A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review | NoobFeed
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review | NoobFeed
WTMG’s Kyle Nicol: “A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a better game than I expected. It’s good, but it could have honestly been a lot better, even great. The developers have, for the most part, successfully managed to translate the movie’s unique and engaging premise into game form. However, uneven level design and repetitive gameplay holds it back from being truly great. I hope we get more from A Quiet Place, as there’s so much untapped potential in bringing it to gaming form, but this is a solid enough first effort.”
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South Korean engineer smuggled out shopping bags full of secret SK hynix docs to give to Huawei
South Korean engineer smuggled out shopping bags full of secret SK hynix docs to give to Huawei
A former employee of SK hynix was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined ₩20 million ($14,300) for stealing critical semiconductor technology before moving to Huawei, reports the Korea Biz Wire. The court found her guilty of breaching South Korea’s laws on industrial technology protection. However, the lax sentence indicates that prosecutors have ******* to prove that Huawei had received the confidential information.
The defendant had worked at SK Hynix since 2013, beginning in chip defect analysis. In 2020, she became a team leader in business-to-business customer relations at the company’s subsidiary in China. Her tenure provided access to sensitive technical documents essential to chip production. Then, in 2020, she decided to move on to Huawei (which pays a lot). But before resigning from SK hynix, the defendant printed approximately 4,000 pages of highly sensitive documents over four days.
These documents contained specific ‘solutions to semiconductor manufacturing process issues,’ considered core technology under South Korean law. She allegedly printed around 300 pages per day and concealed them in her backpack and shopping bags to avoid detection.
The Yeoju branch of the Suwon District Court ruled that her actions violated South Korea’s Industrial Technology Protection Act. While she had argued that she printed the documents only for study and to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities upon leaving, the court found her claims unconvincing.
In its ruling, the court observed that her behavior was highly suspicious, mainly as she printed the materials shortly before leaving SK hynix and accepted a higher-paying role at Huawei in June 2022. The court suggested that her intent was likely to use these materials to increase her value in the new position.
Despite these findings, the court handed down a relatively light sentence. The decision was influenced by the lack of direct evidence proving that the stolen technology had been used to justify a harsher punishment. Furthermore, SK hynix did not report any specific financial or operational damage from the incident.
The court’s sentence also considered the robust security protocols SK hynix maintains. The company prohibits using USB drives or other external storage devices and closely monitors all printed material by recording content, user information, and intended use. However, the court noted that the Shanghai office’s security appeared less rigorous, potentially allowing her actions to go undetected initially.
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Seven Scots public servants to receive posthumous Elizabeth Emblem
Seven Scots public servants to receive posthumous Elizabeth Emblem
William Cruickshank
William Crockett was one of 19 people to lose their lives in the Cheapside Street tragedy
A Glasgow firefighter who ***** in one of the city’s worst peacetime tragedies is among the first recipients of a new posthumous royal award honouring public servants ******* in the line of duty.
William Crockett was one of 14 men to lose their lives following the blaze at the Cheapside Street whisky bond in March 1960.
His son, William Cruickshank, will receive the newly-created Elizabeth Emblem from King Charles in his memory at a ceremony later this year.
The award, named after the late Queen Elizabeth II, is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, given to military personnel who have ***** in action.
Almost 500 firefighters were called in to tackle the Cheapside Street ***** in the Anderston area on the evening of 28 March 1960.
At the time, the building held about 4.5 million litres of whisky and more than 140,000 litres of rum.
Mr Crockett was among the responders on the scene. He ***** when an ********** caused the bond’s 20m (60ft) high walls to collapse onto the street below.
Falling masonry instantly ******* three firemen in Cheapside Street and 11 firemen and ***** salvage men who were tackling the flames at the rear of the building in Warroch Street.
It would spread to a nearby tobacco warehouse, an ice cream factory and the Harland and Wolff engine factory.
In total, 14 firefighters and five members of the Glasgow Salvage Corps lost their lives in what was the British ***** Service’s worst disaster since the end of the World War Two.
A large memorial service was held for the fallen following the tragedy.
William Cruickshank
William Cruickshank, centre, was just six years old when his father, left, ***** in the Cheapside Street *****
Mr Cruickshank, 71, was just six years old when his father was *******.
He recalled how his family were forced to move out of their “fireman’s flat” in Easterhouse in the following weeks, moving to Carntyne.
He said his mother struggled to talk about it afterwards, but that she would be “quietly pleased” about the award.
He told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “The actual ***** could be seen from all over Glasgow. There was something like 500 firefighters went out that particular night. You can’t begin to imagine what it was like.
“There’s all these barrels of whisky blowing up all over the place and eventually two of the walls fell down. Glasgow was known as the tinderbox city at that time, it was a disaster waiting to happen.
“When I think about my mother, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her. The grief that she had to carry.
“All of Glasgow was watching all those wives when they had that massive ceremony. I don’t know how she held it together really, so it was really tough.”
PA Media
Firefighters spent almost 12 hours battling the blaze at the Cheapside Street bond
Mr Cruickshank said he heard about the Elizabeth Emblem through his sister, but later found she was ineligible to apply as she was not the first-born child.
The next of kin of more than 30 former public servants will receive the Emblem following a campaign by the fathers of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were murdered by Dale Cregan in Greater Manchester in 2012.
The silver Emblem features a rosemary wreath and a Tudor crown alongside the words “for a life given in service”.
Mr Cruickshank said the award was as much to pay tribute to his mother as it was his father and said it would leave a legacy for those who had lost their lives in the line of duty in the future.
“I think my mum would have been quietly pleased and to know that my dad had been recognised,” he said.
“I’m not so sure it is just about him really, it is about all the others and in future – this was 64 years ago for Cheapside Street but ultimately there is going to be others who lose their lives in public service.
“It is going to happen again and although you don’t want it to, it will happen and because of that, for them I think it is going to be even more important because it Is going to be a lot more fresh and real.
“The fact that the king is actually going to give us these awards is really incredible.”
Scots’ firefighters and police officers honoured
Seven of those honoured with the Emblem lost their lives in Scotland.
Sally Taylor will receive the award as the widow of PC George Taylor, who was ******* while on patrol on 30 November, 1976.
He was attacked by two men dressed in prison uniform who had escaped from the State Hospital at Carstairs in Lanarkshire.
The award will also be given to Archibald MacLellan, son of Neil MacLellan, a nursing officer who was on duty at the State Hospital that night.
He was *******, along with a patient, by the two men who escaped.
The family of Hamish Grant, a firefighter ******* when their appliance overturned en route to a farmhouse ***** in Aberdeenshire in April 1965 and PC Edward Barnett, shot and ******* in Glasgow in January 1970, are also among the recipients.
Fulton family
PC Lewis Fulton was ******* at the age of 28 in a stabbing in Glasgow
The award will also go to the family of Det Sgt William Ross Hunt who was ******* while on duty in June 1983 after being stabbed while attempting to arrest a suspect in Larkhall.
Meanwhile, PC Lewis Fulton, whose widow Christine has fought for those who ***** emergency workers to receive mandatory life sentences, will receive the honour 30 years on from his ****** as the result of a stabbing in Glasgow’s Gorbals in 1994.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “We must never forget those who have given their lives to protect others in the line of duty.
“While families will never be able to replace their loved ones, the Elizabeth Emblem pays tribute to the sacrifice they have made.”
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This year’s Grammy nominees for best video game soundtrack have been announced
This year’s Grammy nominees for best video game soundtrack have been announced
The nominations have been announced for the 2025 Grammy awards, including the award for best video game soundtrack.
This is the third time the Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media award has been featured in the Grammy Awards, having made its debut at the 2023 ceremony.
This year the five nominated games are as follows:
The **** of War Ragnarök: Valhalla nod marks the third nomination for Bear McCreary, who is the only composer to have been nominated every year since the award was introduced. He was previously nominated for Call of Duty: Vanguard and the **** of War Ragnarök base game.
According to the Recording Academy, the award “recognizes excellence in score soundtrack albums comprised predominately of original scores and created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current video game or other interactive media released within the qualification *******.”
The inaugural winner of the award in 2023 was *********’s Creed Valhalla, whose Dawn of Ragnarök DLC score by Stephanie Economou beat out Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Old World.
The 2024 award was won by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, composed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab. It beat Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, **** of War Ragnarök, Hogwarts Legacy and Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical.
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Raspberry Pi SSD Review: Speedy, yet safe
Raspberry Pi SSD Review: Speedy, yet safe
In recent weeks, Raspberry Pi has unleashed a torrent of accessories and add-ons for our favorite single board computer (SBC). We’ve seen a plethora of AI products in the shape of the AI Camera and the AI HAT+. And we have seen a range of micro SD cards and interestingly a $3 silicone bumper.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
But Raspberry Pi’s torrent has not slowed down, and now we have a range of Raspberry Pi SSDs. The $30, 256GB, which we have for review, and the $45, 512GB model. Both also come in kits for a few more dollars.
The Raspberry Pi 5 introduced a dedicated PCIe connection to the flagship and now has a plethora of fast storage options available to it. At the cheapest end of the spectrum, we have micro SD cards, and Raspberry Pi has its own range of branded cards that offer much higher speeds than previously achieved. I briefly mention these cards in this review, but they will soon have their own review.
At the other end of the scale are NVMe SSDs, which super-charge the Raspberry Pi 5 into a low-power Arm desktop computer. The only problem with NVMe SSD on the Pi? In the early days, not all drives worked, so lets see if the guarantee of compatibility afforded by the Raspberry Pi brand is worth extra $10 over a generic Amazon module.
Raspberry Pi SSD Technical Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Capacities
256GB, 512GB
Form Factor
M.2 2230
PCIe
Gen 3 (backwards compatible to Gen 2)
4kB Random Reads
40k IOPS 256GB
50k IOPS 512GB
Random Writes
70k IOPS 256GB
90k IOPS 512GB
Setting up the Raspberry Pi SSD
You will need an M.2 HAT to use the Raspberry Pi SSD, and of course Raspberry Pi has its own M.2 HAT+ which is offered in a bundle with the SSD. You can also use any of the other alternatives, for example the excellent Pineboards HatDrive! Nano or Pimoroni’s NVMe Base.
We chose to use the Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+, as part of the SSD kit. To install Raspberry Pi OS to the NVMe SSD, I installed the SSD, connected all of the peripherals and inserted a micro SD card with the latest OS. I then powered up the Raspberry Pi 5 and copied the install from the card to the SSD using the SD card copier tool. It really didn’t take that long, barely five minutes. I then set the Raspberry Pi to boot from NVMe, and set the PCIe speed to Gen 3. A quick reboot and I was ready for testing.
Raspberry Pi SSD and Kits
The Raspberry Pi SSD comes in two capacities, 256GB and 512GB and both come as either a standalone drive, or as a kit (Raspberry PI SSD Kit) which includes the Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+. Here is a table showing the buying options and their respective prices.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Raspberry Pi SSD Only 256GB
$30 (£28)
Raspberry Pi SSD Only 512GB
$45 (£41)
Raspberry Pi SSD Kit 256GB
$40 (£37)
Raspberry Pi SSD Kit 512GB
$55 (£51)
Benchmarking the Raspberry Pi SSD
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Raspberry Pi branded SSDs are essentially just PCIe Gen 3 speed SSDs made by Biwin for Raspberry Pi. The key difference between the Pi drives and others is that Raspberry Pi confirms that the drives will work with the Raspberry Pi 5.
In the early days of Raspberry Pi NVMe storage, some drives had compatibility issues, forcing add-on makers to advise customers and offer bundles with compatible drives. This also prompted Cytron Technologies and Pineboards to release their own range of NVMe SSDs. In recent months, things seem to have stabilized, but it does remind us that we need to go back and test the drives that didn’t work with the older Pi firmware.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Back to the review, and let’s start with boot times. The 256GB Raspberry Pi SSD boots to the Raspberry Pi OS desktop in 19.92 seconds. That’s faster than a micro SD card, but the new Raspberry Pi A2 micro SD cards come in at 22.71 seconds. There isn’t much difference between the two.
As Raspberry Pi now officially supports PCIe Gen 3, our focus will be on that for the bandwidth tests, but we will mention Gen 2 performance for those of us that are using the boards such as the Geekworm X1011 which uses an ASM1182e PCIe packet switch that limits the performance to PCIe Gen 2.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
How fast can the drive read data? Using a test which uses dd to read the entire drive to /dev/null, PCIe Gen 3 saw an impressive 837 MB/s, in line with all of the other M.2 NVMe drives that we have tested with the Raspberry Pi. PCIe Gen 2, came in at 443 MB/s, a respectable speed for the older generation.
How fast can the drive write data? Using the Raspberry Pi Diagnostics application, we took the sequential write speed as our benchmark. PCIe Gen 3 ran at 723 MB/s, plenty of speed for the Raspberry Pi, and again, in line with other drives that we have tested. PCIe Gen 2 managed 384MB/s, still a ***** fine speed and plenty for most use cases.
So, Raspberry Pi’s branded SSD offers the same speeds as other brands we have tested, but being a Raspberry Pi product, we get the brand assurance that this product will work.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
How hot does the drive get? I tested drive temperature using smartctl, a Linux command that is part of smartmontools and is used to monitor the current health of SMART enabled drives. The idle temperature was tested with the Pi 5 being idle for five minutes. At PCIe Gen 3, the SSD sat at 28 degrees Celsius. PCIe Gen 2 was a little higher at 34°C. Under stress, PCIe Gen 3 reached 78°C. Whereas PCIe Gen 2 hit 81°C.
Who is the Raspberry Pi SSD for?
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
This is a drive for those of us who want to dip our toes into the SSD waters, without the worry of wondering if the drive will work with their Raspberry Pi 5.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
We pay a little more for the Raspberry Pi brand, but this extra money is spent ensuring that the product is tested to work on the Pi 5. Sure we can save $10 and pick up an M.2 2230 drive from Amazon, but you are taking a risk.
If you are an old hand with NVMe SSDs, then the Raspberry Pi SSD is probably not for you. You’ll likely have a stack of spare cards. But this is an SSD for those who are new to technology, perhaps those moving their projects from micro SD or USB storage. It works well, it is easy to use and provides a noticeable speed boost for general tasks.
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Plans revealed for three new towers in Perth CBD to transform Yagan Square area
Plans revealed for three new towers in Perth CBD to transform Yagan Square area
Thousands more people will call the Perth CBD home as the State Government finalises plans to develop city blocks that have been empty for years.
Three towers — to include a mix of student and rental accommodation, short-stay apartments and a hotel — will be built next to the $853 million Edith Cowan University campus that’s under construction at Yagan Square.
The deal to sell the last lots in Perth City Link — created when railway lines at Wellington Street were sunk between 2011 and 2014 — is expected to be worth $500m and house at least 1500 people. They range in size from 2115sqm to 3941sqm.
One will be a 19-storey student accommodation building on Roe Street, to be developed by local property group Erben Place Pty Ltd. It will house more than 1100 students and will form a central part of the State Government’s vision to revitalise the area, after the Yagan Square market hall was transformed into Stories, a multi-level food and drink venue.
Next to the student tower will be a 32-storey build-to-rent development to provide 200 new apartments, as well as a 26-storey hotel and short-stay accommodation building, including several commercial properties and shops.
The rental apartments will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.
Design guidelines are currently set at 30 storeys, but DevelopmentWA is considering allowing the development to be two extra storeys high.
Camera IconLot 19 as seen from Roe Street. Credit: supplied/supplied
To be developed by Perth-based Oceania Capital Group, the development will span lots 12 and 18 of the City Link area, with the student accommodation on lot 19. Lot 11, put for tender in June — as revealed by The Sunday Times — will return to the market.
“These lots are part of our plan to support delivery of more housing that is well-located, affordable and suits the needs of Western Australians,” Premier Roger Cook said on Saturday.
“Boosting housing supply and choice in the inner city also helps to further Perth’s growth as a thriving modern city that is liveable and attractive to locals and visitors alike.”
For years, governments and the City of Perth have wanted more people to live in the CBD, as they do in Sydney and Melbourne and overseas.
Camera IconThe development will span lots 12 and 18 of the City Link area Credit: supplied/supplied
Over the last 20 years, there have been dramatic changes to Perth’s skyline with the advent of new offices by mining companies, such as Chevron in Elizabeth Quay, and new hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton.
But the government now hopes the Perth CBD can take another step forwards in the WA capital’s evolution as a world-class destination by getting people to live in the centre of Perth.
The government wants people to not just shop and work in the city, but to live there — putting money towards a public swimming pool at the WACA and a new school in East Perth.
“My government is investing hundreds of millions to drive economic activity in our inner city and make it a fantastic place to live, including our key investments in a new East Perth Primary School, WACA aquatic facility and ECU City Campus,” Mr Cook said.
Planning and Housing Minister John Carey said the influx of people living and studying in the city, would breathe new life into the CBD.
“Along with the ECU City Campus, which will bring 9000 to 10,000 students a day, this will provide a major boost to small business and breathe more vibrancy into our growing city centre,” Mr Carey said.
“Our government continues to drive the revitalisation of the Perth CBD and we’re investing hundreds of millions of dollars to create jobs, economic activity and attract more people to Perth.”
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DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO Review | NoobFeed
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO Review | NoobFeed
NoobFeed editor Ahnaf Tajwar writes – DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO succeeds in delivering a nostalgic yet fresh experience for longtime fans of the series. The sheer amount of content, from its massive roster of characters to the episodic story mode, makes it a love letter to the franchise’s rich history.
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DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI’s Neo is shockingly capable for a tiny drone, but it did have a couple of weaknesses — namely, the lack of vertical video and relatively slow flying speeds in tracking mode. The company has now addressed both of those issues with a new firmware update, adding vertical video and increasing the Neo’s tracking speeds, among other things.
Considering that the Neo is designed and priced for creators, the lack of vertical video was a big miss. It can now handle that, albeit it only at 1080p 60 fps 9:16 and not 4K. That lower resolution is due to the fact that the camera gimbal doesn’t actually rotate 90 degrees like on the Mini 4 Pro; instead, it shoots 4K horizontal resolution then crops off the sides.
DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video (DJI)
Speed-wise, the Neo can now hit up to 20 mph in tracking mode, up from around 12 mph before. That’s actually faster than the 18 mph sport mode top speed, though still a lot slower than the Neo’s maximum 36 mph speed in the full manual setting (which requires the FPV remote controller 3). Nevertheless, it’s now up to the job of tracking slow moving vehicles, particularly bicycles.
Other new features include Goggles N3 support, liveview stabilization with Goggles N3 or Goggles 3 and improved noise reduction with the Mic 2. Unfortunately, there’s not much DJI can do about the annoying propeller noise. To get the update, you’ll need to connect your Neo to DJI’s Fly app on Android or iOS, then update both the drone and the app.
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Bull market revs back up on Trump enthusiasm as traders race to grab small caps, banks and Tesla
Bull market revs back up on Trump enthusiasm as traders race to grab small caps, banks and Tesla
Profound change swept across the electoral map on its way to upending Washington, DC, last week. But how much has truly changed for economic and investment conditions? In the last-minute anticipation and then immediate reaction to Donald Trump’s victory on Tuesday, nearly everything broke in favor of risk markets. A quick and decisive election result instantly released pent-up tension over the chance of a hung outcome. The apparent likelihood of a *********** sweep in Congress then engaged the old 2016 Trump Trade playbook of grabbing for cyclical, small-cap and financial stocks. The S & P 500’s eventual 4.7% jump for the week after briefly peeping above the 6000 threshold on Friday was almost perfectly set up by the market’s three-week internal digestion of the autumn rally, giving the average stock a chance to pull back even as the S & P 500 stayed just below record levels. Almost as an afterthought, the Federal Reserve trimmed short-term rates another quarter-point and Chair Jay Powell did nothing to downplay the chances of a further cut in six weeks. This in an economy that has been surprising to the upside and with inflation readings whose long retreat has paused a bit above the 2% Fed target. Even what looked like a reflex of tighter financial conditions lacked *****. The 10-year Treasury yield briefly shot above 4.4% Wednesday, but even this was below the springtime highs and is at a level that has not been shown to hold the economy back much. Ditto for the dollar index, popping but still below mid-year highs. It’s about as much bullish fodder as investors might dare ask for — and more than most bears would choose to ******, at least just yet. But, as ever, there are nuances and potential complications to consider. 2016 Trump redux? For one, the market was already in a sturdy uptrend, the S & P ahead by 20% in 2024 by October. Cyclicals have been consistently outperforming defensive stocks, with financials running ahead of tech since August. Even the small-cap Russell 2000 had made up more than half its year-to-date deficit against the Nasdaq 100 between mid-July and mid-October, once the Fed pivoted assertively toward rate cuts. .SPX .RUT YTD mountain S & P 500 vs. Russell 2000, YTD Leuthold Group chief investment officer Doug Ramsey recited a few of the crucial distinctions between November 2016 and the current moment: “Core inflation was just 2% when he won in 2016, and few feared any inflationary impact from tariffs. Today, core inflation is 3.3%. In 2016, the federal deficit of 3.0% of GDP was large, but not seen as an impediment to either steady growth in government or a big corporate tax cut.” The deficit now exceeds 6% of GDP. He adds, “While the investor mood before the 2016 vote was restrained, one component of our Sentiment Composite (consumer expectations for stock price gains in the coming 12 months) surged to an all-time high just one-month ago.” The S & P 500 before the 2016 election was at the same level as 18 months before and traded at 17-times earnings, with profit margins depressed after the 2015-’16 earnings recession. Now, the S & P is up 44% in the past 18 months and the P/E is above 22 on more elevated margins. The U.S. economy had been struggling with subpar growth and undershooting the 2% inflation target for more than half a decade by the 2016 election. Today we’re coming off an inflation shock with above-trend real GDP the rule for the past three years. Investment-grade corporate credit spreads then were twice as wide as now, leaving less room for improvement in financial conditions from here. In other words, when the reflationary Trump 1.0 policy mix of tax cuts and deregulation came into view following his surprise 2016 win, reflating was exactly what the economy needed. Now, expansionary policy (setting aside possible stiff tariffs and disruptive deportation programs for now) presents itself as a possible accelerant to trends well underway. Even then, value stocks and small caps only outperformed for about two months before growth stocks and defensive sectors took hold of the S & P 500 through a remarkably calm and strong 2017. Here’s the S & P 500 Value vs Growth relationship since 2014. As for small-caps, institutional players have been maneuvering to play a revival for the past couple of months, leaving positioning in Russell 2000 futures pretty elevated. Citi equity strategist Scott Chronert regularly computes the five-year profit-growth rate priced into equities at a given valuation, and on Friday said that with the election week rally, “Our implied growth estimate moved to 13.6% [per year] from 12.4%.” Chronert calculates that this move “fully prices a domestic-producers tax cut to 15%, which by our math is a +0.6% annualized FCF impact. That leaves the remaining +0.6% to deregulation and household tax cuts. This creates little room for incremental negatives from tariffs and/or higher rates tied deficit concerns, especially against a euphoric sentiment backdrop.” His call is for investors to fade any near-term rally that takes the S & P above his 6100 “bull case” target for year end. Tesla’s 30% week All fair and sober assessments. Yet even if the math pencils out to an unexciting fundamental return setup, bull markets also feed off of stories and feelings and the fund flows they embolden. If the reflationary policy prescription today is not needed to cure an impaired economy, perhaps it will be used by markets for recreational purposes? Certainly, this might have been previewed in the way that crowd favorite Tesla burst about 30% higher for the week, the way heavily shorted stocks were ripping, the vertical ascents in the likes of Goldman Sachs shares on expectations of a merger and IPO frenzy to be unleashed. TSLA 5D mountain Tesla, 5 days More concretely, the mere hope of a possible corporate tax cut and of industry empowered to tilt regulations more in their favor can sustain the feeling that earnings growth can improve by late next year and perhaps lengthen an economic cycle that not long ago seemed to be losing momentum. For sure, the S & P 500 is by some measures running a bit hot, pushing above the top end of its two-year bull-market path. This simultaneously means a pullback should be unsurprising but an ultimate peak isn’t likely at hand. Market breadth was also pretty underwhelming all week for such a strong index rally, a sign of how assertively the market took to sorting deemed policy winners from the rest of the pack. Investors had pared back exposures and hedged pretty aggressively into the election, so there is likely still room for the Street to “re-risk” portfolios further. Still, after the bounty of market-friendly news, it’s time to watch for investor sentiment and positioning to grow toward unstable bullish extremes — even if, near year’s end, such readings are not always much impediment to the upward seasonal bias.
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Remember These Hotkeys in Planet Coaster 2 for an Easier Time
Remember These Hotkeys in Planet Coaster 2 for an Easier Time
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November 9, 2024
More often than not, the management and simulation genre proves massive and complex. On PC, there are countless hotkeys to consider, and to the everyday player, it can feel overwhelming to remember every key combination necessary to quick-build or remove pathing sections. Hopefully, we can help. Here are a few of the most important hotkeys in Planet Coaster 2!
Important Planet Coaster 2 Hotkeys To Remember
I spent too long ignoring hotkeys and shortcuts in games in favor of simply clicking, and the day I started using hotkeys, I never returned. They make life easier. You can access nearly any menu or mechanic in the game without moving your hand from the keyboard. Of course, remembering every hotkey and shortcut command is initially challenging, but there’s no shame in keeping a guide like this one up on your phone or a second screen.
Here are a few Planet Coaster 2 hotkeys worth remembering:
CTRL + Z — Undo
CTRL + Y — Redo
L — Light
ALT — Radial Menu
Right CTRL + Right SHIFT + G — Hide UI
Z — Rotate 90 Degrees
Hold Z — Rotate
X — Advanced Move
M — Move
F — Snap Object to Wall Center
P — Toggle Angle Snap
CTRL + D — Duplicate Object
R — Edit Building
I — Multi Select
Related: Earn More Money in Planet Coaster 2 and Expand Your Horizons
Of course, there are many more hotkeys and shortcuts in Planet Coaster 2, and you can find all of them within the settings menu, but I find you’ll use these more frequently than any other. It’s worth keeping this guide open for quick reference.
Do you have any additional Planet Coaster 2 tips and tricks to share? We’d love to hear your insights into the amusement park management game, so comment below or visit the community forum to share!
Before diving into the park building and management game, don’t forget to check out the Planet Coaster 2 achievements so that you can 100% the game!
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Purnell’s £750 vouchers useless after restaurant closure
Purnell’s £750 vouchers useless after restaurant closure
Therese Roberts
Therese Roberts (right) had bought one of the vouchers for her daughter Lindsay
A woman who spent £750 on vouchers for a Michelin-starred restaurant before it closed fears she may have lost her money.
Purnell’s in Birmingham, which became famous for contemporary seasonal food, shut in October.
But more than a dozen people contacted the BBC to say they had been told vouchers, sometimes worth hundreds of pounds, would not be refunded or redeemed.
Glynn Purnell, who ran the restaurant, said he was “heartbroken” by the closure and apologised for what he called a “difficult situation”.
Therese Roberts, a retired marketing worker from Coventry, said she bought £500 worth of vouchers for her children last Christmas, before also spending money on a £250 voucher for a friend.
She said she didn’t find out the restaurant had even closed until she read the BBC’s report on it.
Claire Lishman PR
Glyn Purnell, who ran Purnell’s, has been criticised over vouchers that now appear to be useless
After contacting liquidators, Ms Roberts was told the vouchers were irredeemable and it was not possible for refunds to be issued.
Her request to use them at another of Mr Purnell’s restaurants was also rejected.
“I’m really disappointed,” the 58-year-old said. “He classes himself as the ‘Yummy Brummie’. He blames greedy chains taking his business but he didn’t want to communicate or come to a compromise with me.
“I thought he was a better man than that. It’s left a rotten taste in my mouth.”
Therese Roberts
Ms Roberts previously ate at Purnell’s and wanted others to experience it
Ms Roberts previously visited Purnell’s with her husband, describing it as a “great experience”.
She said she really enjoyed dining at the premium establishment and wanted her loved ones to be able to try it too.
“He’s come across as a down to earth boy from Chelmsley Wood,” the mother added of Mr Purnell.
“I thought he would understand what it was like to be an ordinary person in the street.”
Sean Devlin
Retired head teacher Sean Devlin
Ms Roberts was among multiple customers who were told to contact their banks to try and secure a refund, but many received them as gifts and in some cases up to a year ago.
Sean Devlin, 72, from Malvern, Worcestershire, said he held a £110 five course lunch for two ticket, which he can no longer use.
The retired head teacher received the voucher as a Christmas gift last year, but was told Purnell’s was closed when he tried to book a table.
“I have had no information at all from them,” he said. “It makes me cross really.
“They have had a difficult time, but so have many other people. I’m sure they have made good money over the years.”
Angela Blacker
Angela Blacker has also been left stuck with vouchers she can’t use
Angela Blacker, from Broseley in Shropshire, received the same voucher as Mr Devlin, as a present for her 60th birthday.
The retiree was surprised when she discovered the gift would not be honoured.
“I’m shocked at the level of customer service,” she said. “We have had absolutely nothing at all.
“It’s not our fault he’s closed the restaurant. I was really looking forward to going somewhere posh, but it’s not going to happen now.”
Claire Lishman PR
Purnell’s gained a Michelin star
Speaking after the restaurant closed, Mr Purnell said the eatery had been going through “a really tough time” and seen bookings fall by more than 20%.
“Things have moved on and times have changed,” he said. “In this current climate, no-one is bulletproof.”
But he hinted there could be more to come, adding: “I’m excited for the future and the next steps in my journey. This isn’t the last you’ve heard of the ‘Yummy Brummie’.”
On Saturday, Mr Purnell issued a statement saying the closure was in the hands of liquidators and questions regarding vouchers must legally be addressed to them.
“I have been very grateful for the support in the unfortunate and unforeseen closure of the restaurant after 17 years,” he said.
“We have been advised that refunds can also be requested via customers own banks and credit card companies. I can only apologise for this difficult situation.”
The BBC has also contacted liquidator Butcher Woods for comment.
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Is Overwatch Classic Returning? Blizzard Drops Cryptic Hints Ahead of Major Trailer Reveal
Is Overwatch Classic Returning? Blizzard Drops Cryptic Hints Ahead of Major Trailer Reveal
Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch was a 2016 team-based online multiplayer first-person shooter video game for PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. Thanks to its success, Blizzard decided to work on a sequel, Overwatch 2, which replaced the original game. The original Overwatch featured 6v6 combat but in Overwatch 2, the number was reduced by one on each team, making it a 5v5 battle, a major change that got mixed reactions from the community.
Overwatch 2 replaced the original Overwatch in 2022 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Overwatch 2 isn’t exactly performing as Blizzard hoped it would and now it seems like the studio will use the oldest trick in the book. All Overwatch social media accounts have been rebranded with Overwatch 1 Tracer. Players are speculating that Blizzard is planning to bring back the classic Overwatch to bring back veteran players.
The Classic Overwatch Might Be Making A Comeback
The 6v6 combat was removed as devs believed it slowed down the gameplay (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
The official Overwatch YouTube channel recently scheduled a trailer to air on November 11 at 9 AM PST, with a picture of Tracer in her classic Overwatch 1 design. Plus, the official social media pages of Overwatch 2 went through an overhaul as all the profile pictures were change to the same image of Tracer and all old posts were archived.
Fans believe that a major announcement will be made on 11th November and many are convinced that the classic Overwatch is making a comeback. This news comes a few days after reports revealed that Epic Games is planning to bring back Fortnite OG permanently as a separate experience. Rumors suggest that Seasons 1 through 10 will return in monthly cycles.
Is Overwatch 6v6 Finally Coming Back?
The return of the original Overwatch could bring back the classic 6v6 combat (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
The serves of the original Overwatch were shut down on October 3rd, 2022, in preparation for the beta release of its sequel, Overwatch 2, the next day. The basic concept was still the same, however, the 6v6 combat was changed to a 5v5 combat as developers thought that it made the gameplay slow.
Players strongly believe that the 6v6 combat is now making a comeback and will be announced in the mysterious trailer. There are speculations that the game would operate alongside Overwatch 2 just like World of Warcraft Classic, another game from Blizzard Entertainment. This release would certainly boost the player count as it will convince many veteran players to return to the game after so many years.
Players aren’t exactly happy with Blizzard as it canceled all future PvE content for Overwatch 2 earlier this year. It seems like the layoffs directly affected the development team working on the PvE content, and as a result, everything is now canceled. Hopefully, the return of the classic Overwatch will satisfy the players are Blizzard promised to focus “on competitive player vs. player gameplay.“
Do you think the return of classic Overwatch will revive the franchise’s popularity? Share your views in the comments!
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Top stocks to buy with upside in Trump era
Top stocks to buy with upside in Trump era
Wall Street analysts are looking ahead to President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and many stocks could be poised to benefit. CNBC Pro combed through the most recent Wall Street research to find companies analysts really like heading into 2025 based on potential Trump policies. They include General Motors, Ford Motor, Robinhood , Coinbase , GE Aerospace and Goldman Sachs. Ford and General Motors Bank of America said both automakers are best positioned in a Trump presidency. “We see F and GM as the main beneficiaries from the Trump administration,” analyst John Murphy wrote. This is because there will be less pressure to shift the auto companies toward electric vehicles, he added. “On the other end, EV OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] may face slower demand due to less pressure to go electric and lower IRA incentives.” Murphy said Mexico tariffs are a risk, but he urged investors to remain calm. Shares of Ford are down 10% in 2024, and General Motors is up close to 55% this year. Coinbase and Robinhood Needham analyst John Todaro sees both stocks as beneficiaries of a crypto renaissance under a Trump administration, although the firm currently has a neutral rating on Robinhood. “We expect the entire crypto sector to benefit from the Trump win, but the largest positive impact on COIN & HOOD,” he wrote. Todaro said both companies may feel more compelled to usher in additional crypto products under a Trump presidency that may be more amenable to bitcoin uses. “In addition to Trump winning, the House and Senate (elected & re-elected) majority pro crypto candidates to make the most pro-crypto political landscape in US history,” he added. Shares of Robinhood are up nearly 140% in 2024, while Coinbase is up more than 55% this year. GE Aerospace The aerospace company has pricing power, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Scott Deuschle, who says GE can benefit under a Trump administration. “In the event that some combination of increased fiscal spending, tax cuts, and tariffs were to drive persistency to the current above-trend rate of inflation, then we think companies in our coverage with the greatest pricing power would continue to stand out as relative winners,” he wrote, including GE in that mix. Defense spending is also likely to rise under a GOP White House, making GE a standout, the analyst added. The company is a key engine supplier on U.S. military aircraft as well as internationally. “Additionally, we think GE could be among the largest beneficiaries of this potential trend within our aerospace coverage,” Deuschle said. The stock is up more than 80% this year with more room to run, he wrote. Ford and GM – Bank of America, buy ratings “We see F and GM as the main beneficiaries from the Trump administration. The current environmental regime would pressure the core business of legacy OEMs (trucks) to decarbonize by the end of the decade while shifting quickly to an EV portfolio. … On the other end, EV OEMs may face slower demand due to less pressure to go electric and lower IRA incentives.” Coinbase – Needham, buy rating; Robinhood – Needham, neutral rating “On the back of this, we expect HOOD in the medium term to launch more crypto products as well as COIN and would expect more favorable outcomes on the SEC cases. In addition to Trump winning, the House and Senate (elected & re-elected) majority pro crypto candidates to make the most pro-crypto political landscape in US history.” GE Aerospace – Deutsche Bank, buy rating “In the event that some combination of increased fiscal spending, tax cuts, & tariffs were to drive persistency to the current above-trend rate of inflation, then we think companies in our coverage with the greatest pricing power would continue to stand out as relative winners. … Additionally, we think GE could be among the largest beneficiaries of this [defense spend] potential trend within our aerospace coverage…” Goldman Sachs – Wells Fargo, overweight rating “Capital markets momentum and the chance for a super cycle. More free markets imply that investment banking revenues have a chance at exceeding 2021 levels over the next few years. The idea of a capital markets super-cycle seems possible (albeit not a base case), esp. given the level of pent-up demand, dry powder, and likely more certainty in deals getting approved. GS should benefit.” Read more about this call here.
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Caligan takes a stake in Verona Pharma, sees opportunity to generate more value
Caligan takes a stake in Verona Pharma, sees opportunity to generate more value
Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | AP
Company: Verona Pharma (VRNA)
Business: Verona Pharma, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of respiratory ********* with unmet medical needs. The company’s product candidate is ensifentrine, an inhaled and dual inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and PDE4 enzymes that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound. This medication is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary ********, asthma and cystic fibrosis. The company is developing ensifentrine in three formulations, including nebulizer, dry powder inhaler and pressurized metered-dose inhaler. Verona Pharma was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in London.
Stock Market Value: ~$3.16B ($38.58 per share)
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon
Verona Pharma shares in 2024
Activist: Caligan Partners LP
Ownership: n/a
Average Cost: n/a
Activist Commentary: Caligan Partners was founded by former Carlyle Group managing director David Johnson, and it launched its main fund in 2022. It invests in a concentrated portfolio of small and midcap life sciences companies, using activism as a tool to unlock value. Caligan looks for companies with differentiated intellectual property and durable assets that have underperformed their peers. The firm will take board seats when it thinks it can add value. The way the firm thinks about biopharma investing is somewhat unique. It looks for companies that are first in class and best in class in their therapies; companies where it has some downside protection; companies with a good management team; and opportunities where the firm thinks it could add value. Caligan looks to work constructively with boards and management but will not shy away from a proxy ******, if necessary.
What’s happening
On Oct. 22, Caligan announced that it has taken a position in Verona Pharma.
Behind the scenes
Verona Pharma is a clinical stage, pre-revenue, biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of respiratory ********* with unmet medical needs. The company’s current product candidate and potential value creator is ensifentrine (commercially “Ohtuvayre”), an inhaled and dual inhibitor that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent. Ohtuvayre was recently approved by the FDA for maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary ******** (COPD) on June 26. Back in May 2022, prior to this approval and when Caligan began building their initial position, the stock was trading in the mid-single digits and at essentially cash value. With the commercial launch of Ohtuvayre, Verona’s first-ever marketed product, scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, the stock has soared. Still, Caligan thinks there is a lot more value to be realized.
COPD, known as “smoker’s lung,” is the third leading cause of ****** worldwide that affects over 380 million patients globally. Not only is this a humanitarian crisis, but a challenge for our health-care systems. In just the U.S. alone, over $24 billion in health-care costs are associated with COPD management. A successful ***** like Ohtuvayre would not just increase the life expectancies of patients with COPD, but it would lower costs for both health-care providers and COPD patients. Currently, there are over 8.6 million U.S. COPD patients with over 4 million remaining symptomatic despite treatment from the current commercial therapies.
There is still a huge gap in this market, and Verona is currently on the trajectory of filling it with strong Phase III data showing a significant increase in lung function and a reduction in exacerbations with minimal side effects. This supporting data and the number of unsuccessfully treated patients in the current market suggests that Verona could achieve a 20% patient share for Ohtuvayre. If Verona can get 10% patient share, this could translate into $4.5 billion of revenue for Ohtuvayre. But the story gets even more exciting with potential indication expansion for utilizing Ohtuvayre for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (“NCFB”), a progressive inflammatory ******** that causes permanent lung damage with no current approved therapies and whose symptoms mimic COPD. With a greater than 1 million patient population, this could be a huge avenue for expansion for Ohtuvayre if it were to get approved as an NCFB treatment. The only other potential player in the NCFB market is biopharma peer Insmed’s ***** brensocatib. The ***** had mediocre success, showing a 21% rate of reduction in exacerbations in Phase III testing. Still, this was enough to skyrocket Insmed’s valuation over $7 billion in one month. In early pooling analysis, Ohtuvayre showed a 41% reduction in exacerbations in COPD patients, almost double brensocatib.
When Caligan announced its Verona position last month, the stock was trading at $33.40 per share or a $2.5 billion enterprise value. If it can attain a 10% patient share for COPD and $4.5 billion of peak revenue, it is trading at one half of peak revenue. Mergers and acquisitions for similar companies are generally done at 3-times to 4-times peak revenue, which would give Verona a price of $115 per share. If Ohtuvayre continues to move through trials for NCFB and gets traction with patients, like Insmed, Caligan thinks that Verona Pharma could be worth 7-times its valuation, or $218 per share.
Caligan exclusively invests in the health-care sector and has seen a lot of success. In October 2023, Caligan announced an activist position in MorphoSys AG, a similarly modeled biopharma company with a Phase III *****, that was set to commercialize in Q4 of 2023. At the time, the stock was trading at 26.08 euros a share. After successfully commercializing its star ***** pelabresib, MorphoSys was subsequently sold to Novartis in February 2024 for 2.7 billion euros or 68 euros per share. Caligan learned from that experience that if a ***** can improve the standard of care for patients, it will be valuable. In an industry with $140 billion coming off patent relatively soon, larger pharma companies need to do acquisitions, and those deals are usually in the $1 billion to $10 billion range. Both of those points bode very well for Verona, Caligan’s largest position in its portfolio.
Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments.
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Toyota aims to ramp up China production in a strategy pivot
Toyota aims to ramp up China production in a strategy pivot
By Maki Shiraki
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota aims to make at least 2.5 million vehicles a year in China by 2030, three people said, an overhaul that will see it bring its ******** sales and production operations closer together and allow local executives a freer hand in development,
The plan, which has not been previously reported, represents a strategic pivot by the world’s top selling automaker in the world’s largest car market, underlining its ambition to claw back business lost to BYD and other local players in recent years.
Toyota’s strategy is in contrast to that of other global automakers, including ********* ones, that are either scaling back or pulling out of China.
It aims to boost production to as much as 3 million vehicles a year by the end of the decade, two of the people said. However, it has stopped short of establishing a formal target, the three people said. All of the people declined to be identified because the matter has not been made public.
The ******* number represents a 63% increase on the record 1.84 million vehicles it produced in China in 2022. Last year it produced 1.75 million vehicles there.
Toyota has informed some suppliers of the intended ramp-up, in the hope of reassuring parts makers of its commitment to China and thereby securing its supply chain, the people said.
In response to questions from Reuters, Toyota said in a statement: “With the intense competition in the ******** market, we are constantly considering various initiatives”. It said it would continue to work on making “ever-better cars” for the ******** market.
The ********* automaker aims to bring the sales and production operations of its two ******** ****** ventures closer together, to improve efficiency, two of the people said.
It also intends transfer as much of the development responsibility as possible to China-based staff who have a better grasp of local market preferences, particularly around electrified and connected car technology, two of the people said.
The moves signal a growing awareness within Toyota that it needs to rely more on local staff to take charge and speed up product development in China, one of the people said, adding that otherwise “it will be too late”.
Legacy automakers, Toyota included, have been outmaneuvered in China as domestic EV makers rapidly roll out affordable, battery-powered cars with advanced technology.
Last year Toyota announced plans to deepen cooperation among its R&D centre in Jiangsu province and its two local ****** ventures.
One problem, representative of Toyota’s broader woes, is that vehicles developed independently by ****** venture partners are selling better than those produced with Toyota.
Story Continues
For instance, FAW Group’s Hongqi brand and GAC Group’s Aion EV both outsell respective models from FAW Toyota Motor and GAC Toyota Motor. Toyota now intends to better incorporate the know-how of local partners in its cars.
Currently, the same vehicle is produced at each of the two ****** ventures and sold with a different design and company name – so-called “twinned vehicles”. Going forward, production for each car will be consolidated at one of the ****** ventures, two of the people said.
The models will be made available at dealerships of both JVs.
As ********* automakers have been hit, so have ********* parts suppliers with operations in China.
Toyota announced at its earnings on Wednesday that operating income in China fell during the first half of the financial year mainly due to higher marketing costs brought about by heavy price competition against ******** brands.
Amid that competition, Mitsubishi Motors Corp has withdrawn from China, while Honda Motor and Nissan Motor have decided to reduce local production capacity.
(Reporting by Maki Shiraki; Editing by Nobuhiro Kubo, David Dolan and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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Timberborn Review | NoobFeed | N4G
Timberborn Review | NoobFeed | N4G
NoobFeed editor Mezbah Turzo writes – Timberborn has a few minor hiccups and more than a few structural ones. Despite this, the game manages to gnaw itself into your hearts with its furry cast of beavers. Whether you are drawn by the practical, logical management or the aesthetic and pleasing city-building, you will be left enamored and hooked by the game.
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How to work at McDonald’s and still become a millionaire
How to work at McDonald’s and still become a millionaire
Bernd Vogel | Stone | Getty Images
Brad Klontz was drawn to financial psychology after the tech bubble burst in the early 2000s.
Klontz had tried his hand at stock trading after seeing a friend earn more than $100,000 in one year. But he felt immense shame after the market crashed and his investments evaporated.
He set out to discover why he took such risks and how he could behave differently in the future.
Today, Klontz is a psychologist, a certified financial planner and an expert in behavioral finance. He is a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council and the CNBC Global Financial Wellness Advisory Board.
In his estimation, psychology is perhaps the biggest impediment to people’s financial success.
More from FA Playbook:
Here’s a look at other stories impacting the financial advisor business.
Klontz’s new book, “Start Thinking Rich: 21 Harsh Truths to Take You from Broke to Financial Freedom” — co-authored with entrepreneur and social media influencer Adrian Brambila — aims to break down the mental barriers that get in the way of financial freedom.
CNBC chatted with Klontz about these “harsh truths” and why he says people earning a McDonald’s salary can still become millionaires by tweaking their mindset.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
‘It’s all about the psychology’
Greg Iacurci: Why is psychology important when it comes to personal finance?
Brad Klontz: The basics of personal finance are actually quite simple. Financial literacy has its place, but I think it’s mostly [about] psychology.
Here’s my argument for that: The average *********, the two biggest problems we have is we spend more than we make, and we don’t save and invest for the future. And I’ve literally yet to meet an ****** who doesn’t know that they shouldn’t do those two things. So, everybody knows it. Nobody stays broke because they don’t know the difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. That’s not the problem we have.
It’s not really about the lack of knowledge. I think it’s all about the psychology.
GI: So how does people’s psychology tend to get in the way?
BK: The biggest impediment: money scripts. Most people aren’t aware of their beliefs around money. And there’s a whole process for discovering what those are. Part of it is looking at your financial flashpoints: these early experiences you have around money or that your parents have had, or your grandparents have had. People tend to repeat the pattern in their family, or they go to the extreme opposite.
The difference between ‘broke’ and ‘poor’
GI: You write very early in the book that there’s a difference between being broke and being poor. Can you explain the difference?
BK: We’re talking about a poor mindset.
Being broke means you have no money. I’ve been broke, my co-author was broke, our families have been broke, a lot of people have been broke. We differentiate between being broke, which is a temporary condition, hopefully, to a poor mindset, which will keep you broke forever.
It’s not really related to money, because I know people who make six figures and multiple six figures, and they have a poor mindset. We all know stories of people who win the lottery, or they win a big sports contract or music contract, and then all of a sudden [the money is] gone. Why is it gone? They have a poor mindset. That’s the distinction we make.
GI: Does this suggest that people, no matter their socioeconomic circumstances, can lift themselves out of ******** if they adopt a rich mindset?
BK: Yes.
GI: Is that one of your “harsh truths”?
BK: Yeah. We frame it in different ways based on the [book] chapter titles. For example, “It’s not your fault if you were born poor, but it is your fault if you **** poor.” That’s a pretty harsh reality that we’re throwing in people’s face.
Adopt a ‘rich’ vs. ‘poor’ mindset
GI: What is a rich mindset?
BK: It’s an approach to life and an approach to money.
Some of it goes against our natural wiring. There’s a future orientation. You have to have a vision of the future. A poor mindset [is] really focused on the here and now, not really thinking about the future. And if you don’t have a clear vision of your future, you’re not going to save, you’re not going to invest, you’re not going to live below your means.
A rich mindset puts an emphasis on owning their time versus owning a bunch of stuff. A poor mindset, as we describe it, [is] very willing to trade time for stuff.
GI: What do you mean by that?
BK: A poor mindset is like, I want this fancy car. And I’m very willing to work an extra 10 hours a week so I can drive that car around. And the problem with that is that mindset goes everywhere: “I’m gonna buy the biggest house I can get, I’m gonna get the nicest clothes I can get, a big watch.” And then people have no net worth. They’re not saving any net worth.
Meanwhile, a rich mindset is like: How can I own as much time as possible? You might think of that as retirement, where I don’t need to work anymore to fund my life. They have a future orientation, and they think, “Every dollar I get, I’m taking some of that money and I’m going to put it over here so that I can own my time and eventually have that money fund my entire life.”
One of the ‘most destructive beliefs about money’
GI: I thought this was a great line. You write: “The belief that rich people are big spenders could be one of the most destructive beliefs about money ever.”
BK: I’ve done research on this. In one study, we looked at a group of people who [each] had about $11 million in net worth, and we compared them to a group of people who [each] had about $500,000 in net worth. These people had almost 18 times more money. And what we found is they only spent twice as much, on their house, their vacation, their watch and their car.
They had the money to spend 18 times as much, right? The people who are the wealthiest, when it comes to money scripts [they] have money-vigilant money scripts, which is the belief that it’s important to save.
The ones who are the flashiest spenders [have] “money status beliefs.” They had lower income, lower net worth. They’re more likely to come from poorer homes. It’s like, “I’m gonna show the world I’ve made it.” But that keeps you broke.
And I had it, by the way. All these insults about this poor mindset, I had it all.
How to work at McDonald’s and be a millionaire
GI: So what is the No. 1 thing people can do to save themselves?
BK: The first part is embracing some of these harsh realities: Your political party is not going to save you. Your corporation doesn’t care about you. Your beliefs about money are keeping you poor.
These are all meant, in different ways, to just help you shift from an external locus of control to an internal locus of control: The outcomes I’ve been getting in my life are because of me. It’s because of what I did, what I didn’t do, what I didn’t know. It’s a difficult mindset to grasp.
You need to wake up to the fact that it doesn’t matter who the president is in terms of your financial freedom. None of them are going to make you financially free. They’re not going to send you a check. Your company? They don’t want you to be financially free. The replacement cost for you is really high. Your teachers can’t teach you to do that. They can teach you history and English. But they’re not financially free themselves.
The bottom line is, you have to do this yourself.
Then the next question is, well, what am I supposed to do? And that’s where we want to get people, because that’s a much easier answer.
Bradley T. Klontz, Psy.D., CFP, is an expert in financial psychology, behavioral finance and financial planning.
Courtesy Bradley T. Klontz
GI: And what is the answer?
BK: The answer is really, really simple.
Here’s the rich mindset: $1 comes into your life; you are going to put a percentage of that towards your financial freedom before you do anything else.
You can work at McDonald’s your entire life and be a millionaire if you have that mindset.
Save 30% of your income — or get a roommate
GI: What is the percentage people should be aiming for?
BK: It just depends on how rich you want to be and how fast you want to be rich. That determines the percentage. You’ll hear personal finance experts say you should be saving and investing at least 10% of everything you make. I advocate for 30%; that’s what I shot for, just because I think it helps you get there faster.
And people are like, “Oh my gosh, 30%.” Well, it’s real easy before you get your first job if you have this mindset. It’s real tough if you’ve designed your entire life around 100% of your paycheck. That’s where you have to make cuts.
We have a chapter on cutting expenses. It’s called “Get a roommate, get on the bus, get sober, get bald, and get a side hustle or shut up about being poor.”
We [hear] this all the time: “I can’t afford to invest.” We’re calling bulls— on it. Yes, you can.
We looked at the average amount that Americans spend on rent, on cars, on going to the salon, and on alcohol. Two thousand dollars a month is average rent; if you have a roommate, it cuts it down to $1,000. Just that alone, if you invested the difference, in 25 years you’d have $1.3 million. Now, if you had three roommates, it would go all the way up to $2 million. Just think about that. You now are a multimillionaire just from that, doing nothing else. And by the way, that’s average market returns.
But then when you add in: Take the bus, stop drinking alcohol, shave your head? [That’s] $2.8 million in 25 years.
GI: If you do all those things?
BK: If you do all those things. That’s just one roommate, riding the bus, not drinking alcohol and not going to the salon — watch YouTube [or] get your friend to cut your hair. The richest people I know, this is the kind of stuff they do. And yeah, $2.8 million.
I would say to you all: That sounds terrible.
OK, so why don’t you just go ahead and invest 30% of every dollar you make? Then you don’t have to do any of that s—. If that’s your mindset, it’s impossible for you not to become a millionaire. Unless you do something *******, like take your investments and do something crazy.
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Piper Sandler says buy these stocks to profit from a wave of crypto adoption
Piper Sandler says buy these stocks to profit from a wave of crypto adoption
The new Trump administration will offer a good backdrop for crypto-related stocks, according to Piper Sandler. Cryptocurrency-linked assets surged on Wednesday following Trump’s victory. The president-elect has indicated his support for the industry, and more favorable regulations under a new administration could continue to send digital currencies like bitcoin to new all-time heights . On Wednesday, bitcoin rallied above $76,000 for the first time in history. “Early in the election cycle, President-elect Trump came out in support of crypto and was viewed as the most crypto friendly candidate in the race,” wrote Piper Sandler analyst Patrick Moley in a note Thursday. “Since then we’ve seen a broader ***-partisan, pro-crypto shift in D.C. with > 200 pro-crypto candidates elected [Tuesday]. Given this shift in sentiment we expect to see comprehensive crypto legislation passed in the coming quarters and believe regulatory clarity will result in further mainstream crypto adoption.” Against this more favorable backdrop, Moley shared several stocks he currently rates overweight and that offer investors exposure to the crypto industry: The Piper Sandler analyst highlighted Robinhood as “the most attractive way to play the crypto space” within his coverage universe. Shares of the financial trading platform have more than doubled this year, surging 130%. Moley estimated that crypto made up around 13% of Robinhood’s revenues in the past 12 months. “Its monetized crypto offering is significantly more robust than traditional retail brokerage peers, with over 15 tokens available to trade,” the analyst wrote of Robinhood. “When a comprehensive regulatory framework around crypto is eventually introduced in the U.S., we believe HOOD will likely look to expand its crypto offering by (1) increasing the number of tokens available for trading on its platform and (2) introducing new products like staking (and possibly lending) to a customer base ready to adopt new crypto products.” Still, Moley’s $30 price target on Robinhood is only a fraction above where the stock closed Thursday. Moley was also bullish on shares of CME Group , up 5% this year. While crypto is currently an “immaterial” part of CME’s business — making up less than 1% of its revenue in the past 12 months — the company is the “premier venue for commercial & institutional users of crypto derivatives,” the analyst wrote. “CME currently offers 9 different crypto contracts across BTC (5) and ETH (4). However, through its partnership with CF Benchmarks it has an additional 28 reference rates that we think it could look to launch new contracts on if regulatory clarity improves,” the analyst added. Moley’s $250 price target implies that CME stock could add another 13% over the next 12 months. Although crypto made up less than 5% of Virtu Financial ‘s revenue in the past year, Moley said that the platform was “quietly operating as one of the major traditional finance players in the crypto space.” “The market maker is currently an authorized participant on ALL of the publicly traded spot bitcoin & ether ETFs (20+) and we think the future launch of options on these spot crypto ETFs could add another layer to VIRT’s crypto revenues,” the analyst wrote. “All in all, as crypto’s presence in traditional finance evolves, we think VIRT is positioned well to benefit.” Shares of Virtu Financial have climbed 65% in 2024. Moley’s $35 price target is nearly 5% higher than where the stock closed on Thursday. Finally, Moley gave an honorable mention to trading platform Cboe Global Markets . Less than 1% of the Cboe’s revenue was derived from crypto assets in the last 12 months. The company “offers & clears cash-settled bitcoin & ether futures contracts,” Moley wrote, and “recently exited its spot digital asset trading platform and consolidated its digital asset derivatives into its existing Global Derivatives & Clearing Business.” Shares of Cboe have added 12% this year, trailing the broader market, and Moley’s $220 price target implies an additional 9% upside.
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Piper Sandler says buy these stocks to profit from a wave of crypto adoption
Piper Sandler says buy these stocks to profit from a wave of crypto adoption
The new Trump administration will offer a good backdrop for crypto-related stocks, according to Piper Sandler. Cryptocurrency-linked assets surged on Wednesday following Trump’s victory. The president-elect has indicated his support for the industry, and more favorable regulations under a new administration could continue to send digital currencies like bitcoin to new all-time heights . On Wednesday, bitcoin rallied above $76,000 for the first time in history. “Early in the election cycle, President-elect Trump came out in support of crypto and was viewed as the most crypto friendly candidate in the race,” wrote Piper Sandler analyst Patrick Moley in a note Thursday. “Since then we’ve seen a broader ***-partisan, pro-crypto shift in D.C. with > 200 pro-crypto candidates elected [Tuesday]. Given this shift in sentiment we expect to see comprehensive crypto legislation passed in the coming quarters and believe regulatory clarity will result in further mainstream crypto adoption.” Against this more favorable backdrop, Moley shared several stocks he currently rates overweight and that offer investors exposure to the crypto industry: The Piper Sandler analyst highlighted Robinhood as “the most attractive way to play the crypto space” within his coverage universe. Shares of the financial trading platform have more than doubled this year, surging 130%. Moley estimated that crypto made up around 13% of Robinhood’s revenues in the past 12 months. “Its monetized crypto offering is significantly more robust than traditional retail brokerage peers, with over 15 tokens available to trade,” the analyst wrote of Robinhood. “When a comprehensive regulatory framework around crypto is eventually introduced in the U.S., we believe HOOD will likely look to expand its crypto offering by (1) increasing the number of tokens available for trading on its platform and (2) introducing new products like staking (and possibly lending) to a customer base ready to adopt new crypto products.” Still, Moley’s $30 price target on Robinhood is only a fraction above where the stock closed Thursday. Moley was also bullish on shares of CME Group , up 5% this year. While crypto is currently an “immaterial” part of CME’s business — making up less than 1% of its revenue in the past 12 months — the company is the “premier venue for commercial & institutional users of crypto derivatives,” the analyst wrote. “CME currently offers 9 different crypto contracts across BTC (5) and ETH (4). However, through its partnership with CF Benchmarks it has an additional 28 reference rates that we think it could look to launch new contracts on if regulatory clarity improves,” the analyst added. Moley’s $250 price target implies that CME stock could add another 13% over the next 12 months. Although crypto made up less than 5% of Virtu Financial ‘s revenue in the past year, Moley said that the platform was “quietly operating as one of the major traditional finance players in the crypto space.” “The market maker is currently an authorized participant on ALL of the publicly traded spot bitcoin & ether ETFs (20+) and we think the future launch of options on these spot crypto ETFs could add another layer to VIRT’s crypto revenues,” the analyst wrote. “All in all, as crypto’s presence in traditional finance evolves, we think VIRT is positioned well to benefit.” Shares of Virtu Financial have climbed 65% in 2024. Moley’s $35 price target is nearly 5% higher than where the stock closed on Thursday. Finally, Moley gave an honorable mention to trading platform Cboe Global Markets . Less than 1% of the Cboe’s revenue was derived from crypto assets in the last 12 months. The company “offers & clears cash-settled bitcoin & ether futures contracts,” Moley wrote, and “recently exited its spot digital asset trading platform and consolidated its digital asset derivatives into its existing Global Derivatives & Clearing Business.” Shares of Cboe have added 12% this year, trailing the broader market, and Moley’s $220 price target implies an additional 9% upside.
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Dutch govt probes possible warnings over Maccabi *******
Dutch govt probes possible warnings over Maccabi *******
The Dutch government is investigating if possible warning signs from ******* were missed in the events leading up to this week’s assaults on ******** football fans, Justice Minister David van Weel says in a letter to parliament.
“An investigation is still being conducted on possible warning signs from *******,” van Weel said in his letter late on Friday evening.
At least five people were injured during the assaults on Thursday night and treated in hospital.
All were released later on Friday.
The incident concerned fans of the visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv team.
Police on Saturday said four people remained in custody of the 63 people initially detained.
“The Public Prosecution Service has stated that it aims to apply fast-track justice as much as possible,” van Weel said, adding that it is “the absolute priority” to identify every suspect.
He said the investigation would also examine whether the assaults were organised, with an anti-Semitic motive.
Political leaders have already denounced the attacks as anti-Semitic.
Dutch Prime Minister ***** Schoof said on Friday he was “horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks on ******** citizens” and had assured ******** Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone that “the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted”.
******* sent extra planes to the Netherlands to bring fans home but a Dutch government spokesperson could not immediately confirm how many people made use of this.
Videos on social media on what happened showed riot police in action, with some attackers shouting anti-******** slurs.
Footage also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters chanting anti-***** slogans before Thursday evening’s match.
Amsterdam banned demonstrations through the weekend and gave police emergency stop-and-search powers in response to the unrest.
Anti-Semitic incidents have surged in the Netherlands since ******* launched its ******** on the ************ enclave of the Gaza Strip after the attacks on ******* by ****** militants in October last year, with many ******* organisations and schools reporting threats and hate mail.
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Your Favorite Game Is Already Political
Your Favorite Game Is Already Political
Abriael18h ago(Edited 18h ago)
Really?
My favorite game is Microsoft Flight Simulator. Stop basing your headlines on shaky assumptions for effect.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s politics are not the problem. Throw all the politics you want at me. I don’t mind at all. Quite the opposite. I appreciate it. They give depth to storytelling when they’re well written and well integrated within the world building of a franchise. There are tons of shining examples of that and Veilguard isn’t one.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s problem is that its writing is extremely bad, childish, and feels like a bad fanfiction written by someone who isn’t a fan. Disney has more edge than this.
That kind of writing is pretty literally insulting not only to the franchise and its fans, but to the politics it presents and the people they’re supposed to represent.
Yes. Most games that tell a story are political, and that’s great. But the politics can be supported and enhanced by good writing, or weighed down by bad writing, throwing immersion out of the window. Veilguard is the latter.
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My Favorite Dividend King to Buy in November
My Favorite Dividend King to Buy in November
Certifications such as the Good Housekeeping Seal help consumers know which products are safe and perform well. Unfortunately, no Good Housekeeping Seal exists for dividend stocks.
However, arguably the next best thing is for a company to belong to the elite group known as Dividend Kings. To qualify, a company must increase its dividend for at least 50 consecutive years. Most income investors will sleep better at night knowing that a stock has such an impressive dividend track record.
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But some Dividend Kings are better than others. Which is the best pick right now? Here’s my favorite Dividend King to buy in November.
Technically, AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has only been around since 2013. That doesn’t mean the big pharmaceutical company can’t be a Dividend King, though. AbbVie’s business operated for decades as part of Abbott Laboratories before being spun off as a separate publicly traded entity 11 years ago.
AbbVie, therefore, inherits the rich dividend history of its parent. In September, Abbott announced its 52nd consecutive annual dividend increase. Last week, AbbVie followed suit with its latest dividend increase.
Plenty of Dividend Kings have longer streaks of dividend hikes than AbbVie. Few, if any, though, can match the drugmaker’s level of dividend increases in recent years. Since its spinoff from Abbott, AbbVie has raised its dividend payout by a whopping 310%.
Some Dividend Kings don’t offer princely dividend yields. However, AbbVie’s forward dividend yield is 3.26% — nearly 2.7 times higher than the yield of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). The big pharma stock’s yield would be even higher, except AbbVie’s share price has soared 30% this year.
I think AbbVie’s momentum will continue. Some investors have worried about the negative impact of declining sales of Humira, the company’s top-selling *****, with its loss of patent exclusivity last year. Not me. I’ve been confident in AbbVie’s strategy to navigate these challenges, and my confidence appears to be paying off.
In the third quarter of 2024, Humira’s sales fell 36.5% year over year on an operational basis due to biosimilar competition. Yet AbbVie’s overall revenue increased, with the company delivering sales that were $260 million above its expectations. How did the drugmaker manage this feat? By investing in research and development and making smart acquisitions.
Story Continues
AbbVie CEO Rob Michael said in the Q3 earnings call that the company expects Humira’s successor products, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, to rake in combined sales of over $17 billion this year. He added, “[W]e see substantial opportunity for continued strong growth well into the next decade.”
Other key growth drivers for AbbVie came from its business development deals. For example, the company’s acquisition of Allergan in 2020 added products including migraine therapies Qulipta and Ubrelvy, as well as antipsychotic ***** Vraylar, to AbbVie’s lineup. All three drugs generated double-digit percentage sales growth in Q3.
AbbVie continues to invest heavily in R&D. Its pipeline features over 90 programs. The company’s investments have paid off recently with U.S. regulatory approval of Parkinson’s ******** ***** Vyalev.
Michael noted in the Q3 call that AbbVie has completed 15 deals so far this year, including recently closing on its acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics. CFO Scott Reents said the company’s “strong free cash flow also provides capacity for additional business development.”
While many stocks are priced for perfection these days, AbbVie’s valuation ******** attractive despite its big gains. Shares trade at 16.9 times forward earnings. Even better, the stock’s price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio based on five-year growth projections is a super-low 0.47, according to LSEG.
AbbVie offers a high dividend yield, an impressive track record of dividend increases, strong growth prospects, and an appealing valuation. It shouldn’t be surprising that the stock is my favorite Dividend King to buy right now.
Before you buy stock in AbbVie, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and AbbVie wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $912,352!*
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Keith Speights has positions in AbbVie. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AbbVie and Abbott Laboratories. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
My Favorite Dividend King to Buy in November was originally published by The Motley Fool
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DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI’s Neo is shockingly capable for a tiny drone, but it did have a couple of weaknesses — namely, the lack of vertical video and relatively slow flying speeds in tracking mode. The company has now addressed both of those issues with a new firmware update, adding vertical video and increasing the Neo’s tracking speeds, among other things.
Considering that the Neo is designed and priced for creators, the lack of vertical video was a big miss. It can now handle that, albeit it only at 1080p 60 fps 9:16 and not 4K. That lower resolution is due to the fact that the camera gimbal doesn’t actually rotate 90 degrees like on the Mini 4 Pro; instead, it shoots 4K horizontal resolution then crops off the sides.
DJI
Speed-wise, the Neo can now hit up to 20 mph in tracking mode, up from around 12 mph before. That’s actually faster than the 18 mph sport mode top speed, though still a lot slower than the Neo’s maximum 36 mph speed in the full manual setting (which requires the FPV remote controller 3). Nevertheless, it’s now up to the job of tracking slow moving vehicles, particularly bicycles.
Other new features include Goggles N3 support, liveview stabilization with Goggles N3 or Goggles 3 and improved noise reduction with the Mic 2. Unfortunately, there’s not much DJI can do about the annoying propeller noise. To get the update, you’ll need to connect your Neo to DJI’s Fly app on Android or iOS, then update both the drone and the app.
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