Concord returns from ***** in Amazon’s Secret Level trailer
Concord returns from ***** in Amazon’s Secret Level trailer
A new trailer for Prime Video’s Secret Level anthology series gives us a deeper look at its interpretations of different video games. We also learned more about the star-studded cast that will appear across these episodes. It also reaffirms that an episode based on Concord will still air even though that game is now permanently delisted and its developer is shut down.
Secret Level, which was first revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, is an anthology animated series where each episode is based around a different gaming franchise. Armored Core, Concord (yes, really), Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, Pac-Man, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, and Warhammer 40,000 are all getting dedicated episodes, while another is a crossover of various “PlayStation Studios games.”
This trailer shows us a bit of each episode, but emphasizes the Sifu, Mega Man, Warhammer 40,000, and Dungeons & Dragons ones in particular. Concord‘s episode isn’t featured nearly as much (we only get a quick glimpse at it via a shot of space from a ship’s cockpit), but that’s certainly the most surprising part of the anthology considering the shooter’s short history.
Alongside this trailer, Prime Video also revealed the impressive celebrity cast of Secret Level. Expect to hear the voices of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Gabriel Luna, Temuera Morrison, Kevin Hart, Heaven Hart, Laura Bailey, Ariana Greenblatt, Emily ********, Merle Dandridge, Ricky Whittle, Claudia Doumit, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Clive Standen, and Michael Beach as you watch Secret Level. Prime Video has not confirmed which characters each actor will specifically be voicing, although this trailer does make it obvious that Keanu Reeves will appear in the Armored Core episode, so that should be fun to piece together while watching Secret Level.
Secret Level episodes will be released on Prime Video between December 10 and December 17.
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TSMC sued for race and citizenship discrimination at its Arizona facilities
TSMC sued for race and citizenship discrimination at its Arizona facilities
TSMC is being sued by current and former employees, including a talent acquisition director, over alleged employment discrimination. The employees claim that TSMC, the world’s largest chipmaker, has favored employees who are Taiwanese citizens and forced out ********* workers. Forbes first reported on the suit.
The suit was first filed by Deborah Howington, a talent acquisition director, back in August. Howington claims she saw the HR department create a workplace in “which non-****** employees and non-Taiwanesecitizens are subjected to a stricter level of scrutiny than similarly situated ****** employees (including Taiwanese citizens).” Since then, a dozen former TSMC staffers have also joined the suit.
TSMC is set to get $11.6 billion from the ******* States through the CHIPS and Science Act, with $6.6 billion in cash and $5 billion in loans. TSMC is using the funds to build a series of fabs at its plant in Arizona.
“Having accepted $6 billion in U.S. federal funding and elected to compete within the U.S., it’s imperative that TSMC comply with federal discrimination laws and treat all races, national origins, and citizens equally,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Daniel Kotchen of Kotchen & Low told Forbes. “We’re confident in our case and look forward to presenting the case to a jury.”
As of this writing, TSMC has not responded to Tom’s Hardware’s request for comment. The company told Forbes that it “believes strongly in the value of a diverse workforce and we hire and promote without regard to gender, religion, race, nationality, or political affiliation because we respect differences, and believe that equal employment opportunities strengthen our competitiveness.”
Among the allegations in the complaint are that TSMC’s HR team in Taiwan sends the U.S. arm of the company the resumes of candidates that have already been vetted and can work in the U.S., and then the U.S. team “simply hire these ******/Taiwanese candidates without question, even if no open roles have been posted in the U.S.” The suit also claims that a ******* for Mandarin or ******** language skills have been listed even if they wouldn’t be required for the position and that the use of Mandarin is used to exclude employees that don’t speak the language and limit their career advancement.
The suit also alleges that Taiwanese employees on visas are being used to reduce the number of union positions for U.S. workers.
There have been a number of reports that TSMC has been having trouble finding its footing in the ******* States, with concerns over labor practices driving away ********* workers with “several hundred” employees being brought in from Taiwan to meet deadlines. That’s on top of TSMC having trouble adjusting to U.S. work culture.
In October, TSMC’s U.S. president Rick Cassidy said that its Phoenix plant achieved a 4% better yield than comparable manufacturing sites in Taiwan in early tests, which is a good sign for the fab.
Not much money from the CHIPS act has changed hands yet, as the US government looks for strict milestones for chipmakers to receive taxpayer dollars. It’s unclear if lawsuits over discrimination against ********* workers and hostile work environments will affect that further, as well as any changes that may occur to the CHIPS Act as the Biden administration wraps up and former President Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
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Why now may be a good opportunity to buy municipal bonds — and earn tax-free income
Why now may be a good opportunity to buy municipal bonds — and earn tax-free income
It may be a good time to get into municipal bonds. The assets had a rough go heading into last week’s election and tumbled immediately afterward, sending yields higher. Bond prices and yields have an inverse relationship, which means as prices decline, yields rise. However, prices rallied sharply on Friday, a day after the Federal Reserve’s expected rate cut . “While munis have partially recovered some losses, year-to-date performance is still lagging, and yields are still elevated,” Sudip Mukherjee, fixed income strategist at UBS Global Wealth Management, said in a note Monday. “Investors should take advantage as munis are poised to deliver good performance into year-end and 2025, in our view,” he added. Interest income from municipal bonds is free of federal income taxes. Further, if the investor resides in the same state that issues the bond, the interest income can be exempt from state taxes. That makes them particularly attractive to people who are in the highest tax brackets. Yields had moved higher ahead of the election partly because issuers were bringing supply into the market before the vote. That “blistering pace” has since cooled, although issuance may pick up before the end of the year, Mukherjee wrote. “We expect 2025 will be another year of strong issuance fueled by continued pent-up infrastructure capex needs and bond ballot initiatives,” he said. “Nevertheless, the combination of attractive yields, strong credit quality, and our expectation of lower Treasury yields bodes well for muni performance over the next year from a total return perspective.” Bank of America is also expecting a multi-month rally from here to the first quarter of 2025. That’s because the market should be driven by the Federal Reserve ‘s interpretation of the economy and the path of its rate cuts, said Yingchen Li, the bank’s municipal research strategist. “Both muni rates and muni/Treasury ratios should decline,” he said in a note Friday. “Current levels for all investment grade munis are good entries for new long positions.” By the second half of next year, potential policies from the Trump administration may have an impact on the economy, Li wrote. The Republicans hold the majority in the Senate , and the party retained control of the House with 218 seats versus Democrats’ 208. A GOP sweep could make it smoother sailing for any policy changes. “While there is a good degree of uncertainty at this point, our take is that investors may need to expect slightly stronger economic growth and a relatively shallower Fed rate cut cycle,” Li said. Assessing policy shifts Taxes are expected to be a top agenda once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, with provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025. One of those provisions is the $10,000 cap on state and local tax, or SALT, deductions. During the campaign, Trump said he would ” get SALT back ,” suggesting he would eliminate or increase the cap. In addition, he has proposed cutting corporate taxes to as low as 15% for certain companies. Both of those tax cuts could reduce muni bond demand, Li said. However, other policies, such as energy, trade, immigration and deregulation, may also impact the municipal bond market and its issuers, he said. As for any potential changes in the individual tax rate, UBS’ Mukherjee doesn’t necessarily see a big impact on demand. “The breakeven tax rate (at which the tax equivalent yield on investment grade munis equals the yield on investment grade corporate bonds) is currently at around 30%, significantly lower than the maximum marginal rate of 40.8% (including a Net Investment Income Tax of 3.8%),” he noted. “This suggests that even if top tax rates were lowered, there is significant headroom for munis, with respect to their comparative appeal.” Of course, the scope and timing of policy shifts makes forecasting difficult, Bank of America’s Li said. “Nevertheless, we continue to view muni credit overall as fundamentally strong and muni market issuers are well positioned to handle the policy shifts that eventually will come,” he wrote. “While some sectors are more exposed than others, we expect credit to remain stable in 2025 as the economy continues to grow, and again anticipate that muni upgrades will outpace downgrades next year.”
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Russian officer ******* in Crimean car **********: report
Russian officer ******* in Crimean car **********: report
A high-ranking Russian naval officer from the ****** Sea Fleet has been ******* in a car ********** in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, media reports say.
Ukrainian media said he was commander of a missile ship brigade, citing a source in the security service SBU, which is said to be behind the ********.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the car blast was presumably due to an explosive device placed under the vehicle and Russian authorities are therefore investigating a ********** *******.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion for more than two and a half years.
The Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 but the move was not recognised internationally.
Ukraine has sabotaged the Russian ****** Sea Fleet in Crimea on several occasions.
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Warcraft 1 and 2 Remastered are available right now for some retro RTS goodness
Warcraft 1 and 2 Remastered are available right now for some retro RTS goodness
Blizzard pulled off a rare surprise today by shadow launching remasters of the original Warcraft and its sequel to commemorate the franchise’s 30th anniversary. These updates of the hit RTS games are available right now and look to merge retro goodness with some modern sensibilities.
The remasters feature “brand new, hand-drawn visuals that capture the original art style from each game.” Players will be able to swap between the original graphics and the remastered versions in real time. If the trailer is anything to go by, the games look purdy. The simple animations match the vibe of the two games nicely.
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The original Warcraft is getting some serious quality-of-life changes to make the game more appealing to modern audiences. The update includes 16:9 resolution support and modern control options. For instance, players can now right-click to move units instead of having to rely on hotkeys.
Both remasters have also received “various UI and UX improvements such as tooltips and health bars, mission select screens, and increased unit selection.” The original games placed strict limitations on how many units could be selected at once, so that last one is a nice improvement.
Warcraft 2 will even be available for multiplayer sessions. Franchise manager Brad Chan said during today’s 30th anniversary livestream that “all legacy custom maps will still be fully compatible and playable.” These remasters are available right now. Warcraft 1 is $10 and Warcraft 2 is $15.
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Today’s 30th anniversary stream also dropped all kinds of other nuggets beyond the remasters. Warcraft 3: Reforged got a major update today that fixes many long-standing issues. Blizzard also announced that the affiliated mobile title Warcraft Arclight Rumble will be playable on PC starting on December 10, albeit as a beta.
The developer is relaunching WoW: Classic, complete with “all-new, fresh realms.” WoW: Classic 20th Anniversary Edition will be available on November 21 and will include PvE and PvP servers, in addition to ********* realms.
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WoW Classic is even getting a new (old) expansion. Mists of Pandora Classic will be available next year. Check the trailer above for proof.
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Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
General Motors (GM) is recalling 461,839 diesel vehicles due to a transmission issue that can impact wheel function, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to the NHTSA recall notice released Wednesday, a transmission valve prone to wearing down over time can cause the rear wheels of affected vehicles to lock up, increasing ****** risk.
Twenty-four 2020 through 2022 vehicle types are subject to the recall, including certain GMC trucks and SUVs as well as multiple Chevrolet and Cadillac models.
A GM investigation shared by NHTSA found reports of potentially related rear wheel issues dating as far back as 2020, including a few accounts of minor injuries. Besides issuing the recall, GM has also stopped the delivery of the included cars.
Here’s what to know about the GM recall.
Car recalls: Chrysler recalls over 200k Jeep, Dodge vehicles over antilock-brake system: See affected models
Which GM cars are recalled?
2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500
2020-2022 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
General Motors (GM) is recalling 461,839 diesel vehicles due to a transmission issue that can impact wheel function.
Transmission issues
According to the NHTSA, the current recall only impacts vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve in some affected cars is susceptible to wear over time, which can cause fluid to ***** and lead to a drop in pressure within the valve. This can cause harsh shifting or the rear wheels to lock up. Drivers may notice the harsh shifting before any wheel problems occur.
The recall notice cited customer reports dating back to January 2020, which prompted an investigation into the issue beginning in July 2024. GM found 1,888 field reports of wheel lockups potentially related to the problem. GM also found 11 incidences potentially associated with the condition, several of which caused vehicles to veer off the road, minor property damage, and, in three cases, minor injuries.
How to get your car fixed
Dealers will install new transmission control module software free of charge. This module will monitor valve performance and detect excess wear approximately 10,000 miles before a wheel lock-up condition could occur. If detected, the transmission will shift gears to prevent lock up and a service engine light and reduced propulsion message will display.
GM will also provide a special program to cover the repair of transmissions that the software identifies as having a defective control valve.
Owners of affected cars will be notified via mail. They may also contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 with recall number N242454440.
Check to see if your car is recalled
Car owners looking to check the status of their vehicles can enter their information into the NHTSA recall check or check USA TODAY’s recall database for car and motor vehicle recalls.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GM recalls over 460,000 Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac models
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Save 15% On The PC Versions Of Lego Horizon Adventures And Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Save 15% On The PC Versions Of Lego Horizon Adventures And Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
If you’re yet to preorder Lego Horizon Adventures, you still have time to pick up its exclusive preorder bonus ahead of its November 14 release. Better yet, PC players can save 15% when preordering through Fanatical. Either clip the coupon on the game’s store page or enter FANATICAL15 at checkout to snag the game for just $51 (was $60).
This FANATICAL15 promo code also works for the Lego Horizon Adventures Digital Deluxe Edition, bringing it to $59 (was $70). Consider upgrading to this edition if you want tons of fun customization options, as it includes outfits inspired by Sackboy, Ratchet, and Rivet, as well as a handful of other cool designs. Preordering either edition of the game gets you the Shield-Weaver Outfit, giving you more ways to customize Aloy’s in-game appearance. Note that both versions of Lego Horizon Adventures are offered as Steam keys. If you prefer to pick up Lego Horizon Adventures on console, check our preorder guide for information on the Switch and PS5 versions.
Preordering Lego Horizon Adventures isn’t the only way to cash in on the above offer–the code also works on most other games available through Fanatical, inclduing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which just hit PC last month. That means you can add Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered to your Steam collection for just $42 (was $50).
Best Horizon Deals at Fanatical
Along with the 15%-off coupon deal, Fanatical is also running its massive Birthday Bash ***** with hundreds of deals on games, bundles, and more. During the event, purchases over $12 receive a free bonus game or coupon code. This mystery item will be automatically revealed during checkout, making it a nice way to pick up a random indie game or save on your next purchase.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
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OpenAI to present plans for U.S. AI strategy and an alliance to compete with China
OpenAI to present plans for U.S. AI strategy and an alliance to compete with China
In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen with a photo of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
Didem Mente | Anadolu | Getty Images
OpenAI’s official “blueprint for U.S. AI infrastructure” involves artificial intelligence economic zones, tapping the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power experience and government projects funded by private investors, according to a document viewed by CNBC, which the company plans to present on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The blueprint also outlines a North ********* AI alliance to compete with China’s initiatives and a National Transmission Highway Act “as ambitious as the 1956 National Interstate and Defense Highways Act.”
In the document, OpenAI outlines a rosy future for AI, calling it “as foundational a technology as electricity, and promising similarly distributed access and benefits.” The company wrote that investment in U.S. AI will lead to tens of thousands of jobs, GDP growth, a modernized grid that includes nuclear power, a new group of chip manufacturing facilities and billions of dollars in investment from global funds.
Now that Donald Trump is President-elect, OpenAI has made clear its plans to work with the new administration on AI policy, and the company’s Wednesday presentation outlines its plans.
Trump plans to repeal President Biden’s executive order on AI, according to his campaign platform, stating that it “hinders AI Innovation, and imposes ******** Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology” and that “in its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.”
OpenAI’s presentation outlines AI economic zones co-created by state and federal governments “to give states incentives to speed up permitting and approvals for AI infrastructure.” The company envisions building new solar arrays and wind farms and getting unused nuclear reactors cleared for use.
“States that provide subsidies or other support for companies launching infrastructure projects could require that a share of the new compute be made available to their public universities to create AI research labs and developer hubs aligned with their key commercial sectors,” OpenAI wrote.
OpenAI also wrote that it foresees a “National Transmission Highway Act” that could expand power, fiber connectivity and natural gas pipeline construction. The company wrote it needs “new authority and funding to unblock the planning, permitting, and payment for transmission,” and that existing procedures aren’t keeping pace with AI-driven demand.
The blueprints say, “The government can encourage private investors to fund high-cost energy infrastructure projects by committing to purchase energy and other means that lessen credit risk.”
A North ********* AI Alliance and investment in more U.S. data centers
OpenAI also foresees a North ********* AI alliance of Western countries that could eventually expand to a global network, such as a “Gulf Cooperation Council with the UAE and others in that region.”
The company also outlined its vision for nuclear power, writing that although China “has built as much nuclear power capacity in 10 years as the US built in 40,” the U.S. Navy operates about 100 small modular reactors (SMRs) to power naval submarines, and leveraging the Navy’s expertise could lead to building more civilian SMRs.
OpenAI’s infrastructure blueprint aligns with what Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global policy, told CNBC in a recent interview. He sees the Midwest and Southwest as potential core areas for AI investment.
“Parts of the country that have been ‘left behind,’ as we enter the digital age, where so much of the economics and particularly economic benefits flow to the two coasts… Areas like the midwest and the southwest are going to be the types of places where you have the land and ability to do wind farms and to do solar facilities, and potentially to do some part of the energy transition — potentially do nuclear facilities,” Lehane said.
The infrastructure, Lehane explained, is contingent on the U.S. maintaining a lead over China in AI.
“[In] Kansas and Iowa, which sits on top of an enormous amount of agricultural data, think about standing up a data center,” Lehane said. “One gigawatt, which is a lot, taking, you know, 200-250 megawatts, a quarter of that, and doing something with their public university systems to create an agricultural-based LLM or inference model that would really serve their community but also make them a center of agricultural AI.”
Lehane cited an estimate that the US will need 50 gigawatts of energy by 2030 to support the AI industry’s needs and to compete against China, especially when the country approved 20 nuclear reactors over the past two years and 11 more for next year.
“We don’t have a choice,” Lehane said. “We do have to compete with that.”
WATCH: OpenAI launches ChatGPT search
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Chelsea Manning: Censorship still a dominant threat
Chelsea Manning: Censorship still a dominant threat
Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning speaks to CNBC’s Karen Tso at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon.
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After 20 Years, World of Warcraft is Getting Player Housing
After 20 Years, World of Warcraft is Getting Player Housing
I’ve lost myself to the MMORPG genre since 2004, and no, it wasn’t at the launch of World of Warcraft. I started with EverQuest 2. But I quickly jumped ship after a few years, joining the fun in Blizzard’s monolithic MMO sometime around the launch of Cataclysm. However, the experience always missed one immersive feature that most other games in the genre offered. Well, it’s happening. World of Warcraft will receive player housing after two decades!
In a teaser on X (formerly Twitter), Blizzard unveiled player housing for World of Warcraft, which is coming in the next major expansion, Midnight. From the short teaser trailer, it appears we can decorate the walls and floors with various trinkets and furniture, and there’s a quick scene of a warrior consuming a mug of some type of drink before sitting down at the *****, with the whole trailer culminating in a look at two floor mats with Horde and Alliance logos, respectively.
Speaking with PC Gamer, Blizzard’s Ion Hazzikostas said:
We want to give players a little sneak preview of some of what the team is cooking. This also gives us a chance, I think, to have more open conversations about it that aren’t possible when it’s a top secret feature.
[Player housing] an idea that’s been kicked around for a long time—but we knew that to do it, we needed to be able to do it right. It’s a tremendously large undertaking.
Furthermore, Hazzikostas said the team wants to hear from the community regarding what they want to see and what they expect from player housing. If you have suggestions, don’t be afraid to make them known. Blizzard is generally quite active on social media, and they have forums where you can submit suggestions for the player homes feature coming in the upcoming expansion!
After all these years, are you still enjoying World of Warcraft? Let us know over at the Insider Gaming community forum!
It was only earlier this past summer that World of Warcraft developers formed a union, so hopefully we see better working conditions and content coming from the studio!
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Early ****** Friday HP laptop deals: 35% off Chromebooks
Early ****** Friday HP laptop deals: 35% off Chromebooks
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Update 11/12/24: ****** Friday isn’t launching any time soon, but we’ve already found some HP laptop deals if you’re interested in buying a device by the popular brand. There’s a chance that these prices will go even lower during the shopping event, but these offers are pretty good if you need a new laptop right now.
With ****** Friday deals officially set to start on November 29, you’ve still got some time to prepare for the discounts that the shopping event will bring. However, if you can’t wait until then to buy a new laptop, we highly recommend checking out the early ****** Friday HP laptop deals that we’ve gathered here. No matter your budget or the type of laptop that you need, there’s surely something from these offers that will catch your attention.
We’ve also rounded up ****** Friday gaming laptop deals if you want a machine primarily for playing video games, ****** Friday Dell laptop deals for devices made by another trusted name, and Best Buy ****** Friday laptop deals for offers from one of the largest retailers. In any case, you’re going to have to be quick with your purchase if you want to make sure that you’re able to take advantage of the savings, as there’s no guarantee on how long these prices will last.
HP Stream 14 — $199 $249 20% off
HP
The HP Stream 14 is an affordable laptop that’s even cheaper right now following a 20% discount, for savings of $50. It’s perfect for basic functions with its Intel Celeron N4120 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600, and 4GB of RAM. The device features a 14-inch screen with HD resolution, and while its 64GB eMMC provides limited storage, you can always save your files on cloud storage services or external hard drives.
HP Chromebook Plus x360 14 — $410 $640 35% off
HP
The HP Chromebook Plus x360 14 elevates the Chromebook experience with its Intel Core i3 N305 processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB UFS for storage. The Chrome OS-powered device is also a 2-in-1 laptop, allowing you to transform it from laptop mode to tablet mode by folding its 14-inch touchscreen all the way back. It’s on ***** at 35% off, for a $230 discount.
HP 255 G10 — $449 $599 25% off
HP
The HP 255 G10 is pretty powerful for its price, which is even lower following a 25% discount for savings of $150. You’ll get the AMD Ryzen 3 7330U processor, integrated AMD graphics, and 16GB of RAM, alongside a 15.6-inch display and 1 TB SSD. The laptop also comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, so you can access the operating system’s more advanced features.
HP Spectre x360 14 — $1,400 $1,900 26% off
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
The HP Spectre x360 14 is a 2-in-1 laptop that features a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with 2.8K resolution, for impressive visuals whether you’re using it in laptop mode or tablet mode. In terms of performance, it’s pretty fast with the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, Intel Arc Graphics, and 32GB of RAM. It’s also got a massive 2TB for storage. The laptop will be yours with a 26% discount, or savings of $500.
HP Omen Transcend 16 — $1,600 $2,100 23% off
HP
For a gaming laptop that will be ready for upcoming PC games, go for the HP Omen Transcend 16. It’s equipped with the 14th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM, and you’ve got plenty of storage space to install games on its 1TB SSD. The gaming laptop also features a 16-inch WQXGA screen, and it’s on ***** with a 23% discount that’s equivalent to $500 in savings.
How to choose an HP laptop on ****** Friday
HP is one of the best laptop brands, earning a reputation for reliability over recent years. That means you’ll be fine with any HP laptop, but to narrow down your choices on what to buy, you’re going to have to start by determining how much you’re willing to spend. Set a maximum budget and select among the ****** Friday HP laptop deals that match — it’s important not to go overboard if you want to have enough cash to take advantage of other offers during the shopping event.
Our laptop buying guide highlights the specifications that you should be looking for, starting with the processor — it’s AMD versus Intel, and you’re fine with either as long as you get the most powerful one that you can afford. Our guide on how much RAM do you need provides an in-depth explanation, but we highly recommend getting at least 8GB of RAM to breeze through basic tasks and at least 16GB of RAM if you’re planning to use more demanding apps or play PC games. Screen size is also important — it goes as small as 13 inches for portability, and as big as 18 inches for a better look at your projects and streaming shows.
How we chose these HP laptop ****** Friday deals
We’re not worried about the quality of the devices that are featured in our recommended ****** Friday HP laptop deals, as they’re made by a trustworthy manufacturer. Our focus in creating our list is giving you the best value for money — we looked for affordable prices, but we also considered the largest discounts in terms of percentage, as these offers will pull laptops that were previously too expensive within your budget. It may be a while before you get another chance at getting a top-of-the-line HP laptop for much cheaper than usual.
****** Friday HP laptop deals are coming from all directions, as they’re not just from the popular retailers but also from HP itself. It’s going to be hard to keep track of where you can get a specific HP laptop for its cheapest price during the shopping event, so we’re going to do that for you. It would be wise to leave a bookmark on this page so you can stay tuned to our updates whenever we find better bargains.
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House just voted yes to increase Social Security for some beneficiaries
House just voted yes to increase Social Security for some beneficiaries
A bipartisan bill to change Social Security benefit rules for pensioners passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with 327 lawmakers voting to support the measure.
Now, the proposal heads to the Senate, where the chamber’s version of the bill has 62 co-sponsors, “surpassing the majority needed to pass the bill on the U.S. Senate floor and send it to the president’s desk to be signed into law,” Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, and Garret Graves, R-Louisiana, co-leaders of the bill, said in a ****** statement.
The proposal — called the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal rules that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension benefits from state or local governments.
It would eliminate the windfall elimination provision, or WEP, that reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who worked in jobs where they did not pay Social Security payroll taxes and now receive pension or disability benefits from those employers. About 3% of all Social Security beneficiaries — about 2.1 million people — were affected by the WEP as of December 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service.
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The bill would also eliminate the government pension offset, or GPO, which reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows and widowers who also receive pension checks. As of last December, about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries — or 745,679 individuals — were affected by the GPO, according to the Congressional Research Service.
These rules, which have been in effect for decades, reduce the incomes of certain retired police officers, teachers, firefighters and other public servants, Graves said during a Tuesday speech on the House floor.
“This has been 40 years of treating people differently, discriminating against a certain set of workers,” Graves said.
“They’re not people that are overpaid; they’re not people that are underworked,” he said.
Supporters call bill a ‘step in the right direction’
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said the House vote on the Social Security Fairness Act is a “step in the right direction” and a “bipartisan victory for public sector employees and their families.”
“We have long advocated for the repeal of the WEP and GPO provisions, though we would have preferred that Congress take up the more comprehensive improvements in Rep. John Larson’s Social Security 2100 Act,” Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, said in a statement.
Larson’s proposal, which has 188 House co-sponsors, would also repeal the WEP and GPO, while also implementing other temporary benefit increases. To help pay for those changes, it would require people with more than $400,000 in income to pay more Social Security payroll taxes.
On Tuesday, Larson voted against the Social Security Fairness Act, as well as another bill, the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act. The latter bill would use a new formula for Social Security retirement and disability benefits for pensioners rather than eliminate the WEP. It would not change the GPO.
The bill, which was proposed by Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, ******* when it was brought up for a vote.
“I could not vote for the bills on the floor tonight because they are not paid for and therefore put Americans’ hard-earned benefits at risk,” Larson said in a statement. “It would hurt most deeply the five million of our fellow Americans who receive below ******** checks, and almost half of all Social Security recipients who rely on their earned benefits for the majority of their income.”
Critics say the bill will weaken Social Security
The Social Security Fairness Act would add an estimated $196 billion to deficits over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated. It would also move Social Security’s trust fund depletion dates closer by an estimated six months, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
“The long-term solvency of Social Security is an issue that Congress must address,” Spanberger said on the House floor on Tuesday.
“But that is a separate issue from allowing Americans who did their part, who contributed their earnings, for them to retire with dignity,” she said.
However, critics say Social Security’s funding woes should be a priority for Congress now. The program’s actuaries project the trust fund used to pay retirement benefits may be depleted in 2033, at which point 79% of benefits will be payable.
“This is not the right policy,” said Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute. “It’s what special interests were pushing, and politicians are responsive to their demands.”
Though the alternative bill proposed by Arrington would not address the GPO, it would provide a “fairer formula” for the WEP, Boccia said. However, broader changes are needed to shore up the program’s finances.
“We should reform Social Security so that it provides basic income security to the most vulnerable Americans in old age without adding to the debt or tax burden that younger workers face,” Boccia said.
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Amazon shuts down secret project to develop fertility tracker
Amazon shuts down secret project to develop fertility tracker
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during the GeekWire Summit in Seattle on Oct. 5, 2021.
David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon has discontinued a secretive effort to develop an at-home fertility tracker, according to internal documents and people familiar with the matter.
The company had been working to launch a fertility monitoring device and companion smartphone app for the past four years as part of a project codenamed “Encore,” said the people, who asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press. The team sat within Amazon’s Grand Challenge, also known as its Special Projects division, the sources said.
In October, Amazon told people working on the tracker that it was disbanding the team. Those being ***** off will remain on Amazon’s payroll until Dec. 27, but won’t be expected to work during that time, according to documents reviewed by CNBC.
If staffers don’t secure another job by that date, Amazon will provide them with a “lump sum” severance payment equal to one week of salary for every six months of tenure at the company, the documents said.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has been reeling in costs companywide since late 2022, when inflationary pressures and rising interest rates led to a slowdown across the tech and consumer markets. In addition to slashing more than 27,000 jobs, Jassy has shuttered several projects, ranging from a roving sidewalk ****** to a telehealth offering and a rapid delivery service.
The wave of frugality marks a distinct departure from the approach taken by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Jassy’s predecessor, who was known for greenlighting experimental projects and giving employees extended runway to develop them, even if they burned cash along the way. Grand Challenge was one of the hallmarks of that era.
Bezos launched Grand Challenge in 2014 as a way for Amazon to tinker with riskier projects that may or may not see the light of day. Grand Challenge was the brains behind a pair of connected eyeglasses equipped with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and a machine learning tool for analyzing medical records.
Other Grand Challenge projects, including the Amazon Care telehealth service, a video-calling device for kids, a virtual tours service, and an augmented reality headset for meetings, were discontinued.
On the morning of Oct. 28, employees working on the fertility tracker were told to join a videoconference where a director of the team informed them that the project was ending. The call lasted about two minutes, one of the people said.
A layoff notice viewed by CNBC was signed by Doug Weibel, who took over as the head of Grand Challenge after its founding leader, Babak Parviz, left in 2022 and joined Madrona Venture Group.
Margaret Callahan, an Amazon spokesperson, confirmed the layoffs and the existence of the project in a statement to CNBC. Roughly 100 employees will be ***** off, Callahan confirmed.
“We regularly review our businesses to ensure we focus on areas where we can make the biggest difference for customers,” Callahan said. “Following a recent review, we’ve decided to discontinue this project within Grand Challenge, and we’re working directly with employees whose roles are impacted to support them through the transition and help them find other opportunities within Amazon.”
Predicting fertility with saliva
The project was born out of the company’s 2020 acquisition of Wisconsin-based startup bluDiagnostics, the sources said.
BluDiagnostics was founded in 2015 by Weibel, Katie Brenner and Jodi Schroll, all of whom joined Grand Challenge following the purchase. The startup had developed a thermometer-like device, called FertilityFinder, to help women track their fertility from home by testing their saliva and measuring two key hormones, estradiol and progesterone. The results of the test were viewable through a corresponding app.
Business Insider reported on aspects of the fertility device in 2022, when its codename was Project Tiberius.
The team was working to develop its own saliva collection device and mobile app, which could predict when a user might be in the fertile window. Users could also log their ******* symptoms, ******* activity and other data to assist with tracking their fertility. There are similar offerings on the market from companies including Inne, Oova, Ava and Mira, along with fertility and ovulation tracking apps such as Flo, Clue and Max Levchin’s Glow.
Amazon initially aimed to release the product this year, but the timing was pushed out after the team encountered technical issues with the device, one of the people said. It was a costly endeavor and required significant upfront investments for lab research and development, in addition to the high salaries for scientists and engineers, the sources said, adding that the team’s weekly overhead was roughly $1.5 million. Amazon didn’t comment on the figure.
Only one project now ******** active within Grand Challenge. Its focus is on health tech, the people said.
WATCH: Amazon could make Anthropic ditch Nvidia chips in potential new deal
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Microsoft eyes entering the handheld market eventually
Microsoft eyes entering the handheld market eventually
Microsoft Gaming boss, Phil Spencer, has confirmed that Microsoft is eyeing entering the handheld market with a device akin to the Steam Deck. Now, it’s worth noting we shouldn’t expect anything about it for a couple of years.
Speaking to Bloomberg (via VGC), Spencer confirmed that its hardware team is currently researching the market to build its vision around. In the meantime, Xbox plans on making the app work better on existing mobile devices. It’s also going to join forces with hardware manufacturers to make sure its products sync.
This rumor-turned-confirmed report stems from an episode of The Xbox Two Podcast, and further pushed by a Polygon interview. Finally it was also touched on during an IGN interview.
While we have no timeline as to when we can expect to see more about this handheld, we’re sure it’s gonna be a solid piece of hardware that hopefully avoids the pitfalls that the PlayStation Portal — being just an accessory to the PS5 — fell into.
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Handy Raspberry Pi battery charger doubles as attractive desk clock
Handy Raspberry Pi battery charger doubles as attractive desk clock
We’ve come across our fair share of useful Raspberry Pi projects, but it’s the ones with dual functionality that really catch our eye — such as this desktop clock put together by maker and developer Max K. Using one of our favorite microprocessors, the Raspberry Pi RP2040, he’s created a useful AA battery charger that doubles as a beautiful desk clock he calls SPINC. Not only do you get the benefits of an automatic NiMH charger, you get a snazzy little device that keeps track of the time for you when it’s not busy charging batteries.
SPINC – DIY Automatic NiMH Charger – YouTube
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The system is designed so that you can quickly load batteries into the top — no need to line up polarity, just drop them in the top and it will automatically adjust the charging mechanism depending on its orientation. As the batteries are charged, the system automatically dispenses them into a tray at the bottom.
SPINC can charge up to seven rechargeable AA batteries at a time, and it doubles as a storage box for the charged batteries. All you have to do is drop in your ***** batteries and forget about them (until you need a fresh one). In addition to the NiMH charging station, SPINC has a built-in LCD display that functions as a high-resolution desk clock with a couple of settings that can be adjusted.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Max K.)
(Image credit: Max K.)
(Image credit: Max K.)
Driving the operation is a custom PCB that Max K designed specifically for this project. The PCB features a Raspberry Pi RP2040 as the main processor. It’s connected to a LS027B7DH01A, which is a monochromatic 240 x 400px LCD display panel. It’s also connected to an EMAX ES08A micro servo that helps rotate the batteries. A DS2712 module is used as the charging mechanism. All of the hardware is housed inside of a custom-designed 3D printed shell.
The DS2712 module takes care of the charging aspect of the project, while the RP2040 PCB is responsible for checking the polarity and managing the clock portion of the project. It also manages the servo, which adjusts the battery into position for charging using an arm and then allows it to pass through to the bottom once it’s charged. The clock display is managed using the open source library LVGL interface. All of the code, the PCB design, and the CAD files are available on the official project page at GitHub.
If you want to see this Raspberry Pi project in action, you can check it out in greater detail over at Hackaday.
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Women jailed over sadistic monkey ******** videos
Women jailed over sadistic monkey ******** videos
BBC
People from across the world paid to see the videos of macaques being tortured and *******
Two women have been jailed for their part in a monkey ******** ring and behaviour described by the judge as “depraved, sickening and wicked”.
Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton upon Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, previously admitted being part of the global network.
Worcester Crown Court heard graphic details of the suffering experienced by young macaques in Indonesia – with the footage sold to people around the world.
Le Gresley, who the judge said played a “leading role”, was jailed for two years, while Orme was handed a 15-month term.
Warning: This article contains upsetting and disturbing content
More than 130 videos and 22 images were uploaded by Le Gresley, who the court heard had been an archivist, cataloguing and distributing some of the footage.
She also made a payment to a PayPal account to encourage cruelty.
West Mercia Police
Adriana Orme (left) and Holly Le Gresley (right) previously admitted being part of the network
Orme, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to publishing an obscene article by uploading one image and 26 videos of monkey ********, and to having encouraged or assisted the commission of unnecessary suffering by making a £10 payment to a PayPal account.
The women’s roles were exposed after a BBC investigation into the network that began life on YouTube, before it moved to private groups on the messaging app Telegram.
The online group paid for baby long-tailed macaque monkeys to be taken from their mothers and then tortured and *******.
Members even voted on proposed methods.
A protest took place outside the court before the hearing and animal rights campaigners were allowed in the gallery.
PA Media
Adriana Orme was the second woman from Worcestershire to be charged over the monkey ******** ring
Jailing the women, Judge James Burbidge KC described their behaviour as “deplorable, abhorrent and sadistic”.
He said their offences went against any sense of compassion and were “beyond comprehension for most of society”.
“You promoted the physical ******** of monkeys by others, you shared videos and images of such ******** and ******, retained images and videos for what appeared to be your own pleasure and amusement,” he said.
He told Le Gresley she had “caused significant pain, ******** and ****** to the monkeys in Indonesia”.
In all, police recovered thousands of files from 20 devices owned by the women in a year-long investigation.
PA Media
Holly Le Gresley admitted her role in the group in May
Speaking after sentencing, West Mercia Police described it as a landmark case.
Det Ch Insp Ben Arrowsmith said it was the first time in British legal history that “charges relating to animal cruelty have been brought for offences that took place abroad, where the offenders are in the ***”.
“The hatred and deviant fascination the defendants have shown in relation to the cruelty and ****** towards monkeys is incomprehensible,” he said.
“The suffering the animals endured is sickening and sadistic; it’s impossible to comprehend how anyone could find it enjoyable.”
The force said both women had watched the videos, expressed delight at the images and regularly shared material.
Ch Insp Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the national wildlife ****** unit, said it was the worst cruelty he had ever seen.
Despite this being the latest in a series of high-profile ********* cases, he said that the “transnational investigation” into the global network was still ongoing.
West Mercia Police
Le Gresley, who called herself The Immolator, was aware that she could face up to five years in jail, the judge said
In mitigation, Tom Walkling representing Le Gresley, said she had been living with the knowledge of how she had behaved, had a long history of depression and anxiety and was “likely to be diagnosed with autism disorder”.
The court also heard Le Gresley now believed she had post-traumatic stress disorder from the videos.
Curtis Myrie, representing Orme, said she had several physical illnesses and described her as “a loving mother and grandmother”.
The court also heard how pre-sentence reports recognised how well she had cared for her rescue dog, Diesel.
‘Beyond comprehension’
However, the judge disputed several of the claims made by the defence teams and rejected their calls for suspended sentences.
He also referenced Le Gresley’s knowledge of the jail time she could face if she was caught, based on comments found by police in a chat.
After the hearing, Sarah Kite, from Action for Primates, who provided evidence, said: “The complete lack of empathy both women showed for the ******* and suffering of the monkeys, some just a few days old, is so disturbing.
“To pay for someone to inflict such ********* is beyond comprehension.”
US-based animal rights group Lady Freethinker, which also helped track the global network, said the “horrors being inflicted on innocent, baby monkeys for online videos are sickening”.
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November’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics titles revealed
November’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics titles revealed
Sony has announced November 2024’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics titles.
Unlike November’s PlayStation Plus Essential games, which are available for all subscribers to claim, Game Catalog’s downloadable PS4 and PS5 titles are only available for Extra and Premium tier members.
This month’s additions (which are listed in full below) include Grand Theft Auto 5, Dying Light 2: Stay Human and Like a Dragon: Ishin.
PlayStation Plus Premium also offers a selection of PS1, PS2 and PSP games to download, and PS3 games via cloud streaming.
November’s additions to the Classics Catalog include Blood Omen and Resistance games.
All of the titles listed below will be available beginning on November 19.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog
Grand Theft Auto V* | PS4, PS5
Dying Light 2: Stay Human | PS4, PS5
Like a Dragon: Ishin | PS4, PS5
MotoGP 24 | PS4, PS5
The Sims 4 Island Living* (Add-on only) | PS4
Digimon Survive | PS4
Overcooked! All You Can Eat | PS4, PS5
Stick ******: The Game | PS4
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos | PS4, PS5
******* Frequency | PS4, PS5
Hungry Shark World | PS4
Chivalry 2 | PS4, PS5
*PlayStation Plus re-release.
PlayStation Plus Premium | PS VR2 & Classics
Synapse | PS VR2
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain | PS4, PS5
Blood Omen 2 | PS4, PS5
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance 2
This month’s PlayStation Plus Essential games are Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged (PS4, PS5), Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5) and ****** Note ******* Within (PS4, PS5).
Alone in the Dark 2 is seemingly headed to the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog, after PS Store listings for the game on PS4 and PS5 were spotted by a website which tracks updates on the marketplace’s backend.
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BlackRock expands tokenized money market fund to Polygon, other blockchains
BlackRock expands tokenized money market fund to Polygon, other blockchains
The BlackRock logo is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City on May 25, 2021.
Carlo Allegri | Reuters
BlackRock has expanded its tokenized money market fund to include several more blockchains.
The investment manager said Wednesday that its USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) is now available to investors on the Aptos; Arbitrum; Avalanche; OP Mainnet, formerly known as Optimism; and Polygon blockchains. It initially launched the fund on Ethereum in March.
The BUIDL fund, which BlackRock debuted two months after iShares Bitcoin Trust, its popular bitcoin exchange-traded fund, gives investors an opportunity to earn U.S. dollar yields through a blockchain-based vehicle. The idea of tokenizing “real world assets” such as gold, a key aspect of decentralized finance, or DeFi, has gained popularity among financial institutions that are cautious on crypto assets but keen on the underlying blockchain technology.
“There’s some irony in the fact that with … [iShares Bitcoin Trust], we took a crypto native investment exposure and we put it in a traditional finance wrapper … and with tokenization, we’re taking traditional finance investment exposure, and we’re putting it in a crypto native wrapper,” Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s head of digital assets, said in March.
“That dichotomy will persist for a while,” he added at the time. “But eventually, we expect there will be some convergence that looks like the best of the old system and the best of this new technology fused into a next generation infrastructure set in finance.”
The BUIDL fund is tokenized by Securitize, a company BlackRock has invested in that specializes in the tokenization of real-world assets.
The announcement follows a weeklong rally in cryptocurrencies after Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Polygon’s token climbed 28%, according to Coin Metrics. On the campaign trail, Trump promised more supportive regulations for crypto projects and businesses, a reversal from Biden administration policy, in which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has largely regulated the industry through enforcement actions, hampering growth.
DeFi is one of the most popular sectors among crypto market participants but has suffered from the lack of regulatory clarity, with tokens of some DeFi projects being classified as securities in SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase last year.
Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO:
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CCTV footage reveals search for Clare Nowland before she was fatally tasered by Kristian White
CCTV footage reveals search for Clare Nowland before she was fatally tasered by Kristian White
Surveillance footage has revealed the final moments before a great-grandmother was fatally tasered by a police officer.
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Space Marine 2 Needs a War Memorial to Honor Our Fallen Brothers
Space Marine 2 Needs a War Memorial to Honor Our Fallen Brothers
There’s no doubt that Sabe Interactive’s Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 has enjoyed an incredibly successful launch since its release back in September and has continued to evolve in terms of content and player base, with new updates bringing new features and items to unravel.
Saber Interactive has a lot of big plans for the future of Space Marine 2. (Image via Focus Entertainement)
Just like its competition out there, Space Marine 2 came with a roadmap laying down exactly what we can see with the upcoming updates for the game. Saber has tons of exciting stuff coming for the title, but the one thing the studio must bring is a dedicated war memorial for our fallen brothers in the battle to keep humanity safe.
Space Marine 2 Must Honor Our Fallen Comrades in the Right Manner
It’s a known fact that the Warhammer 40k universe is a bleak and dark battlefield where courage, duty, and sacrifice are what define humanity’s greatest soldiers, Space Marines. These genetically enhanced troops give everything to protect the Imperium and will go to any lengths to fend off against humanity’s greatest enemies.
However, sometimes, Space Marines fall heroically on the battlefield. The ****** of these soldiers leads to the loss of centuries of skill, knowledge, and experience. Each fallen Marine reminds us of the sacrifice demanded by brutal missions. Such heroes always need to be remembered, and one of the best ways that can be done is by building a dedicated Shrine in Space Marine 2.
It’s really mind-boggling how Saber ignored the sacrifice of our fallen brothers and still hasn’t designed a specific place to honor them. With the upcoming update, the developer can still make things right by placing a shrine on the ship to represent what we lost along the way.
The shrine could also be functional, giving us stats about operations, the number of bullets fired, losses/wins against bosses, and so on.
Even other games, such as Mass Effect 3 and Gears of War, have memorials that make the battle against the ****** personal. By adding a shrine honoring fallen Marines and giving it some functionality, Saber could establish an even stronger connection with Warhammer 40k‘s never-ending conflict.
Space Marine 2 Has Brought a Brand-new Update
Saber Interactive has introduced a brand-new **** in Space Marine 2. (Image via Saber Interactive)
In Space Marine 2, we have a wide range of weapons that allow players to choose their specific playstyle. The available options range from light and heavy weapons to close-range, ranged, and melee weapons. All weapons can be upgraded, allowing players to get different perks to boost stats or use new abilities.
Saber has released a brand new update for Space Marine 2, bringing a secondary ******* called the Neo-Volkite *******. This is a thermal ray ******* that can only be used during Operations.
It’s a lethal ******* that outputs increasing thermal damage the longer it stays locked onto a target, eventually causing an ********** that damages the target and all enemies nearby.
Currently, players can experience this new ******* in the Battle Barge’s Sparring Arena, but Saber plans to bring it to the Eternal War mode with the next major update.
The developer has also adjusted several primary weapons in Operations mode to improve their performance and fixed several bugs and technical issues to improve the overall gameplay stability. The patch also fixes some DLC cosmetic items and ******* perks.
With that said, do you think there’s think there’s any other way Saber can honor fallen soldiers in Space Marine 2? Let us know in the comments below..
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Nvidia just scaled down DLSS 3, and that’s a good thing
Nvidia just scaled down DLSS 3, and that’s a good thing
Nvidia’s signature tech, DLSS 3, just got yet another update — and although it’s subtle, it actually seems like a good thing for some of the best graphics cards. The latest version, 3.8.10, bundled with the GeForce 566.14 driver, doesn’t seem to introduce any major changes, but Nvidia enthusiasts noticed that it’s about half the size that it used to be. Where’s that difference coming from?
No, Nvidia didn’t downgrade DLSS 3 — at least not in any major way. Although this hasn’t been confirmed by Nvidia itself, it appears that the company removed a whole bunch of DLSS presets and replaced them with just two. These presets make it easier for gamers to choose the type of focus they want to apply to each game.
Some profiles are centered around performance, meaning frames per second (fps), while others focus on high graphics quality. Not every game lets you pick between all the presets that Nvidia used to offer, but you’ll find that some game settings allow you to tweak DLSS and shift between Quality and Performance modes. Now, the choice should be simpler, although it’ll still vary depending on the game.
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Prior to this update, Nvidia offered various DLSS 3 presets, from A through D. These profiles covered all sorts of different DLSS tweaks, ranging from profiles made to improve ghosting issues to presets made for fast-paced games. The latest driver removes all of those presets and instead comes with two that are in use and one that’s not currently in use.
Jacob ****** / Digital Trends
Preset E is, according to VideoCardz, the new default preset for Performance, Balanced, and Quality modes. It should provide greater image stability. Meanwhile, preset F is focused on ultra-high performance and deep learning anti-aliasing (DLAA) and should push for higher frame rates. Preset G is not currently in use.
Cutting out all of these different profiles made DLSS 3.8.10 take up less space. That, in itself, really doesn’t matter, but perhaps simplifying the profiles will make it easier for gamers and developers alike to optimize their game settings. You can use third-party tools to optimize your DLSS profiles in games outside of their intended settings, but be careful, because some titles may flag you for cheating when you use that kind of software.
Meanwhile, many are speculating about DLSS 4 and what that might entail, but chances are we won’t find out until Nvidia’s RTX 50-series arrives in January.
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Republicans projected to win House majority, securing GOP trifecta
Republicans projected to win House majority, securing GOP trifecta
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds the gavel onstage ahead of the start of the first day of the *********** National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
Republicans will keep control of the House of Representatives, NBC News projects, securing a GOP trifecta with the White House and the Senate.
The GOP’s projected win comes after President-elect Donald Trump claimed a decisive victory against Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election and after Republicans flipped control of the Senate.
The *********** triumph also presents an opportunity for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to keep his job, though he will first have to be reelected by his House colleagues.
Going into the election, House Republicans were looking to expand their razor-thin majority. They had been governing with 220 *********** seats to Democrats’ 212, with three vacancies.
That threadbare GOP majority gave Democrats high hopes to flip the chamber. They needed to gain a net of just four seats to seize back control, because the vacancies leave the chamber with fewer than 435 total votes.
Going into Election Day, Democrats outraised their *********** rivals in all but one of the 26 House races rated to be a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, according to an NBC News analysis of October campaign finance data. Democrats also outspent Republicans in crucial races from July through September.
Despite the massive fundraising effort, Democrats ******* to stave off the red wave.
In Pennsylvania’s 8th House District, *********** Rob Bresnahan unseated incumbent Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright, and in the state’s 7th District, *********** Ryan Mackenzie defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, two particularly competitive races.
In the battleground state of Michigan, *********** Tom Barret grabbed an open seat in the 7th Congressional District that formerly belonged to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who declared victory in her Michigan Senate race.
The single-party controlled Congress will have an abundance of key issues to legislate, including whether or not to extend the $3.3 trillion Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, much of which is set to expire next year. Trump signed the initial bill into law in 2017, and has said he wants to not only extend the tax breaks, but also pursue deeper cuts.
Also on tap for Congress is the extension of enhanced subsidies under former President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act, which expire at the end of 2025. A debt ceiling ****** is also coming up.
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Why Rivian Shares Are Still Surging Today
Why Rivian Shares Are Still Surging Today
Shares of Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) were still surging on Wednesday afternoon, after the company announced the closing of a deal with Volkswagen that could be worth well over $5 billion to the electric vehicle (EV) maker.
As of 1:30 p.m. ET, Rivian’s shares were up about 18.3% from Tuesday’s closing price.
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Under the deal, first outlined in June, Rivian and Volkswagen have created a ****** venture to develop and commercialize Rivian’s so-called “zonal” EV architecture. The zonal architecture, set to be implemented in Rivian’s upcoming R2 SUV, can provide an extremely flexible technical basis for EVs of different sizes and price points. Among automakers outside of China, only Tesla has something similar.
Rivian’s next model is the midsize R2, due in 2026. Image source: Rivian.
The ****** venture will develop the architecture into something that can underpin a series of upcoming new EVs from brands in the Volkswagen group. The deal provides for a series of payments from Volkswagen to Rivian as key milestones are met, plus an option for a $1 billion loan that brings the total potential value of the deal to about $5.8 billion by early 2028.
Volkswagen will receive shares of Rivian in return for most of these payments. But for Rivian shareholders, any concerns about dilution should be more than offset by the security that VW’s incoming cash will provide for the California EV maker.
Here’s the key takeaway for Rivian investors: This deal makes it more likely that Rivian will have the cash to get to sustainable scale, no matter what happens in the U.S. political arena.
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