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The 8 best video doorbells, tried and tested | Technology The 8 best video doorbells, tried and tested | Technology Doorbells have evolved. Today, they watch us as we approach, let the people inside the home know we’re coming sooner than our finger can hit the button, and give them a good look at our faces before they open the door. They’re essentially security cameras with a chime function. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. If you haven’t already installed one of these handy tools, there’s a huge array available. Choosing the best video doorbell can be a bewildering task, with various factors to consider, including how much of your doorstep you want to see or whether you’re prepared to pay for a subscription. To help make the decision a little bit easier, I’ve tested eight popular video doorbells to find the best. At a glance Why you should trust me I’ve been testing products, including everything from vacuum cleaners and ****** lawnmowers to computers and games, for various publications for more than three decades. I’ve also owned a video doorbell for a couple of years, so I am well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. It gives me a good understanding of what I’m likely to be looking for in the next one I buy. How I tested The only way to test a doorbell is to stick it next to your front door and see how well it works. To achieve this, I mounted all eight on a board at doorbell height and lived with this rigged-up contraption on my doorstep for a fortnight. Delivery drivers were rightly suspicious of the number of buttons and cameras, and struggled to work out whether it was them or the doorbells that were being tested. I’m not sure whether my neighbours noticed them all, or spotted the number of times I lapped my drive at various times of day and night to test the movement sensors. If they did, they were too polite to mention it. I compared the doorbells by measuring how close I could get to the door before the motion detection was triggered, how much video was recorded and how useful that footage was. I timed how long it took for notifications to reach the doorbells’ apps on a smartphone and how long it took for the doorbell to send an alert or ring a chime (if included) when its button was pressed. I also tested the apps, examined the prices and considered the additional cost of subscriptions. All doorbells that didn’t need to be returned to the brands are being donated to the British Heart Foundation. The best video doorbells in 2024 ‘I lived with this rigged-up contraption on my doorstep for a fortnight’. Photograph: Andy Shaw Best overall: Google Nest (battery) Doorbells can be inundated with features, and their apps can be amazing. But if they don’t do a good job of letting you know when someone approaches your door and captures a video of them, there really isn’t much point. The Nest Doorbell (battery) performed these tasks the best. Why we love it In my tests, the Nest was a solid all-rounder. I found the viewing angle of its lens to be about perfect, not going so wide that people appear too small but still capturing enough of the surrounding area to catch people skirting around its periphery. The video and audio were as consistently clear as those on any of the doorbells I tested, and they were decent both in daylight and at night. The Nest sometimes detected people right at the end of my drive but proved consistent at capturing movement from about 3m away. I found there was some delay between the button being pressed and notifications arriving on Nest devices and smartphones, but it averaged at a fairly reasonable five seconds. While not as fast as the doorbells that had dedicated local chimes, which tend to go off almost immediately, this was among the fastest for sending alerts to smartphones and smart speakers. It’s a shame that … it doesn’t come with a chime. Instead, you need to buy a separate Nest Mini smart speaker, which costs £49. You also really need the Nest Aware subscription at £60 a year – without it, motion events are stored for only three hours, which isn’t hugely useful. £139 at Currys £129.99 at Amazon Subscription: Nest Aware (30-day storage, records only when movement triggered), £6/month or £60/year; Nest Aware Plus (60-day storage, records 24/7), £12/month or £120/year Best budget: Blink + Sync Module 2 The Blink is the only model I reviewed that cost less than £100. Amazon’s bargain basement doorbell costs as little as £59 and, while you get what you pay for in terms of quality, it does the job. Why we love it Price is the key selling point here because it’s significantly more affordable than its nearest competitor. However, we reviewed the version that comes with Blink’s Sync Module 2, which costs only £10 more. This plugs into a wall socket and lets you connect USB storage (I used a USB flash memory drive). The device then locally backs up video that’s saved to the cloud, so you won’t lose any footage unless your local storage fills up. You still need a (relatively affordable) subscription for motion detection to work, though. For a cheaper camera, I was impressed with the video footage. It has a wide-angle lens, so there’s a bit of a fish-eye effect around the edges, but it’s not so wide that people approaching the doorbell look tiny. It’s a shame that … the two-way audio isn’t great. The quality of the microphone was the worst I tested, so it’s best suited to those not planning to have lengthy conversations with people on the doorstep. £69 at John Lewis £69.99 at Amazon Subscription: Basic Plan, £2.50/month or £24.99/year, single device; Plus Plan, £8/month or £80/year, multiple devices Best subscription-free: Eufy E340 Most video doorbells provide limited features without additional costs, hiding all their best bits (such as storing video for any length of time) behind a paywall. The Eufy E340 is unusual because it ditches the paid-for subscription concept entirely. Why we love it The Eufy uses local rather than cloud storage, with 8GB built in to the device. How long that lasts before overwriting itself will depend on how busy your doorstep is. This built-in storage makes it one of the more expensive models, although that’s not its only trick. It uses two cameras, with an extra one pointed to the floor, so you can also keep an eye on parcels and packages (and analyse your visitors’ footwear). It’s a shame that … while the stars have aligned over the Eufy’s video quality and lack of subscription costs, there were one or two occasions when movement didn’t trigger the camera early enough or at all. Ideally, I’d prefer something more reliable. £155.17 at Amazon £179 at John Lewis Subscription: None required The best of the rest Aqara G4 Best for: no charging time The big problem with rechargeable doorbell batteries is that there’s a ******* when they have to be removed from the door and charged up, at which point any visiting friends will have to knock and unwanted visitors won’t be recorded. This doorbell uses six AA batteries rather than a rechargeable, so its only downtime is while you’re replacing them. This model also comes with the option of recording video to a microSD card, which slots into the supplied chime, sitting safely inside the house. However, it only provides access to the past seven days of video recordings through the app. To view further back, you have to remove the memory card and watch the files through a PC. It didn’t make the final cut because … the app is nothing short of horrible. It has an AI chatbot. No, I don’t know why either. It was also one of the slowest to send notifications to a smartphone. £119.99 at Amazon £119.95 at Apple Store Subscription: not required if using a memory card. A free subscription option downgrades footage to 360p and keeps it available for only seven days, so isn’t particularly useful. The paid-for tier stores at full 2K resolution and keeps it for 30 days, for $4.99/month (about £3.88) or $49.99/year (about £38.86) skip past newsletter promotion Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Ring Pro Best for: Alexa users The big brother of the Blink doorbell, with a price to match. If you’ve already bought into Amazon’s Echo smart speakers, this integrates smoothly with them. It has the widest-angle lens of all the cameras here, but that makes the footage look like you’re viewing through a peephole. Faces standing any distance away are too small to capture much detail. It has one really clever feature, though: it records video constantly and uses it to extend recorded movement events further back in time, so you can see what happens in the seconds before someone arrives on camera. It didn’t make the final cut because … it had the longest delay in sending notifications during testing, which was disappointing. £199.99 at Amazon £199.99 at John Lewis Subscription: Basic, £4.99/month or £49.99/year; Standard, £7.99 per month or £79.99 per year Yale Best for: field of view The Yale doorbell proved reasonably responsive when it came to detecting movement, triggering when I was about 2.5m away. It has a medium field of view compared with its rivals. That means people are still reasonably sized in the captured videos, but it gets a fish-eye effect around the edges, making it tricky to catch people hiding or sneaking up. The app is simple to use. It has few frills, but that may suit someone who doesn’t want their doorbell to be too complicated. There’s also internal storage, but only enough for two to four days, so it’s worth the subscription if you often go away for the weekend. It didn’t make the final cut because … sound quality was the worst of the group, and the video had an unnatural colour tint. £79.99 at Argos (with chime) £129.98 at Yale Subscription: from £3.50/month Ezviz EP3x Pro Best for: not running out of battery If you don’t like the idea of charging or changing your doorbell’s batteries, the Ezviz eliminates these problems. It comes with its own solar panel, which attaches to the back of the device with a wire. As long as it can catch a bit of sunlight, it’ll keep your doorbell going indefinitely. The Ezviz is a two-camera system, with one pointing downwards for watching parcels. It comes with 32GB of internal storage, so you don’t have to opt for a subscription, though you can add one if you want video saved to the cloud, too. It didn’t make the final cut because … the movement detection and video recording didn’t kick in until people were 1m away from the doorbell, so it often started recording too late. £109.99 at Amazon Subscription: 7-day video history, £4.99/month or £49.99/year; 30-day video history, £9.99/month or £99.99/year Tapo D235 Best for: a good value camera with no subscription required If our budget choice doesn’t appeal, then the Tapo D235 may suffice instead. It’s more expensive but sits comfortably in the middle of the price range of doorbells reviewed, and it can record video locally on a microSD card. However, there’s still a £2.99 a month subscription available. That lets you save captured footage to the cloud as well as or instead of a memory card and sends camera snapshots with its text alert notifications. For the price, I was impressed with the quality of the footage captured, but it uses colour night vision as it gets dark, which was a bit too grainy. It has a wide 180-degree viewing angle and comes with a chime that sounds inside when someone pushes the doorbell button. It didn’t make the final cut because … motion detection started at about 1.5m in our tests, which meant some movement was missed. Also, its wide-angle lens makes distant visitors appear small. £114.99 from Tapo £119.99 from Amazon Subscription: Not required if using a memory card. Otherwise: Basic 7-day video history, £2.49/month or £24.99/year; Premium 30-day video history, £2.99/month or £29.49/year What you need to know As you may expect, buying a video doorbell isn’t (just) about whether the colour matches the paint job on your front door. Smart doorbells are crammed with features designed to make you think they sound good, luring you into choosing one over another. However, you should also take into account how good they are at alerting you when people arrive at your door, and whether you’ll be able to tell who it is when you watch a video or live feed on your smartphone, as I did in my tests. If you have an existing wired doorbell, you can use its wiring to connect most video doorbells. If you’re not a competent electrician, you may need someone to install it for you. The benefit is that a device connected in this way will ring your existing doorbell chime. Otherwise, you’re limited to a battery doorbell. These are much easier to install, but charging them can be a faff. You usually have to remove the doorbell and charge it overnight. During that time you have no doorbell or camera. Some doorbells come with regular batteries that can simply be swapped, while others can be kept topped up using a small solar panel, either out of the box or as an additional accessory. Talking of accessories, it’s worth checking these out before you buy. If you want a chime that rings inside, you need to choose a model that supports this and has them available to buy. If your house is already populated with Amazon Echo or Google Nest speakers, you can use these instead of chimes. That can help make your buying decision for you – there’s no point buying a Nest doorbell if you’ve already bought into Amazon’s devices – but some doorbells will happily work with either. Source link #video #doorbells #tested #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Met police faces service cuts without more cash, says chief Met police faces service cuts without more cash, says chief BBC The boss of the ***’s largest police force has warned it faces “eye-watering cuts” to services unless ministers increase its funding. Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told the BBC he was “deeply troubled” by talks so far on its annual settlement for next year. He added that the force was in a “precarious position” because previously used options to “prop up” its budget had run out. The government has said it plans to increase the overall policing budget next year – although allocations by force are still to be negotiated. The Met’s budget for this year is just over £3.5bn, a 3.5% increase from 2023/24, comprising £2.6bn from central government and £956m from local taxes. Sir Mark said conversations over its funding allocation from next April – which would normally be expected to be announced in December or January – were still “ongoing” with the government and City Hall. But, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, he said he was “deeply troubled by the situation we appear to be heading towards”. Policing a global capital such as London came with an “extra set of challenges”, he said, adding that per person was lower than in other cities such as New York and Sydney. He said that the “cumulative effect of decisions over the last decade or so” had put the force in a “more and more precarious position”, and some of its buildings would be “unusable” in a few years without further investment. “Some of the things that successive [police] commissioners and mayors have used to balance the books – like selling police stations and using reserves – all of those things have run out,” he added. “The chancellor has been very clear – it’s a difficult public sector context.” ‘Tough choices’ “You add all those things together, and you get a dramatic change in budgets of a scale that’s never going to be absorbed by efficiencies, and is going to require some pretty eye-watering cuts to sort of to the services we provide to London.” He added that he was not going to get into detail at this stage on the “tough choices” the force would face without an increase in resources. But he said he planned to specific “10 or 20 things we’re going to do differently” before Christmas. He added that the implications for policing in the capital would “become more public” in the coming weeks. The budget for the Home Office is set to shrink by 3.3% next year in real terms, with the bulk of this coming from assumed savings on asylum support. At last month’s Budget, the government said it planned to “increase the core government grant for police forces,” although it did not specify whether this would be in cash terms or taking account of inflation. Before the election, Labour also said it also planned to save £360m through more efficient purchasing of police equipment, which it promised to spend on extra community support officers. Source link #Met #police #faces #service #cuts #cash #chief Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

YouTube creators can now make AI song remixes for Shorts YouTube creators can now make AI song remixes for Shorts Select YouTube creators can now produce their own remixes of existing songs. YouTube has announced a new feature for its AI-powered Dream Track tool that allows individuals to “restyle” a song and create a 30-second tune to use in a Short. Creators in the experiment group for this feature can choose from eligible songs and then give an explanation to AI about how they want to remix it. These changes could focus on giving the song a different genre or mood — whatever twist they’re imagining. From there a new song gets produced “that reimagines the music while maintaining the essence of the original song’s vocals and lyrics,” YouTube’s announcement states. “These restyled soundtracks will have clear attribution to the original song through the Short itself and the Shorts audio pivot page, and will also clearly indicate that the track was restyled with AI.” YouTube rolled out Dream Track in November 2023, powered by Google DeepMind’s Lyria model. It allowed a select group of US creators to make songs using the AI-generated voices of participating artists. The feature included a deal with Universal Music Group and partnerships with a slew of musicians, including John Legend, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. It has expanded its availability to all US creators in the year since. Source link #YouTube #creators #song #remixes #Shorts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pacific finance needs top $2b as storms hit, seas rise Pacific finance needs top $2b as storms hit, seas rise Pacific Island nations need climate finance to top $2 billion every year in addition to existing official aid, experts warn the international climate summit. Source link #Pacific #finance #top #storms #hit #seas #rise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Early ****** Friday Apple Deal – AirTag 4-Pack For $70 Restocked At Amazon Early ****** Friday Apple Deal – AirTag 4-Pack For $70 Restocked At Amazon Best Buy’s Early ****** Friday ***** features the best-ever deal on the 4-pack of Apple AirTags, dropping the price from $99 to only $70. Amazon is matching this deal but has already sold out once (and fast). The AirTag 4-Pack was restocked at Amazon today, November 13. We expect this offer to continue to be popular, so snag it while you can. If you don’t need a 4-pack, you can buy single AirTags for $19 each at Amazon. This deal also sold out once already, so don’t wait too long to grab it. AirTags may not be the most exciting products in the Apple catalog, but there’s no denying their utility. Whether you use them to track luggage, keys, or even your car, AirTags are a great way to ensure your valuables never go missing. They’re also perfect for students heading back to school–as plopping one in a backpack means you’ll never lose track of your schoolwork or books ever again. While AirTags are fairly standard location trackers, they have a few features that set them apart from the competition. For one, they’re incredibly easy to set up–a single tap can connect them to your iPhone and get them ready for use. They also support Ultra-Wideband technology, which offers precise coordinates and enhanced tracking skills. They even come with a built-in speaker so you can play a sound to help pinpoint their location. Toss in a bunch of impressive privacy features (all communication with the Find My network is anonymous and encrypted), and you’ve got a solid tracker–especially at this new low price. Amazon’s ****** Friday 2024 ***** doesn’t officially start until November 21, but the retailer is matching deals featured at competing retailers. Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have all launched early ****** Friday sales. Source link #Early #****** #Friday #Apple #Deal #AirTag #4Pack #Restocked #Amazon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 for Phone 2 and Phone 2a Rolling Out: What’s New Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 for Phone 2 and Phone 2a Rolling Out: What’s New Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 is now available for Phone 2 and Phone 2a users, the company has announced. Users can experience the new Android 15-based operating system (OS) before its public rollout in December and try out more features such as shared widgets, smart drawer enhancements, refined animations, and camera improvements. This release builds upon the rollout of the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 update that was introduced earlier this month. Notably, the beta program was first launched in October with the Phone 2a and will be available for other devices, such as the CMF Phone 1, later this year. Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 Features In a community post, Nothing announced that the OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 update adds more features to the already expansive list of introductions with the first beta. This includes a Shared Widgets feature which lets users see another user’s widgets displayed on their home screen and interact with them through reactions. This feature is exclusive to interactions between Nothing smartphones. Animations for Quick Settings have been refined, including those for Bluetooth, tile resizing, swiping interactions, and tile transitions. The Carl Pei-led company introduced a Smart Drawer powered by artificial intelligence (AI) with the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 which can automatically arrange apps in separate category folders based on usage. The Open Beta 2 is said to bring enhanced accuracy to this feature, while also adding an auto-sort feature. Nothing Phone 2 and Phone 2a users will also be able to take advantage of camera enhancements with the update. It is claimed to deliver improved stability when switching between camera modes, an upgraded HDR algorithm for better picture quality, an optimised portrait mode, and enhanced brightness when using the Ultra HDR Mode. Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 brings other visual and performance updates. There is now an AI-powered selection and prioritisation of the frequently used apps, support for a refresh rate of up to 90 frames per second (fps) in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, an onboarding guide for first-time Pop-up view users, and other general bug fixes and performance improvements. Source link #Open #Beta #Phone #Phone #Rolling #Whats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Mysterious Extinct Species Seeded Their Genes in Modern Humans A Mysterious Extinct Species Seeded Their Genes in Modern Humans The tree of life is often more like a vine that snakes back on itself, with tendrils briefly embracing before they reach for the sky or wither into nothing. While much has been said about the Neanderthal and human branches of humanity, it’s becoming increasingly clear our past has had frequent encounters with another close relative known as the Denisovans (pronounced duh-nee-suh-vns). A recently published review of the existing research on Denisovan DNA by Trinity College Dublin population geneticists Linda Ongaro and Emilia Huerta-Sanchez brings us up to date on how our own biology has been influenced by the history of a people we still know so very little about. According to their interpretation of the evidence, a number of Denisovan populations that were adapted to environments across the ****** continent and beyond passed their genes to our own recent ancestors on multiple occasions, bestowing us with a selection of their advantages just as Neanderthals have done. “It’s a common misconception that humans evolved suddenly and neatly from one common ancestor, but the more we learn the more we realize interbreeding with different hominins occurred and helped to shape the people we are today,” says Ongaro, first author of the recent study. Compared with the century or two that scientists have spent examining Neanderthal ********, graves, and artifacts, our academic acquaintance with the Denisovans is remarkably recent, and limited. A mere handful of teeth and bones belonging to these extinct relatives have been recovered over recent decades. Following a series of genetic analyses that began with a young female’s fingerbone in 2010, the ******** are now understood to belong to a previously undescribed hominin group that became genetically distinct from Neanderthals around 400,000 years ago – most likely a few hundred thousand years after Neanderthals became distinct from our own ancestors. Our understanding of the range, culture, and adaptations of the Denisovans has been building slowly over the years, hinting at a rich diversity of humans with a genetic legacy that stretches from Siberia to South East Asia and across Oceania to even the Americas. “By leveraging the surviving Denisovan segments in modern human genomes scientists have uncovered evidence of at least three past events whereby genes from distinct Denisovan populations made their way into the genetic signatures of modern humans,” says Ongaro. Branches of Denisovan populations have affected the genes of modern human populations across Oceania, South East Asia, and Siberia. (Ongaro et al., Nature Genetics, 2024) Among extant genes known to have originated among Denisovans are sequences common in Tibetan populations that help the body cope with relatively low amounts of oxygen, DNA that gives Papuan immunity a boost, and genes found among Inuit lineages that influence the burning of fats to cope better with the cold. These join the diverse genes swapped through frequent interactions with Neanderthals that have helped some of us weather pandemics, influenced our appearance, and even shaped our brains. Ongaro and Huerta-Sanchez’s review serves to highlight not just what we’ve learned, but just how little we know about the way distinct pockets of modern humans have been changed by encounters with these extinct relatives. “There are numerous future directions for research that will help us tell a more complete story of how the Denisovans impacted modern day humans, including more detailed genetic analyses in understudied populations, which could reveal currently hidden traces of Denisovan ancestry,” says Ongaro. This research was published in Nature Genetics. Related News Source link #Mysterious #Extinct #Species #Seeded #Genes #Modern #Humans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PS5 restock: Where you can buy a PS5 right now PS5 restock: Where you can buy a PS5 right now When the PlayStation 5 first launched back in November 2020, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on the highly anticipated console. Despite demand being through the roof, chip shortages heavily cut production — and due to sustained consumer interest, it was a problem that plagued the PS5 for years after launch. Thankfully, we’re happy to report that those issues have largely been resolved, making it pretty easy to grab a PS5 these days. The launch of the PS5 Pro has ignited another buying frenzy, and with ****** Friday coming up, Sony has even cut the price of the base PS5. While the PS5 is now readily available at any big box tech store or online retailer, we still have some helpful tips that can help you save time and money. Read on for info on the biggest retailers selling the PS5, what you need to know about Digital vs Disc editions, refurbished options, and more. Recommended reading: PlayStation Direct Sony Before its launch, Sony opened registration for PS5 pre-orders but used a seemingly arbitrary system for inviting consumers to put money toward the console. In essence, you could register to receive an invitation, and if Sony deemed you worthy enough, a link would be emailed to you, guaranteeing you could place money down (for a limited time). The time for that has come and gone, but you can still purchase the system through PlayStation Direct — when they’re in stock. Fortunately, PS Direct frequently has stock available. The PS5 Pro is even in stock. Sony now allows users to register to buy a PlayStation 5 system so long as they have a PlayStation Network ID, though, much like the pre-order process, potential buyers are selected at random. Walmart During the initial PS5 launch, Walmart had a system that staggered PS5 restocks, essentially creating a lottery system for people trying to add the console to their shopping carts. Those days are over now, and all editions of the PS5 are readily available. You can have the console shipped to you or order it online and pick it up at the closest Walmart to you. Walmart also offers the ability to buy consoles from third-party sellers, which opens up options — and risks — for cheaper, used systems. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Digital Edition: PS5 Pro: Best Buy Best Buy is a great choice if you want to add two-year protection through a Geek Squad warranty. This helps cover repairs for things like dust damage, spilled drinks, power surge damage, controller replacements, and other things. It’s a good choice for more boisterous households. Also, financing options are available if you have a Best Buy card. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Digital Edition: PS5 Pro: Target Target offers a two-year warranty via its Allstate protection plan for $63 but otherwise doesn’t offer any additional deals on PS5 systems. The online store is a good second option since it’s a bit more likely to stay in stock longer than places like Amazon. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Digital Edition: PS5 Pro: Newegg Image used with permission by copyright holder Newegg may not be a household name like Target or Best Buy, but the retailer ******** a powerhouse in the electronics space. The online store is known for offering steep discounts on everything from computer components to video doorbells. When the PlayStation 5 first launched, Newegg had a lottery system to get one. These days, you can buy them without the added hassle. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Digital Edition: PS5 Pro: GameStop At GameStop, you can typically find bundles that come with games, extra DualSense controllers, and accessories, but they sell out quickly. As for the base systems themselves, those are easy to grab right on the retailer’s homepage, or you can stop by your local store. GameStop also offers pre-owned systems, but we don’t advocate buying anything except new when it comes to hardware. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Digital Edition: PS5 Pro: Amazon Amazon is today’s go-to online retailer because of its endless stock and its quick shipping times. Amazon has the Standard Edition, the Pro Edition, and some refurbished options. PS5 Standard Edition: PS5 Pro: Renewed PS5: Source link #PS5 #restock #buy #PS5 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dogecoin soars after Trump taps Elon Musk for department of government efficiency: CNBC Crypto World Dogecoin soars after Trump taps Elon Musk for department of government efficiency: CNBC Crypto World ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what’s ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today’s show, Fried Thiel of MARA discusses how the postelection rally impacts crypto miners. 11:05 Wed, Nov 13 20243:22 PM EST Source link #Dogecoin #soars #Trump #taps #Elon #Musk #department #government #efficiency #CNBC #Crypto #World Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Guardian is leaving X The Guardian is leaving X announced it will no longer be active on X (formerly Twitter) — all its editorial accounts will stop posting on the platform. Users can, of course, still share the outlet’s articles on X, and journalists working for The Guardian may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform to gather news. According to the statement, X has become rife with “far-right *********** theories and racism” and is simply not worth sinking more resources into. The newspaper would rather spend its time and energy on less “toxic” platforms. Additionally, The Guardian cites Elon Musk as a major reason for moving away, since the results of the recent US presidential election have allegedly shown how Musk “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.” Essentially, the concern appears to be that continuing to post would be adding fuel to a *********** machine. The Guardian isn’t the only news outlet to ditch X: and both left in 2023. Corporations like Apple, IBM, Disney and others still post, but no longer advertise on X. These companies have historically been the social media platform’s biggest source of ad income, as reported by . The Guardian claims it’s able to make this decision because it doesn’t rely on advertising as its main business model. But Twitter was always more about influence than , and the returns on investment for publishers have only with time. Source link #Guardian #leaving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cisco and Pure Storage bet on CoreWeave in $650 million secondary ***** Cisco and Pure Storage bet on CoreWeave in $650 million secondary ***** CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator appears on CNBC on July 17, 2024. CNBC CoreWeave, a startup that rents out Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips to other companies, said Wednesday that it closed a $650 million secondary share *****, with Cisco and Pure Storage investing alongside financial institutions. In the transaction, CoreWeave’s existing stakeholders are selling shares to outside investors. Bloomberg reported last month that CoreWeave was targeting a $23 billion valuation for the deal, up from $19 billion in a $1.1 billion investment round announced in May. CoreWeave is going head-to-head with large cloud infrastructure providers, such as Amazon and Google in providing Nvidia’s graphics processing units, or GPUs, to companies for AI workloads. The startup got a big boost last year, when Nvidia made an investment, and another stamp of approval after Microsoft enlisted the company as a third-party cloud provider. Investors have been eager to sink money into companies that are enabling generative AI, which can create text, images and videos in response to a few words of human input. The frenzy began after Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT went viral in late 2022 and led to soaring demand for compute power. “We are a company that is one of the few companies in the world that’s able to bring on this kind of infrastructure at the scale that’s required to actually make a difference,” CoreWeave co-founder and CEO Mike Intrator told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in July. The following month Nvidia said its H200 GPUs had become available through CoreWeave, meaning the startup was the first cloud provider to reach general availability with the graphics cards. CoreWeave has raised $14 billion, a spokesperson said. In May, the company said it had raised $7.5 billion in fresh debt. In October, it announced a $650 million credit line. Last week, bitcoin mining company Core Scientific said CoreWeave had signed up for 500 megawatts worth of data center capacity in a deal that could be worth up to $8.7 billion over 12 years. In addition to Cisco and Pure, investment firms including BlackRock, Coatue and Fidelity participated in CoreWeave’s secondary *****. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Cisco #Pure #Storage #bet #CoreWeave #million #secondary #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Lego Spider-Man Figure Is Just $20 For ****** Friday This Lego Spider-Man Figure Is Just $20 For ****** Friday There are dozens of great Lego deals right now, as early ****** Friday sales have officially started. But if you’re shopping for a young Lego fan, it’s hard to beat the Spider-Man Articulated Action Figure. The tiny build is composed of just 258 pieces, and right now you can pick it up for $20 (was $25). That’s one of the best prices of the year, though we’re not sure how long it’ll stick around. $20 (was $25) This 9-inch figurine features multiple articulated joints, so while you’ll snap Spidey together like a traditional Lego set, he’s actually more of an action figure. This means you can move around his head, arms, and legs, making him a pretty cool addition to any ****’s treasure chest of toys. You’ll also find two cool web accessories that connect to the superhero’s hands. Both Amazon and Walmart are offering the deal, so if one retailer sells out, be sure to check the other. Spider-Man is one of the coolest Lego figures on *****, but he’s not the only one available at a discount ahead of ****** Friday. You’ll also find a Lego DC Batman Construction Figure for $26 (was $33), featuring the same sort of articulated joints. Standing over 10.5 inches tall, the Dark Knight makes a great toy or piece of décor for a ****’s room. A Wolverine Construction Figure is also on ***** for $26 (was $33), while the Captain America Construction Figure is $25 (was $33). A few others are seeing discounts, and the Marvel New Captain America Construction Figure is up for preorder–consider locking in your order today to guarantee you have it in time for the holidays. We’ve compiled a list of the best Lego Construction Figure deals below. Once you’re done skimming through the list, head over to our ****** Friday Hub for even more price cuts. Best Early ****** Friday Lego Construction Figure Deals Source link #Lego #SpiderMan #Figure #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Working birthday for King Charles at 76 Working birthday for King Charles at 76 PA Media King Charles is visiting a project saving food that would have been wasted King Charles III is to mark his 76th birthday by opening two hubs that will distribute large volumes of surplus food to food banks, schools and community centres. It is the latest stage of his Coronation Food Project, designed to make better use of food that would otherwise be thrown away. The King is treating his birthday as a working day, visiting a new food hub in south London and conducting a virtual opening ceremony for another, on Merseyside. Since being launched, on the King’s birthday last year, the food project has saved the equivalent of 2.2 million meals. Reuters The food project was launched a year ago, at an event in Didcot, Oxfordshire There was some glamour for the King ahead of his birthday, as he attended the premiere of Gladiator II, on Wednesday. Marking a TV and film industry reception, the band outside Buckingham Palace played movie themes, including from Star Wars and James Bond – which might have been for agent 00-76. Queen Camilla missed the Gladiator II screening, as she recovers from a chest infection. “I think I’m on the mend – but these things always take a bit of time,” the Queen said, at the Booker Prize awards, on Tuesday. Watch: King meets Denzel Washington at Gladiator II premiere The King’s birthday will see him launching a distribution centre in south London, where charities, including the Felix Project and FareShare, can collect food and take it to help individuals and community groups. The food comes from places such as supermarkets or the catering industry – and rather than wasting good quality unsold food, it is used to help those facing food ********. The King will visit a “surplus-food festival” and meet some of the people who have benefited, with the new hubs intended to increase the food saved. So far, the Coronation Food Project has rescued 940 tonnes of surplus food, estimated as enough to make 2,240,000 meals. The King is continuing to be treated for ******* but wants to keep focusing on his work, royal aides have said. Although he has been on the throne for only two years, he is now the sixth longest-living British monarch. Source link #Working #birthday #King #Charles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Early ****** Friday gaming monitor deals — LG, Alienware, more Early ****** Friday gaming monitor deals — LG, Alienware, more Update 11/12/24: We’re super happy with the selection so far, but the shiniest deal has to be on that massive 49-inch Odyssey, now just $1,200, down at the bottom. If you have a gaming PC, you know that you need a high-quality monitor to get the most out of it. If you’ve been waiting for ****** Friday all year to upgrade, we’ve got good news. While ****** Friday doesn’t officially start until November 29, you can go ahead and start purchasing early ****** Friday deals now, including early ****** Friday 4K monitor deals. The really good news is that we’re seeing great deals from the start, including with popular brands (check out these early Alienware ****** Friday deals, for instance) so there’s really no reason to wait. Manufacturers know that modern people are busy, and admittedly somewhat impatient, so they aren’t making you wait. In fact, in many cases, we notice that some of the best early deals are spotted as being “too good” by retailers, and get pushed down, never to be seen at the early deals rate again. So, if you like a deal now, you can go ahead and buy. We’ll be looking at the deals that come and go all season long, so be sure to bookmark this page, but here are the prominent deals from our earliest look at what is to come. LG UltraGear 27-inch QHD — $190 $300 37% off LG A very serviceable budget option with an extra $110 taken off of the price. Despite the price, its got a 1440p resolution (which is nice for a 27-inch monitor) and a 144Hz refresh rate. If you aren’t looking to pay extra for a gaming monitor, this is the one to buy now. Samsung 34-inch Odyssey G5 — $380 $550 31% Samsung This is one of Samsung’s infamous ultrawide Odyssey monitors with the hefty 1000R curve at a very nice price of just $380. If you’ve been envious of the style, but not the price tag, this just might be the time to strike. HP Omen 27k — $498 $654 24% off Jacob ****** / Digital Trends This monitor’s claim to fame is that it brings you a 4K resolution at 144Hz on a budget. Jacob ******, in his 2024 HP OMen 27k review, particularly praised the inclusion of USB-C hub connectivity with the monitor at the price it is being offered at. Lenovo 31.5-inch Y32p-30 — $600 $750 20% Jacob ****** / Digital Trends Back when it debuted in 2023, the Y32p-30 reviewed as having “The right balance of features for slightly too high of a price” — a problem not found with a deal price of just $600. Decent built-in speakers, a KVM switch, and fantastic ****** accuracy are the proud marks of a fine gaming monitor that this display shows. Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED — $800, $1,100 27% off Digital Trends Prized for its combination of surprising affordability, excellent ****** gamut, and delightful QD-OLED tech, this is the overall best gaming monitor. Check out our Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED review for more details, though the short story is that it pushes the envelope by prioritizing image quality in a way that few other monitors do. Note that there is currently a for $700, and while similarly built that isn’t the exact same model as this one, our favorite. Samsung 32-inch Odyssey Neo G8 — $800 $1,300 38% off Jacob ****** / Digital Trends A model that can give Alienware’s top monitor a run for its money. Our Odyssey Neo G8 review praises the monitor’s 240Hz at 4K capabilities (if you use the DisplayPort 1.4 connection). It was called a monitor for gamers that want “bleeding-edge performance no matter what the cost” but at $500 off, this monitor is now much more accessible. LG UltraGear 32-inch OLED Dual Mode — $1,000 $1,400 29% off Jacob ****** / Digital Trends This one is a bit unique — it has two different resolutions and refresh rates. Switched on way its 4K at 240Hz, switched another its 1080p at 480Hz. Our reviewer, in our LG OLED Dual Mode review, initially didn’t see the case for the 1080p mode but was drawn to it for those high-intensity FPS games where every frame split counts. Be sure to check out the full review for more on how you can customize the switch. 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) — $1,200 $1,800 33% off Jacob ****** / Digital Trends One of the most massive, beautiful Samsung Odyssey monitors you can get today. Jacob ****** in his Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 review, called it a “game-changing gaming monitor” and it is easy to see why — in addition to being absolutely massive, its got an impressive 240Hz refresh rate and a full Tizen OS built inside. Grabbing it while it is $600 off is a great deal. How to choose a gaming monitor on ****** Friday If you have very particular tastes, choosing a gaming monitor can be a difficult art, and there are many gaming monitor buying mistakes to avoid. (One key one is getting a monitor that is too big for the resolution it has.) However, there are a few things just about any gamer will want to consider before making a purchase: Resolution: Most gamers will typically want a resolution of 4K to see their games in the best detail levels possible. That being said, a 1440p monitor isn’t out the question if it’s on the smaller side and you want something budget. Refresh rate and response time: If you’re into high-action gameplay, a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher will be the preference for sure, and is when we start to hear descriptions like “buttery smooth” from reviewers. The response time, or time it takes for a pixel to change colors, is also pretty important for the same reason — quick image changes — but you should know that it is usually reported as GtG (or gray-to-gray) and not about widely differing colors. Still a 1ms GtG response time is a sort of gold standard for gaming monitors these days. To curve or not to curve: You may very well want a curved gaming monitor for its ease on your eyes, increased immersion, and ability to take a much easier glimpse at those corner UI elements that can get tucked away on larger screens. Note that curved gaming monitors can take up more space on your gaming desk. How we chose these ****** Friday gaming monitor deals Of course, the first thing is to make sure that we are getting a gaming monitor of quality for you. But this is all about getting a monitor for your needs, and that means there needs to be a variety. We’ll also be sure to link any in-depth, hands-on reviews from staff members if such reviews exist. As a result, we’re choosing monitors across the spectrum of possible price ranges, as well as from a variety of brands and even form factors (naturally, we’re looking at curved gaming monitors as well). Finally, we’re making sure that we can deliver actually good deals to you. Our experience as deals writers give us a scope of what is going on and where to hunt for deals from reliable dealers. Naturally, though, the price landscape will be constantly changing as the deals season progresses, so be sure to bookmark this page if you don’t like what you see right now. Source link #Early #****** #Friday #gaming #monitor #deals #Alienware Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indigenous population in NSW prisons reaches record high Indigenous population in NSW prisons reaches record high Australia’s largest state now has a record high number of Indigenous Australians in prison, according to a new report. Source link #Indigenous #population #NSW #prisons #reaches #record #high Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meta will have to defend itself from antitrust claims after all Meta will have to defend itself from antitrust claims after all The Federal Trade Commission will get a chance to argue its case for Meta’s breakup in court. On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg allowed the FTC’s lawsuit against the social media giant to move forward (PDF link). The FTC first sued Meta in 2020 in an attempt to force the company, then known as Facebook, to divest itself of Instagram and WhatsApp. Alongside dozens of attorneys general, the agency alleged Meta acquired the platforms in 2012 and 2014 to stifle growing competition in the social media market. This past April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case. In addition to noting that the FTC had previously approved both acquisitions, Meta argued that the agency had ******* to show that the company held monopoly power in the social networking services market, and that, in buying Instagram and WhatsApp, it had harmed consumers. Additionally, the company claimed that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and made them better as a result, to the benefit of social media users everywhere. While he did not entirely dismiss the lawsuit, Boasberg did force the FTC to narrow its case, dismissing an allegation that Facebook had provided preferential access to developers who agreed not to compete with it. “We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers. More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple’s iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. “We will review the opinion when it’s filed.” Judge Boasberg will meet with the two sides on November 25 to schedule the trial. The FTC lawsuit, it should be noted, was filed under the previous Trump administration, though whether it moves forward and in what form will depend on who President-elect Trump appoints to lead the agency. Source link #Meta #defend #antitrust #claims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The tech consultant charged in Cash App founder Bob Lee ‘s stabbing ****** testified in his own defense Wednesday that he made a “bad joke” to try to put an end to a late night of drinking and doing drugs, and the famous entrepreneur suddenly attacked him. In his first public statements about the events leading to Lee’s ******, Nima Momeni said that he joked to Lee that he might want to spend his final night in San Francisco with family rather than trying to find a strip club. Momeni said Lee pulled out a ****** and attacked him, forcing him to defend himself. He said Lee later walked away, showing no signs he was injured. Momeni said he called an attorney when he learned of Lee’s ****** the following day. “He’s a big famous guy,” he said. “I’m just an average joe, an immigrant.” Lee, 43, was found staggering on a deserted downtown San Francisco street, dripping a trail of blood and calling for help. He later ***** at a hospital. Prosecutors say Momeni, 40, planned the April 4, 2023, ******* after a dispute over his younger sister, Khazar Momeni, with whom Lee was friends. They say Momeni took a ****** from a unique set in his sister’s condo, drove Lee to a secluded area and stabbed him three times, then fled. The defense says Lee was being erratic and aggressive, having slept only six hours over a four-day ******* of doing ******** and ketamine and drinking. Momeni has pleaded not guilty. He faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted. But Momeni, who took the witness stand Wednesday, said the two men were on friendly terms when his sister kicked them both out of her condo at 2 a.m., saying she wanted to sleep after hours of partying and ingesting drugs. Momeni said they got into his BMW and he started driving while Lee checked his phone for places to go next. He pulled the car over after they went over a pothole, causing Lee to spill his *****. Lee got out of the car and Momeni followed, thinking Lee was about to *****. That was when he said he made the “bad joke” about seeing family. “He just went from zero to 100,” Momeni said. “You could see the anger.” Omid Talai, assistant district attorney, scoffed at the story on cross-examination Wednesday. “He wanted to ***** you over a bad joke?” said Talai, incredulous. “I’m not sure why he pulled it out,” Momeni said. “I was in ***** for my life.” Momeni pushed back Wednesday afternoon as Talai questioned him about text messages and testimony from others. The cross-examination continues Thursday. Surveillance video of Lee’s final night shows him entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister lives with her husband, a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon. Video also shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building after 2 a.m. and driving off together in Momeni’s car. Grainy video also shows the two men getting out of the car in a isolated spot by the Bay Bridge. Prosecutors say that is where Momeni stabbed Lee, while the defense says that is where Lee attacked Momeni. Police recovered a ****** with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade in the secluded area where Lee was stabbed. Prosecutors said tests showed Momeni’s DNA on the *******’s handle and Lee’s DNA on the ******* blade, but the defense presented an expert witness who said the police should have tested the handle for fingerprints, namely Lee’s. Lee’s ****** stunned the tech community as fellow executives and engineers penned tributes to the charismatic entrepreneur’s generosity and brilliance. Lee was chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he *****. He was a father to two children. Source link #Tech #consultant #testifies #bad #joke #led #deadly #clash #Cash #App #founder #Bob #Lee Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snag This 75-Inch 4K Roku TV For $378 During Walmart’s Early ****** Friday ***** Snag This 75-Inch 4K Roku TV For $378 During Walmart’s Early ****** Friday ***** If you’re on the market for an affordable 4K smart TV, you should check out Walmart’s early ****** Friday *****, as the retailer has a great deal on a very large TCL 4K TV. The TCL 75-Inch Class S4 4K Roku TV is discounted to only $378 (was $498) until November 17. The TV runs on the Roku TV OS, which supports all the popular streaming apps like Netflix, SlingTV, YouTube, and more, and there’s a built-in OTA TV tuner you can use to access over 250 free channels. Oh, and you can use the Roku smartphone app as a second remote. While this makes it a great pick for streaming video or watching Blu-rays, it also features an Auto Game Mode that dynamically changes the picture settings for the lowest possible input latency when using a console, making it a solid choice for gaming, too. TCL 75-Inch Class S4 4K Roku TV As for the TV’s design, the 75-inch Class S4 4K TV uses a bezel-less LED screen with HDR support and built-in 4K upscaling for lower-resolution video. It has four HDMI ports, including one port with eARC support for higher-fidelity audio quality. The rest of the TV’s I/O includes an Ethernet port, a USB port, and support for Wifi and Bluetooth. Overall, this is a pretty great deal on a 4K Smart TV, especially at a sub-$400 price point. That said, if you’re looking for a TV with gaming on PS5 or Xbox Series X in mind, you may want a higher-end display with HDMI 2.1, which helps take full advantage of the current console generation’s graphical capabilities. Walmart has a pair of fantastic deals on LG 4K OLED TVs. You can get a 55-inch model for $798 or a 65-inch model for $998. Both TVs have four HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1. It’s also worth checking out the rest of Walmart’s ****** Friday *****, which includes deals on games, PC hardware, collectible figures, and more. Head over to our Walmart ****** Friday deals roundup to see more of our favorite discounts, or visit Walmart’s site to browse the full event. Source link #Snag #75Inch #Roku #Walmarts #Early #****** #Friday #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** AI startup Shengshu launches image-to-video tool, rivaling Sora ******** AI startup Shengshu launches image-to-video tool, rivaling Sora Pictured here is an AI-generated clip from Vidu’s website. The tool can create videos from text or image prompts. Evelyn Cheng | CNBC BEIJING — Beijing-based Shengshu Technology on Wednesday said that its artificial intelligence-powered text-to-video tool Vidu will now be able to generate videos by combining images. Vidu already allows users worldwide to create 8-second clips based on written prompts. While OpenAI — the maker of ChatGPT — in February revealed that its AI model Sora could generate one-minute videos from text, it has yet to release that publicly. Vidu’s new AI feature can combine three pictures — such as a shirt, person and moped — into a video of the person wearing the shirt and driving the moped through a scene, Shengshu said. Other platforms claim they can turn text or images into videos using AI, but the quality of output varies. The breakthrough that Shengshu claims is the ability to take three unique images and integrate them with visual consistency into an AI-generated video. “Very early on we pinpointed [visual consistency] as the problem, and wanted to solve it well,” Fan Bao, chief technology officer at Shengshu, said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. Vidu launched in April and its ability to turn two profile photos into lifelike videos of people hugging went viral on TikTok. The AI video generator is already making money from advertisers, animators and other businesses, Shengshu co-founder and CEO Jiayu ***** said in Mandarin, according to a CNBC translation. He said monthly usage rates per customer can range from 100,000 yuan to 1 million yuan ($13,871 to $138,711). To address copyright issues, ***** said a company might sign a deal with an artist that allows the AI to mimic the artist’s style of painting for an advertisement. He said he hadn’t seen significant legal cases around consumers’ use of images. ***** added that Vidu doesn’t allow the public to generate content using images of celebrities or “sensitive” individuals. He said the AI tool also bans nudes and violent images. As for personal photos, ***** said Vidu destroys the data in accordance with general data protection regulation — a global benchmark. Shengshu was founded last year with backers including Baidu Ventures, Alibaba-affiliate Ant Group, ******** startup Zhipu AI, Qiming Venture Partners and Beijing city, according to PitchBook. ***** said Vidu’s AI runs off rented cloud servers in China and abroad. Source link #******** #startup #Shengshu #launches #imagetovideo #tool #rivaling #Sora Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Monster Hunter Outlanders is the series’ most ambitious mobile game Monster Hunter Outlanders is the series’ most ambitious mobile game Capcom and TiMi Studio Group announced Monster Hunter Outlanders for iOS and Android today. Unlike previous Monster Hunter games for mobile, Outlanders will more closely emulate console games with a large 3D open world to explore, real-time gameplay and combat, and cooperative hunting. Previous Monster Hunter mobile games include Monster Hunter Now, which applied the Pokémon Go formula to Capcom’s long-running series, and the matching game Monster Hunter Puzzle: Felyne Isles. In 2022, the Tencent-owned TiMi Studio Group announced its partnership with Capcom and intention to create a new mobile game that would “reproduce the hunting actions that define the Monster Hunter series.” TiMi developers have created mobile adaptations of franchises like Age of Empires and Call of Duty. Monster Hunter Outlanders might be TiMi’s most ambitious game yet. It will sport a large open world full of different regions, as well as the combat, cooperative play, and crafting gameplay loops found in mainline Monster Hunter titles. A press release also teases features like world events and social-focused systems. Unlike most mobile game reveals, the announcement trailer for Monster Hunters Outlanders does contain gameplay, so you can watch that for a better idea of what to expect from the final release. It’ll certainly be interesting to compare Outlanders‘ feature set to that of Monster Hunter Wilds, which is the next console game in the series and will launch across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 28, 2025. TiMi and Capcom haven’t committed to a release date for Monster Hunter Outlanders yet. All we know is that several public playtests for the game will be held ahead of its eventual launch on iOS and Android. Source link #Monster #Hunter #Outlanders #series #ambitious #mobile #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Chrome for iOS Receives Shopping Insights, Other New Features Google Chrome for iOS Receives Shopping Insights, Other New Features Google Chrome for iOS has received several new features that aim to make finding information and completing tasks easier. The web browser now lets iPhone users add text queries to visual searches via Google Lens for more helpful and relevant results. It also introduces new ways to save space on iPhone, find better deals while shopping online, and view maps of addresses quickly. These changes are arriving with the Google Chrome for iOS update for November 2024. New Features in Google Chrome for iOS In a blog post, Google announced that Chrome for iOS users can now add text queries to visual searches in Google Lens simultaneously. This is said to help in more complex searches with the option of adding a colour or visual attribute as a text query alongside the image search. Chrome for iOS also brings a new feature that might help users get rid of the “Storage Almost Full” notification. Following the latest update, it allows saving photos and other content from the web directly from the web to Google Drive and Photos apps on iPhone. When saving the file, users simply need to tap on the Drive option that appears and content will be saved in the new Saved from Chrome folder in Files. To save images, they can press and hold onto an image and select the Save in Google Photos option from the context menu. In the US, Google’s latest update for Chrome introduces a shopping insights feature for finding good deals when shopping online. While browsing for a product, users will get a Good Deal Now notification from the browser which provides information such as its price history, price tracking, and more buying options. This feature works when the Make Searches and Browsing Better setting is enabled on Chrome. It will initially only be available in the US but will be rolled out to more regions over the coming months, confirmed Google. Another new addition to Chrome for iOS is the ability to see maps of addresses with a single tap without switching between the browser and Google Maps. Once rolled out, users will be able to see a mini-map of the location in Chrome with one tap on the underlined address. The feature is currently said to be in the experimental phase and will be introduced globally soon. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Red Magic 10 Pro+, Red Magic 10 Pro With Snapdragon 8 Elite ‘Extreme Edition’ Chip Launched: Price, Specifications Source link #Google #Chrome #iOS #Receives #Shopping #Insights #Features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Media CFO, director sell DJT stock Trump Media CFO, director sell DJT stock Pavlo Gonchar | Lightrocket | Getty Images The chief financial officer of Trump Media and two other corporate insiders sold more than $16 million worth of company stock in the week following the presidential election, according to new disclosures. Most of the stock was sold by CFO Phillip Juhan, who in August adopted a trading plan that revealed his intention to sell 400,000 DJT shares by December 2025. Trump Media director Eric Swider and Scott Glabe, the company’s general counsel, each sold fewer shares of the company, whose majority owner Donald Trump was elected president on Nov. 5. Trump Media, which operates the Truth Social app, has a market capitalization of $6.3 billion despite reporting revenue of slightly more than just $1 million in the third quarter of this year. The company, whose share price has dramatically fluctuated since the stock became publicly traded in late March, reported losses of $19.2 million for the quarter. Truth Social’s daily active user rate is minuscule compared to other social media apps. Similarweb, a digital intelligence platform, reported that Truth Social had about 200,000 daily active users on Nov. 6, the day after Election Day. By contrast, the social media site X had 36.7 million users that day, Threads had 4.7 million users and Bluesky had about one million users. Juhan, who is also Trump Media’s treasurer, sold 320,000 shares on Friday at a price of $30.65 per share, or a total of $9.8 million worth of stock according to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. On Monday, Juhan sold another 64,000 shares at $32.97 per share, another $2.11 million worth, the same filing said. Read more CNBC politics coverage After the second *****, Juhan still had 265,798 shares of DJT, according to the filing. All but about 20,000 of those shares are restricted stock units, which were awarded to him on Nov. 5, Election Day, and which cannot be immediately sold. One-quarter of that awarded stock will vest, and become eligible for *****, on Dec. 25, a filing showed. The remaining shares will vest in quarterly installments through March 2027. Swider sold 136,183 shares of DJT on Friday at $28.23 per share, for a total of $3.84 million worth, according to his new Form 4 filing. The ***** disposed of all of Swider’s Trump Media shares, the filing indicated. Swider controls a company, Renatus Advisors, that still owns 18,043 shares of Trump Media. Glabe, the general counsel, on Friday sold 15,917 shares for $32.19 per share, or a total of $512,368, a filing shows. Glabe, who is also the company’s secretary, still owns 336,576 restricted stock units in Trump Media after that *****. That stock was awarded to him on Nov. 5, and will vest according to the same schedule as Juhan’s RSUs. On the same day that Juhan and Scott received the RSUs, Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes received 1.3 million RSUs, which as of Wednesday were worth nearly $38 million on paper. Nunes’ RSUs are subject to the same vesting schedules as those owned by Juhan and Scott. A Trump Media spokeswoman did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the stock sales. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Trump #Media #CFO #director #sell #DJT #stock Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon Haul wants to be the new Temu Amazon Haul wants to be the new Temu will be the ecommerce titan’s new discount storefront designed to compete against Temu and Shein, reports. This new corner of Bezos’s empire is mobile-only and promises items at “crazy low prices.” Unlike Amazon Prime’s fast speeds, Amazon promises its Haul orders orders will arrive in less than two weeks. Previously, CNBC mentioned in a that Amazon was exploring a storefront where goods would be sold to US customers directly from China, though now it seems the company itself is doing the importing and acting as an intermediary. Speed isn’t the only alteration to the typical Amazon arrangement customers will have to get used to. It seems, regardless of if they subscribe to Prime or not, buyers will have to purchase $25 of goods per order with Haul to get free shipping. For lesser orders, the shipping fee will be $3.99. Amazon also won’t accept Haul returns if the value of the items is $3 or under. If customers take to Haul, the new storefront could put Amazon in a favorable position in a seemingly crowded market. Both the and EU have set their regulatory . If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Source link #Amazon #Haul #Temu Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to know about Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy What to know about Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Donald Trump is vowing to reduce wasteful federal spending by tapping two billionaires — Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — to spearhead the initiative, which the president-elect is calling the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The appointments, announced by Trump on Tuesday, raise a host of questions about the effort, including whether Musk and Ramaswamy will have the authority to make changes in federal outlays, given that Congress authorizes the nation’s spending, as well as where the businessmen might look to cut spending. Under the plan, meanwhile, DOGE is not an official government department, raising questions about how its powers and how it will operate. The announcement comes a week after Trump won a second term as president, with voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the economy under the Biden administration. As part of his campaign vows, Trump promised to slash government spending. Musk’s bio on X, the social media platform he bought in 2022, now reads, “The people voted for major government reform.” “Frankly, it does need to be done again, so every few decades you really need to look at everything,” Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution who managed the Clinton Administration’s National Performance Review, an effort to cut government spending in the 1990s, told CBS MoneyWatch. But Kamarck also harbors reservations about Musk and Ramaswamy’s mandate, especially after the former recently suggested he could find more than $2 trillion in savings — almost one-third of the federal government’s $6.7 trillion in annual spending. Two-thirds of that spending is mandatory through programs including Social Security and Medicare, while discretionary spending is largely spent on defense. “This is the first warning sign that this is going to be a ******* operation,” Kamarck said. “That’s insane.” The Trump campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Here’s what to know about the Department of Government Efficiency. What is the Department of Government Efficiency? Trump announced the DOGE in a statement on Tuesday, describing it as an effort to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” The name is a nod to Musk’s support for a cryptocurrency called dogecoin, which was created as a joke by two software engineers and uses the image of a smiling Shiba Inu dog. (Dogecoin has more than tripled in price during the last month, and now trades at 38 cents.) Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy’s work “will conclude no later than July 4, 2026,” or by the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump only outlined the initiative’s contours and didn’t disclose how it will be staffed or funded. The Trump campaign didn’t respond to a request about the DOGE’s funding or whether Musk or Ramaswamy will be paid for their work on the effort. Can the DOGE actually cut federal spending? At the moment, that appears unlikely given that the DOGE isn’t a real government department, which would need to be created by congressional approval. Federal spending is authorized by Congress, and senators and House representatives may hesitate to support cuts to major programs like Social Security or Medicare, which are popular with millions of voters, or to the nation’s military. It’s also not clear how the organization will operate. It could come under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how external groups that advise the government must operate and be accountable to the public. Trump described Musk and Ramaswamy’s role as providing “advice and guidance from outside of government.” That doesn’t amount to much, Kamarck said. “They have no authority — none whatsoever,” she added, while noting that the backing of the president can help convince lawmakers to throw their support behind efficiency efforts. What have Musk and Ramaswamy said about federal spending? Musk, the world’s richest person with a net worth of $319 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has described the U.S. government as bloated and said it its spending is unsustainable. The Tesla founder also said he wants to reduce the number of federal agencies to 99, down from more than 400. “There are so many [agencies] that people have never heard of, and that have overlapping areas of responsibilities,” Musk said earlier this month. While on the campaign trail with Trump, Musk also said he could cut “at least $2 trillion” from the annual budget. “Your money is being wasted, and the Department of Government Efficiency will fix that,” Musk said. Musk is known for cost-cutting at his own companies, slashing most of X’s workforce after he bought the business two years ago as well as focusing on manufacturing costs at Tesla. Even so, those efforts have had mixed results, with X’s valuation falling by about 80% since his purchase. Tesla’s stock price, meanwhile, has surged 48% in the past year, bumping its value above $1 trillion. Ramaswamy, whom Forbes says has a net worth of about $1 billion, dropped out of the presidential race in January after running on an “anti-woke” campaign. He also advocated for government cuts by eliminating the Department of Education, a goal shared by President-elect Trump. Have administrations previously tried to cut costs? Yes, both *********** and Democratic presidents have created efforts to cut government spending. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan created the Grace Commission, led by wealthy businessman J. Peter Grace, the CEO of W. R. Grace & Company, a chemicals business. About 150 business people volunteered for the commission, which ultimately recommended 2,500 reforms, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. “Most of the recommendations, especially those requiring legislation from Congress, were never implemented,” the library notes. “However, the Commission’s work provided a starting point for many ************* critiques of the federal government.” In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton created the National Performance Review with the goal to create a government that would work better and cost less, Kamarck said. The group was staffed with civil servants who understood the bureaucracy, and many of whom had frustrations with it, she added. The group had some successes in streamlining operations and paring costs, eventually cutting more than 300,000 jobs, according to a study from the Congressional Research Service. Kamarck noted that the group also focused on integrating technology into departments at a time when the internet was just emerging, leading to efficiencies such as online tax filing. Where could the Trump administration cut spending? While experts are skeptical of Musk’s claim he can cut $2 trillion in spending, they also point out there are opportunities to look at efficiencies. Eliminating Medicare ****** is one area that could result in savings, according to the Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan group that looks at government spending. Its recommendations also include reducing the nation’s contributions to the U.N. and ending subsidies for some agricultural products, like dairy and sugar. Its projected savings: $377 billion in the first year, or about 19% of the $2 trillion that Musk is eyeballing. But efficiency goes beyond cost-cutting, Kamarck noted. It’s also about understanding how the bureaucracy works, “Every single thing in the federal government is big and complicated, and there are layers and layers of complexity,” she noted. “Al Gore and I relied on hundreds of experienced civil servants to tell us how this worked — and if you don’t do this, which I suspect they won’t because Musk is an arrogant billionaire, you will fail.” Does Musk have conflicts of interest? Yes, as Musk’s SpaceX works with the Department of Defense and NASA, with the federal government pledging $3 billion to his companies last year, according to the New York Times. Tesla, meanwhile, has been investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as by other agencies. Federal employees are generally required to disclose their financial assets and entanglements to ward off any potential conflicts of interest, and to divest significant holdings relating to their work. Because Musk and Ramaswamy would not be formal federal workers, they would not face those requirements or ethical limitations. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Aimee Picchi Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports. Source link #Trumps #Department #Government #Efficiency #led #Elon #Musk #Vivek #Ramaswamy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

John Lewis, Tesco, Amazon go for tear-jerkers, as others find festive fun John Lewis, Tesco, Amazon go for tear-jerkers, as others find festive fun John Lewis A woman goes on a trip down memory lane in the John Lewis Christmas advert The festive season is getting under way again, and so too is the battle of the Christmas adverts. John Lewis has become the latest retailer to beam its festive message into *** homes. The advert, released on Thursday, is a whimsical journey through one woman’s memories as she tries to find the perfect Christmas gift for her sister. Set to Richard Ashcroft’s 1990s track Sonnet, the ad is a “real tear-jerker” and suggests the retailer wanted to “return to its roots”, analysts said. “Most of this year’s festive adverts have fun at their heart – gnomes taking over Asda, a mystery whodunit at Waitrose, the welcome return of Kevin the Carrot at Aldi,” said retail expert Catherine Shuttleworth. But John Lewis has hit a “more traditional” feel, she added, after last year’s advert proved divisive. Its 2023 commercial featured a giant Venus flytrap. It left some viewers perplexed, as they questioned what a bloodthirsty plant had to do with Christmas. John Lewis Family and memories feature heavily in this year’s John Lewis advert In this year’s John Lewis advert, the heroine, Sally, is seen frantically doing last-minute shopping for her sister. She falls through a rack of dresses and finds herself in a fantastical world, where she revisits moments in her life – from childhood through to teenage years and adulthood. There are no recognisable celebrities in the advert, something Charlotte Lock, customer director at John Lewis, told the BBC was deliberate. “We get contacted every year by A-listers who want to be in our ad,” she said. “We always have the conversation, but what we didn’t want was that celebrity to overtake the story.” It’s still only mid-November, but the John Lewis advert is one of the last Christmas adverts to be released. For retailers, capturing the mood of the nation is always a challenge, especially given that the ads are planned months in advance. Ms Lock said they felt people wanted “a bit of emotion and sentimentality” after “a tough year, with global conflict and an economic crisis”. “The cost of living is still on people’s minds, and people are concerned about the cost of Christmas,” she said. “It feels like there’s a nation that’s quite exhausted and actually has been waiting to celebrate, and Christmas is a great outlet for that,” she added. Aldi Kevin the Carrot is fronting Aldi’s advert again Elsewhere, many brands have taken a lighthearted approach. “Humour and fun are a good way to raise spirits after what has been a difficult year in the world,” Ms Shuttleworth said. “So you can see why retailers have taken that route.” Aldi has brought back Kevin the Carrot for his ninth consecutive year. Joined by his wife Katie, he plunges into another assignment, as he tries to get the “spirit of Christmas” back from the dastardly humbugs. Meanwhile, Asda’s festive advert features a team of garden gnomes who rise up from the snow to save Christmas. M&S Actress Dawn French stars in the M&S advert Marks and Spencer has also opted for tried-and-tested themes. Its food advert sees the return of Dawn French as a festive ******, and she also appears as herself. The first of the six-part ad series sees an exhausted French on her way home, complaining about how much she has to do. The ****** then pops up and offers a helping hand, transforming French’s house, making it ready for a Christmas party with mountains of festive food. Morrisons Morrisons’ oven gloves return for another singing performance Morrisons’ singing oven gloves are also back, as the supermarket puts the focus on those hosting the Christmas meal. The advert is set to Give a Little Love from the film Bugsy Malone, with the soundtrack sung by a choir of Morrisons staff. Argos has also gone for the same characters as last year – cartoon duo Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur. The decision to use familiar ideas and characters is a smart one, said Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at analysts Kantar. “Consistency pays in advertising,” she said. “Sticking with the same creative approach often makes it easier for people to know which brand is being advertised. “It can build a sense of nostalgia too, adding to the entertainment factor.” Famous facesWaitrose Succession star Matthew Macfadyen plays a key role in Waitrose’s advert While John Lewis shunned celebrities, some other adverts are fronted by famous faces. Its Waitrose supermarkets has a whodunit two-parter which leaves audiences on a cliffhanger, starring Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen as a detective on the hunt to uncover who has stolen the family’s red velvet cake. Elsewhere, Greggs has enlisted Nigella Lawson to star in its first ever Christmas advert. The TV chef declares it is her “favourite time of year” before tucking into festive bakes. Opinion was divided on social media, with one X user saying the advert had combined “Nigella and Greggs, two of the greatest loves of my life”. But another questioned whether they were living in a “weird parallel universe”, adding: “Is this a really early April Fool?” Sainsbury’s The BFG stars in Sainsbury’s festive advert Other retailers have gone with famous animated characters. Sainsbury’s was quick off the mark with its advert, which features beloved Roald Dahl character the Big Friendly Giant (BFG). We see the BFG asking the supermarket to make his Christmas “a big more phizz-whizzing”. Lidl Lidl’s Christmas advert champions the joy of sharing Meanwhile, Lidl – like John Lewis – has gone for a classic tale designed to tug at the heartstrings. It depicts a girl who decides to send a present to a boy who is feeling lonely, a nod to the retailer’s toy bank scheme. There’s no mistaking the message of goodwill, as a voiceover encourages viewers to “think big”, but also asks: “Is it not more Christmassy to give?” Tesco’s advert features a man called Gary who is trying to celebrate Christmas while mourning his grandmother. The melancholy ad sees Gary continuing a tradition they shared, building a gingerbread house as his way to remember her. Amazon has also opted for the theme of kindness, telling the story of a theatre caretaker whose hidden singing talent is discovered by his colleagues. They encourage the janitor to go on stage, where he performs What the World Needs Now Is Love. ‘It’s part of the Christmas countdown’ Taken as a whole, advertisers are set to spend a record £10.5bn this festive season, according to the Advertising Association and World Advertising Research Centre. John Lewis, for its part, doesn’t disclose how much it spends on its Christmas advert, but Ms Lock admitted it was “incredibly important commercially”. Whether the money pays off is hard to tell, but experts say it’s about more than just getting consumers through the doors. “Adverts have become part of the ritual surrounding Christmas,” Prof Helen Wheatley, a historian of television, told BBC News. “The tradition continues, partly because it’s an absolutely prime time for retailers to be speaking to potential consumers,” she said. “And partly because it’s entrenched and it’s something they’ve always done.” Prof Wheatley pointed out that while we think of them as “Christmas TV adverts”, they are now also huge online moments, with the ads being shared widely on social media. But she said that some things don’t change – with retailers keen to conjure up a sense of cosiness and familiarity. “It’s a moment where the nation comes together,” she added. “We know people get quite excited about the festive adverts. It’s a marker in people’s years and has become part of that Christmas countdown.” Source link #John #Lewis #Tesco #Amazon #tearjerkers #find #festive #fun Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]