a primary performance comparison, but AMD is proud of HYPR-RX, AFMF, FSR, and its other technologies and has a blog post that coincidentally also went up this morning, where AMD claims a 75% lead over Intel’s 258V — with both sides using all the software tweaks available. (On a related note, this is precisely why we haven’t been testing with DLSS in every game where it’s an option on our desktop GPU reviews for the past six years.) We also ensured that all three laptops have a CPU package power of around 28W — though Intel’s Lunar Lake has DRAM on package, which draws about 1.5W of power, so technically it’s at a slight disadvantage… but it also has faster LPDDR5x-8533 memory, which certainly helps in some of the games we tested. And finally, for good measure, we ran the same tests on an older Dell G15 laptop that has a Core i5-12500H and an RTX 3050 Ti 4GB dedicated graphics card — which, for the record, was also tested without using DLSS. We expect the dGPU to be faster, but we wanted to see how much of a gap exists between a relatively-budget gaming laptop and these newer integrated GPUs. It’s definitely not an apples-to-apples matchup, however, as the G15 comes with a single DDR5-4800 8GB stick of RAM, and that doesn’t do it any favors. Consider it a point of reference rather than a definitive statement on the RTX 3050 Ti or any other dedicated GPU. Testing Overview Asus Zenbook S14 with Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V and Arc Graphics 140V (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Before we get to the test results, let’s also quickly discuss the high level specs of the various laptops. These are, more or less, the top three integrated graphics solutions from AMD and Intel for the current and previous (Meteor Lake) laptop processors. While AMD’s chip is the Ryzen AI 9, we’ve found little difference between Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V and the ‘slower’ Core Ultra 7 258V — there’s even a performance deficit for the higher tier processor in some cases. Starting with Lunar Lake, it’s clear Intel set out to do something quite different from its previous architectures. On the CPU front, there are four Lion Cove P-cores (performance optimized cores), without Hyper-Threading Then there are four Skymont E-cores (efficiency optimized cores), also without Hyper-Threading. That gives eight CPU cores with eight threads total, which represents a sizeable step down from the up to 16 cores and 22 threads of the prior generation. On the GPU side of things, Lunar Lake has a second generation ‘Battlemage’ Xe2 architecture chip, with eight Xe-cores and 1,024 shader ALUs (Arithmetic Logic Units) — as well as full XMX support. Architectural differences mean that real-world performance will be better, but theoretical performance lands at 4.0 teraflops for FP32 and 67 teraflops of FP16 for AI workloads. There’s a new NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI as well that provides 48 TOPS of INT8 computational power. Intel tapped TSMC for the most of the processor, using the cutting edge N3B node for the compute tile (CPU, GPU, NPU, and cache) and the older N6 node for the platform tile (memory controller, PCIe, USB, and other functionality). These reside on a Foveros tile that’s made using Intel’s older (2012) 22nm FinFET node. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED with Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 155H and Arc Graphics (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Next up is the prior generation Meteor Lake laptop in the form of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED. It’s quite a different ****** from new Lunar Lake, with four different tiles. Technically, it’s not the first tiled architecture from Intel — that would be the short-lived Lakefield architecture in 2020. But after that initial debut and apparently proof of concept, Meteor Lake was the true coming out party for Foveros chip stacking. The compute tile houses the CPU cores and is made on Intel’s own Intel 4 node. It houses the six Redwood Cove P-cores and eight Crestmont E-cores, plus associated caches and sundry other pieces. There are two additional low power E-cores on the SOC tile, which is made using TSMC’s N6 node. That’s 16 cores and 22 threads of CPU, though do note that the LP E-cores run at significantly lower clocks. Two of the P-cores are also higher performance cores that can hit higher clocks. The GPU uses the TSMC N5 node, with eight Xe-cores based on the Alchemist architecture. However, unlike the dedicated desktop and laptop Arc GPUs, Meteor Lake’s GPU lacks the XMX units (matrix/vector units that help accelerate AI workloads). With clocks of up to 2250 MHz, however, it has a theoretical rating of 4.6 teraflops FP32 — higher than Lunar Lake’s GPU! We’ll see in the benchmarks that architectural upgrades ultimately make Battlemage the faster part, which hopefully means good things for the upcoming dedicated Battlemage GPUs. The SOC tile also contains Intel’s first generation NPU, which offers a relatively tame 10 TOPS of INT8 compute — not enough for Microsoft’s Copilot+ certification. There’s also an IO tile for things like PCIe, WiFi, USB, and more that’s made on TSMC N6. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Compared to both Lunar Lake and Meteor Lake, AMD’s Strix Point architecture is far more traditional. It’s a single monolithic ****, manufactured on TSMC N4P — basically a refinement of the N5 node that’s better tuned for higher performance (read: clocks). That means, on the whole, AMD’s chip lands between Lunar Lake’s compute tile and IO tile and ahead of Meteor Lake, at least on paper. The CPU consists of four full performance Zen 5 cores, plus eight more Zen 5c density optimized cores. All the cores support the same instruction set and features, but the Zen 5 cores can clock much higher. All told, that’s 12 cores and 24 threads for the CPU. The GPU uses AMD’s efficiency optimized RDNA 3.5 architecture, with some tweaks specifically intended to help with performance. It has 16 compute units (CUs), for 1,024 shader ALUs total — the same number as both Intel GPUs. It has a maximum boost clock of 2900 MHz, giving a potential 5.9 teraflops of FP32 compute, but in practice we measured much lower real-world clocks ranging between 1.8~2.2 GHz (3.7~4.5 teraflops). Strix Point also has an NPU rated at 50 TOPS of INT8, which makes it the most performant of the three NPUs in theory. Both Lunar Lake and Strix Point are certified for Microsoft’s Copilot+ features, if that’s something you care about. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) And as noted, we have an older gaming laptop, the budget-friendly Dell G15 (5520) that came out in 2022. You can get an updated and better-equipped Dell G15 starting at $799 today, but the model we had on hand for testing has an RTX 3050 Ti. We wanted that specifically, or the RTX 3050, just to see how a budget dedicated RTX GPU stands up to the latest integrated solutions. As mentioned earlier, this particular unit has a single 8GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, which also potentially hinders performance. The lack of RAM likely also was to blame for one of the games (The Last of Us, Part 1) refusing to run, though it might have also been the 4GB of VRAM. Integrated graphics 720p and 1080p gaming performance We have 24 different games that we’ve elected to test, and we even went so far as to enable ray tracing (DXR, aka DirectX Raytracing) in three of the games. That… did not go very well, as you’ll see in the results. Everything else was run at low or medium settings, depending on whether the game in question could achieve reasonable levels of performance. We tested at both 720p and 1080p, without any upscaling or frame generation. We’re not opposed to people using those features, particularly on low-end hardware — and AMD offers driver-side AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 (AFMF2) frame generation to potentially improve the experience. But for the apples to apples benchmarks, we wanted to render at native resolution to see how the laptops fare. All three Asus laptops have different fan profiles, which also determine power and performance to a large degree. We used the “Performance” profile on the Strix Point and Meteor Lake laptops, which allows for 28W of power to the CPU package. On the Lunar Lake laptop, the same “Performance” profile only gives the chip 24W of headroom, so we opted for the “Full Speed” profile that bumps it up to the same 28W TDP. Basically, we’re trying to be as fair as possible, though it’s impossible to truly make everything identical — motherboard and BIOS firmware being one key point of differentiation, not to mention memory speeds. Speaking of which, the three laptops all have 32GB of dual-channel LPDDR5x memory. That’s good, though the Meteor Lake and Strix Point ‘only’ have 7500 MT/s memory while Lunar Lake gets 8533 MT/s DRAM. The DRAM is part of the Lunar Lake package, an expensive one-off decision apparently, and Intel elected to use higher speed memory on all of the chips. We use FrameView to capture frametimes in each game, and it also captures CPU package power (and GPU power if there’s a dedicated GPU), CPU and GPU clocks, and some other metrics that we’ll share below. Every test gets run at least three times, with the first result being discarded, to ensure consistency. For testing, we used the latest Intel 6130 (Meteor Lake) / 6048 (Lunar Lake) drivers — it’s a single driver package released at the end of October. For AMD, we’re using the latest 24.10.1 drivers. All three laptops are running Windows 11 24H2 (though the Dell G15 is still on 23H2, and was tested with the 566.03 drivers). Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Starting with the overall geometric mean — which gives equal weight to every performance result — the standings have Intel’s latest Arc 140V iGPU in the top position, leading AMD’s Radeon 890M by 7% at 720p and 5% at 1080p. The sheer number of games used for testing means that no single title has too much of an impact, and as we’ll see in our individual results below, Intel routinely comes out on top. Lunar Lake also provides a big improvement in gaming performance compared to Meteor Lake: 42% at 720p and 32% at 1080p. It’s interesting that the 1080p results, both with Strix Point and Meteor Lake, narrows, but it does make sense. Memory bandwidth becomes a ******* factor at higher resolutions, and while Lunar Lake does have more bandwidth — 136.5 GB/s compared to 120 GB/s — that’s only 14% more bandwidth overall. We can’t say exactly how much compute versus bandwidth factor into each individual result, but the 720p numbers do show that Lunar Lake has better graphics throughput in general. But there’s still a big gap, even when compared to a three years old RTX 3050 Ti that’s held back by the 8GB of system RAM. Nvidia’s budget GPU delivers 44% higher performance at 720p and 61% more performance at 1080p compared to Lunar Lake. Again, bandwidth looks to be a factor, and the 3050 Ti has 192 GB/s of dedicate memory bandwidth. The individual results show a wide spread, and drivers are clearly an issue at times — and not solely for Intel. We’ll discuss the specifics in each of the games below, in alphabetical order. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) *********’s Creed Mirage gives AMD’s 890M the win, by 12% at 720p but only 3% at 1080p. Lunar Lake easily beats its predecessor, however, offering a 74% performance uplift at 720p and 62% at 1080p. The RTX 3050 Ti mostly matches the overall standings, with 47% higher 720p performance and a 65% higher 1080p result. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Avatar does support some ray tracing effects, though we wouldn’t expect any of those to be active on the low preset. Lunar Lake and Strix Point are tied at 720p, while AMD has a 5% lead at 1080p. LNL also shows nearly a doubling in performance compared to MTL at 720p, and a 68% improvement at 1080p. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of several games that didn’t run all that great on any of the GPUs. AMD’s Radeon 890M manages the best result of the iGPUs, but both old and new Intel GPUs have a “pulsing” effect — we provided an FPS over time chart in the above gallery to illustrate this. You get a fast-then-slow-then-fast repeated cycle that results in a very poor overall experience. This could potentially be related to VRAM use, as the RTX 3050 Ti and even AMD’s GPU also have relatively poor 1% low FPS. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) ****** Myth: Wukong was one of the games we originally looked at, but we had FSR3 upscaling and framegen enabled and that messed with the results. Without any upscaling, the 258V manages 10% higher performance at 720p, but falls behind by 20% at 1080p. Intel’s new chip shows 56% higher performance than the prior gen at 720p, but only 6% higher performance at 1080p. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Control (Ultimate Edition) is one of the three games where we also tested ray tracing performance. Without enabling RT, Intel’s Arc 140V beats the Radeon 890M by 21% at 720p and 27% at 1080p. It’s also 29% and 46% faster than the Arc Graphics in the 155H. With RT turned on (using the medium setting), it’s 16% and 11% faster than AMD’s iGPU, and likewise 16% and 6% faster than Meteor Lake. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) We also enabled ray tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, which really didn’t go so well for any of the iGPUs. Using traditional rasterization rendering, Lunar Lake delivers a solid 50 fps at 720p with medium settings, and 36 fps at 1080p, beating Strix Point by 3% and 22%, respectively. LNL is also 29% and 31% faster than MTL. With ray tracing enabled, Arc 140V ends up as the fastest of the three iGPUs, but only with 21 FPS at 720p and 10.5 fps at 1080p. AMD’s 890M choked badly in our testing, failing to get into the double digits — one of the few cases (the DXR Control and Minecraft being the others) where AMD’s newer chip performed worse than Intel’s Meteor Lake. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Diablo IV isn’t remotely demanding, as evidenced by the three iGPUs all clearing 60 fps at 720p, and even managing 48 FPS or higher at 1080p medium. There are some stutters, however, as evidenced by the 1% lows. But the game is easily playable on any of the three iGPUs. Intel LNL gets another 7%/17% lead over AMD at 720p/1080p, and a 21%/28% lead over MTL. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels rather sluggish compared to many other games, and it doesn’t even look that great. We ran around the city of Vernworth for our testing, and every GPU felt stuttery — including the RTX 3050 Ti. We can only assume that the game wants more than 4GB of VRAM, but in general it just feels pretty poorly optimized. AMD gets the win this time, with a 13% lead over Lunar Lake, which in turn beats Meteor Lake by 38%/35% (720p/1080p). Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Dying Light 2 runs quite nicely on the three iGPUs and was playable even at 1080p medium on Lunar Lake — Meteor Lake was more borderline at that resolution. Intel gets the win again, leading by 14%/32% over AMD and 47%/45% over MTL. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) AMD takes the pole position with F1 24, beating Arc 140V and Lunar Lake by 20%/10%. Intel’s newer iGPU is still 40%/34% faster than Meteor Lake, however. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) None of the iGPUs manages to run Final Fantasy XVI, using the default low preset, at anything approaching a playable level. Even the RTX 3050 Ti struggles, with minimums regularly falling below 20 fps at 720p. At 1080p, the fastest of the four laptops (Dell G15) only gets 16 FPS, while the slowest (MTL) gets 12 FPS. As we noted in our desktop testing of Final Fantasy XVI, the game feels extremely poorly optimized. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 benefits from both high CPU as well as higher GPU performance, and despite only having eight cores, Lunar Lake delivers good performance overall. It’s 17% faster than the Radeon 890M at 720p, but 2% slower at 1080p. Gen over gen, Lunar Lake beats Meteor Lake by 30% / 27%. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) **** of War: Ragnarok is another game where all three iGPUs have a difficult time, even at 720p using minimum (low) settings. The Arc 140V averages 42 FPS, but minimums fall into the low 20s, and it feels quite stuttery. Still, Intel gets the win over AMD by a relatively large 42% / 47% — we’d wager AMD needs to do some driver tuning here. Looking at the previous generation, Intel sees just over double the performance. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Hogwarts Legacy also has the occasional stutter, though this seems more endemic to the game engine than the GPU. Each system would ‘stall’ noticeably at a certain point in our run through the town of Hogsmeade, and we’ve seen the same thing with desktop GPUs. Intel’s new mobile CPU gets top honors again, though, with a 27% / 11% lead over AMD’s finest, and a 76% / 47% lead over the prior gen 155H. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Whether or not you think Horizon Forbidden West looks better than its predecessor, it’s pretty demanding of the GPU, with minimums on all of our test laptops falling below 30 FPS. Arc Graphics 140V in the 258V comes out in first among iGPUs at 720p, leading AMD by 12%, but then it falls behind by 7% at 1080p. Gen on gen, Intel sees a 21% / 23% lead over Meteor Lake. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) The Last of Us, Part 1, refused to run on the RTX 3050 Ti laptop, showing an “insufficient memory” error. We’re not sure if that’s purely from the 4GB of VRAM, or if it’s the combination of VRAM and system RAM. As an AMD promoted game, it’s no surprise to see the 890M leading Intel’s iGPU by 18% / 8%. Intel only sees an 18%/11% lead over its prior generation part as well, one of the smaller margins. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) MechWarrior 5 Clans uses Unreal Engine 5, and even at minimum settings, it’s rough on lower tier GPUs. The RTX 3050 Ti has decent average FPS of 47, but minimums fall below 20 FPS with clear hitching and stuttering present. The 258V is manageable at 720p, beating AMD’s part by 20% and the 155H by 51%. Moving up to 1080p, none of the laptops were really playable, though Lunar Lake still shows a 14% advantage over AMD and a 31% lead over Meteor Lake. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Without ray tracing turned on, Minecraft can run on pretty much anything and everything. It ends up CPU limited with the RTX 3050 Ti only drawing around 22W and with similar 720p and 1080p performance. It seems to be more single-threaded overall, which is why Lunar Lake ends up being the fastest iGPU at 1080p, with 31% higher FPS than Strix Point and a 60% gen-on-gen improvement over MTL. Turning on ray tracing causes a massive hit to performance, and the 3050 Ti power use jumps to 87W. LNL ends up 31% / 34% faster than AMD’s Strix Point, and 17% / 9% faster than MTL. It almost looks like Minecraft with DXR enabled on the Intel iGPUs ends up largely limited by memory bandwidth. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the outliers as far as Lunar Lake goes, with performance basically unchanged compared to Meteor Lake. It looks like Intel could work on its drivers for this one, while AMD’s 890M delivers a 40%/15% gutpunch to the Intel GPUs. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Spider-Man: Miles Morales is another game that likes both CPU performance as well as VRAM. The RTX 3050 Ti gets held back on both fronts with its older i5-12500H processor, barely outpacing the 258V at 720p though the gap grows at 1080p. Lunar Lake ranks again as the top iGPU with 12% / 15% better performance than AMD’s Strix Point, and 37%/51% higher gen-on-gen performance. Image 1 of 1 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Star Wars Outlaws is the sole game in our 24 game test suite that refused to run on Meteor Lake, and it also kept crashing on Lunar Lake. We got a result at 720p, though we wouldn’t put too much stock in it until Intel fixes the drivers. There were also rendering errors on Lunar Lake, and Intel says it’s aware of the problems. AMD’s 890M didn’t have any such trouble, delivering 22% higher performance, without crashing, compared to Intel’s 140V GPU processor. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Starfield has AMD and Intel on equal footing, though neither provides a particularly great experience with average performance in our test sequence (on Akila) of just 33 FPS at 720p, and 24 FPS at 1080p — though Intel has slightly higher minimum FPS in both cases. LNL beats MTL by 95% / 80%, one of the larger difference between the old and new Intel GPUs. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Another recent release, and an AMD promoted game as well, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 pretty much has Lunar Lake and Strix Point at parity, with AMD having a slight 6% lead at 1080p. LNL is 27%/16% faster than the previous gen MTL, however. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Last but not least, we have Witchfire, and indie game from some of the people that made Painkiller back in the aughts. Two of the studio’s heads left People Can Fly to form The Astronauts in 2012, around the time the Epic acquired a stake in People Can Fly. The game uses Unreal Engine 4, so performance tends to be better than in UE5 games. AMD’s Radeon 890M takes the top spot at both 720p and 1080p, beating Lunar Lake’s 140V by 12%–13%. LNL in turn leads the previous generation Arc Graphics by 25% / 16%. Total power use and GPU clocks That takes care of the gaming performance, but let’s also quickly discuss power use and GPU clocks, as the data is interesting. First up is power. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) We mentioned how the laptops vary in power limits, and here you can see that the settings we used result in very similar power use from all three of the Zenbooks with integrated graphics. This data is from FrameView’s total package power for the CPU, and includes around 1.5W extra for RAM on Lunar Lake, but otherwise across all 26–27 tests, the power use is very similar. And then look at the gaming laptop, which uses 39.2W on average for the CPU, and 77.3W on average for the RTX 3050 Ti. We suspect that with a slightly different and newer graphics solution, like the RTX 4050 laptop GPU, performance would be improved thanks to the additional VRAM, and the CPU and system RAM might also hold back the 3050 Ti. But it’s still interesting to see just how big the gap is between the iGPU solutions and the dedicated GPU. Nvidia GPUs can also run in lower power modes, though we did some limited testing with a 30W power limit and found that performance dropped substantially in that case, with the 3050 Ti often falling below the fastest iGPU solution. There’s a good reason we never liked the RTX 3050 or 3050 Ti laptop GPUs. Beating a newer iGPU doesn’t require much performance, really. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) And finally, here are the GPU clock speeds as reported by FrameView. What’s interesting here is that, despite having a maximum 2900 MHz boost clock, AMD’s Radeon 890M typically runs at speeds closer to 2000 MHz. That’s the same speed, roughly, as Intel’s Meteor Lake Arc Graphics. Lunar Lake on the other hand clocks even lower, which emphasizes the architectural improvements that the Battlemage Xe2 architecture brings to the table. It averaged around 1850 MHz across our test suite, only 100 MHz below its maximum boost clock, and many of the games showed a 1950 MHz average clock speed. Put another way, at real-world clocks, Lunar Lake’s Arc 140V GPU has a theoretical 3.8 teraflops of graphics compute, Strix Point’s Radeon 890M has a theoretical 4.1 teraflops, and Meteor Lake’s Arc Graphics also offers a theoretical 4.1 teraflops. Looking at the actual resulting performance (and, for simplicity’s sake, ignoring the difference in memory speeds), that means on a clock for clock basis, Battlemage as an iGPU currently delivers better overall efficiency in terms of gaming performance per teraflops. We crunched the numbers, and we end up with Lunar Lake offering 10.33 FPS/TFLOPS across our test suite, Strix Point gives 9.05 FPS/TFLOPS, and Meteor Lake only offers 6.90 FPS/TFLOPS. That means, for our independent testing, Intel delivered exactly 50 percent higher performance per teraflops compared to its prior generation GPU. Thoughts on integrated graphics in 2024 For a lot of people, integrated graphics will be the only thing on offer with many laptops. It’s possible to do dedicated GPUs, but that results in thicker, heavier systems that often offer much worse battery life, make more noise, run hotter, and cost a lot more. Given those factors, I’d make the argument that if you’re only intending on modest gaming on a laptop, and you have good internet (with no data cap), you’d be better off with a thin and light laptop and an Nvidia GeForce Now subscription. Do the math: RTX 2080/3080 performance at 1440p60 for $10 per month, or an “RTX 4080 in the cloud” with up to 4K120 performance for $20 per month. Image fidelity via streaming isn’t as good as locally rendered graphics, but on a laptop I’d be more than happy to get a virtual 4080 equivalent that can actually deliver solid performance at 1440p ultra settings. Of course, now even paid subscribers are limited to 100 hours per month, but if that’s enough for your needs, and like I said you have good internet? I’ve used GeForce Now enough to know that it’s better than what you get with just about any laptop, for a fraction of the cost. But don’t try using it on most hotel WiFi networks, or be prepared for disappointment. Secondarily, there’s the question of where integrated graphics are going. Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Apple all offer baseline iGPUs with 1024 or 1280 shader ALUs right now. Apple is more than happy to double or quadruple that figure, with 2X to 4X the memory bandwidth as well, for a hefty price increase. Apple MacBook Pro users are willing to fork out for such a configuration, but Windows users have so far been less enamored with faster iGPUs. But there are a lot of rumblings about AMD Strix Point Halo, which could double the memory interface to 256 bits and increase the CU count from 16 in Strix Point to 40 CUs. It would be, roughly speaking, AMD’s equivalent of the Apple M4 Pro, with more compute but similar bandwidth. It would also be at least relatively similar to the PlayStation 5 GPU, but with less bandwidth. Is there a market for such a monster iGPU, running Windows? We’ll find out, if or when AMD begins shipping Strix Point Halo. As for Intel, Lunar Lake takes the podium for ‘pure’ Windows integrated graphics right now. It’s not by a huge margin, and there are still a few driver issues that we encountered, but things are much better today than they were four years ago as far as gaming compatibility and performance are concerned. And as noted at the start, our testing was done without enabling any performance enhancing software, which mostly applies to AMD’s GPU. AMD rightly notes that FSR support is more widespread than XeSS. (DLSS is also more widespread than FSR and XeSS, but that’s another story.) The reality is that using things like AFMF2, FSR, or various other approaches that change the rendered resolution or insert ‘generated’ frames represent a different workload. You can try all of those out on whatever laptop or desktop GPU you buy, and some can deliver a better gaming experience — because no matter how you slice it, 1080p medium at 20 fps isn’t good. Driver-side adjustments in particular fundamentally skew the workloads and open the door for all sorts of shenanigans, so at least for our primary performance testing, we’re sticking to native rendering. We may however choose revisit all of our testing with various performance enhancers, which will be more of an experiential look at performance rather than discussing which GPU actually has more apparent horsepower. Because, let’s be frank: AMD still has better graphics drivers and software. Intel’s hardware may have the performance advantage, but even though it was only one game that ******* to run, there were other games (like Baldur’s Gate 3) that also delivered a poor experience. We’re more confident now than a few years back that Intel will continue to work on such driver issues, but we notified them of the Star Wars Outlaws and Baldur’s Gate 3 issues a few weeks ago, and a fix still hasn’t appeared. Set aside the drivers and software, and Intel’s latest iGPU looks good from the hardware standpoint. It shows some excellent efficiency and performance improvements over the previous Arc Alchemist GPUs, which is great to see and gives us hope for Intel Battlemage. Except, there are rumors and leaks that suggest Battlemage desktop cards my only offer up to 24 Xe-cores. That means, with a 2.5 GHz clock as an estimate, such a GPU would offer 15.4 teraflops of compute. If correct, that would be roughly at the level of an RTX 4060 Ti, or a bit lower performance than an AMD RX 7700 XT. That’s just a ballpark estimate and the final results remain to be seen, but we really hope Intel has something more in store with Battlemage than a 24 Xe-core solution. Beyond that, we have Panther Lake coming next year, which could have an Intel Arc Celestial (Xe3) GPU. We’re certain AMD will have more integrated RDNA 3.5 and RDNA 4 GPUs launching in the future as well. But for now, Lunar Lake currently claims the crown for being the fastest Windows PC integrated GPU. Source link #Intel #takes #AMD #integrated #graphics #battle #royale #dedicated #GPU #levels #power Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

More than 100 ill after recent E.coli outbreak More than 100 ill after recent E.coli outbreak E.coli linked to slivered onions on some McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers in America has caused 104 people to become ill, according to US health officials. The US Food and ***** Administration (FDA) said in an update on Wednesday that 34 people had been hospitalised in connection to the outbreak and that one man had ***** in October. McDonald’s supplier Taylor Farms recalled the onions in October after the Center for ******** Control and Prevention (CDC) announced E.coli – a type of bacteria that can cause serious stomach problems – in the onions were the “likely source”. The BBC has contacted McDonald’s and Taylor Farms for comment. According to the CDC, start dates for when people became ill range from 12 September and 21 October. The onions were directly distributed in many western and midwestern states, including Colorado, Iowa, and Kansas. Other areas were also affected, such as Oklahoma, Idaho, and New Mexico. Onion and environmental samples from McDonald’s stores and distribution centres have been collected by the FDA, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Of those who have become ill, four people developed haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) – a rare kidney condition that can damage red blood cells. The federal agency said that tests on the samples were ongoing, adding that it had completed onsite inspections at an onion grower in the state of Washington and at a Taylor Farms processing centre in Colorado. In the FDA’s update, health officials said it was continuing to work with the food supplier and their customers. “At this time, there does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants,” the update said. It added that it was “unlikely” the recalled onions were “sold to grocery stores or directly to consumers”. McDonald’s suspended sales of the Quarter Pounder burger in October in about a fifth of its US restaurants in response to the outbreak. Some consumers have taken legal action against the firm, including a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in October. The firm said in October it had stopped working with the supplier of the onions and had removed them from its supply chain. The fast food giant resumed sales of the burger in all of its restaurants in America after it said samples of its beef patties, taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, tested negative for the bacteria. On 29 October, McDonald’s chief executive Chris Kempczinski apologised for the outbreak, saying the firm was “sorry for what our customers experienced”. “We offer our sincere and deepest sympathies and we are committed to making this right,” he added. Source link #ill #E.coli #outbreak Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]